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• 9 Reasons Why Traveling with Your Family is Important

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9 Amazing benefits of traveling with your family

Family vacation has always been on your to-do list. But with your family’s busy schedules finding the time to spend together has been stressful. 

What if a family vacation is not only something that is actually easy and stress-free to take, but it also has all of these reasons why traveling with your family is important.

Are you ready to experience the benefits of traveling with your family?

This go-to list of why you should travel with your family, from The Travel Between, will inspire and empower you to know what you and your family actually get out of traveling with each other.

Regardless of what your family does, here are my top 9 reasons why traveling with your family is important.

9 Reasons why Traveling with Your Family is Important

Travel is a brilliant way to celebrate your family milestones..

Whether it’s a birthday, anniversary, graduation, wedding, retirement, family reunion, or any number of special celebrations, traveling outside of your norm can help provide meaningful memories that will forever stick with you and your family.

It allows you to celebrate the people in your life. Together you will enjoy the moments in time that are important to each of you while also creating more moments to be shared .

Reignites the Family Bonds Within Your Family

Everyone is always busy. When at home, you and your children are consistently on the go. There’s work, school, sports, and many other activities that are on your schedule to do. There’s little to no time to have conversations among family members. Even the weekends are too short.

It’s hard for families both near and far to make time to see each other, and before you know, years have passed by.

One of the reasons why traveling with your family is important, the shared life experiences outside the routine can bring families closer together. You are bound to create fantastic new memories together. You experience a lot of new things and get to share them with your loved ones.

Travel can even bring your family together even in the planning stages too. For example, allow your children to help plan the family’s vacation. Like any siblings, they may be prone to fighting but will have a lot of fun bonding time while planning which places to go to each day, what you all will do, and where you’ll eat.

While traveling, you’ll get to spend more everyday moments with the people you love. Your family will fully dedicate all of their time to each other, creating a bonding experience like no other. It’s also good to know that the amount of time you spend with your kids isn’t what matters to them; it’s what you do with them in that time that counts.

By disconnecting from routine and indulging in new experiences with each other, memories are made that will be taken many decades into the future. Often outliving some of the older generations. Which is a reason why traveling with your family is important.

Makes Your Family into Your Teammates

There will come a time during any journey or excursion where you and your family may find yourselves in new and unfamiliar environments and situations. These are the moments where the family dynamic can shift from friends into teammates. Another reason why traveling with your family is important.

Simple scenarios like finding your way around a big city, navigating a new public transport system, figuring out a menu that’s in a foreign language, cooking classes, taking boat rides, embarking on jungle treks, learning about unfamiliar traditions, or immersion yourselves in a new culture will generate life-long memories and bonding.

Sharing in problem-solving, mutually addressing challenges, and confronting unexpected mishaps as a family will often become the most cherished family memories while bringing your family members together and having them working as a team. One of the many reasons why traveling with your family is important.

Traveling Shows You the Importance of Time

Unlike at home, where there are both mental and physical distractions to keep us preoccupied, the reason why traveling with your family is important is that it makes it essential to live in the moment truly. This makes it easier for family members to catch up and spend quality time with one another. While vacations might seem to fly by, time really does slow down, making those special moments string together into days that won’t be forgotten.

Your Family will Gain an Appreciation for Culture and Diversity

Traveling is not just about the beautiful pictures that your family will take of sunsets, landmarks, food, and even each other. It is also about gaining an understanding of humanity and the world around you. Experiencing the world around you will make each of your family members of all ages have a fresh perspective on life by exploring new environments or meeting interesting people.

A family vacation gives your children a front-row seat to experience cultural diversity in a way that staying in their own neighborhood simply can’t. Your kids will gain a better understanding of their place within the world around them. Plus, they’re more likely to develop open hearts and minds to different cultures, religions, foods, languages, and so much more!

Remember to allow your children the opportunity for self-exploration while on your family vacation. This will give them a little more freedom to take in more of the world around them and truly see how different lives can be elsewhere. 

Travel will also help your kids understand that even though people may look different, sound different, and live differently, we’re the same in many ways. This will be done by your kids simply being kids and asking any questions that come to mind. It even allows for your whole family to learn something new.

Your kids will develop an increased tolerance and sensitivity toward others. While also being more likely to be outgoing and have better self-expression than kids who don’t travel with their family. This is important for the life that they will end up living but helps them navigate the increasingly global and multicultural workspace your children will be entering when they grow up.

Developing respect for diverse cultures and identities is one of the most important benefits that your family will have from traveling with your kids. But for your children themselves, they will ultimately receive a balanced outlook and approach to his or her world that will last well into adulthood.

Experience the World Through Your Child Eyes

You can delight in the joy of your kids! Your kids will be fascinated by everything you’ll experience while on vacation because it’s all new to them. Plus, you’ll be able to feel like a kid again with them and be charmed by past and unique travel destinations alike.

Old places are new again when experienced through the lens of your child while watching an entirely new world unfold when you navigate new cities with your little ones. Seeing your children’s reactions to the world will make you appreciate the world even more while building connections with those you love. Be able to share and see your favorite places through the eyes of your child. 

Planning tip: To help inspire your wanderlust and immerse older children (and adults) in your family who love to read into their travels, find a list of the best books to explore your travel destination before you go.

Travel Grows Kids’ Courage, Self-Esteem, Independence, Adaptability, Responsibility, and Flexibility

The world is a classroom, and travel is the key to lessons for the young people in your life at virtually every stage of the trip. From teaching them to not refuse to eat food they’ve never tried before, to have them pack their own backpack and what goes in it, your children will learn a lot during traveling with your family.

Family vacations are a unique way for you to experience the world! Through travel, you can have new experiences and adventures that aren’t just fun. But also build your kids’ self-confidence and self-concept, or sense of self which are priceless.

Whether it’s riding the London Eye, camping out in the middle of the woods in Scotland, or eating a beignet in France, trying new things will teach your kids what they do like and don’t like, what fascinates them, and what inspires them. Your kids will also gain independence from trying new experiences. This will all help build a child’s sense of self.

From planning to execution, travel can teach independence and responsibility in your children. Involving your children in the itinerary planning stage to identify places they want to see gives them some ownership of the vacation’s plans. Your child tasked with handling their own pre-trip packing and managing their own luggage throughout the trip will deliver a valuable, ongoing lesson in responsibility.

The act of traveling also throws a schedule routine and comfort zones out the window, but it forces us to deal with all of the unpredictable situations. Layovers, travel legs, irregular bedtimes, discovering an off-the-beaten-path snorkeling spot or local market, and time-zone changes will teach your children the necessity of adapting to constantly evolving circumstances.

Family travel can give your kids just enough space to develop confidence in their capabilities while knowing you are still there when they need you. As a result, the adults your children become will be confident and capable of going it on their own.

Travel will present your kids with all kinds of opportunities to try new things in a low-risk way. Even if your children “fail” at something, the stakes are low. Vacations, after all, are about having fun.

Family Vacations Can Provide a Well-Rounded Education

Traveling with your kids is also deeply educational! From exploring a museum in New York to walking through a cathedral in Paris, travel will bring education to life for them. 

All of your child’s senses are alerted to the sights, sounds, and smells encountered in a new place. What you and your family will see and experience defines your perception and goes a long way toward reshaping how you view the world. 

Your kids have a natural sense of wonder and are awed by anything new and different. You can enhance the learning experience by teaching your children about where they’ll be going, point out where it is on a map, and discuss the exciting things they’ll see.

Through travel, your kids can also gain first-hand experiences about the cultures, languages, and histories they are also learning in textbooks! Your children can grow up feeling that all of our planet is there for them to explore.

Family Vacations Create Memories That Last a Lifetime

Traveling with your kids also means more quality family time. Be excited to make memories as a family and to simply see the joy on your children’s faces as you adventure together. Your children will love it and never forget the experience, and neither will you.

Your family of all ages will learn through the unique opportunities and challenges presented by your destination. Which will have you thinking of the world like a giant playground you’ll travel through together.

Teach your kids that the world is an adventure by exposing and teaching them to enjoy and respect all cultures and traditions that they encounter while creating lasting memories with you while traveling. Making memories together is one of the greatest gifts and benefits you can give to your kids by traveling with them.

You’ll get to spend the whole day and night with the people who know you best, love you the most, but who won’t be around forever. Years later, you might stumble upon photos or videos of your vacation and relive the beautiful memories once again. Memories are meant to be remembered and cherished for years to come.

There’s truly no better feeling than getting to explore new destinations with your family. Whether it’s your biological family or the people you choose to call family, travel can help bring these relationships closer together. 

Well, there you have it! These are just some of the top benefits of traveling with your family,

You now know the reasons why traveling with your family is important.

Wondering more about making your next family vacation stress-free, how about finding out how a travel advisor can help your busy life .

Want to get started planning a family vacation that will fit your family’s lifestyle and needs, now that you know the reasons why traveling with your family is important? I have an unforgettable complimentary Family Vacation Fully Inclusive consultation call  to help you figure out where to start.

Read More About Traveling With Family:

• 13 Reasons Why Using a Travel Agent is Actually Good for Your Busy Life
• Discovering the Best 11 Family Friendly Destinations for Working Parents

Family Travel Expert

Kiara is a family travel specialist who helps busy families take their trip ideas from a time-consuming concept to a booked vacation that best suits their lifestyle and needs.

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28 comments.

This is so true, it gives the family time to value each other and a way of bonding, and relaxing time as well. I always make sure to include my parents in some of my travels,cause I love how they are happy, seeing new culture and environment too.

Me too! It is always the moments that we can share together that stick with us the longest. There actually some of the best memories I have with my family.

I think it would be great to travel with my family for a wedding or anniversary. I have never done this. I did go to Paris with my mom and our trip was amazing!

Both are actually excellent to do with your family. Everyone gets memories that aren’t like any other wedding or anniversary that they’ve been to before. I’m glad to hear that your trip with your mom to Paris was so amazing.

It sounds so strange but until I read this article I never thought of family travel this way. It’s been years since I’ve travelled with my family, we all lead such different lives that travelling together doesn’t really make the agenda. However moving forward I’ll definitely push for some more quality time together x

I completely understand! It was one of the struggles that my family had once everyone became adults. The funny thing was that we all loved to travel so we just came to an agreement to at least do it once a year together.

I love this, I can’t wait to have more family getaways.

You definitely should! It’s all about making memories with your loved ones. And thanks.

Great post.

Thank you very much. Have you thought about traveling with your family?

Traveling together will be good for an ideal family. However, I come from one that is not close with each other. I think it will be more of a challenge that it would be fun for us to do so.

I’m sorry to hear that. But family isn’t just the one that your born into, it’s also the people that you choose to make your family. Hopefully that helps.

When you travel as a family, you become team mates. I agree with you. Traveling as a family gives you the responsibility to look out after each other. It does bring families together because you get to enjoy things and to know each other better.

That’s very true! It’s those moment that you end up remembering for the rest of your life.

I totally agree with you. Vacations are amazing to bring a family together. With my husband and son, we are a team and every time we travel, something magical happens. We get closer if that’s even possible.

That’s exactly what seeing the world together is all about!

I really do love family getaways. It means I’ve time to spend with the kids doing things we all enjoy rather than working constantly. It’s great to share and create new memories.

It truly is! It’s the perfect place to make new memories

I do like to travel with my family, it does help with consolidating the bond and communication, I cant wait to go on more adventures.

Hopefully, we can go on more adventures soon. That’s one of this biggest gains from traveling with your family!

Growing up, my parents and I traveled twice a year – most years – and yes, it brought us closer together, and gave us something in common to talk about, even once I was grown and out of the house. It is even fun to share the stories from these times with my kids now, so they are kind of involved into this as well, which is nice. So yes, travel brings families closer together. Blessings!

It’s the memories that stick with you for a lifetime and even generations to come really. Blessings as well!

I hope this whole situation will make all of us more grateful for travel. And the experiences we gain through travel. I know for me (high-risk) it’ll be a while before I risk travelling.

I know, it has definitely reminded me how important it is to just be able to travel and see the world for myself.

Very inspiring tips on how traveling with your family is important and teaches you the right values to be shared with each other!

Thank you so much! It’s the memories and values that stick with you for a lifetime and even generations to come, really. Also, if you find you have more questions, be sure to ask.

I love how you said that traveling as a family and experiencing new things together can strengthen your bond and help you make fun memories. My husband and I have always wanted to see a big parade in person. We will have to bring our kids along so our whole family can experience it together and make amazing memories.

I’m glad you enjoyed it. The parade will be an amazing experience for the whole family and something that your kids will always remember.

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11 Reasons Why Family Vacations Are Important

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Wondering why travelling with family is important?

If so, then this blog post is for you! Vacations provide many benefits that make them worthwhile We will discuss the top reasons why family vacations are important for all your loved ones.

Vacations are important for families because they provide a chance to spend quality time together, and have been shown to have positive effects like helping to relieve stress, and improve moods. All while having fun, experiencing new things and learning about different cultures. A family vacation is also a great opportunity to connect and bond with loved ones.

There are many benefits of taking family vacations, which is why it should be on everyone’s bucket list.

Table of Contents

BENEFITS OF FAMILY VACATIONS

1. Unplugging from Routine

Escaping the daily grind allows family members to focus on each other and unwind, leading to reduced stress and improved mental health.

Everyday life can have parents and children running off in many different directions. Whether it’s the adults’ work, teenagers desire to only spend time with their friends, or busy after school schedules

If you’re lacking family time, one of the great benefits of family vacations is they’re a great way to reconnect with your partner and kids.

Ways family vacations help you unplug from routine & stay connected with loved ones:

•  Strengthening family bonds by spending quality time together
• Reducing your screen time
•  Staying healthy with fresh food, and exercising in new ways is good for mental health. 
• Learning about new cultures and traditions can be such a life long gift. It helps people see different ways of thinking and doing things, developing skills to be more open to other points of view.
• Learning to navigate the unknown together can make for some amazing  stories to be told again and again. 

Just one of the many reasons to travel with children.

2. Strengthen Bonds & Relationships

Family vacations provide dedicated time for families to connect and create lasting memories together, fostering stronger relationships.

Benefits of a family vacation include more quality time with your partner or spouse as well. Having fun together and laughing together is good for the heart and soul.

Let’s not forget the grandparents, and relatives who live farther away from you.

Vacations can also help you get to know family members on a deeper level and give you more insight into their personality. Visiting them can help build stronger bonds and relationships just by spending time with them.

That’s not to say it is always rainbows, and sunny ice cream days. Challenges with family members don’t magically go away because you are on vacation.

However, if you are more relaxed, and away from the everyday stresses of work and family life, it can give you  more space to find easier and more meaningful ways to connect with family members.

Family vacations give everybody the opportunity to let go of some stress, relax  and enjoy themselves . In a less scheduled, rigid environment.

Some ways vacations help build stronger relationships between siblings include:

• Taking part in fun activities together, such as games or taking a hike . Being active together encourages teamwork.
• Celebrating family milestones – like birthdays, anniversaries, 10th country visited, without distractions from work or school.
• Shared experiences, and common rituals and traditions together create bonds. 

These are just a couple of the ways vacations help build stronger relationships between siblings and families. The importance of family vacations can’t be dismissed.

You may also like our How to create a travel vision board to make those dream holidays happen.

3. Boosting Confidence & Learning New Skills

Vacations offer opportunities for family members to learn new skills, grow in confidence, and step out of their comfort zones. Parents can help teach their children valuable life skills.

Some new skills kids (and adults for that matter) can learn while traveling include: 

• Learning new languages
• Bargaining for a better price at an open market
• Encouraging safe risk taking. This can lead to kids who are willing to step out of their comfort zones later in life.
• Teaching kids safety awareness when traveling abroad
• Teaching life skills; math ( using / changing money), navigating transit systems and cities, reading maps, how to book hotels & activities, read bus schedules etc.
• Broadening their perspective on the world as well as themselves, which leads to more cultural awareness and acceptance.
• Teaching kids responsibility for their stuff, other people’s time, and time management skills. Nobody wants to miss their plane to the sunny beach vacation to Hawaii!
• Teach our children about responsibility by including them in the decision making during trips and including them in the day to day “chores”  during their family trips.

In fact parents can join in the learning fun and take up a new skill too, such as snorkeling, climbing or horseback riding.

You don’t have to travel to far off places or spend a lot of money to teach your children new skills. Kids can:

• Learn negotiating skills with siblings
• Try survival camping skills such as fire building, staying warm in their tent and on hikes on family camping trips
• Learn patience when waiting their turn at swimming or helping to cook dinner together. And it’s not just “learning”.

The sky’s the limit with family travel. You are never too young or old to learn new travel and life skills . Everybody will have sense of accomplishment and happiness when you develop new skills on trips.

4. Experiencing New Cultures

One of the best reasons to take a family vacation, and my favourite,  is to teach your kids about other people’s culture through food and language learning that opens up opportunities for cultural exchange.

Traveling to different destinations exposes families to diverse cultures and traditions, promoting cultural awareness and understanding.

Teach kids about the world around them through new foods, places, customs they experience while traveling.

• Eating local cuisine broadens children’s horizons when it comes to food preferences.  Exposure to different cultures and traditional dishes that might be different from what they are used to eating back home, can expand their palate. Or create new favorites you can recreate back home too.

5. Supporting Work-Life Balance

It’s so easy to be overwhelmed with busy schedules and work commitments.

Family vacations remind everyone of the importance of maintaining a healthy balance between work, school, and personal life.

Plus allows parents to recharge form work and focus on their kids and partner.

What is the value of family vacation for parents? Time off from work  responsibilities while still being able to spend quality family time with their kids.

This gives everyone time to relax.

Some people have trouble maintaining healthy relationships during long stretches of work days because they’re so tired when they come home at night or too busy on weekends carting their kids around to soccer, dance and friends houses.

If you get a chance, vacations can also give couples some much needed alone tim e without having to worry about childcare or housework. Leave your kids with their grandparents, a sitter, or use one of those resort services that entertain your kids for you, while you spend some quality time

Modelling this is a gift your children can take into the future.

6. Strengthening Resilience

Overcoming challenges while traveling can help family members build resilience, conflict resolution and problem solving skills.

The importance of family vacations include teaching your children how to handle difficult situations while they’re young so that they can be more resilient adults in the future.

7. Opportunities to Enjoy Nature & the Outdoors

Taking a vacation is a great way for children to explore their surroundings as well as spend time in nature , which is so important for mental health and happiness overall.

Some benefits of getting out in nature include reduced stress and  improved mental health , as well as  physical benefits such as better sleep and better concentration.

Some ways families can explore the outdoors together include: 

• Hiking : Hiking is free or fairly inexpensive, requires a short time commitment (depending on the length), & can be done with any age group. Promote physical health & activity while enjoying nature’s views.
• Camping : Camping is a great way for families to enjoy different experiences. Build family bonds while also teaching your kids wilderness skills such as cooking food outdoors , pitching tents and going fishing. 

This type of trip also has environmental benefits due to being more environmentally friendly  if wild spaces are chosen rather than resorts.

• Cycling : Promoting moving your body, by spending quality time biking through parks and on bike paths where there may not be a lot of traffic. Explore new routes close to home, or research a cool place to bike trip in a nearby province or state. 

Local camping and hiking adventures also have the benefit of being cheaper (less financial stress) , if you don’t have to hop on a plane with 5 people.

Family Road trips can be a lot of fun. Here are some great destinations to try:

• Vancouver Island, BC Canada Bucket List ideas
• Las Vegas, Zion, Bryce Canyon, Grand Canyon 7 Day Road Trip
• Zion National Park, USA with Kids – Beat the heat and crowds
• Road Trip from Boston to Bar Harbor Maine
• Epic USA Spring Break Destinations you can visit year round

Why Vacations are Important for Family

8. create cherished memories & family stories.

Shared experiences during vacations become cherished memories, strengthening family stories and connections.

Happy memories to look back on, that will last a lifetime!

Some ways families can share memories while on vacation include

• Taking family photos or selfies in front of landmarks & making photo books afterward
• Taking turns choosing an attraction, site, thing to do
• Writing in a travel journal

Vacations help families find common ground when it comes to interests as well. On vacations where there are activities for everyone on the trip, like water sports or hiking.

Most parents say they feel closer than ever before because of the shared experiences and memories created while away from home. This is just one of many reasons why vacations are important for family.

Grab tips to Avoid lost luggage & what to do if it’s delayed

9. Enhancing Communication

Time spent together during vacations encourages open dialogue, and learning to speak up for one’s needs.

Fostering improved communication and understanding within the family.

10. Family Travel Can Have Emotional Benefits

One benefit many parents don’t think about when it comes to taking breaks from work or school is how much it can help with healing past arguments between members of the family.

Family vacations provide time to heal from past arguments and grow closer together.

Whether it’s sibling fights,  your kids fighting over who gets to use the TV in their room for gaming, or you and your spouse arguing about finances. Taking time off from these daily stressors can help strengthen the familial bond. It can also help you gain perspective when not in your regular routine. 

Vacations are important for adults who want an escape but don’t always feel like it’s possible in their everyday lives; as well as those who need a change of scenery after working weekdays away and may be feeling worn out by all their responsibilities.

Make new memories together (even if there is still some fighting!)

Follow these key ways to keep sane on family vacations , for better holidays.

Trips to Jamaica , road trips, camping trips are all amazing ways to create memories.

11. Studies show children who go on regular vacations develop better social skills and academic performance.

Research shows travel helps increase academic performance and better social skills because of the connections to new places and cultures, and developing problem solving skills. 

Travel helps children develop emotional skills and exposes them to different ideas, perspectives, and ways of life that they might not experience otherwise. Traveling can lead to a greater appreciation for the world around them , by seeing how other people live and what their lifestyles are like.

The opportunity to travel can bring confidence leading to greater self-esteem. When children have traveled before, they will be better equipped when it comes time to make transitions in life because they’ve already experienced moving around different places or countries/cultures.

A trip provides an escape from everyday pressures such as school work or dealing with peers at home who don’t share your interests or values. When you’re on vacation there’s less pressure because it’s all about having fun!

12. Explore New Places You Might Not Otherwise Visit

During the rest of the year it can be difficult to get out and explore new places, due to time, work and school constraints. Family Vacations provide an opportunity to get out and explore new places near or far from home .

Some of our family’s favourite memories are of taking part in “tourist” activities in our home town or nearby, when on staycation, or trying to save up for a bigger trip. You don’t always have to travel far to experience something new.

Here are some ideas of new places to explore:

• Hire a tour guide to take you to a local park, Zion UTV tour or down the river river rafting.
• Take a vacation to a National Park (like Yosemite) you haven’t been to before.
• Take a mini-weekend trip to the town over to take advantage of a hotel with cool water slide and new coffee shops
• Fly away to your dream holiday to the Bahamas,   gorgeous Hawaiian island or South America.
• Travel to Spain or Costa Rica , and take an immersive language course as a family.
• Be a tourist in your own home town. Look up free things to do in your own town. You might be surprised at what you haven’t done yet.

Conclusion: Why You Should Take a Family Vacation

The reasons to take  family vacations are endless! They help with family bonding, create happy memories for years down the road, while also enhancing growth at home with less stressors such as school work, peer pressure from classmates, etc.,

This ultimately leads to happier, more well adjusted children (and parents).

The key is finding the right balance between fun in the sun and relaxation without going overboard so that vacation doesn’t turn into exhausting adventures. So why not plan your next vacation this year now!

Why are family vacations important to you? Let us know in the comments below .

Looking for family friendly travel tips? Here are some of our top choices:

• Summer travel tips to stay on budget and maximize fun
• Gift Ideas for travelers of all ages
• Best ways to keep your toddlers & preschoolers entertained on road trips

9 Reasons Why Family Vacations are important

Packed for Life is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, amazon.ca.

Donna Garrison is the founder of Packed for Life, an ever curious traveler with a passion for making memories with her family. With a unique perspective on travelling on a budget gathered over 30 years, 20 countries and 5 continents she gives families the tools & resources they need to experience the joys of travelling more for less through practical solutions. She helps over 20,000 families a month plan & take the family travel, camping and road trip adventures of their dreams in Canada, the USA and around the world. Contact her at: Donna [at] packedforlife.com

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The benefits of travelling with family

Recently updated on November 24th, 2023 at 06:26 pm

From the beginning of a journey to long after arriving home, travelling with family can be one of the most rewarding adventures you can have together. While travel enables families to form a stronger bond, children also benefit from new experiences and adults gain a greater appreciation for what’s around them. Read on to find out why travelling with family truly is life enriching.

1. It encourages family bonding

Away from life’s everyday distractions and long working hours, families are able to spend uninterrupted time together. Even the simplest experiences, such as a meal, can become cherished memories. Take a look at what travel bloggers, World Travel Family suggest for keeping everyone happy on the road.

Trafalgar family trip recommendation: European Wonderland

2. It promotes  a global education

In recent years, studies have shown that travel benefits children’s education, as well as their ability to adapt socially. Experiencing new cultures often means children are more open minded. Children are also thought to absorb knowledge more effectively through experiential learning, so while trying new cuisines and getting to know local customs, they may even pick up a little of the language. What’s more, travelling responsibly teaches the importance of protecting the environment.

Trafalgar family trip recommendation: Gladiators and Gondolas

3. Travelling with family reminds you to appreciate the little things

Children are naturally more inquisitive than adults, which will help open your eyes to what’s around you. Seeing children’s reactions to the world’s most extraordinary sights makes you appreciate them even more. Children also have a tendency to ask more questions, so by trying to provide an answer, the whole family can learn something new.

Trafalgar family trip recommendation: Shamrocks and Leprechauns

4. Travelling with family is  life enriching

Travel teaches children the importance of making memories and enjoying experiences, rather than wanting possessions. Family adventures promote independence, self-confidence and interpersonal skills. Days spent hiking through the mountains and swimming in the sea, promote an active lifestyle and appreciation of the outdoors. Finally, travel inspires children and gives them new ideas and fresh perspectives which can be used throughout their life.

Trafalgar family trip recommendation: Castles and Kilts

Take a look at some of our exclusive family tours and experience the benefits of travelling with your family with Trafalgar.

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27 reasons why family travel matters for your family

You could say that I’ve been working on this article for years. After all, I’ve been a family traveller for decades, either as a child or as a parent. I know why family travel is important for your family and mine. With the benefit of 20+ years of family travel experience under my belt, I feel pretty secure in putting pen to paper – or 1s and 0s on the screen – to share two decades worth of tried, tested and true family travel tips. Whether you’re just starting out on planning family travel or have dozens of family vacations under your belt, I hope you’ll learn why family travel matters, and benefit from these tips on how to successfully plan unforgettable family trips.

27 Reasons Why Family Travel Matters for Your Family

1. travel is the gift that keeps on giving.

When we first took our 5 month old first born to Europe for five weeks, I didn’t know then that our foray into family travel was the beginning of lifelong learning and growth for our little family unit, but more importantly, for our sons.

Both our boys have had the opportunity travel with us, with friends, grandparents and solo. Their trips have shaped a world view that is tolerant and inclusive, as well as encouraged their own development, confidence and self-esteem. That travel gift will be with them for the rest of their lives.

2. Give memories, not things

Travelling with kids is important, to create a stronger bond, family togetherness and memories. It also helps kids’ education to foster a world view beyond their own backyards. Our family adventures have always included our own backyard , as we should learn about our own homes and spaces as much as other peoples. Travelling together creates great memories and moments that will last a lifetime. And don’t forget to keep track of those trips in photo or scrapbooks.

3. You’re not alone

According to the Family Travel Association (FTA), between 33-40% of all leisure travel includes some form of family travel. You’re in good company in planning trips with kids in tow, and if you’re worried about how to do it, check out all the great info we’ve got here, around the web, and at your local travel agent.

4. Kids who travel do better in school

Recent studies  by the Student & Youth Travel Association have shown that kids who travel do better in school . Traveling children benefit in myriad other way of course, like personal development, family bonding and cultural immersion. But for those of us who’ve struggled with teachers and administrators balking at our kids missing days or a week of school here and there, there’s a strong argument to be made about the educational value of travel.

How to Plan An Amazing Family Holiday

5. nervous go all-inclusive.

It is possible to have a relaxing holiday with kids. But if you’re a bit nervous about planning family travel holidays, book family-friendly cruises or try all-inclusive resorts as a first step . The benefits, especially when the kids are very young, are that you’re staying in one place or cabin, and have meals and food accessible at any time of day.

There are also baby and kids club options galore, so your holiday can be as busy or relaxing as you wish. You can set the pace and do everything, or nothing. Once you’ve got these under your belt, you’ll be ready to try DIY trips with the fam in tow.

