Steps to a hassle-free start to your family holiday
A little planning goes a long way - read our handy guide and discover how to plan for a hassle-free start to your family holiday!
1. Choose a holiday destination that everyone will enjoy.
2. Avoid tight connection times.
3. Organize currency at your bank and enjoy much better rates than at the airport. This is even more important given the pound's ongoing slump.
4. Take out travel insurance - check out starttravel.co.uk's comprehensive travel cover options.
5. Book car hire ahead of your arrival - it'll be cheaper and easier.
6. Book flights to coincide with your child's nap time.
7. Book a room at the airport - if your flight leaves very early, stay in a hotel at the airport so you wake up (relatively) fresh-faced for your trip.
8. Make sure there are early shuttle services from the hotel to the airport.
9. Book transport to the airport online - it's nearly always cheaper. Try to book it at least a week ahead to gain further savings. For some services, such as the Stansted Express, you should book a month in advance to get the cheapest ticket prices.
10. Book parking (if required) in advance and online - for maximum savings.
11. Book plane seats - so you and your family won't be separated by automatic seat allocation. Use the check-in online service for doing this.
12. Don't scrimp on stowed luggage - it's unlikely you'll be able to pack everything you and your family needs into a few hand luggage items.
13. Arrange the transfer to your hotel in advance - research buses, coaches, trains, or taxi fares (the easiest but costliest option) - to your hotel. But find out if your accommodation offers free airport pick up first!
14. Ensure your hand luggage meets cabin baggage rules; ensure stowed luggage won't breach the maximum too.
15. Double-check you have all passports and have copies made - long before leaving home.
16. Consider paying for priority boarding to make getting on the plane less hassle.
17. If it's high season, get to the airport early. Make sure you know about any issues at the airport (strikes, delays etc.) before you go.
18. Make sure your electronic devices are fully charged, since officials may need to turn them on at security.
19. Pay for fast-track security - it'll get you airside much more quickly. It usually costs from £3.50 to £5.
20 .Consider paying for lounge access if you have a long wait time - it can make the experience considerably more pleasant, especially if you've got kids.
21. Take resealable transparent plastic bags for holding liquids and gels under 100ml, and ensure you pack larger liquid items in your stowed luggage. Airports can charge surprisingly high prices for these simple items.
22. Take the 'toy of the moment' and any other fun items to occupy the kids once on the plane.
Extra tips
Take a portable black-out blind so your children can nap at any time of day.
Buy a cheap, second-hand foldable pushchair in preference to taking your large modern pram – they're easier to handle and check in.
Consider waiting until everyone else has got off the plane - this may cost you a minute or so (and if you have stowed luggage it won't make any difference) but it will be less stressful than bundling luggage and children down the aisle with people waiting behind you. This is ideal for gangway exits, but if you disembark onto buses to reach the terminal building, it may be better to try and get off quickly so you are not crammed onto the bus.
But however much you plan, it's possible some unforeseen event will scupper your streamlining efforts, so just try and relax and take things as they come!
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