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Once you have kids, travel becomes a whole different ballgame. Fancy cocktail bars and intrepid adventures are replaced by family-friendly restaurants, and you become precisely 76 times more likely to forget to pack an essential item. Adulting: ain’t it grand? If you need help embracing this new era of travel, look no further than our handy tips below.

1. Become a Planner 

First of all, you need to wave goodbye to spontaneity, replacing spur of the moment decisions with precision planning. If you’re thinking of maintaining your pre-kid travel strategy of arriving at your destination sans accommodation and roaming the streets until you find a vacancy, we implore you to think again. No matter what age your kids are, the right kind of accommodation is crucial. Forego single-space hotel rooms in favour of self-contained apartments, which provide everyone room to move, increased chances of sleeping in and the option to make toast for those who haven’t yet discovered the glory of eggs benedict.  

Adina Apartment Hotels across Australia, New Zealand and Europe are equipped with everything you need for a longer stay, like kitchen and laundry facilities. With a choice of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, there’s room for everyone to spread out and have their own space. Conveniently located near cafés, restaurants, shops, and cultural attractions, you can be part of the action while still enjoying a great family holiday. 

For those who need their fix of sand and surf, Adina Apartment Hotels at Bondi Beach and Coogee Sydney are waiting for you. In Darwin, the Wave Lagoon and loads of other attractions for families are within a stone’s throw of Adina Apartment Hotel Darwin Waterfront.

2. Pack Hand Sanitizer 

Lots of it. Kids love to touch things and put them in their mouths, a pasttime which is both natural and highly amusing but can quickly become hazardous in new and unpredictable environments.  

3. Book Somewhere That Has a Pool 

Accept that all your kids really want to do is swim in a hotel pool. Chances are they don’t care about the artistic and cultural drawcards of your destination at all and if left to their own devices will happily submerge themselves in the water all day long, emerging near dinner time slightly sunburnt and incredibly wrinkled. The sooner you accept this, the sooner you can start searching for a hotel with a pool and an adjoining spa and comfy chairs to recline in. Doesn’t sound half bad now, does it? Double points for pools that are under cover - no sunburn equals a happy parent. 

Insider tips: The pool at Adina Apartment Hotel Bondi Beach Sydney is under cover, with open-air lounges if you want to catch the sun. In Melbourne, the ultra-modern and very striking looking Adina Apartment Hotel Melbourne Southbank has a gorgeous indoor heated mineral pool that is super hard to leave. 

4. Bring Only One Toy 

When it comes to packing, save space by choosing just one of your child’s favourite toys. You can always find other entertainment along the way – window seats, I Spy and your smart phone included – and, if you stay in one of our Adina Apartment Hotels, we’ll happily provide you with toy boxes and activity packs. 

5. Make Journalling a Habit

Encourage record keeping, whether it’s through photos, drawings, or a travel journal. As well as keeping the kids entertained and engaged, it will give you something to look back on fondly in the years ahead. Trust us, you’ll be surprised how sentimental an out-of-focus shot of an ant on a footpath can become. 

And now you're armed with our top 5 tips, let those fingers do the walking and book your next family vaycay!