From FlipKey.com the Trip Advisor vacation rental site:
Traveling to the grocery store with kids can seem overwhelming to many parents, so they can’t imagine traveling internationally. But it is an experience that brings families closer together and gives them memories to last a lifetime. The key to making it a great trip is lots of forethought and careful planning. As producer of the television series Travel With Kids, I have had plenty of opportunities to create excellent family vacations to exotic locales. So, I have put together a list to help you avoid the pitfalls of family vacations gone wrong.
1. Where to go? Decide where to go as a family. You may have ideas on your dream vacation, but giving the kids some input, even if it’s just deciding between two places you’d be happy to visit, makes them feel invested in the trip. Take into consideration what the kids are interested in or what they are learning about in school. If you have an animal lover, a snorkel adventure or a trip that involves hiking and animal spotting may be in order. If your child is learning about the ancient civilizations, a trip to Mexico’s Mayan pyramids helps history come alive. Don’t rule some place out just because other people say, “I would never bring my kids there.” Everybody is different. We (and our kids) have enjoyed many destinations that were typically “adult vacations”…like Paris and Peru.
2. Go Now! They are never too young to travel and you will be amazed at what they retain! Our kids still talk about places we visited years ago. If you keep putting off going some place, it may be a pitiful remnant of what is once was. A wise man once said, “There’s no time like the present.” In family travel this is truer than ever, as the kids get older and have more on their plates, you’ll find it harder and harder to get away. Plus, younger kids still have the active imaginations to make castles and pyramids come to life affording parents a fresh perspective and enthusiasm.
3. A Family that Learns Together. Don’t be frightened by the unknown. There’s no greater gift you can give your child than letting them see you learn. Showing them by example the steps it takes to learn about a new culture or language, try something new, maybe fail a little, but continue to persevere and find a passion for it, is one of the best lessons you can give your child.
And speaking of lessons, think about taking your trip during the school year. Going outside of summer often means it’s slow season, which means lower rates and more local flavor. If your child will be missing school, ask the teachers about getting class work to take on the road and sending in roving reports. With digital technology and the Internet, it’s like the whole class gets to go along for the journey. Plus, many teachers will give your child credit for their extra work.
4. Trip Before the Trip. Once you’ve decided where to go research the destination together by watching films on the destination or ones just filmed there. Nothing beats watching Jack Sparrow teeter along the ruins of Port Royal to get your kids excited for a trip to Jamaica. Or watch a travel documentary on the place or read a book about it together. Combining all this into a family night is a great way to get everyone excited. Our Travel With Kids DVDs always include movie and book recommendations as well as recipes and crafts related to the destination to make a great family night!
5. Where to stay? First let me say…it’s as true in hotels as it is in real estate…location, location, location. You don’t want to stay in a place where you have to hop a half-hour bus every time you want to go to the beach or into town. So, think about how you will be spending the bulk of your vacation time and choose a location that will flow with that. Staying in the “old quarter” of town or in real neighborhoods (versus at a large chain resort) provides a more authentic journey into a country, which is one reason I like to check out vacation rentals.
Vacation rentals can make vacation a home away from home. There’s plenty of room for the whole family to spread out. There’s a kitchen for either snacks or full-blown meals making traveling with a picky eater a breeze. Vacation rentals are also often in resident neighborhoods making it easy to befriend locals and get the insider scoop on the destination.
6. Pack it up! Packing is the next big worry for any traveling parent. My first advice…don’t stress. Remember, they have kids in foreign countries too. So, if you forget some essential, chances are you can buy it on the road. Of course there are certain exceptions to this rule like prescriptions, video tapes and DVDs… But as for the necessities, we’ve found diapers and baby food in even the most remote markets. And toys, well if worse comes to worst take a hint from the locals….we never knew how great a handful of stones could be until we watched a group of kids playing with them out the window in Asia. Next, remember to pack light. You can always do laundry along the way. So pack half of what you think you’ll need. Third, involve your kids in packing. By letting them choose what goes in the bag and what stays home, I eliminate the “This bag is too heavy!” or “I can’t believe you didn’t bring that!” comments.
