Family Travel Survival Tips
As with everything in life, preparation is often the key. A little research goes a long way when it comes to the difference between an average family holiday and one that goes into family folk law, reminisced about for years to come. The following list of tips will hopefully put you in good stead.
Find a holiday that suits the whole family. If this is impossible, it might be worth once in a while paring off members of the family with similar interests.Always take out travel insurance for all the family, however short your trip. The Association of British Insurers has a guide to what insurance should cover you for what (www.abi.org.uk and click on Information Zone), as has the British Insurance Brokers’ Association (www.biba.org.uk).When considering flying long-haul with toddlers, ask yourself is it really worth it. It’s not a sacrifice for long. Once they can watch a film or colour in – probably aged around 3-4 years, you’re back on track. Also watch out for big time differences. Children don’t adapt quickly to this and if you visit the Caribbean for example, which is five hours behind, you may find yourself with a toddler who’s awake and raring to go at 3am every morning. On flights, you can never have enough sandwiches, fruit and water with you. It saves money and waiting around for cabin crew to serve you. It’s also best to take a spare set of clothes in your hand luggage for youngsters. There’s nothing worse than the smell of vomit in a confined space.Check with your airlines to find out your baggage allowance and whether infants travelling with you are given an allowance. Extra baggage charges can be a nasty shock at the airport.Take plenty of things to occupy your children over a long flights and car journey – games, cards, iPods – and prepare games to play as a whole family. When the grumps set in, younger children can be distracted with surprise treats – even cheap novelty toys work well. Avoid games with pieces that can be easily lost. Magnetic games and fuzzy felt are always good bets.If you’re pregnant, take regular breaks on long journeys and make sure you stretch your legs. If you forgotten something, stay calm. It’s highly likely you’ll be able to get it at your destination. Many hotels have lots of children’s equipment, so it’s worth checking out what’s available to avoid over packing.Make sure that you organise at least one night alone with your partner – it’s your holiday too.www.climatecare.org or www.carbonneutral.com.
Added 2008/10/11 @ 00:08:49
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