7 Tips for Traveling with Other Families

My family had the opportunity to spend Father’s Day weekend in Suncadia in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains in Washington with two families with whom we are very close. There were 4 kids ages 2.5 and under and it was the first time we all traveled together. In fact, it was the first time we’d stayed in a house with other babies/toddlers on a vacation and we learned a lot.

1) Assess Lodging Options

We opted to rent a large house for all 3 families to stay in together because we all have small children with early bedtimes. This freed the adults up to drink wine and play Cards of Humanity together while the kiddos slept. It also had a hot tub and was walking distance from a few parks and lots of trails. Most importantly, though, is that there was free wifi!

2) Make Sure there are Blackout Curtains

I cannot stress this enough! The house we stayed at didn’t even have blinds, so our toddler was up 2 hours early every morning. Usually our hotels have blackout curtains which allow us to have lazier mornings in bed.

3) Divide Meals

We decided to assign each family a few meals for which they were responsible. We could either bring all the ingredients and cook something, or order take-out. This alleviated stress each meal.

4) Coordinate Toys

Instead of everyone bringing a ton of toys, we had several larger toys that the kids could play with. The kids also brought favorite smaller toys (baby dolls and trains).

5) Childproof Lodging

The first thing we did upon arrival was to move all breakables that were on tables up to a higher shelf. We also had to move some “scary” pictures that were frightening our toddler.

6) Trade Off Childcare

Our husbands spent one morning golfing, while we watched the kids and the next morning the ladies headed to the spa while the guys watched the kids. This gave us all uninterrupted hangout time with our friends, which was much appreciated!

7) Find a Place for Adults to Hang Out after Bedtime

We rented a house that had a large patio with a fire pit. We were able to sit and be quite loud out there without disturbing the sleeping children. It really felt like a vacation because we didn’t need to whisper or constantly say “don’t wake the baby!”

The most important thing, overall, is to travel with people you like to hang out with and that you trust with your kids.

I believe a trip is only as good as the people who you are with. Traveling with families is a great way for your kids to bond and for you to connect with other adults.


Marcie a Seattle-area stay-at-home mom to her 2-year-old son Owen and is currently pregnant with her second baby. She and her husband love traveling with their toddler (locally and internationally) and like to take advantage of the amazing events and classes offered around town. As a family they like to be out and about! You can read more of Marcie on her blog Marcie in Mommyland and you can also follow her on Facebook and Twitter.