Travel is a high priority for our family. As a child, I grew up traveling and JB and I often traveled together before we had kids, especially when he was playing baseball abroad. So we knew when we had children of our own that we would want to travel together as a family. I see family travel as such a gift. There’s something so special about the memories and bond that you create when traveling together.
One of the topics I’m most frequently asked about is travel tips, especially tips for family travel. So in today’s post I’m going to do one big roundup of my personal travel tips! I’ll include advice for planning and booking trips, preparing for a vacation, and packing like a pro. I hope this post can prove to be a valuable resource for your upcoming travel adventures!
Traveling With Kids
My boys are now elementary-aged, and it feels like the golden age to travel with them. It’s wonderful to be able to experience new cultures and adventures together. But honestly, traveling with them at every age has been fun! In the early days, my parents or in-laws would always come with us. This was so helpful and I loved that we all got more time together this way. Our kids traveled abroad as babies and toddlers. And now, thanks to this, they are expert little traveling elementary-aged kids! They get just as excited as we do about some of these trips.
If you’re looking for tips specific to traveling with kids, here are some posts worth checking out – traveling with toddlers, busy bag for traveling with kids, a family weekend in Paris, and what to pack when traveling with toddlers.
Planning & Booking Tips
Before jumping into packing lists and travel tips, I wanted to share some advice for planning and booking vacations. I’ve learned the more prepared you are for a trip, the more smoothly it will run (most of the time!) Over the years I’ve come across some great recommendations for saving money and setting yourself up for a fun, comfortable, and successful getaway!
Credit Card Tips
- Use a travel rewards credit card. This will allow you to earn points or miles that can be redeemed for free flights, hotel stays, or upgrades. We find that our Capital One is better than Amex for us point-wise.
- Take advantage of a credit card perks lounge. It’s always nice to spread out, grab a bite to eat that doesn’t cost a fortune, and fill up your water bottle or grab one to go. And if your flight gets delayed, you have a spot to prop up. This is something to look into prior to your trip to see if any of your cards have this. For us, it saves us plenty of money since we use them wherever they have them, which is at most airports!
- Many credit cards provide access to an airport lounge. For Amex, you can enter their Centurion Lounge. You can also get Priority Pass through Amex or other cards, which allows access to a whole host of different lounges.
Preparing Kids
- Ask the kids what they want to see and do! When trip planning, I always buy the boys a book about our upcoming destination. This gets them interested in it and helps get an idea of what “must sees” are on their list. We don’t let them dictate the trip, but there’s always some sort of sight they want to see. And we love to make that happen!
- Additionally, you can check out library books about your travel destination for your kids (at their reading level). I think this helps build some excitement and anticipation around the trip!
Research & Planning
- Research, crowd source, and do more research before you go. The internet is a great resource. I also LOVE these guides from Glimpse. We planned out our whole London trip with one, and even though we weren’t there for too long, we felt like we saw many highlights…and can’t wait to go back! Other bloggers are a great resource as well. I always like to share my itinerary following a trip, in hopes that it helps someone else. And I know there are many others that share everything as well.
- Find flights that work for you through Google Flights. Once I know my desired dates, I generally put an alert on google flights, and book when I feel the flight won’t get any lower.
- I have also heard of Going (formerly Scott’s Cheap Flights), which has flights at highly discounted rates. There’s a paid version and a free one, so if you are flexible on where you are traveling, it could be great to sign up to get some deals.
- We have also worked with the lovely Soo of Land Sky See. She is a wizard at finding great deals to Europe!
- Apply for Global Entry. Many credit cards will cover the cost for you, or help cover a portion, our Amex does. With Global entry you will speed through security inside the US, and it will make going through customs when coming back into the states much easier.
- If you plan on solely traveling inside the US, TSA pre-check is a bit easier to get, and so nice to have. But if you have global entry, you’ll get TSA pre-check and you will glide through customs.
- In Miami and some other airports, they have Mobile Passport Control, which is free! You just need to download an app and input all of your details beforehand. My parents did this and went through that line so quickly!
- Always book flights around what works for your family. For us, the cost savings of getting up at 4am to catch an early flight just don’t add up now that we’re traveling with kids.
