I always dreaded long travel days with my kids. Getting airport lounge access has completely changed the way my family travels.

• I love traveling, but bringing my kids along has always been a struggle, especially in the airport.
• When I got a travel credit card, I gained access to the airport lounges, and it changed everything.
• Now, we have access to a large, comfortable space and free food when waiting for our flights.

I love showing my kids the world, but traveling with children can be stressful. That's especially true for long travel days.

My kids inevitably became overstimulated by the crowds and noise, and I regularly blew my budget plying them with overpriced snacks. I needed a solution.

I coveted access to airport lounges, but thought they were only for First Class passengers. I was astonished to find that I was wrong.

Here's how my family now gets access to airport lounges all over the world, practically for free — and how it helped my young family during grueling travel days.

I opened a premium travel credit card to gain access to lounges

Since I travel multiple times a year, keeping a travel credit card in my wallet is a must. I've had a card that provides basic travel perks, including no foreign transaction fees and travel insurance, for years.

However, once I delved deeper into earning points and miles, I discovered that some premium travel credit cards include a Priority Pass membership valued at around $470. A membership opens up access to more than 1,800 lounges worldwide, even for those of us who usually fly economy. Even better, the membership that comes with some cards allows members to bring two guests, which is perfect for me since I usually travel with two of my children.

Despite the benefits, I was still hesitant to open a premium card because many have jaw-dropping annual fees up to $895. I am usually budget-conscious, so this is a hard number to swallow. However, I coveted lounge access so deeply that I dug deeper to see if I could justify the cost.

Although I have held different cards with lounge access in the past, this year I opened a new Chase credit card with a high annual fee. Thankfully, that fee is automatically offset by a $300 annual statement credit for travel-related charges, which I used almost instantly by buying plane tickets. Moreover, my family attends several ticketed events a year, so I can easily recoup another $300 by using the card's annual credit for StubHub purchases.

I will likely break even on the remaining amount by using the card's dining and Lyft credits. That's on top of the savings offered with most travel credit cards, such as travel insurance and no foreign transaction fees.

Getting lounge access has completely changed the way I travel with my kids

Since getting a Priority Pass membership through my credit cards, having a lounge to retreat to has saved my sanity on multiple occasions. I like getting to the airport early. Having a quiet, calm space to wait has made it easier for my family to relax before dealing with the chaos of boarding.

During layovers, instead of looking for a place to set up camp on the floor or a hard chair by the gate, we now find the closest lounge and settle into comfortable seats with plenty of space to spread out. When our flights are delayed, the inconvenience is much easier to swallow knowing we have somewhere comfortable to relax.

Plus, my growing children always have access to unlimited food and drinks. Not only has this saved me a ton of money, but the food is usually better than what we would get in the terminal.

While lounge quality ranges from basic to luxe, passing time in a lounge is universally better than waiting in the terminal. We've also found some fun lounges, including one with a putting green and others with play areas. Once, I even got a complimentary massage, which I was pleased to find was covered by my Priority Pass membership. Some lounges also have showers and napping pods.

Having space to decompress with my children on long travel days makes our trips go much more smoothly. When we board our flight, everyone is well fed and in a good mood, ready to handle the chaos of air travel.

A Priority Pass membership isn't perfect, but it's well worth the investment for my family

There are some downsides to using my credit card to access lounges. For example, when lounges are nearing capacity, they often prioritize Business Class passengers over Priority Pass members.

Additionally, lounges sometimes have long wait times to enter or are closed entirely. Sometimes, the only participating lounge is in a different terminal, making it impossible to use and catch my flight on time.

Nevertheless, now that I know the value of lounge access, I would consider paying for a Priority Pass membership out of pocket. The savings in food and drinks alone add up quickly. Even more importantly, the calm that lounges bring to the chaos of traveling with kids is priceless.