Do you prefer to travel with your kids or alone as a couple?

[Anonymous]

I just texted him the idea of a couples only hotel in Mexico and his response was to remind me that we want to take the kids to Tulum soon, which is true I can't win with him.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, I really prefer travelling with my kids. We have a great time and I love experiencing travel from both their perspective any my own. I know, it's weird, but both DH and I feel this way and have since the kids were born.

+1. I really don't feel "right" traveling without them and have done it both ways. We always take the children now, and have done so since they were small, by choice.

[Anonymous]

Definitely alone as a couple!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:While we always take our child on trips and have literally traveled the world with her, if DH and I were to travel without her, we would go to Southeast Asia or on a scuba diving trip (probably in Indonesia).

What does this even mean? To how many countries have you taken your child? There are literally 190+ countries in the world.

[Anonymous]

My kids are 5 and 7. We usually take kids but I would absolutely choose couple travel. We have taken kids to Tulum, france, Italy, spain. They did not appreciate it at all. Go to Mexico with your DH for god's sake. You will be able to go to mexico with them again.

[Anonymous]

This is such a great question. I love traveling with my kids, but I also crave the opportunity to do so without them. I would say do a place or trip that is not kid-friendly, as in no kids. Of the places you mention, I'd do Quebec City. We took our kids there a few years ago and while we had a good time, I wouldn't recommend it as a kid trip.

That said, here is what I'd do - make it an adult experience. My recommendation, if you don't mind being with people a little older than you, is a river cruise in Europe (you seem like you're willing to go far). They have plenty of week-long ones, and they are not for kids. You also visit lots of places, so if one really captures you, you might go back with the kids one day. But there will not be kids on the boat and you won't get a feeling of "gee, I wish we would have brought the kids" because the experience/excursions would not have been suitable for them.

Adult only resorts will also offer this, but I think a cruise might be more exciting. River cruises are totally different from ocean cruises. It's all about the places you visit. You could also do a land tour.

[Anonymous]

Maybe he can think of it in terms of giving the kids the experience to spend quality time with their grandparents, without parental interference. That is a valuable experience as well!

[Anonymous]

I would suggest someplace like New Orleans, where you can stay out really late eating great food and listing to jazz. In other words, you want to choose a place where highlights are inconvenient for kids (e.g., late nights, wine country tours, etc.). Also, you can also visit New Orleans when the kids are older (like in HS).

Also, perhaps a hike or trek that is too physically demanding for young kids.

[Anonymous]

We do 90% of our travel as a family and have gone on amazing trips with our kids. Once in a blue moon we get the chance to travel without them and we take it. Since we have had kids (so over the last 12 years) we have made a few short trips without them (usually 3-5 days) and have gone to Istanbul, Amsterdam, Rome, Budapest, and Miami. We also traveled with the kids later to Amsterdam, Rome, and Budapest so got to experience those with and without kids, which are very different but equally great experiences. We were lucky to have neat places close to us when we lived in Europe making long weekend trips possible, and also lucky to have family and a trustworthy babysitter willing to watch the kids so we could travel alone, often for big anniversaries (5, 10, 15).

[Anonymous]

I prefer to travel with just DH. We always did family beach vacations but I didn't find those relaxing at all. This summer just DH and I go away for 5 days and it was heaven. The kids are all teenagers now so they were all busy with various activities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is such a great question. I love traveling with my kids, but I also crave the opportunity to do so without them. I would say do a place or trip that is not kid-friendly, as in no kids. Of the places you mention, I'd do Quebec City. We took our kids there a few years ago and while we had a good time, I wouldn't recommend it as a kid trip.

That said, here is what I'd do - make it an adult experience. My recommendation, if you don't mind being with people a little older than you, is a river cruise in Europe (you seem like you're willing to go far). They have plenty of week-long ones, and they are not for kids. You also visit lots of places, so if one really captures you, you might go back with the kids one day. But there will not be kids on the boat and you won't get a feeling of "gee, I wish we would have brought the kids" because the experience/excursions would not have been suitable for them.

Adult only resorts will also offer this, but I think a cruise might be more exciting. River cruises are totally different from ocean cruises. It's all about the places you visit. You could also do a land tour.

I like PP's suggestion of a river cruise, which are mostly adult focused. Plus if you and DH really love a particular place, then you can discuss coming back with the kids later. I love traveling with my kids and showing them new places, but I also really like it when just DH and I go somewhere.

The other piece of this is that the time with your DCs will spend with their grandparents is important as well. It gives them an opportunity to establish a relationship outside of you.

[Anonymous]

Personally I prefer traveling with my kids now. Before kids my husband and I travel a ton together. It was great but always very hectic and his ideas for things to do and see seemed to get more play than the ones I wanted to see and do. Once the kids came along we still travel but its a slower pace and we tend to be select a few things we all want to do - plus we see the world through the kids eyes which are wonderful. We have done one trip post kids together and he worked or was tied to his phone/laptop so much that I ended up doing things on my own - which was wonderful but it was not a couples vacation at all. So at least when we travel as a family he's more likely to unwind and spend time as a family rather than constantly working. All too soon the kids will be gone and we will have more time to do things together again without them.

[Anonymous]

I would let my parents take the kids and stay home for a week. You can do home projects, relax in your house, eat nice dinners out, go out with friends in the city and use the money you save to buy a nice piece of furniture for your house that you've been wanting. That's my idea of a vacation!

[Anonymous]

With our kids and with a nanny. Best of both worlds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My parents offered to watch our kids next summer so DH and I can go somewhere on our own. He is reluctant to do it though because every place I suggest he wants to put it off so we can eventually bring the kids. He feels guilty going somewhere cool (Iceland, Ireland, Banff, even Quebec City) just us when we could be giving them that experience too. I get where he's coming from but I also think it's much easier to travel without (potentially whiny) children and all of their various needs.

Where do you fall as a couple on this?

Is this a serious question???? Alone as a couple, of course.