7 International Trips for Kids - Where?

[Anonymous]

I forgot to mention we have actually been to Alaska before too as well. We have really traveled a lot in the US. We prioritized it over intl

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Norway/Sweden (do Norway in a nutshell)

Provence

Portugal/Spain

Do you mean “in a pinch,” if they are pressed for time?

[Anonymous]

From the age of 10? But nothing longer than two weeks?

I would start with Europe bc it's easiest.

- Rome, but not during the summer. And Pompeii and Tuscany.
- Prague bc its the most beautiful city in Europe. And then the Alps. Bavaria and Austria are very nearby.
- Peru and Machu Picchu
- Oman. Best vibes in the Middle East
- Hong Kong. And then Yunnan and Szechuan.
- Vanuatu in the South Pacific. And go to Tanna and feel that volcano.
- India. It's a big country so it's hard to choose. Either go south, Mumbai and then Goa and Kerala. Or go north. Kolkata and Darjeeling and Sikkim
- And now that they are 17, I'd choose a big hike. Maybe the Camino de Santiago in Spain. Or Everest base camp in Nepal.

[Anonymous]

A key issue would be timing and duration of trip. For example, I would suggest Croatia/Slovenia for hiking, whitewater rafting, beach/islands and history but that wouldn’t work for your timings in Spring, Thanksgiving and winter.

Similarly not Australia if you want to go to the north for snorkelling. 11 days at Thanksgiving or spring is the right time of year but not long enough for the trip. 17 days in their summer is the wrong time to go to the north.

A few people have suggested places like Norway and Iceland but make sure you take into account how the weather and daylight hours impact what you can do at your chosen times.

[Anonymous]

Do you lan on having family trips when they are in college and beyond?

[Anonymous]

I like London and Paris as an introductory international trip.

Do you have any family or friends who live outside the U.S.? We have fund visiting friends as part of the trip adds to the experience.

[Anonymous]

Consider as they get older and the work load goes up, they may want to rest rather than returning to school exhausted with jetlag when they have exams and assignments.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How do you do 11 days over Thanksgiving without missing school?

Private school

[Anonymous]

Pick a continent each trip

[Anonymous]

Are there any countries significant to your family history? I’d think about how to work those in if possible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In general, 17 days over winter break you can do some further places that are warmer like Thailand, India, Vietnam, UAE, Morocco, Egypt (all placed we've gone and enjoyed).

For shorter periods like spring break, it'll be extremely expensive but Europe / South America / Caribbean. Thanksgiving would be a less expensive time to do these places as well. I've been with kids and enjoyed Istanbul, Paris, Italy, Greece, Croatia, England, Ireland, etc.

Oh, Morocco is a good one! I would love to go to Egypt but heard so many mixed things about the safety of the trip. Would you consider taking teens? Did you prefer Morocco or Istanbul? Which is better for kids/ teens. My kids are pretty easy going and like doing excursions over sightseeing. We are limited by the breaks and would prefer to find good destinations for Thanksgiving break because we often ski for Spring Break but are flexible. Obviously saving a lot on flights is a big benefit for going over Thanksgiving, I’ve found it’s inexpensive to go to places like Europe that week but weather isn’t always great that time of year either.

When you have school-aged kids and won't travel in the summer you can't really be picky about weather lol! I've been to Europe in the winter a lot and still very much so enjoyed it. As the Danish say, there is no bad weather just bad clothing.

My husband is military and works in the middle east so security wasn't a concern, but we used tour companies with ties to the US embassy so they were well versed in the security needed in Eygpt. At times you might have an armed guard. When we went no guard was needed. Hands down, this was the most amazing trip for my 9 year old. He still talks about it today. So I would not skip on Egypt.

Morocco was fun as well - we stayed and toured with friends that were stationed there. Morocco was a bit more shopping-forward with the Medinas. My son lost his mind over the camel butcher lol.

That’s so cool you got to experience that with him! Do you know how to find US embassy tied tour agencies?

There is no such thing. That tour operator lied.

[Anonymous]

One thing to keep in mind OP is that teens will a usually have ECs and school load that don’t lend themselves to taking every break to go travel.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Amsterdam, Paris, London, Japan-Tokyo/Kyoto, Vienna/Salzburg, Greece, Italy-Rome/Venice/Florence

No.

Oh yes.

London & Paris are both good for teens and not museams.
Tokyo absolutely fabulous for teens so great!

[Anonymous]

Travel Babbo is the perfect blog for your situation

I would design each trip around an interest , skill or special event to make it more memorable and meaningful. Premier league soccer match in England, diving in raja ampat, art-making in Italy (more active things like glassblowing and mosaics), campervan in Australia, horseback riding in Iceland, family language immersion home stay in Latin America etc

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In general, 17 days over winter break you can do some further places that are warmer like Thailand, India, Vietnam, UAE, Morocco, Egypt (all placed we've gone and enjoyed).

For shorter periods like spring break, it'll be extremely expensive but Europe / South America / Caribbean. Thanksgiving would be a less expensive time to do these places as well. I've been with kids and enjoyed Istanbul, Paris, Italy, Greece, Croatia, England, Ireland, etc.

Oh, Morocco is a good one! I would love to go to Egypt but heard so many mixed things about the safety of the trip. Would you consider taking teens? Did you prefer Morocco or Istanbul? Which is better for kids/ teens. My kids are pretty easy going and like doing excursions over sightseeing. We are limited by the breaks and would prefer to find good destinations for Thanksgiving break because we often ski for Spring Break but are flexible. Obviously saving a lot on flights is a big benefit for going over Thanksgiving, I’ve found it’s inexpensive to go to places like Europe that week but weather isn’t always great that time of year either.

When you have school-aged kids and won't travel in the summer you can't really be picky about weather lol! I've been to Europe in the winter a lot and still very much so enjoyed it. As the Danish say, there is no bad weather just bad clothing.

My husband is military and works in the middle east so security wasn't a concern, but we used tour companies with ties to the US embassy so they were well versed in the security needed in Eygpt. At times you might have an armed guard. When we went no guard was needed. Hands down, this was the most amazing trip for my 9 year old. He still talks about it today. So I would not skip on Egypt.

Morocco was fun as well - we stayed and toured with friends that were stationed there. Morocco was a bit more shopping-forward with the Medinas. My son lost his mind over the camel butcher lol.

That’s so cool you got to experience that with him! Do you know how to find US embassy tied tour agencies?

There is no such thing. That tour operator lied.

There was only one tour operator that is booked by embassy employees and military. This is my husband's job, so we know first hand.