Ask anyone traveling with kids for their thoughts on the issue, and they'll tell you that taking them on vacation is a labor of love. Parents bringing the kids along will need to plan for more downtime and rest, and they'll also have to pack extra patience for the trip. Of course, traveling with kids also makes every aspect of a trip much more expensive, and parents typically wind up spending a lot more on conveniences or splurges just to keep the kids happy and entertained.
But traveling with kids can be a lot less stressful if you know what to do and what not to do ahead of time. In fact, the best trips with kids usually come about when the parents do their best to create an environment similar to home, whereas overplanning, overpacking or messing up a kid's sleep schedule on a trip can make everyone miserable.
If you're planning a trip with children in tow this year, there are a range of steps you can take, and things to avoid that can make the entire experience a lot more fun. Read on to learn the 20 do's and don'ts of traveling with kids before you pack up the family and hit the road.
Do: Bring Snacks and Entertainment
If you want to keep your kids fed and give them something to do, make sure to pack some simple snacks in your bag for travel in a car or a plane. While you can bring nearly any foods your kids will eat, it can help to pick non-messy snacks like chips, pretzels, granola bars and fruit snacks over foods that melt or leave kids with sticky hands.
Also make sure to bring phones, tablets and other devices that can keep your kids entertained while you get from place to place. In the meantime, remember that vacation is typically not the best time to set new limits on your kids' screen time.
Don't: Forget Chargers and Cords
Bring all your family's devices you might want to use on your trip, but don't forget to bring charging cords and charging blocks along. If you're taking a cruise where plug-ins may be scarce in your cabin, you can also bring along a plug adapter or power strip.
Traveling with kids also becomes easier if you always have a way to charge your devices no matter where you are. To that end, we recommend packing a charging bank and keeping it charged so you can power up devices in your car, on the plane or even on the beach if you have to.
Do: Bring Headphones for Kids
Nobody — and I mean nobody — wants to listen to your kid's show or game on blast while in the airport or on a flight. Many airlines have even started stating this fact in their security announcements, and they will come over to your seat and have you turn the volume off if you ignore their requests.
To avoid an embarrassing situation and making everyone around you miserable, you should bring headphones for your kids with you on every trip. This lets them listen to their device for the entire ride without being rude to other passengers around them.
Don't: Let Kids Kick the Plane Seat in Front of Them
If you're flying with kids, you should go out of your way to ensure passengers in your immediate area aren't impacted by your decision. This includes bringing headphones for your kids along for the ride as we already mentioned, but it also means not letting your kids do whatever they want or move around too much.
Specifically, don't let your kids kick the back of the seat in front of them or slam their tray table over and over again.
Do: Let Your Kids Help with Planning
Ask your kids what they want to do on vacation, and actually listen to what they have to say. Your kids may be more interested in your destination or the type of trip you're taking than you realize, but you won't know what their interests are unless you ask.
If you're visiting a new country, consider sharing information on the country or showing them how to look it up themselves. From there, you can explain the top five or 10 things you can do in the destination during your trip, then get their insights on what they want to see the most.
Don't: Let the Kids Decide Everything
That said, don't let your kids plan everything and don't ignore your own tuition when it comes to their limits. Your kids might think it's a great idea to spend five days in a row exploring museums and parks from morning until night, but that doesn't mean that level of activity is realistic.
Ideally, you'll take your children's opinions into account when planning your trip. However, you should get the final say on what to do and when.
PHOTO: Family sightseeing from New York City's Central Park. (photo via travnikovstudio/iStock/Getty Images Plus)
Do: Consider Kid-Friendly Vacation Options
Some types of trips are a lot better for kids in general. For example, cruises and all-inclusive resorts are ideal for picky eaters and parents who want plenty of time to relax with all their activities built-in. These trips also tend to offer supervised kids camps on-site, so parents can get some downtime and a break from the kids.
Sightseeing trips can also work great for kids as long as you don't overplan or book activities that interrupt their normal napping and snacking schedules.
Don't: Forget About the Adults
While kid-friendly vacation options can help everyone have fun, don't forget that you're the one paying for the trip. Make sure to plan something for yourself in the mix, whether it's a visit to a museum you have always wanted to visit, a spa treatment or a fancy dinner out.
This is another area where it can help to have childcare on vacation. If you can't bring along a family member or nanny who can help, consider booking a cruise or resort that has on-site childcare available.
Do: Look for Discounts for Kids
Many vacation options offer discounts for kids that can help you pay less for your vacation overall. For example, some cruise lines let kids cruise free, and the same is also true for many all-inclusive resorts.
You'll also find vacation packages that let you bring kids for a lower cost than adults. Either way, make sure you shop around for travel deals to find the best possible fit and pricing for your family.
