What are your biggest concerns when you think about traveling as a family to a foreign country? Do you wonder whether the kids will like the food? Do you worry about entertaining them on flights or on long drives? What if they get sick? Or lost?! Perhaps the idea of being with your kids 24×7 makes you a little nervous!!
We had all these questions and worries plus a million more when we decided to travel the world for 12 months with kids.
In 2017 we set off on a family gap year. Over the year we traveled to 30 countries on 4 continents and completed a full loop around the world. It was a busy, adventurous and rewarding year. Needless to say we learned a LOT along the way about travel with kids.
We want to share what we learned with you so that you can put aside concerns you may have about travel around the world with kids. While it is natural to feel protective towards our kids, many fears we hold about travel with kids are unfounded.
These fears simply hold us back from taking extraordinary adventures
Not planning a trip around the world with kids? Don’t worry – we think these tips are just as relevant for families setting off on their annual vacation as they are for those planning a longer trip. Read on for our best 20 tips on how to travel the world with kids.
Places to travel with kids
I’ll let you in on a little secret we learned on our family gap year – there are no “best places to travel with kids”. We traveled through first, second and third world countries with our kids and loved them all.
Every country offers unique cultural experiences and landscapes. Don’t limit yourself to first world countries in the belief it will be safer/better/easier. Most places are possible with kids.
If you want to travel the world with kids, our best tip is to choose the countries and places that offer the travel experience you are looking for as a family.
What this means is different for every family. Some love adventure travel with kids. Others prefer to travel Europe with kids. Many families enjoy exploring their own country.
Do your own research and encourage the kids to provide input too. Our daughter had read many books about France and as a result Paris was at the top of her list. My son wanted to try curry in every country in Asia.
Pool your ideas and choose the destinations that tug at your heart and start planning. These stories by families who have been on a longer trip will help get you started.
Home is wherever you are
One of our big concerns when we decided to travel the world with kids was how they would cope with moving and staying in different beds all the time.
In 12 months of travel around the world with kids we moved on average every 2.5 days! We stayed in hotel rooms, apartments, hostels, big campervans, little campervans, with friends, in bamboo shacks, on trains and ferries and with local families.
What we discovered is that where we stayed didn’t matter one little bit. The kids coped just fine. It is highly likely your kids are far more adaptable than you give them credit for.
Our tip? When you travel with kids, it doesn’t really matter where you stay. Home isn’t defined by a house. When you travel, home is wherever YOU are.
Teach your kids the basics of the local language
When you travel the world with kids it is the perfect opportunity to teach them new languages. In our experience, the locals are always appreciative when you make an effort to engage with them in their language. Even if it is just a smile and “Hello”. They especially love it when your kids try too.
Make it a priority to teach the kids basic greetings, words and numbers. Apps like Google Translate and Duolingo make it fun and easy for the kids to learn the basics.
Sure, there will still be plenty of miming required and a little embarrassment when you get it wrong. But learning the basics of a language and putting it into practice every day is a great learning experience for both you and your kids.
Download Duolingo for free. Click for:
Apple Store free download (iOS)
Google Store free download (Android)
Be friendly and open to new experiences
When you travel the world with kids it opens up so many opportunities to engage and chat with the local people. Family and children are common across all cultures.
There are far fewer children traveling than 20-something backpackers, so there is often a natural curiosity and desire to engage with traveling families.
In India, Asia and Africa locals would say “hi” to the kids, ask where they were from and often request a photo with them.
It was so common we suggested our kids start charging for the privilege! The local kids would often shyly approach us, curious and keen to practice their English.
Our kids were offered seats on trains, lollies and cuddles from complete strangers. On our daughter’s birthday in India, the manager of our hotel took her to a cake shop to choose a birthday cake and organised a party for her.
In a packed bus in Croatia late at night a woman put my tired son on her lap for the short journey home. In India an older woman beside the road gave my kids an enormous cuddle as they walked by…
It took the kids (and us) a little while to accept these random acts of kindness not as some weird ‘kidnap my children thing’, but just a genuine love of children.
It was genuinely heart-warming and greatly enhanced our experience of traveling the world with kids.