6. It’s better with friends and family

Consider travelling with relatives or friends. We’ve done a dozen multigenerational trips , and they were extremely memorable and wonderful overall. Yes, you do need to keep in mind many factors – accommodation choices, bill splitting, scheduling and ages and stages – but if you can stand each other, go for it.

Multigen travel is increasing by leaps and bounds. There are large numbers of grandparents traveling with their grandchildren, both with and without their own children – their grandchildren’s parents – tagging along. As the senior population continues to grow and maintain healthier and more active lifestyles than ever, these numbers are likely to stay steady for years to come.

7. Do the big fun things in moderation

Plan a travel schedule with built-in free days between big events like visits to amusement parks, Disneyland theme park , museums , long drives or family reunion parties. A day at the beach can please everyone after a day spent visiting military monuments and family history sites.

Mix it up to keep things fun, and if your journey involves crossing time zones, remember to factor in recovery time for jet lag. Take it slow for the first few days as you get used to your new surroundings.

8. Think outside of the big fun things and go local

Spend time in local playgrounds at your destination, where your kids will meet and play with local kids and you can meet their parents. This is a great way to get the scoop on what’s new and cool in the area you’re visiting. Check out local markets for free fun and tasty food for picnics, spend time at local swimming pools which can also often be free or offer discounts for families.

9. Adjust your expectations

You won’t be able to visit every museum or go at an adult pace all of the time. You’ll have to slow down, stop for pee and play breaks, let the teens sleep in now and then, and broker some moments of unhappiness and meltdowns. Be open-minded and don’t resent what you can’t change during a family vacation . Your kids won’t be at this stage forever.

10. Don’t do too much in a day

Please avoid the over-scheduling nightmare of trying to cram too much into too little time. You’ll be unhappy and so will everyone else. Pick your absolute highlighted must-dos – one per day is a good goal – and try your best. But don’t guilt yourself if you didn’t achieve your Top Ten list. It’s always an excuse to go back.

11. Make sure everyone gets to do their top thing on a trip

When we plan our family trips , everyone’s involved and has a say. Even when the kids were wee, we asked for their input and included at least one of their big desires. It’s like everyone gets to be captain for a day. Beach day? Yes. Visiting the amusement park? Yes. Visiting the colosseum in Rome ? Yes.

We worked out these schedules ahead of time so we can better plan our trip and ensure everyone is excited about our vacation. It’s worked extremely well and I’d highly recommend doing this with your family.

12. Surprise treats for the win

If you’re travelling by plane, pack flight toys, family snacks and surprise treats to pull out if kids get cranky or restless. Lollipops for everyone! You can do surprise toys as well, like a bag of toy soldiers, Calico Critters or Polly Pockets. We did this a few times on long hauls flights and they boys spent hours playing with their new toys. This was back in the days before iPhones, iPads and game consoles, so these old tricks really worked, and they still do.

13. Choose appropriate accommodation

There are lot of rental options out there – hotels , Airbnbs , hostels , VRBOs, or long-stay apartments . We love to have a home base from which we can visit places on day trips, and love having a kitchen which also cuts down on expenses. I don’t mind a bit of cooking on vacay if I can save money for other fun activities.

14. Use tech wisely but sparingly

We began our family travel days before the dawn of electronic everything. Was it better or worse? I don’t know. I’ll say that the audiobooks, mobile tech, games, movies and videos and WiFi are now an essential part of all of our lives.

The first question out of our older kids’’ mouths is ‘ what’s the WiFi password ’ when we check in to a hotel. It’s become second nature to be connected. But, not all the time. Set some boundaries and rules . Put those devices away at the dinner table, on tours, when visiting relatives. Be present and enjoy moments without electronic interference.

15. Have a night plan

If you have wandering kids or sleepwalkers, ensure your hotel room or accommodation is wander-proof . Pack a couple of clothes pins to secure curtains for maximum blackout during daytime naps.

If kids need special stories, stuffies or blankies, put them on your packing list and don’t leave home without them. Our kids travelled with special woollen blankets for years. At one point, they were so threadbare that I had to put them into a ziploc bag. But they had to come along.

16. Take photos and videos and keep memories

It’s incredible how fast time flies and how quickly kids grow and change. Take photos and videos and don’t forget to download them into labelled folders on your computer so you can find them again.

Think about hiring a professional photographer to help capture the best parts of your dream family holiday. If you make digital scrapbooks, compile them as soon as you can so it’s done and the memories captured. I’ve been terrible at this myself, I’m about ten years behind in my photo albums.

17. Pack a stroller for the under 5s

If you have children under the ages of five years old, pack a folding travel stroller .  It’s small enough to bring on a plane, doesn’t cost a fortune, and can even handle European  cobblestones. And you and your kids will be grateful for it at nap time or when those tired legs need a rest.

18. Bring or borrow car seats and cribs

We never travelled with a car seat on a plane, preferring to borrow from friends at destinations or rent from car companies. But bring one if you prefer your own of course. A packable travel crib is also great for young ones to nap and have some downtime in a small cosy space.

19. Carry on only

You know me, I’m the queen of the carry on! Lighten your load and travel with a carry-on suitcase . Pack only what you need, plan to do some sink laundry , and use a packing list for everyone in the family.

Have the kids make their own visual packing list with your help if needed so they can participate in this important planning process. With your oversight, of course. They do need to pack underwear.

20. Stop making excuses, make memories

It doesn’t matter if your kids won’t remember everything about their early trips to Yosemite or Italy or Disneyland . You will and hopefully you’ll have the photos to prove it and show them. They’ll certainly remember a lot more than you may think. And again, the value of showing them the world in shaping who they are as young adults is practically incalculable. Just do it !

21. Include kids in the travel planning process

You know I think it’s important! Depending on the age, it’s a good idea to include kids in the travel planning process . Kids love to help, so seek their input, get them to do some research on their own, and they’ll have greater buy in and be excited about what they want to see. Think of it as an education process , which it is of course.

22. Take your time

I love slow travel and appreciate it more and more as I get older. If you have young children, they may be running everywhere but can’t go too far for too long. If they’re older, they may have a tough time moving slowly, especially if they’re get up and go types, but there’s no harm in trying.

Guided tours in museums and historic downtowns can really help with this. Especially if food is involved. We’ve had amazing success with food tours of three hours plus with our teens, because they’re eating the entire time. Avoiding the hangries is a major win.

23. Go road tripping

Road trips are a fantastic way to see a lot of the world, at your own pace. The intimacy of car rides is forced family time, in a way. Make sure your vehicle is road-worthy and has emergency service coverage (trust me on this). On the road, take frequent pit stops and breaks to stretch legs, play in the playground, and to enjoy snacks or a picnic.

Pack snacks and water bottles for everyone in a small cooler. Listen to audiobooks or play games like license plate counting, which even teens can get into. We did this on our road trip to Yosemite and counted 48 US states and 8 Canadian provinces.

24. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst

Be prepared for emergencies. Buy comprehensive travel insurance coverage, including health insurance for all family members for your destination. Pack and bring along a First Aid Kit. Make sure you have your own special prescriptions and meds in your purse or carry-on if travelling by plane or to a foreign country where the medicines and languages will be different from home.

25. Go with the flow and be flexible

You’re on holiday, so hopefully you’re more relaxed than usual, though this can be a challenge is things stop going according to plan. Breathe and take a moment to collect yourself, and recognize warning signs of anxiety, or the hangries in you and your kids. Nothing’s worse than being hungry, tired and stressed. Do n’t forget to eat.

26. Go to kid-friendly places and countries

While I think that most places can be kid-friendly , some places may have more amenities than others. If you’re used to bathroom change tables and kids menus, Canada, the USA and Mexico are great. Most countries in Europe are as well, especially Italy . While I haven’t been to Asia or Africa, I imagine they are just as welcoming too.

27. Include time in nature in your family travel experience

Don’t spend your holiday just indoors in museums or malls. Go play outside! Visit parks, playgrounds, forests , go biking or hiking or sailing. It’s a great way to meet locals too and get a scoop on the best ice cream parlor or kid-friendly restaurant. Get out into nature and have fun with your kids .

The fact that you are thinking or planning a trip together as a family is already significant. You’ve decided that family travel is a great idea, that you’re going to take a break from your busy lives and spend quality time together doing activities that will bring joy to your lives and build family memories. Your children will never forget the time you’ve spent with them as parents – it’s priceless.

Read more helpful family travel planning articles

How to pack a suitcase for a family trip

How to travel with a baby

Tips on how to travel with kids of all ages

How to plan a family vacation budget

Tips for planning educational family holidays

How to plan a family cruise holiday

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5 Reasons Why You Should Travel With Your Family Now

There comes a time when you’re in your mid-late teens or early twenties when you decide you want to travel more with friends and partners, and in turn that often translates into spending less time traveling with family. It’s not always a conscious decision and more often than not, just a way of embracing adulthood and the flexibility that comes with it.

For me, this happened after the first year of college when I was about 19. I had worked over summer and also for about 8 months before moving to Melbourne in Australia for school, and had saved up enough to start going on little trips here and there with friends. It wasn’t until a few years ago that I started traveling again with my family. It’s not always a breeze and I occasionally need a glass of wine (or two) to calm down, but here’s my take on the benefits traveling as a family, why you should do it, and why you should do it now.

1. Let them get to know you better as an adult

Do you feel like a different person when you’re on holiday? It’s probably because you’re able to detach from the daily grind and if you’re anything like me, have had one too many mojitos (yes – this is going to be a recurring theme throughout this website, if you were wondering). I’ve had many more honest and revealing conversations with my family while traveling than back home; it helps them to understand and see you for the person you are now.

2. And…get to know them better

See #1. Your parents and siblings are not robots – they also feel different when they’re given a chance to unwind and detach. Everyone evolves as they get older and getting to know your family better as individuals is an experience, in and of itself.

3. Show them new experiences and places

My family have all traveled our fair share around the world, individually – for school, for business trips and with friends. Your parents and siblings may not have thought about where to go next or may not be as willing to try new things without a bit of a nudge. This is where you come in. Last year, my sister and I went on a road trip to Santa Barbara together – neither of us had ever been and she probably wouldn’t have gone if I hadn’t suggested it. We ate, went to the spa (where I got a first degree burn from the sauna), shopped, and she laughed at me for two hours as I tried to drive on the other side of the road for the first time.

Earlier this year, I took my mum to Siem Reap in Cambodia . Never in a million years would she have ever considered Siem Reap as a vacation destination. But guess what? We soaked in the culture, saw a million and one temples and watched the sun rise over Angkor Wat. It’s these kinds of things that neither of you will ever forget.

4. It gives you a chance to spend time together

It’s not always as easy as you think. Things change, people move away, everyone has their own schedules – you should see my family’s Whatsapp chat history, trying to plan a Sunday dinner is like trying to herd cats. Over the past few years, I traveled a lot for work and worked many sleepless nights: traveling with family gives you all a chance to spend more quality time together.

5. And last but not least, it can actually be a lot of fun (and/or, really funny) !

There are definitely ups and downs (especially if you’re traveling with parents) – but in my personal experience, it’s been well worth the memories. If you can’t be silly in front of your family, who can you be silly in front of? We still reminisce about all of our shared travel memories and a few more joint trips are already in the works.

Looking for more travel tips? You might like these guides:

• Getting itchy feet and want to plan a holiday? Here are 5 things to think about when picking your next travel destination
• Make your globetrotting less stressful and more enjoyable with these 23 travel tips and tricks

Do you like to travel with your family? Share your experiences with me below!

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Why Traveling With Family Is Important

By: Author Valerie Forgeard

Posted on Published: January 28, 2022  - Last updated: July 1, 2023

Categories Travel , Self Improvement

Going on family adventures is a big deal. Whether you’re flying to a hot vacation spot or taking a road trip, the vacations are a time for people to come together. Family vacations are important for children’s development. They learn to love the world, and they learn that they can explore it and still be safe.

Advantages of Traveling With the Family

Family bonding.

Family bonding is an important part of everyone’s life and can have a huge impact on personal development.

There are many ways to strengthen your bond with your family, such as traveling with them. You can have a lot of fun with your family when you travel, and you can also help strengthen relationships by doing things together that you wouldn’t normally do at home.

It strengthens their sense of responsibility and makes them appreciate life more. A road trip together also comes with challenges, and when you overcome them together, you become closer.

Traveling together as a family gives you the opportunity to connect and bond with your children.

Get to Know Each Other Better

You get to know each other better: Traveling makes people share more about themselves, especially when visiting a famous or historic place.

You’ll learn more about your young child’s personality: If your child isn’t very talkative or outgoing, he or she may be more so on a family vacation because he or she’ll feel comfortable around the rest of the family and will have the opportunity to express himself or herself more freely.

Your kids will probably ask you a lot of questions about why certain places are important, which in turn will lead to you telling them something about yourself. Also, this will lead to everyone revealing something about themselves that they wouldn’t have told anyone before.

You’ll see how your kids interact with other young kids or older children: When people travel together, they tend to behave differently than they do at home because they get to meet new people and be friends with them.

Create Happy Memories

Traveling with kids is a great way to create happy memories for your family that you’ll treasure forever. Not only do you spend time together and make friends, but you also get to see the world in ways you probably never imagined. You see things through their eyes, and they see them through yours.

This can also be a chance to show them what you value in life and what you hope they’ll value as well. It’s an important time when you teach them about other people, places, and a new culture which will hopefully spark in them an interest in traveling themselves someday.

Going on a family trip with young kids is more than just a vacation. Traveling brings people together and you can create memories that will last a lifetime.

Encourage Education

Traveling with children can be a great learning experience for kids, especially if they’re traveling with their parents.

When you travel with your family, you learn about the destination, the tour guide or driver tells you historical facts about the places you visit and generally adds to an educational experience. Plus, you’ll have a chaperone who can keep your kids safe from harm while y’all enjoy your time away from home.

No matter where you travel, there’s always something new to see or do. And if you don’t have something right under your nose, there’s always something to look forward to on the horizon.

The Feeling of Adjustment

You learn to adapt to new situations. When you travel, you’re always dealing with new people and new places. So your kids learn how to respond to these situations and become more open-minded.

It encourages them to try new things. Traveling means trying new foods, visiting historical sites, and learning more about the world around us. This can inspire your children in their own lives and encourage them to pursue other interests.

It teaches them about other ways of thinking. When we travel, we have a chance to see how other people live and think differently than we do. This opens their eyes and helps them understand that not everyone does things exactly the way they do at home.

Travel Tips

A family holiday can be stressful. If the people you’re traveling with don’t get along, or if you’re constantly fighting about where to go and what to do, the trip will be miserable for everyone. Even if you don’t always agree, it’s important to remember that you’re traveling as a family – and that means doing everything you can to have a good time together.

There are many things you should think about. From packing the right travel gear to getting the right travel insurance to staying safe on your trip, there are many things to consider when you go on a family vacation.

A successful family holiday is all about finding the right balance so that everyone is happy and your plans still don’t get out of hand.

Travel Plan

Be flexible in your choice of destination.

When parents plan a road trip, they often have preconceived ideas about where they want to go and what they want to do. However, if your kids have their own ideas, be sure to include them when choosing a destination.

It’s always a good idea to get your younger or older children involved. If you plan a road trip with them, they can learn to organize their everyday life, learn more about the best places in the world, and get travel tips. They’ll learn a lot more this way than if they spend their time on social media.

Traveling with family is a great way to bond, but it can get tricky when it comes to budget. If you’re traveling with kids, you need to think about their needs, too. It’s still possible to save money if you plan ahead and make sure you don’t go over budget.

When you travel, there are a few things you need to consider, such as transportation, lodging, food, and shopping.

If you’re traveling with kids, you’ll also need to factor in the extra expenses for souvenirs, snacks, entertainment, and activities.

If you’re planning a family vacation, you should consider the following tips:

Make sure you’ve enough money for all the needs of your family members. Don’t forget about unexpected things like higher expenses for souvenirs or illness.

Do research about the place you’ll be traveling to so you have an idea of what to expect on your trip. This will help you make a good budget plan since you can plan most of your expenses ahead of time.

You can also do cost comparisons between different types of travel so you know which type of travel is more cost-effective for your family.

If you’re flying, it’s important that everyone has their own carry-on luggage and another bag for checked luggage.

If everything is in one place, it’ll be easier to find at airport security. Also, make sure all of your bags have tags on them so they can be tracked if they get lost or misplaced at the airport or during the trip.

One of the most important things to remember when traveling with kids is that they don’t need much entertainment on your trip. It’s hard enough to keep them entertained without having to pack something extra in your bag that will weigh them down or take up space in your luggage.

If you’re traveling with young children, you shouldn’t leave them unattended at any point during your trip. Even if you think they’re old enough to take care of themselves and there’s no emergency, you should always have them close by.

Don’t trust another person to watch them if you need to take care of something or find something else to do, even for a short time. In many cases, children left alone for just a few minutes will get lost or hurt in some way.

Be Flexible

You may have a good idea of what you want to do to create a shared experience together, but don’t expect your younger or older children to fit into that plan.

You’ll have better luck if you’re willing to listen to them when they tell you what they want to do.

Your kids are from a different generation than you, so they’re from a different culture and have different ideas about what a shared experience together should look like. They may even think of a new place you can go to or a new thing you never thought of!

Decision Making

Get everyone involved in the decision-making process. Involve everyone in the planning process, including the children. That way, everyone feels responsible and can voice their opinion on where you should go and what you should see.

Disadvantages of Traveling With the Family

Traveling with your family isn’t for everyone. Here are some disadvantages of traveling with family:

No Personal Space

In your everyday life, you see your family every day but when you travel, you’ve to spend most of your time with your family and you can never go out on your own. Long drives, waiting in line, and any other activities you want to do have to be planned with the other family member(s).

Tight Budget

When you go on vacation with your own money, it’s always nice to have all the comforts of home. But when you’re a big family to take care of, with young kids and older children, it becomes very difficult because they’ll always ask for more things that cost more money, and you can’t always please everyone.

Constant Monitoring

When traveling internationally, children usually feel safer when accompanied by a parent because they aren’t used to being in a different culture. This is good for family cohesion and building lifelong memories, but it can be much harder to find a babysitter if you want to go out in the evening.

There’s also always a risk of children getting sick or injured while traveling. Therefore, they need to be constantly monitored and medications also need to be administered by someone who knows about children’s health.

Traveling with your family is a big responsibility, especially if you’re traveling with young children. Family travel is usually more stressful than traveling alone because you’ve to consider the needs of everyone traveling with you while trying to keep yourself organized and relatively healthy. This takes a lot of time and effort that most people don’t have in today’s world.

Lack of Rest

Children get bored easily and parents may not find ways to entertain them. With so much time spent together, it’s normal that conflicts sometimes arise between members of a travel group.

Wherever you go, it’ll be a challenge to fit in. Either you or your family won’t like the place you’re traveling to. If your family travels with you, you’ll feel safer and happier. You won’t have to worry about your kids getting lost or getting into trouble. When you travel with your family, you can spend quality time with them and build lifelong memories that will last forever.

It’s also very important that your kids learn to travel, even if it’s just a local trip. If they don’t start early, they may not want to travel later because they don’t have the experience. That’s why it’s important to travel with your family because that’s how your kids learn to be independent and enjoy the world around them.

The most important reason why traveling with the family is important is that family members learn to work together as a team and respect each other’s differences. Traveling teaches children that they’re interdependent and that everyone has their own strengths and qualities. They also learn how to manage money wisely when they’ve to divide expenses such as food, lodging, and transportation costs among themselves.

Nowadays there are many solutions that make traveling with your family easier, such as packages, nature expeditions, etc. You don’t have to make it hard for your kids to leave their comfort zone and have new experiences.

Expert Tips For Traveling Full Time With Family

Looking for tips for traveling full time with family ?

Then you’re in the right place!

As part of my  Inspiring Traveler series , I got the opportunity to interview full-time traveler Megan Tenney, who also runs the blog  Family Gap Year Guide .

Megan has been traveling full time with her family for over two years, and they’re still going strong and loving the adventure.

Below, Megan shares her top tips for living on the road with family, including advice on trip planning, roadschooling the kids, funding the lifestyle, and more.

Note: This post on how to travel full-time with a family features affiliate links to trusted partners I think you’ll love!

Table of Contents

Where To Travel Next (Free Travel Personality Quiz!)

Wondering where to start your full time travel adventure or simply where to go for your next trip?

Take my free travel personality quiz for suggestions based on your unique interests:

After you take the quiz, keep reading for advice on long-term travel with family .

Expert Tips For Traveling Full Time With Family (Interview)

1. thank you so much for taking the time to do this interview on how to travel the world with family. to get started, can you just tell us a little bit about yourself.

Absolutely, and thanks for having me as a guest on your blog!

My name is Megan and my family of six has been traveling full-time for over two years now. Our kids are 12, 9, 7, and 4 (boy, girl, boy, girl).

I grew up in Maine and then lived in Arizona with my husband, where he’s from, for 13 years before we hit the road. We both have a background in teaching and the performing arts, and I’ve been a blogger for 12 years and now also work in digital advertising.

Earlier this year I started a new website, Family Gap Year Guide, where we share our travel adventures and teach other families how to take life on the road!

2. Before you hit the road, you note on your blog that you were miserable from having jam-packed schedules that ultimately felt unfulfilling. What led you to choose full time family travel as a way to change this?

I’m sure a lot of families can identify — we just kept saying yes to everything and ended up with a calendar that was overflowing.

Originally, when we were feeling burned out, I confided that I wanted to move back to the east coast. We realized that if we were going to sell our house and move anyway, there was no reason we couldn’t take some time to travel before buying our next house.

We both had long bucket lists and wanted to see the world.

The list of places we wanted to visit would have taken us years and years, taking short trips in between work, school, and other commitments. We were overjoyed when we realized that traveling full-time meant we could go everywhere on our lists, one right after the other!

3. What were some of the important steps you took to prepare for the leap into full-time travel with a family?

The biggest step was definitely selling our house. We had to go through all of our belongings and decide what to sell, giveaway, store, or bring with us. We had a huge yard sale, made many trips to Goodwill, and filled up a 10’x10’ storage unit.

I was already working an online job that could be done remotely, and my husband switched to a part-time remote job. We had to file an affidavit with our state, saying we intended to homeschool our kids, and then we were free from all ties!

We directed our mail to my parents’ house, sketched out a general route we planned to take across the US for the next nine months, gave our van a tune-up, and booked our first Airbnb for four weeks on Whidbey Island, near Seattle.

4. When it comes to education, you homeschool — or, as you call it on your blog, “roadschool” — your kids. What does this look like and how did you prepare for teaching on the road?

We’ve definitely honed our homeschooling skills over the past two years, but it didn’t take long to get into a pretty solid routine.

My husband works some mornings and evenings, and I work during the day, so he took on most of the homeschooling. We use free online resources, like Khan Academy, along with workbooks and reading books, and then we try to incorporate local learning opportunities in each destination we visit.

Here are just a few experiences we’ve had because of where we were located:

• Learned about the Oregon Trail — on the Oregon Trail
• Toured all three branches of government in Washington DC
• Learned about the Battle of the Alamo — at the Alamo
• Went clamming and learned how to cook clams
• Learned about space at the Griffith Observatory
• Took a sandcastle-building lesson in Texas
• Watched Louisville Sluggers being made in Kentucky
• Saw hot air balloons take off in New Mexico

With all of the personal attention they get, the kids are flying through their schoolwork and are several grades ahead of where they would be in school.

In addition, we’ve incorporated a lot of life skills into their day, so they know how to cook meals, do laundry, and care for the little ones. Our oldest son even started doing about an hour of work a day for my father’s software company, so he’s learning about computer programming and already logging work experience that will serve him well in the future.

This is a super well-rounded system of schooling that we feel is really preparing our kids to face the world as adults!

I wrote all about our system in my Ultimate Guide to Roadschooling !

5. Let’s talk a bit about the financial aspect of traveling full-time. How did you pinpoint how much money to save before hitting the road?

We saved nothing!

I don’t necessarily recommend that, but our decision was a little last-minute and we had next to no savings.

Since we are working while we travel, we budget with the funds we have coming in.

6. What were some strategies you used to save money for full-time travel, and how do you fund the lifestyle now?

I work full-time at a wonderful remote job, and that income is enough to cover our regular expenses with a little for savings.

Additionally, my husband works part-time, and as a side hustle, I make money travel blogging . We use those funds as our “fun money” for dining out or extra activities that aren’t in the day-to-day budget.

The major factor to being able to afford full-time travel is if you’re willing to give up the safety of having a homebase. If you sell or rent your home, you no longer have a mortgage or rent payments and can put that money toward lodging while you travel.

But also, think of how many of your bills are associated with your house — electricity, gas, water, insurance, internet, landscaping, pest control, HOA, and so on. Those all go away!

Once we sold our house, we still had to pay for our car insurance, storage unit, cell phone bill, regular living expenses like food and gas, and subscriptions like Netflix and Hulu. That’s about it!

We mostly stay in Airbnbs for a month at a time. This allows us to take advantage of hefty discounts that Airbnb owners sometimes offer for longer stays — often up to 50-80% off!

It also means we have a little bit of stability — not always rushing off to a new place every few days — and lets us fully experience each destination like locals!

7. You run your blog from the road, so I’m curious how you balance blogging with traveling with family full-time?

In addition to traveling and blogging, I also work a full-time job! So yes I’m pretty busy, but that fits my personality. I love to work, and I love my job, so I’m happy to log on every day, and I spend a lot of my free time before and after my regular work hours working on my blog.

As I mentioned, my husband does most of the homeschooling, and we get lots of family time because we are always together.

On the weekends and in the evenings we make sure to explore the location we’re in, and I’m an ultra-organized planner, so that helps us keep track of everything.

8. What have been some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced while traveling full-time as a family? How have you overcome them?

The biggest challenge was just making the decision to go — to pull kids out of school, to sell our house, to leave our town.

After we discovered how awesome full-time traveling is, we never looked back. The pandemic has been a big challenge because we had plans to travel overseas that have been pushed back an entire year, and in the meantime, we’ve just kept traveling within the US.

We want to make sure we’ve done all the traveling we want to do before we settle down again, so we’re kind of just biding time now, but we’re doing it in all of our favorite locations and some new ones.

9. What is one of your favorite short travel stories from the road that really exemplifies your perfect moment traveling as a family?

I love this question because I could share some very polarizing examples of what full-time family travel looks like!

We’ve had lots of incredible experiences, such as the day we gathered on the beach in south Texas to watch a rehabilitated sea turtle return to the ocean…and then there was the day we sat in non-moving traffic for seven hours because of an accident on the highway.

A lot of days are very normal for us — we do work and school, cook meals, clean the house, etc. And then some days we are touring the White House or hiking the Appalachian Trail.

Recently we were traveling through Kansas, and my husband had our three oldest kids gathered in a corner of the hotel room, reading scenes from Romeo and Juliet and then watching a few different versions of the play on YouTube.

Later that day we explored a salt mine, 650 feet underground! It has been so fun to be creative with what we learn and see while traveling.

10. What advice would you give a family looking to leave the settled 9-to-5 life to travel full-time and roadschool their children, but who may be nervous?

First, I would say that you will never regret it. It’s a little cliche, but you only live once! Don’t get stuck in a day-to-day life that isn’t making you happy.

Second, you don’t have to adopt this lifestyle forever.

Plan a family gap year and try it out for 12 months. If you love it, keep going — if it’s not for you, then it was a great adventure and you can go right back home and settle down again.

11. In terms of a practical tip, what is the first thing a family wanting to travel the world full-time should do, in your opinion?

I definitely think the first thing to do would be to take a look at your finances and figure out how you would budget for a year or more of full-time travel.

If you’re going to save up first, you might have to limit the amount of time you plan to travel, but if you have jobs that you can take on the road, then you can probably travel indefinitely!

I have a great guide focused on how to budget for full-time travel, and you can grab that for free here !

And, since that first step isn’t necessarily a fun step, the second step is planning the locations you want to visit. Way more fun!

Create a list of places you’d like to go — maybe have each member of the family make separate lists and see where you overlap — and then sketch out a route.

Hop on Airbnb.com and look for stays in those locations and create a favorites list to revisit when you’re ready to book.

12. What is one of the most important lessons you’ve learned from the road?

Hands down, the most important lesson I’ve learned is that there’s no “right” way to live your life.

If you only do what you think is “normal” then you’re missing out.

I’ve always been a rule-follower, so I pushed back on the idea at first, thinking, “People just don’t do this. We can’t do this.”

But we can and we did, and you can do it, too!

Do you have any tips for traveling full time with family to add?

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Thank You so much for the article, especially the quiz and also providing me the best place for my holiday for 2021 ;), Looking forward for a positive 2021 🙂

Wonderful Article !!

