Honestly, the one thing that made our vacations more enjoyable is cutting back on scheduled activities and minimize changing hotels too much. Less is more.

Anonymous wrote:Literally spreadsheet out my plans in half hour increments. A two hour block might be "shopping / exploring" but what we need to do to get where when it then all accounted for to help plan the available time in the day.

Grounds for delivere. What an absolutely miserable way to travel.

My kids are older now, but when they were younger we travelled to Cancun/Cabo multiple times. Their included breakfast buffet was open till 11:30 AM. My kids woke up early, so I kept some cereal and milk (in mini fridge) or ready to eat oatmeal in the hotel room.

We all ate a quick (and cheap) breakfast and headed off to the resort pool. After 2-2.5 hours of pool time went for the included "breakfast" buffet which actually had some lunch items. went back to the pool for a bit and came up to the room for a nap.

Some at home snacks from the grocery store in the evening.. and the only thing we paid for was good early dinner.

Literally spreadsheet out my plans in half hour increments. A two hour block might be "shopping / exploring" but what we need to do to get where when it then all accounted for to help plan the available time in the day.

When traveling to Europe, I pre-pay for an e-sim card and activate it before I fly so that it turns on as soon as I arrive and I'm not stressed trying to figure out service. It's generally cheaper and better than verizon international service.

I pack my kids backpacks with little surprises for the flight: a new coloring book, a treat, a fidget toy, sometimes a new book (it's very small stuff so it doesn't take up much space but because it's new, it's novel and keeps their attention longer).

I download extra games, audiobooks, movies, and tv shows for my kids on their kindle fires (wayyy more than they will ever need so they can have lots of variety)

Bring melatonin for everyone

Our first day when we arrive in Europe we don't plan any big activities but we work on staying outside and getting fresh air as much as possible.

Before our trips- especially when we go to Europe, I usually get at least 1-2 new pieces of clothing per person....a new sweater, new shirt, and so we all feel fresh and snazzy for our adventures. Sometimes I get these used if they are in good shape.

I also pick lodging with washing machines so I don't have to pack and carry as much....makes it much easier to pack/unpack and travel.

Bring your own pillow and sleep mask

Noise cancelling headphones

Bring your own portable wifi hotspot as the service can be spotty even with using international data

Bring your own tea bags

Bluetooth speaker

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like to bring fancy snacks for the plane. I'll go to the grocery store/market and get a mini baguette, hard cheese, fruit (fresh or dried), chocolate, etc. -- nonliquid stuff that doesn't need refrigeration (I put some cheeses in that category, but ymmv). So much nicer to pull out than the airline pretzels and can serve as a full meal if needed.

On car rides, I triangulate stops by looking on Google maps for parks, then finding restaurants nearby. Everyone gets to stretch their legs before/after the meal.

I do a version of this too. I always have and supply my family with favorite snacks to pack in carryons. My DH used to insist he didn’t need this, but after I got cross with him for eating my stuff when he declined to pack what I got for him (his favorites), he has embraced it too. We take enough so if the food is bad on the plane it doesn’t matter. So nice not to have to worry about food! And everyone has their own so no quarrels about whether one kid is eating more than their share of Pringles.

I have a super-nice memory foam neck pillow I love that folds small.

I take a large capacity power bank that has saved us so many times. It is small but clutch.

I also have a great under-seat soft bag that holds a ton and doesn’t cramp my feet. That was an Amazon splurge, but really nice.

My Kindle oasis is great too, no longer have to bring my books/magazines. KU has so many mags, I no longer buy them on trips like I used to.

can you please send a llink?

nevermind

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like to bring fancy snacks for the plane. I'll go to the grocery store/market and get a mini baguette, hard cheese, fruit (fresh or dried), chocolate, etc. -- nonliquid stuff that doesn't need refrigeration (I put some cheeses in that category, but ymmv). So much nicer to pull out than the airline pretzels and can serve as a full meal if needed.

On car rides, I triangulate stops by looking on Google maps for parks, then finding restaurants nearby. Everyone gets to stretch their legs before/after the meal.

I do a version of this too. I always have and supply my family with favorite snacks to pack in carryons. My DH used to insist he didn’t need this, but after I got cross with him for eating my stuff when he declined to pack what I got for him (his favorites), he has embraced it too. We take enough so if the food is bad on the plane it doesn’t matter. So nice not to have to worry about food! And everyone has their own so no quarrels about whether one kid is eating more than their share of Pringles.

I have a super-nice memory foam neck pillow I love that folds small.

