Whether it be by plane, sea, rail or car it is an operation ~ and one that needs planning!
Remember "P M M M T" when leaving home: Passport, Money, Medicine, Maps, Tickets - if you forget anything else it can be replaced but not these!

Kidookid! has scoured the net looking at lots of ideas for planning the smoothest holiday - there are a lot of great ideas out there and we invite you to our Forum to add some of you own to our discussion!

• Passport, Visa & Vaccinations
• Planning your Packing, What to Pack, In flight bags for you and your kids
• Your essential 1st Aid Kit check list
• Planes, Trains and Automobiles - some tips
• Games to keep them amused on route

Passport Visa and Vaccinations where to go to get the up to date information

• Check all your passports are valid. Children must have their own passports to travel.

TIP: Make a slightly reduced photocopy of your passport photo page and either get it laminated or put it in a small plastic wallet. You can then leave your passport in the hotel safe or locked away and still carry ID

Passport services:

• Britains, resident in France - British Embassy N.B. All British passport applications made in France are processed at the British Consulate-General in Paris.
• Britains, Resident in the UK - Passport Office UK
• French, Resident in France Service Public
• US Passport holders should visit the US Dept. of State's site for information

Visas, Vaccins & Health

• Do you need a Visa? Check with the local embassy of the country you are travelling to. Project Visa is a useful site to help you find out local regulations, as this changes we advise you to
• Vaccinations? Make sure you have contacted your Doctor several months before travelling and record everything in your child's medical book. Take this with you. The net doctor can guide you on what is needed but please check well inadvance with you owne doctor.
• Ensure that you have your European  Health Insurance Card (EHIC) or Carte Européenne d'assurance maladie  (CEAM) at least 15 day before travel it is valid for 1 year.
  • application details for UK residents
  • French Residents need to contact your local CPAM office for application details
• Don't forget to book travel insurance (NB doesn't always cover children with asthma so check this out before you go)

TIP If you have access to email when you're abroad, email yourself (or friend) a copy of all the important information - airline numbers, credit card phone numbers, passport and driving licence numbers. That way if your documents and/or wallet is lost or stolen, all you need to do is log on to access all your details.

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 Preparing the Bags in the weeks leading to D-Day

• Put one person in charge or make sure everyone knows who is in charge of what.
• Have an essential box of the small and essential items such as 1st Aid kit with any medicines, toothbrushes and paste, toddler shampoo, feeding spoon and fork – keep it for those items that can't be packed until the last moment
• Once you have done the final wash and iron for holiday clothes hide them away in a separate room or the suitcases so that they are not used before you go.
• Hang on to those freebie hotel toiletries or sample size products for perfume, creams shampoos etc – very useful for short holidays.

Packing the suitcases

• Check your limits if you are flying – you may be in for a surprise! Sometimes hand luggage is not weighed so you can put heavier items here check the travel terms in advance.
• Be ruthless when packing, most of us come back with unworn items..
• If it's likely to be cold, think in terms of layers, rather than everyone having one thick coat or jacket.
• The obvious: sunhats, sunglasses, sunscreen..(full list)
• A collabsable bag to bring back those essential holiday purchases
• A bum-bag or belt bag to keep items on your person
• If you are going to the beach we have found these great foldable buckets

TIP: Stuff all shoes with socks & Roll your clothes – they won't get so creased.

Baby  Bag (We test it)

• a foldable plastic change mat
• a travel pack of wet wipes
• nappy rash cream
• nappy sacks
• nappies (allow around 5 per 24 hours)
• Spare change of clothes
• A bib (try disposable)
• Formula powder if needed
• Food rations

TIP: Put all spillables and toiletries into plastic bags that way if they leak it is contained..these are good for bringing home dirty laundry on the way back.

Your in-flight Bag:____________________________

• There are bound to be delays at the airport, so make sure you pack enough supplies of everything to see you through this – nappies, food, etc.
• Something for baby to suck as the air pressure can cause earache ..a bottle of milk/water, chewy sweets for a child etc.
• A spill resistant cup (We test it)
• inflatable neck cushion but test this before hand as the quality can vary (We test it)
• Some new surprises the kids haven't seen: a new toy or book, stickers, selection of small toys such as cars, plastic animals/dinosaurs or dolls (We test it)
• Bottled water, a water spray and moisturiser keeps you hydrated and distracted! (Pack all spillables in a zip up bag – air pressure can pop the lids off ..)
• The plane can be cool so take a light sweater even if you're going to a hot climate
• If there's room (!) pack your swimming stuff in your hand luggage if you're going to a hotel. That way, you can go swimming if your rooms aren't ready without having to rummage through suitcases.
• Passports and tickets
• If you take a contraceptive pill, take this in your hand luggage too incase you main baggage gets lost.

