Family Road Trip Time!

Family Road Trip Time!

The summer is fast approaching and for us, that means family road trip time! We’re fairly new to the road trip world as our youngest used to get terribly car sick! he’s doing brilliantly now though and we’re relishing the freedom of being able to jump in the car and head off on an adventure. For those of you new to road tripping with the family, these travel tips are inclusive for all members of the family and might help you with your family road trip planning.

Know What You Want To Do

To start with, you’re going to want to have some idea of what you want to do. Do you envision a summer coasting around Europe? A month over the New Year in the east? Or perhaps a road trip around the states? Maybe like us you prefer shorter trips and UK staycations. Whatever it is, you’ll want to know sort of what you’re aiming for here.

Family Road Trip: Where To Go

You’ll want to think about where you’d like to go, and make sure everyone is “heard” as part of that discussion. Do you want to tour around Europe, island hop perhaps? You may even want to think about some of the best European cities that you could visit with kids, or different child and senior-friendly spots. Try to meet the needs of the entire family, and come up with the perfect range of locations. 

Research The Locations

When you’ve got those thoughts, you’ll then want to do some research to help you make firm decisions on when, where, and what. Read up on the different locations to make sure that you have selected the best possible places. You may find that certain landscapes aren’t suitable for the elderly, or resorts that aren’t child-friendly, so weed these out now.

Plan In The Perfect Time

From here, you’re then going to want to try and identify the perfect time to go to. And you’ve got to look at this in two ways. First of all, you’ll want to research when to go to the locations you have in mind, in terms of the best time to travel for good weather or when it won’t be too busy. You’ll also want to find a time that suits all of your schedules too, as well as consider term times and it can be difficult to get permission to take children out of school. Finding the right dates can take some work! 

Know Your Itinerary

Make sure that you know what you want from the trip. For example, a family road trip isn’t a family road trip if we haven’t been to one castle, museum or something historical and/or geeky. To make sure that we get to do all that we need and want to do I usually put together a loose itinerary. We can be flexible but it pays to have a plan to start with.

Cover Your Kids Needs

When you’re travelling with your children, you’ll want to be sure that their needs are met. Are there things to keep them entertained? The food they’ll like? WIFI? My teen would tell you that this is one of the most important things. Making sure that the kids have something to keep them occupied is a winner for everyone.

Care For The Parents Too

If you are going away with your parents too, you’ll want to make sure that you’ve thought of them. There are a lot of travel tips for senior travellers that may help you. They may want or need certain aids to help them get around. They may want to book onto gorge walking. Everyone is different! Just ensure that the location and activities are suitable for their needs, and ask them if they have any preferences. 

Pack The Family Road Trip Essentials

Make sure that you’ve got everything that you need. When you’re going on a longer trip (and you’ve got to pack for the entire family), you need to really think about what you pack in advance. You’ll want to make sure that you all have enough, but that you’re not overpacked. Ask everyone to pack a small bag for themselves. They may have things they want/need that you wouldn’t have thought of.

Be In The Right Frame Of Mind

Now that you’ve covered off all of the packing bits and pieces, the next thing that you’re going to want to do here is make sure that you’re in the right frame of mind. Because if you want to be able to enjoy a positive experience, you have to be in a positive frame of mind yourself. When you feel calm and happy, you’ll be in the best possible place to avoid stress and make this incredible trip a success. This might sound a bit “wooo” but it’s important. I make sure I have lists ticked off, the house clean to get back to and so on so that I can properly switch off and enjoy our family time together.

 

 

Sussex : Great Things To Do With Children

Sussex : Great Things To Do With Children

I may have already mentioned that we have booked a few days away for May half term. We are excited, to say the least. We’re going to the Lake District and can’t wait. Now the boys are a little older we are looking forward to exploring more of the UK. We have a few places on our list including going down south, to Sussex.

When you have young children and teens (I have one of both) you need to put a lot more thought and consideration into your holidays. Some children are notorious for getting bored easily, and thus you need to find somewhere that offers a lot of fun activities and things to do. More so though we need to find Sussex based activities that suits all of us!

Sussex is well known for being a county that boasts a vast selection of different things to do and see. In fact, this is one of the reasons why it is such a popular holiday destination. Read on to discover all of the fun things you and your children can enjoy whilst staying in self-catering properties in Sussex and the surrounding areas.

Fishers Farm Park, Wisborough Green, West Sussex

You will find it difficult to discover someone who has not enjoyed themselves at the Fishers Farm Park. This is an attraction which has something for the whole family. In fact, it was recently labelled one of the best farm attractions in the UK.  There is everything from animal racing, to tractor rides, to theatre shows, to toboggan runs, and so much more.

Pooh Corner, Hartfield, East Sussex

If you have Winnie the Pooh fans in your family then a stay in Sussex would not be complete without taking a trip to the Pooh Corner. The attraction is free to enter and your little ones can go on the hunt for their favourite Winnie the Pooh characters. Will you be able to spot Tigger and Eeyore? There is only one way to find out! I’m more excited about this one than my children are. You have to grow old, you don’t have to grow up!

Aztec Fun Pools, Burgess Hill, West Sussex

A trip to a swimming pool activity centre is something a lot of families like to do together. The Aztec Fun Pools are assured to go down a treat with your children. As the name suggests; fun is something this Burgess Hill based business is not short of. There is something for all ages. The shallow learning pool is great for really young children. Then there are the rapids, waterfalls, high-speed flume rides, and water sprays for those who are a bit older and like a thrill. Or you can meet in the middle with the animal water features and waterslide. This place is at the top of my list as it caters for everyone and is more affordable than you might think.

Drusillas Zoo Park, Alfriston, East Sussex

This small zoo has been created with youngsters in mind. It is not as scary and intimidating as other big zoos you will find in the country. Drusillas Zoo Park has a much friendlier atmosphere and most young children feel completely at ease with the animals here. The adventure play park is also a big highlight. Your kids will love getting lost in Eden’s Eye Maze or taking a dip in the swimming area. And, if your child is a Thomas the Tank engine fan, then even better. The Zoo Park has a Thomas the Tank Engine train ride that takes you on a tour of the exciting zoo. My two are animal mad so this is bound to be a winner.

Sussex seems to be a location which is great for all ages, but it offers something particularly special for children. Everything I’ve seen about it, including the four places above we’ve decided to try out, seem geared towards the who family while still being fun for the youngest. Let me know if you live in or near Sussex or if you’ve visited on holiday and have any other tips for places to go (that won’t break the bank).