While it can be scary to take the kids on a trip away, it's well worth it to get to share the experience of discovering a new place as a family. If you are looking to travel to a new destination as a family here are some tips to make the trip easy for everyone.
Order a serviced apartment
Consider how many bedrooms you have at home, and find a serviced apartment with the same number of bedrooms, especially if you have some older and younger children. While toddlers and teenagers need a similar amount of sleep each night, they often get it in a different configuration (early to bed, or late to rise). Make sure you can get block out curtains as no one is having a fun holiday with exhausted children or teenagers.
The washer/dryer facilities are also very useful as while you can always bring 'enough' changes of clothing, the smell of transporting clothing items, which have had toileting accidents, or spilt food on them can quickly become overwhelming. Figure out what other amenities are provided by contacting local serviced apartments such as Executive Living.
Prebook popular activities
If you are heading to a local with popular theme parks or tourist attractions, head online to prebook tickets. Not only can you often get a discounted ticket, there is usually a priority line for online ticket sales, which can save you lining up for hours before getting into the main attraction, which is quite a boon with small children.
Pace your sightseeing so that you only try and see 1-2 attractions a day if you have napping children, and 2-3 with older children. The pace of sightseeing you managed before you had children can be exhausting for children and often results in very grumpy children at the end of day, if you try and fit too much into one day.
Sometimes by slowing down and enjoying the journey you can observe more of the cityscape and ambience than you could when in hardcore sightseeing mode anyway.
Snack away
While you are taking regular breaks from sightseeing, make sure to try out the local cuisine with stops to the local cafes. Having children in tow is a great excuse to try the sweetest treats on offer, and can be a fun way to try things you wouldn't usually try.
Remember to take the helicopter view. While you might feel overwhelmed with squabbles and tantrums there is every chance your children will only remember the positives.
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