One Parent Families?

Travelling as a single parent allows you to choose when, where and how to go without endless debate.

Nevertheless, travel as a single parent can be more stressful and, despite the fact that there are now nearly 4 million single Mums and Dads in the Europe, most family holiday prices continue to be based on two adults travelling. Apple Maldives, however, offer programmes for single parents. And some, at certain times of year, will waive single room supplements. Staying at resorts with childcare will provide you with some stress free time and it can be easier to meet other parents.

In this On the go section you will find tons of tips to help the whole family enjoy the journey, as well as the holiday, from getting to the airport, or rejoicing over our 10 top tips for flying with kids, and of course much more.

Taking the plane

Children often find flying, or at least the prospect of flying, very exciting… sometimes in contrast to their parents. Harnessing this excitement can help overcome long check-in lines as well as a lengthy flight itself. It's worth spending the time preparing to make the flight as hassle free as possible to get your family holiday off to the right start.

Our 10 top tips for flying with kids

1. Be prepared – make sure you do all the hard work in advance. Book children’s meals, parking spaces, bassinets and seats, to make sure you all sit together. You don’t want to suddenly find yourself in seat 12 e and your kids in 27d and 27e (then again, who knows, maybe you do!?).



2. Read them a book – Buy a book on flying and excite them about what’s about to happen, e.g. Going on a Plane by Usborne First Experiences (approx £1.50). It prepares little ones for the strange happenings ahead and makes them feel more comfortable once they’re onboard,



3. Give them their own luggage – letting them have their own little suitcase makes them feel more part of the journey and more adult. Even if they just check it through in hand luggage it means they are as important as you and for kids, let’s face it, that matters.



4. Arrive in plenty of time. If you’ve got small children – you don’t want to be running down long corridors to catch your plane if you’re pushing a buggy. Normally airlines invite families with kids under 5 to board first, allowing you to get to your seat in relative ease. And if you do have a buggy, you should be able to wheel it all the way to the airline steps and the ground crew will put it in the hold.



5. Take off - Tiny ears can suffer even more than adults as cabin pressure changes at take off and landing. Give babies a bottle of milk or water to suck on. Older kids will be thrilled with a boiled sweet. But don’t hand them out too early otherwise they’ll finish it halfway through the slow taxi along the runway.



6. Take pressies and snacks - Many airlines hand out kids’ goodie bags (Virgin and BA do particularly good ones) full of games, pens, small gifts etc. But a good idea is to supplement this by bring along small cheap presents (puzzle books). Wrap them up before you leave and produce one every hour to keep kids entertained. Take simple snacks like biscuits, rice cakes and drinks in case they don’t like the airline meal. But remember in a small space, chocolate is going to go everywhere! Also, due to pressure, carton drinks tend to spurt open at 32,000 feet once you pop the straw in and bags of crisps tend to inflate making them even more difficult to open.



7. Ask for help - In a couple of years’ time with the introduction of the mega twin-deck Airbus A380, parents could be able to take advantage of crèche’s and trained child carers. Meanwhile it’s basically up to you, although on longer flights air crew are sometimes keen to help (although not during meal times!). Alternatively choose to fly with Gulf Air who have recently introduced Sky Nannies – crew members who are specially trained in childcare and are there to help parents out with meals, setting up bassinets and general assistance throughout the flight.



8. Get them a log book - . Post 9/11, the traditional visit to the cockpit is obviously banned. However some airlines still provide the log book. In the old days you used to wander casually up to the cockpit to meet the captain, have a look at all the different buttons and levers and ask him to sign your book. Today airlines like BA are re-introducing the much-loved books. And while you can no longer visit the cockpit, hand your logbook to a crew member and they’ll make sure the captain signs it.



9. Turn on the telly – OK, it may not be the most educational but if it works at home, it can work in the air. More and more airlines offer seat-back TVs (cartoons, kids films etc) along with video games so kids can play each other or indeed other children on the plane. Slack – maybe – but on a long ten-hour flight – crucial.



10. Bring your patience - You can pack all the toys, gadgets, sweets, games and books you like. But the best thing to pack when flying with kids is your patience. And plenty of it.