Do you want to travel with your children but don’t know where to begin? We asked Share the Wander to share their top family travel tips based on their year-long full-time traveling. After a full year of traveling, they have learned a lot. Are you prepared to travel with your children?

The Best Family Travel Tips

We had no idea what our journey would be like, how our family would adapt to full-time traveling, or even what we’d learn.

Our initial itinerary has changed countless times since we began traveling. We are always learning as we travel and our children grow.

We have been on the road for more than nine months, and we are still learning about what works best for us, our family, and our travel style.

When we started our journey, our kids were about 4 and 6. We hope that what we learned on the road will be helpful to other families traveling. Our top tips for family travel with children.

Stay Safe

Safety is our priority whenever we travel with our children. We are often asked how to travel safely with children. A little common sense can go a long way in most places.

Research your destination (and any specific neighborhoods) before you travel with children to ensure that you stay in a safe area. Plan for the event that you become separated. Children should be taught to remain where they are and to contact a responsible adult if necessary.

We recommend that everyone in your family wears ID bracelets. These can be customized to your liking. We include the child’s name, parent’s phone number, allergies, and blood type.

If there is a separation or an accident, your children will have the information they need to reach both parents. Most kids do not have their parent’s cell phone number memorized.

Learn how to keep your kids safe when traveling. Your Worst Frights: A Complete guide to keeping children safe while traveling.

Expectations with Children

We have learned from our family trips that children need to be prepared for what’s to come. The better we prepare the children for what is to come, the more they will be able to handle the bumps.

We try to involve children in decisions whenever possible – such as which museum we will visit today or what kind of food to eat tonight.

All Travel Takes More Time When Traveling with Kids

With kids, everything takes longer! Even a simple bathroom break can take twenty minutes. It takes much longer to get through airport security or verify documentation for four people than it did when we were only two.

Plan extra time for airports. For little legs, distances can be far between the security gate, bathroom breaks, and food. We think we have plenty of time to get away but then find ourselves rushing for food just before our flight.

You can get assigned seats on an airplane

It would be best if you didn’t leave your seat assignment until the last minute.

Pre-book seats as soon as you can when booking an air trip. Most US airlines will not seat your family together if you select the lowest fare. Last-minute changes or asking passengers to swap with you are stressful. You’ll enjoy a more relaxing trip if your seats are reserved before you get to the airport.

Think about the best seating arrangement. As a family with four children, we booked two sets in front of two other seats. The kids will have both window seats and the adults the middle seats. We can pass items back and forth and talk with each other over the heart.

We prefer to sit on either side of the aisle in buses that have two-seat rows. Buses have high-backed seats. If the children sit in front of us, we cannot see them. We can still see and assist them if they need it, but if they sit next to us, across the aisle, they get to have fun together.

Plan a Recovery Day

Plan a day of recovery after you arrive, especially if you are changing time zones. Kids can adjust to a time change by up to a full day for every hour.

You will have more time to adjust to your new surroundings, and your kids won’t get so cranky if you visit a tourist attraction. Save the big events for when you are all feeling better.

We try to plan the most important stops at the beginning of our journey. We schedule the most important things to see on our second and third days. So, if you get sick or the place is closed, you can reschedule. You’re out of luck if it’s your last day.

Search for Family Rooms

Many hotels offer family rooms outside of the US. These include multiple beds. We can often book a room that has a double bed, 2 or 3 twin beds. We know that our children sleep better in their beds, even though they’ve shared double beds on road trips across the US. Many places in the world can accommodate this.

You can book two rooms or connecting rooms in smaller hotels if you have older children. This is a common problem in older cities where buildings are smaller and more crowded.

Booking hotels that include breakfast is also a favorite. Getting everyone fed in the early morning is a great way to start your day. We keep bananas and other snacks available in the room for the children to have if they are hungry.