10-Step Guide for Traveling with Kids During the Holidays
Traveling during the holidays with kids can often feel like a logistical nightmare, but with preparation and patience, it doesn't have to be total chaos.
Give Yourself Plenty of Extra Time Always give yourself extra time to handle crowds, delays, or unexpected meltdowns. If the recommendation for a domestic flight is two hours, aim for three hours during the holidays. If you have Global Entry and TSA Precheck, arriving 2.5 hours early should suffice. Building extra time into your schedule also allows for slow transitions or a much-needed coffee break.
Catch the First Flight or Hit the Road Early Whenever possible, plan to travel early in the day, such as the first flight or hitting the road at dawn. Early departures generally experience fewer delays and smoother transitions. Alternatively, if you cannot leave early, the next best option is traveling during nap time or bedtime. This approach helps keep things calm, avoids major disruptions to the children's routine, and reduces the time you spend entertaining them.
Pack Like a Pro and Stockpile Snacks Packing: Use colorful packing cubes to stay organized, assigning a color to each person, plus an extra cube for essentials like gloves and hats. Be sure to check the weather and pack layers.
Snacks: Snacks are your "secret weapon" for happy travel days. Keep a stash of healthy options (like yogurt melts or seaweed) alongside a few fun treats. Even a tiny candy bribe can help smooth over a cranky moment or a delay.
Essentials: Don't forget must-haves such as a first-aid kit and comfort items like a stuffed animal.
Get the Kids Excited About the Journey Before you depart, show your children pictures or videos of the destination, particularly of the family members they will be seeing. Highlighting exciting destination features, like colorful lights or attractions, can help get them pumped for the adventure and feel more connected to where they are going.
Keep Them Actively Entertained Entertainment can determine the success of a trip. Pack lightweight, small, travel-friendly toys and books. Pre-download holiday movies or apps. Since it is the holidays, add festive items like holiday-themed coloring books or make-a-face sticker sets.
Be Ready for the Unexpected and Lean into the Chaos Things will inevitably go off-script, which is a common part of holiday travel. Instead of getting stressed when plans go awry (like a three-hour layover becoming six hours), decide to make the best of the situation. Exploring different areas of the airport and turning it into a game, such as sampling various snacks, can keep spirits high during long waits. Some of the best family memories come from these unplanned, "perfectly imperfect" moments.
Sign Up for Airline Text Alerts If you are flying, signing up for text or email alerts from the airline is a lifesaver. These alerts ensure you are updated on any changes, which is crucial if you need to adjust a connecting flight.
Save Space by Shipping Gifts To lighten your load when traveling with kids and all your belongings, consider shipping gifts via Amazon directly to your destination.
Cant Ship It? If shipping is not an option, bring gifts unwrapped. You can save space and then wrap them or place them in gift bags/boxes once you arrive. If you choose to travel with wrapped gifts, pack them in your checked luggage, as TSA might ask you to unwrap suspicious-looking items during security checks.
Plan Your Route and Prepare Your Vehicle Route Planning: Map out your journey beforehand to identify fun stops along the way to keep everyone motivated, turning the trip into a mini-adventure. Pre-planning also helps you avoid surprises like unexpected tolls or road closures. If you drive an electric car, route planning is essential to ensure you know where charging stations are located, especially for longer trips.
Car Preparation: Take time to ensure your vehicle is ready by checking tire pressure and fluid levels, and scheduling a quick maintenance check if necessary. If driving in icy or snowy conditions, pack essentials like a snow scraper, blankets, and emergency supplies.
Weave in Meaningful Holiday Traditions and Experiences Keep family traditions alive while traveling. This might involve packing a special bedtime story, bringing small, wrapped gifts for the kids, or writing letters to Santa. Consider bringing tiny decorations, such as a mini tree or fairy lights, to make your temporary accommodation feel festive. When giving gifts abroad, focus on experiences, which become the foundation of many family memories, rather than physical items that add to the luggage load. Treats, such as special local holiday foods, also make great gifts and don’t need to be packed.
Traveling with kids during the holidays is much like conducting a small orchestra in a bustling train station: if you anticipate the noise, practice your timing, and pack plenty of sheet music (and snacks!), you can harmonize amidst the chaos and create a performance everyone remembers.
Dont forget to set your home automations to automatically take care of your plants, set your cameras and set your timers. Using the Linkstyle Home Automation products and free App makes this easy to set and monitor from anywhere your holiday travel takes you.