UK Travel Guide: Travelling to the US with Children
UK Travel Guide: Travelling to the US with Children
When you are travelling abroad with children it can take a lot of preparation to ensure that everything goes smoothly, whether you are travelling with a young infant, or even a teenager. Before you book any foreign travel there are several factors that you should consider before you make the journey, such as:s
Children must all have their own passport to travel now, even babies, so if your child does not have their own passport, you will need to send an application for one, well in advance. A first child UK passport is valid for 5 years.
Different countries have different sets of travel authorisation requirements, usually as part of their immigration laws and security policies. The US requires that non-citizens have some form of visa or ESTA to visit the country.
Do children need an ESTA?If you are travelling to the US then you and your child/children will require a form of visa or ESTA to enter the US. ESTA stands for Electronic System for Travel Authorization and is available for countries that are part of the US’ agreed Visa Waiver Program, which includes citizens from the UK. It is easy to apply for an ESTA online, and only takes around ten minutes but each application must be completed for each individual, i.e. children require their own ESTA that is linked to their own passport.
3. Flight time
If you are flying to the US from the UK then the flight time will be a minimum of six hours, or considerably more if you are going to the west coast of US. If you haven’t flown with your child before then this could be a very difficult and long journey, so consider carefully whether you want to have such a long trip as your child’s first flight. It will help to have a lot of distractions, whether it is watching films, reading books, or playing their favourite games – just make sure you pack enough entertainment for the whole journey, as they might not sleep during the flight.
4. Weather
Certain parts of the US can get very hot at the hottest part of the year, like California so it is important to consider how this will affect your child and to ensure you pack appropriate clothing and protective wear like hats and a UV swimsuit. Contrastingly, there are also very cold parts of the US like Alaska, where you would need to ensure you take enough warm clothing if you plan on going somewhere that is likely to be very cold.
5. Travel insurance
The US does not have a national health service, so it is necessary to take out suitable travel insurance that would cover any medical bills, should your child get sick or have an accident. Otherwise, you could end up with some very expensive hospital treatment bills, even for what seems like a minor injury.
Travelling to the US is a great experience for children, especially if you are visiting as tourists, so make sure you fully prepare with these tips to ensure your trip goes smoothly and safely.
