Complete your packing and make sure that you have all your travel documentation, money, foreign currency, credit cards and completed.

I use a Hippychick, it's a back supporting belt designed to reduce the strain on an adult's back when carrying babies and young children, it is ideal for use in airports and has secure inner pockets to hold passports, credit cards etc.

When deciding what time to set off assume you are going to be delayed en route and schedule plenty of extra time to cover those unforeseen happenings. Remember check-in time is the latest time for getting to the actual check-in desk, not for joining the back of the queue. If you miss the check-in deadline your seats on the plane may go to someone on the wait list and you will have no claim against the airline.

Put your travelling clothes out ready for the morning. You are unlikely to be upgraded with small children so forget the business suit, being comfortable is the name of the game.

Ensure you all have an early night. Flying is always tiring and you'll need to be alert and feeling good. A good nights sleep will also help you to leave early enough to have plenty of spare time in hand for a relaxed and problem free start to your trip.

Make your way to the correct terminal .If you are travelling by car pre-book parking wherever possible or get someone to give you a lift in order to save time and car parking fees. Make sure to remind them to put child seats back in the car when they come to collect you again a week or two later.

Parking, if there are two adults travelling pull up outside the connecting bus stop in the car park, one of you get out and unload all the baggage and one of your children whilst the other adult parks the car. It is far easier than trying to wheel suitcases, buggies, bags and children safely over bumpy tarmac, especially in the wind and the rain or when it's getting dark.

For easy retrieval of your car, whoever parks should always write down the parking zone code and take it with them, believe me in a weeks time, you may not even remember which car park you parked in let alone the zone.

When the bus arrives to take you to the departure terminal, try and sit yourself and the children at the back of the bus or put the children next to the windows in the forward facing seats, away from all the to-ing and fro-ing of other passengers. This should hopefully prevent your children from being knocked/bumped by other passengers and their luggage in their rush to get on and off the bus.

Lone Parents

If you are travelling alone with children, use valet parking, a stones throw from the departure doors, it's well worth it.

Find a porter to help carry your bags. At London Heathrow the Skycaps porter service is free for lone parents travelling with small children