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5 Lessons I Learned from Traveling With My Family

In 2014, our family made the decision to stop the madness that was our daily life and travel by motorhome around the USA for seven months. Even though we’ve been back to reality for a few years now, our journey not only gave us family memories for a lifetime but also taught us many life lessons that sustain us today.

Lessons From Traveling with My Family

1. we need to always find time for the family..

We ended up living in an RV for over half a year because we were over-scheduled, our calendars were over-packed, and our family had become disconnected. My husband and I rushed our triplet sons and their younger sister around to their organized activities and then sat separately on the sidelines of their lives, cheering them on. There was little space in our lives to gather around the dinner table or to play together as a family.

As soon as we returned home from our epic adventure, our teens jumped back into their organized activities and rejoined their sports team rosters. The difference is, we have learned how to balance our time better.

We now claim Sunday as family day . We purposely put the screens away and Spend time relaxing at home, attending church, or playing outdoors. We regularly carve out time to serve in our community together and to seek out local adventures.

2. We need to prioritize the people in our lives.

One of the focuses of our trip across the USA was to reconnect with friends and family around the country. From Whitefish, Montana to Louisville, Kentucky, we had a great time visiting with childhood friends, cousins and other family members.

At the end of our lives, it won’t matter what grades were on our sons’ report cards or how many soccer tournaments our daughter won. We will remember the people who chose to invest in our lives and spend quality time with us. That is where we need to focus our time and energies—on people instead of On our resumes.

We now travel to be with family members on holidays, and we welcome more people to visit us in our home.

3. We can choose not to stress over life’s frustrations.

Living in a motorhome with five other humans can drive you crazy—but it can also teach you to relax and enjoy what comes your way.

I learned the importance of flexibility on the first day of our trip when our RV overheated. We were traveling through the mountains of northern Arizona and had to pull over to the side of the highway frequently. When we arrived at Lake Powell hours behind schedule, the kids tore off on their bikes through the campground only to return minutes later with popped tires from riding through the desert terrain. Our new camping grill failed to work, and our towed Buick Enclave wouldn’t start. I had the choice to fall apart on the first day or grin and bear it, knowing the latter was the better option.

Because of all the mishaps we encountered along that journey, I have learned to take life’s frustrations in stride. I’m better at relaxing when things don’t go as planned in our family, knowing that this too shall pass.

4. We need to disconnect so we can reconnect.

On our RV sabbatical, our 13-year-old triplet sons and 11-year-old daughter didn’t have cell phones yet, and their iPads only worked with a strong Wifi signal. Which meant our remote camping locales often meant going without technology .

When we can’t connect to the internet, we’re forced to communicate with one another—which is a good thing! When we returned from our trip, my husband and I knew we wanted our kids to continue to have tech-free time in their lives, so we have chosen to send them to sleep away camp in Missouri a few weeks each summer so they can unplug and unwind.

Our family also purposely takes summer road trips to places that make it difficult to connect to anything other than one another. (Shh… the kids don’t know that.)

5. We can be brave in making choices that are right for our family.

Deciding to quit our jobs, rent our house, and pull the kids out of sixth and seventh grade in order to travel around the USA was a bold idea that we found the courage to turn into reality. What I’ve learned from that decision is that there will be consequences to the courageous, but meaningful choices, we make in our lives.

Our kids still struggle a bit with some math concepts that I failed to teach them on the road.

During our trip, my husband decided that he wasn’t going to take another hockey coaching job until the kids went away to college. His choice to stay home has meant many adjustments to our everyday living.

Our daughter made a tough decision to miss her state cup soccer tournament. Instead, she decided to travel to Texas to make memories with her summer camp friends in their hometown. Making the choice to invest in her friendships was the right thing for her, but that doesn’t mean her decision was without consequence.

While traveling around the country in an RV may not be a realistic or desirable adventure for everyone, I’m grateful we had the opportunity to learn these life lessons and reclaim our family narrative.

Amy Carney writes at ParentonPurpose.com and her work is published at a variety of online and print publications. She is also the author of Parent on Purpose: A Courageous Approach to Raising Children in a Complicated World.

How to travel with your parents as an adult (and keep your cool)

Travelling with one or both parents as an adult is a special experience. I’ve done it a fair bit in the past few years  –  me living overseas has meant that we’ve had about half a dozen trips together, ranging from one to three weeks. We’ve been everywhere from Japan to Morocco , and they’ve been pretty awesome experiences that I’m incredibly grateful for. 

But, like any family, the dynamics can get intense when you’re in each other’s faces and space constantly. Small, unimportant things can suddenly become super annoying, such as the way your mum loves a blindingly bright phone screen when it’s dark, or when your dad insists on seeking out a special kind of Japanese ice cream after every single meal in Tokyo, and it’s mid-winter. 

But when you think about the decades of your drama that your folks have dealt with, it’s only fair that you should avoid sweating the small stuff (especially if you came on this trip of your own free will). 

Here are my tips on how to have a good time and be the nicest possible human while travelling with your parentals. These rules can apply to travel with any relative (like a sibling or extended family member), colleagues (who are a sort of family given the amount of time you spend with them) or even on a group tour with a variety of ages present. 

Do: factor everyone in

Riding the rails to Paris with mum.

It goes without saying that there will be different fitness and energy levels when people travel together. Add to that different personality types (outgoing vs introverted), different priorities (sightseeing vs relaxation) and different budgets (tight vs unlimited) and you’ve got a lovely big melting pot of differences in any given travel party. 

Especially when travelling together for the first time, it’s a good idea to try and suss out these things in the early trip-planning stages, so the trip will cater to everyone. You might be happy to brave an overnight train in India because it seems very adventurous, only to realise that your mum would not cope well with the ultra-basic train bed because of her bad back. Or maybe you’ve got your heart set on a tropical island vibe , but you forgot that your dad hates the sun. Get these wants and needs out on the table before you lock anything in. 

Being considerate to others also applies to eating while on the road. If you’re like me, good food is important. But getting a seat immediately is also very important for people in their 60s and up. So if you see a cool spot that your friends back home would love –  loud music, dim lighting, standing-room only at the bar as you wait for a table for an hour  –  keep walking! 

LOVE FOOD? CONSIDER TRAVELLING WITH YOUR PARENTS ON ONE OF OUR REAL FOOD ADVENTURES – VIEW OUR RANGE OF TRIPS HERE

Do: embrace new friends   

Iceland adventures with Dad

It’s perfectly normal for conversation to run out of steam after the first few days of travelling with your folks. This may lead to a blissful silence, or an increase in dad jokes that you haven’t found funny since age 11. 

So, when your mum gets chatting about knee surgery with a lady at the breakfast buffet or your dad starts talking about Swiss watchmakers with a guy on the bus, let them. Making friends on trips can help lighten the mood or diffuse any potential tension, and also lead to unexpectedly delightful connections. 

Once on a trip to Iceland , my dad and I were on a puffin-spotting boat tour in Reykjavik (as you do) and he struck up a conversation with a guy from London. This not only gave me some contemplative moments admiring the cutest birds on earth, but we also ended up hanging out with this family for the rest of our time in Iceland. After five weeks on the road with just us, it was nice to have some fresh dad jokes brought into the mix. 

RELATED: WHAT IT’S LIKE VISITING THE MAASAI PEOPLE ON INTREPID’S KENYA FAMILY SAFARI

Do: laugh about it 

My brother’s an adult, but here he is acting like a child.

Yes I know, what a cliche. But short of being physically hurt or in danger, it’s amazing how almost any travel mishap you survived will later become a hilarious story. 

Take, for example, the time that I lost my passport in Spain . It happened on a flight from Bilbao to Barcelona, and as they don’t do customs between the two, I was able to get to our hotel before I realised that I’d left my passport on the plane. My mum is an incredibly strong woman, and I’ve only seen her cry twice in my life. One of those times was in the next 24 hours, as she begged an airline staff member to help us track down my passport. 

RELATED: THE MID-TRIP CRISIS IS A THING. HERE’S HOW TO AVOID IT WHEN YOU TRAVEL.

Do: take a back seat  

Mum and dad with a few new friends in London…

If you’re a travel nut like me, you might have a research spreadsheet going just 24 hours after someone even mentions the idea of a trip. But something that I’ve only just discovered is the unexpected joy of taking a back seat in travel planning, and trusting pros to do it for me. 

The thing that’s well hidden on Instagram is the sheer effort it takes to always be switched on while on the road  –  planning the next steps, navigating around cities, trying to communicate, staying safe and healthy, and having a good time on top of that. So on a recent trip to Vietnam with Intrepid , I was happy to experience a new kind of pleasure with group travel, where pretty much everything was planned for me. 

RELATED: HOW INTREPID CONVERTED THIS PROUD SOLO FEMALE TRAVELLER INTO A GROUP TOUR FAN

There are big benefits in choosing group travel for trips with your parents. Being in a group situation takes the pressure off you to always be chatty, because you’ll likely make new friends (for life, in my case). And having a tour leader running the show means you can take a back seat and actually enjoy more of what’s going on around you, rather than being glued to the maps app on your phone trying to navigate a maze of unfamiliar streets. Plus, it’s so nice to have someone on hand who’ll share their local knowledge and answer your questions  –  things that you can’t always get by Googling it yourself. 

Don’t: stinge on comfort 

Boating around in Thailand.

Like me, you may have reached an age in life where a hotel pillow menu is far more exciting than the room service menu. That’s because when you get older, things like neck pain can make you a horrible person to be around. 

When travelling with people in the 60+ bracket, you’ll generally need to take that and double it, in terms of comfort needs. What may be ‘super cute’ to you and your mates  –  aka an AirBnB apartment with all its original, cramped, low-lit charm in Paris  –  might be a parent’s literal nightmare and a minefield of meltdowns waiting to happen.

Investing that little bit more in accommodation will always pay off, in my experience. Separate hotel rooms are of course the dream, but budget doesn’t always allow it. This is where apartment rental comes in handy, but do try and find a place that’s central, with lift access, proper beds and, if possible, central heating/air conditioning. 

If none of these are an option and you find yourself trying to sleep on a single bed ‘cot’ jammed next to your parents in your pokey hotel room as they snore loudly, read on.  

PREFER YOUR TRAVEL A LITTLE MORE COMFORTABLE? CHECK OUT OUR RANGE OF COMFORT TOURS HERE

Don’t: forget ‘you time’

Snapping pics at Mont Saint-Michel.

If there’s one thing I’ve learnt about travelling with the fam, it’s that we all need our alone time. I spent years thinking that doing this would offend my travel companions, but nowadays I view it as a necessity. This also applies for when you’re on a group tour and sharing a room with someone. 

It may be as simple as going for a walk before breakfast, or tuning to a podcast while on the road to your next destination. Or maybe on a free day you’d like to go and see a sight or visit a museum that no one else is really into. Try and find a little bit of you time every day you’re on the road  –  it’ll give you space to breathe, switch off, and come back into the group feeling more refreshed and relaxed. 

HEY PARENTS! TRAVELLING WITH KIDS UNDER 18? CHECK OUT OUR RANGE OF FAMILY TRIPS HERE

Don’t: plan every single minute   

Hanging out in Tokyo.

When travelling with family, there are things that you should scope out in advance, like how you’re going to get from the airport to your accommodation. Researching if local taxis are the go, checking if they have Uber in that city, or organising a transfer to your hotel will help those first few moments in a new place feel as calm and composed as possible.

But when it comes to how you spend your spare time, I can personally recommend going with the flow. Perhaps it means exploring two out of the thousand temples at Angkor in Siem Reap , because it’s just too hot for your dad to stay out any longer. Or maybe you’d hoped to conquer at least five wings of the Louvre, but your mum is totally knackered after exploring one. At moments like these, it’s important to step back and remember that quality over quantity should take priority over bucket list-ticking, especially when you’re travelling with other people. 

Also, I’m a big believer that that some of the most memorable travel moments happen by chance. Unplanned wandering can lead to unexpectedly beautiful moments, like passing a joyful wedding party in Jodhpur or stumbling upon a busking trio down a laneway in Venice. None of which would have happened if you’d been more set on ‘the plan’ than looking up and taking in what’s around you. 

Leave your next family adventure to the experts. Join us on a small group adventure – from Argentina to Zanzibar  – now. View our range of adventures here . 

Feature photo by Ben McNamara. All other images by Anne Verhoeven. 

Feeling inspired?

Anne Verhoeven

Anne is a writer from Sydney, living in Berlin. A diagnosed travel addict, some of her biggest accomplishments include: travelling peacefully with coeliac vegetarians around Italy for 2 weeks, successfully haggling down the price of a scarf in Jodhpur by showcasing her Bollywood moves, being mistaken for a Frenchwoman at a party in Lyon, and attending yoga classes in Rio without understanding Portuguese.

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The Family Vacation Guide

26 Parents & Travel Experts Share Their Top Tips For Planning a Family Vacation

posted by James Brockbank on August 14, 2021 // last updated on May 6, 2022

Planning a family vacation isn’t always easy. From choosing the perfect destination to budgeting, packing and more; it’s often a stressful time for parents but always worth it in the end!

We’ve teamed up with 26 parents and travel experts to share their tops tips for planning a family vacation, with ideas and advice on everything from road tripping across the country with kids to saving money on attraction tickets and so much more.

• Carrie Bradley
• Dave Pedley
• Candice Criscione
• Amanda Andrews
• Jaimie Michaels
• Stephanie Rytting
• Byron Thomas
• David Kosofsky
• Zander Buteux
• Majid Alaily
• Mike Miller
• Besa Sumovic
• Leslie Stroud
• Angela Rice
• Paul Miller
• Justin Carmona
• Lanie van der Horst
• Oliver Froese
• Alexandra Fung
• Amelia Morgan
• Phil Dengler
• Hoang Anh “Christine” Le,
• Jonathan Kinas
• Nicole Hunter

Carrie Bradley, an Ex-Flight Attendant and travel blogger at Flying with a Baby , on flying with children:

If flying with younger children, pack a change of clothes for you and them in your cabin luggage as accidents happen. 

If you have a choice of airlines, research their facilities and charges before booking. That cheap flight once extras like baggage etc are added on, may end up more expensive. Some airlines (international) offer free seating choice if flying with a baby or excellent inflight bonuses like a sky nanny, fun activity pack, or even balloon decorating on Asiana Airlines!

When flying with a lap baby, check the airlines bassinet requirements before booking as all have different requirements.  For example, only Virgin Atlantic and Qantas allow babies to stay strapped in to their bassinet during turbulence.

If you purchase an additional seat for an infant to use your airline approved car seat, check the airlines seat dimensions and requirements first. On USA airlines, the FAA state a suitable seat must be found when a seat is bought for an infant.

However, this is not the case with other international airlines where some may not permit rear facing car seats or limit their use for under 2’s only. 

Dave Pedley, Founder and Editor of  YourCub.com , on why you need to consider ditching the resort and hiring an RV:

My Top Tip for a family vacation – especially with kids at toddler age and above – is to go by camper van!

Forgoing the hotel resort type of holiday makes sense financially. Whilst many hotels do offer free kid’s places, it usually extends to only one, and adult prices are expensive, not forgetting that extras often end up costing a lot more in a resort than you anticipated.

A fully equipped camper van offers you massive flexibility – and a ready-made apartment that is actually not going to be much smaller than the family room you’ve taken a loan out to pay for! Equipped with a kitchen, savings on food and drinks, and snacks will be considerable, leaving more money left over for attractions and amusements for the family.

And of course, by parking at more out-of-the-way RV or camping sites means that overall holiday costs will be reduced too.

There are two other big benefits of RV vacations, too:

Firstly, greater access to the Great Outdoors. Getting closer to nature is a proven benefit to adults and kids improving both physical and mental health. All that fresh air and outdoor adventure!

And secondly – in the not-quite-over age of Covid – an insulated, totally private mobile holiday pod is the perfect way to minimize excessive contact with strangers. No communal eating areas, crowded swimming pools, play areas, and elevators. With kids not yet vaccinated, and some lingering confusion over the risk of virus spread, taking a few precautions seems the sensible course to take.”

Candice Criscione, Founder of TheTuscanMom.com , on choosing a family-friendly destination & heading on a road trip with kids:

Get your entire family involved in deciding where you go and in planning the trip.

“f you can give your family 2-3 destinations to choose from, they’ll have fun researching and planning and they’ll be much more engaged during the trip. My 7 year old loves helping make the decisions and he likes to find books to read about the area before and during the vacation. “

If you’re going on a road trip, plan a lot of stops. As adults, it’s easy to drive quickly from point A to point B, but kids need to get out of the car and move around.  Plan stops at quirky monuments, National Parks, and homes of family or friends. You’ll find it’s nice to slow down and enjoy the journey with them.”

Amanda Andrews, Family Travel Expert at Travel Happy with The Andrews , on choosing the perfect destination for the whole family:

What’s your goal for the vacation?   To relax? To sightsee? To be immersed in a new culture? The answer to this question will dramatically narrow choices for potential destinations. Is sitting on a beach with the sand on your toes the perfect day? Is going on an off-path hike to a waterfall more your style? Is hitting a row of roller coasters your dream day?

What is each member of the family looking forward to the most for summer vacation?  This is a much better question to ask your family than “Where do you want to go on vacation?” I always ask my family what each person is looking forward to above everything else and the answers have surprised me! These answers can help you build a vacation where each member of the family has something special to enjoy. What’s your budget?  I can’t count the number of times I thought I had found the perfect vacation spot only to later realize flights were astronomical and put the vacation destination way out of my budget. Do a quick check of flight prices on some of the potential destinations to ensure they are within reach.

What research can you do?  Research the potential destinations. Not just marketing materials and hotel websites. Read blogs. Look at Google images. Watch YouTube videos. Find recent reviews <12 months old. Check the average weather conditions and temperatures for the timeframe you would be visiting. How do you know that it’s the right vacation spot?  The right destination will have several good options for you to choose from each day. You don’t need to over-plan the vacation when you select the perfect destination for your family. The right destination will plan itself in that it doesn’t require extensive planning. I’m a fan of vacations that are well designed and not over-planned.

Jaimie Michaels, Editor of MagicGuides.com , on planning the perfect Disney vacation:

Buy Now – Save Later (and have a guaranteed reservation)

With inflation on the rise, don’t expect Disney ticket prices and room rates to fall anytime soon. Plus, there’s a lot of pend-up demand to travel right now and things will sell out this summer.

Book your trip as far in advance as possible so that you will lock-in today’s rates and also guarantee that you’ll have a reservation in the first place. Just make sure to check the cancellation policy before you commit to anything.

Look for Budget Hotels You hotel stay can bust your budget, especially at Disney World.

If you are watching every penny and want to stay at an in-park hotel, your best bet is one of the Disney All-Star resorts: All-Star Movies, All-Star Music, and All-Star Sports. Disney’s All Star Sports’ least expensive nightly “rack rate” for 2021 was $118 but a standard room averages around $170 range. Not bad!  Most Disney hotels rates are well over $200 – some in the $300, $400, $500+ per night range – so you can save a lot if you’re willing to stay at one of the 5 Disney Value Resorts.

Otherwise, check out this guide to the best hotels near Disney World for offsite options.

Layaway Plan

Check to see if your destination offers a layaway plan.

For example, Walt Disney World Resort allows its guests to set up a payment plan whereby the guest sets the terms, so long as the trip is completely paid off 30 days before the departure date. They do not charge interest or a fee for this option. Layaway plans won’t really save you money per-se but they will give you more time to pay off your balance.

Save on Food

Walt Disney World Resort allows its guests to bring their own food and non-alcoholic beverages into the theme parks and Disney resort hotels also permit guests to have groceries delivered to guest services. Popular food delivery services include Garden Grocer, Amazon Prime Now, Instacart, and WeGoShop.

Considering how expensive food is at Disney World, you could potentially save a lot of money using these hacks!

Stephanie Rytting, travel blogger at The Unknown Enthusiast , on headache-free road tripping with kids:

I do quite a bit of adult-only travel outside the US, but I also have 4 girls (ages 10, 8, 6, 4) and we do a ton of travel within the US together as a family.

95% of our family travel is done by road trip! We road trip to destinations anywhere from 6 hours to 20 hours away, and we do this anywhere from 4-7 times a year.

My top tips for road tripping with kids are:

Start early! If you start road tripping when kids are very young, they will get used to it and become accustomed to the situation. We’ve road tripped with kids as young as 2 months old, and now, they are all used to long days in the car.

When we had little babies, I always fed them in the car. If they were drinking formula, it’s easy enough to make up a bottle and feed them in their carseat. When they were nursing, I would pump in the front seat and then feed them the bottle I pumped. This worked really well to help us minimize the number of stops we needed to take. Don’t try to be super Mom and Dad. Our main source of entertainment in the car are portable DVD players, and we let them watch movies basically nonstop. This may be controversial, but I don’t believe that one day of non-stop TV is going to rot their brains!

They are more than content to watch movies and munch on snacks all day and yes, it’s not the healthiest habit if they were doing it everyday. However, for long road trip days, it helps everyone’s mental sanity to have something that will keep people quiet and entertained. 

When kids are young (less than 2-1/2 to 3 years old) they aren’t interested in movies, so we took a little bag of toys for them to play with . Once kids are older, we take books or coloring books as an option for them as well, if they start to look for more variety in activity. Sometimes they take advantage of this, sometimes they don’t!

Get headphones for everyone to use. We’ve used kid-friendly headphones where the volume can’t go too high. You can get cheap ones for $15 at Walmart or Target, and then the car stays quiet.

Everyone gets a small pillow or stuffed animal and their favorite blanket . This helps them tremendously if it starts getting late and they need to rest. 

We have found that if we have a really long day ahead of us, it is easier for kids to fall asleep in the car at night than it is to fall back asleep in the car when we start first thing in the morning. Thus, even on long days, we choose to start at a relatively normal wakeup time and have them fall asleep in the car late in the evening.

Byron Thomas, Founder of Niarra Travel , on packing for a family vacation:

Pack light, even if you can just get away with just a backpack per family member, aim for just bringing carry ons, and avoid checking in bags.

Most hotel and travel accommodations offer laundry services so items needed for even a 2-3 week timespan can easily be packed in a backpack and laundered throughout the trip.

No checked in luggage makes getting through the airport quicker, and is less stressful with fewer bags to weigh the family down and also keep track of.

Packing light and only traveling with carry ons is also better for environment as cargo and baggage contribute to the weight of an aircraft, which adds to carbon emissions. 

David Kosofsky, Founder of Go RV Rentals , on smart ways to save money on a road trip:

If you opt for an RV road trip, every penny you save counts. You could use the extra money to pay for additional activities, extend your vacation, or save it for a future trip. Here’re a few ways to save money on the road.

Drive a Smaller and Less Luxurious RV to Save on Gas .

Bigger, newer, and feature-rich RVs are more expensive to rent and drive. If you’re a small family, drive a smaller motorhome or consider towing a travel trailer. A campervan will consume less fuel than a bus-style RV and allow you to explore places that larger rigs can’t access due to size limitations.

Shop Closer to Home .

When buying food items, look for the best deals at the stores around your home. It’s hard to predict the cost or availability of food at the destination, especially popular mountain, beach and resort areas. Also, buy groceries that will last only a week to avoid wastage and create a meal plan to ensure you use up every food item before anything goes bad.

Reserve a Campground that’s Close to the Action You Yearn for .

Instead of hopping from one campground to another, book one that’s positioned in the middle of all the sites you plan to visit, and plan to stay there. You’ll save fuel and also benefit from lower campground rates when you stay at your basecamp longer.

Consider Whether Fly and Drive RVing Makes More Sense .

If you’re planning a cross-country road trip, assess whether it’s better to catch a flight to the destination you want to explore, rent an RV there, and then drive it to your preferred attraction spots. It’s a cheaper option if you take advantage of flight deals. Also, if the rental prices of RVs in your state are sky high and those of the state you are planning to travel to are cheaper, fly and drive can save you lots of money. You’ll also save a lot of travel days that could otherwise be spent on the road.

JJ Haglund, travel blogger at The Minivan Bucket List , on choosing the perfect family vacation destination that’s close to home:

Look for unique experiences in your own home state.

You don’t have to travel far or spend a ton of money to have bucket list-worthy adventures. Try using Airbnb’s “unique stays” filter and look for things like treehouses, tiny houses, or glamping options.

We recently discovered a glampsite near a national park in Utah that offers stays in pioneer-style conestoga covered wagons. They’re surprisingly spacious and fit a queen size bed and two sets of bunk beds – room enough for the whole family.

Our kids love hotel stays too but this was much more memorable! 

Zander Buteux of VacationRenter on tried-and-true tips to help parents prepare for their trip:

We recently conducted a survey for VacationRenter’s travel blog asking over 1,000 parents to share tips for traveling with kids. These tried-and-true tips will help parents prepare for their trip so that they can create lifelong memories with their kids. 

Tip #1: One of the worst scenarios is that your children get bored while traveling, which often leads to temper tantrums or whining.

In our survey, we found that 73.7% of parents allowed their children to use a phone or tablet while traveling to keep them entertained. This was followed closely in percentage to playing with toys (70.5%), travel games (66.8%), coloring or craft supplies (58%), and books (49.9%).

If reading a book or looking at a device make sure it’s at eye level so they are not looking down. Audiobooks or podcasts also made the list, with only 21% of parents using this tactic.

As a photographer in my personal time, I also feel that giving your child their own kid-friendly camera keeps them entertained. Plus it gives you a view of what they find interesting about the trip!

Tip #2: Traveling — especially long road trips — can make your kids experience motion sickness. The most common form is car sickness followed by sea and air.

To help prevent this, stop often on long car rides to let your child stretch their legs and get some fresh air. Make sure that the snacks you pack are light and don’t have a strong scent to avoid anyone getting nauseous along the way. 

Tip #3: Traveling with kids can be expensive, but one way to save is to take advantage of the lower prices by traveling off-season. The best times are late September, October, early December, and January. These are especially good times to travel to major attractions like Disney World. There will be fewer crowds and better temperatures. 

Another way to save money is to eat breakfast where you are staying.

Kids, and most adults, wake up hungry and want to eat right away. And eating in your room or somewhere with a free breakfast will save valuable vacation time. It’s optimal to stay somewhere with free breakfast so that you have a variety of options. Yet, you could also opt to stop by the grocery store and stock up on foods like bagels, fruit, nut butter, and protein bars. 

Tip #4: Before buying tickets for an attraction make sure to check online first for discount codes and specials. You may even save when booking online as opposed to purchasing them at the in-person ticket booth, this is especially true with Disney Parks if you give them a call well ahead of the planned trip. You could also complete an internet search for discounts or check sites like Groupon and Rakuten. 

Tip #5: Find free activities!

Thanks to bloggers, you can find guides for free things to do in practically any city. These are often just as fun as the paid attractions while saving money. Also, make sure to check out the area local visitors guide to find free or low-cost attractions.

Majid Alaily, Founder of Arabic travel blog  shantitsafar.com , on keeping children happy, safe and involved whilst traveling:

Take the time to explain the trip itinerary to your kids.

Kids act out on trips because their environment changes dramatically, so explain to them what will happen, what to expect on the plane, at the destination, and make sure to highlight what will be fun for them as this will ease them into this unfamiliar experience.

Bring familiar items your kids are attached to; a favorite blanket, book or toy, to make sure they have anchors during this period.

Prepare small rewards during the trip to give out. Every few hours on the plane, every day or so on the trip. And these could be really simple things you can get for cheap, but are small milestones kids can look forward to throughout your trip that get them engaged and excited.

Give your kids a camera, be it a disposable one, a used phone or an old digital one, and ask them to document what they find enjoyable on the trip. This will get them to be more engaged and excited about the experience, and helps them take in the sights better and sharpen their observation skills.

Put a paper with your full hotel address and contact info with your kids. In the unlikely event your child gets lost, especially if they are young, they will have an emergency contact to use to help others find you. They can keep it in their pockets, their belts, or even their shoes for really young children.

Mike Miller, Editor-in-Chief at Wilderness Times , on his top tips for traveling with younglings:

Traveling with kids is quite a task, as they can’t sit still for more than two hours at a time.

My boys are 6 and 2, and sitting still is not in their vocabulary.

That’s why I like to do some physical activities prior to hitting the road, and that way they spend the most part of the journey sound asleep. For instance, on our last trip to Cali, we went to Six Flags before continuing our road trip, and our boys slept through the entire car drive.

Keeping them still and occupied while traveling requires creativity. At some point, no toys or books are able to hold their attention.

