While travel can often be stressful and exhausting, it’s difficult to understand how much more challenging it can be once you have kids. While travelling as a family is rewarding, you can also expect tantrums from overtired kids and a whole family dealing with jetlag, and all of the other discomfort of travel.

Luckily, we’ve got some top tips to make travelling with kids easier. Here are some ways you can reduce the stress and make travelling with kids more fun for everyone involved:

Pack smart

One of the things you’ll quickly learn about travelling with kids is the importance of organisation. You can no longer “wing it.” Instead, you’ll need to have everything planned in advance. This begins with your packing. When you’re travelling alone, it’s easy to pack a few toiletries and clothes, make sure you’ve got your credit card and passport, and call it a day. But packing is a whole different ball game with kids.

In the week leading up to your trip, keep a running list of anything you could possibly need to pack. This includes everything from nappies and formula to your kids’ favourite toys. That way, you can simply cross things off your list as you go, and you won’t risk forgetting something crucial.

Purchase travel insurance

Travel insurance is essential for any trip, but it’s even more important when you’re travelling with little ones. When you’ve purchased three or four tickets and suddenly can’t take a flight, repurchasing those tickets can be a massive expense. Be sure to look at Webjet cheap travel insurance before you travel, so you can get a great deal and enjoy the peace of mind of knowing your whole family is covered.

Make it a road trip

Sometimes, you’ll inevitably have to fly with your kids. But your best bet is to cut down on airport time and turn it into a road trip whenever you can. You can easily rent a car with Webjet, which will allow you the freedom to go at your own pace, see sights you would miss if you were flying, and have plenty of breaks to stretch little legs. One of the great things about renting a car is it can also be a more cost-effective way to travel. You no longer have to worry about airport transfers and navigating public transport if you rent a car in your destination, and you can avoid surge pricing with Uber when your 3-year-old decides to have a meltdown at Disney World.