Everyone has their thoughts on the best age to travel with kids! No matter when you go, it can be a totally incredible experience for the whole family where you can bond and build memories. However, we’d be lying if we said traveling with kids was always easy. Whether dealing with infant sleep schedules, toddler meltdowns, or grade school attitudes, there is plenty that can make a vacation challenging.
So, that begs the question, what is the best age to travel kids? What’s that sweet spot where you’ll have plenty of great moments that aren’t overshadowed by daily struggle? That’s what we’re going to discuss today. Plus, we’ll be sharing some helpful travel tips along the way. Hopefully, this will make planning your family’s next trip a breeze!
What is the Best Age To Travel With Kids?
To be honest, there are pros and cons of traveling with every age group! Many people prefer traveling with grade school kids, but really any age can be rewarding and impactful. You just need to minimize the amount of negative interactions by keeping your expectations low and planning for everything! We can help you with that. Below, we’ll break down the pros and cons of traveling with each age group while offering plenty of tips for vacationing with young kids.
How To Travel With Kids From Each Age Group
Baby (Birth – 1 Year)
Traveling with an infant can be intimidating, but it can also be a great way to bond with your little one! Though there are plenty of challenges with traveling with an infant (especially when there are time zone changes or long plane/car rides), there are plenty of pros, too. If you decide to travel with your infant, grab this baby travel checklist!
Pros
- Often get into venues for free
- Don’t require much entertainment or structure
- Not bound to school or activity calendars
- Perfect one-on-one bonding opportunity
- Early exposure to travel can make it easier in the future
- Portable for easy napping, feeding, or transport
Cons
- Can be temperamental with schedule changes and disrupted sleep
- Require constant care
- Require you to bring lots of extra gear
- Offer breastfeeding/formula-feeding challenges
- Offer diaper challenges
- Require you to stop at least every 2 hours if driving
- Can become uncomfortable on a plane
- There can be safety concerns as they wander
- Won’t remember the vacation
Travel Tips:
- Always fly with their car seat installed on the plane
- Don’t overbook your schedule
- Travel during nap time or bedtime
- Keep your luggage and other bags very organized
- Utilize a baby carrier and stroller/wagon
- Use a SlumberPod for easier sleeping
- Pack medications and first aid supplies you may need
- If your baby is too young for sunscreen, use UV-protective clothing and sunshades
Toddler (1-3 Years)
Toddlers are so much fun. Unlike an infant, they can really take in the trip and enjoy it. Their joy is contagious, which can make traveling with toddlers a blast. However, they can also be moody and they require constant supervision. Like all age groups, there are pros and cons to traveling with this age range.
Pros
- Able to fully enjoy the trip
- Can learn a lot from family travel adventures
- Allows for lots of quality time and bonding
- Broadens their cultural awareness
- Are easily entertained
- Not bound to school or activity calendars
- Early exposure to travel can make it easier in the future
- Can still get into some destinations for free
- Portable for easy napping, feeding, or transport
Cons
- Can be temperamental with schedule changes and disrupted sleep
- Require constant care
- Sometimes have limited attention spans
- Can be picky or challenging at meal times
- Offer diaper and/or potty training challenges
- Don’t always ride well in a car or plane
- There can be safety concerns in certain settings
- Won’t remember the vacation
Travel Tips:
- Always fly with their car seat installed on the plane
- Don’t overbook your schedule and stay flexible
- Travel during nap time or bedtime
- Keep your luggage and other bags very organized
- Utilize a stroller/wagon
- Make sure your destination has some toddler-friendly things to do
- Use inflatable toddler travel beds
- Pack medications and first aid supplies you may need
- Bring lots of things to keep your toddler entertained while traveling
- Pack plenty of snacks for the trip
Preschool (3-5 Years)
Preschoolers finally have some independence. They’re often potty trained, weaned from nursing, and able to sleep just about anywhere. This can make traveling much easier than with an infant or toddler! On the other hand, they’re still stuck in their routines and can be temperamental from time to time.
