Prepping for travel with littles

After 10 months we're finally getting used to this travel with kids lark.

With family and friends dotted all over the country we often find ourselves away from home over the weekends and bank holidays. 

So we've spent the last few months fine-tuning our travelling, and most importantly our travel prep.

For us the packing is of course key to a successful trip, and a getting it right can be pretty tricky. I'm not going to lie, we have definitely forgotten things in the past, so we know work through a list, because I love a list and I love to be organised. Personally I use Google Keep as I'm on Android which means I can see what I've already ticked, and what I still need to check off. 

Packing our car is always a somewhat interesting experience as we have a Vauxhall Corsa which isn't the largest of cars. We tend to put the big stuff in first, and then fill the gaps with smaller items, including utilising foot wells. I tend to travel in the back with Henry as it's a little easier to keep him occupied, plus it gives us maximum space from the front seat. Usually we leave our travel system at home, though for the recent bank holiday we had to take it with us, and use our Ergobaby carrier if we're going out and about which saves lots of space. (we're looking at strollers soon which will replace the travel system for car journeys!) 

We tend to pack late at night, or first thing in the morning, and then travel during Henry's morning nap at about 9am. Perfect for traffic and makes for a much easier journey with Henry. Or travel during his normal bedtime, he generally sleeps through and you can move him into a cot on arrival, usually without waking him.

We also plan for Archie whilst we're away ensuring we have someone to come in and check on him, plus we leave the conservatory open for him (his favourite room). 

Being in the middle of an estate we take our home security quite seriously, so before leaving we always make a habit of going through the house to check windows and doors are locked and shut, and our garden gates are closed. We also switch everything off (bar the fridge - we trust the fridge) including the Wifi. My mum would be so proud. The next step for us would be Smarthome Panasonic* which allows you to check on your home whilst your away, including letting you know if windows and doors are opened and even switch on and off appliances.

As Henry gets older we'll be talking to him more and more about where we're travelling to, who we're seeing and what we'll do there, to hopefully get him as excited about travel as we (ok mostly me) are.

What are your travel prep tips?

*this is a collaborative post

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