Holiday season is here. Hurray to sunny days, out of office mode and precious time spent away with loved ones.
If, like us, you have a serious case of wanderlust, there’s no reason why the pitter patter of tiny feet and a growing family should prevent a sojourn to faraway climes, or even somewhere a little closer to home.
Daunting though it may seem at first, travelling with young ones is perfectly possible. With a little more planning and some insider know-how, adventure awaits for a family getaway to remember.
New Adventures
We spoke to some of our favourite influencers with young families, to get the lowdown on how they plan for a trip away with little ones in tow.
Read on for some top tips and must have travel picks that make holidaying with little ones plane sailing.
Jet Setters
The lovely Vogue Williams, presenter, model and influencer, has just returned from a wonderful Easter break in Portugal with her gorgeous young brood. With 3 children under 5, we asked for her top picks for making travel easier with little ones. Top of the list are these adorable Hello Hossy backpacks which she fills up with toys to entertain them on long journeys.
Vogue is a huge fan of the iconic Bre Sandals, which she buys for her kiddies every year. Sweet, stylish, squishable and waterproof too, these perfectly packable beauties are made for mini summer adventures.
A sun hat is also a must and these lovelies from Liewood come with clever, built UV protection for added parent peace of mind. Last but not least, a swimsuit that ticks all the boxes, plus this gorgeous ‘Gigi’ Swimsuit from Liewood is a surefire winner, as it shares the same name as Vogue’s young daughter.
Happy Travels
The Travelling Gays have continued to embrace their love of exploring the world since the arrival of their young daughter.
They shared some amazing tips and must have products that make getting away a whole lot easier with an on the go toddler, plus some rather exciting travel plans.
“Our biggest travel plans this year are heading to the USA for the birth of our twins in the summer! We are so excited and can't believe we are going to be a family of 5.
Our top travel hack would be to try to book the back row of a plane if at all possible. It means you are closer to the toilet at the back for changing, have easy access to the back galley for settling any upsets or tantrums, and it offers a little more privacy from any judging eyes.
In terms of ‘must have’ travel essentials, our top 3 would be:
- The Doona Liki Trike which we have found perfect for getting a toddler round the airport. Arya prefers it than being in a pram and it makes getting around fun for her - plus it’s nice and compact and easy to fold up into a rucksack.
- Little Dutch Soft Activity Book as it keeps our daughter entertained and she loves to look at books and feel the textures, plus it’s nice and easy to pack.
- A decent nappy bag is an absolute must - something like the Liewood Menza Nursery Bag with all the different compartments, perfect to hold essentials like bottles and a change of clothes.
Holiday Road Trip
Next up, Chloe from @chloeuberkid lets us in on her adventurous plans with her six children. (For some seriously swoon worthy interiors inspo, be sure to check out Chloe’s IG page).
“This year we have decided to really go a bit further out of our comfort zone! I am scared of flying so we travel everywhere by car and having had a baby with us for so many years we have seen a lot of France. We have ventured to the Balearics, Spain and Andorra but I really wanted to give the kids some more cultural experiences.
Two of my sons are really interested in the Romans, so this Easter break we drove around Italy stopping in Germany, up through the Dolomites, down to Venice, Rome, Sorrento Pompei, Capri, Tuscany, Florence, Pisa and back through the lakes and Switzerland!
We would like to see Norway, Denmark and Sweden before the end of the year and are already planning a route through Spain to Morocco and back through Portugal for next spring!
Chloe's Top Travel Essentials
- Avery Row Packing Pouches
“I can't live without these and always plan their clothes so I have a bag for every day packed with a full outfit for each of the kids…”
2. Floss and Rock Magnetic Play Scene
“I love these for car journeys…”
3. Liewood Towels
“They fold up so small and dry so easily! We use these all the time…”
4. Liewood Ponchos:
“These are great and can also double up as an outfit for little ones…”
5. Liewood Swim Ring:
“I always pack our inflatables ready as the kids tend to want to jump in a pool or the sea the second we see it!”
And, with so many little ones to entertain, we asked Chloe for her top travel tips for those long car journeys.
“I'm not sure you can ever make driving for up to twelve hours at a time with kids a fully relaxed experience but definitely all technology and snacks rules go out the window!
I always have their favourite apps ready and download their favourite films and don't stress about whether they have had too much screen time.
I like to over pack the car with lots of long lasting food, fruit slurpers, brooches etc. ( always keeping in mind to go for food that doesn't stain... no tomato soup or chocolate milk). It turns out they can never actually have enough food and drink ( although don't go overboard on the drinks otherwise there will be plenty of bathroom stops too). My kids don't normally eat sweets that often, so a long journey is definitely a time to surprise them with a mini sucking lolly or pack of fizzy sweets!
I keep the kids up later than normal and have quite an active day before travel. Then, with an early wake up, they are all ready for a long nap on the journey.
Be ready to play some games! A fun kids quiz book or question prompter. Go around the family each saying something with a letter of the alphabet in order, so animals ( aardvark, bear, cat) boys names etc.. My kids also love "who can guess my favourite...( chocolate, breakfast cereal etc)". It is surprising how many times you can play the same game without kids remembering all the answers”.
When we are driving long distances like 500 miles, we all get majorly excited for the last 100 miles and then celebrate every ten with major cheering! It keeps the kids involved and alert to take in the scenery.
And, my absolute favourite travel tip with kids is more about me and easing up my workload... I take my packing and outfit planning very seriously! Every day of the holiday has an Avery Row bag packed with all of our outfits, completely colour coordinated so that it will go in the same washing load. We tend to stay in Airbnbs as it is incredibly hard to find hotels that will fit us all in with six kids (not to mention very expensive), but the advantage is that if there is a washing machine I can wash all their outfits with minimum effort - ready for another day or even to pack away ready to go home.
So there you have it. We hope this little read has inspired you to take the trip and be brave to adventure far and wide with your intrepid explorers. It’s time to create happy childhood memories to last.
Our travel edit is ready and waiting to be explored, whatever your destination. Whether its a winter retreat or a sunny adventure you're planning, we have everything to kit out mini jet setters and keep them entertained, wherever you choose to roam.
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Happy Travels x
