Thoughts of a family holiday can fill you full of excitement. You look forward to what should be a great week or two together, where you can ditch the worries and routine of home, and just have fun instead.
Thoughts of a family holiday can also fill you with dread. There’s the hassles of packing, the travelling itself, and the worry about how to actually keep the kids happy for so long (without breaking the bank!).
Follow these tips though, and at least some of your worries can fade away, allowing you to enjoy yourself instead:
BEFORE YOU GO
Be wise with your booking
‘Book early’ is the best advice for maximum choice, but there’s more to it than just that. If yours is a DIY holiday, consider flying direct instead of taking connecting flights. For shorter hops, consider flying as close as you can to your destination, instead of taking a budget option to an airport further away. It may be more expensive – but balance that against the hassles of connections and transfers at the other end, with impatient children in tow.
Check your passports
It seems obvious, but you’d be surprised how many people forget this! It’s important because a child’s passport doesn’t last as long as an adult’s – just three years for a child aged under three, and five years for children between three and seventeen. Check well in advance, and renew if necessary.
Pack Wisely
Don’t do things the usual way of one bag for dad, one for mum, and one each for the children. That way, if a bag goes missing, somebody’s going to be in serious trouble as they’ll be without all their belongings. Instead, put some clothes and other items for each person into every bag – so even if one bag does go astray, it’s nowhere near as big a crisis.
AT THE AIRPORT
Relax – and play!
A quick bit of research in advance can help enormously with how you spend your time at the airport, because many have family areas. Find out where they are and make a beeline there, particularly if you have young children. In Dublin Airport T2 for example, there’s a play area near the food court.
Bring some entertainment
There might be no play area, your kids might get bored of it quickly, or might be too old for it. So instead, have some entertainment such as new games, movies, or cartoons ready on your phone or tablet. You may have an ongoing battle at home to cut down on their screen time, but when you’re off on holiday…just go with it.
ON THE PLANE
Snacks and treats are key
Nothing quietens an unhappy or bored child like snacks or other treats such as a colouring book or activity pad. Load up on cheap ones before you go, and break them out strategically as you travel. It could make all the difference.
Let them sleep
There’s a lot going on during any flight, but younger children in particular can doze off in the midst of all the noise. Let them nap, and they’ll arrive refreshed at your destination, in better humour for transfers and checking in before the holiday proper can begin.
AT YOUR DESTINATION
Beach isn’t always best
Yes, all children love the beach. But remember that sand gets everywhere, saltwater can be excruciating for little ones if they have any cuts or scrapes, and kids can get bored surprisingly quickly. Make the most of day trips and other activities nearby too.
Don’t worry about what they eat
Some children love trying new tastes – but some don’t. Don’t worry about it. Bring non-perishable favourites from home so there’s always something to fall back on, and let them make their own choice when you’re eating out. A holiday’s too short to be arguing over food.
Take an afternoon or two off
This is so you can enjoy a night out or two as well. You don’t have to be back in your accommodation from 8 p.m. each evening with the kids tucked up in bed. Let them have a rest or a nap some afternoons, and they’ll find the energy to go out at night too. You still won’t be clubbing until the early hours of the morning, but you’ll at least get to have the proper ‘going out for dinner’ experience.
Wherever you may be going for a family holiday this year, we wish you all the best for a wonderful time.
We’d like to offer you a word of advice too. Remember that many things can go wrong on a family holiday, from a relatively minor problem like a bag going missing up to something more serious, like an over-excited child falling and being injured while running or playing. That’s why carrying family travel insurance is so important.
Family travel insurance from Insuremyholiday.ie is the best value you will find – because when you take out insurance for mum and dad, the kids can go for free!* This applies to both our single trip travel insurance and annual multi-trip travel insurance policies.
It means you get great cover for all your family, without having to pay for them all! Just look at the benefits you will receive –
Key benefits of our Gold Plan travel insurance
- Medical Expenses Cover of €5 Million
- Personal Luggage Cover of €2,000
- Personal Money and Documents Cover of €1,600
- Delayed Departure Cover of €200
- Cancellation or Curtailment Cover of €4,000
- Abandonment Cover of €4,000
- Missed Departure Cover of €500
- Personal Accident Cover of €55,000
- Personal Liability Cover of €2,000,000
- Third Party Supplier Insolvency Cover of €2,000
- Schedule Airline Failure Cover of €1,000
- Legal Expenses Cover of €10,000
- Hijack Cover of €1,000
- Catastrophe Cover of €750
- Credit or Cash Card Fraud Cover of €300
Key benefits of our Platinum Plan travel insurance
- Medical Expenses Cover of €10 Million
- Personal Luggage Cover of €3,000
- Personal Money and Documents Cover of €2,000
- Delayed Departure Cover of €400
- Cancellation or Curtailment Cover of €6,000
- Abandonment Cover of €6,000
- Missed Departure Cover of €600
- Personal Accident Cover of €95,000
- Personal Liability Cover of €2,000,000
- Third Party Supplier Insolvency Cover of €2,000
- Schedule Airline Failure Cover of €2,000
- Legal Expenses Cover of €20,000
- Hijack Cover of €2,000
- Catastrophe Cover of €1,000
- Credit or Cash Card Fraud Cover of €500
All are as generous or more generous as you will find with any other travel insurance provider, so it all adds up to even more great reasons to choose Insuremyholiday.ie for all your travel insurance needs.
Just get a quote now to see how much you can save!
