5 Essential Tips to Travel Safely With Family & Kids
Holidays are a great way to connect families and create lasting memories. But to ensure the best holidays, it is important to plan the trip carefully and prepare for different events, specially when you are traveling with family.
While most travel destinations do their best to create safe and enjoyable experiences for traveling families, such situations will not always be easy for anyone. Therefore, additional precautions are recommended to prevent unwanted accidents, especially with children.
Here are five essential tips to travel safely with your family on a short tour:
- Keep your travel documents safe and handy
You never know when you’ll need your passport, driver’s license or any other form of identification. Scan these documents to save online and print out several hard copies. That way, you won’t have to worry about finding the right documents if you need to get home.
Note: Don’t keep all original documents in one place or in the same bag.
- Keep a working smartphone at all times
Make sure everyone in the family has a cell phone at critical times. That way, if you have to separate, you can easily communicate with each other and connect the points you meet. Having a phone also allows you to grab an Uber or any other cab service. You can also easily find nearby places, or check Waze if you lost your way.
If enabling international roaming on multiple phones is too expensive, choose a local SIM card and / or buy a cheap phone from the nearest mall or gadget retailer.
- Do your research
Get to know your destination in depth before you arrive. Read traveler reviews and consult local people for information on the safest neighborhoods, accommodations and crime incidents. Check the State Department website for domestic updates and enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program if you are travelling to USA.
Another important travel safety precaution is to know who to call in an emergency. Contact the nearest embassy or consulate, police station and other local emergency departments.
- Choose safe accommodation
When looking for the ideal family friendly accommodation, check out the hotel and the surrounding area. If this helps you find comfort, don’t hesitate to inquire directly from a hotel about safety measures to protect your family and your valuables when you stay there.
- Take care of food
Have a light food while traveling because with family and kids, you’ll never know. If any of you are sensitive to a particular type of food, it is always best to look for alternatives. When you visit a new place you may be tempted to try out the local cuisine. However make sure the food you eat suits your body and health. For example, some places are known for spicy food and that may not suit all people. When traveling with small kids you may avoid taking a risk by trying out new kinds of food dishes which may or may not go down well with you!