The definitive guide to making traveling with kids a breeze

The best thing you can do if you plan to travel with your kids often is to start as early as possible. My son's first road trip happened when he was seven weeks old and his first international trip happened when he was a little over a year old. When you start traveling with your child during infancy, they get used to it earlier and adjust much more easily as they get older.

In the U.S., passports for minors are good for five years, so once your child has one, you won't have to think about it for a while. The process of getting a passport for a child is a bit more involved and requires the presence of both parents, so if you do it young you can get all of the logistics out of the way and not have to worry about it if you ever want to travel last-minute.

Research your destination, accommodations and attractions thoroughly before you even leave home. Minimizing the unknown can go a long way to keep things running smoothly. Be familiar with weather, local customs, opening and closing times, etc.

The time of your travels can make a huge difference in your kids' moods. We've found that it's great to book flights or set off on a road trip during or close to our kids normal sleep times so they're likely to sleep for at least part of our transit. Oh, and it's best not to travel at a usual meal time. Feed the kids first!

We learned a long time ago, that it's best not to keep our kids up until we're ready for bed even when we're traveling. Plus, we like to have some wind down time on vacation, so we try to book either two-room hotel suites or multi-room vacation rentals so we can put the kids to bed at a decent time and still have somewhere to hang out until we're ready for bed.

This will vary greatly from family to family, depending on routines, personalities, ages of children, destination, etc., but there are certain things that are worth investing in when you're traveling with kids. A lightweight travel crib, stroller or baby carrier, a certain type of luggage that is easy for kids to carry, a headrest tablet mount for your car. Think about where you're going, what you'll be doing and what could make the process easier and more convenient for everyone and invest in those things. It's always worth it to be prepared.

Things will always be a little different when traveling than when you're at home, but try to keep as many of your normal routines in place as possible. For example, bedtime may end up being an hour or two later than usual, but you should still do the same bedtime routine as usual in order to help your kids settle down and sleep better.

It can be really tempting to overpack when you are traveling with kids, but if you do you'll have so much more to keep up with. You want to think about the daily essentials and scrap almost everything else. Always bring one more set of clothes than you think you'll need, and only bring a few of anything you can purchase at your destination like diapers and baby food pouches.

Whether you're traveling by plane or on a road trip, bringing a change of clothes or at least a spare shirt for yourself and each child to keep by your side is a good idea. If you have any spills, baby spit-up, potty accidents or motion sickness, you'll be able to clean up before your destination and not have to feel gross until you finally settle in. Plus, if your luggage gets lost, you'll be covered for at least a day.

I've learned to keep an empty zip-top or plastic grocery bag in my purse or carry on when we're traveling. If one of my kids gets sick, it can be used a a barf bag or to contain stinky diapers and soiled clothes until we reach our destination.

I always pack at least a few nutritious snacks and healthy treats to keep with me when we're traveling. Dried or fresh fruit, energy bars, cheese sticks and nuts are some of our favorites. You never know when you'll get to stop to eat and kids can get super-cranky when they're blood sugar gets low.

Try to steer clear of sugary treats though. They may quiet your child down temporarily, but you could risk a sugar rush and nowhere to burn off the energy or even worse, an upset stomach.

I either hand write or print a physical packing list, especially for long trips and international trips. I check the list as we add things to our luggage, leave the list on top so I remember to add all of the last-minute items like toiletries right before we leave, and then I double and even triple check the list both crossing off and X-ing out items as I go. I rarely ever leave anything behind.

A travel pack of baby wipes is so helpful no matter how old your children are. You can use them to quickly clean up messes, wipe down dirty tables, wash hands in gross gas station bathrooms, clean spit-up, wipe sticky faces when you're out and about, etc.

Your kids feed off of your energy, so if you let them see excitment instead of stress and worry leading up to and during a trip, they will see traveling as something fun, interesting and exciting as well. If you're a bundle of nerves, they'll be confused and feel unsettled. Talk it up and remind them constantly of what a blast it's going to be.

Before a recent trip, my son's kindergarten teacher encouraged him to keep a travel journal while he was away and it was such a great idea. It not only keeps kids engaged, learning, reading and writing, but it also keeps them busy for long stretches of time and leaves them with a great souvenir.

Whenever we're away for a week or more, I plan our travel itinerary with a balance of adventurous, busy sightseeing days alternating with slow, restful lounge-in-the-hotel-room-or-at-the-pool days. It gives everyone a chance to recharge before hitting the town (or forest or farm or beach).

Always allow your child to bring along his or her lovey or blankie. A small comfort item can make it much easier for your child to fall asleep in new places and help eliminate any fears of the unknown. We've never had a problem with our kids walking through airport security or onto a plane, with their lovey in hand.

I always pack a small bag with either brand-new, new-to-them or forgotten toys and books when we travel via air or car, that I only break out when the kids start to get fussy. Something new and interesting to explore can buy you 30 minutes to a couple of hours. Space it out and only give each kid one toy each time the fussiness kicks in.