In such cases, I need to improvise, and word games turn out to be the best. We also once spent 3 hours planning an alternative ending to Harry Potter, and it turned out to be a blast…

Besa Sumovic, travel addict and family travel blogger at Beaches and Babies , on budgeting for and saving money on your vacation:

Sign up for flight/hotel deal newsletters.  TravelZoo, Airfare Watchdog, Secret Flying—they regularly send out deals for flights, hotels, and activities all over the world (gotta be quick but will save a lot). 

Stay away from the action . If you stay at a hotel or rental a block or two away from the tourist areas you can save tons. 

Check the tourism sites for the area you want to stay at.  Many feature hotel and activity deals that aren’t advertised on the search engines (and come with extra perks!). 

Be flexible with your dates.  Fly during low/shoulder seasons, stay during the week instead of the weekend, look over the fare calendars for airlines/hotels and stay the dates that are least expensive, travel during the fall rather than the summer. 

Leslie Stroud, travel blogger at 7 Wayfinders , on top tips for flying with children:

My husband and I have traveled full-time with our five children (ages 4-13) since May of 2018.

We just visited our 35th country as a family and have taken hundreds of flights across the world in that time.

When flying with children, especially young ones, it is important to stay calm and plan ahead. Children can sense stress and often match the parents’ energy, so projecting calm confidence is crucial. 

Give yourself time!

When flying with children, you do not want to be late and rushing to your gate. Plan to arrive at the airport 3-4 hours before your flight. This will ensure you have ample time to get through security, use the restroom, gather your belongings, and ease that anxiety. Bring books, homework, or toys to entertain the kids while you wait.

If traveling with an infant, wear them into the airport in a carrier. While you will want to bring your carseat with you to the plane, it’s much more simple to wear your baby on your chest.

In the USA, TSA will (usually) not make you remove the carrier. This way you can simply walk right through the x-ray without having to wake baby up and maneuver them out of a car seat in a long line. 

Airport security can be a stressful experience for anyone, but as a parent with young children, this is only amplified. You’ll have extra gear and extra bodies to manage.

Here’s a short security checklist:

• Detach your car seat from your stroller, if needed, and place it face-down on the belt.
• Collapse your stroller and get it on the belt, going straight into the machine.
• Put your diaper bag in a bin. Take out baby bottles, sippy cups, baby food packets, etc. and place them in a separate bin with all additional liquids and gels you might have (think diaper cream, lotion, etc).

Liquids for baby and airport security:

• While you traditionally cannot bring any drinks through airport security, you ARE allowed to bring them for a baby. This can include breastmilk, frozen breastmilk, water to mix with formula, formula, juice, cow’s milk, etc.
• Your liquids will be x-rayed, but you can request to skip this if you’d like. They are also tested with a paper strip in my experience.

It may be tempting to skip nap times before your flight in hopes that children will sleep through the flight. However, this often backfires and has the opposite effect.

Overly exhausted kids can become agitated and sleep LESS than rested kids.

When waiting at your gate, be sure to speak with an agent to get your car seat and stroller tagged to be loaded upon boarding. You don’t want to be fumbling to do this at the last second. This is also a great time to ask about family boarding and the airline’s boarding process. Most airlines allow families to board the plane first; take advantage of this!

Right before boarding begins, be sure to use the restroom one last time. Make sure your baby gets a fresh diaper, toddlers empty their bladder, and everyone washes their hands to remove airport germs.

Put important items and snacks at the top of your diaper bag for easy access. I often bring a large ziplock baggie full of snacks and small toys to store in the seatback pocket so I don’t need to stand up when it’s needed. I also always pack tylenol in an easily accessible location in case it’s needed. Sometimes I even give a dose prior to boarding just to play it safe.

For international flights, many airlines offer bassinets that hook onto the wall for infants and this is a great option if you don’t want to hold them for the entire flight.

This is, however, something you need to request when booking your ticket, so plan ahead! You also have the option of purchasing an extra seat and bringing your car seat. Children cannot be in the car seat during takeoff or landing and personally, I don’t find it worth the extra ticket cost!

Bring a bottle, pacifier, or nurse infants during takeoff and landing. Little ears can be very sensitive to the pressure change and the sucking motion helps alleviate that. Similarly, you can bring a sippy cup, sucker, or small snack for toddlers and older children.

Nothing gives parents more stress than the thought of their child crying during the flight.

Don’t let this deter you!

Believe it or not, most people don’t mind a bit and as mentioned above, losing your calmness will only make the situation worse.

We’ve occasionally brought small gift bags to offer our immediate seat neighbors.

This can be as simple as a few treats, earplugs, and a quick note thanking them in advance for their patience. The small gesture goes a long way in boosting others’ patience and calming your guilt!

Ultimately, don’t stress and overcompensate if your child does start fussing. You are the expert with them, so use your typical soothing methods and stay calm! The crying or the flight will end eventually!

Angela Rice, Co-Founder at Boutique Travel Advisors , on budgeting for your family vacation:

Evaluate which activities are best with a guide and which can be done self-guided. This is a great way to maximize your experiences while saving money.

Do not assume that taxis/Ubers will save you money.  Not only do pre-arranged transfers provide a higher level of service, but they typically lock in the price.  Traffic and delays can easily run up the cost of a taxi.  Additionally, you are at risk of not being able to find a driver and/or vehicle that can accommodate your family right on the spot.  Working with a trusted transfer company also provides an element of safety especially when traveling in a foreign country,

When choosing a hotel or resort, look for properties that offer accommodations designed for families.  For example, in Europe, rooms that occupy three and four persons, as well as adjoining rooms, are scarce.  However, there are properties who are catching to the type of room configurations desired by families, including two bedroom configurations. 

Travel outside of peak season. This can be challenging when you have school aged children, but if your children are under the age of five and not quite in school yet or in college, you will save and avoid crowds if you travel outside of peak season.

Tip upfront. This doesn’t sound like a way to save money, but trust me, you will be rewarded if you take good care of those servicing you.  I have found that when I am traveling with my family if we tip well, we have a much better experience.  People will show gratitude in return for your generosity. Trust me, the tipping is worth it.

Travel with other families.  This is a great way to take advantage of economies of scale.  One guide shared by two families is less expensive than two guides needed for two separate trips.  With another family, you may be able to justify renting a private villa where you can share in the expense.  You might also find that a private villa offers greater privacy and an overall better way for the family to connect through travel.

Plan well in advance.  Prices tend to go up as supply goes down. If you wait to book your rooms, you may find your desired property is sold out.  Do not compromise your experience by having to choose your second or third choice due to price increases or no vacancy.

Paul Miller, Editor at FamilySkier , on traveling to colder destinations with kids:

Generally speaking, most families with kids err on the side of trying to do too much and be overbooked when they travel.  Take it easy, and build-in plenty of downtime.  Some of the best memories occur when you are just together, not necessarily doing a planned activity.

If traveling to a colder destination — like a ski trip — overpack on the clothing.  You never know which clothes you will need to reach for, and 35 degrees and sunny feels a whole lot different than 20 degrees and windy.  The two call for different clothing and base layer plans.  Kids tend to quickly fizzle if they are too hot or too cold.

Keri Baugh, travel blogger at Bon Voyage With Kids , on budgeting and why you should let your kids help with the packing:

My favorite travel tip is  getting kids involved in the packing.   

I give my kids my “kids-carry on packing list” that I have for FREE on my blog, and they pack their own carry-ons with my  recommended top items kids need in their carry-ons list.

Not only does this teach them responsibility, but it helps us out a lot! My kids also help pack their own suitcases and carry their own bags.  It helps them become savvy travelers, contributes to the family, and teaches them responsibility.  

When it comes to saving money, we recommend  staying in Airbnb’s or hotels with kitchens/kitchenettes  (like at Marriott Residence Inns), so that you can at least have breakfast in the room. 

You can also have other meals in the room as well, especially if you bring some of your own road trip food. 

Or have groceries delivered through Instacart.

Some hotels also have grills, so that keeps food costs down.  This helps cut down on costs from eating out, although that is part of the fun of traveling too! 

When we travel to Maui each year, we get a card from the hotel that gets us free desserts, two for one meals, and other discounts.  I recommend reading through these if you get one and be sure to use it!

We also  try to get an attraction discount card  so that if we are seeing main attractions in a major city, we can save on entrance tickets.  

For our kids, we  have them bring their own allowance money  or  their Greenlight cards  so that they can learn money management and it saves us money by splurging on souvenirs for them. 

Justin Carmona, travel blogger at Go The Adventure Way , on staying local and exploring the state parks:

When we started traveling we started local. We have a pretty great state park system in North Carolina and we began to plan  day ,  weekend , and  week-long  trips around the various state parks. We learned a ton about traveling and about our state by doing this. When we completed the 41 parks in North Carolina we decided to move on to the National Parks. 

Now, we plan our family vacations around visiting National Park units across the country.

Sometimes we fly to different places and rent a car. Other times we just get in the car and head off for a massive road trip.

By doing this, we are able to see parts of the country we never would have been to before, get a really great sense of different communities and culture within the U.S., and see some pretty special places.

The life lessons our kid has learned is better than anything he could learn in school. He has been to the places that shaped America, the Civil Rights movement, battlefields, and presidential houses. He loves it. One more thing to check off of our National Parks Passport Book and get a Junior Ranger badge from. 

So, for us, the way we pick our family vacation destinations is by seeing what is next on the National Park list. With 424 units, there is always another one to see and explore!

Lanie van der Horst, travel blogger at Make More Adventures , on top packing tips when traveling with kids:

I prefer to pack light and only bring what the adults can carry. 

My kids are 5 and 7 and it is not worth all of the whining.  If I travel alone with the children, we pack in one bag (carryon or check in depending on our destination, length of visit, and time of year as winter clothes take up more space). If my husband comes with, we can pack more. 

We are currently in Australia where we moved in October 2020.  The move isn’t permanent, but we expect to be here a year-ish. We brought 3 check in suitcases and 1 carryon suitcase so that we did not need help.  

I have a large duffle bag on wheels that turns into a backpack which is perfect for traveling with kids. I purchased it pre kids when I was traveling through Europe and Asia, after I got tired of backpacking, but sometimes needed to carry my bag over cobblestones or up many flights of stairs. Now, I can easily put it on my back if I need to hold my children’s hands.

Packing cubes are mandatory. I love them for organization, and space saving. You just need to be careful that you do not put in so many things that you need to pay for a heavy bag. Each person gets their own packing cube so that it is easy to hand out clothes. You can also pack by day/event by putting everyone’s clothes for that day in the same packing cube. 

Oliver Froese, travel blogger at Ačiū , on whether or not you should take a stroller and car seat with you on a flight:

Should You Bring a Stroller?

If you are going to bring a stroller, get a cheap umbrella-type stroller. Airlines will allow you to pack all kinds of extra kids’ stuff. Your beautiful double stroller with all the bells and whistles will get abused by the baggage handlers. It’s also just another cumbersome item to deal with while you travel.

Are you travelling to Europe? A stroller is not fun on cobblestone, and your kid will not sleep well getting shaken like a paint can. At least with a cheap umbrella stroller, if the cobblestone wrecks it, you can leave it behind.

When we travelled to Europe with our 2.5-year-old, we brought an umbrella stroller and a baby carrier. After a couple of days, we only used a baby carrier. The cobblestone, crowds, and subways just made the stroller awkward. We found it easier to pack the baby carrier, or even just wear it.

What about bigger kids that can’t be carried? Again, opt for the umbrella stroller. Try and get your kids to walk as much as possible and plan your day with breaks. Kids are tougher than you think. Get them accustomed to walking at home.

Should You Bring a Car Seat?

Taking your trusted car seat might be something you are considering. Here’s what you need to know. 

If your car seat is bulky, it is difficult to fit in the airplane seat. If you are seated in a window row, the car seat must be against the window. This rule is an airline safety rule. They don’t want that the car seat blocks your exit in the event of an emergency.

It is not easy to get the seatbelt through the car seat bottom and difficult to tighten it with the car seat against the window. Ask for a seatbelt extension. All planes should have these. They make the seat belt longer so that you can pull it through the car seat and tighten the belt.

If the plane has three seats as a middle row, the car seat has to go in the middle seat. These middle rows are one of the best locations for a car seat on a plane. It’s easier to set up, and parents can sit on either side.

You can get attachments that strap or clip to the car seat, which gives the car seat a handle like a suitcase. This attachment makes it easy to transport the car seat, with your child in it, through airports.

Car companies all rent car seats for kids. If you decide not to bring one, you can always rent one. Now you have one less thing to carry. 

Alexandra Fung, Co-Founder of Upparent , on the importance of proper preparation before your trip:

As with many things in life, and especially when kids are involved, preparation is key to making family travel go as smoothly as possible!

Whether you are flying or taking a road trip, it will help if you plan ahead for snacks, entertainment and unexpected surprises along the way.

Be sure you have several snack options on hand that you can easily pass back and forth as kids get hungry, balancing as makes sense for your family between sweet and salty “treats” that are part of the fun of travel, and healthier, more substantial options to nourish and fill their bellies.

For entertainment, there are plenty of great travel toys for kids, with Mad Libs and writing tablets being perennial favorites among parents.

It’s also a good idea to have some audiobooks handy for the whole family to listen to in the car, or which kids can listen to on a plane, as well as car games to play together (think, the alphabet or license plate games), and conversation starters. A good list of kid jokes never hurts, either!

Pack an extra set of clothes for each child in a readily accessible travel bag for unexpected spills and accidents, and no parent has ever regretted having an extra plastic bag or two handy, just in case!

Amelia Morgan, travel blogger at TravelingSam.com , on traveling internationally with children:

I’m a single mom who travels full time with my toddler. We are currently slow traveling through South America. Both of my tips are for Americans traveling internationally. 

My top tip is to make color photocopies of your passport and your kid’s passports when traveling. Having photocopies allows you to carry the information with you everywhere without risking damage to your actual passport book. Leave that in your hotel or Airbnb. 

The reason you want to carry your kid’s passport is because you want to have documentation if you are ever separated. Especially if the resemblance isn’t obvious. You always want to show a security guard or any official proof that they are your kids. 

My second tip is to have a photocopy of your kid’s birth certificate. Parental abduction, child abduction and child trafficking is real and taken very seriously. In some international airports you will have *everyone* along the way asking to prove you are the parents or have permission if there is only one of you. 

Phil Dengler, Co-Owner of  The Vacationer , on budgeting and saving money when planning a family vacation:

Make Saving Money a Game

The absolute best way to save money on family vacations is to turn it into a game for your kids.

Give them a set dollar amount before the trip begins ($5 or $10) and then another dollar or two per day.

Tell them the money is theirs and they have to figure out the best use for it every single day, whether it be snacks, drinks, or souvenirs.

Instead of them asking you to buy things for them at every stop, they will decide if it is worth the money or not.

The amount of money given depends on the trip, so an initial $5 or $10 may not be enough. Adjust based on the location. 

Pick the Destination First and Be Flexible on Dates

This is very important if you are flying somewhere. Instead of picking the dates and then booking a flight, pick the destination and then find the cheapest flights.

While it may require you to be flexible on dates, it is the best way to save money on airplane tickets. For those with kids, the savings add up even more since you may be buying three or more tickets. Use Google Flights to search.

Use Undercover Tourist for Disney Tickets and Other Popular Children’s Theme Parks

The best place to buy discount Disney tickets is at Undercover Tourist . I always use it to buy my tickets when visiting Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando, and it has saved me a ton of money.

For example, the official Disney World website charges $927.14 for 1 Adult and 1 Child 5-Day Ticket with Admission to 1 Park Per Day Valid any 5 days from Sun, Aug 22, 2021 – Sun, Aug 29, 2021. Undercover Tourist charges $895.69 for the same tickets for the same days.

Depending on the ticket and days, savings may be higher or lower, but prices are always cheaper on Undercover Tourist than the official Disney World website.

There are also always additional offers for more savings, such as adding more tickets or booking a hotel.

In addition to Disney World in Florida, Undercover Tourist also has discounted tickets for Universal Orlando, Seaworld (Orlando and San Diego), LEGOLAND (Florida and California), Disneyland, and Universal Studios Hollywood.

Pack Your Own Lunches and Snacks if Possible

While some places may not allow outside food, I recommend packing lunch for the entire family when traveling if possible.

Food and restaurant prices are marked up considerably at tourist destinations, so it is in you and your wallet’s best interest to pack PB&J sandwiches and chips for the entire family.

If you have a hotel or house with a kitchen, take it a step further and cook breakfast and dinner for even more savings.

Hoang Anh “Christine” Le, travel blogger at Luxury Under Budget , on using free kids clubs at hotels:

Look for hotels with FREE kids clubs and babysitters.

There are a lot of affordable hotels and resorts in Asia (Vietnam, Indonesia,…) and in Cancun, Mexico with free kids clubs. Some of them even include babysitters for free!

Depending on the hotel’s policies, the babysitters can watch kids as young as two years old. They are life savers for parents who want to have a romantic dinner by the beach or simply a kid-free day. 

Jonathan Kinas, Co-Founder of AquaVault , on keeping your valuables safe when going for a swim:

You may remember us from SHARK TANK as the guys who had their valuables stolen while going for a swim…because of that nightmare, we invented the portable travel safe to lock up your valuables to your lounge chair when going for a swim. 

With travel steadily increasing, more people are going to need a place to hide their cell phone and valuables when enjoying the outdoors (especially at the beaches and pools around the world).

Just lock our FlexSafe to your lounge chair or umbrella and secure it with our built-in 3-digit combination lock. This slash-resistant portable safe is the best way to protect your stuff from thieves and enjoy the peace of mind that has always been missing. 

No more looking over your shoulder or having someone stay back to watch everyones stuff!

Nicole Hunter, travel blogger at Go Far Grow Close , on checking back on your reservation to save money:

My advice has to do with saving money. I always recommend that you book accommodation and a rental car as early as possible. In addition, make sure that you can cancel and you never pay in advance for either. 

Hotel and rental car costs are based upon current and historical demand.

When you book early, you get to choose what you want at the price you are most comfortable paying rather than choosing from what is left over at a higher cost. In addition, since there is more supply available the earlier you book, you will likely pay less for your accommodation.

In the case of a hotel, for example, they are keen to start filling their rooms for the dates that you have selected and will more likely have better deals earlier than later.

The same argument rings true for rental cars. 

After that, it is important to check back on your reservation every month or so. The reason is that if hotels and rental car companies are not seeing the historical demand that they normally expect for the dates in which you are interested, they will likely reduce their prices.

You want to be able to take advantage of those lower costs by modifying your reservation.

If you prepay or are not able to cancel your reservation, you lose the ability to take advantage of the lower costs.

On the other hand, if the cost of the rooms or the rental car increases because the hotels and rental car companies are seeing higher demand and increased bookings, you are protected from those increases with your early reservation. 

More about our TFVG Author

James Brockbank

A seasoned traveller, Dad, and avid sports tourist, James foundered The Family Vacation Guide to share his expert vacation experiences- especially when it comes to being a travelling family man.

Featured in Travel articles such as Travel + Leisure, TripSavvy and SFGate, you know you're reading some of the best vacation tips online.

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Family Focus Blog

Top family blog by Nashville mom blogger

51 Tips For Travel With Family

October 19, 2023 by Scarlet

People are often surprised how much we travel, even as a young family. They often ask for tips on how to travel with a family because kids can be so consuming. We find that travel gives us lots of fun things to do with kids and is great for bonding. Family travel is fun, a fantastic learning opportunity, and also an adventure full of pitfalls. Take the wrong steps and your long-sought-after vacation can easily be ruined by many things. Overpriced restaurants, seedy rooms, tourist-trap attractions, and overnight flights while crammed in the middle seat – sound familiar? Here are 51 great, time-tested tips to make travel with family easy and fun.

Expert Tips To Make Traveling With Family And Kids Easier And More Enjoyable

Why Traveling With Family Is Important

Are you looking for family travel inspiration? Just think about what aspect of travel excites you most. If you are like me and you enjoy stepping out of the daily routine for new experiences, then any new destination is always exciting. If you prefer a special place or theme parks, then there are plenty of travel adventures to be had that way too. You don’t have to have a family travel blog to enjoy life as a traveling family. Anyone can do it!

Adding kids to your travel plans can make things more complicated but with a little forethought and these tips for smooth journeys, traveling with kids can be fun and memorable! Traveling with family is such a great bonding time. It is so nice to have the time to focus on each other and enjoy something new and exciting at the same time. Travel is also a great way to introduce children to new cultures and help them appreciate diversity. A family getaway is a good time to learn new skills as well. These can be basic things like how to take public transportation or more niche like how to surf. It is a great chance to go beyond comfort zones and discover new interests.

Planning Your Family Trip

The best way to have a great trip is to start with reasonable travel plans. You may not want to start with a world trip or international destinations if this is your very first time traveling as a family. The best option is probably to create family vacation memories somewhere with direct flights! But honestly, you can have a fun family trip anywhere so do what feels right to you. A good travel experience starts with good preparation and detailed information.

1. Get user reviews of destination essentials from Citysearch.com, Yahoo! Travel and Trip Advisor, Yelp.com, FourSquare and others. 2. Join user discussion forums on Fodors.com, TripAdvisor.com , LonelyPlanet.com and Frommers.com. 3. Read a travel book about major cities or check out travel blogs and contact family travel bloggers for personal recommendations. 4. Get updates on the best hotels, attractions and cheapest options en-route via Facebook and Twitter. 5. Take out a good-sized travel insurance policy covering emergency medical expenses, baggage loss and delay, and cancellation costs.

How to Budget For Traveling With A Family

6. Evaluate foreign currency exchange rate online before traveling. You can use a currency converter to track the live exchange rate and receive alerts. For example, AUD to USD . 7. Exchange currency at post offices to avoid the commission. 8. Break down package deals using DealBase.com or kayak.com and tally your bill for individual components

Selecting Transport For Your Family Vacation

Honestly, one of the best things about road trips in the United States is the quality time you get spent together doing on the way to family adventures. Being packed the car can actually be a good thing if you prepare with snacks and a the right podcast, music, or games. Likewise, even young children can be excellent little plan or train travelers if you are prepared. A little extra effort before the family trip, will make the family vacation itself so much more enjoyable for the whole family. Use these tips depending on your chosen mode of transport:

Air Travel Tips For How To Travel With A Family

9. Use Kayak.com to scan data from multiple airline and travel booking sites. 10. Check DoHop.com or Momondo.com to locate flights overseas. 11.  Pick the right days to travel. For example, avoid subjecting kids to red eye flights, and consider flying on Tuesdays or Wednesdays to avoid massive crowds. 12.  Stretch those little legs. When the flying is nice and calm, take a minute to walk the aisle with your child. Remember how much energy they normally burn and understand it can be difficult to sit still in a plane for grownups, never mind a five year old. Be prepared with some games and activities for traveling. 13. Be sure to bring your baby wipes, creams, diapers and formula with you. Don’t put essentials in checked luggage if you’ll need them with you in seat 24E.

Car Travel Tips For How To Travel With Family

14. Make sure your car gets a thorough pre-journey inspection if you are doing a road trip. You don’t want to deal with car problems with young kids in the car! 15. Take copies of your car’s documents, drivers’ licenses, kids’ photo IDs, insurance papers and car keys. 16. If renting a car, check for the spare tire, owner’s manual, radio/CD player, tools, headlights, and A/C, GPS and windshield wipers. 17. Obtain highway safety reports from the NHTSA Online and D.O.T. Travel Safety Association Auto Safety sites. 18. Get free destination information and maps from local tourist information offices or automobile clubs. 19. Visit www.myfamilytravels.com and other sites to locate tourist spots, special events and festivals en route.

Bus and Train Travel

20. On buses, opt for the front seats for the additional leg room. 21. Carry ear plugs or noise canceling earbuds /headphones to protect your ears from unwanted noise. 22. Unless you are passing through scenic countryside, it’s best to schedule the train ride as night travel. There won’t be any potty breaks, whiny snack breaks and other nuisances. 23. Use major city train stations and travel only by direct trains when possible. This will not only bring down your fare but also reduce the hassle of transferring your family for one train to another. 24. Always book seats on new buses; old ones can creak and stop now and then on bad roads.

Family Travel Tips For Packing

Use these tips to pack right and light and to enjoy relatively stress-free travel. Get a full charge. Make sure all iPads, iPods, phones, tablets, and video games are fully charged before your trip. While you want the kids to enjoy the scenery of a road trip, giving them a little screen time can help keep them in a decent mood.

Packing Tips For Family Clothing

25. Make a list of the specific things to pack for each family member and stick to the list. 26. Pack outfits that can be mixed and matched and easily washed by hand or at local laundromats. Hotel laundry bills can be very high. 27. Don’t pack bulky pieces if you’re traveling to a cooler region. Carry plenty of lightweight, knitted pieces that you can layer. 28. Pack only wrinkle-free clothing to avoid the need for pressing clothes. 29. Pack socks and stockings within shoes to save space. 30. Limit family members to two pairs of shoes; make these the flexible ones that can be easily packed

Packing Tips For Travel Gear

31. Put all your toiletries in a transparent plastic Ziplock bag so that you don’t have to take it all out at security stations. 32. Limit luggage to one lightweight, durable, smooth-rolling wheelie bag handy backpack straps and a detachable day pack for each family member. 33. Use cell phone cameras or take one slim digital camera for the entire family. Avoid carrying multiple bulky camera bags. 34. Bring a simple stroller. Inexpensive umbrella strollers area much better option than bringing your larger and fancier kid buggy. Keep it simple with a lightweight stroller that will save your back while traveling. Bring a lightweight portable car seat . 35. Take copies of your passport and other important documents in your luggage. 36. Pack a spare package of plastic Ziploc bags and trash bags in your trunk; you’ll find them handy for myriad purposes.

Packing Extras

37. Put spare first aid kit , wipes and tissues, spare toilet paper, liquid anti-bacterial soap and paper towels in your glove compartment for use in bad public restrooms. Or if you are flying, pack an extra set of clothes for your child in your carry-on so you can get junior out of his juice-soaked pants. Be prepared for the unexpected. 38. Put a flashlight, safety matches, candles, a waterproof tarp, a spare tire, repair kit, a gallon of water and blankets in your car’s trunk. 39. If you’re flying, bring your own blanket, travel pillow and entertainment and some snacks for the children. Remember the portable car seat for when you land.

Following these following tips for hotels, flights, and packing are a great way to ensure the next trip with kids goes smoothly. This will give you more time to build great memories instead of worrying about the headaches of traveling with kids. 

Traveling As A Family & Selecting the Best Lodging For The Best Price

40. Even if you’re planning just a one night stay in a city, join the hotel’s loyalty program, to enjoy member extras such as free breakfast drinks, free pressing and so on. 41. Watch extra fees. Parking, Wi-Fi and other services might be free, or they might not. Parking in an urban center such as San Francisco can be $50 a night, so find a hotel that offers a parking fee deal. Check the hotel’s policy for kids to stay free. Some offer this discount for kids up to 19 years of age, while others only feature it for two year olds and younger. Check the policy to avoid a potentially expensive surprise. 42. In addition to a hotel room, check out alternative lodging options such as hostels, AirBnB , farm stays, house swaps and tourist apartment rentals. Determine which one will work best for your length of stay.

43. Stick your kids in a car or airplane for hours and they’re going to get cranky. A hotel pool can be a very inviting place to relax and burn off some pent up energy. Use the booking site ’s advanced filters to make sure your selected hotel has a pool. 44. Be careful of advance booking bargains; the discount may look good, but you may have to pay in full, with no possibility of date change or cancelation. 45. Babysitting services can be what you need to get out on your own. Many resorts offer safe and engaging babysitting services that allow grownups to have some time together. 46. Look at suites. Consider the benefits of a larger suite instead of two separate rooms. A suite can be especially welcome for those traveling with little kids who can’t be left unsupervised in an adjoining room. When booking online hotel reservations make sure to request the crib or roll out cot in advance.

General Tips For How To Travel With Kids

47. No matter how much you plan, there will be disappointments, tantrums and delays. Adjust your expectations at the beginning to allow for these.  It doesn’t have to be perfect to still be fun! 48. Be flexible; normal routines will change for your kids, so don’t try to make them stick to regular schedules. 49. Get friendly with the crew on flights; this can be helpful if you have fussy kids on long flights. 50. It is a good idea to let each child carry a small ‘vacation bag’ filled with games and treats of their choice. 51. Wearing cargo pants or shorts with large, long pockets is a great way to store handy things in while traveling.

Traveling with family can be a fun and rewarding experience! Choose a destination that suits everyone’s interests and needs. Consider the ages of your children, their interests, and any special requirements. Pack light, but don’t forget essentials like medications, snacks, and entertainment for the kids. Look for family-friendly accommodations that offer amenities like connecting rooms, cribs, and play areas. Airbnb or vacation rentals can also be great options for more space and flexibility. Traveling with family is about spending quality time together, so relax and enjoy the experience even when things don’t go as planned.

