Preparing for a family holiday is daunting and pretty stressful. Packing for one person is difficult enough, but packing for more people is even harder - and that's before you've even left the house. On the day, most airlines require you to be at the airport at least three hours before your flight. This can make your day begin a lot earlier and will also mean many hours being spent in the same terminal. For adults, it's not so bad because you can go shopping and spend some time in bars and restaurants. But for children, it's not so fun if you don't have anything to do while you're there. Take a look a some of our tips to keep you and the kids happier at the beginning of your trip.

1. For starters, getting to the airport is probably the least exciting part of your trip - unfortunately it's unavoidable. But it doesn't have to be all doom and gloom. If you book a Heathrow airport parking meet and greet service, once you're at the airport, you won't even have to worry about parking your car or catching any transfers. This means you can allow yourself and the kids some extra time in bed. At the airport, a chauffeur will meet you at the terminal, drive your car to a secured car park, and then deliver it to the terminal when you return.
 
2. If you'd prefer to avoid the early start, you might want to consider booking a Heathrow airport hotels. Instead of waking early and dragging the children out of bed to start your journey, you can wake up closer to the airport. Most hotels even come inclusive of a parking package, so you either leave your car in the hotel's car park or drive it to a secured car park and it'll be included in the price. When booking your hotel, you'll also find that most have family rooms, so you can spend the night together rather than in separate rooms.

3. When you're at the airport, trying to keep an eye on the kids with hundreds of people around is pretty tough. So why not alleviate the fuss and stress by checking in to an airport lounge? Lounges are great because not only do they include things to keep adults happy, but some even have areas which will ensure the children are fully occupied too. Adults can take advantage of the free drinks, snacks and literature. Kids can make use of the games consoles, soft play areas, toys and other activities.