My 2.5-year-old son Julian and I recently returned from a three-month, six-continent, round-the-world solo expedition. One of two things usually happens when I tell strangers this: “Wow, you’re brave!” is the more polite response. The other is a version of “Are you nuts?”
I say, “Yes, and thank you—but I didn’t do it alone,” in response to both of them. During our 88-day journey, which I am chronicling for Condé Nast Traveler through an exclusive family travel newsletter (subscribe here), How to Travel With Kids I reached out to a wide range of adventurous parents and asked them for their best tips on overcoming the very real emotional, social, and physical challenges of traveling with kids.
More than a dozen tour operators, travel writers, and other road warriors offer their top tips for taking trips with infants, teenagers, and all ages in the sections that follow.I was able to stay afloat during the more trying times overseas thanks to these pearls of wisdom, daily FaceTime calls with my incredibly patient husband, WhatsApp conversations with friends, and relationships I formed with like-minded parents through Facebook groups like Families Who Love to Travel and Tiny Globetrotters. I’ve implemented their advice on innumerable occasions, and I’m excited to give back by sharing their wise counsel with you.
More than a dozen tour operators, travel writers, and other road warriors offer their top tips for taking trips with infants, teenagers, and all ages in the sections that follow.
Travel frequently and early.
Before they had kids, David DiGregorio, managing director of the consulting firm CornerSun Destination Marketing in New York, and his wife took frequent trips. But folks loved to chirp, “I guess your travel days are over!” when Chandra became pregnant with their first daughter. The couple decided that their daughter Samara would have to “adjust to our lifestyle just as much as we would have to adjust to hers” since they found this response to be annoying.
Samara was out and about with the DiGregorios from the beginning, traveling across Canada by train at the age of ten weeks. According to DiGregorio, “it got her used to moving around and being out of a routine very early in life.” She was incredibly adaptive by the time she was a year old and could be placed in unfamiliar circumstances with ease without protesting […]. It was ideal preparation for the future traveler she would become.
Today, eleven-year-old Samara has traveled to numerous nations. DiGregorio attributes his daughter’s ability to be more adaptable and less judgmental to an early start. When she travels overseas, Samara realizes something that many Americans do not: she is the one who needs to adapt, not the other way around.”Samara is content to place her own meal order at a restaurant or go into a store by herself and make a purchase with cash she has never seen before. Even if she doesn’t speak the language, she will return with friends if you put her on a playground anywhere in the globe.
Travel light and purchase necessities overseas.
Travel journalist and podcaster Kathryn Romeyn, who lives in Bali, packed “the entire house” when she and her husband arrived in Palm Springs with their 10-week-old baby, Indah. Being overly prepared for that first trip gave her the confidence to reduce the amount of stuff she brought on subsequent trips, even though she felt foolish arriving for a three-night stay in an SUV full of baby gear.
At the age of three and a half, Indah has traveled to eighteen countries; her sister Mira, who is eleven months old, has already visited seven. Romeyn, who has mastered the art of creating toys out of everything, says, “I’m happy to report that we pack even less for two kids on trips now than we did with just one infant.”attaching a plastic water bottle to the headrest flap of an airplane seat. These days, her main necessities are diapers, teething crackers, and Cerebelly pouches for the baby (“more than I think she could possibly eat”), the majority of which can be bought when you get there.
DiGregorio used to travel with a regular stroller, but these days he only uses the Pockit Air micro stroller, which opens in “two seconds” and can accommodate children weighing up to 55 pounds and ranging in age from six months to five years. Other parents I talked to yelled out “game-changing” features like toddler-sized hiking packs for additional outdoor activities, inflatable booster seats, and bed bumpers that are small enough to fit in a carry-on.
In the event that your child loses their most cherished companion overseas, as was the case with her daughter’s cherished Black Cat, Cinzia Reale-Castello, a picture editor located in Rutherford, New Jersey, and the mother of 4-year-old Leonora, advises keeping a “dupe stuffie” in your luggage. (Don’t worry; in Rome, she was reunited with the original.)
