A PP here - we didn't travel every single school break but we did travel usually for winter or spring break and definitely one trip over the summer. Sometimes a cheap beach vacation, sometimes a bigger trip. No regrets - but also we still plan to travel with the kids when they are in college and afterwards and they will probably want to come provided it's places they like and we can all go together.

HHI is close to $375K. Our 4 kids have been to probably 40+ states (we spent a month driving cross country), probably 10 Caribbean islands and Mexico on cruises, Hawaii, Italy, England, France, and we're currently (like I'm typing this from the plane) en route to Amsterdam and Copenhagen for spring break.

I didn't travel beyond New England other than NJ as a kid until college. DH grew up as an expat in Asia and went to an international school and traveled the world as a kid.

My youngest is about the graduate high school. My kids have been to several island countries in the Caribbean, three South American Countries and we did one trip to Israel as a family.

In addition, both kids have been to Europe (different cities) on high school trips.

Oldest will be in Europe again this summer and we all might visit.

Kids have also traveled a lot with us in US to visit family, college tours, vacations to see cities, etc.

HHI varied over the years. We like to travel and we took the kids when it was convenient and when we thought they would enjoy the travel. Not when they were super young.

My kids will have been to about 20 countries and probably 30 states (most of which on a month-long road trip a few years ago).

Travel has always been a priority for us, and more recently they have done some travel without us with grandparents.

Hhi is 400k but used to be less. We traveled more cheaply, using points etc. then.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m curious about this too. My kids will have been to quite a few states (mostly because we have moved within the US a few times) and about 5 countries. When I graduated from high school I had never been outside the US, but that was many years ago. And we were poor.

OP here. Travel abroad wasn’t a thing even for most middle class families. Now it’s the norm?? I wonder for how long given inflation. But yeah, it’s crazy all the places kids have been to from my kids’ classes.

Flights are much cheaper now (even with recent inflation) than 30 years ago. In mid-90s I went to SE Asia, flight was $1600. Same flight today is $1700, even though inflation since then almost exactly doubled.

Also, not to stereotype, but the average DCUM is not even close to median US household income- aka middle class. You may think of yourself as middle class, but you very likely are not. Nationally, median household income is about 80k. In this area it's about $115k.

Up until elementary school, our travels were very simple, visits to family, family camp, occasional long weekend at the beach. Partly that was simple logistics of how hard it is to travel with kids and partly $$$ since we had one income.

I went back to work when the kids were in ES and one priority for the 2nd salary was more travel. But we still spent a lot of our vacation time going to visit family. That's what I don't understand for those I see traveling a ton. It's only now that my kids are at the end of HS that I've gotten to a point at my work where I have a lot of time off.

So, we basically can do one big trip a year and have prioritized US destinations. Major cities, national parks, Hawaii, Alaska. Would have liked to get to Europe during HS but COVID cancelled one planned trip and then life got in the way. We'll figure it out, probably during winter breaks or we'll go visit the kids when they study abroad.

My kid has visited one foreign country and maybe 10 states. I make around $80k as a teacher. I didn't leave the US until I graduated from college.

We wanted to take our kids to Europe before oldest started college but COVID got in the way of that.

They have not been as many places as I'd have liked since about half of our vacation time over the years has been used to spend time with out of state family. HHI up until last year was about $250k but DH got laid off (aka unexpectedly retired) so now our income is $150k.

Notable trips have included... Yosemite, Caribbean cruise, Hawaii, Maine, Road trip to NYC/Boston/Cape Cod, Alaska cruise, various shorter camping and roadtrips around VA-MD-PA. And they've seen a lot of California as part of visits to my family there.

Now we've got one in college and the other starting next year so we're in the phase where I think the only time we can travel with both kids is winter break so maybe we can do a Europe trip for Xmas this year.

A lot of schools offer trips, and that helps.

Anonymous wrote:I’m curious about this too. My kids will have been to quite a few states (mostly because we have moved within the US a few times) and about 5 countries. When I graduated from high school I had never been outside the US, but that was many years ago. And we were poor.

OP here. Travel abroad wasn’t a thing even for most middle class families. Now it’s the norm?? I wonder for how long given inflation. But yeah, it’s crazy all the places kids have been to from my kids’ classes.

Anonymous wrote:HHI of $800k with two under five and at this point I can’t imagine anything other than the most basic, driveable beach rental vacay. Maybe we will fly to the Caribbean eventually but I don’t like all-inclusive because we don’t drink, don’t want to send the kids to a kids’ club, and don’t like eating out more than one or two meals a week. Omg we sound like the most annoying people ever! DH and I traveled quite a bit in our early marriage but we have settled down to being homebodies in our mid-late 30s. Maybe we will grow out of it once both kids reach ES.

ETA: I hear about families taking their somewhat older kids to Paris or Japan or New Zealand (all places I loved going to pre-kids) and I am simultaneously jealous but also “WTF that sounds awful”. I guess I am just tired…

HHI of $800k with two under five and at this point I can’t imagine anything other than the most basic, driveable beach rental vacay. Maybe we will fly to the Caribbean eventually but I don’t like all-inclusive because we don’t drink, don’t want to send the kids to a kids’ club, and don’t like eating out more than one or two meals a week. Omg we sound like the most annoying people ever! DH and I traveled quite a bit in our early marriage but we have settled down to being homebodies in our mid-late 30s. Maybe we will grow out of it once both kids reach ES.

Rising 9th grader has been to Italy, Canada, and the Caribbean. Domestically the Pacific NW, NYC, Chicago, Florida, and a bunch of other states and lots of time in the midwest and south where our family is.

Hoping to add California and generally the western US, England, Japan, and another European country to the list before college. We are hoping for Europe this summer and looking for cheaper flights so likely Copenhagen or something. I think those are feasible. Kid wants to add New Zeland but I don't think that is likely.

I’m curious about this too. My kids will have been to quite a few states (mostly because we have moved within the US a few times) and about 5 countries. When I graduated from high school I had never been outside the US, but that was many years ago. And we were poor.

Which places in the US and abroad will they have visited? And what is your HHI? Many families in this area seem to think nothing of traveling to all sorts of places during what seems like single every school break (even long weekends). I’m just curious how they fit it all in both time and money wise. Any regrets? Any places you would def do before the kids head out to college?