Yes, either find someone through a local friend, or using a reputable nanny agency.

^adding: I've also taken favorite local sitters along with us, but I don't generally like to do that because pay is tricky.

Yes! It's usually more expensive than home but worth it. I'd rather bring Grandma and have her babysit (for free) but she hates to travel. At higher-end hotels or resorts I found a sitter through an agency they connected me with. Otherwise I've used care.com. Experience has been generally good other than one nanny who nickel-and-dimed (wanted to order room service and for us to pay for her parking -- I did it but was not thrilled).

I have done it through agencies and resorts on DH’s work trips I’ve tagged along on and a few times on vacations. Off the top of my head, we’ve used sitters at several ritz Carlton’s, a fairmont and the breakers. At the breakers, it was actually employees who babysit on the side (you pay them directly, breakers just puts you in touch). I’ve also used agencies that cater to resort areas (Kiawah, banff). I wouldn’t, say, go on fb and find some random person.

We’ve done it at Disney World, in London, at a hotel in L.A. Never had a problem.

Yes in both NY and Hawaii. NYC the babysitter agency came recommended by a co worker. In Hawaii the hotel recommended and I cross checked with google and yelp reviews. I plan to do the exact same thing when I travel to Japan.

Yes, and 9/10 times we were have been very successful. One time we had a college student we found on Bambino who had great references that was horrible - let 3yo eat an entire box of donuts while she was on her fun and then 3 yo thru it all up. We usually use Bambino or Sitter City and always check references.

Not something I would do but you do you.

Well this was refreshing. For some reason I was fully expecting a bunch of "how dare you put your personal want for fun ahead of your child's safety" in true DCUM fashion.

many times. We've used the babysitters at resorts in Mexico and Jamaica, and we recently hired a sitter from sitters.co.uk when we went on a family trip to the UK and wanted to leave the kids of the night portion of a family wedding. Read reviews and have a great time.

We did at Disney World so DW and I could go around the park on our own one night and the kids could catch up on sleep. It worked fine. A little pricey, I remember.

Oh, and we got a local recommendation one time during my BIL's rehearsal dinner. The kids were in the wedding the next day and we didn't want to keep them up late, nor did we want to miss the party. So that also worked out well. I almost forgot that one.

Anonymous wrote:Yes, many times with my nonverbal profoundly ID kid. IN NYC, we hired someone that had babysat for a friend. At Disney, we used their approved agency. I have also talked sitters we know on vacation with us.

It has always been great.

Taken, not talked

Yes, many times with my nonverbal profoundly ID kid. IN NYC, we hired someone that had babysat for a friend. At Disney, we used their approved agency. I have also talked sitters we know on vacation with us.

It has always been great.

Yes--we were on vacation in Vancouver and had a wedding to go to. We went through an agency, and the woman they sent was delightful. My kids adored her.

Whether through an agency, hotel, or other recommendation? If so, how was your experience?

We are doing a two week vacation with our small kids and I'm daydreaming about having some dates with DH after they go to bed, but not sure I can get past my anxiety of trusting my kids with a stranger. I had a call which a local nanny agency that seemed great and has 5 star reviews across the board on google and Facebook.