6 Tips for a Great Weekend Getaway With Kids

In the hustle and bustle of work and school, it can be hard to find enough time to connect with your kids. Here are my favorite tips to have a great weekend getaway with your kids.

This is part of our 31 Things Every Working Mom Needs series. To read all the posts in order, visit the introduction post to see the outline for the whole series.

This summer I went to a conference about three hours away from my home. I was really looking forward to learning about some new products for work, networking with others, and having a few days away from my daily responsibilities.

After booking my hotel and getting everything squared away at work, I changed my mind…about going alone. I talked to my husband about it and began considering taking the family with me. But, my husband wasn’t able to come after all.

I still considered taking the kids with me. At first, I thought it would be too stressful worrying about what they would do during the trip because so much was packed into the conference. Our days were planned from 9 am to 9 pm.

Turns out, it was a great decision! I brought my six-year-old and 13-year-old, along with another 13-year-old. The kids got treated to a few fast food meals, I bought groceries at a local store to stock the fridge (so they could have breakfast, snacks, and microwavable meals in the room), and they spent a lot of time having fun at the pool.

I even tagged on a trip to Kings Dominion the day after the conference. Everything was perfect! But we were all super tired and ready to go back home. The kids enjoyed getting out of the house and traveling to a city they’d never been to before. And the trip was not too long (and the driving distance wasn’t too far), so we didn’t get on each other’s nerves too bad.

Related: 5 Timely Tips for Managing Kids’ Tech Time in the Summer

While there, I heavily relied on Google Maps, since I don’t have a GPS and quite frankly don’t think I need one. On the drive there and back, we listened to music on my Napster app, the kids ate snacks, and we just enjoyed the ride. My son enjoyed catching a lot of Pokemon since we were in a new city and were near several good stops, as he says.

Related: Five Genius Ways to Keep Your Kids Off Their Phones During Vacation

I realize that not every mom is able to take her kids with her on business trips, but if you ever have the opportunity, I encourage you to give it a shot. Another benefit to taking the kids with you is that you don’t have to worry about the logistics back home. It was pretty easy for me to make a list of things to bring with us to keep the kids occupied at the hotel while I was in the conference sessions.

Related: 10 Insanely Fun Night Games You’ll Want To Play All Summer Long

Google’s new trip planning app, Google Trips, is not the only app out there to help make traveling go smoothly. Between choosing a destination, booking accommodations and finding attractions to visit, traveling should always be enjoyable and exciting! Here are five other travel apps that make it easy to have a perfect get-away:

1. FastToll: FastToll, a new toll tracking mobile app, allows drivers to drive through Illinois Tollway open-road tolls without having to stop and dig for change to pay the fare. FastToll was created for travelers who do not have an IPASS account and for drivers that are visiting Illinois. FastToll keeps track of all toll plazas that drivers pass through and within seven days drivers are able to pay their tolls through the app.
2. Tollsmart Toll Calculator: Ever wish Google Maps or MapQuest displayed how much tolls cost? Now you can quickly find out using the Tollsmart Toll Calculator app. Tollsmart is the only Android app that calculates toll costs across all tunnels, bridges and toll roads* in the US & Canada, and includes discounts from all ETC (transponder) agencies such as E-ZPass, SunPass, TxTag and FasTrak. Tollsmart now supports all vehicle sizes up to 9-axle tractor trailer trucks, buses, RVs, etc.
3. TripCase: TripCase organizes multiple flights, hotel reservations, and activities for travel plans. This app allows users to share their itinerary with family and friends and keep them updated via email notifications.
4. Time Out: Time Out notifies travelers of fun things to do in the city they are visiting. It includes a comprehensive list of bars, restaurants, attractions and events visitors should attend. This app also has features that allow users to make dinner reservations, buy concert tickets and book other attractions.
5. CityMaps2Go: CityMaps2Go allows travelers to view maps of places all over the world without internet access. The app also saves stories about local events and history of the town or city the traveler may like and links to the map for the traveler to view.
6. BringFido:BringFido is the world’s leading pet travel app. It facilitates searching for hotels that will allow pets to stay with their owners during their travel excursions. BringFido also provides a list of local destinations near where travelers are staying for the pet and owner to explore, such as dog parks and other pet-friendly areas.

This is not a sponsored post. Information provided by Paramount PR on behalf of FastToll.

Have you ever taken a weekend getaway with your kids?