Travelling with Children

Travelling with children can be quite a challenge; especially the very first time so we are here to help you with some advice to try to make it that bit simpler for you.

The first thing you should do is to check what Children's services the Airport have on offer to help make your life easier.

Some airports will offer very specific additional services for adults travelling with children such as the following:

• Porters to assist you with your family’s luggage. This is especially helpful if there are more children than adults in your party as it is often the case when you have children that you do not have enough hands for everything you need to do.
• Family lanes which help you to get through Security with ease. This can make life much easier if you have children in a pushchair. Usually there are Airport staff on hand to assist you if required.
• Play areas with toys and TV's to keep children busy and entertained. The holiday will get off to a much better start for all of you if the children are kept entertained whilst you wait.

There are also more general facilities available at the Airports which could help to get your holiday off to a good start. These include:

• Airport Lounges have all the usual adult facilities but many of them are also children friendly and cater for them with items such as TV’s and board games.

Just make sure you book in to one that accepts children as there are some age restrictions.

• Family friendly places to eat such as Restaurants or Food Halls. There are usually various options available, so you can choose one to suit your taste or budget.
• Baby Changing facilities are usually available in the toilets where you will find a fold down unit; or sometimes there are designated area’s which are usually marked with a baby bottle symbol and these can usually be used to feed or change the baby's nappy.

For people travelling with babies there are some important things to know regarding baby milk and food:

You are allowed to carry enough baby milk and baby food for the journey inside your hand luggage. Any more that is required for the remainder of the trip will need to be packed in the checked-in luggage.

Some of the Airport’s security personnel may ask to taste the baby milk or food, so be prepared for this.

It is worth noting that you can pre-order cartons of baby milk from some pharmacies in the Departure Lounge. You will also be able to purchase other helpful items such as nappies, wipes or baby foods.

Please refer to the contact details on our Airport pages for a specific pharmacy.

Some key tips to ensure you all enjoy your holiday to the full are as follows:

• When packing at home ensure to distribute some items of clothing for all the family between bags. This is just in case some of your luggage does not reach your holiday destination.
• Give yourself plenty of time when travelling to the Airport. You do not want to have to worry about getting stuck in traffic and then trying to rush with children; so add an extra hour to the journey.
• Do not get stressed. If you get stressed the children will pick up on this; so stay nice and relaxed and just treat the whole trip like an adventure.
• Make sure the children have something to do whilst you are waiting around. There may be plenty to do in the UK Airports, but you may need something for them to do the other side whilst you are waiting for your luggage. Pack items for them such as a favourite toy, colouring book and crayons or a reading book.
• Most Airlines will offer families with children the opportunity to board the plane first. Although this sounds great as you will not have to push past other travelers; it may be better to have those extra few minutes of freedom before being confined to a small area on the plane.
• Pack all your travel essentials in your hand luggage to make sure they are in easy reach when you need them. These are items such as tissues, wipes, and even a change of clothing if you are travelling with infants.