It’s a time of year that the whole family should be looking forward to enjoying. Two sunny weeks lazing about in the warmth of the Spanish sun on a Costa Del Sol summer holiday. But, like most idylls, making it absolutely perfect is going to need at least a little preparation – especially if you have younger children. After all, anyone who’s experienced a complete meltdown in a busy departures lounge, surrounded by disapproving glares from fellow passengers, will know how mortifying this can be. It also gets what should be a fun-filled experience off to a not very joyous start.
So, here are a few tips to make not just your departure, but the whole holiday, go a little more smoothly.
Travel light
The first of our tips can be put into practice when you pack. The last thing you want is to have lots of heavy pieces of luggage to manage. Of course, there’s a lot of stuff that you do need to pack, but there are also things you can well leave at home. For example, Malaga car hire companies will fit child seats on request so there’s really no need to take these with you, as well as offering an assortment of different-sized cars to accommodate for you and your little (or large) family.
Drive at nap times
If you are hiring a car because you want to explore the area, not just your hotel’s pool and the nearest beach, then it will make life a lot easier if you try to coincide trips out with when the children will be having a daytime sleep. It’s bound to make journeys much less stressful and you won’t even have to guess whether you’re nearly there yet!
Quiet day, busy day
Yes, you want to give the children as many different experiences as possible but they need some downtime too. So try to alternate all-action days, for example visiting one of the area’s many amazing water parks, with more relaxing ones on the beach or just chilling around your holiday home or hotel.
Choose your hotel carefully
If you are staying at the latter, it’s also a good idea to do a little research into just how child-friendly it really is. That’s because another real downer on a family holiday is when you discover that the promises in the brochure simply don’t live up to the reality. So ask around among friends or look for recommendations online to make the perfect choice before you book.
Snacks at the ready
The final, and perhaps most crucial, piece of advice is to prepare for those “hangry” outbursts by having a food supply of healthy and handy snacks at the ready. They also come in very useful as a distraction when it seems likes pre-tantrum boredom is about to set in. So make sure you’re prepared!
Of course, these nuggets of advice are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to travelling with children. But, hopefully, they’ve given you a starting point to be able to say “adios” to travel hassle and “hola!” to holiday fun.
