Capital One 360 Checking Account:
No foreign transaction fees; this is a good account to have for traveling abroad and living abroad. You should combine it with an account from Wise or Revolut. These two accounts can receive and send money in different currencies. They are accounts that do currency conversions at the most discounted rates. Between these three accounts, you will be able to get cash from ATMs if needed. When using an ATM *always* refuse the local conversion. The transaction will still go through, but at a different rate. We also use the Capital One Venture Credit Card to secure reservations and earn travel points.
Travel Stroller.
For as long as we could we utilized a travel stroller that would fit into the overhead bin on the airplane. It counted as a carry on, so we would always pay for one carry on. It was worth the fee because we didn’t have to stop at baggage collection or wait at the plan for the workers to bring us the stroller. Once it was grown out of, we brought our regular stroller.
We live in Europe, so the stroller is already on the slim side. Basically at this point was have to check the stroller at the gate, which is free. When we arrive, it is inconvenient to have to wait on the stroller, but it is worth it. We use it for our 4 year old to rest, take naps on the go; we also use it to tote our luggage around or grocery items to and from the store. It is a very useful tool, and it’s free to bring with us, so the time to retrieve it is an investment in our trip.
Fold Up Potty Seat:
The sides fold up and it fits in a carry on or in a book bag. we keep it in a plastic bag. We use lysol wipes to clean it. We don’t take this along much anymore, but it did have its place for while. This type of potty seat can stand on it’s own, with a plastic bag fit around it, or the “feet” come out flat and can be placed on top of a regular toilet seat. It then can be fold up (legs fold in under it), to be stored away.
Book bags only:
We do this because on european airlines, you almost always pay for a carryon. Rarely is it included in the ticket. Sometimes we fly out on one airline and in on another, so the baggage allowances may not match for carryons. Using the bookbags guarantees that we won’t have baggage problems or extra fees. It also keeps us from packing too many items and everyone can contribute by carrying one bookbag on their back. These are CabinMax Bags. They fit perfectly under the seat of airplanes and trains.
Pill box:
I have a particular pill box that I really like. It has held up well, it’s easy to pack, doesn’t take up much space. I have two of them, so I bring both depending on the needs and time away.
The plastic inserts can be easily removed for cleaning.
Airplane toiletry bags.
I use particular bags that I found on amazon. They are clear plastic, standing up well on their own, I fill them up by categories: liquids in one and non-liquids in another. In other words, items that need to go through security are bagged together, and those that don’t are bagged together. For example, a bottle of shampoo & toothpaste would go in the security check bag, while a bar of soap and toothbrushes would go in another one.
Fly to “Anywhere” and find the least expensive practical option.
This is one of the ways that I use to chose where to travel. Of course we have our wish list, but they aren’t strict. The main goal is to go somewhere new and affordable while we are living in Europe. On google flights and other flight search engines, you can put in “anywhere” or leave the destination blank (see picture below), and it will show you how much it cost to go from your selected city to various other cities. You can play with the dates in various ways, depending on your fliexibility. In this way, you can get some good deals. Another tip is the travel during shoulder seasons and to track flights on google. For example, if I want to take a trip during spring break, I will look up with countries/cities have spring break as their shoulder season. Then I will go and search for a flight over spring break (exact dates lose flexibility, but shoulder seasons help reduce cost), and then I will TRACK the flight on google flights. They have a little tab there that you can select to track the flight. Then, every time the flight goes up or down in price, they will send you an email. You can also view all of your tracked flights in the side bar when you search and are signed in to your google account
Packing all items that have to go through security in one bag and tagging it as such.
