Traveling abroad with a child often turns into a lot of problems for parents: choosing a safe country and a comfortable hotel with a program for children, delays at the border due to documents, picking up a children's first aid kit is not a complete list of the difficulties that families who want to travel with kids.
In this article we will look at the most important stages of preparation for the trip, we will talk about the rules for crossing the border with the child, we will talk about medicines and things that it is desirable to prepare in advance and take with us on the road, etc. The main purpose of the article is to help you make a holiday with your child abroad a real treat.
To have a rest with a child abroad without any problems - is it real?
The main condition for successful overseas rest with children is careful preparation. The more carefully you prepare, the calmer and more confident you will feel, and the less the problems and surprises await you. Please note that a trip abroad in winter with a child is a small shock for the baby's body, so the period of stay in a country with a climate that is very different from the usual one should be at least a month - so that the baby has time to adapt and really relax. Otherwise, the children's body will not get any benefit from traveling abroad - a double change of climate (a trip there and back) for crumbs will become a continuous string of stresses.
Do not forget to properly document for a small traveler. The kid should have:
- international passport;
- a notarized permission from the parents to leave the child abroad (if one of the parents does not go with the child or the baby goes alone, without the parents);
- medical insurance.
In addition, additional documents may be required. More details about this can be found in local authorities (immigration, border guard, etc.).
First of all, you should choose a country. The selection criteria should be:
- security;
- distance and difficulty of the way (time difference, duration of flight or trip, if you plan to get to the place of rest by ground transport, number of transfers, etc.);
- hotel class, availability of high-quality infrastructure;
- presence of an entertainment program in the hotel or tourist routes that may be of interest to children;
- cost of the tour, the level of prices in the country. It is not necessary to pursue the most prestigious places of rest, if you are constrained in the means. It is better to choose a resort a little lower in terms of prestige, but provide yourself and your children with a good place, quality food and make sure that you have enough money for current and unforeseen expenses.
When choosing an airline, ask for suggestions for travelers with children. On most airlines, children under two years of age fly for free (without occupying a separate seat), while babies are given special free cradles. During the entire flight, the crumb can peacefully sleep, without interfering with the parents and without experiencing any inconvenience. But keep in mind that the number of cradles is not unlimited. Take care of the cradle for your baby in advance. Individual airlines offer children's tickets at great discounts. Specify the availability of shares and discounts for travelers with children should be in advance (you can find them on official websites of companies). If you plan a flight with children, take care of the advance arrival for registration.
In some airports it is very stuffy, so it's better to have children's unsweetened water for drinking. If you travel with a baby, try to reduce the time spent at the airport, for example, try to pass border and customs control without waiting (ask the workers for these services).
Make sure to book rooms in advance and notify the hotel in advance about your arrival. Before choosing a hotel, ask the living conditions for children (whether there is a separate cot or playpen in the room, whether there is a children's menu in the hotel restaurant where you can bathe the baby, what kind of floor covering: slippery or not, etc.). Do not take with you all the toys you have - in most countries to buy them is not difficult, and in Europe, toys for children are not only cheaper than in the CIS countries, but also often better.
First aid kit for children abroad
The first-aid kit for the toddler must include the following categories of facilities:
- Remedies for burns and skin irritations (panthenol, suprastin, fenistil, etc.).
- Healing agents.
- Vata, bandage, plaster, cotton swabs and other hygienic and dressing materials.
- Eye drops (vizin, albucid).
- Antidiarrheal, antacids, sorbents and other remedies for digestive disorders.
- Drugs for colds.
- Medicines prescribed by the doctor in person for the child (medicines for chronic diseases, etc.).