I hope these family travel tips help you feel prepared and answer your questions about how to travel with a family. The biggest thing is go ahead and plan a small family trip for the first time. Then you see how much fun it can be! Furthermore, there will be no stopping you as you find that traveling with kids is totally something you can handle and that is worth it! The perfect family vacation is within your reach. Just think of the invaluable memories you’ll make on your next trip! Where will you go for your dream family vacation? Do you have a bucket list started? Reach out on social media @familyfocusblog!

Related Post:

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Car Top Cargo Carrier Review- Ready For Family Road Trips

South Africa Itinerary

Reader Interactions

August 5, 2012 at 12:28 pm

I like how you organized everything so well and left a lot of tips for each thing! Make sure to compare as much web-sites as possible to make sure to get the best deals for traveling with family.

November 5, 2021 at 5:59 pm

Some seriously handy tips! Have to admit that I much prefer travelling with my daughter now that she is older, not that she was ever difficult when younger, it’s just nice to realise it gets easier! Travelling as a single parent family can seem quite daunting but is easier than first thought, especially when coupled with your tips!

November 9, 2021 at 4:42 pm

Hello. Without a doubt, carry out a planning of the trip including the activities that you want to do, makes a much better schedule. This allows us to go to all the places we want. The currency exchange thing is very important. I traveled to Argentina and I had to change the money there and the experience was not very good. Sometimes I recommend depending on the destination, looking for a lodging that is central and close to all the places where we want to go. Sometimes to save on stay we spend a lot on the means of transport. It is important to evaluate all these points. Thanks for the advice and tips, I will certainly put them into practice on my next trip. I love reading your family travel blogs and seeing what adventures you and your family get up to.

November 10, 2021 at 12:54 am

Very useful family travel tips. I’ve found travelling with kids to be either smooth-sailing or a bit of a nightmare, so I love reading about more tips and tricks to have trips run even smoother. The best thing in the world is family. If you go, travel and enjoy with the family, that is the world’s best thing. Thank you

Parker says

October 25, 2023 at 6:17 am

I want to express my sincere appreciation for your incredibly comprehensive post on traveling with family. Your 51 tips cover a wide range of aspects, from planning to execution, making it an invaluable resource for families gearing up for an adventure. The practical advice, thoughtful insights, and emphasis on creating positive travel experiences for everyone involved showcase your understanding of the unique challenges and joys of family travel. Thank you for sharing your wisdom and making the prospect of traveling with loved ones not only manageable but genuinely enjoyable.

October 27, 2023 at 4:29 am

Wow this tips are so amazing and very useful too. thanks for sharing.

Prabhu says

October 29, 2023 at 12:02 am

These are fantastic family travel tips! It’s clear you’ve experienced the joys and challenges of traveling with kids. I appreciate the emphasis on preparation and flexibility. Making those memories is definitely worth it. Thanks for sharing your insights!

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WHY DO YOU LOVE TO TRAVEL?

Worldwide thoughts and quotes on the benefits and beauty of travel.

Carolyn Canetti

I polled my friends and family from all over the world on why they love to travel. Here are their responses:

"I think the exposure to new places and new people can be really reviving personally and also eye opening to see how other people live. To see how life functions, whether human or natural life, in other places is really humbling. It's easy to have your status quo at home, but as soon as you're in a new place - all bets are off. You can do anything, and are so willing to try new stuff to push your own boundaries purely because you're in a new place."

"I love to travel because not only is it the ultimate adventure but it also exposes you to new types of people, different ways of living, and opens up your mind. I just like to walk around in beautiful places that resemble the shire from Lord of the Rings while exploring new culinary terrains."

-Matty G "Traveling reminds me that my life isn't the only one I could live and that in the grand scheme of things, I'm pretty unimportant to this world we live in. People get so caught up in their daily lives and forget that they can be somewhere or someone else tomorrow if they'd like. There are no limits in the grand scheme of things except the ones we create for ourselves. Traveling helps make sure I don't forget that ."

"Travel puts me out of my comfort zone and inherently breeds challenge . I'm a firm believer that challenge leads to curiosity, maturity and growth."

"I use travel as an escape from daily life. Having future trips already planned brings me joy and gives me something to look forward to. I've never regretted a single trip I've taken ."

"I love to travel for a few reasons. First, you automatically become a naturally curious being . You are a traveler, tourist, backpacker, etc and even the most basic thing on a trip becomes an adventure - like catching a bus between cities. Second, you are hyper aware of your surroundings and appreciate the beauty or intrigue of a new land and culture! Third, when I travel and then return home, I see home in a whole new light . For example when I studied abroad in Buenos Aires and came back to NOLA, I realized there was so much more exploring of my own city that I needed to do and I was excited and motivated to do that, whereas before I was stuck in my daily routine."

"I travel to eat all the foods ."

" I love figuring things out . I love seeing new people."

"When I think about travel, I mostly think about traveling solo. I love it because it displaces you. In a state displacement you experience wonder, discovery, awe, discomfort. If you go with an open mind, you discover things about yourself, about others and about the world you would have not learned otherwise. It opens you up, turns on new lights so you can see and experience the world in a new way- even when you go 'home'. We get so involved in our current environments and lives - the chance to step out and explore and experience elsewhere gives us perspective and often provides new lenses with which we can see and think about who we are , what are doing with our lives and what we care about. The whole experience is filled with all these beautiful and crazy colors and feelings."

"I like the discovery part of it... I like to explore new things, new places, new views, new people, new everything...T here are many ways to explore new things, but traveling is the most satisfactory as it is the most comprehensive way as it encompasses many elements from views to people to foods etc. I also like getting away from the routine, and the daily chores and daily work and daily life and have a kind of a break from reality if you want... On the other hand with all the new crazy security issues, travel is not so "free spirited" anymore, as now one has to keep in mind and be aware and even worry a bit when traveling, when in the past the idea of travel was to get away from worries."

"I like to travel so that I don't have to text anyone for a week."

" It's fun ."

"People. Whether it's hiking a scenic overlook with old friends, or eating flatbread on the side of the road with new friends, you forge a special bond when you're both out of your elements. Every moment is an adventure."

"I love to travel to experience things and places that are completely unknown or different to me."

"Traveling somewhere new is an opportunity to really engage in being lost. You have to pay close attention to figure out what's your place, and how to act, and how to be respectful. You start to question and reflect on your own assumptions and behavior. You have a chance to represent your home , which both makes you consider other people's perspectives and better articulate who it is you want to be putting forth into the world." ​-Ella

"I love to travel for so many reasons. There is nothing like getting off a plane/train/bus and seeing the beauty of a new place for the first time . Sometimes, the outer beauty is overwhelming and I have to stand still and let time stop to try to take it all in at once. Sometimes, the beauty is less about aesthetics and more about that first conversation with a local when I am pleasantly overwhelmed by their openness and rich culture. I love walking several miles each day in a new place and thinking about who has walked there before me. It can be startling to realize that I do not know a single person for miles and miles, but I think that's part of what keeps it exciting. I feel the most 'alive' when I am exploring ."

"I love to travel to get away from the chaos of life, when I come home I've gained more perspective ."

"The world is full of interesting people, beautiful landscapes, incredible food, amazing music, and different cultures, and life is more interesting when you make time to enjoy as much of it as you can! We are lucky enough to have the ability to access all of this relatively easily, it's our responsibility to travel as much as possible and learn from other cultures."

“Because everything unimportant falls away - all the little stresses of New York. And I can just be. And learn. And see. And really truly lose myself in all the new things in a new different place.”

"I like getting out of the every day routine of things - it helps me get perspective on ma lyfe. And I like seeing how other people live and meeting the Matt Goodmans of other countries ."

“I love to travel because there's so much I haven't seen and every time I go somewhere new I learn about people and places I never thought about before and that's pretty neat. You can only see so much in a photo you gotta go live it to experience .”

“I love that a totally new perspective makes me reconsider my priorities and allows me to kind of recenter myself. Also food is delicious and I'm a sucker for taking pictures of things I've never seen.”

“I love moving away from the tourist trail and exploring where the locals eat, drink, dance and live. I find it so much more meaningful to see and immerse myself in that side of a city. It's nice to get away from the Aussie accents, English speakers and cameras, and just wander around and explore, and imagine yourself living there . I love everything about traveling, particularly trying new cuisines. I despise even the thought of eating at a Western fast food restaurant, when you have so many incredible and new foods to try. Even the experiences that are frustrating or difficult at the time, end up being some of the most memorable, and some of the most hilarious stories to share and reminisce about.”

“I love to travel because it excites me and energizes me ! It takes me out of my comfort zone and exposes me to cultures, landscapes and people that I find so inspiring.”

“Mainly to meet, experience, and learn from different people, for those wild unimaginable moments that just fall into place and make you question if your dreaming , for that crazy sensation of not knowing what's next, and overall for self reflection and personal growth.”

“I'd say I love to travel because I don't want to wake up one day when I'm 80 years old and say to myself I wish I had done that .”

"I like the feeling of adventure, like anything could happen ."

“ My first trip to Kenya made me examine and question how I live and what is important . It made (and continues to make) me wonder who is ‘happier’. I see such discrepancies between my life and others, although I live in a nice apartment with all of the ‘things’ I can desire - my life might be lonelier without a small community support system. So which life is ‘better’? This existential question is made sharper to me by traveling to countries whose cultures, customs and socioeconomic levels are different from what I grew up with and still. I also enjoy learning about the history of other cultures, why heritage and values result in suspicion to refugees and foreigners. This is a wake-up to me that not everyone (not most people) embraces diversity in every way . Much as I like to travel, I love to come home though.”

"I love the smells, tastes, sounds, sights and feelings of a place - new or familiar. I think my memories are closely interwoven with the scent of an event or a period of time so being able to catalogue a place by smell helps me remember the feeling of being there. Also food. Hooray for all the food and recipes that have been passed through generations, families and communities . I also love the feeling that I am somewhere removed from my everyday experience. It is exciting and relieving all at the same time. I love that traveling is not just one thing. Traveling can be fun. It can be invigorating, enlightening, powerful, relaxing, overwhelming, emotional or even a struggle.."

"The anticipate of travel is always the first exciting thing for me. The sheer idea of going somewhere far away. It's part coping mechanism, part restlessness, and part soul seeking. I love witnessing the way different people and cultures move through the world - how they interact with each other, love each other, how they make art, how they define community, what they value, what they fight for, and what they believe in spiritually . With every new encounter, you experience a new part of yourself."

“I love to travel because it takes me out of my comfort zone and I am always learning something new about myself and about that place each day I'm there.”

"For me it's meeting new people and learning about their different way of life - culture, traditions, food. And seeing what makes each place so unique ! Love finding a spot with a view that I'll always remember about that specific trip."

"I love the anticipation of a trip. Looking ahead, saving, planning, researching, all make the trip a greater adventure. I love the sense involved in experiences a new place, especially the taste. Every trip is magical and I feel fortunate; free to have wings at this stage in life."

"I can't remember a time when I wasn't dreaming about exploring a far away place. Trying to answer why I love travel is like trying to ask myself why I eat ice cream. I just love it. There's something so magical about getting the chance to live in each new place, surrounded by a new culture of sights, food and people."

"I love to see how other cultures eat and dance! Food and music is the best way to interact with people if you can't speak each other's language, and getting involved is the best way to show your appreciation . I also love challenging my own ideas about other cultures. It's so refreshing (and educating) to experience another side to what we see on TV, in movies and online.”

"I like to travel to understand history and learn how others live across the world. And for the food obviously ."

“I love to travel because I love to learn and meet inspiring people. It's important to educate yourself about different cultures and its pretty sweet to learn new skills (even if you pay for something 'tourists' do). Submitting yourself to the unpredictability of travel gives you experiences, some good others bad, that ultimately contribute to your world knowledge - even if it's only becoming a bit more aware of what is around you . Oh, and its fun learning dirty words in different languages.”

“I love to travel because it takes me outside of my culture and privilege and reminds me of great inequities in our world. Travel inspires me to learn more, think more and to better serve our world community. ”

“I rewatched Midnight In Paris last night. So I ask, 'is the age we are living in a golden age?' Certainly if Trump is president then No. But how would we ever know? The path towards the answer is to travel. Traveling allows you to drink with Hemingway, walk the path of Jesus, and gush over Joni Mitchell. I travel so I can debate and discuss this necessary question."

"My favorite part of traveling is being exposed to food, people, places, and things I've never experienced. To get that feeling of the first time is exciting ."

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33 Meaningful Reasons Why People LOVE to Travel

A World in Reach contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, I may receive a commission at no cost to you! Read my full disclosure here .

“Do you like to travel?”

This is a question I’ve been asked so many times in my life.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been obsessed with seeing the world. In high school, I joined all of the clubs that had travel opportunities to out-of-state conferences.

In college, I studied abroad four times – and planned solo trips and trips with friends in between!

You could say that I LOVE to travel – it’s also one of the reasons I created this blog! Traveling is in my blood, and I have two major missions in life: 1. see as much of the world as possible, and 2. inspire others to do the same!

There’s even a word for people like me. I’m a hodophil e , which means “one who loves to travel.”

I could talk all day long about why I love traveling and the fulfillment that traveling has brought to my life. And there are tons of other travelers out there that feel the same as me!

To put together this ultimate list of reasons why people love to travel, I worked with some fellow travel addicts to tell stories of what travel means to us.

You’ll find stories of personal growth, checking off bucket list experiences, and learning new things – all thanks to travel.

So, if you’re thinking about traveling the world for yourself, or are just wondering about how traveling can change your life, keep reading for personal stories of why people love to travel!

Table of Contents

1. Travel helps you check things off your bucket list.

Written by Sydney from A World in Reach

Growing up in a small, rural town, I dreamed of one day flying across the ocean, visiting world-class cities, and seeing the landmarks I had only seen on TV in real life.

I had always found Stonehenge and its history to be so fascinating, and I thought that climbing the Great Wall of China would be one of the coolest things anyone could do.

Seeing the Eiffel Tower in Paris sparkle at night was something I often dreamed about, as was walking through the hectic streets of Tokyo.

At the time, all of these experiences seemed like a pipe dream. How would I ever be able to afford to visit such faraway places?

But now, thanks to the gift of travel, I’ve been able to check all of these things and more off of my bucket list. And thanks to learning how to travel on a budget, I’ve been doing it cheaply while still maximizing my experiences.

Today, my bucket list is never-ending – each time I check something off, something new gets added. I’m still dreaming of seeing the Pyramids of Giza, going on a South African safari, and eating my way through Mexico City.

I wake up each day thankful for the experiences I’ve been given, and I look forward each day to checking the next thing off my bucket list.

2. Traveling gets you out of your comfort zone.

One of the things I love most about traveling is that it gets me out of my comfort zone.

To me, travel is one of the most rewarding and enriching experiences in the world. Hopping off a plane and being in a completely new environment is a feeling unlike any other.

When I get stuck in my day-to-day routine, I crave the excitement (and sometimes, chaos) of a travel day.

Traveling forces you to do something difficult – you might have to navigate a city with a language barrier, get accustomed to cultural norms totally different from your own, or figure out how to get a spare key to your accommodation when you got locked out of your Airbnb late at night with a dying phone battery (if you’re wondering why that’s so specific, it’s because it was easily my most stressful travel experience to date!).

Thanks to travel allowing me to get out of my comfort zone, I’ve improved my critical thinking and decision-making skills. I’ve also become a more empathetic person, and striking up conversations with strangers doesn’t seem so intimidating since I do it regularly when traveling.

Travel is an incredible way to broaden your horizons and expand your worldview. It challenges you to step outside of your comfort zone, confront your fears and insecurities, and connect with others.

If you’re ever yearning for an escape from the routine, start planning a trip.

3. Travel lets you try new foods.

I travel for a lot of reasons – seeing iconic landmarks in person, learning something new at museums and historical sites, and meeting new people from different walks of life.

One of my favorite things about travel though is all of the different food!

I’ve always been a foodie, and traveling has opened me up to so many unique dishes and cuisines that I can’t get at home.

Some of my fondest travel memories include eating my way through Ueno Market (one of the best things to do in Tokyo ), trying cuy (guinea pig) in Ecuador, and taking a Hawaiian cooking class in Oahu.

When I’m planning a trip, I always keep a list of foods to try and the best restaurants to visit. I also love taking local cooking classes so that I can learn how to make the dishes at home!

One of the #1 pieces of travel advice I always give others is to always try a new food , even if it’s something out of your comfort zone. You never know, you might end up with a new favorite!

4. Travel lets you escape everyday life and discover yourself.

Written by Kristin from Tiny Footsteps Travel

Traveling helps you discover not only new places but yourself.

Having grown up in a small town that I never left where I faced bullying at school, it was hard to imagine life outside of my reality.

At 12 years old, I got on a plane for the first time, to visit family in Sweden. This was my first taste of international travel, and it taught me more than just that there are beautiful, breathtaking landscapes abroad.

In meeting my extended family members, I learned that life could look different from how I grew up. Travel became my passion that fired my spirit, and became the dream at the end of the tunnel whenever I faced hard days.

I pursued traveling in my teens and early 20s. I traveled back to Sweden and also lived abroad in France, Germany, Mexico, South Korea, and Australia.

Overseas in far-off countries, it didn’t matter whether I was popular in school or not. I got to meet people as a whole new person and discover what I liked and who I really was.

I empowered myself by doing adventurous things, like skydiving on the beach in Australia.

Now as an adult, I love to give the gift of travel to my own two children. Our most recent family trip was to Costa Rica , which is the perfect destination with kids, a partner, or on your own.

5. When you travel, you get to learn about other cultures.

Written by Cristina from My Little World of Travelling

One of the main reasons why I love traveling is learning about other cultures. Although you can read books, watch documentaries or hear other travelers’ stories, nothing is better than experiencing the culture yourself.

Each destination I’ve visited has taught me something about a culture, but Mexico stands out for me. Despite Spanish being my first language, Mexican Spanish and culture are very different from Spain’s.

Visiting places like Chichen Itza and eating at local restaurants inspired me to cook more Mexican foods at home, learn more about its gastronomy, and made me curious about their traditions.

I also love that you can take new habits and traditions from other countries. Having traveled and lived in the UK , I adopted new habits like drinking tea and using words and expressions from regions like Yorkshire.

6. Traveling allows you to meet new, interesting people.

Written by Tammi from Wander Healthy

Traveling is a fantastic way to meet new and interesting people, especially for first-time travelers.

It puts you outside of your usual routine, providing opportunities to interact with people who share unique insights and experiences about the places you’re visiting. This is an easy and awesome way to learn about different cultures and customs.

Whether it’s chance encounters or shared experiences, you’re likely to interact with others every time you turn around.

It could be striking up a conversation on a train, meeting someone in a coffee shop, or attending a local event, but the possibilities for meeting new people are endless.

Staying in hostels or going on tours, my personal favorites, have a way of leading to conversations and lifelong connections with friends you wouldn’t have met otherwise.

Whether you’re backpacking through Europe, exploring Southeast Asia, or taking a road trip across the United States, you’re likely to meet people with interests and hobbies similar to yours, and your community builds naturally.

Traveling is the only thing that does this so effortlessly, letting you meet new and interesting people from all walks of life and create memories for a lifetime.

7. Traveling lets you see unique landscapes unlike any you’ve seen before.

Written by Sierra from Your Guide to Wandering

Traveling has allowed me to see landscapes found nowhere else in the world.

There are many places on earth that, without protection, would have disappeared with time. I’m grateful for our protected lands and historic monuments to allow me to experience nature and history from a first-hand perspective.

The ability to see fossils along my hikes in Moab, Utah, bike along 75-foot sand dunes in Cape Cod , or stroll the grounds of 12th-century castles in Portugal is invaluable.

Travel allows every day to be a different story and a different adventure. I don’t have to read about history or natural wonders just in books – I can experience them in real life.

Traveling to unique landscapes sparks our curiosity and childlike wonder. How were humans able to build the Roman Empire in ancient days with the most primitive of tools? How were the caves in Carlsbad, New Mexico formed over millions of years by just wind and water?

Travel constantly inspires me and keeps me exploring the bounds of history, science, and nature. What a privilege we get to travel and see such unique historical and natural places on Earth.

8. Travel helps you see things from a new perspective.

Written by Jo from World Wild Schooling

One of the things that I love most about traveling is the ability to see things from a new perspective.

Whether it’s a different culture, a new environment, or simply a change of scenery, traveling has a way of opening up your eyes to the world around you.

When we’re stuck in our daily routines and familiar surroundings, it’s easy to become complacent and forget about the wider world.

Traveling helps to break us out of this bubble and expose us to new ways of thinking and living. It allows us to see how people in other parts of the world approach life, work, and relationships.

For example, I was surprised to find out that in Phuket, Thailand, buses have no glass in the windows due to the consistently warm climate. This may seem like a small detail, but it highlights the unique ways that different cultures adapt to their surroundings.

Similarly, my jaw dropped when I first visited Brussels, Belgium , and saw that all signs are bilingual, even the subtitles in cinemas (yes, this means 4 lines of text!). This reflects the country’s complex linguistic history and the ongoing efforts to maintain both French and Dutch as official languages.

9. Travel can make you feel alive.

Written by Michele from Adventures Abound

Traveling makes simple experiences feel momentous, it sparks creativity, and it makes me come alive!

My first time going to another country was when I studied abroad in Costa Rica , and I realized that even the smallest experiences like taking a bus to a cool landmark or walking to a neighborhood festival were suddenly interesting in a new country.

I loved meeting new people, learning about the culture and the language, and traveling around to see beautiful nature in Costa Rica. Even just taking a bus to go visit a coffee farm felt like the most fun adventure.

Once I went on that trip, I was bitten by the travel bug as they say.

I started seeking out ways to feel like I was exploring and that often meant getting out around where I lived.

It’s so fun to explore little towns, peruse around farmer’s markets and shop with local vendors with the lens that I am traveling like I would if I were further from home.

10. Traveling allows you to see art in the world’s best museums.

Written by Lisa from Waves and Cobblestones

One of the reasons that I love to travel is that it gives me the opportunity to visit world-class art museums and spend time looking at fabulous pieces of art up close.

It’s quite a special way to experience art when you can look at a statue from different angles to note and admire all of the fine details.

If you can, always walk around a sculpture to view it from all sides. You just can’t appreciate it in the same way from a photo.

In some museums, the way that the art is displayed improves the viewing experience. In the Musée de l’Orangerie (one of my favorite Paris attractions ), Monet’s Water Lilies paintings are displayed in a unique oval room for an immersive panoramic viewing experience.

Visiting museums is one of my favorite things to do when I travel. And it’s also a great option for a rainy day!

11. Traveling strengthens friendship bonds.

Written by Kristin from Global Travel Escapades

One of the biggest reasons why I love to travel is because it allows me to strengthen the bonds I share with friends.

My friends and I traveled together right after graduating from university.

Although we somewhat knew each other before going on the trip, we didn’t really know each other!

But on this trip, we spent over a week laughing our butts off, dealing with stressful situations, and generally going on all kinds of crazy adventures around French Polynesia together.

There was no shortage of mistakes during this intense period, but we all came out on the other side for the better!

Fast forward almost two years later, and we all still speak so fondly of that time together. In addition, we went from mere acquaintances to the best of friends.

So, for me, I love traveling because it helps strengthen the friendships and relationships I have with others!

12. Travel helps you learn about history and its impact on places you visit.

Written by Diana from Travels in Poland

Traveling has always been my passion, but when you visit a place where you really feel something you can’t explain, it can transform your perspective on travel.

This happened to me when I visited Auschwitz-Birkenau .

My family is Polish and my grandmother, who was there with me, couldn’t get herself to enter the camp fully for several hours. She lived through the occupation and knew people shipped off to the camp. I realized how deeply this impacted me when I visited.

I’ve long been captivated by the way events shape societies, leaving indelible marks on the fabric of their being.

Stepping onto the hallowed grounds of Auschwitz, I felt the weight of the past heavy on my shoulders.

My grandmother’s eyes, glistening with unshed tears, told a thousand stories. This was where she lost family and friends, their lives snuffed out by the unimaginable cruelty of the Holocaust.

It was in walking onto these grounds that I grasped the true power of travel: the ability to connect with the past, witness history firsthand, and gain insight into the myriad of ways it continues to shape our world.

Through this poignant journey, I found a renewed appreciation for the transformative potential of travel, and a deeper understanding of the impact places have on people. Learning not only about history, but about the way it has shaped our world, and how we can learn from it.

13. Traveling helps you find a home base.

Written by Mal from Where To Stay Bali

Traveling was always my passion, but since I quit my career in finance and my conventional life in my home country, traveling has a whole new meaning for me.

Slow travel has become my way of life and a search for somewhere I can one day settle.

Since the beginning of my digital nomad life, I’ve lived part-time in Greece, Albania, Mexico, and the Netherlands.

I loved each of these places for different reasons – for their weather, culture, food, and people.

But, there has been one place that felt different to me, more special, a place that I want to keep coming back to. I found a place in Bali , which is now my second home.

If you keep an open mind during your travels, you may also find a place like that – a second home that can change your life!

14. Travel gives you the chance to study and learn in a new culture.

Written by Amber from Amber Everywhere

I love to travel because it allows me to experience new cultures and ways of living.

In particular, I had wonderful experiences studying abroad when I was in college because it gave me a chance to learn and live in a new place.

I stayed with a host family during my first two trips abroad, once in Guatemala and again in Jordan.

Living with a local family gave me a chance to experience the culture, try different foods, and see entirely different parts of those cities that I would’ve otherwise found.

Studying abroad also gave me a chance to travel slowly, and I stayed in each place long enough to have a favorite restaurant or route to take to school.

There were smaller cultural nuances that I learned, either because they were explained to me by locals or because I just picked them up as I went.

15. Travel teaches self-confidence and self-acceptance.

Written by Chelsea from A Wandering Redhead

I want to personally thank travel for the self-love and self-acceptance that it has taught me. 

Pre-travel, I was shy, people-pleasing, and disbelieving if someone called me pretty. 

Post-travel, I am confident, I love my body and what it can do for me, and I’m overall more radiant and bubbly. 

Without travel, I may have never started my self-love journey and I certainly wouldn’t be where I am today. 

I love the progress that I have made and believe that everyone should solo travel at some point in their life.

16. Traveling fulfills childhood dreams.

Written by Colleen from Then We Walked

As a girl, I would watch Whicker’s World on our black-and-white TV.

Every week, Alan Whicker would appear on screen like a traveling James Bond, complete with his very correct English accent, and transport me to a new exotic corner of the globe.

I was enthralled. It lit a flame. I wanted to explore, too. I dreamed of Table Mountain, Fisherman’s Wharf, the Sphinx, the Parthenon, Hal Long Bay, and the Cook Islands.

But ordinary people didn’t travel in the 1960s, and I was a child.  I started work, married, bought a house, and had a family. Inside, I still dreamed.

We traveled a little, ticking off some of my bucket list, but last year, our children had flown the nest and we retired.  Now, we’re traveling and exploring in earnest!

I’ve waited half a lifetime to go exploring and I’m beyond excited about our plans.

My advice to the girl who watched the TV: don’t wait.

17. Traveling allows you to connect with nature.

Written by Taryn from Happiest Outdoors

One of my favorite things about traveling is connecting with nature.

I love the simplicity of hiking and wilderness camping because it removes all the chaos and distractions of everyday life. It’s just me and the mountains.

It’s also a great way to understand the local ecology. I find it fascinating to learn about the way glaciers and volcanoes work or what unique animal species live in the area.

Instead of just looking at a spectacular view, I can understand the way the landscape came to be, and that deepens my relationship with the place.

Spending time traveling in nature has also been pivotal in my life.

Back in 2019, I had some time to think while hiking the 65-kilometer Overland Track in Tasmania, Australia . The trek made me realize that it was the right time to leave my 9-5 job and write full-time.

Since then I’ve expanded my outdoor adventure website, written a hiking guidebook, and moved to a small mountain town so I can hike every day. 

18. Travel increases feelings of gratitude.

Written by Kristin from World on Wheels Blog

One of the reasons I love to travel is that it makes me more grateful.

When you are constantly in the same country or even environment, it’s easy to take things for granted.

As a traveler who uses a wheelchair and lives in the United States, it’s easy to forget that not all countries have ADA laws that guarantee access.

When I travel to places like South America, I am reminded how little things like curb cuts make a huge difference in how hard or easy it is to navigate a town. I can’t help but feel sad for the people with disabilities that actually live there.

Aside from reminders about how lucky I am to live in a country that encourages accessibility for all, I also feel a sense of gratitude that I’m able to explore the world and witness some of the immense beauty it has to offer.

