Travelling with the family

Holiday with children – so that it is even relaxing for you too!

Whether you have a holiday on a farm, camping in Cornwall or a city break – the destination should be chosen carefully. The climate, risks of infection and the hygienic conditions should all be as suitable as possible for children. Because it needs to be remembered: children are more susceptible to infectious diseases and cannot yet reliably regulate their body temperature or fluid balance. You should think long and hard before long-distance travel, above all with young children.

"Do you remember? When we were out hiking and it suddenly began to rain really hard? We all huddled together under the umbrella and told jokes until the storm was over". Holidays together can provide topics for the best chapters in the family annals. Because all the family members finally have time for each other, they're more relaxed than in everyday life and they all want only one thing: to have fun! But before the time comes, there is plenty to plan beforehand and a number of hurdles to be overcome. All child's play with our tips!

Be prepared

Children in Germany, no matter how young they are, have needed their own travel documents for travel abroad since June 2012. Make absolutely sure you get a passport picture taken in good time! What's more, you'll need to pack sunscreen, a sun hat and a pair of beach shoes. These protect your feet against sea urchins, parasites and sharp stones on the beach. Check that all the members of the family have had all the necessary vaccinations, pack the vaccination passes and take out overseas health insurance. Have a think too about when the best time is to set off on holiday. In the early evening, at the crack of dawn or at lunchtime, the chances are highest that your child will sleep and you can all relax and enjoy the journey.

Tips for a relaxed arrival

"Are we nearly there yet"? Longer journeys or flights with children can become a challenge – but it can be done! Prepare a box full of surprises and pack everything that makes time pass more quickly: games, books, small snacks and audio books. If the little one starts to feel sick, he or she should look out of the side window as little as possible and not eat any greasy food during the journey. Make sure that the whole family drinks enough and, if you're going by car, plan a break at least every two hours. It doesn't have to be a motorway service station every time. Keep your eyes peeled for a playground or an ice-cream shop!

If your child catches it

A moment ago he was licking his ice-cream and now that: tummy ache, diarrhoea and nausea. Unfortunately diarrhoea or colds and flu are more the rule rather than the exception for young children on holiday trips. But after a quick rummage in the first-aid kit, some peace and quiet and litres of tea and water, the young patient will soon be as right as rain. Dehydration is a genuine risk for young holidaymakers. You, as the parents, should watch your child closely: decreasing skin elasticity, irregular breathing and dark urine are the danger signs.

Family first-aid kit

A well planned first-aid kit for a holiday with children looks like this:

Keep moving!

There's no doubt – holiday is all about relaxing. But if you snooze, you lose. So make sure you get plenty of exercise. Particularly when on holiday, the whole family just loves to go on regular walks, cycle trips and swimming. The children show us how it's done: they're always running around, they often find it difficult to sit still. So copy the kids – this will increase the activity of the veins in the legs and avoid the danger of a blood clot or thrombosis.

This can be prevented by walking around often in the aircraft or on the train, taking a walk at the motorway service station and doing exercises during the drive or the flight to keep the blood flowing. Travel socks, such as medi travel, are sold by surgical suppliers. With their controlled pressure gradient decreasing up to the knee, they activate the muscle pump and thus the blood circulation. By the way, sporting activities also help the digestive tract, which is often constricted by sitting for long periods and then gets itself noticed by tummy ache or travel sickness.