5 Tips for Travelling at Christmas

The month of December is upon us; Christmas is coming as is the inevitable stressful family get together.  At this time of year there isn’t anything better than spending time surrounded by our family but it can feel like a stressful situation here’s some tips for travelling and staying with extended family over this festive time. 

1) Organise ahead of time.

Christmas vacations are even harder to pack for than regulars ones.

With all those presents to remember make sure you leave plenty of time to pack, family holiday insurance should be sorted to relieve any possible dramas and be sure to wrap your gifts in advance so you can enjoy your time with your family as soon as you get to your destination.

2) Discuss ahead of time who is paying for what.

Avoid the awkwardness and arrange it ahead of time. If parents or grandparents are paying for the trip or putting everyone up show your appreciation by cooking a special meal or taking them out to eat. If you are the one putting everyone up or paying for the vacation make sure you tell everyone in advance exactly what you are willing to pay for, this will avoid any confusion. A great way to do this is to use a spread sheet that you share online.

3) Assign chores.

When holidaying with the whole family people tend to fall into their traditional roles. Children of the family (how ever old) tend to slip into that habit of leaving everything for their parents to do.  Just because it’s a holiday doesn’t mean this should happen, everyone should have time to relax and not be constantly on his or her feet. Make a list of what has to be done each day and divide the responsibilities equally.

4) Don’t make it a tradition
It’s a definite temptation to make the Christmas holiday a tradition but making it annual can make what was a great experience turn into a holiday of resentment and more stress than fun. From year to year family situations can change and people have to visit the other sides of their family and new additions come in, so it may be better to make it every other year.

5) Always make time for yourself.

It doesn’t matter how close your family are it’s a pretty sure bet that you won’t all want to spend every minute together and that’s ok. Set aside some time each day to give yourself time to unwind and relax. Then make clear set times such as dinner, when everyone can rejoin the group and enjoy family time. 

Family Travel Tips: How to keep the kids entertained while on the move

As parents we all know how hard it is to keep children entertained on holidays.

You’ve found the perfect family-friendly accommodation, got your family travel insurance, packed for everyone and everything the kids could possibly fit into a bag is groaning at the seams, but there’s always a moment where one pipes up ‘I’m bored.’

Here’s our top 8 tips to keep them entertained while you’re on holiday:

1) I-Spy books are a great way to keep kids entertained if you’re travelling for long distances in the car or on a train. You can also play the classic I Spy game ("I spy with my little eye, something beginning with _____/ the colour of _____").


2) Audiobooks are great and easier to pack than a pile of kids’ books. Load up your iPod or tablet with all the favourites. There are many great free books available online here

3) Make your own ‘busy kit’ filled with paper, markers, stickers, quiet toys, puzzles and other little bits and bobs.

4) Create your own family story. Bring a stapled stack of paper with you and some crayons and write a bit of the story each. If your children are too young to write, get them to draw illustrations or make a comic book.

5) Bring some family-friendly films to watch and follow up with a quiz to make sure the kids concentrate. Ask them the questions once it’s over and provide a small prize for the winner.

6) Bring a Nintendo DS/ iPad. It may not be the most creative but there’s some great educational games on the DS and for iPad/iPhone that will keep your kids entertained. Also, most children’s TV shows have their own Apps and they’re usually really easy to use for kids from 18 months old.

7) Getting desperate? Try a bribery game! Mum or Dad sets a time limit (don’t make it too long) for how long we are going to keep quiet. Everyone who manages to go the whole time gets a reward. Use sparingly for maximum effectiveness.


8) Buy some disposable cameras and get the kids to take their own pictures while travelling to put in a journey scrapbook once you get back.


At Allianz Global Assistance, it’s our mission to help you on your journey and make it as stress-free as possible. Whether you’re looking for the best family holiday insurance or special cover for golf related travel, we’ve got the right insurance cover for you.

Do you have any other family travel tips to add to our list?