There’s something incredibly special about seeing the power of Iguazu Falls and realizing how small you are in this massive world of ours. It’s a feeling and experience that photography just cannot seem to capture.

Travel is important for so many reasons, but helping to feel more gratitude is one of the things that I love the most.

19. Travel humbles you.

Written by Milijana from World Travel Connector

Gustave Flaubert, a literary genius and a wise man, once noted: “Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.”

And indeed, it is one of many lessons that traveling teaches you. Traveling puts you into a broader perspective of time, place, and the universe.

Visiting fascinating archeological sites like Petra in Jordan, Angor Wat in Cambodia, Giza in Egypt, and Pompeii in Italy made me see what a tiny place I occupy in today’s world and question the knowledge of contemporary times. It made me think.

Meeting other cultures while traveling showed me how oblivious I could be to other customs and traditions and how much there is always left to learn.

Traveling made me aware of the prejudices that I thought never existed. Travel shamed me. However, it also taught me the importance of being always open to learning while keeping the ego in check. 

I found it especially rewarding to hike Camino de Santiago in Spain. Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims walked the trail before me. The Camino reminded me of the importance of modesty, effort, perseverance, and purpose. And, most importantly, what a tiny place I occupy in the world.

So, if you like meaningful travels, prepare your  Camino de Santiago packing list and walk the Camino. Let the Camino teach you valuable life lessons! 

20. Traveling helps you de-stress and recharge.

Written by Paulina from UK Everyday

Traveling is an excellent way to de-stress and recharge.

Discovering new places can allow you to reconnect with yourself. It can also help reduce stress levels by providing a change of scenery and an escape from the mundane routines of everyday life.

Traveling can also provide people with a sense of freedom from their work-related responsibilities, allowing them to relax surrounded by natural landscapes.

Exploring some of the best beaches in Wales can be a great way to disconnect from the stresses of everyday life.

Additionally, traveling can help boost creativity, as it encourages new ideas and perspectives. This can help spark creativity by introducing fresh ideas that you might not have otherwise thought of when stressed.

For these reasons, traveling is great to help de-stress and recharge.

Furthermore, travel also provides a break from your daily routine, allowing you to step away from your comfort zone and explore the unknown without worrying about your daily problems.

21. Travel lets you connect with other cultures through the arts.

Written by Dawn from Culture Feasting

If you consider yourself an artistic person, know that traveling can be a total game-changer.

As a creative person myself, I’ve found that exploring new destinations has the power to expand my spirit and give me all sorts of new artistic opportunities.

Over the years I have come to crave the stimulation of experiencing different cultures and their unique art forms.

From visiting local museums to catching a traditional dance performance, there are so many ways to connect with the arts while on vacation.

It’s not just about admiring pretty paintings or sculptures, either. It’s about immersing yourself in a foreign environment and gaining a whole new perspective on the world.

I’ve found that this can really inspire me to incorporate new artistic elements into my own creative projects.

So next time you’re planning a trip, consider how it could enhance your love for the arts and help you connect with other cultures on a deeper level.

22. Travel gives you a change of scenery.

Written by Tina from Veganderlust

I grew up in a small village in Austria, a country with beautiful lakes and mountains, but also a landlocked country.

The best part about traveling is the change of scenery. My favorite places to go to are cities next to the ocean, which is a completely different scenery from landlocked Austria.

There’s nothing better on your holiday than exploring a city and then relaxing at the beach.

That’s why I really loved my last trip to Barcelona . There’s so much culture and history to discover in this city, and afterward, you can go swimming in the sea.

By visiting different places with a change of scenery, you also develop a new appreciation for your own home scenery – one of the many positive side effects of traveling.

As much as I love traveling to coastal destinations, I always love seeing the mountains when I come back home.

23. Travel can strengthen your romantic relationships.

Written by Amy & Liam from Plain2Plane

There are so many wonderful reasons to travel.

If you’re in a relationship then there is nothing better than sharing experiences with your significant other.

Imagine waking up in Egypt with your partner, ready to go out for the day. You are going parasailing together, enjoying cocktails, quad biking – the list really is endless. You get to enjoy all of this with someone that you love and care about.

Traveling can be challenging at times and you have to make many different, sometimes difficult, decisions.

You have the luxury to share these moments together and form a closer relationship unlike any other. This will help you create a deeper bond with your partner.

You will also be able to step out of your comfort zone and try new things together. This will ultimately bring you closer together too!

24. Travel is inspiring.

Written by Chelsea from Adventures of Chels

One of the reasons I enjoy traveling is because of the many ways it inspires me.

Traveling inspires me to better myself physically, mentally, and emotionally.

I’m inspired physically when I’ve committed to a trip that involves physical effort. One example would be hiking the Inca Trail in Peru.

When I learned that the trail involved miles of steady incline at high altitudes I felt motivated to prepare for that physically. This resulted in healthier eating habits and weeks of exercising leading up to my trip.

I’m inspired mentally by the way traveling increases my desire to do even more of it. This usually prompts me to tighten my budget to save for my next trip.

It also helps put into perspective the things I need vs. want and how that plays into not only my budget but also my overall happiness.

Emotionally, traveling inspires me to be a better person. When I see the way people in other parts of the world live, many times with very little, I feel humbled.

I feel inclined to be more grateful for the things I have and the experiences I’m afforded. It contributes to my overall well-being when I’m reminded of how little I need to truly be happy.

There are many reasons why I love traveling; but, the way it inspires me is definitely high on the list.

25. Travel turns kids into global citizens.

Written by Brodi from Our Offbeat Life

As full-time digital nomads, my family has seen so many places and experienced so much that I never thought possible when I was younger.

My son is learning about different cultures, languages, and ways of life that he would have never been exposed to if we had stayed in one place.

Traveling as a family has allowed him to gain a greater appreciation for the world around him.

He’s able to see how people live differently in different parts of the world and understand why those differences exist.

He is also learning valuable lessons about resilience, adaptability, and problem-solving as he navigates through unfamiliar places and situations.

Most importantly, traveling has given him the opportunity to explore his own identity as a global citizen.

He is developing an understanding of what it means to be part of something bigger than himself – a global community – and how he can contribute positively to it.

26. Traveling helps you find new opportunities in life.

Written by Min from Amsterdam Travel Blog

Traveling is not just visiting new places, experiencing new cultures, and trying local food. It can mean much more than that; it allowed me to find new opportunities and has changed my life forever.

When traveling to Europe for the first time at 18 years old, I noticed how big the world was, and life was so different on the other side of the world.

Because of that, I became more motivated to embrace the world. I decided to travel and meet more people.

While traveling in Amsterdam , luckily, I met some friendly people, including international students from Paraguay and South Africa. They studied in the Netherlands with a full scholarship.

They told me that the Netherlands was their first choice since they could have more connections with people around the world quickly while studying, and easier to find a job here after graduation as a non-European.

I came from Taiwan and grew up there all my life. After working for a few years, I quit my job and studied in the Netherlands. Now, I finally moved to The Netherlands permanently on my own, and if I didn’t travel, I would not know that it was possible to move here.

I encourage you to travel more and be open to meeting new people. The world is so big – people you meet can help you see the world from a different perspective and get valuable information about your life.

27. Travel can help you create change in your own community.

Written by Annie from Your Friend the Nomad

Travel is not just about the place you visit, but the transformation you experience and how you transform your community in response.

I learned this when I spent a few months volunteering with a reconciliation organization in the Middle East.

Despite decades of violence between their communities, I saw ordinary people working together to build bridges across social divides.

As an outsider looking in, I only saw the tip of the iceberg of the challenges locals were facing—yet I could see that peacemaking was not an easy or quick task.

After a few months, I returned to the US completely changed. The framework for reconciliation that I learned abroad guided how I navigated the aftermath of George Floyd’s death, conversations about immigration, and even interpersonal conflicts.

Personal transformation is available to you as you travel whether you’re traversing war zones or relaxing on  tranquil tropical beaches . You just have to lean in and allow your biases to be broken.

28. Travel lets you see the vast landscapes of the world.

Written by Jessica from Uprooted Travel

As an outdoor adventure lover, one of the primary reasons I love to travel is to experience the vast array of landscapes the world has to offer.

This can take shape in so many different ways, from exploring the lush rainforests and rugged beaches of my own backyard in the Pacific Northwest to checking out any of the best hikes in Arches National Park in Utah, with unique sandstone fins and dramatic natural arches.

Of course, this takes me beyond my home country of the United States—there’s endless natural beauty to explore, like the turquoise waterfalls of Costa Rica , the luscious highlands of Iceland, or the sweeping grasslands of the Serengeti.

Along the way, of course, I get to enjoy all of the other aspects of travel, like trying new cuisines, befriending locals, and seeing the world through a new perspective.

But for me, getting to step foot in a uniquely stunning landscape propels me to keep traveling and seeing this big, beautiful world.

29. Travel helps you make the world a better place.

Written by Chloe from Passport Down Under

Traveling has allowed me to positively impact the world by leaving the country in a better position than when I entered it, which is what I love most about traveling.

Traveling has allowed me to give back by supporting local businesses and economies.

By choosing to buy locally-made products and using local services, I have helped to create jobs and support the growth of small businesses. This can contribute to the development of sustainable tourism and the preservation of cultural heritage.

Furthermore, traveling has allowed me to give back through volunteering and community service.

I have participated in activities such as clean-up projects on the beaches of Byron Bay, wildlife conservation projects in Cambodia, and teaching English to local children in Thailand.

These experiences not only allowed me to contribute to the community but also to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges and needs of the local people, especially in counties such as Cambodia.

Overall, traveling has allowed me to leave the world a better place by positively impacting the communities I visit.

30. Travel is great for learning a new language.

Written by Diana from Avagu Press

Learning a language is a huge reason to travel. While textbooks and classrooms might work for math and literature, learning a foreign language requires a bit of independent study and a lot of practice time.

The best way to get that practice time?

Immersion — spending hours, days, weeks, and even longer completely immersed in a foreign language, using it to live.

Unless you happen to live somewhere where multiple languages are spoken, travel is key to immersing yourself in a foreign language.

For the most effective language-learning, language-learning resources that specifically target your travel plans (like a Swahili-learning guide specifically for safari ) will help you make the most out of your experience.

Focus on communication, and don’t worry too much about mistakes.

The beautiful thing about being a novice in a foreign language is that nobody expects too much, so the pressure is off! Enjoy your trip, and enjoy your language learning.

31. Travel brings adventure.

Written by Melissa from My Beautiful Passport

One of the reasons I love to travel is for adventure and trying adventurous activities.

When traveling to new destinations, not only do you get to immerse yourself in different cultures and try new foods, but you have the chance to participate in exhilarating adventure sports that will leave you breathless.

From snorkeling with turtles to parasailing over beautiful coastlines, and volcano boarding down an active volcano, the rush of excitement is unmatched.

For adventure-seekers like myself, traveling to participate in activities like these create memories that last a lifetime.

I have chosen many of my vacation locations specifically for the fun adventure sports I can try there, and often, it is the first time I’m trying each activity.

The thrill of adventure travel is hard to beat, and the rush of excitement that comes with it is truly unforgettable.

32. Travel inspires me to write about and share my experiences.

Written by Wayne from Always On The Shore

The biggest reason that I love to travel is because it inspires me to write about places I’ve visited and my experiences, so I can motivate others to travel and do the same.

I have always liked traveling but I never had the money to travel until my mid-30s.  Once I started traveling more consistently, I fell in love with the idea of warm-weather locations, such as Florida.

Since I’m from Minnesota and half the year is snowy, cold weather, beach vacations became something that I became obsessed with. Later, that became writing about all things Florida and even the Caribbean.

I know that other people can relate and have similar reasons for wanting to get away, but maybe there’s something stopping them. Like maybe they’re too nervous to fly, which I also experienced, until I did research on flying, and learned ways to cope with flight anxiety.

The main takeaway is that if you’re passionate about seeing amazing places and the world like I am, don’t let anything stop you. If I can inspire others to do the same by sharing my experiences, then I’m happy.

33. Traveling gives me a creative outlet.

As I was growing up, I always assumed that I wasn’t creative. I couldn’t draw, didn’t play an instrument, and I certainly couldn’t sing or dance.

I always did great in English class, but I never enjoyed the creative writing assignments. Coming up with fictional stories just wasn’t my strong suit.

When I finished my undergraduate degree, I had studied abroad four times in four different countries. I had also gone on several independently-planned trips, both international and domestic. At that same time, I also discovered a new creative outlet: travel blogging.

In school, I was always great at writing research papers and writing travel guides was a fun way to use my strengths. Plus, I had always enjoyed giving travel advice to friends and family, so why not share my stories and tips with the world?

Since starting A World in Reach in 2018, I’ve learned and grown so much. I’m so glad that I have a creative outlet where I can share about one of the most important aspects of my life – travel – and help others explore the world on a budget.

Reasons Why People Love to Travel: Final Thoughts

As you can see, there are SO MANY reasons why people love to travel.

For some, traveling sparks creativity, brings personal growth, and helps them escape the routine. For others, traveling brings bucket-list-worthy experiences, delicious food, and adventure.

The question “Why do you love to travel?” has no right or wrong answer. Traveling is a deeply personal experience that can bring happiness to different people in many different ways.

So, if you’re thinking about traveling in the future, I hope this post and the stories told within have shown you all of the positivity that travel can bring to your life.

If you were asked, “Why do you love to travel?”, what would your answer be?

After traveling outside of the US for the first time while studying abroad, I quickly developed a love for travel and an obsession for exploring as much of the world as possible. Now, I'm on a mission to teach college students, young adults, and anyone else who wants to see the world how to travel while minimizing their expenses and maximizing their experiences.

Ten Tips for Traveling with Teens

Article By: Kyle McCarthy

It is the most difficult age for parents to deal with; many would just like to let their teens be and not bother with them. But there has to be a time for family unity, so why not create a time during vacation?

You’re probably thinking, how could vacation time be any different? Well, it can be if you follow a few tips that I, myself, who am in fact a teenager, am willing to give:

1) Choose travel to places which have activities for both you and the teens. “Recreational vacations are usually a good choice because it gives families a lot to do,” says my father, who has raised four teenage daughters. Bonaire was a favorite vacation of my mom’s: “People could do their own thing, and yet there were activities we all enjoyed doing together.” When we went there three years ago (I was 14) everyone had a great time. My dad would take me and my sisters, Kaye and Chris, snorkeling every morning while my mom would walk along the beach to meet us. Later in the day we would drive to one of the many beaches and relax in the sun.

2) Don’t drag your kid to every historical site known in the USA; instead, I’d recommend going to someplace fun. A very good place with history and also lots of  activities is a big city like New York. It offers many options for a family, such as shopping, theater, and sightseeing. As for the sightseeing, you have many choices from the Statue of Liberty to Central Park to the Museum of Modern Art. 

3) It is also good to remember this tip: Location is key. Don’t get a hotel that is miles away from anywhere so that your teen is stuck there until you want to go someplace. 

Make sure that your teen can take a bus, the subway, or can walk to some place of interest to them. I remember when my family went to Michigan one year; all of us kids were trapped in the house we had rented. We were by a lake, but it was too cold to go swimming, so we just stayed in the house watching television and playing cards. That has to be one of the  worst vacations I ever had. 

4) Let your teen have some free time. One of the teens I interviewed said, “I usually like traveling with my family, except after awhile, they get annoying.” 

Some teens are great to be around…for a limited amount of time. My older sister, Chris, can’t be with us for very long (for reasons unknown), so during trips we allow her to do what she wants, by herself, as needed. When we traveled to St. Lucia this past year, Chris would stroll along the beach or walk to town on her own. So if your teen seems to be getting restless, allow him/her some time alone. 

5) Keep a loose, flexible schedule instead of organizing every minute of every day. Suggest going to only one, two, or three places a day. 

6) Another good idea is to try not to drive long distances. Many teens that I interviewed said, “I like to travel with my family, except on long car trips — because they get annoying.” 

If you do need to take a long car ride, I would suggest finding an interesting place to stop on the way, or bringing travel games along. Playing is always more fun than doing nothing. My family also brings books-on-tape so there is something to listen to the whole way, but remember — this book must be one everyone would enjoy. A good way to accomplish this would be to have your teen come along and help pick one out from the library. 

7) Travel with relatives who might be about the same age as your teen, or let your teen bring a friend. Sometimes having time to themselves isn’t enough for teens because they really want or need the companionship of someone their age. 

A junior at my high school said, “I enjoy traveling with my family because my sister (step-sister, actually) and I get along really well.” This quote is what helped me come up with this tip because being a twin myself, I always had this companionship. But what if my twin sister, Kaye, was yanked from the picture? Well (as much as I love the rest of my family), I don’t think that I would have as much fun on vacation. 

If you are lacking in the teenage relative area, you might look into allowing your son/daughter to bring a friend along. On a summer vacation trip to Maryland, my parents let Chris bring her friend, Renay, with us. Not only Chris, but all of us, enjoyed Renay’s company. 

8) Join your teens in something they want to do. If you take your teens on a trip and don’t let them do anything they want to do, they’re liable to be cranky much of the time. 

For example, if you really want them to see the Alamo and they are refusing to go, make a deal. Ask them for the one place they want to go, in exchange for their going to your site.  When we were in Acapulco, Chris really wanted to visit the Hard Rock Cafe, so we waited in an hour-long line. We didn’t like the food and my mom ended up getting sick from the guacamole, but at least, Chris had finally eaten at the Hard Rock Cafe. 

9) Rent a vacation house or apartment instead of staying at a hotel. On many past family vacations, we did it and I really enjoyed myself a lot more. 

When my family traveled to Paris, we rented an apartment which had a nice little restaurant right below it. You feel so much more of the country’s culture when you live right along with its people. Another time we rented a house during our second trip to England. Since we’d been there before, we had already viewed most of the sights we wanted to see. During this return visit, we lived in half of a large house and spent much of our time taking walks and drinking tea, eating scones, and talking. It was a restful and delightful time. 

You get a much more homey feeling from accommodations which provide a personal dining room, kitchen, and a refrigerator to store snacks (ie: milk, juice, yoghurt.) This allows you to have a nice family meal while on vacation, making it possible for you to at least spend dinner together if you can’t seem to see your teen any other part of the day. 

10) Act free spirited. Hey! It’s your vacation, too, so why not enjoy yourself? I’m not saying that you should disregard all rules, but just remember you’re on vacation. Allow yourself to relax and be footloose and fancy free…to some extent. Bexley High School senior, Craig Neely said, “I enjoy traveling with my family because my mom is like a little girl, we have so much fun when we go out.” 

I’ve found many times when one person is really enjoying him or herself, the happiness almost floods the room and seeps into the other people’s bodies until they, too, are smiling. 

So, though the teenage years might be the hardest times for  parents to get through, that shouldn’t stop pleasant vacations from occurring. When I surveyed 70 people from my high school, 61% said that they enjoyed traveling with their family. Why not increase that number by following a few of the suggestions that I have given? Remember, your next vacation can be a great one if you just take a bit of advice from someone who understands. 

Anne Brown was 18 and a senior at Bexley High School in Bexley, Ohio when she wrote this article for www.kidtravels.com .  At the time, she said she traveled often with her parents and three sisters. “My family travels quite a bit because we enjoy visiting new places, learning about new cultures, and spending time together.”  

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• Family Vacations

Why You Should Travel With Your Parents As They Get Older — and How to Plan a Trip That Everyone Enjoys

Six tips for a trip that you'll all remember fondly, taking into account differences in interests, age, and ability.

When I was a kid, I took traveling with my parents for granted. Sure, they paid for everything, but they were also basically chaperones. To my brothers and me, they seemed hell bent on limiting our fun. For example, they took us to Denali National Park instead of Disney World ; we sometimes stayed at hotels without pools (that’s your cue to gasp); and they never let us buy anything from the SkyMall catalog. 

Of course, some 20 years later, I consider traveling with my parents, now both in their 60s, to be the utmost privilege. I know they’re no longer invincible, nor am I, and every day that passes brings us closer to our last. Fortunately, since graduating college, I’ve been able to cover some serious ground with each of them. 

gvardgraph/Getty Images

Together my dad and I have looked for the Loch Ness monster in Scotland , photographed wildlife in Grand Teton National Park, and most recently, survived the infamous Drake Passage while en route to Antarctica . Meanwhile, my mom and I have stayed at a $9/night treehouse hostel in Mexico , eaten at a Michelin-starred vegetarian restaurant in Vienna , and most recently, road-tripped through three states. 

That’s not to say that all of our trips have been without hiccups, however. After all, even if you’re the apple that fell right under the tree, traveling with the people who raised you isn’t always easy. “There are always challenges as we are dealing with different physical abilities and interests,” says Alexis Sherry , a New Jersey-based travel agent. Still, Sherry is seeing an increasing number of clients requesting vacations for more than one generation. They can be difficult to plan, but so far she says she’s had no “disasters,” and often, her clients come back closer than ever. 

Katie Jackson

“Our parents/caregivers are our earliest attachment bonds,” says Katie d’Autremont , a licensed professional counselor based in Bozeman, Montana. “It can be healing and fun to rekindle that bond in our adult years and as our adult selves.” She sees traveling together as the perfect opportunity for getting to know each other for who we are now, with “now” being the operative word. After all, as humans, we’re always evolving. 

We’re also always busy. So, if you need a little help planning your next — or perhaps your first — trip with your parents as an adult, the following tips are for you.

Play '20 Questions' before you go.

“Start conversations early and be clear about expectations and possible boundaries,” says d’Autremont, who, coincidentally, is currently planning two trips with her husband and his parents. She believes communication is key and recommends asking questions: “What’s the goal of the vacation — leisure or exploration?” “Who is in charge of planning excursions?” “Will we do everything together or should we build in some solo time?” and perhaps most importantly, “Who will pay for what?” In her professional experience, Sherry says it’s always the parents who pay, but that could just be because she’s a travel agent. I know when my parents book travel for me, they pay up front. But when we’re on the actual trip, I try to chip in where I can. For example, my parents don’t have Uber (they refuse to download it), so I always take care of our transfers. I also love to treat them to gelato. 

Take advantage of your 'adult' schedules.

“No more worrying about school holidays!” says Travel + Leisure A-List Advisor and luxury travel planner Jonathan Alder . Now that you’re grown, and your parents may be retired, vacations don’t have to revolve around a traditional calendar. Adler recommends traveling during quieter times when you don’t have to deal with crowds or surge pricing. For example, when my dad and I visited Jackson Hole , a popular resort town in Wyoming whose population balloons on the weekends, we were able to go mid-week because he was recently retired. It saved us hundreds of dollars and got us a room at a resort that’s normally sold out.

Try to travel with one parent at a time.

The dynamic is always different when I’m with just one of my parents. I find they listen better one-on-one, and they’re also more open to new things. For example, if I had traveled to Austria with my mom and my dad, my dad — a retired pork producer — would never have agreed to go to a vegetarian restaurant, and my mom would have joined him at a steakhouse in solidarity. Or, similarly, if my mom — who broke both legs in a car accident and still has issues with mobility — had joined my dad and I when we went to Argentina, we probably wouldn’t have spent our last free day hiking up a volcano. 

Consider cruising.

When it comes to different generations traveling together, Adler is a big fan of cruising because there are always so many activities catering to a variety of ages and interests, and it’s easy to reunite for meals. I did a Danube river cruise with my mom a few years ago, and during the day I’d do the more active excursions like cycling and hiking while she visited churches and museums I had little interest in seeing. On the Antarctica cruise with my dad, I’d take painting classes or go to the spa on sea days while he attended lectures and read every book about Ernest Shackleton he could get his hands on in the ship’s library. We weren’t together 24/7, but the time we were together, we were energized and excited to share what we’d done in our “free time.” 

Play TSA and inspect their bags. 

My dad is notorious for packing things that either won’t get through TSA or are moot in this modern world. For example, he tried to pack a headset from the ‘90s on a recent flight to Buenos Aires. I had to tell him that airlines provide earbuds these days. And for the road trip I did with my mom, she brought a backpack filled with books on CD that she got at the local library. Not only did our rental car not have a CD player, but there was no way I was going to listen to a Nora Roberts marathon. I’ve also enjoyed introducing my parents to more travel-friendly clothing . Fabric technology has come a long way in the last few years, and while my dad still can’t pronounce Lululemon, he’s glad I introduced him to joggers. Otherwise he’d be sitting in economy wearing Wranglers so stiff they could stand up on their own.

Be patient and kind.

As our parents get older, they have a harder time getting around, and other health issues can obviously arise. When I travel with my dad, I have to keep in mind that he can’t be up and running first thing in the morning (which is when I’m always raring to go). He needs at least 30 minutes to change his insulin pump, and because he has diabetes, we have to stick to a strict schedule when it comes to eating. My mom, on the other hand, is experiencing some memory loss like her mother and her grandmother before her. Every time I’m tempted to get frustrated with my mom for forgetting to say “thank you” in the local language, I have to remind myself that she took care of me for 18 years — including my terrible twos. If your parents are anything like mine, they’ve made so many sacrifices on our behalf that the least we can do is be patient and kind.

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16 Best Family-Friendly Places to Travel in 2024 (from Real Parents)

Written by Becca

Updated on May 17th, 2024

Looking for vetted vacation ideas for family-friendly trips this year? Look no further than my list of destination ideas from some very travel-savvy parents I know!

This article may contain affiliate links. We earn a small commissions when you purchase via those links — and it's free for you. It's only us (Becca & Dan) working on this website, so we value your support! Read our privacy policy and learn more about us .

Table of contents

• Halifax, Nova Scotia (Canada)
• Litchfield Hills, Connecticut
• New York City (+ Brooklyn)
• Northern New Jersey (Essex County and Jersey City)
• Point Pleasant Beach, NJ & the Jersey Shore
• Cancún, Mexico (Yucatán Peninsula)
• Lisbon, Portugal (and other parts of Portugal)
• Chicago, Illinois
• Medellin, Colombia

Boston, Massachusetts

• York, Maine (Southern Maine)
• The Dominican Republic
• French Riviera & South of France
• Montego Bay, Jamaica
• Atlanta, Georgia

Figuring out where to take your family for a vacation is no easy feat when you have a baby or young kids. If you’re like me, you’re thinking about the “family-friendly” factor, and if it will be easy to bring a stroller around.

I’ve looked into where to travel as a young family, and the answers are varied. So, what better way to figure out the best family-friendly travel destinations than to ask my friends?

The list that follows comes from the real experiences of some awesome parents I know. Their travels started as early as when their babies were a few months old. Some of them continue to travel with kids, up to three of them!

I hope you get some great ideas for trip destinations by reading about these real trips that range from US towns and regions to international cities that require a flight.

Let’s jump right in!

Halifax, Nova Scotia (Canada)

Halifax, Nova Scotia, blew away our expectations for a family-friendly travel destination just up north in Eastern Canada. It was our first time flying with a baby as well as our first time traveling in the Canadian Maritime region.

A few family-friendly things we were able to do were eat at restaurants that offered us high chairs, feed our baby anywhere on the Halifax Waterfront without anyone batting an eye, visit the Discovery Centre (science museum geared toward children) and mostly always find a restroom with a changing table (especially public washrooms).

While our hotel wasn’t necessarily a family-friendly hotel, we were delighted with the thoughtful touches for coming with a young child. Reception presented us with a hotel teddy bear upon arrival for our baby, as well as a baby toiletries set. It was so sweet. For more on that, see my review of the Muir Hotel .

You can see all our trip photos, as well as the exact places we went in our family-friendly guide to travel in Halifax . For more inspiration, check out the list of day trips to take from Halifax in Nova Scotia, Canada.

Litchfield Hills, Connecticut

Neither Dan nor I knew much about the Litchfield County region of Connecticut, despite having grown up within a two-hour drive of the area. In my Googling of Litchfield when we decided to go, I found mostly upscale hotels, wedding information, girls’ weekend inspiration and dining guides.

After a three-day long weekend in Litchfield, though, Dan and I realized we had taken the best family-friendly trip we’d taken all summer. We saw lots of families with kids eating ice cream at Arethusa Farm Dairy , walked easy nature trails in the White Monument Nature Reserve with our baby in the baby carrier, visited Kent Falls State Park (older kids can go toward the water or up the steps near the waterfall) and took our stroller all around little towns like Kent.

One relaxing thing we did that children might like is the flower farm at White Flower Farm Store & Gardens . It’s a great place to teach kids about different types of flowers and plants.

For a full list of what to do on a family trip, see our travel guide for the Litchfield County region , and our Litchfield County photo gallery .

New York City (+ Brooklyn)

NYC is an intensely exciting place for travel. Based on our experience going into NYC with our child, we wrote a guide on how to plan a trip to NYC with a baby to show you!

