How do I travel with young children without it being miserable?

Journeys with young children go wrong through boredom, hunger, tiredness and needing the toilet — all predictable and all preparable for. The other half is accepting that it will take longer and be less pleasant than travelling alone.

What you'll need

• Accessible day bag
• Snacks
• Entertainment (optional)
• Spare clothes (optional)

Step by step

1. Pack a separate accessible bag for the journey.Not in the boot or the overhead locker. Snacks, drinks, wipes, spare clothes, entertainment and any medication, all within reach.
2. Bring more snacks than seems reasonable.Hunger causes a disproportionate share of journey problems and it is the easiest to prevent. Varied, not too sugary, and easy to eat without mess.
3. Pack spare clothes for the child and yourself.For both of you. Travel sickness and spilled drinks affect the adult holding the child as often as the child.
4. Time the journey around sleep where you can.Travelling during a nap or overnight works well for some children and badly for others. Know which yours is rather than hoping.
5. Plan breaks into the schedule rather than reacting.Every couple of hours on a long drive. Planned breaks are far less disruptive than emergency ones and prevent most of the escalation.
6. Prepare entertainment they have not seen.A new small toy, a downloaded programme, an audiobook. Novelty holds attention far longer than familiar things.
7. Download everything in advance.Do not rely on connectivity in transit. Downloaded programmes, games and audiobooks that work offline are far more reliable.
8. Lower your expectations for the journey.It will take longer and be less pleasant than travelling alone. Accepting that in advance removes most of the frustration.

Tips

• Involve older children in the planning — choosing snacks, packing their own small bag. It gives them some control, which reduces resistance.
• For flights, something to suck or drink during descent helps with ear pressure, which is a common cause of distress in young children.
• Tell them what will happen in sequence. Children cope far better with a journey they understand the shape of.

Common mistakes

• Packing the essentials in the boot or hold — You need snacks, wipes and spare clothes during the journey, not at the destination. An accessible day bag is the single most useful preparation.
• Waiting for problems before stopping — Planned breaks every couple of hours prevent most of the escalation. Reactive stops happen after everyone is already upset.
• Relying on streaming during the journey — Connectivity in transit is unreliable. Download everything in advance and check it works offline.

Questions people ask