Travel Tips Overview
What to take on family holidays and breaks
Get your family holiday, break or day out off to the right start with these hand-picked products and partners. You'll find a wide selection of luggage, clothing, accessories, experiences and more. We've also added packing check lists to ensure you don't leave anything essential behind. And if you're wanting inspiration for family holidays and trips themselves, then visit our Family Favorites or our Special Offers pages.
- Special Offers for Sun Awareness Week
- Gear for younger kids
- Luggage
- Books for the whole family
- Toys and games
- For the journey
- Ski wear
- Other useful things
- Take the Family's packing checklists
- See more sun safe tips
The Beach Factory Special Offers for Sun Awareness Week
The Beach Factory Offer for Take the Family - UV Swimwear and Sun Protection
The Beach Factory are offering Take the Family users FREE P&P for the whole of May to help promote Sun Awareness Week, which runs from 11th to 18th May. During Sun Awareness week the Beach Factory are also offering a special 10% Off sun protection products to everyone!! Don't miss out on these fabulous products for the whole family combining style with serious sun protection - Quote voucher code '395010509'.
Gear for younger kids
Obi®Child Carrier - Buy from Obi-Baby-Carrier
A brilliantly lightweight toddler carrying belt with matching shoulder / belt bag that can be kept in your handbag or pocket to support your child when you need to keep going, but they have run out of steam. Try one out risk free. Return within 14 days for full refund.
Travelling with Children offers a great selection of products covering all aspects of family travel. You can buy securely online. Here's a small and popular selection from their range:
Bébétel's amazing monitor! - Buy from Travelling with Children
At last you can relax on holiday knowing your children are being safely monitored. Bébétel will turn your mobile phone into a baby monitor. Guaranteed zero interference and unlimited range.
Nomad travel bed - Buy from Travelling with Children
This exceptionally lightweight and compact travel bed for 0-4 year olds plus is ideal for all family visits, outings and holidays - indoors or out. Now available with a choice of mattresses self inflating or foam.
Kids Cayman Crocs Footware - Buy from Travelling with Children
Crocs, the new breed of comfort footwear, have become a phenomenon in Australia, Singapore, the USA, South Africa and Canada. The Cayman weighs only 6 ounces and can easily be cleaned in a solution of bleach and water making them perfect for any environment. Available in fuscia pink, pink, sea blue, black or lime green.
Kids Ruby Alice Crocs Footware - Buy from Travelling with Children
Funky new kids shoes, based on the Mary Jane design, but without the holes, making them warmer in the cold weather. They still have the comfort of crocs, are non-slip and have stylish front straps to hold feet firmly in place, making them ideal for school. Also, the fun detailing allows girls to customise their Alice crocs with jibbitz. Available in ruby, grape, chocolate, or black.
Kids Axle Camo Crocs Footware - Buy from Travelling with Children
New kids Axles really appeal to the more adventurous kids, due to the cool camoflage print and rugged look. At the same time as being lightweight and comfy, they are tough enough to protect little feet, and easy to pull on and off. Please note the Velcro is replaced with laces in sizes 1, 2 and 3.
Jibbitz for Crocs Footware - Buy from Travelling with Children
Jazz up your crocs ! Jibbitz are a one piece design , to fit to your crocs simply push them in whichever holes in your crocs you fancy, to remove them push from the inside of your shoe out rather than pulling from the top.
Towcho - Buy from Travelling with Children
We all know about kids and water and the effort of getting them warm and dry after swimming or bathing. Why not make life easier?
Pure soft indulgence! Extra-thick towelling, warm and rich colours, embroidered finish, printed swim bag, 86cm wide x 70cm, ideal for children of all ages (up to 1.5m)
Unisex Float and Sun Protection Suit - Buy from Travelling with Children
Has such a flexible buoyancy system that it can be adjusted to suit any body. Looks fabulous. Includes excellent instructions and advice for helping children gain confidence in water and learn to swim. This quick drying swim suit offers 50%+ sun protection and the option to add in floats for increased swimming confidence.
The Beach Factory - UV Swimwear and Sun protection
The Beach Factory stocks a wide range of UV swimwear with UPF50+ sun protection for all ages, from sunsuits for babies to rash shirts for teenagers and adults. Outdoor and swimming accessories also available including uv tents, hammocks, beach bags, beach shoes, picnic rugs and pool toys.
Boden sells competitively priced, well made, individual clothing that doesn't date - and you'll find perfect holiday gear for your precious little ones on their site
A leading European online designer clothes shop for children. The Kids Window also sells a wide range of swim wear, ski wear, outdoor wear and sun protection clothing.
Luggage
Trunki luggage for little people - Trunki
Trunki, the world’s first ride-on kid's suitcase! Designed for family holidays, children can pack, sit-on and ride their own luggage, whilst parents can keep them in tow. Trunki's light weight and durable design is hand luggage approved, with generous space inside for toys, games, books and spare clothes. Trunkis even come with their own passport. Options include (left to right), Terrance ,Trixie, Tipu (new) and Freida.
"Your children will never complain about sore feet again" - Daily Mail
Books for the whole family
Travel guides, books for you and your kids
We recommend books within each of our destination guides and we also have a 'further reading' page with ideas. Or you can just go straight to Amazon's site.
Children's BBC favourites - BBC
A huge range of books and audio books. Plus DVD's, videos, software and toys.
Toys and games
Toys and more for younger kids
Early Learning Centre is the UK's leading toy retailer for children aged 0-6.
