1. Travel light.

When packing for yourself plus your young children, you will need two steps: First, pack your gear. Then unpack and re-assess what you really need. “When we left the United Kingdom we had 3 large bags, 1 medium bag, 2 car seats and a stroller,” writes Travelling Family. “When we returned we had 4 large bags, 1 medium bag, 2 car seats, a fishing rod, a child’s activity centre, a sun tent, and a stroller. The bags were also a lot fuller than when we started!” Also, keep in mind that small children grow quickly: “If your kids are growing rapidly (as our infant was), pack for the next sizes up, and be prepared to throw away clothes they have grown out of.”

2. Slap on the sun protection, then slap on some more.

Sun protection is essential, especially when you hit a new country and you have no idea initially about how strong the sun is in that region. Travelling Family offers their advice: “We tried aerosols, sprays, creams, and sticks. I would say the creams are the best, as they give the best coverage, and can be packed in the suitcase easily. The sun sticks were okay, but the kids didn’t really like using them, and were hard to apply. Try to get factor 50 if you can, and a kids version.”

3. Find the parks.

“We could be in the most beautiful spot in the world, but we had to forgo the scenic photographs temporarily to go find a park,” shares Travelling Family. “We found if we did this our kids would be so much happier the rest of the day. By the end of our time in New Zealand I was quite a connoisseur on the different types of parks. If you aren’t anywhere there are parks, as we were in Fiji, then make up some new games. We managed to get hold of a bucket and spade and play on the beach in Fiji, and some of the staff enjoyed partaking in a game of football with Matthew.”

4. Don’t plan too much.

Kids are unpredictable. Therefore, planning a meticulous itinerary may not be the best approach. Travelling Family explains: “I knew which country we would be in each day, and where we were sleeping. I planned all this long before we set off on holiday. But I didn’t know what we would be doing in each country. For instance, we planned originally to go to Te Anau and then visit both Milford Sound and Doubtful Sound, but we realized that Doubtful Sound was a step too far. Sometimes we woke up and it was raining. That put paid to any plans for the day, and we usually tried to drive instead.”

5. It’s not all about the kids - enjoy yourself.

Why should your life suddenly stop when you have children? Of course it’s going to be different, but you can still have a great vacation. Try to do at least one of each family member’s favorite activities along the way. “We compromised, writes Travelling Family. “I really didn’t want to go and play on the beach every day in Akaroa, but I had to because Matthew enjoyed it. But he didn’t want to watch a speedway in Tauranga, but he did as I wanted to see it. He didn’t care for sitting in a tin can plane whilst we saw Mount Cook, but he sat there and didn’t moan (actually I think he did quite enjoy it!).”

6. Have a positive attitude to plane flying.

Travelling Family shares their advice on air travel: “I have met a lot of people both before and since our journey who have said things like ‘New Zealand is too far for me (an adult) to travel to,’ or ‘were the kids an absolute nightmare on the plane?’ Well, actually, they were great. And I think a lot of the reason why was because I was confident they would be. The trick to traveling with a toddler is to not let them know they can get out of the seat (on their own). We also brought a bassinette and purchased a seat for our newborn, even though he was obviously too small to use it. This ensured we didn’t get people sitting next to us.”

7. Travel when the kids are tired, stop when they are not.

Travelling Family found it was best to balance driving with fun activities. “We found that if we drove too much the kids got fed up. This is natural and to be expected. As a result we tried to only drive if they were tired, or if we had given them a few days of running around a lot. We did meet people that were attempting to pack more into two weeks of a trip to New Zealand than we were doing in one month. And with toddlers in tow, too. You could see it was stressful for both the parents and the children.”

8. Establish a routine.

Every family is different, so find your own unique routine that works for you. It will give your children some structure when the environment around them is changing. “It was strange how we had to re-establish a new routine at each place we visited. We were affected by things like the time the sun went down, the availability of food, the activities we were trying to do. But a routine is essential, and not just for the kids.”

9. Do an activity every day.

Plan activities to do each day using travel guides for your destinations. For example, look up fun things to do in your Australia travel guide if that’s where you’re headed. Writes Travelling Family, “You have to get out. So in the morning have a routine whereby you get up, get dressed, get breakfast, then go do something. Now this activity might not be anything big, it could just be walking 200 yards away to the park, or visiting the local supermarket. But get out and do something. The kids will be easier to cope with, and you won’t get cabin fever.”

10. Chill and relax.

The most important tip when traveling with young children is to relax and have fun! “You have to learn to count to 10, to chill out, to expect the unexpected, and just well relax and enjoy yourself,” advises Travelling Family. “The kids will be kids. They will trash the hotel room, throw apple puree all over the floor of the motorhome, mess their nappies when you are 10,000 feet up, and various other things besides. If you stress, the children will stress. If you laugh they will laugh. Enjoy your children, they will be grown up in the blink of an eye. Enjoy your holiday and make the most of those special days. It’s surprising, you will remember that holiday for the rest of your life, yet it is just a brief period in your day-to-day life. Listen to you children, laugh with them, play with them, and make the most of them. Don’t stress over the small stuff. Enjoy.”

RealTravelers Travelling Family are an adventurous couple with two young children from London who spent five months traveling around the Oceania and the United States.

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