beat the brochure

For seriously top tips for travel with kids look no further than Kaamna Bhojwani-Dhawan, also known as Momaboard. Kaamna lives well and truly by the motto “Two of the greatest gifts we can give our children are roots and wings.”(Hodding Carter) and has kindly shared some of her top tips for travel with kids with us.

1. – Your top 3 destinations for travel with kids and why?

For travel with kids I recommend: New Zealand, Australia and anything with a beach. Australia and New Zealand offer open spaces and very child-friendly attitudes. Plus, great food, wine and entertainment for adults!

2. – Are there any destinations to avoid in your baby’s first year? How old does your child have to be to first fly?

Babies are actually easiest to travel with for the first few months of their lives. Once they start moving around, it’s a lot harder to keep them restrained in a pram or on long flights. Therefore, I would say that until your child starts walking, take advantage and travel to places where you can sightsee and not have to worry about entertaining the kid too much. Soon, you will have to visit places where you can break for your child to run around and let off some steam. It’s important to plan age-appropriate vacations for everyone’s happiness!

Airlines will allow a child to fly after they are 7-14 days old, unless they are premature, in which case it is a little longer. Check the airline’s website for their policies.

3. – What are airlines like now for travelling with children?

Presently, there is a lot of activity around airlines and their attitude towards kids: Malaysian Airlines recently banned kids from first class while Air New Zealand introduced “sky-couches” for families. In general airlines with good services for travel with children are those that offer everything from special boarding privileges to designated family areas at airports.

4. – What are you allowed to carry through as hand luggage?

As airlines become more particular about luggage and fees, it is really important to check the guidelines for hand luggage on the website before you travel. In general, most airlines will allow a car seat and a stroller (either checked in or dropped at the gate) for free when you are traveling with a child, but not much else.

5. – What are good European destinations for travelling with babies, mainly not too hot or with good facilities?

Europe is pretty child-friendly overall but since I am a big fan of beach vacations with kids, I will say that my number one favorite country to take my baby is Croatia. It’s not a country that falls on the usual tourist route but that is part of the charm. Even in summer, you won’t experience the throngs of people that you do in other countries, but you still get to experience a great vacation vibe and authentic Mediterranean feel. Gorgeous beaches, child-friendly food (grilled meats and vegetables, rice) and amazing vistas make Croatia an amazing place for a family vacation. However, any European destination along the Mediterranean would be an excellent choice!

If you are looking for more of a city experience, I recommend Barcelona because kids will love the colors and sights of La Rambla, the beach, and for the culturally inclined, the arts and music everywhere!

6. – Any tips on how to keep the romance going when travelling with kids?

Romance is a mindset – you have to always remember as a couple to make time for each other on vacation and not just get wrapped up in the logistics and managing the family. I recommend at least trying to get one-bedroom hotel rooms so that you can crack open a bottle of wine and have an adult evening once the baby is asleep, without having to whisper and tip-toe around the room. Many reputed chains also offer babysitting services that are great if you want a night out.

7.- I’m on a plane and my baby is screaming, what do I do?

First of all, remain calm. It’s not a myth that babies respond to your stress levels. And don’t worry about the other passengers glaring at you. Try to do what you know the baby loves: get up and walk up and down, offer her a snack or something to distract her with: a toy, the entertainment system, keys, pictures in the duty free catalog. Often, the air pressure can hurt their ears so sucking on a breast, pacifier, etc. will alleviate the discomfort.

8. – You never travel without………?

My iPad and Totseat.