Share your top tips for travelling abroad with young children with Brittany Ferries - chance to win a £300 voucher NOW CLOSED

[AmeliaMumsnet]

Travelling with young children isn’t always plain sailing from the start, but, if you get it right, showing your children a new part of the world can be a fantastic experience. So, to avoid those horror stories about packing all the wrong things; choosing a destination that’s not quite as child-friendly as it promised; and temper tantrums along the way, Brittany Ferries want to hear your top tips for travelling abroad with the little ones.

Brittany Ferries say “if having young children has put you off taking that holiday abroad, then think again, think family-friendly France. Sailing from Portsmouth, Poole or Plymouth we offer more choice of sailings than anyone else and our onboard service is designed with little ones in mind. What’s more, we can also arrange your holiday accommodation. Our choice of sail & stay holidays are perfect for young families with a chalet camping holiday offering fun for all with lots to see and do both on and off site. And, as all our holidays include return sailings with your car, so you can pack all you need for your time away.” You can find out more here.

What’s your go-to for keeping the kids entertained throughout the journey and avoiding the dreaded ‘are we there yet’? Do you have any tips for encouraging fussy eaters to enjoy some local cuisine? Is there a particular part of France you’ve come to love as a family holiday destination? Whether it’s useful packing advice or just a recommendation for a great family activity, don’t keep it to yourself. Share yours on this thread to help other parents enjoy their holidays with young kids to the fullest and you’ll be entered into a prize draw for a £300 Love2Shop voucher.

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Thanks, and good luck!

MNHQ

If you get stressed and angry it is sure to rub off so stay calm and make it fun, travelling can be a scary experience, with lots of new noises, lights and smells. I take lots of little distractions, drinks, snacks and download cartoons and games on my Ipad mini, after all it is their holiday too. There are lots to see and hear which will if explained and experienced together makes special memories for you all.

I'm not usually a fan of electronic devices but my tAblet does make him so much more manageable with pepper pig or the CBeebies app!

Being calm and organised! If the kids are old enough to have talked all about where you're going and what it will be like then that helps! Looking at pictures, talking about the journey and the place so they know what to expect and can get excited about it. As long as you've got food, drink and entertainment handy then you can keep going through it all!

Always have food to hand, plus toys and a warm, lightweight blanket.

I make sure they walk around the departure lounge and then walk all the way to the gate. It may take a long time but by the time by daughter gets on the plane she is asleep before take-off!

Lots of games and activities to keep them occupied during travel is essential, nothing worse than a bored crying child. Introducing new foods should be fun on holiday and don't worry if they don't eat everything. Be more relaxed about bedtimes , I used to put my daughter in her pram when we went out to eat and half the time she would fall asleep as she had had a busy day playing! A holiday is for you as well as well children so relax.

We make little quizs for along the way, if it's a car journey, things to find, first to see etc! Also make sure a book, pens and paper and I pad are all packed along with some snacks!!

Take their favourite soft toys to share their holiday with, plenty of snacks and activity books to keep them occupied while travelling and most of all enjoy you holiday!

Keeping them occupied is the only way to distract them from a long journey, otherwise they get bored too soon. Puzzle books and games and playing I spy helps

Go by ferry or even better Eurostar - its the great adventure - or at least until they get tired

lots of small snacks, a puzzle book to do together and an ipad for when all else fails!

Lots of food , patience and distractions

Just involve them in the journey, planning routes and suchlike. And games are always useful (car registration number counting, et cetera).

Definitely getting some anti-sickness medication in them is a must even the best traveller can get sick. My daughter was ill on a ferry once and she has never suffered before so I always give her some before she goes anywhere now.

Count the journey as part of the holiday and try to be as relaxed as possible.
Pack plenty of thirst for wearing in and out of the water.
Take some familiar foodstuffs with you so there is something to fall back on if loval food doesn't suit.
Take familiar stories for bedtime reading.

Lots of games colouring books and iPad to watch one of their favourite programmes and of course plenty of drinks and snacks to eat

My tip would be to keep their routine to UK time if you're travelling somewhere an hour or so ahead of us. That way they get a later bedtime and get up later in the morning without any interruption to their routine.

Remembers one fabulous holiday where there was three hours difference. Instead of usual routine of 7pm-7am DD slept from 10pm - 10am. We took her out to eat with us in the evenings and got a lie in in the morning. Bliss! And no problems getting her back into a routine when we got home either.

Wear them out if they are going to need to be still for long periods, sleepy kids make things less stressful, unless they need to move, in which case pack light and carry them if possible

Plenty of colouring books, sweets ( hard boiled}and rotate the seating position in the car

A portable DVD player keeps my little munchkin entertained for a good few hours. A life saver!

take plenty of stuff to keep them occupied on the journey, however long it may be.
Book child friendly accommodation that will supply stuff like high chair, travel cot etc (preferably at no extra cost)
Unless you're going somewhere remote, you don't need to pack a week's worth of nappies, just enough to get you through the journey and the first day, then stock up at a local shop.

Pack lots of distractions - books, games, toys, drinks and snack etc. Try and foresee problems before they happen, i.e pack plenty of baby wipes and spare clothes! We also plan regular stops where possible to make sure they can get out and stretch their legs :)

My best tip if travelling on a ferry with toddlers for a fairly long time in the daytime is to book a cabin. They are super cheap in the daytime due to low demand, and its good to have a quiet space for the little one to nap (and you!) plus being able to take a shower.

plenty of things to keep them amused, try to keep to the same nap times for the very young as getting over-excited or over tired is no fun for anyone.

Keep them occupied with singing songs together, I spy, counting passing cars (red, green, blue ones etc at a time). Have plenty of drinks and snacks on hand as well.