So, you want to travel internationally with your kids??!!

So, you want to travel internationally with your kids??!!  Some may think you are crazy – I say just dream, plan and go!!  After many years of vacations in DisneyWorld, Scottsdale and Hawaii we decided it was time to start seeing the world.  Our first international trip was when our daughter was twelve and our son was nine.  A lot of questions went through my mind – Would the kids be able to make the transition from sleeping in and boogie boarding all day to getting up early, lots of walking and seeing the sites? Would we regret not resting on the beach??  Would they eat the food?  Would they enjoy the museums?  Could they handle the long plane ride?  We decided to just give it a go and see what happened – it worked for us and we have been traveling ever since!

A few important things to do for a kid/teen friendly trip:

  • Limit the number of museums you see in each city.   We did not see the Borghese on our first trip to Rome, saved it for the next trip.
  • Always plan stops for a treat – gelato in Rome, crepes in Paris.
  • Many European cities have fabulous parks – plan an afternoon there.
  • Be flexible – I always had an itinerary of what we would see each day, but was also flexible if we needed to divert from the plan.
  • Often tried to do one “adventurous” excursion on each trip – riding camels in Sahara, riding elephants in Thailand, trekking ice glaciers in Patagonia
  • Prepare them for the trip by having them read books or watch movies about where you are going (this works for adults too)
  • Let them be part of choosing your destination
  • Let them pick one thing they want to see in each city, or depending on their age, let them plan out an entire day
  • Consider a city trip to a North American city such as New York, Washington DC or San Francisco before you tackle overseas. See how they do there with restaurants, museums, walking, etc.

Most importantly, you know your kids best.  If you think they might be ready to handle it, well they probably are.  They may just surprise you as to what they will find on your travels that they love!!  And they will be anxious to throw those coins in the Trevi Fountain so they can be sure and return.

 

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5 responses to “Why We Travel – Dreams Do Come True”

  1. Mom says:

    Excellent post.

  2. Shirley Casperson says:

    Judy, Your mom sent this to me. I enjoyed reading it. I’m sure Lauren is having an interesting semester. Bet you all are looking forward to seeing her in March.
    Shirley

  3. Freya says:

    WoW studying in Rome, what a great opportunity.
    I bet she’s having the time of her life. I like the semester options, my daughter studied 2 years ago for a year in the US (we’re in Europe) and although I visited her twice i thought it was really a long time.
    Beautiful post and photos.

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