How to travel across your borders during Covid with kids can be super stressful, but still absolutely doable. Lot of the vaccination cards, restrictions and testing can make even the most calmer person overwhelmed and anxious. As you had to be prepared before, then now it is double the hassle. So what you need to look out.
1 check in luggage
Sounds super silly to be my first point to go to but it is. If You are traveling with Ryanair or with in your constitution: Europe, Australai, States etc. book your tickets with small carry on and then add extra luggage to grown up/parent afterwards. Why? Because the queue at the gate will be long and slow moving due all the extra paperwork that the staff has to check at the gates. If you are waiting there with your extra luggage, it will get everyone more agitated and tiered. So prepare ahead and add it to your check in instead. When you go to check in your bag, they will already check out your paperwork for travel and all you need to do is, is show your tickets and walk to the plain.
Another thing is coming off the plain with your extra luggage. As you have been sitting there with kids masks on for minimum of hour, people get frustrated and they want to get breath of fresh air. If before we just wanted to stretch our legs and get through security as quick as possible, then now you want to catch your breath as well. So it is pretty rushed of getting of the plain. With hand luggage and kid and huffing and puffing as you hold on the que – you know what, it’s not worth it. It’s worth that extra 40 bucks to put the luggage underneath.
2 Tests
Many countries are okay with antigen testing, many countries are also okay if you get tested after arrival to their country. Make sure you check your own counties status on the traffic light system and what are the regulations in the country you travel in the appropriate color your country is in. As much as it is important to look the regulations to the state or country you travel, it’s more important to look the regulations they have stated to the country or state you are coming from! Even if you are vaccinated, you could be placed forced hotel quarantine or had to have pcr instead of antigen test. You don’t want to find that out at the gate.
3 Little people’s Visa card.
Airports and on planes, most purchased are on card payments. Reasonably enough as they cater millions of people a day. So if you could set up kids Visa cards and ask loved ones, instead of giving them cash as presents to transfer money to the cards instead. It’s nothing worse to child being not able to get their desired drink or toy, as they don’t accept cash. Saves you the long face and you pulling out your own credit card to save the day.
4 individual backpacks for each kids.
Small but practical. Kids will fill their entertainment in it, also their mints or gum. Entertainment as book, coloring, Lego or tablet. Keep anything with liquid in your own bag, but get them to bring their own bag of entertainment. Mainly as it stops you continually pulling your own bag open to get stuff out of it. Bag should be small enough so it would go under handbag size.
5 Charge all your devices
Because unless you have your own chargers with you, there is no more “lending” a charger. Most sharing docks have been cleared off at airports and now you are on your own. Of course only if you think it is important to you. Lot of times you are okay even when your kids tablets die. They just ask lot of questions and might mention how planes will crash… Lol! These are some awkward moments I had to face.
MissAnnulaLaLand 