It's easy to get overwhelmed with the thought of travel when you're traveling with children. Two key things that can make it go smoothly are understanding your family's needs beforehand and being prepared for any surprises along the journey.

The following list includes some tried-and-true tips on how best to enjoy your time away from home (yes, with children included).

Everything takes longer than you expect

Make sure you're allocating plenty of time and taking things slow. For example, avoid leaving your home with only minutes to spare before it's time to board your plane. It's always going to take longer than you expect to check-in, get through security, buy last-minute snacks or drinks, and board the aircraft.

Allowing extra time applies to every aspect of your trip, not just the plane ride. For example, even though you want to see and do a lot, it might not be a good idea to try squeezing everything into one day.

Avoid overpacking

It might be tempting to pack everything your child uses at home. While it might seem like you're planning for consistency and routines, what you're forgetting is that, by the end of the day, you'll be carrying at least one child. So, the notion of having 100 pounds of luggage is unreasonable.

Instead, only pack the absolute essentials. If you forgot something, it's easy to find what you need at your destination because other children live in and travel to that location.

Pre-book everything you can

Beyond booking your flights, pre-booking should extend to as many other facets of your trip as possible. For example, when traveling alone or with your significant other, you might land, get a feel for the area, and then find the best place to stay. That doesn't work when you're traveling with children.

Arriving at a new destination should involve leaving the airport and heading straight to your lodging to drop off your luggage and give your children a chance to rest. Look at your trip's itinerary to see if there are other activities you can book in advance to help streamline everything.

Explain to your children what they can expect

First-time travelers need to know what will happen and what they can expect ahead of time. If your child isn't comfortable with what's happening during the trip, that means they're unhappy. For example, if there's too much happening, that often leads to a child feeling uncomfortable.

Going over the trip's itinerary with your child helps them understand what's happening at different points. Because they realize what's happening next, this helps your child feel comfortable with what's happening around them.

Our top travel tip is to stop traveling without your children and get out there with them! Contact a travel advisor today to learn more about what's available, the best travel times, and more.