Visiting California With The Kids? Keep Your Trip Child Friendly With These Tips

California is a great place to visit as a family. It’s the kind of state where something is always going on, there’s lots to see and do, and the tourist scene has been made to attract the attention of both kids and adults alike. 

It’s a great place to take the kids when they’re young to create some very fun memories, especially if you don’t live anywhere near the West Coast or you’re not from the US at all. 

However, seeing as there is so much to do, and California is a pretty big state with a pretty large population, a trip here can start to seem quite family unfriendly. But to prevent that from happening, we’ve listed some tips for visiting California with kids below; feel free to use them to plan your own itinerary! 

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Hire a Car

If you’ll be flying into the state and don’t otherwise have your own transport, be sure to hire a car when you touch down and get through the airport. 

With a rental to make use of, you won’t need to pay for transport, rely on public transport (which can be patchy in many areas), and you can come and go as you please. The latter alone is a great thing to have on your side when you’ve got the kids with you! 

You can also make your own way around, meaning you don’t have to follow the links between the major cities such as Los Angeles and Sacramento. You can get off the beaten track and explore the smaller centers, where lots of great art, culture, and food can be found. 

If you want the kids to have more to see than just the big tourist attractions, your own transport will turn The Golden State into your oyster!

Drop the Excess Weight ASAP

California is not the kind of place where you can just take your time with a suitcase running along behind you. If you’ve got kids with their own luggage as well, you certainly won’t want them carrying it round all day; they’re likely to just abandon a backpack and forget all about it. 

So drop the excess weight as soon as you’re able to. And thankfully, you don’t have to wait until the hotel check-in opens for this. No matter where you are, you’ll be able to find a luggage drop-off nearby just by checking your phone. 

If you’re in San Francisco, for example, you can access the luggage storage San Francisco lockers at various points around the city, and usually right next to where you first came in or parked the car. 

Get a Discount

If you’re visiting the more well known cities, you’re likely going to be taking the kids to the famous tourist destinations. Disneyland, for one, as well as Universal Studios and Madame Tussauds. There will also be quite a few tours you might like to go on, and those usually cost a pretty dime to get tickets for as well. 

And if you tried to leave one of these attractions off of the list, you already know just how much the kids would complain! 

So make sure you get a discount on entry; there are various discount schemes available that let you ‘bundle’ tickets together and get at least 20% of the cost slashed off. The Go City Pass is quite a popular option, but do your research here to check you’re getting the best price for the days you’re planning to go. 

Plan Your Breaks

Or at least, make sure you know where you’ll be able to take some! California, with the way it’s set up, can make it difficult to find a nice quiet spot to sit down and have a rest. It’s not impossible though. 

Indeed, if you’ve planned out where and when these spots will turn up, you’ll be able to seamlessly incorporate breaktimes into your trip. Both you and the kids will need these, so don’t skip on this bit! 

Make Your California Trip Great for the Kids Too

If you’re going to be visiting California with the kids soon, make sure your trip has been designed to be as family friendly as possible! While the state has a lot to offer families, it’s also quite a tiring and expensive one to make your way through. 

Get the best prices and plan your route ahead of time to ensure you’re not going to be dragging your feet while lost somewhere along the West Coast!