7. Foreign Languages. There are some special things to take into consideration when visiting a foreign country. Remember, not everyone speaks English. Although we’ve seldom had a problem finding someone who speaks English, it’s amazing how far learning a few words in the local language will get you. When we were in France filming Travel With Kids Paris, the whole family learned basic greetings and pleasantries in French before we left and had a much different experience than friends of ours who tried to get by on English only.
8. Money, Money, Money. Keeping track of your money while you are traveling is very important. You don’t want to get half way through the trip and realize you’ve already spent your budget. Decide before you go how much money you’d like to spend then convert it (in your head not at the bank) into local currency. This will enable you to think in local currency before you arrive at a destination. But don’t withdrawl all that cash just yet, carrying all your spending money is just asking for trouble. We bring a few hundred dollars in cash dispersed to several places (two wallets, tucked inside passport carrier, in side pocket of carry-on, some in suitcase). The rest of your spending cash can be easily withdrawn from ATMs along the way but be sure to check with your bank about fees and accessiblity.
My other bit of advice…to keep your sanity and teach the kids a bit of math…give the kids a spending budget. Decide on an amount before you leave and give it to them at the start of the trip in local currency (this is especially fun for them if the currency trades in our favor…a 1000 bill in a foreign currency may only be worth $10 here, but it gets them really excited!) They then have to budget their money, negotiate purchases and convert to dollars to figure out if it’s a good deal. What a math lesson!
Now you’ve got the tools to plan the trip of a lifetime with your family. Decide on a destination and peruse the vacation rentals on this site. For a little extra guidance check out our travel documentaries. But whatever you do don’t wait. Before you know it, life will become more hectic, the kids more scheduled and you’ll think, why didn’t I go then?
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From MovieMom.com 8/08
The Travel With Kids series is a good way for parents and kids to plan their vacations. It has explored exciting destinations including Hawaii, Mexico, New York, the Caribbean and Paris, inviting families to travel with the Roberts family to faraway locales and learn about customs and cultures from around the world. The DVDs are a great resource for preparing kids and getting them excited about seeing new sights, trying new food, and learning about history, geography, and art.
Travel With Kids features money-saving tips, topical pop-up facts, advice for traveling with children and fun segments and it is entertaining to travel along with the Roberts family. I interviewed Carrie and Jeremy Roberts about how to make travel safe, comfortable, and interesting for kids.
What's the best way to avoid "are we there yet"-itis?
Mom Says: It really depends on the ages of the kids. Give the kids a digital watch and tell them what time you will be there...then they can be in charge. If they are old enough you can give them a real watch and they can learn to tell time too. Also, give smaller landmarks along the way. For instance on a flight to Jamaica that crosses the U.S. then stops in Miami, you might say at 10a, we can look for the Mississippi River, at 12p, we land in Miami, at 1p we can watch the coast of Florida disappear and at 2p we can start looking for island in the Caribbean Sea. Give them a checklist of things to find. This works on smaller trips too. In the car you can make it more detailed...find a cactus, an orange truck, a Coca-Cola sign, snow, etc. Give them bonuses (trip money) for finding everything.
How do you get the kids excited about a destination that is new to them?
Mom Says: We talk about the place before we go. We go to the library or bookstore and get books about it. But we also figure out something that would be interesting about the place for kids and get books about that topic to take with us...like pirates in the Caribbean or knights in England. I also rent movies that were filmed in the destination and make a family movie night...we fix some foods from that destination too.
