Tips for travelling with children?

[marensmama]

DH, our 2 DDs, and I are travelling to disneyland in May.  The journey involves a 2 hr drive followed by a 45 minute flight, 2 hr stop-over, and a 2 hr flight.  We flew to Disneyland when DD1 was 6 months old, but it was just one child (angel/textbook) and we had my parents there as 'back-up'.  This time we'll have two children (they'll be 7 months and 34 months at the time), and we are meeting friends there who also have a 3 year old daughter.  Our DD2 is a touchy/spirited baby, with reflux , so I expect she'll have a bit more difficulty with travel than DD1 did.

Any tips to make our lives easier and our great family vacation even greater?

TIA!

[shelliz]

Two ideas that have saved us TIME & TIME again


1. Portable DVD player

2. Snacks, snacks & more snacks


Nuff said. 



BTW....I've flown numerous times w/ my kids and done a couple of reeeeally long drives (talkin' 24 hour drives).  You can't go wrong with the two ideas listed above

[momtonb&ab]

we've done a lot of travel as well in our first 11 months, and the only tip i can add to pp is be carry on the flight only what you need so you aren't 'laden' with a ton of stuff.   gate check your stroller if dd is comfy in it - it gives you free hands and that is SOOOOO much easier.   Also, snacks snacks snacks as pp said, they are key.  Even for the little one, if there is some kind of snack like cheerios or something, it is such a great distraction.

We also find that for car travel we tend to drive when they need to sleep, so at least part of the way is napping.  I even leave and get there early if i have to just to get the car ride done while nap time is passing. 

good luck, hugs to you ... btw we are on the road right now and everyone is traveling well. 

.cb.

[Matka]

I agree with pp about trying not to stress.  We took ds to on a flight last year (about an hour) to see my brother in another state and the only thing he would eat the whole trip was milk and peanutbutter and Jelly sandwhiches   Oh well, it's vacation and his belly was full and we all had fun.

This also helped with our plane trip as we didn't have to lug a huge car seat around. 

careswww.kidsflysafe.com