10 Essential Travel Tips for Large Families
When you have a large family, there’s often little time to even think about planning and packing for vacations. Large families also bring their fair share of logistical challenges when it comes to traveling. Whether you’re looking for cheap family vacations or just want some stress-free ways to keep the kiddos entertained on that cross-country road trip, there are a variety of unique considerations when traveling with a large family.
Whether you’re staying in hotels or renting a cabin in the woods, there are certain things you should keep in mind if you have more than two people in your family. Here are our top 10 travel tips suitable for a large family:
Choose a leader of your group
When you are traveling with a large group of people, it can be hard to stay on track. Everyone has different ideas about where to go and what to do. This can lead to a lot of arguments and confusion.
One of the unique travel tips is to choose the right person to lead your group. You want someone who is trustworthy and responsible. Someone who is good at making decisions and keeping everyone on track. When you have the right person leading your group, things will run much more smoothly.
Check for group discounts
One of the large family travel tips is to check for group discounts that are available for many attractions, hotels, and other businesses. Consider joining a travel group to save money on your next vacation. Many online travel groups offer discounts on hotels, airfare, and other travel services. Some groups even organize free day-trips to popular destinations. Group discounts are also available for museums, restaurants, and other attractions.
Plan your day according to the needs of your youngest kid
Most parents of school-aged children know how stressful it can be to get everyone ready, fed and out the door in time for school. That’s why parents with younger kids try to avoid traveling on a school day or at least plan their travel accordingly.
If you have younger kids and need suggestions on how to make your travel easier, here are some travel tips with a baby.
School-aged kids have shorter attention spans and shorter days when it comes to traveling. They need activities that can be completed within 45 minutes or so; plus, they like games that involve some sort of competition.
Bring board games — or create new ones
Board games are a great option and can be customized or purchased pre-made with travel in mind.
This doesn’t have to stop at just road trips or plane rides. You can even set up temporary board games in your hotel room for a fun family night that doesn’t break the bank or skrill casinos. Create your own board game by printing out cards and creating your own game pieces (or use tokens) along with a printable game board. A DIY version of Uno makes it easy to create custom cards and rules that work for you and your family.
Plan one big destination each day
It’s impossible to see everything on your list in one day, but spending an entire day at one big destination is one of the superb travel tips to get the most out of your trip.
A good first stop is a large theme park or zoo, where you’ll have plenty of time to explore the entire grounds and take in the sights. After that, you can spend the rest of your day exploring nearby neighborhoods or sightseeing around the rest of the city.
This approach also works well for families with young children, as it allows everyone to spend some alone time while still having something to look forward to at the end of the day.
Bring snacks and food into the car
It is not uncommon for people to feel a little lightheaded when they are traveling. This is because the body is being put under stress by the unfamiliar environment and new experiences. To counteract this, you should use travel tips for packing snacks and water into the car with you. It is also a good idea to pack healthy things like nuts, yogurt, and granola bars in your bag. This will help you to maintain energy levels while on the road. It is also very important to stay hydrated at all times.
Who is on duty today?
Who is responsible for food and drinks in the car? Is it the driver? The passenger? Or someone else? It turns out that the answer to this question is not straightforward. In some cases, children and adults are both responsible for their own food and drinks in the car. On the other hand, if the driver has a passenger, then the passenger is usually responsible for their food and drinks in the car. However, if the driver is responsible for the food and drinks in the car, they should make sure they are aware of any allergies or dietary restrictions their passenger might have.
Change places in the car
If you’re on a long drive, you can stretch your legs by switching seats with your partner. Or you can simply switch seats to face the direction you’re going in. On long trips, it’s particularly important to move around a bit and stretch your legs every so often. Staying in one position for long periods of time can cause back pain or even circulation problems.
Reserve accommodations in advance
Booking accommodation in advance is a great way to ensure that you get the place you want, when you want it. Websites like Airbnb and Booking.com are great for finding places to stay in popular tourist destinations, but even smaller, local operators may be worth checking out if you want to get a more authentic experience.
If you’re planning to stay in a hotel, one of the travel tips during COVID is booking early, as this can often mean big savings.
Keep your travel documents handy and safe
Plane travel tips assure that keeping your travel documents in a safe place will make it easier for you to quickly get through security when you arrive at your destination. While your passport is the most important document to keep safe, it’s also a good idea to keep your boarding pass and any ID you might need handy as well. If possible, it’s also a good idea to keep a copy of your documents in a separate location from where you’re actually traveling.
Author’s bio:
Emily Moore is an experienced copywriter and photographer with a degree in design. She works with startups, entrepreneurs, bloggers and companies from all over the world. In addition to writing articles and promotional material, she enjoys hiking, reading, cooking and spending time with her family.
