Over the years, we’ve had family and friends ask why we choose to take our daughter on trips with us. Some say they’d rather wait until their kids are older so they can truly understand what’s happening. Others admit they don’t want to deal with the added hassle of traveling with children at all. And then there are those who want to travel as a family — they just aren’t sure where to begin.
We love including our daughter in our adventures — and our nieces and nephews, or friends traveling with their kids. Family travel is definitely a different experience than traveling as a couple. We may miss out on a few things in exchange for greater flexibility. But the rewards of traveling together far outweigh the skipped attractions.
If I could offer one foundational piece of advice for starting out with family travel, it would be this: simplify as much as possible. Make it feel doable rather than overwhelming. That applies to packing, planning, and pacing. Whether it’s a weekend road trip or an international vacation, we’ve learned that simplifying makes all the difference in how much we truly enjoy the experience.
So for those wondering how to start, here are six practical tips for planning family travel. I hope they give you the confidence to take the leap into your own great family adventure.
6 Family Planning Tips:
- Make It a Trip for Everyone
- Pack Light and Be Prepared
- Create Safety Plans
- Limit the Big Tours
- Maintain Routines Where Possible
- Enjoy the Time Together
Make it a Trip for Everyone
Before the excitement of the trip itself comes the excitement of planning. When you’re traveling with kids, inviting them into that planning phase is incredibly important.
Kids want — and need — to feel included. They want to be part of the adventure, not just passengers along for someone else’s vacation. No one enjoys feeling dragged from place to place without a say. From the very beginning, we approach each trip with the mindset that it belongs to all of us, and we build our plans from there.
We start by gathering ideas of what we might see and do. Naturally, kids don’t come to the table with the same list of possibilities as adults — they simply haven’t had the same exposure to the destination. So we look at photos together, browse websites, or watch short travel clips to spark ideas. Then we ask one simple question: “What are you most excited about for this trip?”
From there, we narrow everything down into a short list of everyone’s top priorities. We know we won’t be able to see it all — and that’s okay. Focusing on the highlights keeps the schedule manageable and meaningful. While it can be disappointing to skip certain things, the process becomes a powerful lesson in compromise, listening, and coming together as a family.
Pack Light & Be Prepared
I remember when our daughter was a baby and traveling felt like hauling an entire nursery with us. There were diapers, bottles, extra outfits, blankets — it felt like a mountain of necessities that had to be carried everywhere. One of the quiet joys of kids getting older is realizing just how much lighter the packing list becomes.
(For tips on navigating the airport with an infant or toddler, read more HERE.)
These days, we aim to travel as lightly as possible while still bringing what we truly need. There’s nothing more stressful than navigating a busy airport or crowded street with kids in one hand and too much luggage in the other. Simplifying what we pack makes it easier to stay organized — and calmer.
Whenever possible, we fit everything into one or two checked bags for our whole family. Each of us carries a backpack with personal essentials for the flight. Our clothing choices are simple and practical: comfortable basics that can be mixed and matched, worn more than once, or washed during the trip. We each bring two pairs of comfortable shoes — one to wear and one as a backup.
For our daily adventures, one of us carries a backpack stocked with small but important items: a compact umbrella, a guidebook or local map, and a small pouch with band-aids, over-the-counter medications for stomach aches or allergies, hand sanitizer, tissues, lip balm, and sunscreen.
And one final item we never skip: an extra pair of socks for each of us. It’s amazing what a fresh pair of socks can do in the middle of a long day of exploring.
Create Safety Plans
For many parents, safety is the biggest concern when traveling with kids. The world can feel a little more intimidating when you’re responsible for someone so small. Before anything else, it’s important to acknowledge those fears — without letting them stop you from going.
Instead of allowing fear to take the lead, we use it as a prompt for an adults-only conversation. We talk through how we’ll handle different situations, what information we need to stay safe, and how we’ll work together as a team. In many ways, we think of ourselves as the protective barrier, constantly aware of what’s happening around us.
We plan ahead for busy places like train stations, crowded attractions, and festivals. We decide how we’ll move through those spaces, who keeps a firm hold on our daughter’s hand, and how we’ll respond if someone approaches us. We also remind ourselves of her perspective — at her height, she mostly sees people’s midsections. Because of that, part of our plan includes picking her up when moving through especially crowded areas so she can see clearly and stay close.
Once we’ve agreed on our approach as parents, we bring our daughter into the conversation in a simple, age-appropriate way. We keep it calm and easy to remember: stay together, don’t wander off, don’t go anywhere alone, and be back before nighttime activities begin. We also make sure she has both of our phone numbers memorized. Keeping these conversations practical — not fear-driven — helps build confidence rather than anxiety.
