Preparing for a summer vacation with children

Author of the article: Iveta Bartošová

A summer holiday with children is a big topic, especially if you're planning it for the first time. It doesn't have to be difficult; it depends on your preferences and your way of traveling. Before choosing a holiday, you need to clarify the basic questions of where, how, with whom, and what the place should offer. Then you can start packing and preparing the children for the trip. So how do you prepare for a summer holiday so that it is, so to speak, "easygoing"?

Clarify the most important questions

Will you travel within the Czech Republic or abroad - when going abroad, the child also needs a passport or ID card, depending on the destination.
Will you travel with a travel agency or on your own.
What means of transport will you choose - car, bus, train, caravan, plane - apart from flying, you can try all the other options over shorter distances and test whether you can manage them with children.
Will you stay in one place (hotel, guesthouse, campsite) or will you move around.
Where will you sleep - hotel, guesthouse, cottage, caravan, tent, under the stars.
Will it just be your family or someone else as well - grandparents, aunts, other families.
What about meals - all inclusive, half board, breakfast only, kitchenette for cooking, shops and restaurants nearby.
What is your budget for the holiday.

What a place should offer when we go there with children

It depends on how old the children are when you plan to take the holiday. For little ones, you'll appreciate a microwave for baby food and a cot; for older children, you'll value activities such as an outdoor playground or swimming area.

Could come in handy:

cot;
high chair, the option to warm up baby food (or the option to buy it nearby);
playroom, outdoor playground;
sports activities - tennis, ping pong, trampolines;
swimming pool (indoor/outdoor), swimming area, lake, pond, sea;
bike/stroller storage;
rental of bicycles/scooters/paddleboards or rental of cars/scooters;
wellness and a gym for parents;
animation program, kids' club.

Baby friendly places

Places marked as baby friendly mean, in translation, that children are welcome here. Not only do children have space to play here (an indoor playroom, an outdoor playground), but there are also changing tables, high chairs, cots, potties, children's menus, etc. Baby friendly places include, for example:

Czech Republic

Orea Resort Horal - Špindlerův mlýn
Hotel Freud - Beskydy
Resort Sobotín - Jeseníky
Hotel Ambra - Luhačovice
Relax Hotel Bára - Benecko

Abroad

Demänová resort - Slovakia
Sonnenhof Genusshotel & Appartements - Austria

Where to find inspiration

There are many websites on the internet that work as catalogues of baby-friendly accommodation, where you just search according to your preferences. You can also follow plenty of mums on Instagram who visit these places and share their experiences.

Websites

Instagram

What to pack for a holiday with children

You may already have your own list of things for a family holiday. If not, just take a look on the internet, where you’ll find a huge number of different lists, so all you need to do is get inspired, or use one to create your own and adapt it according to the type of holiday (by the sea, in the mountains, with one child, with two children, etc.)

For a summer holiday, you might want to pack:

for babies - nappies, wipes, cloth diapers, changing pads;
first-aid kit - medicine for fever, disinfectant, plasters, gel for insect bites, thermometer, medicine for diarrhoea;
insurance card (and travel insurance for abroad);
scarf/baby carrier - great for waiting at the airport, or for trips where you can’t get around with a stroller;
travel bed rail;
headwear - cap, hat, scarf;
summer clothes, but also warmer layers in case the weather changes;
shoes - sandals, slippers, trainers (depending on where you’re going), possibly rubber boots;
swimsuits, arm floaties, inflatable lounger, swim ring;
toys;
hygiene - soap, shampoo, toothbrush, toothpaste, sunscreen, after-sun lotion, towel;
a children’s toilet seat or potty;
electronics, including chargers.

In brief

Before you even start preparing for a summer holiday with children, it’s important to clarify the key questions - where you’re going, how you’ll get there, whether you’ll stay in one place or move around, who will be coming with you, and how you’ll be eating. This will determine how child-friendly the place is, whether the hotel is so-called baby friendly, or whether you’re heading to a campsite in a tent and don’t mind that there are no high chairs or potties for children. You can look for inspiration for family-friendly accommodation on the internet, for example on the website cestujsdetmi.cz or on social media, such as Instagram at @cestovani_s_detmi_ or @uzasnamistaprodeti.

We wish you a relaxing summer holiday with your children. We’d be happy if you shared your tips with us from your preparations for a summer getaway. What’s the so-called “must have” that should never be missing from any suitcase? How do you like to travel best, and with whom?