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Taking a family vacation with your grandchildren probably sounds exciting and maybe a little scary at the same time. No worries grandparents! We’ve put together a list of the best tips for traveling with grandchildren so that you can feel prepared and set a foundation for success and fun. 

1. Get the parental OKAY!

Who knows your grandchildren best? Their parents. If you’re traveling with grandchildren, and their parents aren’t coming with you, run everything by them for their blessing and approval. You should know any necessary information about medications, bed times, eating habits, rules with electronics, etc. It’s not a bad idea to run your itinerary by them to make sure they’re okay with your plans. Visiting landmarks that might be risky, such as the Grand Canyon or Times Square, could be a no-go for some parents.

2. Have the money talk

Make sure everyone is on the same page with who is paying for what. If you’re planning to pay for everything, great! If not, that’s a discussion that needs to be had with the parents well in advance of traveling with grandchildren. It’s also a good idea to talk with your grandchildren about money and spending boundaries, so they are not expecting to get whatever it is they see. If they’re older, you could give them some “fun money” at the start of the trip for whatever they want to buy. 

3. Let the children help plan

When deciding what to do on your family trip, involve your grandkids. They may be old enough to have an idea of what they’d like to do or see. If not, show them photo-filled books and websites of the destination. This should get them excited and you’ll have a better idea of what they would enjoy doing. If there’s something specific you want to do, or somewhere specific you want to go, using photos to prepare them in advance is helpful too. 

4. Be realistic with plans

Depending on the ages of your grandchildren, you may need to account for nap/rest times, more frequent bathroom stops, and enough snacks on-the-go. Little legs get tired quickly so destinations with a lot of walking, such as Disney World, may require more breaks, or a stroller or a wagon to pull them around. Traveling with grandchildren who are young will require some extra effort compared to traveling with grandchildren who are older.

5. Be considerate of each other’s space

Yes, even the kids need some space sometimes! Booking a hotel room that features enough space for the adults and the kids is worth the purchase. After spending a lot of time traveling and exploring together, it does everyone good to get a little R&R time in their separate areas. Traveling with grandchildren should be fun…not daunting!

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6. Consider buying travel insurance

Purchasing travel insurance for your trip may very well be worth it, especially if you’re taking an expensive vacation. Travel insurance ensures that everyone is covered in case something unexpectedly impacts your trip, like bad weather or sickness. Comparing travel insurance rates will help you decide which company you want to work with. 

7. Prepare wisely for international travel

It’s never a bad idea to bring along important documents when traveling with grandchildren, especially when traveling internationally. Documents you may want to bring include your grandchildren’s birth certificates, health insurance information, and a letter from their parents confirming approval of traveling with their kids. More travel guidelines can be read here.

8. Be flexible

Throughout your trip, being flexible is key. Flexibility will help you go with the flow if your grandchildren throw a request, need, or issue at you unexpectedly. Maybe someone doesn’t feel well all of a sudden or starts to feel homesick or one of your travel plans gets thwarted. You may need to read an extra book or sing an extra song and maybe even cut your trip short. Remaining calm and making the best of all situations will help everyone enjoy their trip together.

9. Try to pack smart yet minimally

If you’re traveling with grandchildren who are young in age, you may want to downsize your own luggage so that you’re not adding too much more to your load. As for your grandchildren’s luggage, encourage them to bring only what is necessary. If they want to bring 5 favorite stuffed animals, ask them to bring 1 favorite (and preferably smaller) stuffed animal. Consider packing outfits individually into plastic bags so that they’re easy to find each morning. It’s also a smart idea to have plenty of things for your grandchildren to play with in case of long road trips, flights or unexpected delays.

10. Be mindful of electronics

If your grandchildren love their favorite game systems, tablets, and phones, make a rule ahead of the trip about electronic boundaries. Maybe they should only be used during certain times of the day during rest times. Another option is to put a time limit on how long they spend on “screentime” each day. If this upsets your grandchildren, remind them of the beauty around them and how exciting it is to experience it while you’re there.

11. Don’t forget to keep parents in the loop

Throughout your trip traveling with grandchildren, make sure to keep your grandchildren’s parents in the know. Sending photos, videos, texts, and scheduling frequent FaceTime calls will let them know how much fun their kids are having. Nightly calls, especially video calls, may help your grandchildren from feeling homesick when they know they’ll get to talk to mom and dad every evening. It’s especially important to keep parents updated if a child gets hurt or something comes up that they need to know about.

Traveling with grandchildren may not always be easy, but so many memories are being made that will be remembered for a lifetime. When it comes down to it, making the best of all situations, having fun, and enjoying quality time together is what makes a vacation a great vacation. Take plenty of photos and encourage the grandchildren to put together a photo book at the end of the trip as a fun keepsake.

Have you traveled with grandchildren before? What was your favorite part?