VIP tour or GTFO |
I'm gonna put it in perspective on traveling abroad with kids under age 6. It's hard for the parents. If your kid is easy awesome. But for the rest of us, your kid will be interested in the world whether or not they travel. It's a nature thing it is not because you took him to Paris at age 3. To wit: I think I had seen about 1/2 the world by 14. We travelled tons. I remember nothing. I do recall studying abroad the summer before college with a university and that was when the travel bug hit me. I speak 4 languages nothing in traveling before age 17 enabled me to do so however. I say - go if you want. Do not go because you somehow think your kid will benefit and become gifted because you were smart enough to take them to 10 countries before age 10. My own kids are well travelled. Does it make any difference in them? Only that my 13 yr old is 100% dead set on staying in the US for college or post grad. My 15 yr old loves to see new things but whether we do or not, it doesn't change that he enjoys it. But hey at age 3 he hated Mexico so much we flew home early!!! lol
So please, travel because you want to travel. Go where you want. Not because it's the cool place or for your kids' development or anything else except just your desire to go to a specific destination. Enjoy it. Love it and don't sweat the small stuff. Be grateful you get to do whatever you want because so many people don't have the opportunity. There's so many beautiful places on earth, choose a lovely place and enjoy! |
Travel in the off-season. |
+1 |
Great tip |
Alternatively, bring an outfit to change into plus a small face cleanser and washcloth (or even an individually wrapped piece of sterile gauze) in your carry on. When you arrive at your hotel and they tell you to wait until check in time, ask for a place where you can change your clothes. I just did this at our hotel in Europe last month. They let me use the changing rooms in the hotel spa and they even offered to let me use the spa showers. If I’d had flip flops and if DH wasn’t waiting for me I would have taken that shower. But just washing my face and changing my clothes made me feel so much better. Then we ate lunch at the hotel restaurant while we waited for check in. Next time I will bring flip flops and ask DH to start lunch without me and I will take them up on that shower offer. The hotel was holding our large checked luggage and I was so glad I had a dress and change of underwear in my carryon (a small duffel). |
Alternatively, bring an outfit to change into plus a small face cleanser and washcloth (or even an individually wrapped piece of sterile gauze) in your carry on. When you arrive at your hotel and they tell you to wait until check in time, ask for a place where you can change your clothes. I just did this at our hotel in Europe last month. They let me use the changing rooms in the hotel spa and they even offered to let me use the spa showers. If I’d had flip flops and if DH wasn’t waiting for me I would have taken that shower. But just washing my face and changing my clothes made me feel so much better. Then we ate lunch at the hotel restaurant while we waited for check in. Next time I will bring flip flops and ask DH to start lunch without me and I will take them up on that shower offer. The hotel was holding our large checked luggage and I was so glad I had a dress and change of underwear in my carryon (a small duffel). |
You can also book a day room at an airport hotel for this. It's nice to be able to get off the plane and go to a room and shower and change. You need to resist the urge to sleep though. |
+100. Also, its easier to plan longer vacations before the kids hit HS. DH and my main splurge is travel, I would have regretted waiting till kids turn 7 to travel with them. So many missed travel opportunities for us personally. We are not getting any younger and then in college kids will also want to travel with their friends and SO. So really, travel when you can. Travel for us is not a dollar optimizing strategy. If they can't remember London, hopefully they earn enough to go back there again. Plus travelling with younger kids is cheaper, you can fit into one room, lots of stuff is free for kids in Europe, in some resorts children under 12 eat free, airlines have discounting prices for kids etc. All this is of course if you can afford it. If it's a once in a lifetime trip to London, then you may be better off waiting. |
Spot on. I mean with this logic why not lock them in a room until they “remember” things? Why have a 3rd birthday party? Why visit grandma? Experiences feed the soul. If nothing else, I will remember it! |
I always end up wearing everything I pack. Maybe I’m packing less than I think I am. |
I’m lucky because I’m not very tall or heavy, so I pack light by buying most of my clothes at low cost stores in the countries I’m visiting, and then give them away when I leave. |
I don’t care if they remember things. It is just a pain in the neck traveling with kids under 6 and you can have more fun visiting family who will provide free babysitting. |
I wear mostly everything. I like to have one item that's fresh for the final travel day ie being on a plane for hours. |
I guess if you have uncool kids that you don’t enjoy spending time with. |