Tips for a holidays with a short flight

Going on a holiday with a flight involved can feel really daunting. However, with the right destination and preparation, holidays can be enjoyable and even relaxing, no matter how young your children are.

Here are some practical tips to help you plan a successful trip without lots of stress.

Choosing the Right Destination for holidays with a short flight

• Short Flights and Minimal Time Differences: Choose destinations that don’t require long flights or major time zone changes, especially for your first trip abroad with your little ones. This can help reduce travel stress for everyone. It can also help you keep your child on a UK time zone, so you can all enjoy a later evening without a overtired child.

The Flight

• Preparation is Key: Know what the airline provides and plan for any worst-case scenarios.
  • Spare Clothes: Bring extra clothes for everyone to avoid discomfort from spills or accidents.
  • Extra Supplies: Pack spare food, bottles, nappies, and any necessities to handle any surprises.
  • Entertainment and Snacks: For older children, bring plenty of things to entertain them along with their favorite snacks. With toddlers and children – you can never have enough snacks!
• Sleep Flexibility: Ideally, even through you are booking holidays with a short flight, book flights around your child’s routine. However, this is often not possible, or even if you try to plan it there are possible delays or your little one is just too excited to sleep! In this case, let your little one sleep whenever they would like. For longer flights, being flexible with sleep can help manage the journey better.

Dealing with Time Differences

• Minor Time Differences:
  • Consider keeping your child on their home schedule to ease adjustment upon return.
  • Be mindful that European countries often eat later, which might not work with your child’s current meal times and/or bedtime.
• No Time Difference Destinations:
  • If there is no time difference, and you ideally would like them to be up a little later, consider a little top up nap, or some quiet time during the day for children who no longer nap.

Helping Your Little One Settle at Bedtime

• Find out what the set up is before you leave. Is it a cot or travel cot, is the room very dark or do you need to bring a gro blind? It can be useful to bring a sheet from home that they have slept on so the smell is familiar.
• Consistency: Stick to your usual bedtime routine as much as possible.
  • Private Sleep Spaces: Create a separate space for your baby to sleep to avoid middle-of-the-night playtime excitement.
  • Extra Bedroom: If possible, get an extra bedroom to help your child sleep better.
  • Sibling Sharing: Expect some excitement if siblings are sharing a room for the first time. Stay consistent, and they will adjust.
  • Make it similar: If your little one sleeps with white noise, a teddy, sleeping bag – take all of these with you as it can help create a familiar environment.

Handling Naps on Holiday

• On-the-Go Naps: Occasional naps on the go won’t undo your child’s sleep routine, it is important that you enjoy your holiday and don’t feel you have to spend all the time in your room!
  • Cot Naps: Ensure your child has plenty of cot naps to avoid reliance on motion for sleep.

Most importantly, enjoy your holiday! Your child might be a bit more fussy with sleep, and it may be a bit disrupted (especially on the first night), however, try to be consistent and don’t introduce any sleep props (eg rocking) unless this is their normal way to go to sleep. There are also some great Essex based travel consultants who can help you with your travel plans with children, for example Heather Harris.

If you get home and feel ready to make improvements to your child’s sleep, one of my sleep packages could be just what you need. Find out more here.