Travelling with kids is rarely a holiday. But it can be an adventure worth the overwhelming price tags (and power struggles) to explore the world together, create lasting memories and experience new things from a child’s point of view.
While babies and toddlers may be easier travel companions (or at least more portable ones), the older your kids get, the more you can actually enjoy together. There will be challenges, of course: With kids who can (and will) clearly articulate what they do and don’t want to do, you’ll need a new kind of flexibility — and plenty of patience.
Read on for some tried-and-true tips from well-travelled parents for making a trip with bigger kids (school-aged and up) more fun and relaxing for everyone.
Involve kids in the planning
“With my three kids of widespread ages (eight, 13 and 16), it can be tough for us to plan a trip that will please them all. Before we book, I ask them each to share one thing they really want to do while we’re there, and then I try to choose a destination and an assortment of activities that have something to offer everyone. One lesson I’ve learned is that an overpacked itinerary can be totally overwhelming. Planning one big excursion each day, sandwiched between beach or pool time, can make for the best balance.” — Bianca Bujan, travel writer
Pack carry-on only
“During my last trip with my kids, ages seven and nine, we travelled to three different countries over three weeks with carry-on luggage only — my new non-negotiable. I don’t want to pay the extra fees, risk losing our luggage or wrestle with too much stuff while packing and unpacking all our bags on a multi-leg trip. Take less than you think you’ll need, and instead of hotels, book rental stays with laundry.” — Claire Sibonney, travel writer
“Instead of having everyone do everything together for the entire trip, my partner and I will each take a kid and split up for a few hours. It's a nice break from all the togetherness, and we’re able to cater activities to a specific kid — or sneak in something fun we also want to do. It’s also easier to get around as a group of two rather than four.” — Simone Olivero, travel writer
Carve out extra downtime
“Be ready to ditch plans if your kids are ratty and tired, or if you are. Forcing fun on your family is likely to backfire. Better to reschedule something when everyone is rested and into whatever it is you have planned." — Lola Augustine Brown, travel writer
Make sightseeing a game
“Right now, my six-year-old is obsessed with scavenger hunts. I noticed that her teacher does a scavenger hunt any time they go on a field trip and thought it was the perfect idea to steal when we travel. Items can range from simple (a monument) to more complex (a person speaking a different language). The game keeps her focused so she doesn’t complain about all the walking, and it also lets her practice her reading; for smaller kids, pictures can be used instead of words. At the end, we always have a prize, usually ice cream, that helps keep the momentum going.” — S. O.
Set a souvenir budget
"Give them a set amount of spending money for souvenirs and candy, etc., at the start of your vacation, and say it’s up to them to budget how it gets spent. This has stopped me from arguing over not buying stuff at every stop on our trips. My kids are much more frugal with their own money than they are with mine." — L.A. B.
Plot a food map
“There’s nothing worse than hearing ‘I'm hungry’ when you’re in an unfamiliar place. Trying new food is a big part of why we travel, so most of my pretrip research goes toward figuring out different restaurants or stops and labelling them with meal types: breakfast, snack, lunch, dinner, treat. I then map them out and keep that map handy, so when the hangries strike, I've got a list of nearby options at my fingertips.” — S. O.
Consider a multi-family trip
“When kids become teens, their priorities shift, and it gets tougher to pull them away from their friends for a family vacation. Last spring break, we decided to take a trip abroad with our 16-year-old daughter, plus her two best friends and their families. Not only was it fun for the parents and the children to travel as a larger group of 12, but it also allowed the teens to enjoy some independence while bonding over the experience of discovering a new destination together.” — B. B.
