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Unlike most countries in the world, Australia can be quite demanding when it comes to planning your holiday, especially if you’re doing that with your kids. If you decide to visit Sydney or Melbourne, for instance, but live in Western Australia, this project can turn into a nightmare. It’s not just the distance you have to cover, but also the fact that children generally aren’t fans of long drives and don’t like spending too much time flying. Still, traveling across Australia with them could turn into the most exciting trip you’ve ever taken, but only if you plan everything and know what you need to do. If this is something you’d like to try doing as well, here are a few tips that might make your planning process easier and less stressful.
Travelling Australia with Kids
Talk to your children
The first thing you need to do when planning a coast-to-coast trip with your family is to talk to your children and let them know what you’re doing. Getting them involved in the entire process comes with a number of benefits, so making sure you do that is a must. They’ll be thrilled to hear your plans and truly appreciate you for including them in the plans. Also, they might have a few useful ideas and suggestions, so hearing them out could mean a lot in the long run. One of the ways to make everyone calm and happy is to bring healthy snacks and green tea so you all have some healthy choices on the road.
After you’re all on the same page, you should start collecting everyone’s ideas and putting together a wish list of the places your family should visit. Creating an itinerary might sound like too much at first, but you should plan every step of the trip in as many details as possible. This will save you tons of time when you’re on the road, but also make your trip much less stressful and unpredictable, and that’s always a great thing.
Set the budget
Traveling with kids can quickly turn into something you’ve never wanted it to become – a who-can-spend-the-most-money contest. Depending on your kids’ ages, you’ll have to deal with different wishes and ideas about what they’d like to do on the road, and these suggestions will quickly come down to wasting massive amounts of money unnecessarily. That’s why setting the budget and trying to stick to it is so crucial.
When thinking about the amount of money you should take with you on the road, there are a few things you should keep in mind. Paying for your accommodation and transportation in advance will save you the trouble of having to think about these things while you’re on the road, and the same goes for the money you’ll spend on food, souvenirs, and other things as well. Let your kids know all about your budget and encourage them to try to save as much money on the road as they can – this will teach them the importance of money, but also a thing or two about responsibility.
Stay safe
Just because you’ll stay in your own country doesn’t mean you should forget all about safety. Protecting your children and keeping them safe at all times is much harder when you’re in the middle of nowhere, but it can still be done if you get organized quickly.
First, protect your car and your family by investing in a great car insurance policy that will protect you from the moment you leave your home until you get back from your trip. Also, pay special attention to your kids’ safety, particularly if you’re traveling with babies, and don’t be afraid to invest in the best baby car seats on the market. These will protect your loved ones in case something goes wrong, but also help your kids sleep while you’re driving, and that’s always better than having them scream all the time and prevent you from focusing on the road.
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Find the best road trip games
Being on the road for days and days can get a bit boring, even if you’re doing this with the people you love the most in the world. That’s why it’s vital to find something to do while you’re stuck in a car together – or a plane, or a train, or basically any other transportation method you pick – and what most families do is play different road trip games.
Whether it’s the classic “While You Were Sleeping” or “21 Questions”, these games are supposed to keep you entertained and relaxed while you’re traveling. In addition to that, they’ll help you bond as a family and learn lots of new things about your children at the same time.
Check out different transportation options
If you’re not a fan of driving from one coast of Australia to the next, you can always check out other transportation options. The easiest and most convenient way to get on the other coast is flying there, but that’s not always simple to do if you have kids. Teaching them about plane safety might take a while, and the fact is that they might get bored while they’re on a plane. If you plan on doing sightseeing, you can always choose different transportation options.
Since driving across Australia might take a while, especially if you’re making lots of stops along the way, you should look into another alternative – traveling by train. This huge distance can be covered in three days if you decide to travel by train, and the best thing about this idea is that it’s so easy to plan out. You just have to pick the date that works for you, get everyone a ticket for the Indian Pacific, and you’re good to go! This great transportation method is very popular among Australian residents and tourists as well, and it’s among the best ways to see how amazing this country really is.
Traveling across Australia is always a challenge, but it’s particularly challenging when you’re traveling with your children. Still, if you know where you’re going, how you’re getting there, and how to keep everyone safe, this trip might turn into the best thing that has ever happened to your family, and an occasion you’ll remember for the rest of your life!
Author: Emma Joyce is a blogger who likes to explore different parts of the world and write about them. Since traveling and working remotely is her passion, she likes to share her experience with fellow enthusiasts and help them organize their life. Also, since Australia is one of the most beautiful places in the world, Emma hopes to visit every part of it.
