Travelling with Kids can be FUN!!
Travel with children can be great fun if you pick the right kind of holiday.
FAMILIES often struggle to survive a holiday. It's not easy when the teenager is sitting on the beach with their earphones stuck in their ears and the only thing they seem to say is "I'm bored".
Thousands of people are now calling in the experts to help them plan a fun holiday with kids.
We found one of them and got the best tips for travelling with children in tow.
Family travel expert Leah Squire, 42, started a company called BYO kids five years ago. It specialises in family travel. When she started people said she was crazy. Now business is booming.
Leah says the secret to a good holiday with kids is to plan well, pick the right kind of holiday and never ever forget travel insurance – or your sense of humour.
Here’s her top tips for travelling with kids.
Pick the right place to stay.
In Australia, apartments are a great choice for children. You can get two rooms instead of just one in a hotel.Fiji is another family favourite. And it’s no wonder. They have the best kids clubs and babysitting in the world as well as grassed areas for running around and great pools. Bali and Thailand are cheaper and will give families a bit more budget.
Older kids like holidays with a bit more adventure. If you have a teenager, think about what they like to do, rather than taking them to your favourite place and expecting them to have fun.. Family cycling and walking holidays are becoming popular. There’s also Borneo wildlife adventures and places like Club Med offer all inclusive deals. Club Med’s all inclusive packages also include things like snowboarding lessons, wakeboarding and surfing. At Tahiti’s Bora Bora resort teenagers have their own island – Chill Island – where they can paddleboard, sunbath and use their own teenage kiosk.
Consider a cruise
Leah says cruising with kids is incredibly easy. “Cruising caters for all age groups, there’s no unpacking every day and you get to go to three or four countries. You mainly travel at night while the kids are sleeping and everything is included in the price – food for kids is like a bottomless pit of money, particularly when they are older.”
Some Caribbean cruise lines also let kids travel free, making a cruise holiday much more affordable for children. A two week holdiday with four days in California including Disneyland a cruise in the Caribbean and two nights in Vegas would set families back about $10,000 including flights.
Don’t be afraid to try new places
You can do anything or go anywhere. Try not to just go back to the same spot every year. Step out of your comfort zone
“Kids are so much more adaptable than we give them credit for,” Leah said. “If you give them a shot nine times out of ten, they will surprise you.
FAMILIES often struggle to survive a holiday. It's not easy when the teenager is sitting on the beach with their earphones stuck in their ears and the only thing they seem to say is "I'm bored".
Thousands of people are now calling in the experts to help them plan a fun holiday with kids.
We found one of them and got the best tips for travelling with children in tow.
Family travel expert Leah Squire, 42, started a company called BYO kids five years ago. It specialises in family travel. When she started people said she was crazy. Now business is booming.
Leah says the secret to a good holiday with kids is to plan well, pick the right kind of holiday and never ever forget travel insurance – or your sense of humour.
Here’s her top tips for travelling with kids.
Pick the right place to stay.
In Australia, apartments are a great choice for children. You can get two rooms instead of just one in a hotel.Fiji is another family favourite. And it’s no wonder. They have the best kids clubs and babysitting in the world as well as grassed areas for running around and great pools. Bali and Thailand are cheaper and will give families a bit more budget.
Older kids like holidays with a bit more adventure. If you have a teenager, think about what they like to do, rather than taking them to your favourite place and expecting them to have fun.. Family cycling and walking holidays are becoming popular. There’s also Borneo wildlife adventures and places like Club Med offer all inclusive deals. Club Med’s all inclusive packages also include things like snowboarding lessons, wakeboarding and surfing. At Tahiti’s Bora Bora resort teenagers have their own island – Chill Island – where they can paddleboard, sunbath and use their own teenage kiosk.
Consider a cruise
Leah says cruising with kids is incredibly easy. “Cruising caters for all age groups, there’s no unpacking every day and you get to go to three or four countries. You mainly travel at night while the kids are sleeping and everything is included in the price – food for kids is like a bottomless pit of money, particularly when they are older.”
Some Caribbean cruise lines also let kids travel free, making a cruise holiday much more affordable for children. A two week holdiday with four days in California including Disneyland a cruise in the Caribbean and two nights in Vegas would set families back about $10,000 including flights.
Don’t be afraid to try new places
You can do anything or go anywhere. Try not to just go back to the same spot every year. Step out of your comfort zone
“Kids are so much more adaptable than we give them credit for,” Leah said. “If you give them a shot nine times out of ten, they will surprise you.
Plan ahead
If you are going on a car trip make sure you have time for plenty of stops at playgrounds or parks, be prepared – pack a lunchbox with snacks for the kids and don’t do too much. A thirteen hour journey with two toddlers is not going to work.
Be realistic with your budget.
Don’t spend every cent of your budget on the hotel and flights. There is nothing worse than being stressed because you can’t afford to do anything on holiday. You don’t have to spend a fortune. If you can’t afford it, take a smaller, more realistic holiday instead. Be honest about what you can really afford and how much time you can take off.
Don’t leave your sense of humour at home
Kids will be kids. They will have grumpy days on holidays just like they do at home. “Stuff goes wrong, you just have to laugh about it. Don’t get cranky if the kids are having a bad day.”
Encourage the kids to get involved.
Talk to the locals, speak the language, encourage the kids to barter, explore and read brochures. Use travel as an education. The kids will understand how lucky they are to live in this country and it makes them worldly smart.
Get travel insurance
You would be crazy to travel without travel insurance. If your child ends up in hospital in Bali you will need travel insurance. If you can’t afford the insurance, don’t take the holiday.
If you are going on a car trip make sure you have time for plenty of stops at playgrounds or parks, be prepared – pack a lunchbox with snacks for the kids and don’t do too much. A thirteen hour journey with two toddlers is not going to work.
Be realistic with your budget.
Don’t spend every cent of your budget on the hotel and flights. There is nothing worse than being stressed because you can’t afford to do anything on holiday. You don’t have to spend a fortune. If you can’t afford it, take a smaller, more realistic holiday instead. Be honest about what you can really afford and how much time you can take off.
Don’t leave your sense of humour at home
Kids will be kids. They will have grumpy days on holidays just like they do at home. “Stuff goes wrong, you just have to laugh about it. Don’t get cranky if the kids are having a bad day.”
Encourage the kids to get involved.
Talk to the locals, speak the language, encourage the kids to barter, explore and read brochures. Use travel as an education. The kids will understand how lucky they are to live in this country and it makes them worldly smart.
Get travel insurance
You would be crazy to travel without travel insurance. If your child ends up in hospital in Bali you will need travel insurance. If you can’t afford the insurance, don’t take the holiday.