Tips for Single Parents Travelling with kids

5 min readMay 27, 2021

Who said single moms couldn’t travel like the rest of us? While stereotypes and assumptions about single parents and their busy schedules abound, many of these are flat-out wrong. Today, a majority of parents are single parents who not only manage to look after their children but also indulge in vacationing together.

Don’t be surprised if you find a single mother showing up in her kid’s ball game or other annual events.

Single-parent families now make up about 30% of households worldwide. The majority of single parents in the US are mothers 35 and older with stable jobs.

This fact stresses that a single mother is not less than two parents.

And, the great thing is that many travel agencies have started catering to single parent and children travel niche. You’re likely to find great packages focusing on single-parent family travel.

Best Tips for single parents traveling with kids

Traveling with young children isn’t easy, and at times it can be outright challenging, especially if you’re a single parent. However, if you’re known to be resourceful, you can make traveling with kids more accessible and much more fun!

Here are a handful of tips for single parents looking to travel with their kids.

Ask for help!

Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Start with taking suggestions from other single parents about preparing for traveling with kids and what the challenges are.

Another best source to seek help is from travel blogs. Today, more travel enthusiasts are posting about their trips. Luckily, you’ll find many blog posts on single parents traveling with kids.

One of the best suggestions you’ll get is traveling in a group. For instance, if you need to run out to the market to buy something, another parent will volunteer to watch your child while you’re away. This sort of mutual understanding helps to solve a lot of minute challenges of traveling solo.

Take Advantage of Deals and Offerings

Travel agencies, hotels, cruises, and airlines often develop many deals and offerings targeted towards family vacationers. You should take advantage of these deals because traveling smart and strategically will save you time and money.

Many hotels have started offering babysitting services for an upgrade. You should take advantage of this and enjoy some me-time on your travel. Even certain airlines offer nannies with higher-class tickets so the passengers can fly with ease.

Like these, there are many great discounts offers that single parents can use.

Book everything in advance

Imagine you step out of the airport but can’t find a single taxi. What would you do? It’s unimaginable to carry your child in one arm and luggage in the other, waiting for someone to stop by to help you.

Plan everything! If possible, book everything before you commence your trip, from airplane tickets, commute to hotel, hotel rooms, entertainment getaways, etc.

It’s better to have everything in place, so you needn’t panic at the last moment. Download apps like Hotwire and Expedia Rental to find last-minute deals on hotel and car rentals.

Don’t forget your kid’s items at home.

Your kid may be allergic to particular food or environment, or they may love reading comics in the long haul, or they love cuddling to their favorite toy at night; as a responsible parent, you need to remember to carry all of these essential items, so your kid doesn’t create nuisance between the trip.

Make a checklist of items that will compulsorily go with you, such as medications, kid’s comics or toys, their favorite blanket, etc.

Bring medicine for pain, upset tummies, fevers, allergies, and anything else (prescription or not) that your child might require.

Board Early

When you’re traveling with kids, it’s always a great idea to board early. Not only will you save time running through the airport lounges and airport security to catch your flight, but you also enjoy some incentives. Some airlines allow parents with children to board just after the first-class passengers.

The more time you wait in the queue, the more your kid will become restless, so if you make it early, you can save the hassle of boarding flights.

Get Kids GPS Trackers

Nobody would like to imagine losing their child in a foreign location. The thought that you might lose your child is enough to make you break out in a cold sweat.

You can at least prepare for the worst scenarios by getting a GPS device to keep track of your child. This becomes essential for parents traveling with multiple kids.

There are GPS trackers that can be worn as a bracelet. They integrate with your smartphone, so you’d know the real-time location.

Some come built-in with wristwatches or attached with a clothing item, so your kid won’t mistakenly take it off.

Here is the list of the best GPS trackers for kids.

Pack wisely and rent travel gear

More members mean more luggage. While one suitcase and a carry-on are plenty for a single person to tote when traveling, carrying an additional suitcase or a bag full of items can become difficult. You can’t expect your small kid to tote his or her bag all the way, so how do you manage?

The idea is to pack wisely so that you can fit both your items in a single suitcase. Nonetheless, if you end with numerous suitcases and carry-ons, it’s better to hire porter services that will bring your luggage to the destination.

Consider a travel gear renting service that easily carries your bag from airport to hotel or any other specified location.

Choose kid-friendly accommodations

You should remember that you’d need to consider their choice of accommodation over yours when traveling with a kid. Most parents will love to have a fabulous suite all to them, but your kid might not like the idea of it.

Consider kid-friendly accommodations when booking a room. Choose kid-friendly cruise lines and hotels that offer family-oriented accommodation.

Complimentary travel cot or crib that can be set up in the room.
Mini fridge in the room.
A separate hotel pool for kids.
Free breakfast.
Children’s entertainment programs.
Discounts for children.

Noise-canceling headphones

Spend some bucks on noise-canceling headphones for your kid. You wouldn’t know how loud the foreign destination is going to be. The loud noises coming from horns, loudspeakers, public transport, concerts, etc., can affect your young kid’s hearing ability. A noise-canceling headphone will cancel all the background noises so they can sleep or travel calmly.

Just make sure that you choose a pair that fits; if there is one little tiny spot that doesn’t fit around your child’s ear, then everything is in vain!

Create a Routine

Children thrive on daily routine, so we highly suggest that you create one even while you’re traveling. Follow the same routine as home; Early to bed and early rise.

Don’t cut back on sleep; otherwise, you’ll quickly get yourself and your kid jet-lagged.

If your child learns on the first few days how things are going to be, they’ll start relaxing and be more manageable.

Relax! Now that you have an emergency plan in hand, you can take a break and relax. Anxiety will only ruin your trip, so take some time to relax before the travel date.