Toys and games for kids of all ages
We've decided to include Amazon here because they offer a competitively priced and broad range of toys and games. Plus you can browse by age of children.
For the journey
New Apple iPod - 30GB - Video/Black - (5th Generation) - Amazon
Amazing 5th generation music and video player. With enough room for your favourite music and video, this iPod has both sound and vision to keep even the noisiest and most fidgety members of your family quiet and happily occupied for hours.
New Apple Bundle - 32 GB iPod touch - Leather case black/chocolate + Travel Charger- Amazon
This will not disappoint! With 32GB and multi-touch interface that lets you control everything using only your fingers, plus an on screen qwerty keyboard and Mail. Flick through album covers and find your music. Download and watch your favourite TV shows, music videos and more from the iTunes Store. Tap into thousands of photos. All using incredible multi-touch technology on a beautiful 3.5-inch display.
Griffin iTrip 9781 - FM Transmitter for iPod Video - Black - Amazon
Share your music with the rest of your passengers with the the most popular iPod FM transmitter in the world!
Daewoo DPC7600 7" Portable DVD player with card reader - Amazon
As well as playing DVD's it plays CD's, reads SD/ MMC memory cards from digital cameras to view your photos, or you can connect to your camera via the USB point. Car and train journeys, and holidays transformed!
Rummikub - Amazon
Entertaining and fun to play, the family game that's never the same. The object of the game is to be the first player to go Rummikub by using all tiles in runs or groups and by accumulating the highest score. For ages 8 and up.
All your leisure and automotive needs
Halfords.com ranges over 2,750 leisure and automotive products including the very latest bikes, in car audio and entertainment...
Kids games, travel toys & accessories - Kit2fit
An extensive range of travel games and must-haves, designed to enhance your holiday.
Watch and play away, work at home
Laptops can be a sensible alternative to portable DVD players, since you can watch your DVDs on the go and use the laptop as a computer back at home. And deals from Dell are among the very best.
Ski wear
Ski and snowboard wear - Snowear
Snowear has been providing affordable clothing and accessories for skiers for 18 years. Hire or buy. Visit their site and / or their shop in Southborough, Kent.
Other useful things
These are ideal for the beach, shopping or days out. A wristband or tag with your mobile phone number is the simplest way for someone to help reunite your child with you.
A wide range of personalised vinyl labels with an option of colours, sizes and over 70 images, plus a new type of personalised clothing label to iron-on. Bag tags for identification, stickers, and much more.
Travel ID provide wearable identification for children and ID stickers for your valuables to safe guard everything your care about against loss on holiday. Linked to our 24 hour emergency centre, Travel ID can reunite you and your loved ones or valuables within minutes of being contacted.
Take the Family's packing checklists
Use the following Take the Family checklists to ensure you take the right stuff with you on your break or holiday.
for Everyone
- Sun cream, remember that younger children have far more sensitive skin and therefore need a higher SPF cream
- First aid kit (see health section)
- Electricity adaptors (especially for baby monitors)
- Portable DVD player or laptop with DVD drive - if your trip will involve lengthy driving
- Backpack
- Books and toys
for Babies
- Nappies - although they are generally available wherever you are likely to go, there is nothing worse than being caught out on the evening of arrival, for example
- Swim nappies - not as widely available
- Jars of formula - generally available at your destination, though your child may take a while to get used to different flavours
- Bottles and sterilising equipment
- Accommodation 'proofing' tape - for electrical sockets or loose wires
- Play mat or gym - these are generally light and easy to bring, and your child will welcome the familiarity
- Small paddling pool, depending on destination
- Lightweight buggy
- Favourite cuddly or easy to pack toy(s) - keep one or two hidden, on standby for difficult 'moments'
- Travel cot - even if your accommodation can provide one, it can be a good idea to take a travel cot that your baby knows
- Baby monitor
- Baby carrier or sling
- Mosquito net - depending on your destination
- Car seat - consider taking a car seat. If you are travelling on a tight budget and renting a car you can save considerable sums. If you are taking taxi transfers at a resort these may not come equipped with child seats. And child seats can prove useful if you have booked a seat on a plane or if your designated seat is a bulkhead one with table.
for Toddlers
- Potty
- Swim wings and, possibly, wetsuit (which also helps protect against the sun)
- Baby monitor
- Drawing materials
- One or more items of familiar food like Marmite to help with difficult moments
- Car seat - see note above
- Small portable tape / CD player
for Children
- Camera, cheap or disposable
- Torch
- Wetsuit
- Favourite games or toys (subject to space and noise!)
- Writing and drawing materials, including a diary
- Familiar snacks
- Personal stereo
for Skiing
- Skis, boots and poles - children should definitely rent ski equipment, since it’s expensive and they quickly grow out of it
- Ski jackets and salopettes - can be rented in the UK, or try and borrow if possible. Otherwise consider a one-piece suit for convenience
- Helmets – recommended for younger children and can normally be rented in resort
- Several pairs of thick socks
- Gloves
- Hats
- Sun block
- Ski goggles or sunglasses
- Vests and thermal pants
See more Sun Safe Tips for family holidays
Read Being Sun Safe on Holiday
Did you know that sunburn in childhood can double the chances of skin cancer in adult life?
And as cancer research would agree, we should be protecting the future of our children by protecting them now – on heads, shoulders, knees and toes, and almost everywhere in between. Find out more by clicking here...
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