Engage the children in planning and research.
Romeyn believes it’s simple for parents who are always in a hurry to “drag your kids around without looping them in on what’s actually happening.” However, she finds that youngsters behave better the more they know. “Even if you believe your children are too young to comprehend, talk to them about the upcoming trip,” she suggests. Explain to kids what flying would be like, including the sounds, sights, and activities they may expect. For example, “We’ll be in the plane for two sleeps, but we’ll play in between and eat three meals.”
“What can we do, see, eat, and experience here that we can’t do at home or anywhere else?” Marilyn Lobos, an art teacher in Lyndhurst, New Jersey, advises her 8-year-old daughter Luna to always ask herself, look at maps with her, and assist in creating lists of things to do in case it rains.
Chris Bergaust, a Foreign Service Officer based in Washington, D.C., who has four extraordinarily well-traveled children—19-year-old Erik, 17-year-old Joseph, 15-year-old Adam, and 12-year-old Ana—says it’s crucial to include youngsters in the planning process when it comes to adolescents and tweens. He claims that if your teens have already committed to an activity, they will value having a voice, remain more involved, and be less inclined to complain.
Beach, Coast, Nature, Outdoors, Sea, Shoreline, Water, People, Person, Walking, Sky, Adult, and Child are all possible inclusions in the image.
The Actual Experience of Traveling with Children
The desire to show your children the world is a strong one, but once you’re on the road, the realities of parenting—especially for women—do not go away.
Think about the combo trip.
Tom Marchant, co-founder of the luxury travel company Black Tomato, based in London, recently took his two children, Coco, age 3.5, and Minnie, age 6, on their first multi-destination journey. For Marchant, showing his daughters “two very different cultures, lifeways, environments, and topographies on one trip while having the right balance of adventure and chill time” was both exciting and satisfying, despite the fact that Iceland and Morocco could seem like an unusual combination.
Play with the seating arrangement.
Romeyn has had some luck finding seats in separate rows when she travels with two parents and two children. “It may sound strange, but [my husband] handled Indah much more easily, and I was able to take care of baby Mira without them waking each other up or getting in each other’s way,” she says. For his family of four, DiGregorio adopts a different strategy of reserving window and aisle tickets in the same row while leaving the two middle seats unoccupied. “We scoot over and give them the aisle when people show up for the middle seats,” he says. “But occasionally, there are six seats available for the four of us.”
Be at peace with screens.
Numerous parents informed me that while they restrict screen time at home, they always bring an iPad with educational games and kid-friendly programming when they travel. When Chris Schalkx, a writer and photographer from Bangkok, needed to keep his now 6-year-old son Ollie quiet in a fine restaurant or on public transit, he recalls, “Peppa Pig was our secret weapon.” Bergaust notes that since WiFi can be limited, connections frequently drop, and certain model planes lack built-in screens, make sure to download films for offline viewing before a trip. In addition, he suggests turning off electronics ten minutes before you get there since it “gives kids a chance to reset and be less grumpy.”
Get the VIP treatment this spring.
While some airport terminals feature family-friendly check-in counters and security waits, others have indoor playgrounds. DiGregorio advises, “You should always ask because they aren’t clearly advertised.” “They can save a great deal of headaches and time.” For lengthier layovers, he also suggests reserving day rooms in an airport hotel or lounge (“it gives us a private place to sleep and use a home base”) and,
if possible, scheduling a VIP meet-and-assist service in advance through the airport or a local tour operator. He says that when you exit the plane, “someone will be waiting for you to escort you through immigration and other formalities.” “This eliminates the agony of determining where to go, what to do, and standing in line.”
Keep food on hand at all times.