This is your vacation too and even though you still have to do all the "momming," remember to take a deep breath and relax. Not everything has to go perfectly for your trip to be perfect. Sometimes we just have to slow down, live in the moment and let things happen as they may.

I like to pack an empty water bottle for any trip. If you're flying, you won't be able to take a filled bottle through security, but you can fill up an empty one at a water fountain once you're in the terminal and then you can use the same bottle throughout your trip to stay hydrated without wasting money on expensive storebought bottled water. Just make sure tap water is safe to drink in your destination.

If you have an older infant or young toddler who is used to drinking from a sippy cup, go ahead and pack an empty one. You'll likely be eating out a lot and bringing along a sippy cup to fill with your child's beverage of choice can save you a lot of mess and hassle.

If you're going to be spending many hours on the beach, bring or rent an umbrella. No matter how much fun they're having most kids will start complaining about how hot and sweaty they are after a while. Plus, it's a good shelter to nap under.

I like to keep a lightweight beach "go-bag" packed and ready to go. It usually has a towel or two, sunscreen, non-perishable snacks, sunglasses, a bottle of water and any other essentials in it. Everything stays in the bag at all times, so it's always packed and ready to go for a beach adventure.

Baby powder can be used to get sticky sand off of little bums and feet. Just apply as usual–away from the face–and dust the sand off with a towel.

When my kids were really little I liked to dress them in swimsuits with rash guards. Babies and toddlers are wiggly and impatient and if you use a rash guard, applying sunscreen takes a lot less time.

I would never suggest packing beach toys if you're flying, but consider buying some when you reach your destination. If you're road tripping, you can pack them or buy them. But they are inexpensive and so worth having if you have the type of child that is content to dig for long stretches of time. You'll actually be able to relax on the beach!

Disney's FastPass program allows guests to skip lines for selected attractions, and it's totally worth it if you have little kids. Standing in hours-long lines with toddlers and small children can be miserable, especially in the heat. Using FastPass can help avoid dreaded meltdowns.

I don't usually travel all-inclusive style, but in the case of Disney it's a good idea. Not having to worry about meals can save you money and valuable time.

Disney parks are massive and even kids who haven't used a stroller in a long time can become too tuckered out and grumpy to trek the park on foot day after day. Either bring along a lightweight stroller or rent one at the park.

There are a lot of ways to pass the time on a road trip, but no matter what you'll probably hit a lull. Either pack a few small, compact games to play or think up a shortlist of verbal games to play. We play iSpy and 20 questions a lot, but a few other ideas are cards games, tic-tac-toe, the license plate game and Hangman.

The driver obviously can't read to kids in the car, but an adult passenger can, or if your child can read you should bring along age-appropriate books. If you have a baby or toddler, audiobooks are also a good idea.

My kids eat a pretty clean, minimally-processed diet when we're at home, but when we're on a road trip I usually pick up a few treat foods like cheddar crackers, fruit snacks, fruit leather and trail mix with a little chocolate in it. Just remember to stay away from anything excessively sweet.

Radio station reception can be really spotty on a road trip and so can cell signals. Try downloading a few playlists of your kids' favorite songs that you can listen to offline or if you still have a CD player in your car, bring a few along. Also be prepared to sing. Kids love singing and it's a classic part of any road trip!

As modern parents, we're lucky to live in the age of technology. There is no shame in entertaining your child with an electronic device while you're on a road trip. I usually download a few movies that can be watched offline and that keeps my kids happy for a while, but there are also educational apps available that can me played without a Wi-Fi connection. Heck, my son loves to just take pictures.

Whenever we're on a road trip I plan to stop every two to three hours. Kids will need to pee and stretch their legs, so instead of stressing about time, I factor it in and let it happen whenever it needs to. You will never make it in the amount of time your GPS tells you drive will take when you're traveling with kids. It's best to just accept it and plan for it.

We always arrive at the airport at least two hours before domestic flights and three hours before international flights. Kids move slowly, plus you'll likely be carrying more items that need to be checked by security. Allow yourself plenty of time to get from Point A to Point B and through security.

You know how the change in air pressure on a flight can make your ears pop? That can be really painful for kids and cause them to scream and cry. If you have a baby or toddler let them use a pacifier during take-off and landing. If your baby doesn't use a pacifier, offer a breast, bottle or sippy cup.

For older kids, chewing gum during take-off and landing serves the same purpose. It's also great for staving off motion sickness on a plane, boat or any other method of transportations. Mint flavor works really well, since it's a natual tummy tamer.

The TSA liquid rules do not apply to pumped breast milk and formula. You can bring your baby's milk through security in a cooler bag, complete with ice packs. Just let the TSA agent know before you go through and they will pull you aside, test the bag and bottles for chemical residue and let you through. It just takes a few extra minutes.