The idea of packing up the family and taking off for extended long term travel to other parts of the country or globe sounds so blissful and worldly, but is it really doable? And if it is doable, is it worth the hassle? We all know it’s hard enough to plan an adventure with just an adult or two involved, but throw in the babies, toddlers and kids and you’ve got some serious variables to consider.
Our conclusion? It’s not for the easily intimidated, but if you’re a wanderlust who isn’t quite ready to trade in your vagabond ways for typical family life, there’s no reason you have to put the suitcase away just yet!
One bright side of this pandemic is that the kiddos aren’t tied to in-person learning for the first time in recent history, and chances are things will be back to normal before we know it. Why not capitalize on this window of opportunity and really put the “distance” in distance learning?! Families everywhere have made major lifestyle changes, so taking off for a month or more doesn’t seem so crazy anymore.
Here are some family travel tips for pulling off long term travel with the whole crew!
Take a look at your career and your income.
Before you quit your job, sell the house, and hit the road long term, be sure to have some kind of plan for bringing in a little revenue stream to get you by. Can you keep your current job but somehow work remotely, even part time? Or is there another “digital nomad” gig that interests you? Maybe it’s even possible to rent your home on Airbnb while you’re away. You can get some good insight from others who have gone before you; again, a good reason to read those travel blogs.
You could also consider starting your own blog—even if you keep a full time job! If you can create a following by sharing your adventure via blog or social media posts, you can then earn extra dollars either by featuring affiliate links or attracting advertisers to your site. And what a great way to document your travels with both photos and stories!
Stretch your dollars.
Unless you are independently wealthy, long term travel requires some careful budget planning. You may be planning to be gone for months or even years, so you’ll need to think about all of the costs associated with your trip, beyond just the plane tickets and hotel bills. What expenses will need to be covered at home—mortgage, utilities, and so on? Is there a way you can manage to bank some money into savings or contribute to your retirement while still enjoying life on the road?
To begin, look for credit cards with rewards programs that might help you save on airfare, car rentals, or accommodations. Many hardcore travelers point to booking.com as a place to find the best deals on all things travel. Some websites such as homeexchange.com allow you to swap homes with another family, a great way to save on lodging and meet people that have similar lifestyles.
Definitely try to stay in a place with a kitchen so that you can go grocery shopping and make meals at home. Eating out three times a day with the whole family will get pricey fast! Choosing one locale to visit for long term travel will likely be less costly than cruising the world, so consider picking a spot and spreading some roots—the practice of “slow travel.”
Read up on family travel blogs for ideas and advice.
No matter what kind of expedition you’ve envisioned for your family, there is probably another family out there that has attempted something similar and documented their experiences online. Reading family travel blogs and Instagram pages is a great way to get tips for long term travel success. You’ll also find tons of ideas if you aren’t sure what kind of adventure you want for your family.
The Global Wizards have put together a website that will have you stuck in the internet wormhole for weeks. In addition to their own travel exploits, they feature an ultimate guide of 40 other amazing family travel blogs to read, nicely divided into categories such as “adventurous family travel” and “small kids family travel.” It’s impossible to pick a favorite because they all offer overwhelming inspiration.
You should also check out the FUNemployedfamily’s Instagram page. It will make you want to stick your newborn in a carrier and head for the airport immediately! The TraveLynn family’s website is also a great resource. Their story tells how they didn’t let kids impede their passion for globetrotting, and their blog offers long term travel tips, info about adventures across three continents, and a glimpse into life in a camper van with two young boys!
Related articles:
- 20 Coronavirus Travel Tips to Keep Your Family Safe
- A Step-by-Step Guide to Planning the Ultimate Family Vacation
- Family Apps: The Best Apps For Family Travel
Adopt the notion of “slow travel.”
Slow travel has tons of advantages for families who crave adventure. The gist of the idea is that rather than bouncing your family around from place to place, you instead immerse yourselves into one place for an extended period of time. This allows you to go deeper into a culture and get a real feel for the way the locals live. You’ll save money by spending less on plane tickets and hopefully secure a good long term rate on a place to stay. You’ll have a chance to scope out the free entertainment, such as playgrounds, rather than spending tons of cash on the usual tourist traps. You’ll get to meet people, including other families, from the local neighborhood.
Another perk is that the slow travel schedule is more accommodating to work schedules and homeschooling, if those are things you need to consider. Above all, it’s simply just less exhausting to travel this way. And with kids aboard, it’s a huge plus to have one home base!
Manage your expectations.
