How to Travel(ˈtravəl) With Kids

How to Travel(ˈtravəl) With Kids

By Shivani Vora

Travel can be an enlightening(enˈlītn) and eye-opening experience(ikˈspi(ə)rēəns) for children of all ages: there’s new foods, experiences and sights, not to mention(ˈmenCHən) quality(ˈkwälətē) family time. But traveling with children can also be an overwhelming proposition(ˌpräpəˈziSHən) — unpredictable(ˌənpriˈdiktəbəl) schedules(-jəl,ˈskejo͞ol), long packing lists and cranky(ˈkraNGkē) kids are just a few of the challenges you may encounter along the way. But here we’ll help you make traveling with kids a breeze(brēz). After all, you and your children should enjoy every moment seeing the world and create a lifetime of memories along the way. Isn’t that the point of travel in the first place?

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Picking a Destination(ˌdestəˈnāSHən)

With the world as your proverbial(prəˈvərbēəl) oyster(ˈoistər), it may be hard to narrow(ˈnarō) down a destination for a family trip. How do you choose(CHo͞oz)?

INTERESTS FIRST, DESTINATION SECOND

Don’t choose a destination, choose what you want to do, Mr. Jenss said. Do you want to relax(riˈlaks) on the beach(bēCH)? Do you want an adventure(adˈvenCHər,əd-) packed nature(ˈnāCHər) getaway? Are you seeking an urban(ˈərbən) escape? “Once you decide how you want to spend your time off, you can decide where to go,” he said.

Some ways to think about your destination:

Beach vacations(vāˈkāSHən,və-) work with children of any age.

Theme(THēm) parks are best when kids are between the ages of 3 and 12 — children younger than 3 won’t be able to go on most of the rides(rīd), and older kids aren’t always interested in theme parks.

Cruises(kro͞oz) are a good bet(bet) for school-age and teenage(ˈtēnˌāj) children because they can be fairly(ˈfe(ə)rlē) independent and keep busy with a range of activities.

“All family-friendly cruise lines have kids and teens clubs,” Mr. Jenss said.

Also, be open to visiting international destinations, and if you have school-age or teenage children, ask them where they want to go — involving(inˈvälv) them in the decision process will make the trip that much more memorable for them. It’s a strategy(ˈstratəjē) that works well for Mr. Stoen’s family. “I let each of my three children pick a destination for one of the three trips we take a year,” he said. He has traveled to 48 countries with his children including Japan, Australia(ôˈstrālyə,əˈstrāl-), Belize(bəˈlēz) and the Maldives(-ˌdīvz,ˈmäl-,ˈmôlˌdēvz), as well as Antarctica(-ˈärtikə,antˈärktikə).

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https://www.nytimes.com/guides/travel/travel-with-kids