Anonymous wrote:As someone who did not have the opportunity to travel to lots of places abroad when I was younger, I feel like I really missed out and now it's almost too late to get to know all these places bc everywhere is crowded and expensive. Is it worth it to take my kids to these places so they get the opportunity? Is it even enjoyable anymore?

Yes, it's still worth going if you haven't had much experience traveling abroad. Many of the complaints (frustrations?) has to do with over exposure, although other frustrations are also real, the flying experience is more of a hassle and the tourist crowds are bigger and in more places. The other aspect that has also changed is food. Growing up in the 80s and even into the 90s, going to Europe to sample the bakeries was a great experience, but now the US is filled with great bakeries too. Same with coffee. Same with beer. It's worthwhile to relax some of the expectations.

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Anonymous wrote:Meeting people in other cultures isn’t something Amazon can replace.

But I do understand.

Those people do not care about meeting you. What does meeting strangers for a few moments, that you will never see or speak to again do for you or your children?

If you want to visit new places and see the world, that’s fine and well. But people make me cringe when they talk about “going where the locals go”, “meeting the locals”. The inhabitants of other places and cultures are not there for our entertainment.

Can you say it louder for the people in the back? As a non-American, it makes me cringe when people act like other countries and cultures are lessons to be had for them (and their children). I remember reading on DCUM someone say that she (or he) appreciated going to a developing country bc it exposed her kids to how “other people” live. How freaking condescending. And these are the same people who make fun of people for liking Disney or “basic” destinations. They are the worst types of tourists. Insufferable.

When people act uppity about Disney, etc and say they prefer going to Europe to expose their children to other cultures, I take it to mean that they don't have that much experience going to Europe and exposing their children to other cultures. I mean, unless you're going to see stuff like the Eiffel Tower or the canals in Venice, then you're just going to like, restaurants and walking around shops. That won't make you cultured. In fact, going to see the tourist things, ironically, makes you more cultured because then you understand the symbols and artifacts of that culture and can get a better sense of their cultural identity. Going to eat pasta in a far flung village isn't that great. We have to do it because that is where our relatives live, but I would really question the parenting of a person who drags their children onto a 10 hour flight for that "experience." Take the kids to Disney, omg.

Nope, my child does not like the Disney. Different strokes.

Disney parks feel so dated and dilapidated. They are just sad.

And waaaay overpriced!

Anonymous wrote:As someone who did not have the opportunity to travel to lots of places abroad when I was younger, I feel like I really missed out and now it's almost too late to get to know all these places bc everywhere is crowded and expensive. Is it worth it to take my kids to these places so they get the opportunity? Is it even enjoyable anymore?

Some sites, like the Mona Lisa, were never that impressive. Even in the mid-90s they were mobbed and not especially rewarding.

Other places you just need to be thoughtful We loved Croatia when we visited in 2003, but that was just after the war and there were still UN peacekeepers. That had its now issues. I'd totally still visit now, but would go off season.

But there are still lots of other amazing places to go. We loved Transylvania, rural Czech republic, Bosnia and Serbia and I bet they still have very light crowds. You'll need to read some history to really appreciate the sites, but it's worth it IMO.

Anonymous wrote:As someone who did not have the opportunity to travel to lots of places abroad when I was younger, I feel like I really missed out and now it's almost too late to get to know all these places bc everywhere is crowded and expensive. Is it worth it to take my kids to these places so they get the opportunity? Is it even enjoyable anymore?

I think it just depends on your perspective. I didn't get to travel when I was young and our only vacations were camping. Heck, I have barely traveled as an adult until now. I try to travel at off times when I can, but I just don't really mind crowds. We just make sure to plan everything carefully and buy tickets in advance and the crowds aren't that big of a deal. Sure, I would have loved to visit places before they became swarmed with people, but it is what it is and I just adjust my expectations. Plus, I love seeing my kids' eyes light up with wonder when they go someplace new.

As someone who did not have the opportunity to travel to lots of places abroad when I was younger, I feel like I really missed out and now it's almost too late to get to know all these places bc everywhere is crowded and expensive. Is it worth it to take my kids to these places so they get the opportunity? Is it even enjoyable anymore?

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Anonymous wrote:I love to travel. The crowds everywhere though push the enjoyment factor to the limit. Standing for 2+ hours in line everywhere or having to time out to the minute the day that tickets for your planned visit date drop is not fun.

It really helps to avoid following the latest IG trends. We just got back from a lovely vacation in Costa Rica, but went to an area with fewer tourists. It was awesome. We felt like we had the place to ourselves, but still had spectacular views, wildlife and food. We literally spent one whole day at a national park beach that looked straight out of Lost and didn't see another person all day. Just monkeys, macaws, and lizards. There was only one morning the whole week where we had to deal with other tourists and, if I was to do it again, we would have skipped that activity (a tour of Manuel Antonio). The rest of the week was glorious. No lines. No waits. So peaceful.

Lmfao that you said go somewhere less popular with fewer tourists and then used Costa Rica as your example.

Meh. I've been to lots of obscure places and this was comparable. Other than the morning at Manuel Antonio and the airport, we basically saw no other tourists the whole trip. Sometimes it's less about what country you visit and more about where and how you plan your trip. In this case we rented a house an hour further into the rainforest than any other hotel or tourist destination. It certainly didn't have lines or crowds.

I still love travel, but as I age (mid 40’s now) I find myself less interested in new places and more interested in returning to places I had a particularly good experience previously. It’s less prep work and less anxiety about the unknown.

