A Few Miscellaneous Tips

Here are a few thoughts that haven't fitted into any other posts.  Maybe something useful for you?

• Planning ahead is important.  Before you travel - particularly if you are staying in a private residence or holiday rental, without a front desk - research your local area.  Find out where the nearest playgrounds are, where the local supermarket is, the location of the closest 24-hour or late-night chemist, the details for an English-speaking doctor or ER details of the closest hospital (ideally with a paediatric department).
• Consider Brolly Sheets.  These are waterproof, highly absorbent pads which tuck in over the top of a made bed.  Even if your toddler is night toilet trained (as our girl has been, for many months), the combination of new places, new beds and upside down body clock / jetlag may lead to accidents.  Hotel beds are unlikely to have a mattress protector and / or spare linen, so tucking a Brolly Sheet over the sheets is a good idea.
• When using a porta cot (we love the Phil&Teds ultra light one), bring along a spare set of sheets and mattress protector.  It's a good idea to bring along the sheets straight off your child's cot at home, so they have a familiar smell.  Zach is mostly in bed with us, but I put him in the cot for naps and the start of the night, when I'm not in bed with him, or else he tries to crawl off the bed if he wakes!  So we are bringing a porta cot.
• You can download some fabulous white noise apps for your iPhone.  I have a free one called Relax Melodies, which allows me to create a blend of river and wind noises (or multiple other combinations), which helps drown out background noises in strange places (or when we have dinner guests at home, as our bedroom is off the main living area!)
• We use MCN (modern cloth nappies) at home.  I love them because they are incredibly comfortable for Zach, cute, and environmentally friendly.  The only downside to travelling with MCNs are a) the drying time, b) you need to have easy access to a washing machine.  If you use a fast-drying nappy like a Pikapu, you can easily get away with only bringing four or so along!  Use the four nappies during the day, then put a disposable on for night time, washing the day's nappies then hanging them out to dry overnight.  Just make sure you have some disposables as backup in case.  The Aldi disposable nappies are quite good, made in Germany, and are available all over the world.  The other advantage of using MCN on holidays, if in hot weather, is that you can just pair the nappy with a t-shirt, no need for pants!
• I am bringing along a jar of almond butter.  Spread onto a sandwich with some wholegrain bread, I have a simple meal for Zach, containing combined complete protein, good fats and carbohydrates, without sugar or salt.  Add a piece of fruit and you're set!
• Bringing along a room thermometer can be useful, particularly if you have a small baby and use baby sleeping bags such as Grobags.
• I like to travel with small Australian gifts for any children you meet along the way.  Stickers, paperback books, badges.  It's a nice way to interact with new friends at parks, planes or cafes.
• When considering room layout, if at all possible, arrange a seperate bedroom for any children used to sleeping on their own.  If your children are used to their own quiet bedroom, trying to get them to sleep on a rollout bed at the foot of your bed, in a single hotel room will likely be a nightmare ending in a lack of sleep for everyone.  I'm not a massive fan of 'adjoining' hotel rooms - that is, two independent hotel rooms with an interconnecting door - with small children, as they feel too far away for me to relax.  In addition, you may find that a baby monitor reception will not carry between adjoining hotel rooms.  My ideal layout is a two or more bedroom apartment or suite.  In KL, we have a serviced apartment with two bedrooms, in Netherlands we are staying in a little farm cottage with two bedrooms, and in both Aix-en-Provence and Paris, we are staying in private two-bedroom apartments.  Tabitha gets her own room, and Zachary is in with us, just like at home.  When we travelled to the US with Tabitha, 10/11 months old, we managed to get away with mostly booking large hotel suites, with separate living areas, and putting her porta cot in the living area while we retreated to the bedroom.  Since about 6 months of age, Tabitha has been a funny little thing, preferring to sleep without any company or distractions.  Zachary, on the other hand, sleeps best with his face firmly nestled into my chest!
• Consider all the options and factors when booking flights.  Going for the cheapest option may be a false economy if the flight is so traumatic that the family takes days to recover.  Consider nap and sleep times, meal times, early wakeups, stopovers vs direct flights, stopover options in terms of airport facilities and entertainment.  Compare airlines in terms of seat width and pitch, opportunity to select seat allocation, reputation of airlines when dealing with children and availability of airline lounges if applicable.