Pros
- Usually enthusiastic about travel and seeing new places
- Have some independence
- Can start retaining some memories from the trip
- Can learn a lot from family travel adventures
- Allows for lots of quality time and bonding
- Broadens their cultural awareness
- Are easily entertained
- Can walk on their own
- Tend to be flexible with changes in plans
- Ride better in the car or plane than younger kids
Cons
- May have school or activity schedules to work around
- Can be temperamental with routine changes
- Sometimes have short attention spans
- Have normal admission charges and fees
- Require constant supervision
- Can quickly become travel fatigued, especially if walking
- Less portable, requiring you to find accommodations for naps, eating, etc.
Travel Tips
- Always fly with their car seat installed on the plane
- Don’t overbook your schedule and stay flexible
- Have them carry their own personal bag/backpack
- Make sure your destination has some kid-friendly things to do
- Plan for a good balance of activities and rest
- Plan for shorter excursions if they require walking
- Utilize a stroller/wagon
- Use inflatable toddler travel beds
- Pack medications and first aid supplies you may need
- Bring lots of things to keep your preschooler entertained while traveling
- Pack plenty of snacks for the trip
Grade schoolers (5-12 Years)
When you mention traveling with young kids, lots of people say, “Why? They won’t even remember it!” Well, by the time your kid is 5, they’ll likely be able to remember the vacation! Beyond that, school-age children can finally travel without a stroller/wagon, inflatable bed, or other cumbersome baby gear. This frees you up to relax more on your trip!
Pros
- More flexible and adaptable
- Require less sleep and usually don’t do naps
- Will remember the vacation
- Enthusiastic about travel
- Broadens their cultural awareness
- Can learn a lot from certain trips
- Can spend quality time with family, taking a break from busy schedules
- Require you to entertain them less
Cons
- Have to work around school and activities
- Can get bored or moody with parent plans
- Often require their own beds and accommodations
- Travel costs overall can increase
- Can quickly become travel fatigued, especially if walking
Travel Tips
- If they’re in a car seat, travel with it installed on the plane
- If they’re in a booster seat, make sure you travel with it in the overhead bin
- Have them carry their own personal bag/backpack
- Encourage independence anywhere possible
- Plan for a good balance of activities and rest
- Plan for shorter excursions if they require walking
- Have them pack a bag of snacks and activities for the trip
- Involve them in planning and packing
- Visit educational places and use it as a learning opportunity
- Discuss safety for the road trip or safety for the airport and make plans for emergencies
Teen (12-18 Years)
When traveling with older children, you can spend lots of time relaxing as they fully embrace their independence. Finally, at 12+, you likely don’t need a booster anymore and require much less sleep. However, teens don’t always think doing what their parents plan is fun or cool, which can add some tension to the trip. But, we hope the trip is the perfect bonding opportunity for you and your potentially moody teenager!
Pros
- Total independent and can keep up with adults
- Will enjoy most activities geared toward adults
- Tolerant of long flights or drives
- Don’t require entertaining
- Broadens their cultural awareness
- Can learn a lot from certain trips
- Can spend quality time with family, taking a break from busy schedules
- Can be flexible and adaptable when things don’t go as planned
- Enthusiastic about certain trips or excursions
- Require no car seats or boosters
Cons
- Have to work around school and activities
- Can get bored, moody, or resistant to parent plans
- Can be a challenge to pull them from their screens
- Often require their own beds and accommodations
- Travel costs overall can increase
Travel Tips
- Involve them in planning and packing
- Ensure accommodations have wi-fi access so they can stay connected
- Give them some independence with boundaries
- Balance the types of activities to ensure you and your teens are happy
- Plan ways to unplug from their devices
- Engage in their interests and focus on family bonding
Traveling with any age child can be rewarding and memorable!
Traveling together is an important part of any family relationship. Whether it’s a camping experience an hour away or a dream vacation halfway around the world, you should definitely consider traveling with your kids! As long as you’re prepared for all the challenges you may face along the way, you’re sure to have a relaxing and enriching time for your busy family. For more hacks for travel with kids and tips for traveling safely, head over to the Safe in the Seat blog! Safety is at the core of every great vacation!
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