You are ready to do it and book that first international trip with kids. Get out the map and start planning! That’s the fun part, after all. But to make sure your trip goes as smoothly as possible, you need to make sure you have a few things lined up before you get on the plane.
We have been traveling for the past ten years with our children, and the steps to make sure the trip goes off without a hitch have more or less remained the same.
Here are my recommendations on what you need to do before you embark on your first international trip with kids:
Start Planning Six Months to One Year in Advance
Planning six months to one year in advance will give you enough time to figure out where you want to go and book those flights and accommodations without worrying about last-minute travel fares. This timeframe will also ensure you have the time to get everything else done, such as passports, vaccinations, travel visas, etc.
To begin, you will need first to determine the time of year you want to travel. You may have school-aged children and can only travel during school breaks. Or you may have specific work commitments that only allow you to travel over particular dates. When deciding what time of year will work best for your family to take an international trip, keep this in mind. When traveling internationally, I recommend a minimum of one week to ensure you get the most from the destination you visit. Plus, you may have slight jet lag, so you want to give yourself plenty of time to adjust to the new location.
Depending on the time of year you can travel, the locations you can visit will vary. For example, suppose you want a beach trip but can only travel in December. You may then want to consider destinations such as Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, or even South America. Or if you prefer to explore some historic European cities, spring, summer or fall may be best. Once you have determined the time of year you can travel, you can narrow down exactly where you want to go.
Get a Passport
If you have not traveled internationally yet with your children, you will need to get a passport for each family member. Go to the State Department’s website to find the nearest location and schedule an appointment. On the website, you will find a detailed list of all the items you need to bring to the passport appointment (such as a birth certificate, etc.). AND both parents need to be present. If one parent is not available on the day of the appointment, they must give permission by having a notarized statement of consent. Assuming you have planned your international trip months in advance, processing your passport within the standard timeframe is doable. However, if you are tight on time, you may consider expediting your passport for an additional fee.
Please check the passport expiration date before each trip. If you are traveling out of the country and your passport expires within six months, you need to get an updated passport. Some countries are quite strict and will not allow you to enter if your passport expires within this six-month timeframe. Keep in mind that passports for children 16 years and younger need to be renewed every five years. For adults, it’s every ten years.
Check Visas and Travel Requirements
Depending on where you plan to travel, you may be required to purchase travel visas. Some countries require you to apply for a visa before entering their country. For other countries where visas are required, you may be able to purchase upon arrival. I recommend you check the State Department’s Travel website or the country’s embassy for updated info on visa requirements.
Look into Travel Immunization Requirements
You will want to make sure you are up to date with routine and recommended vaccinations for international travel. Additional vaccinations may also be required. For example, if you are traveling to locations where Yellow Fever is present, you may need to get a Yellow Fever vaccine to be allowed entry into that country. The CDC Traveler’s Health Page outlines the vaccinations required for entry. You can also reach out to your doctor or local Travel Medical Group for further information. All vaccinations are notated on the International Certificate of Vaccination, known as a Yellow Card, which you will want to bring with you on the trip.
Get a Travel Credit Card
One of the ways we have been fortunate to travel so much is through our travel credit cards. When you make a purchase using a travel credit card, you’ll earn at least one point per dollar. And in many cases, you could even earn up to 10 points per dollar based on certain partners and ongoing promotions. It adds up quickly! You can then redeem these points for flights, accommodations, and even some activities. If you decide to get a travel credit card, please make sure you pay off your balance monthly.
We have three travel credit cards that I highly recommend. They are the Chase Sapphire Reserve, Chase Sapphire Preferred, and Capital One Venture X credit cards. Besides offering great points via your purchases, there are also incredible benefits the cards offer, such as Global Entry, access to travel lounges worldwide, and so much more. The travel credit cards tend to have ongoing signup bonus promotions that offer you additional points for signing up. Keep a lookout for these offers, as this is a great way to add even more travel points to your account.
Book Your Flights
As soon as you have determined your destination, start looking at flights. As we have realized this year, there are inevitably scenarios that arise that are out of our control, such as increased gas prices, that account for higher airline ticket prices. So book as early as you can! Having your flight booked months in advance will allow you to concentrate on your trip’s other details, such as the fun activities to do once there!
To begin your search for flights, I suggest looking at Google Flights or Skyscanner. Skyscanner tends to display more accurate prices (from the airlines themselves), while Google Flights often takes you to third-party booking sites.
If you enjoy receiving flight deals in your inbox, I recommend signing up for Scott’s Cheap Flights email updates. They always have incredible deals to destinations worldwide that might just be a place you are hoping to visit.