Dad Says: The amazing volume of popular culture now (that we didn't have when growing up) that references history and other countries is huge. Harry Potter, A Night at the Museum, National Treasure, Indiana Jones. Any movies dealing in Knights, Pirates, Castles, Adventure, Treasure, WW2, Ancient Cities and Lost Tribes will sure to spark interest and allow the kids to play along on a trip. We also put music on their Mp3 players. Movie Theme songs like Harry Potter while on a train in England, or the entire Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack while on a boat in the islands is pretty cool (I've put on the ear buds listening to the Pirates soundtrack while on a small ship in the Bahamas where Pirates was filmed.. its fun!)
How can you help the kids cope with travel hassles like security checks and delays?
Mom Says: Prepare the kids ahead of time. Tell them what they will need to do and that it is busy and people are in a hurry. When you get to the front of the line remind them again. But don't worry too much, most security agents are very patient with the kids and help them out and even kid around with them while you are trying to get all your stuff done. One thing I might suggest is that kids wear slip-off shoes in the airport...Crocs are good. Because un-tying and re-tying shoes can get stressful when you are in a hurry, especially if you have one that wants to do everything themselves.
Dad Says: Let's face it. Parts of traveling these days just aren't that fun and there's not much you can do about it. Sometimes it's actually good for the kids to deal with these issues for themselves and not always find some easy way around it. A Gameboy or other diversion can't fix every situation. They have to rush through the security line and be bumped and hurried and unload their pockets and take off their shoes just like everyone else. Of course for small kids in strollers, this isn't a lesson teaching time, but for the older kids, it's some real world experience that can help them listen and behave better. Especially when it's a TSA security guard barking orders at them, they snap to attention faster than when mom or dad is telling them what to do. As for delays in the airport, again, there's not much you can do, so they have to learn to deal with everything not being perfect (another benefit of traveling and teaching kids.) However, we do recommend always getting travel insurance in case you really get stuck. Travel insurance will pay for hotels and food when delayed or stranded. This helps with the stress factor for mom and dad.
What do you recommend for helping kids create memories through journals or scrapbooks?
Mom Says: Thanks to the Internet this is easier than ever. I am a big believer in having the kids document their trips. Our kids are young and they already have a digital camera. You'll be amazed at some of the perspectives they take on things. The other nice thing about digital cameras is you can erase the ones they don't want. When you are on the road, you can go to Internet cafés and upload your pictures to a place like Shutterfly.com - have them printed and ready for your return home or make a scrapbook online. Michael's also has a great scrapbooking section and offers workshops on how to create the look you want. Do this with your kids and it's a great opportunity to keep the bonding from your trip going once you get back home.
Dad Says: Digital cameras and memory cards are so cheap these days - it's definitely worth the expense Also, if your child is missing school, a teacher may give credit if they put together a presentation on the country for the class using the pictures and stories. Cheap-o digital cameras, and notebooks so they can draw out the cools stuff they see if fun, and creates great memories. Please remember to upload your memory card to yourself during your trip. Go to any internet café and setup and Shutterfly or similar account and upload your photos. I lost our small digital camera in Mexico at the end of the trip with 350 pictures on it. Those can never be replaced. Bring your camera's USB cable on your trip to do the upload.
How do you get kids comfortable with trying new kinds of food?
Mom Says: Lie. Just kidding. We do have a sort of "Don't Ask, Don't Tel" policy though...if they don't ask, we don't tell. For instance, when we were in the Everglades, we ordered frog legs and just kind of dug in saying things like "Mom says it tastes like chicken". The kids ate them thinking they were chicken and thought it was pretty funny when we told them it was frogs. But, this could backfire if you have a sensitive kid; they may decide to try nothing once you pull a stunt like that, so it really depends on the kids. We try to encourage the kids to at least try one bite of everything. If they don't like it, they don't have to eat anymore.
Dad Says: This is a hard one. We find meal times with to be the most "difficult" on our trips, just like at home! It doesn't matter if we are cooking for ourselves in an apartment rental, or at a fancy beachfront place or a local cooked meal in a hut on the sand. They still don't eat their dinner or sit at the table. We use the usual incentives and bribes. I figure they won't be eating only chicken nuggets and cheese crisps when they're 18, but sometimes I'm not sure. When on vacation, it is a vacation, so we let rules slide, and luckily pizza and chicken nuggets are the universal food found anywhere in the world.