Food for the creatures that are our children is a constant task, but snacks on the plane are a given. “Be ready for breakfast,” advises Campbell Levy, the founder and CEO of CampStories, a PR and marketing agency based in Evergreen, Colorado, and father to three young boys: Hawkins (2), Lawless (4), and Wilder (6). You may also ask for it to be equipped with basic items like milk. “Many hotels have larger refrigerators available to roll into your room—call ahead and request it,” he suggests. He says, “This is presuming you can’t get a room with a kitchenette.” “You clearly want it, if you can.”
Include a cushion day so you can relax.
Time zone changes can be particularly confusing for the youngest, according to Marchant, even though [travel] can be a pain for adults. Adding an additional day or two to adjust to a new time zone is his best way to deal with jet lag. Stay closer to home if you just have a few days to spare. DiGregorio agrees, pointing out that when his oldest daughter was very little, his family primarily traveled to South America because the time zones were comparable to New York, which made it simpler to keep her sleep schedule.
Avoid scheduling lengthy automobile trips for late in the day.
Saralyn Bellmer, the founder of Heilbron Herbs, based in Asheville, North Carolina, and her daughter Ursa, who is now two, performed errands in the morning before heading onto the highway in the middle of the afternoon to travel from San Jose, Costa Rica, to the Caribbean Coast. A huge error. “When [then-5-month-old] Ursa started screaming for the majority of the four-hour drive, we really regretted not getting on the road right away,” she remembers. Delaying means that “everyone is already exhausted and there is no room for taking a break if the kid has a meltdown.” The family was “beyond exhausted and all on edge” when they arrived after nightfall.
include playtime
Terry Ward, a freelance writer living in Tampa, says, “It can be hard to remember that it’s not all about you—especially if you’ve done a lot of solo travel before becoming a parent.” Terry has traveled to 18 different countries with her two children, 7-year-old Gabi and 8-year-old Nico. “I’ve been selfishly trying to keep them from spotting a playground as we go by, but kids need the familiarity of places like that on the road just as much as they need it at home.” It’s also critical to find opportunities for your children to interact with other kids, whether that be at a resort pool or a neighborhood playground.
It can be beneficial to travel with friends who have kids the same age or older. Reale-Castello and her husband, graphic designer Jeff Quinn, considered themselves fortunate to be in Puerto Rico concurrently with friends who had children ages nine and twelve. “I trusted them to watch our toddler by the pool or on the beach, and they loved spending time with her,” says Reale-Castello. “Despite the age difference, she also found it much more enjoyable to have other children around.”
Investigate scientific museums
The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, the California Science Center in Los Angeles, the Discovery Center of Idaho in Boise, and Parque de las Ciencias in Granada, Spain, are among Bergaust’s favorites. “They’re interactive, good for a wide range of ages, and have the added bonus of teaching things,” he says.
Let’s Play and Work Out a Deal
“We make concessions when our children were younger and even now,” says Robin Kapiloff, a supply chain program manager in Boston and mother of 14-year-old Gabe and 18-year-old Maggie. “You can spend the afternoon in the pool and on WiFi if you take this tour of Comuna 13 [in Medellín, Colombia].”
Spend time with each other alone.
Arye Dworken, a creative director located in Teaneck, New Jersey, and his spouse, Shana, are avid beachgoers. However, it can be difficult to get his three children—9-year-old Edie, 11-year-old Eleanor, and 14-year-old Steven—to agree on events or activities. During a vacation, it’s important to figure out how to spend time with each child individually, he says. “I would take Edie to get lemonade if she was bored on the beach. I can also take Steven to the pool if the girls would rather stay at the hotel and watch TV. I’m fine with separating to [make] one child the center of my attention because group dynamics are complicated.
Arrange a private vacation.
Bergaust took all four of his children on separate travels before to his solitary work assignment to Islamabad, Pakistan. This included taking his oldest son on a multi-day backpacking trip in Idaho, taking his second-born to Universal Studios in Singapore, taking his youngest son temple hopping and cave tubing in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, and spending time with his only daughter relaxing on the beach at the Ritz-Carlton in Bali. “We have pleasant memories of these trips and they were among our most treasured travel experiences,” he says.
