These are the 5 most common family travel questions we get asked over and over again. Once I realized that the same themes kept popping up, either in my inbox or direct messages or on Facebook forums, I knew I had to type out my go-to answers. Adventure family travel is possible. Here are some deep thoughts by yours truly as a mom who has traveled on over 200 flights with her four year old. We’ve road tripped the US, through parts of Canada, long hauled ourselves to European, vacationed in Hawaii and the Caribbean. I hope these tips help.
And remember, family travel should be fun! You’re creating new memories with your family that will long outlast the newest toy or latest gadget. Invest in your family – family travel will enrich all of your lives.
1. When can you / should you take your first family trip with an infant? Is it safe to travel with kids?
Traveling with kids is the same as going to Target with your kids. If you can survive navigating the toy aisle and somehow making it out with all the items you actually needed then you can also travel with kids. Whether through Facebook groups about traveling with kids or direct messages on Instagram, we are asked over and over again when is the right age to first travel with your child and whether or not it is safe.
We took our first trip when Augustine was 6 weeks old. It was a road trip from Los Angeles to Lake Tahoe (an 8-hour drive, in snow). All they do is sleep and eat, so while Bob was able to ski, I hung out with our little snow bunny in different lodges and cabin and took in the beauty of Lake Tahoe in the winter. We packed a few additional items because of baby but overall it was a really easy trip. I highly suggest traveling once your doctor gives you the green light. We were told to wait until the first round of shots for the airplane, so we chose road trips and stuck to environments where there was a lot of open air (so fewer germs), covered her stroller when in crowded places, and just baby wore for most of the time. I loved connecting with a new destination as a new mom. It allowed me to see a frequented place with fresh eyes and since baby slept most of the time was good “downtime” that was still enjoyable.
Overall, when is the right time is totally up to you and your body. If you had a rough recovery, you might need more time. Personally I feel like babies are pretty adaptable. They don’t know if they are sleeping at home vs a cabin in the woods vs. a car. So take advantage of that and snuggle with them while the scenery changes for you.
2. Should we bring a stroller on our trip? (Basically what gear should we take with us)
We are a no stroller family when we travel. Why? Well, I found it just got in the way more than it helped. Especially when I traveled alone with Augustine, I wore her everywhere and only brought the car seat. Funny enough, on our Germany trip, I think we could have used it mainly for a nap space when we didn’t want to go back to the hotel in the middle of the day but overall again, we were fine without one.
This is another- up to you – type of question, as some families are very pro stroller at every event so traveling without one would be weird and different from their normal way of doing things. My philosophy for traveling with kids- it’s basically like how you operate in every day normal life, just somewhere else. Do you bring a stroller to the zoo? Then you might want one in another city. Do you wear your kid or use a cart at a grocery store? Then maybe you’d be fine just renting at the attraction or wearing them/ carrying them.
3. How do you survive a long haul flight with a toddler?
Augustine has been traveling on planes since she was 4 months old and has been on over 200 flights. Our daughter has literally been trained on flying just as many parents sleep train their kids. Our tips work for us but if you’ve never flown before you might need a few additional tips.
Bring snacks, an iPad or Kindle with pre-loaded games, shows and movies, bring small toys. If it’s a long flight, set a time to sleep and get ready like you would at home. Go to the bathroom, change into comfy clothes, and have a blanket from home to complete the bed like feeling. We used Zarrabees melatonin in Germany and felt like it worked really well for Augustine. You might want to try them out before departing so you know how your kid reacts to them.
At the end of the day, a long flight is only one day of your life. Even if everything goes wrong, it’ll all be over soon.
4. Do we bring our car seat or rent one from the car rental company?
We have done both ways and prefer traveling with our own car seat. We checked it with our other checked bags and have never had a problem. I like knowing that Augustine is in the perfect seat for her body, plus I like knowing exactly how to install it into the rental car.
We use a car seat backpack that we bought on Amazon to store it and check it through security. This way the car seat is clean and dry when we land.
5. What’s the best kid friendly destination for kids 1-3?
I’m a true believer that every destination has something for kids to enjoy but a few of our absolute favorites are:
US Based:
- Rapid City (Read the full guide and itinerary)
- Southern Utah & Zion National Park
- Joshua Tree and Palm Springs, California
- San Marcos & San Antonio, Texas
- Feed Giraffes in Louisiana
- Fun for the whole family in OKC
- Beach time in the calm waters of the Gulf of PCB Florida or Beach time and history on the east coast of Florida in St. Augustine
- Columbia, South Carolina was a surprising toddler fun zone
- Sevierville and Knoxville and Franklin Tennessee
- Tucson (bring the Grandparents here too!)
- Lake Tahoe in winter
Canada:
- Southern Alberta with Canada by Design
Outside the US and Canada:
- Germany – a fairy tale themed road trip.
- Copenhagen
As I plan out how I want Vagabond3 to grow in 2020, adding more tips and tricks is definitely in our plans. Let me know if you have another question that I didn’t answer here (pop into my DM’s on Instagram). A little planning goes a long way when traveling with kids and I guarantee it can be so much fun.
