Traveling with Littles

Planning family vacations is one of my favorite pastimes.  Once we decide on a destination, I am quick to research must-sees and get in contact with locals to maximize fun time!  Below, you will find my favorite tips when traveling as a family on a budget.

Road Trip When You Can

We have been traveling with children for the past 5 years, and will choose to take a road trip over flying whenever possible.  Not only is it the most economical option, it allows for stopping at your leisure (believe me when I say this will be more frequent with kids).  When adventuring with preschoolers and those that are potty training and in diapers, we suggest adding a minimum of 2 hours to your ETA.  If you know this ahead of time, you can plan accordingly and not feel rushed or upset by the change.

Rest stops are your friend; the ones with play areas will be your best friend (read:  FREE fun).  Stow necessary items in easy to reach places.  A spare change of clothes is a must for anyone under the age of 5.  In special circumstances, older.  You know your group best.

Our littles have done an excellent job traversing via plane, car, bus and train.  Pinterest has a plethora of resources that you can print for free.  We have done road trip scavenger hunts, fun academic worksheets and coloring activities.  I know of families that will show movies on the road or allow their youngsters to play with their tablets.  We allow for educational games on a Leap Pad, but they have not interested our preschooler or tot when caravanning.

Playing music and singing along is a favorite pastime, along with simply looking out the window.

Budget, Budget, Budget

I strongly discourage going on a journey as a family if there is not a budget for it.  Whether you set aside money each month for a vacation fund or utilize a portion of your income-tax return, make sure that you have the means ahead of time.  You don’t want to return from your voyage stressed because you can’t buy groceries or afford basic toiletries, for example.

Purchasing snacks for the voyage in advance will ensure you stay within your means.  We highly recommend buying easy to go food items that you can make breakfast and lunch with (ex:  yogurt, granola, fruit, turkey slices, mayonnaise, wheat bread, etc.).  Our tribe typically eats out about once a day when vacationing.  Allowing the littles to help pick treats is a huge motivator (we even permit junk food for these special occasions!).

Stay with Relatives and Friends

All of our journeys thus far have been to areas where relatives and companions live.  I affectionately refer to this as the three-fold design:  we board with people we love, get local expertise on where to tour and save money.

It is best to bring a gift upon arrival (perhaps something unique to your area of the world) and/or serve them while there.  Our favorite present to make is Hesterberg Spaghetti for our loved ones.  There are many ways to be a gracious guest and connect intentionally with your hosts.

I once heard a pastor refer to family vacations as, “planned disasters.”  I completely agree.  In certain cases, events don’t go as intended.  Rather than being shocked by the occasional surprise, it is useful to anticipate a detour or two (a miscellaneous fund is helpful!).  Knowing there is potential for tension (something about being in the same place for prolonged amounts of time) can help in being a generous grace-giver and receiver.

Take Flight

God willing, in a few weeks, the five of us will be boarding a flight and heading across the Atlantic to visit Germany!  On the way, we will have a 12-hour layover in London and are hoping to explore that city as well.  In our single days, my husband and I both explored different parts of Europe.  We are thrilled to head that way again to visit his cousins and travel internationally with our children for the first time (prayers appreciated!).

One of the most important lessons I learned when taking flight with our oldest two (who were 3 and 1 at the time) was that modeling is imperative.  If you are a ball of nerves, your children will pick up on that energy and be nervous, too.  While some of that cannot be helped, we dialogued with them extensively and checked out books at our local library on flying and airplanes.  We were ecstatic to share in this adventure, and thus they literally could not wait!

While there are more uncertainties in taking flight, you arrive at your destination faster and possibly well-rested.

Make sure to carry necessities on your person (ID, passport if needed, spare clothing and toiletries).  Read through the rules your particular airline has to make sure nothing will be confiscated at the gate (I once had to leave behind mousse– not a huge deal, but it would have been better for me to know about it ahead of time).  I cannot emphasize packing light enough (rolling your clothes instead of folding them saves space in your suitcase).  Remember that you will potentially be rushing to catch your next flight with littles in tow.

My final tip is one that was confirmed last week.  Purchasing your plane tickets on a Tuesday morning can save you hundreds of dollars as a family.  In fact, it saved us about $800 on the pricey international flight.

We live frugally, by choice, for a variety of reasons.  Towards the top of our list is it frees us up to afford exposing our family to great vacations.  Please share your favorite traveling tips with me!  Until then, happy planning!