Employ that nanny.
Parents also require one-on-one time. In order to afford themselves a date night or two while on vacation, the DiGregorios, whose kids are now 4 and 11, recently began hiring babysitters. They have found success by asking friends of friends who reside in the area, contacting professional contacts, and relying on hotel recommendations. When our younger daughter is asleep, the babysitter usually comes over and stays in the hotel room until we return, he explains. “We don’t usually take the kids to restaurants, but this gives us a chance to actually experience some nightlife,” he explains.
Just relax.
Lisa Alam Shah is the executive director of luxury tour operator Micato India, based in Delhi. Her daughters, ages 28 and 30, are all grown up now, but Shah remembers the many victories and challenges of traveling with small children. “It happens—things go wrong on vacation, new places feel scary,” Shah adds. Therefore, you should relax because your small child will mimic your negative energy and will carry it into adulthood. At least pretend to be calm if you can’t maintain it.
The mother of five-year-old Lachie, Rachel Lees, a freelance writer and editor from Sydney, advises getting a meditation app on your phone and utilizing it when you’re feeling stressed. When her kid was a toddler, she frequently employed Calm’s 3-, 6-, and 10-minute “emergency calm” meditations.
Control expectations and be prepared to flex whenever necessary.
According to Levy, “point-to-point planning, or A, B, C, works great when it works.” However, when you have children, you must be prepared to “embrace serendipity” and abandon ship. This is echoed by Bergaust. He cautions against overscheduling your travels. Planning out every minute of a trip rarely works out well, even while it’s good to have a general concept of what you want to do there and get tickets in advance for popular attractions. According to Bergaust, “having impromptu moments is part of the joy in traveling.” “You miss being completely present when everyone is preoccupied with moving on to the next thing.”
Allow the children to show off as well.
Bellmer has worked as a nanny for many years, and she is aware that different children have varying needs for regularity and structure. “On certain days, ordering takeout and dining at our rental is simply more fun than enduring a tantrum at a restaurant,” Bellmer says. However, we’ve also learned that our child is more adaptable than we thought. For example, a planned nap could become a shorter nap in a car seat or hiking backpack. Bellmer says, “We’ve learned to ride that edge.” “It feels like we’re cultivating a healthy sense of adaptability most of the time, but sometimes it backfires”—for both parents and children.
Allow the children to show off as well.
Bellmer has worked as a nanny for many years, and she is aware that different children have varying needs for regularity and structure. “On certain days, ordering takeout and dining at our rental is simply more fun than enduring a tantrum at a restaurant,” Bellmer says. However, we’ve also learned that our child is more adaptable than we thought. For example, a planned nap could become a shorter nap in a car seat or hiking backpack. Bellmer says, “We’ve learned to ride that edge.” “It feels like we’re cultivating a healthy sense of adaptability most of the time, but sometimes it backfires”—for both parents and children.
Interact with people to create involved people.
Shah claims that while visiting all the major museums and taking pictures in front of famous landmarks is wonderful, you miss out on the people who really bring a country to life. “Allocate time and space for your kids to interact with the locals,” advises Shah. “Speak to your drivers and urge your kids to follow suit. Speak with the tour guides, store owners, and neighborhood families with children your own age; spend fifteen minutes letting your kids converse with their kids. They’ll keep that in mind.
nic monuments is great and all, says Shah, but you lose something in the process: the people that make a place come alive. “Allocate time and space for your kids to interact with the locals,” advises Shah. “Speak to your drivers and urge your kids to follow suit. Speak with the tour guides, store owners, and neighborhood families with children your own age; spend fifteen minutes letting your kids converse with their kids. They’ll keep that in mind.
Don’t allow fear to prevent you from seeing the world.
According to Levy, “kids can be jerks.” Because it’s difficult, some parents I know decide not to take their young children on trips. In all honesty, though, children will act rudely both at home and when you’re at your destination. You might as well be on the road.