Travelling With Kids: 5 Helpful Tips for First-Timers

Contributed by Writing Judge

Travelling with kids can be challenging, especially for first-timers. From planning flights to adjusting routines, every trip requires a little extra care. Here are five practical tips to help you enjoy stress-free family travels in 2025 and beyond.

Also read: Discover These 15 Nature-Themed Destinations in the Philippines on Your Next Family Getaway

5 Important tips for those travelling with kids

1. Do the planning

Planning is key to a smooth trip with kids. Schedule flights and activities around your children’s nap times and usual sleep routines. A well-planned itinerary can prevent crankiness and help everyone enjoy the journey more.

Try to keep in mind the sleeping conditions of your travel. If you know that the only sleep you will get at the beginning is the one during your flight, then make your plans according to that. If you know that you will be able to get a nap right once you arrive, then that could be a good thing for the overall sleeping schedule of your kids.

Sometimes, if you want to save some money, you could book one bed for yourself and one of your younger kids. Babies won’t even need a bed, but you will need to take a crib with you. Whatever you do, try to make it as comfortable for your children as possible.

2. Make sure you’re well-rested before you depart

Before starting your trip, it is always a good idea to get well-rested beforehand. Of course, during your flight, you could still get enough sleep; but you should be fresh and prepared for all the checks you will need to go through at the airport.

One interesting tactic would be to do practice runs. Take your kids with you when you are going on a short car trip somewhere and see how they behave. Travelling will more often than not excite them, but if they get used to being asleep while in the car, there will be fewer problems when you actually start travelling for long periods of time.

You could also try to exhaust your kids (in a good way!) before the flight so that they sleep on the plane. This counter-tactic will work better when you have lengthy flights such as eight-hour or 10-hour ones; but don’t use it if your flight is only a few hours long because your kids might not be rested enough after sleeping in the plane.

3. Book an accommodation that suits your family’s needs

A good accommodation is one of the most important parts of travelling. It doesn’t matter if you are doing it with kids or by yourself, you need to find a nice place (or several places) where you will be staying during your travels.

Choose accommodation that fits your family’s needs. Whether it’s a hotel, serviced apartment, or family-friendly Airbnb, prioritize safety, space, and convenience. Make sure it has kid-friendly amenities and easy access to nearby attractions.

Secondly, you could rent or reserve beds for yourself and your children. Once again, it could be a house or an apartment, but a hotel could also work. Just keep in mind that children always need good living conditions, so a motel that might be okay for you will not be suitable for them.

4. Prepare to adjust to new circumstances

travelling with kids

One of the most important things about travelling, especially with kids, is being flexible and being able to adjust new circumstances. Here are some tips and tricks that you could use:

Bedtime routines

Recreating bedtime routines can make your child adjust to the new circumstances much better than they would otherwise. You need to make sure that your kid goes to sleep and wakes up at the times that they did back home.

Naps

Squeezing in naps as much as possible can help your children get enough rest and be energised for when they need to be fresh. At the same time, you could be taking naps yourself to restore your strength.

Take note of time differences

Always keep in mind time differences and remember about jet lag when going abroad. This is especially true for when you will be flying for many hours and crossing through many time zones.

Put rules in place for your kids

Be flexible with routines and rules. Travel can be unpredictable, so it’s important to adapt while keeping some structure. Once home, return to regular schedules gradually to help kids readjust.

5. Bring sleeping accessories and your kids’ essentials with you

Sleeping accessories can actually help both you and your children to get rested much better. For your children, these could be their favorite stuffed toys or their favourite blanket they always use. However, there is one more thing you could do.

There are apps that will run white noise or simply play soothing melodies that will help your children fall asleep. Besides, many parents also enjoy listening to such music because it is relaxing for them, too.

It’s a good idea to take accessories for yourself too, because you will need to be comfortable during the flight in order to be fresh when you exit the plane. Inflatable pillows, blankets, and blindfolds can all help you fall asleep faster once you know that your child has settled down.

If you are travelling with an infant, you will need to keep in mind that all the diapers and other items you usually use during the day will need to be used on the plane too, especially during lengthy flights — so don’t forget to take them!

Also read: Travelling with Family: My Experience with My Parents

These tips are designed to help first-time travellers with kids have a smoother, more enjoyable journey. With careful planning, flexibility, and the right essentials, family trips can be stress-free and memorable — no matter the destination.