Top Tips for Single Parents Travelling Abroad With Kids
How I’ve Done It Solo for 4 Years
Travelling abroad as a single parent can feel daunting — especially the first time. The planning, the flights, the luggage, the “what ifs”… it’s enough to put anyone off before they have even started looking at holidays. But after four years of taking my two daughters abroad on my own (starting when they were just 3 and 5 years old), I can honestly say this:
You absolutely can do it — and it’s one of the best gifts you’ll ever give to you and your children.
Here are my tried-and-tested tips to help you feel confident, calm and prepared for your first (or next) solo parent holiday abroad.
1. Start With Short Flights to Build Confidence
If you’re nervous about flying alone with young children, short-haul European destinations are ideal.
My go-to choices have been:
Majorca — around 2 hours 30 minutes to Palma
Ibiza — around 2 hours 15 minutes
Short flights mean less restlessness, fewer meltdowns, and a much smoother experience for everyone. If you’ve got a fidgety child (I definitely do), this makes a huge difference.
2. Begin With Fewer Nights and Increase Over Time
For our first few trips, I booked 5 nights. It felt manageable and not overwhelming. As the girls got older and I became more confident, I increased it to 6 nights.
There’s no pressure to do a full week — ease yourself in. You might also find the children are ready to come home after 5/6 nights like mine were recently. Bear in mind they might start to miss the other parent if they are used to seeing them regularly.
3. Choose Family-Friendly Hotels (All Inclusive Is a Lifesaver)
For the first three years, I booked all-inclusive hotels designed for children, which made everything easier:
Kids’ clubs (even if you don’t use them)
Daytime and evening entertainment
Children’s pools, slides and inflatables
Buffet meals with lots of choice
All-inclusive holidays give you structure. Mealtimes create a natural routine, and you don’t stress if your child takes one bite and leaves the rest. They can try new foods without pressure or guilt.
It can take a day or two for children to get used to their new environment and the normal routine from home can go out the window, especially if they stay up later. Having the structure of set mealtimes and entertainment can help enormously with stress-free planning for the day.
This year I tried breakfast only for the first time, and because the girls are older, I had the confidence to explore more restaurants and took taxis to different areas in the evenings.
4. Keep Transfers Short and Stress-Free
A long transfer after a flight is the last thing you need as a solo parent.
I always choose hotels with:
5–30 minute transfers
A pre-booked taxi or one from the official airport taxi rank rather than a coach with multiple drop offs
It’s quicker, calmer, and avoids waiting around with tired children.
5. DIY Your Holiday for Better Prices and Flexibility
I stopped booking package holidays because I found it cheaper and easier to book everything myself. I also bear in mind prices for certain times of the year. My go to has always been the first week in June as my children still get 2 weeks off during half term so I take advantage of going the second week. October half term may also be a cheaper time to go.
Flights
I use Skyscanner to find the best prices
I often mix airlines for outbound and return
I used to take the 5pm outbound flight (cheapest), landing around 9pm and going straight to bed
I always book a morning flight home — no long days waiting around after checkout – I am one of those people who likes to just get home on the last day
Now the girls are older, we take early morning flights out to enjoy an afternoon in the sun
Hotels
I use Booking.com to filter by:
Reviews
Location
Facilities
Room type
Board type
It gives you full control and often better value.
6. Holiday Money and Insurance
It is unnecessary having to lose money due to exchange rates if your bank does not let you use your card abroad without charging you fees. It’s giving away “free money”.
A few years ago, I opened a Monzo account and just transferred money into that to then use abroad and not have to pay any fees. I don’t have that account any more but this year I was able to use my Chase account for the same purpose.
I also take some cash (Euros) out with me which I get from the local Post Office as sometimes it’s easier to pay for things abroad in cash e.g. taxis, hair braiding (annual pool/beach side tradition) and snacks.
You might already have an annual travel insurance policy, but I don’t. Because I usually only take my children away once a year abroad, I just use a price comparison website like MoneySupermarket.comand just take out a cheap policy just for that one trip.
7. Pack Smart: Snacks, Activities and Comfort Items
Flying alone with kids is all about preparation.
In their backpacks:
Snacks (lots of them)
Chewy sweets or similar (needed to help with ears popping on the flight)
Colouring books
Sticker books/puzzle books
Small toys
Fidget toys or games like Dobble
I-pads/tablets (if they have them but download programmes and games they can access still with flight mode activated)
Neck pillows
Water bottle to fill up in the airport
When they were younger, my girls brought their LOL dolls and colouring/make me a model sticker books and made friends around the pool instantly — even with children who didn’t speak English. Toys are a universal language.
8. Poolside Essentials That Make Life Easier
A few things that have saved my sanity:
Aerosol Spray sunscreen (especially for your back if your kids can’t help yet)
A supermarket trip on day one for more snacks (crisps and biscuits in our case) for mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks in between mealtimes
Small toys, books or colouring for poolside downtime and for making new friends to play with
Inflatables if the lifeguards at the pool allow them as some don’t
A towelling robe for the children to wear during poolside downtime as they often feel cold when they get out, especially if you travel outside of core summer months
These little things keep the day smooth and tantrum-free.
Another tried and tested tip that works if you want a break from the pool and you have young children, is searching “playgrounds” in to the maps app on your phone. This shows up any children’s playgrounds that are in your area and every year it’s never failed us when we have wanted something else to do one morning or afternoon to break up the day. Especially when it has been cloudy and the pool was a bit cold!
9. Luggage Tips for Stress-Free Travel
When the girls were small, I managed with:
One 22kg suitcase
One backpack each
Now they’re older, I book:
One large suitcase for me
Two 10kg checked bags for them
One backpack each
It gives them independence and makes packing easier.
10. Enjoy the Unexpected Perks of Travelling Solo With Kids
One thing I didn’t expect?
Queue jumping.
Airport staff almost always wave us through:
Security
Passport control
I’ve never paid for fast track — they simply let us through because I’m travelling alone with children. It’s one of the rare perks of solo parenting.
11. People Are Kinder Than You Think
This is something I wish every single parent knew.
When people see you travelling alone with kids, they help. Airport staff, hotel staff, other parents, strangers — people hold doors, carry bags, and go out of their way to make things easier.
You’re not as alone as you think.
12. Plan Well to Reduce Your Mental Load — Then Enjoy It
The biggest lesson I’ve learned is this:
A well-planned holiday becomes a real break — not another job.
You don’t have to think about:
Cooking
Cleaning
School runs
Work
Activities
Social schedules
You get to simply enjoy your children. They see you relaxed, smiling, laughing — not stressed and stretched thin.
And they remember that. Mine do.
So if fear is holding you back, let this be your sign:
You deserve this. Your children deserve this. And you absolutely can do it.
You’ll create memories that stay with all of you forever.