Travel with a family! A big one! Tip and tricks.

Big families and lots of luggage 

So we did a crazy thing! We decided to go on holidays with four children and three adults. Not too long of a plane flight but, with the amount of work that goes into travel with a family, you may as well be flying around the world and back again! 

In light of this new, and shall we say interesting experience, (a first for us all with four children.....including a very adventurous four year old and newly mobile one year old) I have compiled a list of notes I made to myself and tricks that have worked for us so far! And a few lessons we learnt along the way. 

Packing 

The List - my biggest tool when packing is my list.  As an anxious person I hate the thought of getting to the end of packing and not knowing what I did and didn't pack. If you write it down as you go you will know what else is needed and what you can remove if it's too full. Take the list away with you so you know what is in which bag.  As we are a party of seven it is good to know where to look so we don't dismantle all the bags in the process. 

Strategy - try and pack strategically if you can and roll the clothes for more room. The best way we found to keep our suitcases as tidy as possible when living out of hotel rooms is to gather shorts, shirts etc into their own spot in the bag. To locate these items easily place one of the items on top so you know under it there will be the pile of the same type of item.

Now this is something I learnt on this trip.  If you know the rooms everyone will be in, put each person’s clothing into a bag with another person in their room. We didn't think this far ahead and had to go between rooms for clothes changes - not ideal.

Little organiser tips - 

  

1: Use zip lock bags with names on them for each person’s cords (chargers etc)

2: Have a charging station for electronics in one room so that no cords or electronics are between rooms. You will be less likely to leave them behind!

3: Use a school homework folder with zip to hold drawing items and paper, to keep them separate from the rest of the bag. 

4: Take bags with separate pockets for children to store toys and games, so that are easy to find without ravaging through everything.

5: Medication can get a little confusing when you are out an about. Take a lunch box and put each child's medication into a separate named zip lock (I should buy shares in zip lock!) 

6: Wipes!!!! Once again store a bunch in zip locks if you don't have a small carry packet already! No one wants to be stuck without a wipe!

Travel 

Relax - easier said than done of course, but it works wonders when you can manage it. Don't panic or try and stick to a plan, travel with children isn't predictable. Go with the flow, change the plans if needed and reassess later. This relates to trying to get a baby to sleep on a plane or a day trip around your new destination. 

Holiday ground rules - make a time on arrival to sit and chat about your new destination as a group. Check in on what is high on the kids list and mention what is high on yours. Give everyone some time to assess the new surroundings. This makes the perfect time to lay down the ground rules...like…hold hands on roads, what beds people are sleeping in, you have to wear walking shoes on Tuesday. Holidays can create a sense of freedom in us all, and so it should, just ensure everyone stays on track and doesn't take it too far.

Hit the ground running - this is very dependent on the time you arrive at your destination however, if it suits, when you arrive to your accommodation freshen everyone up. Give everyone a shower and fresh clothes before trying to tackle getting your bearings. 

Technology ban only lasts so long - we all hope to ban technology on family holidays and wish they appreciated the scenery as much as us. Sadly it isn't always as pleasant as we hope it to be. Give technology limits and hold onto the devices yourselves. There are times it is needed like long car trips and when you are stuck in a hotel room! We used the beginning of the car trip to maximise on the kids amazement of their surroundings and let them be occupied with EReaders or games for the end of the stretch. 

Maybe you do all of these already or maybe they are just commonly known travel tips but for the novice this could be a handy page of tips from a nanny to anyone! We are a big group so keeping together, on track, happy and organised is a full time job. But we have made it and are having a ball! Safe travels to all familes and please feel free to comment below some of your own tips and tricks, we all know you can never have too many! 

Chantelle x