25 One-Minute Travel Planning Tasks to get you there faster

Worried that planning an international vacation with kids will take up too much of your time? Check out these one minute wonders that will have you planning faster than you ever thought possible.

Because if you save time on all the little things, you can concentrate on the big things like finding amazing accommodation, and putting together your itinerary, and have time to spare to play with the kids or go for coffee with a friend.

Check all passports are valid for a minimum of 6 months from your date of return. If not, book your passport interview now.
Find a great travel agent and get them to do a lot of the research and booking for you. There’s still a hell of a lot you need to do and know outside of what the travel agent can help you with, so if you’re short on time, then using a really good travel agent who specialises in family travel is the way to go.
Download a travel budget template so that you can fill it out on your commute to work, while you’re waiting at the dentist, or in the school pick-up line.
Work out what vaccinations you’ll need by searching on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention travelers website
Download an accommodation checklist to save you a bucket load of time deciding what you need when it comes to choosing somewhere to stay.
Share the load. Ask everyone in the family to research things to see and do at your destinations.
Quickly work out the best time of day to fly with your kids > this will help.
Email your boss what days you’ll need to take leave
Email the school if you’re kids will miss any days
Send an email to all your friends asking if they know a housesitter. It’s often better to have a friend of a friend look after your house and pets, than some stranger.
Download essential travel apps like TripIt, Rome2Rio and Google Translate. Here’s my list of favourite travel apps.
Make a doctor’s appointment and write a list of what you need such as prescriptions, health check and a letter for customs
Buy your kids a book about flying so they know what to expect. Here’s a list of the best children’s book about flying in airplanes.
Book your car in to be serviced if you’re going on a road trip
Buy yourself a few electrical adapters – remember how many devices you’ve got!
Get the family to research and download the games, music and movies they want on their devices. You don’t need to do it all. If they’re old enough to use the device, they’re more than likely old enough to find what they want (or ask an older sibling, Grandma or Dad to help).
Log on to internet banking and tell the bank you’re going away – otherwise they’re likley to freeze your account when they see overseas transactions occuring.
Tell your phone carrier you’ll need international roaming
Write a list of the household bills that need to be paid while you’re away
Ask your neighbour, friends or family to collect your mail while you’re away
Download a list of what travel gear you’ll need like car seats, stroller, headphones etc
Print out your first-aid kit packing list so you can start stocking up on your next visit to the pharmacy
Buy travel packing cubes
Download and use a packing list
Download and print out our free kids travel journals.

Want to save even more time and overwhelm planning your international family vacation? Family Trips Made Easy Academy was developed specifically for busy parents because I know how much time it takes to put together an amazing international vacation, and the angst of working out how to overcome all the challenges of travel with kids.

Imagine how much easier it’d be to take a family vacation if you had all the tools, resources and support you needed, including 18+ done-for-you checklists and templates. Lists like packing lists for every member of the family, travel budgets, accommodation checklists, and everything your need to plan, pack, and go.

Find out more about how Family Trips Made Easy Academy helps families like yours overcome the challenges of international travel with kids.