10 Tried-And-Tested Tips That'll Make Travelling With Kids A Breeze

The TV host has three kids — Jake, 11, Christy, nine, and Jaymee, six — with actor-turned-banker James Lye (right with Jaymee).

#1: Opt for family-friendly accommodation
“Once, we stayed in a walk-up Airbnb apartment in London. And children like to run around, right? Within two hours [of our arrival], my neighbour from downstairs was angrily pounding on my door to tell me to get my children to stop running,” Diana recalls. “I hadn’t realised how thin the floors were. I was horrified by the fact that my kids had to tiptoe around the house for the next six days. Also, at night, I was kept awake by the noise made by my upstairs neighbour. It was truly horrendous. But a friend who has lived in London said that it’s actually very common for apartments there to have very thin floors. So after that experience, I’m more inclined to staying in hotels or serviced apartments.”

#2: Don’t leave your children unattended
“I was with one of my kids by the beach in Sydney, where we were staying at a beachfront house. I left my kid in the car with the windows down while I went to get my bag. When I came back, an Australian couple accosted me and gave me a dressing-down. They told me that it was against the law in Australia to leave my child in the car unattended ’cos there had been a lot of incidents where kids have been left unattended in the car and died [from heat stroke].”

[Pictured: Diana, James and their brood in Hokkaido in 2014.]
PHOTOS: DIANA SER

Grace is the co-founder and editor-in-chief of credit card comparison site Get.com. In the span of 12 months, Grace and her Spanish husband Pedro Pla, the company’s chief executive, along with their two boys, Ramses, five, and Ranefer, three, have flown on First and Business Class for free to 19 countries by redeeming credit card miles.

#3: Sit near the front of the plane
“If you’re not flying on First or Business Class, try to sit in the first few rows in Economy. Getting off the plane sooner will mean a shorter queue at immigration,” explains Grace.

#4: Get vaccinated
“Before we travelled around the world last year, we each had more than five vaccinations necessary for the countries we were going to. One of the vaccinations is the yellow fever jab. We also took anti-malaria pills prior and during our Kenyan safari trip.”

#5: Expand your kids’ palate
“Get them accustomed to different types of cuisine prior to travelling. Eating out will be a pleasure if your kids aren’t too picky.”

[Pictured: Grace and her family (@roundtheworldfamily) in Turks and Caicos last May.]

#6: Pack light and right
“We travel really light for a family of four — we bring along two pieces of checked-in luggage at most [for the whole family]. Besides the usual clothes, laptops and toiletries, unusual items we pack are a stepping stool, a toddler toilet seat and books for our kids. When they were younger, we had to pack a stroller, diapers and more clothes for them. Now that they’re older, it’s much easier to travel with them.”

#7: Skip Airbnb
“Airbnb accommodation is a no-no for us: Many do not allow kids below a certain age; there’s no housekeeping or service staff available and they tend to be even more expensive than hotels, especially in popular locations. Hotel suite rooms are the most ideal as they have a separate living room that’s useful for lounging around or dining in.”

#8: Use your credit card miles for a more fuss-free time
“One way to minimise flight expenses is to use credit card points and frequent flyer miles to redeem free flights. Last December, our family, including my parents, flew to New Zealand on Singapore Airlines First Class Suites using miles, saving us over $60k in tickets. We also save money by getting free hotel room upgrades, free Wi-Fi, free car rental insurance, free breakfast and free hotel nights by using the right credit cards. Sign up for credit cards that give you free memberships to hotel loyalty programmes. I try to book hotels from hotel groups such as Starwood Hotels & Resorts (comprising Marriott, St Regis, Ritz Carlton, Westin, W, etc.), Hilton, Hyatt, and a few others, so that I can get complimentary room upgrades, free breakfast and earn points to offset my next hotel stays.”

[Pictured: Grace and her family in Nassau, Bahamas last April.]
PHOTOS: GRACE CHENG (INSTAGRAM @ROUNDTHEWORLDFAMILY)

Kate and her husband, Andie Chen, have two kids — Aden, three, and Avery, one.

#9: Go local
“I don’t bring too many things when travelling. Some mummies will bring their kids’ cutlery, rice cooker, and a lot of stuff from home ’cos they’re afraid that their kids cannot get used to the local cuisine. But since you’re bringing the kids overseas, you must let them learn to get used to a new environment. I also won’t bring toys ’cos the whole point is to let them go and enjoy this world. If the kids are overseas and still play with their toys from home, then they might as well just stay at home," says Kate.

#10: Have snooze control
“The night before the flight, don’t let your kids sleep too much, so that the moment they get onto the plane, they can quickly fall asleep."

PHOTOS: KATE PANG