Tips for making travelling easier
Travelling with a baby is something most parents dread, but don’t let this fear put you off – day trips and holidays are where some of the best memories are made. And we have it on good authority (from parents like you), that there are things you can do to make the whole thing less of an ordeal. Here are some of their tried and tested tips:
A tip for car journeys from Federico, dad to Max, 5 and Leo, 1
'We got caught in a traffic jam one hot day years ago and it was awful, so now when we have a long car journey, we leave at night. We get the boys in their pyjamas, then leave at around 6:30pm. The roads are quieter, and they sleep the whole way. It’s much easier and also means we can listen to our music rather than their nursery rhymes!'
A tip for flying from Jacs, mum to Nell, 2
‘I was really not keen on flying with a toddler, but it wasn’t too bad. We paid a bit extra for flights at decent times, so we weren’t travelling while Nell would normally be asleep. We downloaded all her favourite programmes on our tablet, then stocked up on snacks. She couldn’t believe she was being so spoilt and meant there were no tantrums!’
A tip for train journeys from Mei, mum to Tristan, 3
‘Always leave yourself much more time than you’ll think you need and if you have a pushchair, check platform access before you go – if there’s no lift, ask for assistance at the ticket office. Take books, and if you use a tablet don’t forget kids’ headphones. We always have a ‘picnic’ on the train which T loves, and I try and take a couple of games.’
And one last tip from us - if your child is having a tantrum, try not to worry about bothering other passengers. We were all kids once and people are often more sympathetic than you’d think!