When travelling abroad with the family food and water safety should always be a consideration. Commonsense and care must be maintained at all times. The ages of your children will determine how difficult it is for you to maintain appropriate standards of hygeine and food and water safety so do pick a destination that is appropriate for you and your family.

Thinking ahead when travelling with kids will help or they can end up eating junk food or spending all your holiday money in restaurants. Fruit and healthy snack are always great to have to fill little tummies.

If you are travelling with a young baby, make sure you ask for a kettle in your room and a fridge. Mini bars can often double as a fridge but make sure if you are moving items or emptying items out that you are not going to be charged if they are weight sensitive. A quick call to explain to the reception should sort this out.

If you are travelling in a country where the drinking water is not safe, adopt stringent hygiene measures for both food and water.

Food

Always eat freshly cooked hot food. If the food is freshly cooked and hot then the risk of contamination is reduced. If food is cold (either salads or cold meats) it can easily be infected with a variety of organisms such as parasites, bacteria and viruses. Avoid salads and undercooked meat, shellfish and eggs although getting kids to eat these at the best of times is usually a battle. You should be safe to eat fruit you can peel yourself but not if the skin is broken.

If you are eating out with kids, have a look at the restaurant before you eat and see whether it appears to be clean with good standards of hygiene. Try to choose your restaurant before everyone gets really hungry as tempers can get really frayed. Have a look at our guide to eating out with the kids for tips on entertaining the kids. If you are unsure do not take a risk and try elsewhere.

When ordering make certain all meat is very well cooked and choose only food from the menu that you recognise. Avoid buffets if hygiene standards are not high and eat at busy restaurants with a high turnover of food.

Children will love fruit and ice cream at street stalls but if you are where hygeine is an issue avoid them.

Water

In some countries the tap water supply may be unsafe. Always check both before you go and with your accommodation or operator what the standards are when you get there. Even in Ireland and the UK, local sources can be a case of concern and although this is rare, do check it.

If water is unsafe use only bottled water for drinking, making up bottles, brushing your teeth and washing bottles. Have a look at our guide for making up formula while on holidays for some further information on this. Make sure to explain to the kids about not using the tap water for brushing their teeth as this one can slip under the radar for adults and children alike. Keep a bottle of water by the sink to remind everyone.

Do not take ice in any drinks where the tap water is unsafe and again explain this to children. Use only bottled mineral water for drinking as long as the bottle is well sealed and for the kids, try to use straws or wipe the bottle tops before they start.

You will find lots of family friendly travel tips and advice in our research and advice section to help you book the right family holiday. Check out also the experiences of other parents and travellers in our parents forum and add your own experiences as we are a great believer in real parent's experiences as the best measure of whether somewhere will suit you for your family holiday.

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