This is similar to my toiletries bag organization. Basically those bags for security that I mentioned earlier would go into one bookbag with other items that must go through security- electronics and such. We put the electronics into a packing cube to make them easier to retrieve and we try to keep all the devices in one book bag. We sometimes have to slip an extra laptop into the laptop holder of a second bag, but it’s easy enough to retrieve JUST that ONE extra thing when we get to security. What this does is it helps us to streamline the already intense process of security. Essentially we only have to unpack on bookbag, which we have marked with a tag on the handle, for airport security. Then, after we get through security, we will re-organize our bags to make them easier to handle on the airplane. We will put as many like things together in one bag- ie the things we think we will need or that should be with one person over the other, we will move into those designated places. Another thing we do is to balance out the weight of the bag. We always give the lightest bag to our oldest son, who is 10..and we can make it lighter if it needs to be by just redistributing a few things at this time.
Thin rain coats can fit under stroller when checked for free.
Depending on the weather forecast of our destination, we will bring our thin raincoats. With the travel stroller, it wasn’t possible to stick them in the bag of the stroller, because literally nothing extra could be in there or it wouldn’t collapse, but with regular stroller, which is checked at the gate, we put the raincoats and a short collapsable (small) umbrella. We close it before we get to the gate, get it tagged, and off it goes once we get to the plane.
Use the hop on hop off bus tour map as a guide of what to visit.
If you aren’t sure where to go, or just want to make sure you get to visit the big highlights of a city, check out the hop on hop off tour bus map. You can use it to get around the city yourself, using google maps (this app is yet another travel tip in and of itself).
Packing Cubes:
Using packing cubes helps us to keep our packing to a minimal. The idea is that if it doesn’t fit inside, you don’t take it. This helps us to try and make clothes of certain materials, that condense down well & that preferable don’t wrinkle easily. This along with packing a “capsule” style wardrobe, really helps to keep the packing down. A capsule wardrobe just means that everything can be mix and matched, so that you will have more outfit choices on your trip.
Zipper pouches for kid’s activities:
These come in handy for packing a few small, simple activities for kids to do- something like water wonder, small tubes of clay, a small pack of crayons, a thin coloring/picture book combo, etc. Anything that can essentially lay flat easilly or be compact in the pouch.
Kid headphones & headphone sharing device so that more than one person can listen to a device.
These allow kids to listen to devices without bothering other people. The headphone sharing device allows two people to listen to the same program on a device, for example, a movie on an Ipad. You can see the divice below, attached to the corner of the iPad.
No activity with a lot of pieces or rolling items:
This is self explanatory, they are harder to keep up with, easier to lose, and easier to roll away on an airplane and be lost forever.
Cooking or ready made food, no eating out:
Reserve hotel rooms or Aparthotels or hostels with kitchen access, or at least a microwave.
Hostels with family rooms:
It’s difficult sometimes to find a hotel that will house 4 people or more, but hostels have that ability. On one hand, you can find hostels with “family rooms”, which have 4 beds in them. On the other hand, you can reserve a room full of hostel beds by gender or by mixed gender, so hypothetically, you could reserve one whole room for your family, paying by the bed, and using a shared bathroom. The brand we use when available is Meininger- basic rooms, but most affordable option and is a “nice” hostel
Grocery shopping:
TV dinners, explores culture, you can eat the same foods as you could get at a restaurant minus the experience and minus to cost
Aparthotels tend to offer family rooms, often times with room divisions, kitchenettes, etc.
B&B hotel. This hotel is also a hostel style hotel that has the same type of offerings as other family hostels. They offer a buffet breakfast and family rooms with a private bathroom.
Use public transport,
even if it’s out of your comfort zone. This is all part of traveling…culture, breaking barriers, doing uncomfortable things, etc. Buy a travel pass that last for the time you will be there. This makes it easier to get around and less stressful, because you can just jump on the bus, tram, or metro that you need, without having to buy a ticket every single time. Look online and see best option for transport cards in advance and buy then right away (right off the airplane before you leave)
Day trips:
Take trains that connect cities to see more aka day trips Day trips allow you to see more, while staying in the same hotel/location.
Trains:
Utilize trains to get from one location to another, rather than spending all of your time in one spot. Buying one way tickets to and from two different destinations…one get you there and the other gets you home. We often buy a plane ticket to get us to a region, then from there we will take trains to bounce from city to city or to another country. Once we get to our final destination via train, we take a plane from that destination back home. Often this means we travel on different airlines to and from places.
