National “Plan for Vacation” Day

Planning a trip? This post is for you! Big trip or small, we’ve got you covered.

National "Plan for Vacation" Day
©Nadezhda1906 from Getty Images on canva.com

As an aviation family, we travel. A lot. And I love it because our kids get to learn and explore other cultures, foods, places, etc. I am very grateful that our kids get to have these experiences.

If you are looking to travel more but don’t necessarily have the budget for it, I highly, recommend the Travel Mom Squad. They have an excellent podcast that will get you on your next adventure in no time.

When planning a vacation, I always follow these steps… not necessarily in this order.

  • Pick where you want to go.
  • Figure out your budget.
  • Research things to do in the area to come up with a general itinerary.
  • If needed, book flights and cars.
  • Book lodging.
  • Pack.

Vacation Itinerary Planning Tips and Resources:

When planning a trip with little kids, I always keep in mind a point my childhood best friend made: plan just one thing a day. Make that THE thing you’re doing, and whatever else happens, happens. If you plan too much each day of your trip with little ones, you are likely going to stress yourself out. This rule has worked well for us, and we usually end up squeezing in some bonus things that end up being pretty fun… but we can also bail without missing out on something we planned ahead of time.

Outside the Louvre

If you are doing a longer trip, say to Europe, buy tickets in advance for things you want to do. For example, you can spend so much time waiting in line to get a ticket to get into The Louvre that you will run out of time to thoroughly walk through it. Get the ticket in advance and walk right in. This is a solid strategy with or without kids, but waiting in long lines can be tough with kids, especially if they’re little (ask me how I know). In many cases, you can purchase transit tickets in advance, too!

Our oldest sent her best friend a postcard through the post as we listened to our Rick Steves walking audio tour of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh

If you are planning a trip to Europe and need help narrowing down the MANY things to do, we have had great success with Rick Steves (my college best friend recommended him to me!). He has a show you can stream, a website, and a podcast, but the guidebooks are the best because you can take them with you to reference throughout your trip. He travels to Europe for many months out of the year to keep his guidebooks updated regularly. We took a trip to Scotland in 2024 and the guidebook was invaluable. We also did a (free!) walking tour guide in Edinburgh.

Pickpocketing is common in Europe. Keep your important documents with you at all times. Some people, including Rick Steves, recommend a money belt. I use a running belt for this because I already had this on hand as a runner and it works great!

Also, don’t forget how great AI (ChatGPT, etc.) can be for helping build an itinerary. It can help you narrow down what is worth seeing. It can also help you map out the best plan to hit all the things you know you want to do, including providing transportation options.

Vacation Packing:

Being an aviation family, we rarely check bags. Our kids are old enough now to be responsible for one carry-on bag and one backpack.

Schlepping our backpacks and carry-on bags through windy Scotland!
  • Pack things that can be re-worn. Consider investing in wool clothes (wool breathes well, dries fast, and is anti-odor). Unbound Merino and Woolx are both good brands.
  • Plan a day in the middle of your trip to take care of laundry – either finding a laundromat or paying for laundry service. When you’ve run out of socks and underwear, it’s time for a laundry run!
  • Bring lots of layers. I like these puffer jackets because they pack down so much.
  • Always pack swimsuits! You never know what may happen when flying and you may end up in a hotel with a pool!
  • We pack iPads, Nintendo switches, headphones, and loads of snacks in the kids’ backpacks. Rest assured – they eat all the plane snacks, too!
  • Moms – make sure you have wipes and hand sanitizer with you at all times.

Entertaining Little Ones during a Long Vacation Flight or Layover:

My sister-in-law said this to me when my oldest was a toddler… the most challenging time to travel with kids is the 12-24 month-ish age. They are too little to understand that they have to stay still on a plane. They are not going to be entertained very long by a screen. We used an assortment of things to help keep littles entertained with reasonable success:

  • Pack a favorite small toy that doesn’t require a lot of space to play with (e.g. a Barbie, a Hot Wheels car, etc.)
  • Bring painter’s tape! Little kids love sticking it everywhere, unrolling it, and playing with it. For older kids, you can set up a tic-tac-toe board on the seat tray or play hopscotch in the airport. You just pull it up and throw it away when done with it.
  • Coloring books. I like the mess-free ones so there’s no chance anyone will color on a wall or seat or whatever.
  • Water Wow! The books are amazing.
  • Stickers.
  • iPad / Nintendo Switch… and DO.NOT.FEEL.BAD ABOUT THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS GUIDELINES FOR SCREENTIME WHEN YOU ARE TRAVELING FOR MANY HOURS. It is okay to make an exception for your sanity and everyone else’s. Traveling is hard for adults and harder for a little one!
  • Play “Simon Says” and “I Spy”.
  • Flashcards.
  • Many airports have play areas for little kids, including AMS, SEA, and MSP. These have been sooo great when our littles needed to run around and burn off some energy.

    AMS has an area for littles to take a nap… amazing!

Vacation Planning and Older Kids:

  1. Have older kids help research things to do. They can help guide your itinerary.
  2. Get a travel journal so your child can document each day.

I don’t do this for every trip, but sometimes I’ll wrap up entertainment items as a “gift” that they can open on the plane. It’s a fun little surprise to enjoy on the plane.

I hope your next adventure is exciting and fun, and that these tips are helpful for you to plan your next fun trip!

What vacation travel tips have helped your family?

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Jessie Roth
Jessie is married to a pilot, has two kids (a daughter and a son) plus a dog who thinks he’s a cheetah. She is a proud mom, an aspiring foodie (which mostly means she likes to eat), an okay-ish musician, and a crafter with an impressive collection of unfinished projects. Jessie and family traded the Knoxville area for Newnan, GA, in 2024 to be closer to family and the Atlanta airport. She’s a Tennessee Vol fan in a sea of Georgia fans, bravely wearing orange while singing “Rocky Top” at the top of her lungs. Jessie and her family love to explore new places, from Zoo Atlanta to the local farmers’ market. They’re taking full advantage of their proximity to the busiest airport in the world by traveling with the enthusiasm of a toddler who’s been promised ice cream. Jessie hopes to document their adventures as they learn all about the local parks, hikes, festivals, and attractions that south Atlanta has to offer.

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