Book Accommodations
Once you’ve booked your flights, it’s time to figure out where you want to stay. If you have hotel points (such as Marriott, Hyatt, etc.), this would be a great time to use those points! We tend to stay at a mixture of accommodations, from mainstream hotels to boutique hotels to vacation rentals. Keep in mind that many destinations outside the US only allow three persons to a room.
As we are a family of four, we have found it is more economical for us to book a vacation rental or a boutique hotel where they might have larger suite-like room options. We also tend to like having space with a kitchen as we attempt to eat most breakfasts and the occasional dinners in our accommodation.
But you need to decide what type of accommodation works best for you. You may prefer to book an all-inclusive where you don’t have to think about where you want to eat. Or you may find an AirBnb rental or similar will work best for your family. Or maybe something in between. Regardless of the type of accommodation you book, I recommend staying in a location near many of the areas you will be exploring. Or at least a quick local transportation ride away.
Get a Travel Debit Card
Most of you probably have a checking and savings account but do you have an account just for travel? We set up a separate travel checking account years ago that included a debit card we use only when traveling. This account does not link to our regular checking/savings accounts, so if our travel debit card were stolen or lost while on the trip, we do not have to worry about our other accounts being compromised. Before we depart, I transfer a certain amount of dollars I think we will need (plus a little more just in case), which we plan to use for the trip. This process has been a huge peace of mind for us when traveling and is just one small step you can take to have a stress-free trip.
Pack a Medical Kit
A medical kit is the one thing always packed in our bag. It includes various items such as Advil, Dramamine, bandaids, Benadryl, Claritin, a thermometer, etc.). When traveling to foreign countries, the medicine may vary. It may even be hard to understand the prescription directions in another language. Having a medical kit on hand will ease this stress.
Most of the time, everything goes smoothly, and we do not have to use the items in the medical kit. But there have been a handful of times when one of the kids has a terrible headache, an upset stomach, or maybe was bitten by something and had a slight allergic reaction. You can’t control these things from happening, but you can prepare. The last thing you want on your travels is to decide where the closest pharmacy is located.
You could easily just open up your medical kit and have a quick fix option for that moment. Quite honestly, our kids have gotten sick on some of our trips. We have had to use the medical facilities and pharmacies in these foreign countries (which have all been fantastic!). But having that medical kit on hand for any minor emergencies or sicknesses is essential.
Determine School Requirements
If you have school-aged children and will be taking them out of school for a few days or more, please check in with your school to see if there are any requirements for missing school. For example, in our school district in San Diego, if a child misses more than five days of school, they need to complete a contract for independent study. Most teachers will also put together a packet of work for your child to complete while on the trip.
We have taken our kids out of school for a few days to a couple of weeks, and I have always found the teachers to be incredibly encouraging. Please remember the teachers go above and beyond to prepare this at-home school work for your children, so a little bit of grace and a lot of thanks goes a long way.
Check Luggage Requirements
The airlines regularly change their luggage rules from the sizes allowed as carry-ons to how many bags you are allowed free of charge. I recommend checking each airline site before traveling, so you are aware of the rules. If traveling on multiple airlines, please check the requirements for EACH airline as they may vary, and this might affect which luggage you bring. We tend to each bring a backpack and one carry-on size roller bag for our travels. Even on our seven-week trip to Europe, we managed to pack everything we needed into this small bag. With a little bit of prep, it’s definitely doable.
If you decide to travel with just carry-ons, please keep in mind that the dimensions allowed on US domestic airlines can be different from the international airlines. So check, check and check those airline sites to ensure you have the correct sizes. You don’t want to unwillingly check your bag or pay any additional unknown costs if possible.
Purchase Travel Insurance
Last but not least, do not leave home without international travel insurance. Since 2020, I believe the majority of travelers have realized the importance of purchasing travel insurance. We all quickly learned how imperative it is to have coverage in case of unexpected plans that may affect you personally. And did you realize that travel insurance may not be as costly as you expect?
We have recently been using Travel Insurance Master to compare travel insurance plans and then book the one that works best for us. Most insurance policies cover trip cancellations, trip delays, medical emergencies, lost or stolen luggage, etc. When you are planning a once-in-a-lifetime dream trip for an additional small cost, it’s crucial to have this set up for any unexpected scenarios that may arise.
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Now that you have everything lined up, you are ready to embark on your trip. Taking the above steps will help kickstart your journey off stress-free so you can enjoy exploring the world with your family. I’m excited to hear where you want to travel first. Happy travels!
*Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means we receive a commission at no cost to you if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended.
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