Family holidays can be exciting right up until one person realises they are carrying the passports, transfer details, hotel address, booking confirmations and the answer to every single question.
If one parent or adult has organised most of the trip, it is very easy for all the important information to live in their phone, inbox or head. Sharing a few key details before you leave can make the whole trip easier, especially when everyone is tired, navigating an unfamiliar airport or splitting up for part of the day.
A good place to start is with the phones you will actually be using overseas. Decide who needs their own connection, particularly if one adult might head back to the hotel with the kids while another stays out. When you compare travel eSIM options, check phone compatibility, destination coverage and activation instructions before you leave Australia.
It is also worth keeping essential travel information available offline, just in case Wi-Fi or mobile data is not available when you need it.
Create a Simple Arrival Note
Put the important details for your first day into one shared note that every adult travelling can access.
Include:
- Flight details
- Accommodation name and address
- Hotel phone number
- Airport transfer details
- Booking references
- Check-in instructions
- Any meeting point information
The aim is not to recreate your entire itinerary. It is simply to make sure everyone knows where you are going after you land and how you are getting there.
Save the note offline and check that it can be opened before you leave home.
If grandparents or other family members are travelling with you, make sure the system works for them too. A beautifully organised shared folder is not particularly useful if someone cannot remember where to find it. A screenshot, saved PDF or even a printed page might be the easier option.
Divide Up the Travel Jobs
Rather than having one person responsible for everything, hand over complete jobs.
One adult might take care of airport transfers and arrival information, while another handles accommodation check-in, passports or transport bookings.
The important part is that whoever owns the job also knows where the relevant confirmation is stored.
Before departure, spend a few minutes running through the basics together. Where will the transfer driver meet you? What happens if the flight is delayed? Who has the hotel number? Where is the booking confirmation?
Anything nobody can answer becomes a small task to sort out before leaving home.
For a broader checklist, the Mums of the Shire guide to travelling overseas with kids for the first time covers many of the practical decisions families need to make before an international trip.
Have a Plan for When You Split Up
Families rarely spend every minute of a holiday together.
One parent might take a younger child back for a nap, someone may head to the shops, or older kids might want to stay at the pool while another adult goes out.
Before splitting up, agree on a meeting point and time, and make sure both adults can independently find their way back to the accommodation.
Everyone should have access to the hotel address and know how to contact each other. It is also worth having a backup plan in case a phone battery dies or a message does not go through.
If one phone is being used to entertain the kids, make sure important bookings and travel details are also available on another device. Keep charging cables and portable chargers in your cabin bags rather than checked luggage.
Give Someone at Home the Important Details
Choose a trusted family member or friend at home and send them a copy of your itinerary, accommodation details and basic travel plans.
You do not need to update them constantly, but having someone at home who knows where you are staying can be useful if plans change or someone needs to contact you.
Smartraveller’s advice for travelling with children is also worth checking before departure for current official travel guidance.
Be selective about where you share personal information. Keep passport details and other sensitive documents out of open group chats, and update your shared travel note if accommodation or transport plans change.
Do a Quick Test Before You Leave
The night before departure, ask another adult travelling with you to find the first hotel address and transfer instructions without your help.
If they can open the information, explain the arrival plan and find the booking details on their own, you have successfully handed over some of the admin.
And that means one less person asking you where everything is while you are trying to find the snacks, passports and whichever child has suddenly decided they urgently need the toilet.