What's the best way to get them excited about cathedrals, museums, and other tourist attractions?
Mom Says: Kids get it. Lots of people think kids are too young to get a lot of traveling, but you will be amazed what they get. Before we get to an attraction I read up on the history and then translate it into their terms...re-telling it on their level and emphasizing the parts that will be interesting to them is important. In large museums, I look online to find their most famous exhibits and print out pictures of them. When we get there, I give the kids the pictures and we have a sort of treasure hunt through the museum.
Dad Says: Lots of museums nowadays have Kid Audio Tours...some even take it so far as to have cartoon characters as part of the Audio presentation that virtually lead the kids through the museum. Again, the popular culture really sparks their interest. They have seen the talking "dum dum" head from A Night at the Museum film, walked the ramparts of Fort Charles in Port Royal where Jack Sparrow roams, sped up the elevator of the Eiffel Tower like Lois Lane in Superman II. Cities with iconic images; Paris, London, New York, never get boring for kids.
What's the best ages for children for family travel?
Mom Says: There's no right age...all ages bring something different to the table. Babies are easy and cheap...you don't have to pay for airline tickets and you don't have to chase them all around. Toddlers are a bit more of a challenge, but seeing your two-year-old's face light up when they see something for the first time is worth every ounce of frustration spent along the way. Grade schoolers are great because they have the foundation of some history and geography so they can learn right along with you and you'll be amazed at what they end up teaching you. Teenagers...well...they're teenagers, but get them out of their element and you may get the chance to actually talk to them.
Dad Says: I'm always amazed at the amount of people who say "I'll take my kids traveling when they're older... they won't remember anything now." We don't see how that really matters. Our kids remember everything. Will they remember it all when they are 30? Probably not. However now, when it matters and for many years to come, they will remember all the places they went and, more importantly, all the times spent with mom and dad. Just mom and dad. No work, no phones, no email, no blackberry. The point is, a 6 year old will remember the family time spent well into their teens on some incredible adventure trip. Sure, it will start to fade as they get older (If you're 35 do you really remember a trip you took when you were 12, other than the photos?) Our 5-year-old still talks about the things he did and experiences he had 2 years ago. The impact it has on them now is immeasurable. Why forego this magical time for kids when castles are actually castles, and pirate forts come to life for them and everything is funny and exciting and adventuresome. Sure it's more convenient for the parent to head out with older kids, but older kids tend to have their Ipods on, texting in hand and not to happy that their not playing video games with their friends back home. Please take this time to enjoy the perfect (and imperfect) years of traveling with kids when they are full of imagination and awe... even if you have to put up with tantrums and getting takeout McDonald's in Paris and going back to the room to see SpongeBob. When you watch them as they first lay eyes on the Eiffel Tower, It's worth it.
Two new DVDs in the series take us to the United Kingdom.
Travel With Kids: London -- Taking a closer look at England's capital city, the Roberts explore such landmarks as Big Ben, the Tower of London and the British Museum. Watch the masterful changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace, take a boat ride along the Thames River and ride the London Eye, one of the world's tallest ferris wheels. From Picadilly Circus to Hyde Park, prepare the tea and crumpets and settle in for a spectacular jaunt across the pond!
Travel With Kids: England -- Discover the history and culture of England as the Roberts family travels by train to the old Roman spa town of Bath, roams the Georgian streets and parks and takes a boat trip down the Avon River. Explore the prehistoric ruins of Stonehenge and visit the breathtaking Lake District, so rich in beauty and nature it inspired writers like Beatrix Potter and William Wordsworth. Take a four-wheel drive through forests, wander around stone circles and take in the country's rich history and wonder.
