8 Tips For Christmas Travel With Kids To Keep Everyone’s Sanity Intact

Christmas Vacation Vera Livchak/Moment/Getty Images Whether by land, air, or sleigh ride. by Katie McPherson Dec. 9, 2022

Pekic/E+/Getty Images When it comes to out-of-town Christmas plans, parents just want to keep their kids from losing it during their holiday travels . Whether you’re driving to visit family or jet set away to spend Christmas at the beach, there are ways to make traveling easier on the whole family.

d3sign/Moment/Getty Images Ship gifts to your destination. Especially if you’re flying, it’s hard to find room to pack any presents, especially if Santa is bringing your kid a bike this year. Instead, order them straight to Grandma’s house.

The Good Brigade/DigitalVision/Getty Images For road trips, consider a back seat organizer. You can stock it with snacks, books, toys, and other car-friendly activities so you’re not trying to hand the kids new entertainment while driving. It’ll also help keep your car clean even with kids riding in it for hours.

mihailomilovanovic/E+/Getty Images Leave room in your luggage, or pack an empty duffle you can pay extra to check on your return flight. Your family will definitely buy gifts for your kids (probably too many gifts, as usual), and you’ll need a way to get them home.

Sue Barr/Image Source/Getty Images Know which stores and restaurants are open near your destination. If you need to pop into a Kroger or Trader Joe’s to buy groceries for your AirBnB, there’s nothing worse than rolling up to a dark storefront (especially when your kids are capital-R ready to get out of the car).

Ippei Naoi/Moment/Getty Images Leave at the best time for your family. Consider usual traffic patterns and weather, of course, but also how much your kids love or hate the car. If it’s better that they sleep through the drive, you might prefer hitting the road overnight instead of early in the morning.

Mayur Kakade/Moment/Getty Images Pack special snacks or small gifts. If you always looked forward to a gas station slushie on road trips as a kid, help your child find their own little food tradition. Or, surprise them with a new book of stickers and a notepad to decorate during the drive.

Westend61/Westend61/Getty Images Sit in the back seat with your kids from time to time. It’ll feel like something new and exciting, especially for younger kids. You can also do different activities than they usually do, like FaceTiming family or taking pictures of things you see on the drive.

Isabel Pavia/Moment/Getty Images Staying in a hotel? Bring a few decorations. Helping your kids still get their dose of holiday magic away from home could be as simple as packing a garland and candy canes to hang when you arrive. This is helpful if your child gets nervous when traveling.

More from Romper

The Most Festive Christmas Towns In The USA By Grace Gallagher 9 Tips For Visiting Disney At Christmastime By Samantha Darby