We have just returned from ten days in Lanzarote with our three year old and these are the things that made things all the more enjoyable at the airport. We did things a little bit differently this year and I wanted to share some of our tips with you. Things that made our airport experience more relaxing and enjoyable. You might be going on holiday soon or perhaps you are planning next year's holiday already. 

We used the airport parking facility (Dublin Airport) but not the one directly at the airport. We used Quick Park. It cost less than a return taxi, meant that we could bring our own car and not worry about a taxi with a car seat. It also meant our car would be waiting for us when we landed. Quick Park  is off-site but there is a free shuttle bus that gets you to the airport in less than five minutes. The buses are every couple of minutes and it is really straight forward. This year we paid a couple of extra euro and used the Premium Parking facility whereby they have a valet parking service. It means that you can get off the shuttle bus at the first stop, don't need to worry about remembering where you parked your car and they have it ready and waiting for you. Highly recommend this service.

Priority Boarding. I have to admit that I always rolled my eyes at the people who jaunted off to their “other” queue so that they could get on to the plane first. Now I know why! It's because they WANT TO. How judgy I was. This year we paid an extra €18 (€9 each way) and it meant that we could literally stroll on to the plane when we were ready. We have a very impatient three year old and standing in a queue for longer than thirty seconds is really stressful at the moment. On both plane journeys this facility made such a huge difference to us and we will use it from now on. Anything to take away stress is worth it's weight in gold.

The Boots Meal Deal. Are you (like us) a parent who pretends they are relaxed in the airport when all you want to do is get on the plane and know that you've managed everything properly? Throw food in to the mix and it's a whole other level of pretending to be relaxed. Rather than pay €15 for an Airport Breakfast that I nervously wolf down we've started using the Boots Meal Deal when we go on holiday and it is a game-changer. Boots in Terminal 1 has a Meal Deal for under €5 which includes a nice sandwich, crisps and a drink. You can also choose fruit, yoghurt or other healthier alternatives. We pick our meal deals, pack them in our hand luggage bag and enjoy them about an hour in to the flight with a cup of tea. It's so much cheaper than anything in the airport and we enjoy it so much more when we are on the plane. 

Written by Tracey, mummy blogger and staff writer at www.familyfriendlyhq.ie.
Check out her own blog at www.loveofliving.ie