Do laundry
so you don’t back a lot; can get by on 3-4 outfits going anywhere, thought you might need more than one packing cube per person if you travel in the cold or rainy season, so it’s something to consider because this might lead you to needing a carry on or checked bag. Both often come with additional fees, especially in Europe.
One pair of shoes which you wear on the plane and don’t pack any extra if possible; this obviously takes up less space. Make sure the shoes are comfortable to walking, and try not to worry too much about style.
One extra outfit for the kids just in case because we all know they are almost guaranteed to destroy a whole outfit if you don’t, plus accidents do happen.
Locate laundry mat in advance so that you know if you need cash or detergent, pin it on your map. having things like this planned out in advance, will help your trip and plans go smoother. ie know the location and pin it on your google map, know the hours of operation, and look at the reviews/picture on google maps to see if they take cards, supply detergent, are cash only, etc.
Kindle
for reading; small & lightweight; this is a good past time for older kids and adults.
Tag along or fanny pack:
To keep a few things lose and accessible; i really like my tag along. It is neoprene so it is waterproof. It’s small enough to fit just under my shirt and isn’t bulky at all. There was a time when I needed a larger fanny pack, and used that in place of a purse when traveling. It was larger, so I could carry some baby/toddler related things in it. Now that my youngest is 4, I tend to use the tag along to keep a few things on hand, but still also take my regular purse. Things I keep in my tag along: small bills, bus tickets, change, etc. Travel items just for the day.
1-3 planned activities to see per day..don’t plan too much, you will be surprised how much you can still see doing this, and without the stress of a schedule.. This gives you built in flexibilty to make a different choice or visit a place you come across while you are out, that you weren’t aware of before.
Education on the go:
Reading eggs and math eggs, if desired. This isn’t necessary, but it’s something I used in the early years, when I was still homeschooling. My kids go to school now, so our travels are mostly during school breaks and don’t involve school work. They still learn a ton though, and in some case, it’s more beneficial than a traditional education.
Wipes (small pack in bag).
They make small packs of toilet wipes and face/hand wipes. They even make small bug “spray” wipes. I have carried all three in my purse. They are an excellent resource on the go. It’s not unusual to find a toilet without toilet paper, and it’s definitely not unusual to need to clean a face or a pair of hands.
Know if kids travel free
where you’re going on public transportation; you can google transportation cost in advance. This will help you to be prepared for cost and what type of ticket to look for on the ticket machines at your destination
Google translator:
Can be used to take pictures of things to help you read signs or other info; can also be used to talk to someone. This is an invaluable tool. You can also upload to google translator plug in to your chrome browser and use it to translate websites.
Book train seats with table if possible.
It gives you more room to eat or do activities, especially if you are 3 or more people. Alternatively, if you want to keep your kids spread out a little bit ;), you can book seats accordingly- for example one kid and one parent in a pair of seats, and then the two seats across the aisle for the next set, or something similar. If it’s an option with a provider, trainline will ask you if you want table seats. You can also sometimes reserve seats for a fee. Every company is different- some will have you pay to reserve, others won’t..some will have you sit anywhere, others will assign you seats for free, etc. It just depends.
If there are two entrances on airplane, sit in the back 1/4 of the plane.
Seats cost less, kids can go to the bathroom alone, and you can still see them easily, and access to seat is just as fast as the front because they have a back door and load/unload there too. We used to pay extra for the seats closer to the front, with more legroom etc, but then we switched to sitting in the back and not paying extra. We are still closer to the door than we would be, and don’t have to pay for the access. Additionally, we sit middle/aisle seat and middle/aisle seat with parents on the aisle seat for the extra leg room (the aisle) and one kid in each middle seat. We pick seats in the same row. This keeps the kids separated, but keeps everyone accessible.
Mifold:
when we first started traveling, we used to mifold for over 4 years old. It’s good for places that don’t have public transportation, when you need to rent a car, but don’t want to tote a whole car seat around. It folds up to fit in your purse, bookbag, etc.
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