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Many people wonder: “When I have kids, does that mean no more traveling?” We don’t think that’s true at all! In fact, traveling just gets more fun! Is it worth it to travel with kids? Absolutely, yes!

We think traveling can help any child be more open-minded, confident and flexible. We also love the quality family time that we get from exploring new places, experiences and foods together! With some planning and preparation, traveling with our kiddos can be so much fun!

What’s the best age to travel with kids?

Honestly, we think every age is a good age to travel. When they are infants or babies (before they can crawl), traveling is pretty easy because they aren’t mobile just yet. We went camping in Big Sur when our oldest was 4 months and then to Ireland and Switzerland when he was 5 months old. We just carried him or strolled him around and he did whatever we did.

As they start moving more (10 months +), it starts to get a little bit trickier but still very doable. Traveling with toddlers comes with bigger feelings and tantrums but also cuddles, curiosity and exploration, which is so fun to be around and experience. We traveled throughout Thailand and Taiwan when our oldest had just turned 1 year old, and then to Prague, Salzburg and Budapest when he was almost 2 years old.

As they get older, it only gets better and probably easier logistically to travel. We love watching our kids learn and discover new things on our travels!

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Tips on how to travel with kids

(1) When planning your trip with kids, flexibility is key.

Understand that you may not do as much as you could do before having kids, so be flexible. We avoid packing an entire day with too many things. We usually stick to one attraction or activity per day and keep the rest of the day open. I’ll typically have a secondary list of things to do and places to eat so if we do have time or energy, we can pick something from that list based on where we are. See our step-by-step guide on how to plan a travel itinerary with kids.

(2) Be prepared.

When packing, make sure you make a physical or mental checklist of everything you will need. Check out our top travel gear and essentials for ideas.

(3) Fly direct if you can.

If you’re flying, take a direct flight if you can. We always try to minimize stopovers to avoid rushing to connecting flights, delays, and potential lost luggage. We’ve had our share of missing our connecting flight due to delays with our first flight and our luggage flying around Europe without us. So, if we can and it makes sense, we will try to fly direct to our destination.

(4) Consider picking only 1-2 destinations per trip.

I know that when you are planning to visit a new country, you want to see as much as possible by hopping from one city to the next. Pre-kids, we used to go from one city or country to the next every few days but we tried that with a kid… and it’s exhausting. We definitely prefer slower travel with our boys (not super slow, just slower) and typically like to stay in one place for a longer period of time. For example, instead of going to multiple Hawaiian islands, we like to pick one island and stay a week. Instead of 2-3 short days in the Swiss Alps, we opted to stay 5 days so we never felt like we had to rush. It also allows us to slow down and appreciate the moments with our kids versus thinking about the next city or things to do.

(5) Depending on the child’s age, prepare them for the upcoming trip by learning more about the destination.

We try to do age appropriate learning with our kids of our upcoming travel destinations, whether it’s a video on Youtube or a book from the library. We usually do it a week or two before we leave and get them excited about all the fun things we are going to do. If we have a general itinerary ready, we also share what we are going to do when we visit the destination, which helps set expectations.

(6) Get over your child’s jet lag by jumping right into the new time zone.

In our experience, we found that babies and toddlers have an easier time adjusting to jet lag than adults. When we traveled internationally, the kids were already adjusted to the local time after a day, and it was actually Phil and I who struggled for a few days.

When we fly, we start resetting on the plane and when it’s time for sleep, offering whatever it is that they associate with sleep (e.g. loveys, bottle etc.). Sometimes they sleep and sometimes they don’t. When we arrive to our destination, we try to get as much sun light as possible and move our bodies (if we arrive during the day). We try to go about our day according to the new time zone (of course there are times when we all need a cat nap in the middle of the day). And if you need some extra support, you can consider kids melatonin to help (always check with your child’s doctor if you have any questions). We usually use it for the first couple of nights in a new country.

The first few days can be a hit or miss so just make sure to give yourself some grace. You learn to go with the flow… eventually.

(8) Nap on the go

Try to get your kids comfortable napping anywhere so you have more flexibility. Since our kids were infants, they would come with us wherever we go and work with our schedules. I didn’t want to be tied to my home because my child could only sleep in his crib. Napping anywhere became especially handy when we traveled! We would strap him in our travel stroller or carrier depending on where we were visiting, and he just came along for the ride. As long as he was with us, he was happy.

(9) Bring some toys or other forms of entertainment for restaurants and waiting.

Oftentimes when you travel, there will be times where you will have to wait, whether it’s at a restaurant or for an attraction or museum etc. We like to bring a few of their favorite small toys to keep them busy and entertained while we wait. For toddlers, we bring a small container of play doh, markers and paper, or small figurines (see full recommended list here). For older kids, books, legos, etc. can occupy some time. It provides a little bit of sanity for us.

(10) Pack more snacks than you think you need.

Snacks are such a good way to keep little hands busy and bellies happy. We always pack way more snacks than we think we will need and then we end up eating all of it. We are huge fans of light snack bento boxes to make things a bit more fun.

(11) Give yourself grace and know that things may not always go as you planned.

This is honestly easier said than done, especially for a type-A planner like myself. But, eventually, you realize that you can still plan AND keep room for some flexibility. Check out more tips in our post on how to plan a travel itinerary when traveling with kids.

Traveling with your kiddos can be so fun! Is it always a relaxing vacation? Nope, but it’s so much more! You got this!