• I hesitate to even say this, for fear of sounding incredibly out of touch, but if it is at all possible (points, savings in other areas of the trip etc), consider business class travel.  Paradoxically, I never found it to be that important when travelling alone (a good book and a cosy blanket and I am happy anywhere), but with children, there are many factors which make it incredibly alluring.  Cleaner bathrooms with shorter queues (I've seen small children have accidents while waiting in line on flights), far higher staff-to-passenger ratios meaning better service (for extra water, hot drinks, an additional blanket etc), priority checkins and baggage claim (less time at the airport and less standing around), lounge access at airports (somewhere quiet to let the children nap, lots of snacks, even kid play areas at some lounges), and, most importantly to us, flat beds.  Tabitha doesn't sleep in her pram or car - she only sleeps in her bed.  I've been on a night flight with her once, 9pm - midnight (long story, we were delayed) and I've never seen her loose control like that - delirious, falling over, screaming, sobbing, nearly falling asleep then flailing around.  I will do anything to avoid her getting into that state again - it was heartbreaking.  Having a fairly quiet business class cabin, with a flat bed for her, will hopefully assist in getting her to sleep.  Also, for myself and Zachary, we can curl up together, feeding him while we lay down, and sleep happily together, just like we do at home.
• While on your trip, try to avoid eating all meals out - it's exhausting for everyone if children are expected to sit quietly at a restaurant three times a day.  Find a deli or nice supermarket, stock up on bread, cheeses, cold meats, fruits and salad, and go have a picnic somewhere (even in your rooms, if you are desperate).  Some of our nicest meals while travelling have been 'picnic style', where we could all relax and enjoy ourselves.  Also, try pubs and even ghastly chain family restaurants (Denny's, I'm talking to you!) once in a while - they will have lots of kids' activities or play equipment, and probably other children for yours to watch or chat to as well.  While I roll my eyes about Denny's, I should explain that we had a really lovely meal there en route from NYC to Lancaster County, PA, when Tabitha was 11 months old.  The food was average, the menu fun in its hilarity ('the food pyramid of bacon' was topped with a bacon sundae in the 'eat sometimes' category).  What really set it apart, however, was the most energetic and enthusiastic male waiter we had - he had two small children himself, and absolutely doted over Tabitha, even giving her his plastic bracelet (she had been pointing at it) 'don't worry, m'am, I've cleaned it up real good with soap and hot water for her first!'.  We were so touched by his service and care that we left him a $100 tip, and the meal still holds wonderful memories for us.  So try a restaurant that might not be rated in the guidebooks - you never know!
• Try to avoid overcrowding your days.  One scheduled activity is plenty.  We found a good rhythm on holidays in the past, which worked for our family:  Wake up, get out of the house for breakfast, fresh air and some physical activity (a local playground, a garden or just a walk around the neighbourhood).  Home for a good morning nap.  Out for the rest of the day, including lunch, an activity in the afternoon (second nap in the pram or carrier), early dinner, then home in time for bed.  Having a fairly predictable routine worked well for everyone, and made planning the trip straightforward.
• Mix in a few child-focussed activities where possible.  A children's museum or gallery, a petting zoo, a ride in a horse-and-cart, lunch at a fun place, a boat ride.  These sort of activities are infinitely more fun for small people than hours at an enormous gallery, or an afternoon spent shopping.  A mixture of all types of activities should keep everyone happy!
• Put away the camera.  Of course we love photos from our trips - we take plenty, and they are treasured.  But I try not to take the camera everywhere, and when I use it, to take just a few quick photos rather than trying to capture every moment.  Live the trip, don't document it.  Don't spend the trip on a smart phone.  For overseas travel, it's often easier to just use a basic call-and-text sort of phone with a local SIM.  Even The Daddy, who is constantly on his for work at home, and does need to bring it with him, leaves it switched off for most of the day, turning it on and spending a set amount of time each day attending to business matters.

What other travel tips for children do you have?  I will add to the list if I, or you, think of any more useful ones...