The struggle of travelling with kids (and how to protect yourself from disaster)

Whether you’re going on a long road trip, visiting family or simply revisiting your favourite cities, there’s no doubt that travelling requires a lot of thought and preparation. Add kids to the equation, and a simple trip can get pretty stressful. Don’t let your next vacation leave you feeling as though you need another one just to recover. Follow these simple tips to make travelling with children a lot easier on everyone.

Whether it’s a blanket or a teddy bear left on the plane or something more valuable like a suitcase or laptop forgotten at the hotel, it’s expected that something will go missing. While it may be impossible to replace your child’s exact stuffed animal, Mr. Snuggles, you can plan ahead and make sure that everything from your computer to jewellery and other valuables are insured. Knowing your valuables are covered before you go can ease the stress if they get lost during travel.

One of the number one questions guests ask at Walt Disney World is “What time is the 3 o’clock parade?” Saying that people check their brain at the gate while on vacation is practically an understatement. They try things like bungee jumping, water skiing, or walking around theme parks with a bad back, because for some reason people feel invincible on vacation. While that would be nice, it’s not the case. When travelling abroad, having access to 24/7 emergency medical protection can come in handy when you least expect it.

Driving with kids is no picnic. They want a snack every 15 minutes and your iPhone so they can watch Cocomelon or Blippi videos. If you are intending to drive at your travel destination, it’s important to make sure your car insurance is up to date and that you have plenty of fruit snacks and juice boxes with you. Don’t forget to keep a copy of your insurer’s emergency hotline on hand, in case of any unforeseen circumstances.

When you’re away from home enjoying your vacation, the last thing you want to worry about is whether or not the torrential downpour had caused any damage to your home contents or if a sudden blackout caused the electricity supply to be disrupted, thus affecting your extensive wine collection. Having adequate home and contents insurance can help ease your mind so you can travel worry-free.

Using unsecured WiFi, tampered debit card readers, shopping, dining, and the like, can all lead to trouble when you’re travelling. Your main focus when you’re at a restaurant should be whether or not their Kid’s Menu offers dinosaur shaped chicken nuggets, not if your credit card is going to be compromised. Having cyber protection will allow you to spend more time with the family, and less time on the phone closing accounts or worrying about the safety of your identity.

Wherever you’re headed on your next family vacation, you can rest easy knowing that your entire family is protected. Your vacation can truly be the relaxing, fun getaway that you planned. Chubb will take care of everything else.

For more tips on safe travels, read the article on ‘8 ways to help ensure safe travels’.