I take a large capacity power bank that has saved us so many times. It is small but clutch.

I also have a great under-seat soft bag that holds a ton and doesn’t cramp my feet. That was an Amazon splurge, but really nice.

My Kindle oasis is great too, no longer have to bring my books/magazines. KU has so many mags, I no longer buy them on trips like I used to.

can you please send a llink?

Not sure if this has been posted yet, but you can download and cache Google Maps data for the area you're visiting so you you'll have it on your device. This is particularly helpful when traveling in rural areas which spotty cell coverage or when traveling internationally.

Small things I do:

Ask for a small fridge when staying at hotels (often the mini fridge is the mini bar so you can’t actually put anything in there). Nice to have your own drinks, snacks for kids, PBJ supplies for a poolside lunch.

When staying at a rental house or condo I don’t stress about buying kitchen utensils or a sheet pan or whatever just leaving them if it makes cooking easier. The cost savings even from making one meal at home vs a restaurant makes up for any small purchases.

When kids were little we bought a pack n play and booster chair at Walmart and dropped them off at a charity on the way to the airport. It was cheaper than renting and less hassle. We’ve done this with beach towels too over packing them if flying.

Driving trips: bring a beach wagon. We’ve brought scooters and helmets, for a long drive, seat back organizer thingy for kids to pack toys and activities. All the snacks.

Bring tea bags I like in my purse.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like to bring fancy snacks for the plane. I'll go to the grocery store/market and get a mini baguette, hard cheese, fruit (fresh or dried), chocolate, etc. -- nonliquid stuff that doesn't need refrigeration (I put some cheeses in that category, but ymmv). So much nicer to pull out than the airline pretzels and can serve as a full meal if needed.

On car rides, I triangulate stops by looking on Google maps for parks, then finding restaurants nearby. Everyone gets to stretch their legs before/after the meal.

I do a version of this too. I always have and supply my family with favorite snacks to pack in carryons. My DH used to insist he didn’t need this, but after I got cross with him for eating my stuff when he declined to pack what I got for him (his favorites), he has embraced it too. We take enough so if the food is bad on the plane it doesn’t matter. So nice not to have to worry about food! And everyone has their own so no quarrels about whether one kid is eating more than their share of Pringles.

I have a super-nice memory foam neck pillow I love that folds small.

I take a large capacity power bank that has saved us so many times. It is small but clutch.

I also have a great under-seat soft bag that holds a ton and doesn’t cramp my feet. That was an Amazon splurge, but really nice.

My Kindle oasis is great too, no longer have to bring my books/magazines. KU has so many mags, I no longer buy them on trips like I used to.

Which one please?

This is the neck pillow: https://cabeau.com/products/evolution-s3-neck-pillow?variant=28067129065558¤cy=USD&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&gad_source=1

Anonymous wrote:grocery delivery when we are renting a house at the beach

I don’t always do this, but I agree that it is nice when I do.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not always possible, but usually possible from my home city -- I try to leave LATE at night and arrive as late as possible in my international destination so I have access to my accommodations. I really hate that aimless feeling of being jet lagged with nowhere to go. My home airport has flights to London, for example, leaving from ~4 to ~ midnight and not only do I "sleep" better on the flights leaving at midnight but that first day is shorter.

This is all about international (Europe) travel with kids, but in addition to the above I bring one or two of my kids' safe meals (Annies M&C, or similar) as a treat for some day on the trip. We nearly always self cater for most meals so it's a nice break from introducing the kids to suspicious new foods. We also bring a mountain of snacks from home too. Hungry kids = grumpy kids = bummer of a trip.

I also find kid-friendly activities that aren't classic tourist destinations, like a rec center with a pool, or a locals-focused nature center. These are usually cheaper and less crowded than big destinations, and to a kid might be just as fun. We had an absolute blast at a pool in London last summer, and at a science center in Norway this winter. We also regularly hit up local playgrounds.

NP. Can you please share how you find these places, and the specific info for the London pool and Norway science center? Both destinations are in our near future! Thank you!

DP but Cab drivers often give me good recs, as well as vendors of other activities I’m doing earlier on in the trip. You basically need to ask people who live there.

PP about grocery delivery: should have clarified that I arrange for groceries to be delivered shortly after we arrive so we aren’t fighting traffic and lines at the store on beach changeover day (Saturday) after making all the beds with our/rental linens, setting up the house. Makes it so much easier to have meals and snacks for 2 days right there

grocery delivery when we are renting a house at the beach