Best Trips For Traveling With The Family
Whether you’re traveling by plane, train, or automobile - we here at SOULBUDDY know that family trips are even better with adequate preparation. In this blog post, we’ll be sharing some of our favorite travel tips with you to ensure an amazing family trip for all this summer!
Traveling with your family, whether it be a road trip or a trip taken via plane, works best when there is proper planning and execution (though spontaneous traveling is fun as well!). Regardless of the destination you and the fam are headed to, it’s important to stay prepared! In this blog post, our SOULBUDDY family will be sharing with you some of our top travel tips for families with children. Without further ado, let’s get into it!
Tips for Flying With Kids
- If possible, take advantage of early boarding. Some airlines offer advanced boarding for those with little ones. While it’ll only shave a few minutes off of your overall time, it’s a great way to get the kids situated and ready for the flight.
- Bring plenty of activities for the kids. This one may seem like a no-brainer - but kids these days love to be entertained via a plethora of digital devices. Be sure to bring everything you’ll possibly need - from iPads to Nintendo Switches to Kindles and everything in between (including chargers)!
- Bring ample kid-friendly snacks on board. Most airlines these days do not offer full meals for standard commercial flights - and if they do, it’s hardly something a kid will want to eat. Having kid-approved snacks like gummy bears, chips, string cheese, carrot sticks, and apples and peanut butter at the ready will help to make your trip through the skies a bit more pleasant!
- Dress your children in layers and select comfortable footwear. Prepare the little ones for changes in temperature by dressing them in clothes that can easily be layered and are comfortable and versatile. Don’t forget the comfortable footwear either! Shoes like TOMS or any other variety of slip-on shoes are optimal, as it cuts down on the time spent having to lace up shoelaces after going through airport security.
Tips for Road Trips With Kids
- Start small and build up to longer trips over time. It may be easier to start with a two hour road trip to a relative’s house instead of a cross-country roadtrip to Niagra Falls, for example. Use these trial runs to gauge your children’s comfortability with traveling in the car and work towards the goal of planning more in-depth family road trips.
- Thoroughly research your route. Take some time prior to the trip to do some planning in order to scout out some places to grab a bite to eat, stretch, get gas, use the restroom, et cetera. In addition, keep the maps app at ready on your phone, just in case you need to make an emergency pit stop at a restroom or gas station.
- Play fun road trip games to pass the time. Activities such as license plate bingo, Twenty Questions, and Name That Tune are classic road trip staples that will keep the kids entertained for several hours while on the open road!
Tips for Traveling By Train With Kids
- As always, do your research. Figure out key bits of information beforehand, such as how long the trip is going to take and if there are any stops/transfers involved. This will help to make the trip run efficiently and smoothly.
- Pack as light as possible. On trains, you’re in charge of your own luggage - so try to utilize small suitcases and backpacks instead of larger suitcases. This way, you aren’t overpacking or having to deal with cumbersome, heavy luggage.
- Arrive early and stay organized. Getting to the station with time to spare allows for time to check what track the train is on, prepare the kiddos for boarding the train, and even gives your family time to grab a snack at one of the train station markets. Be sure to stay organized too by keeping your mobile or physical train tickets in a safe, convenient location.
Do you plan to take an epic family trip this summer? Let us know in the comments below! Be sure to take your SOULBUDDY hats along on the adventure too! As always, be sure to follow us on Instagram @soulbuddyhats for travel and adventure tips, and be sure to tag us in your posts across social media with #soulbuddyhats so we can see how you style your SOULBUDDY gear!