Ultimately, it’s our responsibility as parents to keep everyone safe and together. We stay aware of our surroundings and trust our instincts. If something doesn’t feel right, we change course and leave. Every destination and situation is different, but talking through safety plans ahead of time helps everyone feel prepared — and allows us to focus on enjoying the trip once we’re there.
Limit the Big Tours
There was a time when we tried to cram as many major sights as possible into a single day. With limited time in a destination, we wanted to make every moment count. But during the final tour of one very full day, our daughter simply stopped. With tears in her eyes, she declared, “No more churches. No more museums. No more tours.”
That was the moment we realized we had asked too much of the day — and of her.
When it comes to major attractions, we’ve learned to limit ourselves to one or two “big” experiences per day. Scheduling those in the morning helps, when everyone is rested and more receptive. Anything beyond that tends to stretch patience and attention spans thin. And when everyone is tired, even the most beautiful place loses its magic.
Limiting big tours also creates space for flexibility. Kids need time to rest and time to play — even while traveling. We try to build in a relaxed lunch where we can sit, regroup, and talk about what we’ve seen. Finding a playground, an open square, or even just a quiet park bench can make all the difference in the middle of the day.
By slowing the pace, we protect the joy of the experience. We focus on one meaningful highlight in the morning, then allow the rest of the day to unfold more naturally. We may not see everything on our list — but we leave with better memories and a happier family.
Maintain Routines where possible
It might seem strange to suggest maintaining routines while on vacation. After all, travel is meant to break us out of everyday life. But when you’re traveling with kids, keeping a few familiar routines can make the entire experience smoother — especially when it comes to winding down at the end of the day.
Kids tend to thrive with structure. While the pace and activities of travel are naturally different from everyday life, having small anchors of routine can create a sense of calm and security in an unfamiliar place. Familiar patterns can also help ease feelings of homesickness, which sometimes sneak up on kids when everything around them is new.
When we travel, we try to begin and end each day with a modified version of our usual routines. Think of it as bookends of familiarity, with all the adventure happening in between. In the morning, even something as simple as brushing teeth together or making the bed helps set the tone for the day and creates a feeling of readiness.
At night, routines matter even more. After a full day of sightseeing and stimulation, familiar bedtime habits help kids relax and settle into sleep. We always pack a book or two to read together and stick to our usual songs before bed. These small pieces of home may seem simple, but they make a big difference when you’re far from it.
Enjoy the Time Together
It’s easy to get caught up in the logistics of a trip — keeping up with plans, checking off sights, capturing the perfect photos, and maintaining the pace. In the midst of all that doing, it’s surprisingly easy to forget why you’re there in the first place.
Traveling with kids opens their eyes to the larger world around them. They encounter new foods, ideas, languages, and cultures that stretch their understanding beyond what’s familiar. Sometimes it sparks new interests or curiosities. Sometimes it quietly plants seeds that won’t bloom until much later. Travel shapes them in ways they may not fully recognize at the time — but the impact is real and lasting.
Just as important is the shared time itself. Your kids may not remember every place you visited or every activity you did. But they will remember the feeling of being together. The sense of connection, safety, and belonging that comes from experiencing the world side by side is something they carry with them into adulthood.
While you’re traveling, slow down when you can and savor the time you’re sharing. Ask questions. What did they think about what you saw? What was their favorite part of the day? Reach for their hand. Tell them how much you love being there with them.
As any parent knows, childhood moves quickly. One moment they’re small and walking beside you, and the next they’re grown and stepping out into the world on their own. These shared moments — at this age, in this place — are fleeting and precious. Hold them close. They’re the kind of memories you’ll want to tuck into your pocket and keep forever.
Every family is different, and every trip comes with its own rhythms and challenges. What works for one family may look different for another — and that’s okay. The goal isn’t perfection; it’s presence. Hopefully, these tips offer a starting point and make the idea of traveling together feel more possible than overwhelming.
Traveling as a family is an incredible opportunity to slow down, step outside of routine, and experience the world side by side. There will be unexpected moments, small frustrations, and plans that shift. But there will also be laughter, discovery, shared glances, and memories that quietly weave your family story together.
Even with the added considerations and limitations that come with traveling with kids, it has been one of the greatest joys of our lives. The places we’ve seen are meaningful — but the time spent together in those places is what truly lasts.
If you’ve been waiting for the “right time” to start traveling as a family, maybe this is your nudge. Keep it simple. Make a plan. And take the leap into your own grand misadventure.
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