Packing Tips
After you have transportation and lodging booked and you’ve planned your activities, it’s time to start packing! Packing for yourself can be tricky, and packing for an entire family can be downright overwhelming. These are some tips and tricks I use to make the process go as smoothly as possible.
Packing Wisely
- Make sure to pack an itinerary! I like to do a spreadsheet on Google Docs with travel confirmations, hotel addresses, known traveler numbers…all of the things. But I’m a paper gal through and through, so I like to plan our daily itineraries on paper. I typically use these weekly ones, as this format helps me visually see what we have every day. I am never far from my little weekly planner during trips!
- Make a list for EVERYTHING you need to bring. Clothing, accessories, bags, kids’ entertainment, toiletries, etc.
- Give wardrobe planning a try. I like to try on looks prior to travel, snap a picture, and then keep it all in my phone notes. I know this seems a little over-the-top, but it helps me to quickly pull my outfit each day, or to move outfits around based on weather. It also helps me avoid overpacking.
- Plan to stay consistent with your vitamin and wellness routines. It’s easy to let these go by the wayside during vacation, but I would say this is time to stay consistent. Pack those vitamins, and stay on top of it to boost your immune system. I also try to take ginger shots at every chance I get while traveling. If I have time, I like to hit up the gym while on vacation too, typically in the mornings.
- Try to limit checked bags. We do our best to only bring two checked bags, and we always pack our tote-a-ton. This duffel is amazing for soft-sided souvenirs, dirty clothes, etc. You won’t believe how much it can hold! Then we do these carry-on suitcases and a backpack for each kid.
Packing Essentials
- I love packing cubes. We do different colors and designs for each of us in our family. This makes unpacking super easy. For longer trips, I also utilize compression bags.
- A wet dry bag is always great to have. If you forget one, lots of hotels usually have a plastic bag hanging for laundry, which you can utilize for a wet bag.
- Always pack a first aid kit. Think beyond bandaids to what you may need if you get sick. I travel with medications for kids and adults, as I like to cover pretty much any kind of possible situation.
- Pack jewelry in a small case. This travel jewelry case is the one I use. I never forget the power of different jewelry and a strong lip to change up an outfit!
- Check out my other travel posts. Some that might be helpful include these classic travel outfit ideas and my 17 top travel essentials.
What to Pack in a Carry On
No matter the destination, many of the items in my carry-on luggage are always the same. As a starting point, all of the items on my travel essentials list can easily fit in a carry-on bag. I’m going to go into details about a few other things I always bring along when traveling.
- My favorite carry-on bags/luggage: A Longchamp bag and a Terminal One Carry-On Suitcase.
- Inside my Longchamp: A classic wrap, a travel wallet, cadence containers to store a hydrating mask and moisturizer, a pocket pharmacy, hand sanitizer (I like the kind at Trader Joe’s or Honest the best), thick chapstick (I like Lanolips), and a lipstick.
- Inside of my big carry-on, I pack my first few outfits of the trip.
- Pack proper liquid containers. TSA notes that anything over 3.4 ounces should be in your checked luggage (this includes toothpaste!) And technically, the clear bag that you pack liquids in can’t be larger than a quart. Some airports are strict on this, and others are more lenient. These clear Calpack bags are great, and this bag is also a good budget-friendly option. Also, keep in mind that each person gets a liquid bag while traveling. Therefore, you can use your kids (who don’t usually need many liquids) if you need extra space. PS…I don’t think Heathrow is ever lenient!
- Always pack any medicine that you need inside your carry-on or purse. I even like to pack a tiny first aid kit with essentials.
- Wear your heaviest footwear on the plane. This is usually boots if it’s somewhere cold or tennis shoes for Euro summers.
- Always pack snacks and either bring an empty water bottle or pick one up after security. You never know when you might get stuck on a plane or in traffic later in the day!
Tried & True Travel Tips
Whether you have an upcoming vacation planned or you’re hoping to book one in the future, I hope these tips are helpful in making it go as smoothly as possible. I’m always making note of things that work and don’t work when traveling, so be sure to keep checking back for additional ideas. And here are a few other posts that are great resources as well:
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