Toddler with a suitcase in an airport. (Photo via iStock / Getty Images Plus / Nadezhda1906)
Don't: Book Based on Discounts Alone
While finding travel deals is definitely a good thing, that doesn't mean you should book the cheapest vacation package you can find. After all, hotels and resorts with the lowest prices may not be high-quality, kid-friendly or even safe. When you're traveling with kids, these are all issues that need to be taken into account.
If you do decide to book a "cheap" vacation package, make sure you read reviews of the hotel or resort ahead of time.
Do: Bring Toys and Activities
Bringing your kids' favorite toys and games can help improve your daily vacation in numerous ways, from giving the family something to do to creating distractions when something's just not right.
Items to consider packing include board games your family regularly plays (or the travel versions of the game), your kid's favorite stuffed animal, a deck of cards, tablets with games and more.
Don't: Overpack
Definitely bring along some of your children's favorite things on your trip, including stuffed animals, games and comfort items. However, try not to pack the kitchen sink!
Remember that traveling with kids is a lot more work overall and that you'll be the one who is stuck towing oversized bags or carrying around all the totes required to store your kids's stuff.
Family jumping for joy at a beach. (photo via iStock / Getty Images Plus / LightFieldStudios)
Do: Plan Fun Activities
Think of all the unique activities you can plan for your travel destination, whether that includes a snorkeling tour for the family, a guided museum tour, an ATV ride excursion or a fun day of zip lining. Remember that some activities with kids can get expensive, but that the memories you make can be well worth it in the end.
Don't: Overplan
In the meantime, make sure you're not booking activities for every hour of every day. If you overplan and don't build in any downtime, you could easily live to regret it.
Most trips work best when you plan a single activity or event with kids on most days of your trip while leaving the rest of your vacation open for whatever comes up. This gives you the flexibility to do more on your trip if you want to, but your kids can also nap, relax and enjoy some time to themselves just like they would at home.
Kids eating on an airplane (photo courtesy iStock / Getty Images Plus / tatyana_tomsickova)
Do: Pay for Conveniences When You Can
While saving money on travel may be one of your biggest priorities, don't forget that some travel conveniences are well worth paying for. If you try to pay as little as possible no matter what, you can wind up with crabby kids who aren't having fun and go out of their way to make sure you're not, either.
With that in mind, pay for conveniences when you can, including in-flight wifi for your plane, checked bag fees so you don't have to lug your bags around, seat selection fees on your flight, airport lounge day passes and more.
Don't: Ignore Your Travel Budget
Paying for convenience is one thing, but don't let your travel budget go out the window just because you're with the kids. Remember that even small additional charges you don't plan for can add up over the course of your vacation and that not paying attention can mean returning home to a credit card bill that's a lot higher than you expected.
Our advice? Set a travel budget for your trip that includes the travel conveniences you want to cover and try to stick with it when you can.
Do: Plan "Free Days" In Your itinerary
Most family trips should have a few free days built in where absolutely nothing is planned other than eating and relaxation. After all, you never know when your kids might "hit a wall" and need some time off from sightseeing and exploration.
You might also find something you really want to do and need some time to fit it in, and having a few free days available can make it happen.
PHOTO: Family checking into a hotel. (photo via monkeybusinessimages/iStock/Getty Images Plus)
Don't: Forget to Be Flexible
While building free days into your trip itinerary is smart, make sure to be flexible on when your downtime is, along with all your other plans. The fact is travel can be exhausting for both kids and parents, and you don't know how much energy you'll have from one day to the next.
To make the most of your family vacation, you should try to have some flexibility on what you do and when. That way, you can play your days around energy levels, attitudes and everyone's moods instead of having to stick to a strict schedule.
Do: Select Plane Seats Ahead of Time
Most airlines let you select a seat ahead of time for free if you book in the main cabin of your plane or a premium cabin and you don't book a basic economy fare. Others require you to pay to select seats ahead of time.
Either way, choosing seats on your plane ahead of time can help you sit exactly where you want and as close to the bathrooms as you want to be based on your kids. Most airlines will automatically seat you with your children even if you don't select these seats ahead of time, but taking steps to pick the seats you want makes the process a whole lot easier.
Don't: Schedule Cheap Flights with Layovers or Crazy Travel Times
When you're choosing flights for a family vacation, remember that the itinerary can have a major impact on the mood of your trip and the overall flying experience. In fact, picking a flight with a layover (or several) to save some cash can easily backfire and make everyone in your group miserable. The same is true if you pick the first flight of the day because it's cheaper, and your entire crew has to get up in the middle of the night to get to the airport in time.
Our advice? Pick a direct flight whenever you can if you're traveling with kids. Also, pick a flight that fits with their normal sleeping schedule if you want to avoid a meltdown.
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