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We’ve always loved to travel. It’s such an adventure and brings me a great amount of joy. When you have children there is no need to take a break from travelling at all.
You shouldn’t be afraid to travel with twins or multiples – yes it can seem pretty daunting, and I am not saying it is always easy, but we’ve travelled a lot with our three young girls and found it to be so rewarding.
The thought of travelling with twin babies may seem scary, especially if you're flying, but to be honest there is never a bad age to travel with twins or multiples. As long as you’ve fully prepared yourselves and are organised, you’ll be fine.
Organisation is definitely key when travelling with two or more children of a similar age. Make sure you write out detailed packing lists, listing everything you and the children will need. As for destinations, the possibilities are endless. If you are after a more relaxing break, then a villa with a pool that is close to amenities such as a park and the beach is always a good idea. But, safaris, city breaks, snow holidays are all very attainable too – we’ve been on them all.
Holidays that work well for families
We have always found active holidays much easier. Let’s face it, gone are the days where you’ll be lying on a sun bed reading a book all day, so keeping the kids busy is key. Active holidays like this offer plenty of activities to keep all ages entertained such as hiking, cycling, swimming, paddle boarding and other sports.
Holidays with activities on site
Many families prefer to have everything they need on site. There is no doubt this is a great option if you have young children with you. Most of the time they are more than happy to play in the pool. So, these types of family holidays work well for large families as they are often good value for money.
Farm holidays
The UK has some great farm holidays available. There are a range of accommodations such as family-friendly cottages that you can stay in, with the added bonus of being able to get up and help out on the farm with feeding the animals and collecting eggs from the hens.
There is no reason why you can’t take your family on an adventure holiday. Obviously, you would need to take into account the activities you would be planning to do (white water rafting might be out of the question!), but you could certainly see some sights and manage some hikes with babies in baby carriers. Our safari holiday in Kenya when the girls were 18 months and 4 years old was the biggest hit.
Holidays with kids’ clubs are such a big help. The staff are all fully trained and they have plenty of activities to keep the youngsters entertained, which in turn gives the adults a much-needed break for a couple of hours and children always love meeting new friends.
So, you’ve made it to the airport with the children – well done! We like to always arrive really early, just to give us extra time if we need it – nobody likes that stress of feeling rushed in an airport with kids. Just being inside an airport is pretty exciting and your children will love it.
I’d advise that if travelling with young children you take a buggy and reins depending on their age. Let them walk about as much as possible to wear them out a little. You can take the pushchair right up to the gate and switch to baby carriers if needed. This way, you’ll be hands-free and the little ones can sleep if they need to. It’s also a good idea to have a meal at the airport so nobody is hungry before you board your flight.
There are often a few seating options for families with twins or multiples. If your children are under two years of age, they can sit on your lap which then avoids you paying for extra seats. If it’s a long-haul flight you might feel a bit overcrowded and if your babies are over a year old they will get wriggly, so we have always paid for an extra seat to give ourselves more room. Once your children are over two years of age, you will have to purchase a seat on the plane for them.
Most aeroplanes have two or three seats on each row, so if you’re travelling as a family of five you may prefer seats that are in front of each other instead of at the other side of the aisle. It is best that one of the adults takes an aisle seat so you can get up easily to use the toilet and go and do the inevitable nappy changes.
What to pack for a flight
Once children get to a certain age, they tend to need a bit of extra entertainment on a flight. For our girls we like to pack a little bag with a few things that will keep them busy and help the time pass a bit quicker. Anything that doesn’t take up too much space is best such as sticker and colouring books with a little pack of crayons. A couple of small pots of PlayDoh, a little bag of stickle bricks or a threading activity set are also popular choices.
Always take a change of clothes for both you and the children too!
Best accommodation type
When it comes to choosing your accommodation, you need to think about accessibility and practicality first. We always try to go for a place that has two bedrooms whenever possible. It is nice to have the extra room for the children to sleep in.
Villas work well as they are usually on one level, so you don’t have to think about navigating stairs. If you are staying in a hotel, see if they have lifts available if you are not on the ground floor. This will make going in and out with a double buggy so much easier. Baby carriers are a godsend on holiday – baby wearing means you can explore places with ease.
Can one parent fly with twins or multiples?
Yes, it is usually possible to fly alone with twins, but it is always best to check with the airline first as the rules can vary. You will find this information on the airline’s website under the heading ‘flying with infants.’ Obviously, you cannot have two babies on your lap, so you will need to purchase a seat for at least one of your twins if they are under the age of two. If they are over the age of two then both will need to travel in their own seats on the plane.
Overall, apart from it being tiring, we love travelling with our children. We have found, when being abroad, that people are so generous and friendly and are always willing to help out, whether it is lifting buggies off buses to just stopping to say hello. Plus, all of those travel memories will be cherished forever.
Anna Miller is a mum and blogger from Essex. With her partner, six-year-old twins and three-year-old daughter she regularly travels the world – documenting her trips and experiences to share with her online community. It’s Anna’s mission to give parents the inspiration and confidence to travel with young children to prove life, holidays and adventures don’t stop when you have kids.