Your Child's in-flight bag

Kids like to pack and sometimes carry their own in-flight bag just make sure it's not to heavy as you may end up carrying it too. Perfect are the tiny child suitacses on wheels - then they won't get tired either! Encourage them to include

• cuddly or favourite soft toy
• pack of colouring pencils/crayons
• colouring or activity book

1st Aid Kit (Check in avdvance what you can take in hand luggage, if in doubt put it in the hold)

• paracetemol: liquid for children ex: Calpol/Doliapran
• paracetemol tablets for adults
• Digital thermometer. Forehead thermometers aren't so accurate in hot climates. (We test it..)
• Plasters and antiseptic cream
• Rehydration solution
• Insect Repellent
• Pointed tweezers (Not in hand luggage!)
• After Sun
• Nail clippers; nails grow much faster in a warm climate, and short nails make it harder to scratch insect bites. (Not in hand luggage!)
• STs and Tampons as flights can play havoc with internal clocks.

TIP: Clothes pegs are a handy accessory for all sorts of things eg creating darker curtains if necessary

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Travelling by Plane

• When you book your seats, ask for ones at the front where there'll be more leg room.
• If possible choose night flights; it might make life easier with the children.
• Before you go on holiday, check not only your outward bound, but also your return flight times. They may have changed.
• Check with the airline beforehand about the children's food if necessary. Take a small amount with you if possible, especially drinks, because they can be expensive.
• Write your name and address on a sheet of paper and put it in your luggage. If the label comes off, it's a failsafe.
• Put all sharp objects (like tweezers) in your main luggage. If you don't, they may be confiscated. I have even had a child's feeding fork taken before now as it was made of metal!
• It might be easier to actually buy some of the bulky things abroad rather than take them with you: cheap towels, inflatable boats, toiletries, nappies etc.
• Wear layers on your flight, that way they can be removed or added as needed and a jumper can make a soft pillow!
• Wear loose socks as your feet may get swollen on the journey (Kidookid! recommends you keep hands and feet moving every 20 minutes or so to reduce the risk of DVT . Here is a printable sheet of in flight exercises)

Hiring a Car

• If you're hiring a car abroad, don't forget to take car sunshades and a child view mirror with you if you want one. (We test it)
• Check in advance about car seats ..we were offered one once in Greece that was about 15 years old and was very unsafe a far cry from our Britax (We test it)
• Take your driving licence!

Travelling by Car________________________________

• Estimate your journey (www.viamichelin.com) then add enough time to allow for breaks: sickness, toilet, meal times, tantrums, stretches etc.
• Onboard Essentials: kitchen towel; wipes; plastic bag for rubbish; first aid kit
• What about a LeapPad to keep them amused!

TIP: Emergency Toilet Break: If you have boys, take a plastic bottle in the car on long journeys.. alternatively buy the Tomee Tipee Potette with it's disposable liners we keep this in the car at all times and never have accidents..or for a toddler newly out of nappies you may be able to get away with a Pull Up.

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Games To Play

• I Spy ..something beginning with (then choose a letter of the alphabet): The classic.
• Guess the Animal: Someone thinks of an animal, others ask questions about that animal – can it fly, is it wild, etc to which the person can only answer yes or no. Or the person describes the animal and everyone else has to guess what it is.
• Spotter's Badge: Every body has to look out for a certain list of objects. The most common ones (blue signs on a motorway, silver cars, for example) get 2 points, then the more infrequent (caravans, pylons) get 5 points etc. Good for getting children to do maths.
• The Alphabet Game: Think of an easy category (like names, or places) and then find a word for every letter of the alphabet. For example, if it was names, the first person might say Anna, the second Bill, and so on.
  Word Association: Be as free as you like, first person says apple, second person says banana, third person says monkey, etc. You can also play a version where you have to try and work back to the first word.
• Just A Minute: Just like the radio 4 quiz game. Talk for one minute with no hesitation, deviation or repetition. Children are surprisingly good at this.
• Sausages: one person has to answer people's questions answering only with the word ‘sausages'. Everyone has to think of the silliest questions they can ask to try and make that person laugh or smile when they say it. If they do, they are no longer it, and the person who asked the question takes over.
• The Pub Game: look for pub signs and see how long it takes you to collect 5 heads, 10 arms and 20 legs. To do this, you simply count the number of legs and arms depicted on the pub sign, or in the name: ie, the Queen's Head; the Phoenix and Falcon (4 legs) etc.
• The Number Plate Game: look at the nearest number plate for the first group of three letters. The first letter is the initial of the person's name; the second is where they come from, and the third is the job they do.

Useful Links
Travelling with Children
Baby Goes 2

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