So, you’re considering traveling to another country with your family. How exciting!

Experiencing a foreign country creates new experiences and memories for your whole family to enjoy together and keep in your hearts for years to come. You can explore brand new areas of the world, experience the unique local culture, and allow your children to open their minds to new ways of living.

While traveling abroad with your closest family members is a thrilling experience, it can be quite stressful and complicated to carry out. Organizing your budget and packing your family’s belongings for a week or two away are often time-consuming (but completely necessary) tasks for family vacations.

Below, we’ve covered some helpful tips that should make traveling abroad for a vacation with your family a little simpler and less stressful, whether you’re heading to Costa Rica, Spain, or Australia.

Organize Family Health and Travel Insurance

You’ll need health and travel insurance when traveling in a foreign country, and it’s best to organize this as early as possible. 

Many insurance providers offer deals and discounts for families that you should make the most of when you’re abroad. Choosing a family insurance package is usually much cheaper and simpler to set up than purchasing individual policies for each family. 

There are two main types of insurance you need - health and travel insurance. The former enables you and your family to access healthcare facilities in your local area when you’re on vacation. It also subsidizes the costs of healthcare if you need to access treatments and therapies.

When organizing health insurance for yourself and your loved ones, make sure your policy covers your needs. For example, if one of your children receives regular treatment for a chronic medical condition, you’ll need to ensure your chosen group health insurance policy covers their needs.

Group travel insurance covers you during your flight to your destination country. If your luggage is stolen or gets lost along the way, you’ll receive compensation from your insurance provider. You’ll also be entitled to a payout if your flight is cancelled or there is a national emergency in the country you’re flying to.

Keep Your Documents in a Safe Place

Traveling requires you to keep a range of documents. Losing just one essential document could delay your vacation significantly.

You’ll need to keep your important paperwork somewhere safe and easy to access so you can present it when needed. Get yourself a folder or pouch to store your documents and keep it in your hand luggage during travel to prevent it from getting lost or damaged in the baggage hold area of the plane.

Practice the Local Language

While you’re not going to become fluent in another language within a few months, you can try learning some basic phrases in the local language of your vacation destination.

Turn learning new phrases and words into a fun activity that you and your children can enjoy together. You can encourage them to expand their skills and become more knowledgeable in a fun and exciting way.

There are lots of great resources to aid language learning nowadays. Consider downloading an app like Duolingo or looking online to discover helpful phrases that you can use when you’re abroad.

Pack Regular Medications

If you, your partner, or your kids take regular medications, it’s essential that you remember to pack them in your luggage. We suggest keeping your medications in your hand luggage for maximum safety.

Ring the pharmacy to gather a large enough supply of medications to last until you’re back from your vacation. Research the vaccination requirements in your destination country so you can organize the necessary jabs for yourself and your family.

Don’t Forget Essential Travel Accessories

You’ll need certain accessories on hand in the days leading up to your date of travel and during the flight itself. These accessories include phone chargers, adapters, power banks, toiletries, and daily medications.

Purchase a small toiletry bag that you can keep inside your hand luggage during your travels for easy access. Remember that there are restrictions relating to the volume of liquids you can take on a plane, so keep this in mind when you’re packing toiletries in your hand luggage.

Try Not to Stress Too Much

This last tip might not sound very helpful but bear with us! It’s easy to say ‘don’t stress’, but much harder to actually put it into practice. However, you’ll want to remember your family vacation as one of joy and excitement and not one of stress and worry.

As long as you arrange things as early as possible for your vacation and you stay organized from start to finish, your vacation will go as smoothly as possible.