Some establishments encourage you to stay with children, others are really not interested in helping you and staying at these can make for a lower standard of holiday. There are seven things that are well worth thinking about before you do anything else when looking for family accommodation.

1. Are the Facilities Suitable for Child/ren – Check out exactly what facilities are available at the accommodation premises. Do they suit the age bracket of your children?

An example here is one place that we stayed when travelling with young children. It kept us on edge the whole time – the bedrooms were all upstairs and a child could fit through the gap in the railings around the staircase. Like all children they were attracted to the stairs!

What is the swimming pool like? Is it suitable for your child/ren and their swimming abilities?

2. Child Care When Travelling – When hotels say they provide child care, make sure you check it out first. Some only cover child care for a couple of hours a day. Other places only run if they have minimum numbers. Check out anyone caring for your child/ren – make sure they are reputable!

3. Cellphone – Take your cellphone and get access for the country that you are in just in case you are away from your child/ren at any stage. If your children are in care somewhere, it is reassuring for you and your children that you can be contacted.

4. Entertainment for Your Child – If the establishment has cable TV – do they have children’s channels? Some don’t. Do they have a DVD player and children’s DVD’s available for hire on the premises or somewhere close? You may even like to take some with you.

With school age children, finding a place where your children, the social creatures that they are can find other children to play with. You may be surprised at how quickly close friends can be made – you get the opportunity to meet other parents too. I have some long term friends that were met like this.

5. Cooking Facilities – Some times it can be more convenient to have cooking facilities at the place you are staying. Make sure you consider all your options.

6. Catering for Babies – Travelling with babies requires a full check list of its own. Stop for a minute and think about how you will deal with each aspect of looking after bubs on your journey.

7. Backups for Care in Place – If you have child care organised while you are away and you are going to attend something that is fixed while your child/ren are in care – have a back up plan in place. What will happen if your event goes on longer than was originally intended?

These are all points to consider when looking for family accommodation for your Christchurch New Zealand Holiday.

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Thanks for your helpful answers everyone!

Most airlines weigh luggage on a per ticket basis, so you could check 20kg and so could one of your children, but you couldn’t check 38kg and 2kg for your child. Each is usually weighed separately.

Also, if you are changing to an aircraft operated by a different company, they may have different policies on checked luggage. Many airlines have exact rules about checked luggage on their website.

Technorati Tags: Travelling with Family