Are We There Yet? Family Vacation Tips from Well-Traveled Dads

As peak travel season approaches, many parents may be feeling anxious about hitting the road (or skies or open seas) with the kids. Things are crazy enough at home, so you're probably imagining how much more stressful it would be out in the great wide world - where you have even less control.

Fear not! If you're freaking out about a looming family vacay, who better to ask for tips, hacks, and general life lessons than a bunch of travel-tested dads?

I reached out to some of my pals from all over the USofA for the very best, most comprehensive Dadvice you'll find. And in true dad form, these nuggets of wisdom/war stories are offered up with a mixture of common sense, bad puns, and lots of heart.
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If you have long layovers, find out if your terminal has a kid's play area. (Dallas and LAX have good ones)

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The first summer road trip we took with our new baby, we also brought the dogs. The challenge then was to find places to stop where we could grab a bite, feed the baby, and not have to leave the dogs in the car. We quickly learned that nearly every Mexican restaurant in the South has outdoor seating and allows dogs, so that's been our pit stop go-to ever since. * David Rogers, NC

When you've been driving for a while and your toddler says her stomach's hurting a bit, make sure to pull over. Otherwise you might find yourself hosing vomit off a car seat when you get home. *

1. Never sleep on top of the comforters; they don't get washed often. 2. Take plenty of socks; bare feet are a no-no. 3. Don't use motel glasses. Ever seen a maid carry dish soap? * Jay Knudsen, AR

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Unless you're traveling to a third world country, anything you need will be available when you reach your destination. Keep packing simple - enough necessities (snacks, clothes, diapers) for a day or two. Leave the monster stroller at home and opt for one that's easy to carry and check-in. We made the mistake of lugging a brand new pack 'n play to Puerto Rico. Turns out we didn't even need it - in the new environment, our little one preferred to sleep cozy between his daddies. *

The best travel decision we ever made was renting a minivan. Our little family car is great around town, but we don't have the finances for anything larger at the moment. We got a great deal through my wife's company on a minivan rental, and that made ALL the difference. The kids had tons of room, and we could carry all the luggage we wanted, plus a lot of "extras" like a stroller. BONUS: When we got to our destination we could squeeze in grandparents, aunts and uncles in with us, so we weren't caravanning everywhere.

Don't limit your destinations if you only have a short amount of time. In recent years, our family has been to India and Zimbabwe, and both trips were only a week. They were amazing experiences our family will never forget! *

GENERAL TRAVEL DADVICE

Bring lots of non-cavity/fart-causing snacks. Sugar is your enemy. Kids cracked out, hyper, and strapped in a carseat is expletives worth of awful. * Brandon Morsberger, VA

Travel with children early and often - travel so much that it's all that they know. This way they're unable to realize the true torture that is sitting in a car or plane for hours on end! Also, fly as much as possible with them before they turn two; after that it's a hell of a lot more to buy plane tickets for everyone! * Alex Mustico, PA

I had a great time meeting and interviewing all of these awesome dads at HomeDadCon - the annual conference of the National At-Home Dad Network! So if you're a stay-at-home dad - or will be soon - I highly recommend checking out the organization, which is dedicated to supporting and advocating for involved dads everywhere.

Are you a fan of Designer Daddy's Facebook page? Why the heck not?!? 🙂

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