Away We Go! Summer Travel Tips for Families

With summer upon us, travel season is kicking in to high gear! Summer gives us the perfect opportunity to pack up and hit the road (or the skies) in search of a family adventure where we can leave our crazy, hectic lives behind and focus on simply having a good time together as a family. However, for those of us that have traveled with young children before, we know too well that traveling with kids is not the kick-your-feet-up-and-relax getaway that it used to be!

Here are a few tried-and-true tips to make this summer’s travels run a little more smoothly – providing you with a stress-free, affordable and FUN vacation for the whole family! Bon Voyage!

Money-Saving Travel Tips

A room with a view - If you’d like a larger room, yet don’t want to pay for an upgrade, request a corner room upon check-in. Corner rooms are typically classified as “standard” rooms, however, they are larger and usually have a great view as well!

Pack a picnic – Don’t forget to pack a collapsible cooler! Whether visiting the zoo, the beach, or simply exploring a city, setting up a picnic lunch for your family will save you nearly $25 per lunch. Over the course of a week-long vacation, this could save you over $150!

Travel Logistics

Packing Lists –Why reinvent the wheel each time you pack for a trip? Next time you are traveling, write your packing list on an index card labeled “Beaches”, “Mountains”, “Grandparents”, etc. The next time you are going on a similar trip, you can pull out the index card and start packing! When you return, add anything you forgot to pack to the card to ensure that you aren’t without it next time.

Don’t Get Caught Without It – Prior to heading off on your next adventure, scan all important travel documents (passports, tickets, driver license, itinerary, etc.) and e-mail them to yourself. In the worse-case scenario, you will simply have to find the nearest computer to print up all the documents, saving you lots of time and frustration!

Traveling by Plane

Last Call! – When traveling with young children, minimize the amount of time the kids are on the plane. Rather than pre-board as a family, send Daddy ahead with the car seats and bags and you stay behind with the kids. Let the kids run in the terminal and board the plane when they call final boarding. Your seats will already be set up and the children will be less antsy!

Stack your seats – If you are a family of four traveling by plane, avoid reserving 4 seats side-by-side (usually in the middle of the plane). Rather, reserve 2 rows of seats by the window (one in front of the other). By reserving seats by the window, the kids will be able to each have a window seat and you will have easier access to move about the plane.

Double-Duty Travel Items

Pillow cases and dryer sheets – In order to keep your dirty clothes from smelling up both your room and/or the suitcase, pack a pillow case with a dryer sheet in each suitcase. By placing the dryer sheet in the pillow case with your dirty clothes, you will be able to contain the dirty clothes (and the smell)!

Shower caps – Put the shower caps at the hotel to good use! Shower caps make a perfect shoe cover when packing shoes. Simply place the shower cap over the soles of the shoes to keep the dirt on your shoes from getting all your other clothes dirty.

The helpful travel advice is brought to you by Zoolu! A mom’s one stop shop for everything from family travel gear to personalized gifts and mommy boutique items.

We love the GoGoBabyz Kidz Travelmate. It easily attaches to your toddler’s carseat allowing you to check the stroller at the check-in counter and push your toddler through the airport in his/her car seat!

Image courtesy: dcubillas