I think you’ll get lots of different opinions on this, and I’d say it depends how you “do” a trip to NYC . The downsides of a family trip to NYC are limited space when it comes to accommodation, LOTS of walking, lots of traffic and subway stations that have LOTS of stairs and might lack elevators.

Aside from these (very crucial) aspects, NYC has loads of activities, sights and landmarks that kids will love. Just take it from my friends who traveled all the way from Dublin, Ireland, to check NYC off their bucket lists, with their toddler ! They stopped at every playground in every park, marveled at the skyline with him and walked for miles (and were very good sports about it) with their stroller.

As someone who grew up as a kid in NYC (that’s me!), I can tell you that my favorite things to do as a kid in the city were visit the Bronx Zoo , the New York Hall of Science (where I had my fifth birthday party) and the New York Aquarium (an absolute must).

Other incredible things to take small kids to in NYC are the Central Park Zoo (I’m quoted in this Best Life article about one secret thing to see there) and the Brooklyn Children’s Museum . If your child is into playgrounds like I was as a kid, check out all the places to play at Brooklyn Bridge Park (there are 9 in total!).

If you’ll be going to NYC soon for your first trip, see my guide to what to know about NYC travel for first-timers .

Northern New Jersey (Essex County and Jersey City)

Now that we live in Northern New Jersey and have chosen to raise our daughter here, all the child-friendly things to do stand out to us. For starters, we know that if there’s a nice day out, we have a heap of choices of family-friendly things to do nearby.

As we mention in our list of the best day trips from NYC , a cute kid-friendly hiking path near us is the Fairy Trail at South Mountain Reservation (Millburn entrance). This easy hiking route is short, mostly flat and lined with tiny “fairy houses” made mostly by children!

For a place the whole family will enjoy, check out the Essex County Turtle Back Zoo . Parents from far and wide bring their kids out for a day at “Turtle Back,” and the highlights for us are the train ride, the giraffes, the bears and the small sea life pavilion.

Venturing closer to NYC will get you to Jersey City and the locally famous Liberty Science Center . This impressive museum has everything to amuse and entertain kids in an educational environment. There’s a planetarium, 3D films, rotating exhibitions and tons of cool things to see, hear and get your hands on.

Point Pleasant Beach, NJ & the Jersey Shore

For a lot of parents (and a lot of friends of mine), a beach vacation is where it’s at. Point Pleasant Beach in New Jersey comes recommended by my friend Jamie AND my friend Jordan .

Jordan told me, “We rent a house down there every year. Jenkinson’s Boardwalk is amazing for kids, and the beach is clean.”

When Jamie and her family rented a house at Point Pleasant, she came in from out of state with a 20-month-old and her three-year-old toddler. We came down for a day to visit with our seven-month-old baby! The beach is wide, the boardwalk has kids everywhere and for kids who like mini golf, there’s no shortage of that.

The Jersey Shore is where most families in the Philly-NJ-NY area choose to vacation for the summer, and you’ll see why.

Cancún, Mexico (Yucatán Peninsula)

Cancun and the Yucatan (where we’ve been to Valladolid and Mérida as a couple) is always going to be a travel favorite for American families. There are lots of resorts that cater to families with children of all ages, and quite a few friends of mine have made this part of Mexico their winter escape vacation destinations .

My friend Lauren stayed at Villa del Palmar in Cancun , and it also has a location in Cabo. Lauren rated this vacation by saying, “It’s a great kid-friendly place, and fantastic for kids with their water slides, and free kids clubs from 9-4!”

As for the “kids clubs,” Lauren said it was a “great escape for the kids from the sun, and for me, (an escape) from them! These resorts have babysitters so you can go out at night.”

Cancun was also the first vacation my friend Kruti took with her young baby. Her family went to Cancun and stayed at The Grand at Moon Palace , an all-inclusive resort that they definitely found to be family-friendly!

Kruti said that the resort had “something for everyone, with lots of activities for kids, and it’s stroller-friendly.” Their baby was only three months, at the time (they are all-star travelers!), so they kept her in her bassinet most of the time with a stroller fan, and she was able to kind of “lounge and hang out alongside us.” The resort also had an amazing kids club and water park.

Last year before the baby, Kruti and her husband went to a different all-inclusive resort in Cancun, with her sister’s two kids (ages 6 and 3, at the time). They stayed at Finest (part of the Excellence collection) and found that it was an awesome resort for having little ones!

At the Finest in Cancun, Kruti says the food was great and always easily accessible with room service options, too. The hotel was super accommodating to allergies and dietary restrictions, which is helpful for children who are eating the hotel food.

Her family also had a swim-up suite (great idea!), which was brilliant for toddler naps: “The kids could be sleeping inside the room, and we’d be right outside with a monitor, hanging poolside!”

Lisbon, Portugal (and other parts of Portugal)

Lisbon is one of my favorite European travel destinations, and Dan and I stayed in Lisbon before road tripping to villages in the south of Portugal . We went back a second time a few years later because we love it so much, and have dreamed of going there as a family one day.

My friend Bona beat me to, it though, and went to Portugal as a family of three with her husband and their baby. They went to Portugal because doing a longer trip is more budget-friendly than the same amount of time in neighboring European countries. Bona said that of all the European countries, Portugal seemed to be the most affordable. I agree!

Additionally, Bona reminded me that there’s very little language barrier in major cities in Portugal: English is widely spoken, so it’s easy for American travelers to get around. Especially with having a baby or children, I think one of the greatest fears for traveling is having an unexpected situation and not being able to communicate about it.

Starting in Lisbon, they took my recommendation for accommodation and stayed at the Lisboans Apartments . Bona detailed all about how it was great for having a baby, which you can read in my review of the Lisboans Apartment-Hotel .

At the Lisboans, Bona and family stayed at a large one-bedroom apartment for about $250 a night. As the Lisboans is located right next to the Alfama District, it was central to nearly everything in Lisbon.

Hotel accommodation in Portugal with a baby

Bona said that regarding hotels in Portugal, “Every place we stayed provided a clean high chair, baby bathtub, and Pack’N’Play . There’s also a service called Let’s Go Baby where you can rent baby gear and they will deliver it to your hotel or Airbnb. They SAVED us when we were looking for a specific baby bottle brand after our baby was rejecting the one we had switched to, just weeks before!” Sounds like she chose right and did her research!

Priority service in Portugal for young families

In Bona’s experience, families with babies can cut the line for any tourist attraction or government facility.

“As soon as we landed in Lisbon, there was an employee pointing young families (including those with toddlers) to an expedited customs line. Then for sightseeing with our child, we got priority for the Belem Monastery, Peña Palace and more!”

Getting around with a baby in Portugal

When I was in Lisbon, it was soon apparent that public transport was plentiful and easy to figure out. Dan and I rented a car in Lisbon to drive to the Algarve, and that was pretty straightforward. Bona and her husband rented a car and noted that they could keep a car seat in the vehicle.

“It’s worth noting that Lisbon is mostly cobblestone and hills, so it’s tough for littles, but a good way to wear them out!” she says.

Restaurants in Portugal if you have kids

Bona said that after dining in restaurants in various parts of Portugal, “They literally don’t care if you have a kid. We went to a nice restaurant, and our table had a high chair waiting for us. We did not expect that! And all the wait staff came to say hi to our baby!”

A few more child-friendly places in Portugal

A couple more places that Bona traveled to in Portugal with her baby were:

This is a historic town outside Lisbon with castles. She did a day trip, but noted that you can easily go longer. Her favorite was the Quinta de Regaleira , “as there was more nature and places for kids to run around (versus Peña Palace, where it’s an indoor guided museum, so there’s lots of standing around and feeling stuffy).”

Morgado do Quintao

This is a vineyard (and also a hotel to stay at) in the Algarve. The restaurant does a lunch with wine pairings on the vineyard under a 2000-year-old tree. “We actually met another couple with a baby who was born the day before our baby!” Bona says.

Chicago, Illinois

While I haven’t gone to Chicago yet as a parent, my friend Marisa from The Neon Tea Party sure has, with her toddler! She cited the Shedd Aquarium and going to a Cubs game as the top things to do with a little kid in tote.

Marisa told me, “ The Field Museum and Shedd Aquarium are next to each other, so you can do them back to back! And, the Cubs game was a blast.” If you’re into baseball, you can bookmark the Cubs games schedule .

Chicago also is home to lots of kid-friendly food options for families, like the places with kids menus in this list of kid-friendly restaurants in Chicago from Eater .

Like many big cities in the US, Chicago makes a great spot for taking your kids. Just make sure to go in spring, summer or fall, unless you have a love for the bitter Chicago winter!

If you’re walking around Chicago and looking for things the parents may enjoy too, be sure to see our guide to the coolest spots for photos in Chicago .

Medellin, Colombia

I know what you’re thinking: Medellin? Colombia? Our friends Alex and Ryan are American expats living in this city with their toddler daughter and have all the kid-friendly recommendations for Medellin. We went to visit them when our daughter was 14 months old and we had a BLAST!

For couples who want to experience South America safely and in a family-friendly way, Medellin is a cool choice. The city is a growing hotspot for international expats and nothing is stopping families with young kids from calling it home!

According to Alex, there are lots of child-friendly things to do in Medellin, and for that reason, it’s an adventurous (yet also safe) place to travel once you have a growing family.

Things to do with your littles include visiting the Sunday Ciclovía (closed roads for walking, running and biking), Chocolate Tour , Botanical Gardens & Parque Explora , Plaza Mayorista market and taking day trips to the countryside, like to Guatape .

For where to stay with a baby or kids in Medellin, we 100% recommend Casacol’s Loma Verde Aparthotel building , which is where we stayed. We got a two-bedroom apartment for four nights, and our daughter had her own room. We cooked in the kitchen so that we could always prepare her food. Our room had a baby bath, travel crib and high chair. See more at our Casacol accommodation review .

We even were able to get a medical referral from the concierge, for a doctor for our toddler when she had a fever (which led us to this list of tips for what to do if your child is sick while traveling ).

Check out this list of the best kid-friendly things to do in Medellin from Alex’s experience.

In collecting this list of kid-friendly vacation destinations, my friend Sarah reminded me about Boston! Boston is somewhere my family went when I was a kid, and we’d stop on the way when we’d visit my cousins in New Hampshire.

From Sarah’s experience visiting Boston with her toddler and baby, she says that, “Boston has a nice children’s museum and aquarium!” Other family-friendly ideas include a whale watching tour , walking in Boston Common and Boston Public Garden, and visiting the cute Make Way for Ducklings sculpture . For older children, follow the “Freedom Trail” walking path through the city. It leads to all the great historic landmarks.

I have two friends ( Ariella and Masha ) who live in Boston with babies and toddlers, too. My friend Ariella noted that, “Things are relatively close by in Boston, which is nice!”

Masha said families visiting Boston for vacation should check out the Boston Children’s Museum , The New England Aquarium in Boston , beautiful towns north of Boston (with lots of ice cream shops!), local coastal beaches and farms all over the greater Boston region. She recommends Connor’s Farm in Danvers, MA, and next to it is the (seasonal) Topsfield Fair , which is really fun for kids.

”We also just went to a whale watch,” Masha said. “I wouldn’t take my “non-chill toddler” there again until he’s older, but if he was chill, it’d be more fun!” To top off her suggestions, Masha said that, “ Southwick’s Zoo is amazing for kids.”

York, Maine (Southern Maine)

Maine is a lovely destination for vacations of any type, but my friend Breanne has the suggestion of York, Maine, as a family-friendly travel idea. York is only 10 miles into Maine from the border with New Hampshire, and if you were to keep driving, you could take the family onward to Portland, where I’ve gone on vacation!

“I grew up going to York, ME, and it was natural that was one of my daughter’s first trips. It has beaches, outdoor restaurants, candy and taffy-making stores and picturesque walks,” Bre says.

As a few highlights or sights to visit, Bre’s list of where to go with her baby or kids near York, Maine, includes candy shop Goldenrods , the easy ocean-side walking trail Marginal Way , Long Sands Beach , Chauncey’s Lobster Pound and the famous Nubble Lighthouse (which has a Just for Kids part of its website )!

Lastly, Breanne’s infant daughter really liked visiting York’s Wild Kingdom , a zoo and amusement park that also has a mini golf course.

The Dominican Republic

Every winter, the white beaches and blue ocean waters of the DR beckon me. And for some of my friends, they chose a family-friendly resort vacation in Punta Cana!

My friend Alex and her husband took their toddler to Finest Punta Cana , an all-inclusive resort also by the Excellence Collection. Traveling with a toddler is far from easy, and staying at a proven place for families like a kid-friendly hotel is key.

Alex’s resort had quite a few specifics just for little kids, from the Imagine Kids Club to three different pool areas, including a splash pool for the smallest children, to mini water parks for older kids. A “Stay & Play” area is the indoor-outdoor location for small kids to play while adults can supervise and stay safe.

There’s also a naptime room, and the “Imagine Lounge” where childcare is available if parents want to soak up some alone time.

We went to the North Coast of The Dominican Republic before we had our daughter. We’d totally go back with her and show her everything we liked about our trip.

My friend Becca and her husband Jacob, who we know from the Remote Year traveling community, went away with their infant daughter for a month, to work remotely and travel in the warm sun of Costa Rica.

They stayed in Playas del Coco , which is a family-friendly area of Costa Rica’s coastline where families with a baby or young kids can hop into a range of tropical activities. To learn more, I’d guide you to this list of family activities to do in Playas del Coco from Letstravelcostarica.com.

But wait, my friend Ariella went to Costa Rica with her baby and her husband around the same time, for more than two weeks! They were looking forward to this family vacation for months , ever since their baby was born.

“We went to Costa Rica partially based on stability, the medical system and the weather,” Ariella told me. “Then, we did not do much while there, which was what we wanted. I would say it was baby-friendly other than the non-major roads, but our daughter seemed cool with bouncing around in her car seat!”

French Riviera & South of France

My world-traveling friend and mom friend Kruti said her and her husband’s France trip with their 9-month-old to St. Tropez and Cannes was great.

“Overall, we felt that France was super baby-friendly!” she said. “There were clean changing facilities everywhere, high chairs at every single restaurant, and baby food options were available at every restaurant and hotel.”

In true European style, she said it felt like kids were encouraged to join so many “seemingly adult activities.” They were able to bring the baby on wine tours, and even to a bunch of day clubs in Cannes and St. Tropez.

“We brought her to Nikki Beach , but a friend of ours went to Gigi, a day club that has a section of their venue called Gigi Circus , a whimsical play area just for kids of all ages!”

Montego Bay, Jamaica

My friend Becca (yes, I have a friend Becca!) went on a family vacation with her young toddler daughter to Palladium in Montego Bay . Jamaica is another favorite for getting away from cold parts of the US during the cooler months of October to March!

Like other resorts, the Palladium has a kids’ club that offers theater shows, face painting, arts and crafts and a baby club for children between ages 1-3. There is supervision from caretaker staff so that parents can get some alone time at the beach or pool.

Atlanta, Georgia

I probably would not have considered Atlanta as a family-friendly city until my friend Melissa mentioned it. She highlighted the walkable areas and spacious restaurants you’ll find in Atlanta that make bringing her three kids there a treat!

Atlanta has “tons of playgrounds, the Georgia Aquarium , Coca-Cola Museum , sports museums and the zoo ,” she said. “Plus, it’s dog-friendly!”

“We had a great day once doing pottery, having lunch and then going to a playground,” Melissa concluded, about a visit to Atlanta with three kids under 10 years old, including a toddler.

What makes a destination “family-friendly”?

I asked myself this as well, as I was writing this list and interviewing my friends (who are very good travelers). What comes to mind for me, as a parent with an infant, are things like restaurants that don’t mind babies, restrooms that have changing tables and being able to freely feed a baby on the go in various spots.

For a toddler, my friend Ariella reminded me that children who can walk will be curious, and will always want to stop and play! “Family-friendly” for having a toddler means factoring that into car trips to stop at kid-friendly places where there are playgrounds.

With older kids (who have opinions), they will want to be part of the vacation planning, and will groan if something isn’t exciting enough. Traveling with older toddlers or elementary-school-aged kids means lots of action, fun and engaging activities.

To “resort” or not “resort?

One thing is for sure and that is that traveling with a baby, a toddler or kids is hard . While Dan and I are not the “resort types” of travelers, we know that a lot of parents want their first (or second or third) trip with a baby or kids to be at a resort because it can be simple. At a resort, especially an all-inclusive, your room ate already includes everything, and there are even kids clubs and babysitting options!

Going to a resort can also be great for traveling with extended family, so that everyone can relax, be near the beach and hit the pool, too.

If you’re not a traveler who books resorts, don’t worry. This list includes big US cities for family-friendly travel ideas, as well as smaller and lesser-known destinations that will keep kids happy and will be easier with a baby.

Domestic or international?

Deciding to travel domestically within your home country or internationally is ultimately up to parents, when looking for a family-friendly vacation! Dan and I love traveling internationally and seeing other parts of the world. We also like staying within the US and visiting friends and family, while doing things that are new for us in those places.

If you choose to take one of your first family trips outside the US, see our guide on how to get your baby a passport .

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Why family vacations matter

Confessions of a born-again traveler.

By Alan J. Hawkins

I’m a convert to the importance of vacations, a believer in how such special temporal zones can strengthen relationships and sweeten our days.

I was not always zealous about vacation time. My wife, Lisa, and I lived on a meager income for many years after we married, so perhaps our indifference to taking time off was rooted in necessity.

And those early schooling, work and parenting years fully absorbed not just our means but our time and energy. Finding some fun and refreshment in our day-to-day prosaic life was a survival strategy. Short drives with the family through the gentle hills of central Pennsylvania to pick berries or cut down a Charlie Brown-ish pine tree for Christmas was about the best we could do. (Of note, research suggests that leisure and travel — that may take money away from necessities — may not have the same benefits for poorer families.)

Rare were those special family road trips that my former BYU colleague Susan Rugh wrote about in her delightful modern history of the American family vacation, “Are We There Yet?” In the post-World War II era, increasing middle-class incomes, big cars, new interstate highways, popular national parks and nuclear family values combined to produce a surge in family travel that captured the essence of an era (despite the children’s backseat bickering).

The few road trips my family experienced usually had a clear utilitarian element, such as moving to a distant city for schooling or employment with a trailer in tow. Our five-day cross-country adventure from the Bay Area to central Pennsylvania for my doctoral studies (with a brief stop in Chicago for our son’s emergency appendectomy) conjures up laughs and odd memories today. But it was anything but relaxing and refreshing.

It’s not that I was unaware of the importance of curating novel experiences and keeping the fun in relationships. I’m a relationship and marriage researcher and educator by trade. I teach this stuff! So, I sensed the risk in my casual commitment to couple and family vacation time.

Eventually, our economic fortunes improved. But by that time, our children were in their mid-teenage years with plans of their own. Our work and life demands didn’t fade; yet it got easier to attend to that gnawing need to call a timeout to the daily grind and take some real time off. So, in midlife, Lisa and I began to plan a couple of trips.

I trace my conversion to the personal and relational value of travel vacations to our first cruise — to Alaska. The stress-free days, gentle rocking motions of the ship, mesmerizing ocean waves, oxygen-saturated sea-level air, clouds-and-snow-covered summer peaks and humpback whales — we could feel the accumulated drudgery dissolving. And the stress-free time together somehow translated into more bonding talk — about meaningful experiences in the past and especially about our dreams and plans for the future.

Of course, it’s not just the relaxing and fun itself that buoys the spirit and sweetens the companionship. The anticipation put some sparkle in the days that preceded the trip and the memories of those times together are inextricably woven into our unique couple identity now; a part of who we are together is where we have been during those vacations. (The Norwegian fjords that awed us for a few days a decade ago are a continuing rich source of connection for us, facilitated by framed photos hanging on our walls.)

And in the Vrbo age, we have initiated biennial sibling reunions, usually close to some West Coast beach. I admit that I neglected sibling relationships during those busy family- and career-building decades. I did so knowing — again — the research on how valuable it is to maintain those connections. Sibling relationships are the longest family relationships we have and can be a vital source of support and meaning in our lives. And they testify to how we grow, change, forgive and forget in family relationships. That sibling fractious tension of the first two decades of life has morphed into sweet and rich friendship in the last few decades of life.

So, I’m a born-again believer now in the family or couple getaway. Personal experiences in later life have convinced me of the empirical accuracy of what I taught my students for decades. Family relationships are deepened and strengthened and blessed by special times away from our ordinary daily lives.

With the summer travel season upon us, here’s to your family vacations in their many flavors, locations and seasons of life.

Alan J. Hawkins is manager of the Utah Marriage Commission and an emeritus professor of family life at Brigham Young University.

This story appears in the June 2024 issue of Deseret Magazine . Learn more about how to subscribe .

Why I like to travel with my family

goBaby Travel

This is a guest post by Nika Kaminski, a 10-year from Brooklyn, NY. (grammar and punctuation are preserved)

I am a 10-year old girl and I am very adventurous and I really love to travel, especially with my family because I love to spend time with them visiting new places and whenever we travel, we always go somewhere new and interesting.

I love to travel with my family because I love to spend time with them while visiting new places. Whenever we travel somewhere, we always see relatives and friends if they live there and we always take many photos, go to restaurants, visit many beautiful sights, stay at fancy hotels or houses ,and we always do kids activities, and go swimming or hiking. For example, when we went to visit our close friends in London during the Spring Break in 2015, we went on The London Eye, saw The Big Ben, went to a BIG park that had a tire swing, saw a the Queen’s castle, and went to many old neighborhoods.

I also love to travel with my family because we always go to interesting new places. For example, we had been to London, Chicago, Israel, Costa Rica, Turks and Caicos, Mexico, Boston, Canada, San Francisco and many other places. I love it, because each time we travel, we either visit our friends or relatives, or just get to experience something new.

As a conclusion, I love to travel with my family! It is a very important and fun bonding experience that I enjoy every once in a while.

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The Perils Of Traveling With Family: Why I Prefer Solo Adventures

• Last updated May 28, 2024
• Difficulty Advanced

• Category Travel

Traveling with family can be an enriching experience, full of shared memories and quality bonding time. However, for some, the idea of embarking on a journey with loved ones can bring forth a sense of dread and discomfort. The perils of traveling with family can stem from clashing personalities, differing interests, and the inability to fully immerse oneself in the destination. As someone who has come to appreciate the freedom and independence of solo adventures, I have discovered a whole new world of exploration that allows me to fully embrace my own interests and create unforgettable experiences. In this article, we will delve into the reasons why I prefer to travel alone, navigating the challenges of traveling with family, and the joy and fulfillment that comes from embarking on a solo adventure.

Characteristics of Why I Don't Like Traveling with My Family

What you'll learn, lack of independence in decision making, conflicting interests and preferences, limited flexibility and spontaneity, potential for arguments and tension.

When it comes to family vacations, the lack of independence in decision-making is one of the biggest reasons why I don't like traveling with my family. While I appreciate spending quality time with my loved ones, I also value the freedom to make choices and explore destinations on my terms.

One of the main issues I face when traveling with family is the difficulty in deciding where to go and what to do. With multiple opinions and preferences to consider, it becomes a challenge to come to a consensus. While compromise is essential in any group setting, it often means sacrificing my desires and settling for activities or destinations that I may not find particularly interesting or enjoyable.

Furthermore, traveling with family often means adhering to a strict itinerary and schedule. While structure can be beneficial in some instances, it can also be constricting, especially when it comes to exploring new places. It leaves little room for spontaneity and the chance to stumble upon hidden gems or unexpected adventures.

Another aspect of the lack of independence in decision-making while traveling with family is the limited freedom to explore solo or pursue personal interests. The need to constantly accommodate everyone's desires often means that individual preferences take a backseat. Whether it's visiting a museum, trying local cuisine, or engaging in recreational activities, compromises need to be made, which can dampen the overall experience.

Traveling with family also means that decision-making is often influenced by the needs and wants of younger or older family members. While it's important to consider the opinions of all family members, it can be frustrating when the preferences of children or elderly relatives take precedence over the desires of others. This can lead to a lack of autonomy and personal fulfillment during the trip.

To overcome the lack of independence in decision-making while traveling with family, it's important to communicate openly and honestly with your loved ones. Express your desires and interests, and encourage others to do the same. By understanding each other's perspectives, you can find common ground and plan an itinerary that caters to everyone's preferences to some extent.

Additionally, it's crucial to find a balance between group activities and individual exploration. Set aside specific times during the trip where each family member can pursue their personal interests or engage in activities that they find most exciting. This way, everyone gets a chance to have their voice heard and experience the trip more fully.

In conclusion, the lack of independence in decision-making is a significant drawback of traveling with family. The challenge of reaching a consensus, adhering to strict schedules, and accommodating the preferences of others can hinder personal fulfillment and exploration. However, through open communication and finding a balance between group activities and individual exploration, it is possible to mitigate some of these challenges and ensure a more enjoyable travel experience for all family members.

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When it comes to traveling, everyone has their own preferences and interests. This can often lead to conflicts and disagreements when traveling with family members, especially if their interests and preferences are different from your own. Here are a few reasons why I don't enjoy traveling with my family:

• Different Destination Choices: One of the main reasons why traveling with my family can be challenging is because we often have different ideas of where we want to go. While I may prefer exploring cities and immersing myself in the local culture, my family members might be more interested in relaxing on a beach or going on adventure activities. This can make it difficult to choose a destination that satisfies everyone's interests.
• Differing Itinerary Preferences: Even if we agree on a destination, there are often disagreements about what activities and sights to include in the itinerary. While I like to plan my days meticulously, my family members might prefer a more laid-back approach, leaving room for spontaneity. This can lead to frustration and conflicts during the trip.
• Conflicting Budgets: Another factor that can cause tension when traveling with family is differing budgets. Each person might have a different idea of how much they are willing to spend on accommodation, food, transportation, and activities. This can result in compromise and sacrifices, which may not always be pleasant.
• Varying Travel Styles: Different people have different travel styles and preferences. Some may prefer luxury and comfort, while others may enjoy budget travel and roughing it out. These differences in travel styles can affect the choice of accommodation, transportation, and even the way we explore the destination. This can lead to clashes and disagreements on how to best experience a place.
• Disagreements on Travel Planning: When traveling with family, there is often a need for group decision making and planning. This can sometimes be challenging, as everyone may have their own ideas and opinions on what should be included in the itinerary. This decision-making process can become time-consuming and stressful, especially if there are conflicting suggestions and preferences.

While there are definitely challenges in traveling with family, there are also ways to mitigate these conflicts and make the experience more enjoyable for everyone involved. Here are a few tips to help navigate the conflicting interests and preferences when traveling with family:

• Communicate openly and honestly: Discuss your travel preferences and interests with your family members before planning the trip. Be open to listening to their ideas and explain why certain activities or destinations are important to you.
• Compromise and find common ground: Look for activities or destinations that can satisfy everyone's interests to some extent. This may require compromising on certain aspects but can help avoid conflicts during the trip.
• Plan for some separate time or activities: If there are specific sights or activities that only interest you, plan some solo or small group time during the trip to indulge in your personal interests. This can be a good way to balance conflicting preferences while still enjoying quality time together as a family.
• Involve everyone in the planning process: Instead of having one person take charge of all the planning, involve everyone in the decision-making process. This will ensure that everyone feels heard and has a say in the itinerary, reducing conflicts and increasing the overall satisfaction of the trip.
• Focus on the positives: While there may be conflicts and challenges, try to focus on the positives of traveling with family. Cherish the moments of togetherness, create lasting memories, and embrace the opportunity to bond with your loved ones.

Traveling with family can be a wonderful experience, but it is not without its challenges. By understanding and respecting each other's interests and preferences, and by engaging in open communication and compromise, it is possible to navigate the conflicting interests and preferences and create enjoyable travel experiences for everyone.

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One major reason why I don't enjoy traveling with my family is the limited flexibility and spontaneity that comes with it. When I travel solo or with friends, I have the freedom to go wherever I want, whenever I want. I can change my plans on a whim, stay in one place for as long as I like, or move on to a new destination at the drop of a hat. Unfortunately, this kind of flexibility is not possible when traveling with my family.

First of all, there is the issue of differing interests and preferences. When traveling with my family, we often have to compromise on our itinerary to accommodate everyone's desires. This means I may have to visit museums or historical sites that don't really interest me, or skip attractions that I am excited about because my family isn't interested. It can be frustrating to have to give up on personal interests in order to please everyone else.

Moreover, traveling with family often involves sticking to a timetable. We have to plan the trip in advance, book accommodations and transportation, and follow a fixed schedule. While this may be necessary to ensure smooth travels, it can leave little room for spontaneity and serendipitous discoveries. I miss the thrill of stumbling upon a hidden gem or changing my plans at the last minute to explore something unexpected.