Before you even begin to plan for long term travel with small kids for the first time, recognize and accept that your itinerary should be scaled down and simplified compared to what you’ve done in the past. This trip might not feel carefree like that college backpacking adventure, or wild and crazy like a spring break beach party. There will be (many) more needs to consider with small children in tow, and you’ll want to think carefully about how to structure your trip so that these needs can be met for a long term stay
Wendi Aarons from alphamom.com wisely says to “pack away your expectations,” and go with the flow, reminding us that children might remember the ice machine in the hotel more than the special (possibly expensive!) outing you planned as the ultimate vacation centerpiece. The beautiful thing about long term travel is the great feeling of getting out of your comfort zone to have new experiences in a new place!
Decide on the destination…or the route.
Maybe you already have a city or country picked out, or maybe you just want to jump in the RV and hit the road. Some families even choose to pack into a sailboat and hit the high seas! In any case, be sure to keep the transitions to a minimum. Avoid hectic schedules that force you and your family to have to be in certain places (airports, train stations, new lodging, etc.) at certain times. Instead, adopt the pace of “slow travel” (more below on that!) and try to stay in the same sleeping quarters for as long as possible. If you are on the road or at sea, this might mean staying in campgrounds/ports for a week at a time or even longer. Packing too many destinations into a trip can lead to a stressed and cranky family!
Consider insurance.
Appendicitis in Australia? Sore throat in South America? One big concern for long term travel is access to proper health care. The belly aches and boo boos don’t stop just because you’re on vacation—especially a long term one!
Before you go, look into the area’s hospitals and other medical resources and make sure you’ll be in good hands if things don’t go as planned (and with little ones in the mix, they likely won’t!). It’s a great idea to get medical travel insurance for these kinds of mishaps. Companies such as Allianz can be counted on for covering almost any situation for relatively little money, and the peace of mind you’ll get from the coverage is almost certainly worth the price!
Rent baby gear to make long term travel with kids easier!
No BabyQuip blog containing travel advice is complete without a shoutout to our amazing Quality Providers all across the US, as well as in Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Aruba, Barbados, and Sweden! Heavy, bulky bags are a huge nuisance for a family on the go, so plan ahead and rent baby gear and other essentials from rental companies like BabyQuip whenever you can. Many of them, including BabyQuip, offer long term discounts to make it cheaper when you rent for extended periods of time. The comforts of home (think crib, car seat, stroller, high chair, toys) are often a necessity while away, so avoid those meltdowns whenever you can by having the gear you need (and love!) on hand.
Even if things don’t go perfectly according to plan (and they probably won’t!!), long term travel with your family is something you are unlikely to ever regret. Nothing beats giving your kids the experience of getting to see the world. Taking them out of their comfort zone teaches them valuable life skills, helps them develop positive character traits, and lets them see how other people live.
Consider long term travel as an investment in your family memory bank as well. All of that uninterrupted time together navigating through new situations is a surefire recipe for family bonding. With a little planning and a lot of courage, that world trip with kids is well within your reach. Safe travels!
Lisa Holmes lives in Wellfleet, MA with her husband, toddler and infant. She is a BabyQuip Quality Provider and loves welcoming travelers to Cape Cod. She works as an elementary school teacher, which gives her the opportunity to enjoy lots of time at the beach during her summer vacations!
I need details on how to do this financially.
I am all about “slow travel”! Great tips!
Such good ideas! I think managing your expectations when traveling with littles is key to enjoying it!
Great advice!
A tip I recently learned after a 16 hour drive. Pack CLEAN snacks. You don’t want to be cleaning up food messes during the entire trip.
This is a great list. Budget is my main concern.
I would love to do this and it sounds like a great idea but I still have concerns about covid. I know it’s everywhere, but I feel a little safer in my own town for some reason.
I need to get the airline credit card so I can do this easier. I have three kids which isn’t a lot but when you have to buy 5 plane tickets to go somewhere it adds up!!!!
My family just got home from doing this. We spent 6 weeks in Miami. It was the best thing ever since my kids were learning remotely. We had reverse days. We went to the beach and did activities in the morning and through lunch. Then we came home and everyone worked. This worked for us because my husband works from home and I’m a sahm, but I could see it being difficult if it was any other way.
I’m SUPER happy to see insurance made this list. Last time we went on vacation over seas to the beach my son sliced his foot on a shell and he had to have stitches. That was an ordeal!!!
My husband and I were just discussing this exact thing since the kids are totally virtual and we are both workinng from home. Money is the biggest factor for us.