Holidays – and foreign travel in general – are a chance of escapism, a source of adventure, and an opportunity to recharge the batteries after months of work. Though it takes planning (and a little financial saving), a cheeky holiday abroad is often the year’s highlight. Who wouldn’t want to spend a few days exploring new territory in balmy temperatures, checking out local cuisine and nightlife, or simply lounging on a sandy beach to achieve an envious tan? Though a holiday is one of life’s simple pleasures, COVID became globally prevalent and acted as a huge spanner in the works in the holiday industry. What a shame.

But now things are slowly turning in favour of the committed holidaymaker. COVID cases are dropping (in the UK, at least), and holidays abroad are now largely permitted. Travel is subject to certain conditions – of course – but in the case of most European destinations, it’s business as usual. And even better news for sun seekers – there are plenty of flights out there which are now even more affordable.

A quick check on a certain budget airline’s website that flies frequently from UK airports reveals a ticket from London Stansted to Corfu is £7.99 (as of 27th July 2021). £7.99! OK, that’s one-way, and the return will set passengers back only £62.99, but still…that’s just over £70 for a holiday in a popular Greek island with an average summer temperature of 30^oC. Bargain!

If travelling to Spain from the UK, the Spanish government requires all arrivals to present on entry a pre-travel declaration form and either a negative COVID test or proof of vaccination. This is a small price to pay for a well-deserved and long overdue holiday break. Safety comes first, but the fact is that holiday travel is now possible.

Models Direct have placed several lucky models on assignments abroad, although they didn’t have to follow the recent COVID guidelines. Take Elizabeth, who travelled to France for a spectacular photo shoot. Or how about the Golding family (Mum, Dad and two children), who embarked on a 4-day, all expenses trip to the south of France to shoot a commercial for an innovative travel company. Valencia? Why not? That’s exactly where we flew our model to advertise an ultra-modern wheelchair. Foreign travel and modelling work is a real possibility – do you have the ambition and talent for it?

Where’s your dream location? It might be a place you’ve already experienced, so recreating your best memories could be your priority. Perhaps it’s a destination you’ve been drooling over in travel brochures. If genuinely achievable, surely now is the time to turn your holiday hopes into reality. One thing’s for certain: it’ll be a holiday you won’t forget in a hurry.

But what about the UK? For every UK person hoping to get away abroad, there’ll be someone with an eye on holidaying in the UK. Cornwall and Devon, The Lake District, Norfolk Broads, Scotland, the Welsh beaches…the UK isn’t short of top-notch holiday destinations. And if you don’t fancy a plane flight, think about holidaying closer to home. What about a camping trip, or a pony trekking expedition? You’d be surprised how many new options are available on your doorstep!

Oh, and if you were wondering where Cliff Richard and his friends went on his “Summer Holiday”, it was Greece!

So  to help you out the Models Direct team, of which a large percentage are parents, have compiled their top tips to make travelling with kids that little bit easier!

Our junior models also often have to travel for assignments , generally within in the UK, but sometimes it means going in a plane and travelling further afield, so what ever your reason for travel it helps to be a little bit organised and take the stress away.

If your travels this season are taking you over seas  here are Models Direct ‘s  helpful tips to flying with children:

1 –  Comfort:   It’s a good idea to  dress your children in comfortable clothing when travelling, make sure they wont be too hot or too cold and are not restricted by what they are wearing. There’s no need to look super stylish when travelling, it’s much more important that your children have comfortable clothing on so they can relax and  can sleep if tired and   can sit in it for long periods of time.

2 –  Food & Snacks: Food can  be expensive and sometimes difficult to find when travelling, so have a bag of tasty snacks with you . It’s a good idea to have a variety of different things, some healthy snacks, some treats and also some thing the children haven’t tried before  to keep it interesting. As we all know children get super grumpy when hungry, so a little pick me up during a long flight or car journey can make all the difference. Also carry plenty of water with you, it’s very important to stay hydrated, particularly if it’s warm or you are flying, dehydration can make you feel very tired, so often regular sips of water can keep moral up!

3 –  Activities:  With tablets available to many of us it’s very easy to sit a child down with a tablet and headphones, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing,  parents are now able to download educational and fun games for children of all ages , so make sure you have updated your /their tablet with some new apps and games that will keep them interested.  If you are on a long journey then it’s useful to pack a variety of activities and space them out over the travelling time, so they are new to the child, could be a new coloring book, spelling game, maps and maze puzzles, reading book,  etc – there are lots to choose from on the market. Trick is to not give  them all to your child at the same time, keep their curiosity!

4 –  Stay Calm:  As a parent it’s really important to try and stay calm with your children while travelling, try and avoid arguments and upset as this will make the journey and travelling experience much more stressful than it needs  to be.  Aswell as looking after the needs of your children make sure your own needs are met also so you feel the best you can.

5 – Sleep:   If you are travelling for a long time make sure your children have a chance to rest and ideally sleep! Try and stick to their routines as much as you can, feeds and naps are essential especially with babies and toddlers. So if you are flying make sure your baby is fed when they usually are and  made comfortable so can drift off to sleep rather than getting over tired and grumpy. It can be useful to have a small blanket and pillow with you if in the car or a plane so that your child is comfortable and  warm.

6 – Other Passengers:  Whatever mode of transport we may be on we are often in close proximity to other passengers, so try and be cheerful and polite to the people near you, especially if you have a baby or young child with you who may be noisy or cry, it’s useful to have the people around you on your side  and possibly may help you out if you need it!

7 – Organisation:  There is so much for parents to think about before going away, it can often seem overwhelming, but organisation is key and will make your travelling experience much calmer and enjoyable. Plan ahead with your packing, don’t leave it until the last minute! Make sure your hand luggage is organised and prepared in a suitable bag and has everything you need for the plane or is within easy reach in a car or train, you will be calmer if you know you have everything you may need for your baby or child.

Whatever the distance you are travelling, the most important thing is to stay calm and try and make each part as fun as possible, it’s all part of the holiday experience and  can be a great time for your children to learn and see new things!