Additionally, traveling with family can also mean sacrificing personal preferences when it comes to accommodation and dining choices. I may prefer staying in budget hostels and trying local street food, but my family may prefer more luxurious hotels and dining at familiar chain restaurants. This can lead to compromises that may not align with my own preferences and preferences.

Furthermore, when traveling with family, decision-making can become more cumbersome and time-consuming. It often involves lengthy discussions and debates, which can drain both time and energy. This can be particularly frustrating when I have a limited amount of travel time and want to make the most of it.

Ultimately, the limited flexibility and spontaneity that comes with traveling with my family can make the experience less enjoyable for me. While I appreciate the opportunity to spend time with my loved ones, I also value the freedom to explore and discover at my own pace. That is why, when given the choice, I prefer to travel alone or with friends, where I can have the flexibility and spontaneity that truly enhance my travel experience.

How to Check Your Official Travel Record

Traveling with family can be a wonderful experience, creating lasting memories and strengthening bonds. However, it's not always smooth sailing, and there is always the potential for arguments and tension. Here are a few reasons why traveling with family can sometimes be challenging:

• Differences in Interests: When traveling with family, it's common to have different interests and preferences. This can be a source of conflict if everyone wants to do different activities or visit different places. For example, if one family member wants to spend the day exploring museums, while another prefers shopping, finding a compromise can be difficult. This can lead to disagreements and tension within the group.
• Varying Energy Levels: Each family member may have different energy levels and stamina when it comes to traveling. Some may prefer a relaxed pace, while others may want to explore every corner and try every activity. This difference in energy levels can lead to frustration and arguments if the group is not accommodating to each other's needs. It's essential to communicate and find a balance that works for everyone.
• Conflicting Schedules: Another potential source of tension is conflicting schedules. Family members may have different sleeping patterns or different ideas about when to start the day or take breaks. This can create friction if one family member wants to sleep in, while others are eager to hit the road early. It's important to establish a schedule that takes everyone's needs into account and allows for flexibility.
• Decision-Making: Making decisions as a group can sometimes be challenging. From choosing where to eat to deciding on the best transportation options, different opinions can emerge, leading to disagreements. It's important to listen to each other's preferences and try to find a consensus. Compromise and open communication are key to avoiding unnecessary arguments.
• Personalities and Dynamics: Finally, every family has its own dynamics and personalities that can influence the mood during a trip. Some relatives may have a more assertive or dominant character, while others may be more laid-back. These dynamics can intensify during travel, leading to power struggles or conflicts. Being aware of each other's personalities and actively working on communication and understanding can help prevent tension.

While traveling with family can sometimes be challenging, it's important to remember the importance of compromise, open communication, and patience. By understanding each other's needs and respecting different perspectives, it is possible to navigate potential arguments and tension and create a positive and memorable travel experience for all.

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Frequently asked questions.

I prefer traveling alone or with friends because I enjoy having more freedom and flexibility in my travel plans. Traveling with family often means compromising on destinations or activities, which can limit my overall experience.

One of the challenges is differing preferences and interests. Each family member might have different ideas on what they want to do or see, leading to conflicts or disagreements. Also, coordinating logistics and keeping everyone happy can be difficult, especially when there are generational or age gaps.

Yes, sometimes I do feel overwhelmed when traveling with my family. The dynamics and group dynamics can be intense, and there's often a lot of planning and coordination involved. It can be exhausting and stressful trying to make everyone happy and keep the trip running smoothly.

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• Cagri Burak Author Reviewer Traveller

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10 reasons to love travel

What does travel mean to you here are just 10 of the many reasons i love to travel….

• Travel Specialist

In today’s tech-obsessed world, social media may well be the perfect platform to showcase the world’s beauty to armchair travellers across the globe, but travel is so much more than just getting that perfect Instagram shot. Travel should be meaningful. It should excite and inspire you, rejuvenate and ground you, educate and challenge you, and most of all, it should humble you.

Travel gives us our greatest stories, our most cherished memories and countless irreplaceable learnings that we can choose to pay forward to others. It teaches us about ourselves and each other, it broadens our horizons and, just like a reset button, it forces us to refocus on what really matters.

Here’s what travel means to me…

For me personally, travel is a way of life. I was born into a travel-obsessed family and had already lived on three different continents by the time I started school, so wanderlust (and an often ridiculed hybrid accent) was inevitable for me. My sister and I are incredibly fortunate to have parents that insisted that travel was the best classroom and, thankfully, our school holidays were spent exploring fascinating places, both near and far.

Upon graduating university (and turning 21), I was given the greatest gift: the gift of travel. Armed with a round-the-world plane ticket and a sense of adventure, I took off on a six-month solo backpacking trip through Europe, Southern Africa and Australia and, without a doubt, it changed the way I saw the world. So, as a self-confessed travel addict, here are the 10 reasons why I love to travel.

1. Travel to leave our world a better place

I have been fortunate to work and travel with &Beyond for more than 13 years now and what inspires me most is our company ethos and unwavering commitment to care for the land, wildlife and people. Travelling with &Beyond has given me the rare privilege to actively take part in so many unforgettable and truly meaningful experiences, such as: witnessing endangered rhino being safely translocated; observing an elephant cow being collared for research and monitoring purposes; helping to relocate a vulnerable nest laid by an enormous and highly endangered sea turtle; spending a night in a traditional Maasai manyatta (homestead); and so much more. &Beyond ’s authentic, experiential travel not only enables travellers to participate, engage and learn, but it also allows them to travel with purpose and to help leave our world a better place.

2. Travel to meet different cultures

Travel exposes us to different cultures and ancient traditions and through these authentic encounters, we learn to embrace and celebrate both our similarities and our differences. Travel teaches us about humanity and gives us an appreciation, understanding and respect for different points of view and ways of life.

3. Travel to learn

Not all classrooms have four walls and travel is the best way to immerse yourself in geography, history, culture, gastronomy, languages, biology … you name it. Travel enriches the mind and educates us far beyond any textbook or travel guide. Not only do curious travellers learn about different landscapes, languages and lifestyles; glean fascinating facts while observing wild animals in their natural habitat; delve into a region’s history and taste the local flavours; but they also learn about themselves (and each other) along the way.

4. Travel to escape reality

We all need to fall off the radar and escape reality every once in a while. Travel allows us to enjoy complete anonymity in new and unexplored territories. It gives us absolute freedom to live in the moment and it allows us to be anyone, to go anywhere and to do anything. The best part of my six-month trip around the world, way back when, was the freedom of being able to just wake up and pick a spot anywhere on the map and find a way to get there. Travel enables us to be spontaneous and seek new experiences.

5. Travel to relax

Our lives are time-starved and technology-driven and, let’s be honest, it’s not often that we actually take the necessary time to de-stress and truly switch off. Travel allows us to escape life’s daily demands, dramas and deadlines and enables us to clear our minds. It encourages us to recharge our batteries and to truly disconnect (from our phones, Wi-Fi, emails, laptops, social media, etc.) in order to reconnect (with ourselves, each other and the natural environment).

6. Travel to explore

Travel takes us out of our comfort zones and inspires us to see, taste and try new things. It constantly challenges us, not only to adapt to and explore new surroundings, but also to engage with different people, to embrace adventures as they come and to share new and meaningful experiences with friends and loved ones. Whether you seek adrenaline and non-stop activity, or unapologetic siestas and ultimate relaxation, travel gives us the opportunity to explore with an open heart and an open mind.

7. Travel for humility

Without a doubt, travel is a crash course in humility. As we cross borders, and oceans, we gain true perspective. We learn to recognise and be grateful for all of the things we take for granted in our own lives, and we also gain an appreciation and respect for how others live. Travel teaches us to be tolerant, flexible and open-minded, and most of all it makes us humble.

8. Travel to eat

One thing you’ll never find on a suggested packing list is a diet. Leave it at home! Just make sure you bring a healthy appetite and a willingness to taste new flavours and sample all of the local delicacies. Remember, mimosas are totally acceptable at breakfast and dessert is always a good idea. Indulge, go back for seconds and exercise when you get home.

9. Travel to be transformed

Don’t just travel for travel’s sake. Travel to seek adventure and feel alive. Take part in authentic experiences that will not only change the way you see the world, but that will also encourage self-reflection, environmental awareness and global action to help protect and conserve our planet.

10. Travel to live out your bucket list dreams

Every traveller’s bucket list is different. Whether you long to watch the sun set over the Taj Majal, snowshoe on the side of an active volcano, witness Africa’s Big Five and the Great Migration, or find your Zen on a yoga retreat in the Himalayas, if you can dream it, you can do it. Travel is the best medicine and long may it continue to take our breath away and turn us all into storytellers (and committed custodians of our precious planet).

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Traveling With My Dad Around The World

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Growing up in the UK we never went abroad for holidays. From an early age I remember school friends telling me excitedly that they were off to Spain for a week, coming back with enviable tans and some kind of shell jewelry. I on the other hand had my summer holidays in Devon in the South of England. You see, my Dad did not fly. Like ever. He never wanted to get on a plane. I loved my holidays nonetheless. They didn’t seem as exotic as my those of my friends but I think I learned more by traveling around the UK than I would on a beach in Benidorm. And if you’ve seen me you know that I’m too pale for beach life. Thus traveling with my Dad and Mum never really emerged further than the Southern boundary of our own country.

Leaving home

When I was 23 I packed my bags and headed off to Canada. I was going over to Vancouver for 6 months, but part way through that trip I extended my stay to a full year. That year would have been my first Christmas away from home. Ever. I wasn’t looking forward to it, and although I didn’t complain I was a little sad that all of our family traditions would be out of the window as I had to fend for myself.

But about a month before I found out my Dad had gotten his first ever passport. At the age of 50 he had secretly applied for a passport with the intention of getting on a plane to come to Canada so that we wouldn’t all be apart for Christmas. The secret here was because he was worried that even with a passport he might not want to get on that plane. And when you get on a plane for the first time, and do something that you’re afraid of, you would ideally start with a shorter journey than 9 hours halfway across the world.

My Dad’s first trip abroad

With some last minute nerves he made it on that flight, came to Canada and had a wonderful time. And since then, almost 14 years ago he has become way more adventurous and is ironically the person in the family who loves flying the most. Mostly so that he can take pictures from the window, but whatever gets him on the plane right?! Traveling with my Dad and Mum has become somewhat of a tradition now.

So why am I telling you this? Well I now live in Canada. I decided after that first trip that I loved it so much I wanted to stay. My parents however still live in the UK. Because of that we don’t get to see each other too often. So when we do we want to make the most of it. And I am a person who loves traveling with my Dad and Mum. Sure, I had the 16 year old phase where it was cooler to stay at home than go away with the parents, and family holidays were for kids.

But I soon realized that those family holidays were my favorite memories of growing up. My parents didn’t have a lot of money for lavish vacations, and they still always made sure we got to do something fun. So now that I’m older, more independent and have my own money, I enjoy being able to pay them back by planning fun adventures for us to do together. To make the most of the short time we are together each year.

Traveling with my Dad and Mum

Since that first trip on a plane I have managed to convince my parents to travel more not only to Canada to come see me, but we have taken other trips. My Dad has become a world traveler so traveling with my Dad and Mum now means plane journeys and passports. I think by far my parents biggest adventure was when I lived in China and suggested they come to visit. So off they went to China for 2 weeks.

At the time of writing this it is Father’s Day which is why the emphasis on my Dad here (I love traveling with my Mum too). But I wanted to share some of the amazing places I’ve been to with my parents, and also pictures of my Dad and I traveling because I never thought this would happen. And it all proves that you’re never too old to try new things.

I live in Vancouver, have done for almost 10 years now. My parents come out to visit my every 12 to 18 months and I try to do the same to go there. They love Vancouver, and always enjoy exploring. This is them on a trip to Ucluelet on Vancouver Island about to go on a bear watching tour.

Canadian Rockies

A couple of years I was able to get my parents on the Rocky Mountaineer. They had a wonderful time seeing Banff for the first time. But I didn’t get to go with them. So last year we did a road trip through the Canadian Rockies from Calgary up to Jasper . It was amazing. We stopped at Banff, Lake Louise, did some fantastic day trips including Kananaskis to visit Yamnuska Wolfdog Sanctuary and afternoon tea at the Fairmont Banff Springs . It was April so Lake Louise was still frozen enough for us to walk on it which of course made for some good photos.

During my UK holidays as a child we visited a lot of historical places so it’s no surprise that my Dad is a big history buff. Where better to get some North American history than Boston, one of the oldest parts of the new country. British invasion jokes included our trip to Boston was full of fun, and we even got a nice beer in Cheers.

When I go back to the UK I try to add on a European city stop too. If I’m going all that way from Canada I might as well make the most of it. And some of these trips I’ve had the pleasure of being able to have my parents with me. Here’s my Dad and I enjoyed a well earned beer in Brussels.

Getting my parents to agree to visit China was no simple feat. I was coming to the end of my 2 year stretch living there and figured it was now or never. I offered to pay for half of their flight costs if they’d come to visit me (I had to sweeten the deal somehow). My Mum told me she didn’t think my Dad would want to go. He jumped at the chance and it turned out my Mum was secretly hoping he would say no because she was a little concerned about getting to China. Sneaky Mum.

Anyway, they made it to China, had a blast (if not a little culture shocked) and we got some great photos to prove it. Traveling with my Dad will probably not get more epic than looking down on the Forbidden City in Beijing. Having my parents visit was the highlight of the two years.

Niagara Falls

I don’t think my Dad ever thought he’d manage to see Niagara Falls . And this trip was especially sweet since his cousin moved to Canada in the 1970s and this was his first time seeing her in over 40 years.

For my birthday I wanted to take a trip. And who better to travel with than these two? We went to Rome and although we had a questionable accommodation experience, we enjoyed all the history we saw in Rome. Oh yeah and it was when Coca Cola had the names on the bottles so my Mum and I became Francesca and The Queen for a day!

Remember to take a reusable water bottle with you on your travels, like this one from FastTech

New York was maybe too big and busy a city for my parents to really enjoy to the max. I like it, but it can be chaotic. But we went and had a great time and they got to see some of the most famous places in the city. We also got some great New York food.

I love traveling with my Dad who is easily the most fun person to go on a trip with. He takes a bazillion photos a minute ( check out some of his pictures here ) but he’s never too tired to want to do something else, and always up for the next adventure. Suggest a hike and he’s up the trail with his camera out before you’re out of the car. I know my Mum often goes along with whatever crazy idea I’ve come up with, but seeing how happy she was on these trips and genuinely enjoying the activities makes me happy, and proud that she gives it a go even when she’s not as eager as we are. The fact that she’ll embrace all the opportunities is amazing.

And that’s why I wanted to write this post about the amazing places my Dad has been since he got his passport. And all because he didn’t want me to have Christmas by myself.

That first Christmas in Canada with both of them there. It was amazing. All traditions out of the window. We opened small gifts in a hotel room, had Italian food for lunch as the only restaurant open, and spent all day outside walking around the park instead of by a fireplace watching the TV. It was perfect. I’m so grateful to both of my parents for not only supporting my crazy love of travel but for pushing themselves out of their comfort zone to join me. I always look forward to the next trip with my Mum and Dad. They’re just waiting for the next time I call and say “Hey, I’ve had an idea…”

If you’ve enjoyed this post leave a comment or share using the social media buttons below. Do you travel with your parents? What are some of your best trip memories with your Dad or Mum?

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30 thoughts on “Traveling With My Dad Around The World”

Your story travelling with your parents brings joy and smile while reading it. There is something very special sharing your travel plans with them. I had lots of travelling with my family too and it’s pure magic! After this pandemic, wishing you more travel with your mom and dad.

Aww I love this! I’m so glad he took the jump and came over to visit you, it seems to have opened him up to so much! My parents don’t really travel at all, I never went abroad with them, and even our UK “holidays” were just visiting family. (I think that’s why I love travelling, because I never got to do it!) I did take my mum to Venice a couple of years ago though, and we all took a day trip over to France & Belgium when I lived in Sussex so it’s been nice to get some travel experiences in with them. 🙂

What a really nice post! I love that your dad got his passport just to visit you and now there are adventures abound! I took my parents on their first trip to Europe and now they go without me on cruises because they love it!! I still vacation with my parents when time allows. It’s a really great thing!

This is so precious! Thank you for sharing. Your excursions look fantastic, I’m excited to visit some of these with my parents as well!

As a Dad who has traveled to many part of the world with my daughter, I especially enjoyed your post. As a flying phobic, I also appreciate the leap your Dad had to make to travel with you.

What a wonderful post! Recording experiences like this in your own words is always magical and fun to reflect back on. It looks like a fabulous holiday and he clearly had a great adventure! Lovely post! I truly enjoyed the read!

Lovely story! Can’t believe that was his first time abroad, hopefully he has the travel bug now!

It is pretty cool to have had the opportunity to visit so many countries with your parents and even at least 3 continents !!! What is your favourite memory ? I see that maybe you will not recommend New York as it might be too hectic. Among all your trip which one was the funnier to share ?

I think my favorite has to be welcoming them to Canada that first time. The flew during the night here so when my Mum said my Dad was nervous I wasn’t sure if he was even going to show up, it was a nice surprise when he did. I think the funniest thing was seeing my parents navigate chopsticks in China and having no other option than to try. We lost a lot of food to the floor that holiday but they got good at it by the end of the trip

Seems like he’s making up for lost time waiting so long to get a passport! Hope to visit Canada with my own family soon 🙂

I love traveling with my parents. I’m like you, that I have lived separately from my family for the past 8 years (now back home). It has been so special traveling to so many places with parents! My hope would one day get my dad (and mom) to come with me to South America. They did Thailand and Cambodia with me last year which was a BIG adventure (similar to your China trip). Thanks for sharing

What a lovely post! It is so wonderful you can share your travels with your dad. Such a special experience that creates wonderful memories.

Such a great read. It is things like this that make traveling so special.

This is so adorable. I love seeing how much your family seemed to have the trip of a lifetime! I don’t think these trips are the norm, but maybe they should be ❤️

Aw I absolutely loved reading about all the places you visited with your parents Emma! It is so awesome how you were able to visit so many places with them 🙂 Where will you visit next as a family?

Oh, so good of your dad to come to Canada so that you wouldn’t be alone for Christmas. Love that he now enjoys flying.

Thanks for sharing, my parents do love travelling and go on more holidays than me! When we do go on holiday abroad together it’s nice to see a different country or place with them, as I’m a lone traveler 🙂

Such a cute story and adorable photos. The rainbow in the Niagra Falls pic is perfect! I love traveling with my parents. I have a road trip planned with my dad in a few months! BTW I love your map border, it looks great!

Oh my gosh your parents are so cute!! This is absolutely adorable. What a special way to travel. I bet dad loves getting so much time with his daughter!

I love this post so much. I have had the opportunity to travel with my parents as well. It is truly time that I wouldn’t trade for the world!

It’s amazing that your dad travels with you 🙂 I wish I had travelled more with my parents when I was younger. I think we only went to Portugal together which was nice! But, to be honest, they aren’t as adventurous as me.

What a great opportunity. Last year I took my mom to Italy and we traveled around for a while, it was magical. Such an inspiring post!

Aww that’s so nice that you are still traveling with your family! I haven’t done that since I am an adult and reading your article makes me regret it!

You have made awesome memories traveling together. Such inspiration to travel with my parents!

This really resonated with me! I also moved across the globe, we must’ve passed in mid-air, as I came from US to UK! I’ve cherished the travels I’ve had with my Mom since then. It’s incredible all of the places you’ve been with your Dad, and love to see that you’ve instilled such a love of travel in him.

Aww this is such a sweet story! I love it that your dad managed overcome his fears and became a world traveller! 🙂

Great post! I think it’s so important to travel with family. I even have great travel memories with my grandma and those are the moments that are with me forever:)

This is such a lovely story! I travel with my dad once a year because we both like to hike and no one else in our family does, and I have the loveliest memories from these trips. Absolutely loved this post xx

Thanks for sharing your experience! I love traveling with my parents. <3

Well this is Emma’s Dad. Thank you all for such positive messages and kind thoughts. I have always been close to my daughter, we went to cinema and concerts together before she lived in Canada. Love flying now and am so grateful to her for giving me the opportunity to visit places I’ve always dreamed of. China was amazing and yes I did have trouble at first with chop sticks. All the places have been amazing and enjoyable. My favorite to date was last year in Alberta at the Royal Tyrrell museum and the Yamnuska Wolfdog Sanctuary and feeding the wolfdogs, walking on Lake Louise & visiting the incredible Athabasca Glacier, finishing off our trip on the Rocky Mountaineer, so many varied things, a lot of fun and amazing scenery. So thank you Emma for some special times and memories.

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Simple trick: how to use packing cubes efficiently

L ove them or hate them. That seems to be the consensus with those that have used packing cubes. However, if you are unaware of how to use packing cubes efficiently, then this post is for you!

First, let me tell you that I am NOT a light-packer. I wish we could just take carry-ons, but that’s never going to happen.

With a child, I probably overpack. She has enough outfits so that she wears them 2-3 times each. Plus, two pair of shoes and flip-flops for swimming. When you are packing for a 2-3 week trip to Europe, it does add up.

This is where packing cubes come in! While I may pack a lot of stuff, packing cubes let me do it efficiently.

Let me show you.

What are packing cubes?

Think of packing cubes as lightweight storage boxes for your clothes when traveling.

They come in different sizes and colors.

In fact, I have so many different colors and sets. Maybe I’m a packing cube addict , I don’t know. But, I like every single item in my suitcase in a cube.

Different colors make it easy to see whose clothes are in each cube. After arriving at our destination, we either unpack the cubes or just put the whole cube in a drawer (separated by color). This allows us to get the big suitcase stowed and out of the way.

My daughter likes it because it is now easy for her to find her own clothes.

Packing cube sizes

A set of packing cubes typically comes with three or four different-sized cubes.

These packing cubes from Well Traveled even include a shoe drawstring bag.

My favorite cube is the narrow one . It is perfect for just underwear and socks – no rummaging through large cubes to find what you need. I wish it was a little longer though (and then it would be perfect for my needs anyway).

Plus, I use one for hairbrushes, deodorant, and any other small loose items.

The large cube is where the main clothes go. Our clothes fit in here perfectly for a one-week trip.

Here’s the exact ones I recommend on Amazon.

• SPACE-SAVING DESIGN: Experience the revolution of packing with our HybridMax DOUBLE CAPACITY COMPRESSION DESIGN (patent-pending). No matter the journey, our packing cubes turn chaos into order. Designed for both carry-on and check-in suitcases, our innovative COMPRESSION DESIGN makes travel prep a breeze
• FEEL THE LUXURY: Elevate your travels with our PREMIUM TWILL FABRIC packing cube bags. Unlike ordinary cubes with low-quality thin materials, ours offer a superior, tactile experience that whispers quality with every touch
• DURABLE STITCHING & ZIPPERS: Say goodbye to travel worries. Our cubes feature robust reinforced stitching and SMOOTH 2-WAY ZIPPERS, ensuring secure, WATER-RESISTANT protection for your belongings
• VERSATILITY & STYLE: Our packing cubes organizer set is more than just convenient; its a statement. Small, medium, and large cubes make a PERFECT SET for storing your essentials, while our array of EXCITING COLORS AND DESIGNS adds a stylish flair to your travel routine!
• COMPLETE LIFETIME SATISFACTION: Our pledge to product excellence ensures your satisfaction for a lifetime. Rest easy knowing weve got you covered from the moment you choose Well Traveled

Use the small or medium cube to pack swimsuits, coverups and pajamas separately. Again, this makes it easier to find something you are looking for quickly.

In fact, when we stay at an airport hotel for a quick overnight before a flight, I pack everything we need into a single cube and just remove that from the luggage.

How to use Packing Cubes

I am definitely a roller. By that, I mean I start at one end of the cube and roll each clothing item. Pack the first item next to the edge of the cube and tightly add additional items as you roll them.

As you fill half a cube, pull the zipper halfway around so the clothes stay in tightly.

Keep rolling until the bottom is filled with clothes.

Do you have room on top of that layer? If yes, then roll some more and start a second layer – pushing your rolled clothes all the way to the back of the bag first.

Sometimes, I am able to fit a pair of shoes on top, too.

My goal is to not have any loose items in the luggage – everything is in cubes. Use the small cubes for combs, brushes, elastic ponytail holders – anything that is loose.

Compression zippers

What’s great about Well Traveled’s packing cubes is the compression zipper!

So, instead of just a top zipper, there is also one at the bottom of the packing cube that reduces a full inch when closed.

Truthfully, I have used another brands’ cubes with compression zips and I did not like them at all. I could not ever get them closed without having to take out a lot of clothes.

I did not have this trouble with the Well Traveled ones. I’m guessing it’s because their zipper went straight across whereas the other brand I have does it on a diagonal.

So, if you are looking to save some suitcase space, purchase packing cubes with a compression zipper!

This is quick to unpack when you arrive at your hotel room.

There you have it. Are you a believer yet?

Buy these packing cubes on Amazon.

Please note: While I have many packing cube sets, I was contacted by Well Traveled to use and review theirs in exchange for a complimentary set. My opinions are my own. I really love packing cubes!

Do you use packing cubes? Do you think packing cubes are worth it? Let me know in the comments!

Read the following for more travel tips:

• How to do Disney on a Budget
• Italy – 21 Travel Tips You Need to Know

Please PIN this to share with others! Thank you.

The post Simple trick: how to use packing cubes efficiently appeared first on Treasured Family Travels .

My mom is my coworker. I get to see her more, but we keep it professional in the office.

• Greg Bockman is the Senior Events Manager at AT&T.
• His mom, Kathryn Bockman, is the company's Assistant Vice President of Accounting.
• Greg said Kathy sometimes acts as his mentor and sometimes acts as his mom.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Greg Bockman, senior events manager at AT&T, and his mother Kathryn Bockman. It has been edited for length and clarity.

Sometimes when I'm at work in the AT&T office in Dallas , the elevator will open and my mom will stroll out. It's not a crazy coincidence or an issue of mom oversteppin g: we both work for the same company and in the same building.

If I bump into my mom coming out of the elevator or in the hall, we'll give a quick embrace , but not the type of mother-son hug we save for family events. Since we work in different departments it's rare that we're in a meeting together. If we are, we acknowledge each other with a polite smile or nod — the same way we greet coworkers who aren't family.

We've learned that it's important to keep up professionalism . And yet, working with my mom has been a really cool growth opportunity. I know her better because I get to see her as a professional and mentor, not just a mother.

I wouldn't want to report to my mom directly

I never expected to be working with my mom. Growing up I knew she worked at AT&T and had a lot of loyalty to the company , but our interests were totally different: I love planning events, while she's focused on numbers and finance.

Even after I graduated college and looked for a job in the corporate world , my mom didn't intervene. She didn't want anything to be spoon-fed to me. And yet, I felt a familiarity with life at AT&T, and when a job presented itself at the company where my mom is in leadership, I took it.

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Luckily, I've never had family or coworkers give me a hard time about working with mom. I don't report to her and we rarely cross paths professionally. I'm glad we maintain that division.

I see my mom a lot more since we work together

Like most moms, mine would appreciate it if I saw her more. Outside work we get together probably two to three times a week. I'll head to her house for dinner and catch up with the rest of the family, including the dogs.

That doesn't give us too much time. So, bumping into her once or twice a week at work has really strengthened our relationship . We even have the opportunity to put a lunch date right on each other's company calendar, which makes keeping in touch much easier.

Having a mom and mentor in one can be complex

In our situation, I get a mentor and a mother. There's no doubt that my mom is good at her job, and seeing her in this environment as a career woman has really enriched my understanding of who she is.

Because of that, I really value her professional mentorship. There's a definite difference in her tone when she's speaking to me as a mom, versus as a mentor. As a mother, she tries to be understanding and soften the blow of any tough love. As a mentor, she's a straight shooter, reminding me to buckle up and get the job done.

There's love in both deliveries, but sometimes it can be hard to take advice from my mom. Once or twice she's told me things I didn't want to hear. I might get annoyed with my mom about that, but at the same time I appreciate the honesty from my mentor.

My mom has a great understanding of my work

In a big company like AT&T, it's easy to let other departments handle their areas of expertise, without really understanding why they're important. The same can happen with family — we often only have a vague idea what our loved ones do.

My mom has told me that since we work together, she has a better understanding of the value that my area of the company has. It's taught her about an area that she might not be aware of, if she didn't have family working within it. That can strengthen the organization because we recognize the potential for collaboration, and the value that everyone brings to the table.

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