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Anonymous wrote:I personally had a really disappointing trip this year to Portugal, and I'm still trying to figure out exactly why. Part of it was that it felt really touristy, but I've enjoyed other places that are also touristy. I also didn't find the food that good (not terrible but I wasn't impressed) but perhaps we ate at the wrong places. But honestly I think it was just the mindset/age of the people I was with - we are older now, and trips just aren't as wild and carefree anymore. There's no outlandish stories or crazy run-ins or hijinx. It was a fine trip, but just that... fine.

I think this is really it right here. When DH and I were childfree, this how all of trips were and that was part of the adventure. But now I don't want an adventure. I want easy and predictable.

I have been to Portugal several times never enjoyed it. It became the hotspot pre Covid because it was cheaper than England, Spain, Italy, France etc.

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Anonymous wrote:I love to travel. The crowds everywhere though push the enjoyment factor to the limit. Standing for 2+ hours in line everywhere or having to time out to the minute the day that tickets for your planned visit date drop is not fun.

It really helps to avoid following the latest IG trends. We just got back from a lovely vacation in Costa Rica, but went to an area with fewer tourists. It was awesome. We felt like we had the place to ourselves, but still had spectacular views, wildlife and food. We literally spent one whole day at a national park beach that looked straight out of Lost and didn't see another person all day. Just monkeys, macaws, and lizards. There was only one morning the whole week where we had to deal with other tourists and, if I was to do it again, we would have skipped that activity (a tour of Manual Antonio). The rest of the week was glorious. No lines. No waits. So peaceful.

Lmfao that you said go somewhere less popular with fewer tourists and then used Costa Rica as your example.

Travel satisfies curiosity, which I had more of when I was younger, before marriage and children. Travel with kids does nothing to alleviate the insane level of life exhaustion that I experience on a daily basis. If anything, travel often exacerbates that exhaustion, and I always feel I need vacations after my vacations. To just rest. Before going back to work, and early mornings for school, and meetings and the daily grinds.

My hope is that this is a phase, and this exhaustion will dissipate once my kids go to college and leave the nest. Maybe then I will rediscover a love for travel and the unknown.

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Anonymous wrote:I personally had a really disappointing trip this year to Portugal, and I'm still trying to figure out exactly why. Part of it was that it felt really touristy, but I've enjoyed other places that are also touristy. I also didn't find the food that good (not terrible but I wasn't impressed) but perhaps we ate at the wrong places. But honestly I think it was just the mindset/age of the people I was with - we are older now, and trips just aren't as wild and carefree anymore. There's no outlandish stories or crazy run-ins or hijinx. It was a fine trip, but just that... fine.

I think this is really it right here. When DH and I were childfree, this how all of trips were and that was part of the adventure. But now I don't want an adventure. I want easy and predictable.

Exactly. I’m exhausted. I just want an easy but nice family vacation with a small hint of adventure. My appetite for the wild and unknown died when I had kids.

Yes, this might sound weird but during the pandemic I took up a lot of water sports and now I think there's nothing better than being out in a kayak or canoe and camping out in the backcountry. This past August I saw the Northern lights while camping at a lake just north of Toronto Canada.

So I still enjoy travel but it doesn't have to involve a flight or a train- it can just be a few hours north into the backcountry, paddling lakes.

Totally with you OP. I studied in Europe, did a ton of travels all my life, esp loved the freedom of travels even alone in my 20s both nationally and globally.

I've set up my family to do a lot of travelling from the time my youngest was age 5. Now she's 12 and my older one is 14 and I really don't know what I want to do with them. They've done a lot already! I don't know that I'm a fan of flying for 15 hours to see Asia or S. America. I'm not a fan of even flying 12 hours to see Hawaii.

We do Europe and the islands but it is just getting ridiculously $$$. I was thinking of alternating national parks cheaper domestically and next yr Europe/Alaska/Islands more $$$ as a way of budgeting more reasonably. But the prices are just crazy.

I used to never go to the same place twice but now, I almost am close to doing that just because it is way easier. I also think that as we go forth, everything will become more crowded and expensive and with the Internet and social media, I don't know that that travelling offers the same experience I loved - conversations with strangers and trips that you just never knew what fortune would have you see. It's just too much now in every way so yes, for me, travel is not all that anymore.

Having thought about it, I want to stick with hitting the places that will soon change due to global warming or overcrowding of tourists. Example is Venice. Another is Glacier National Park. I want to stick with places that we really get a lot out of like Costa Rica. NYC and Chicago is always a great time for us - seeing the sights that are under the radar. I'm from Chicago originally so I know the neighborhoods. So it's more the experience of a specific location/neighborhood rather than "seeing the world" as they say.

The one place that I know my kids really adore is Europe. Specifically Italy. Train travel is the best But I don't think we'll be travelling the way I used to which is more about exploring the world. We are much more targeted in our approach in what we seek to get out of that holiday time frame.

I agree OP. I have travelled the world, lived overseas and visited 6 continents. But I now have zero desire to do so with small kids. Even traveling with adults is less appealing. Many of my old travel buddies love globe-trotting with young kids in tow, but frankly it sounds very unappealing to me. My plan is to wait until kids are teens and then if they express a strong interest I will take them abroad.

Anonymous wrote:I personally had a really disappointing trip this year to Portugal, and I'm still trying to figure out exactly why. Part of it was that it felt really touristy, but I've enjoyed other places that are also touristy. I also didn't find the food that good (not terrible but I wasn't impressed) but perhaps we ate at the wrong places. But honestly I think it was just the mindset/age of the people I was with - we are older now, and trips just aren't as wild and carefree anymore. There's no outlandish stories or crazy run-ins or hijinx. It was a fine trip, but just that... fine.

I think this is really it right here. When DH and I were childfree, this how all of trips were and that was part of the adventure. But now I don't want an adventure. I want easy and predictable.