There are many different ways to travel with kids from road trips to cruises to 5 countries in 2 weeks type of trips. In fact, if you think about it too much, it can get quite confusing. What type of vacation is best with young kids and what will suit your family best? Below you will find some options!

1. Road trip

A road trip is perhaps the easiest option, especially if you are taking the road trip from your house in your own car. This makes it very easy to pack everything away. You don’t have to worry about whether to fly with a stroller or where to get infant car seats from. You can be set to go relatively easily.

Even road trips in other countries can be relatively easy. We loved our US road trip, despite the fact that we had to fly for over 20 hours to start it! Once we were in our car, it was easy to go at our own pace and set our days around our kids naps. The extra space meant that we could carry around food with us which also made things more economical.

Pros

• Easy to organise if you are taking your own car.
• Easy to make your schedule work around the kids’ routines.
• If you are in your own car then don’t have to worry about infant car seats.
• Extra space for items such as strollers.

Cons

• If you are sticking close to home it can seem less exciting than a big vacation.
• Depending on where you live and how you like to travel, this option can actually be more expensive than travelling internationally.

Best for…

Families on their first trip. Spending your first vacation in your own car close to home can be a good way to ease into family travel. It is also great for people wanting to explore the US which is a destination just made for getting out there on your own wheels.

Travel tip

If you are hiring a car, check out the prices on Expedia.

2. Cruise

Cruising is a fabulous option for families – we just love it! Even if you were not a fan of cruises before having kids, you may change your mind now.

Along with all inclusive resorts, we have found cruises the only way to get some type of break since having kids. They don’t just have kids club and family friendly facilities, but having your food and drinks included 24 hours a day just makes things so easy.  The twice daily room servicing is also very welcome with young kids.

The best part is that while you are enjoying a break from housework, food preparation, etc you can explore new ports and countries. You can even do this without kids if you are able to leave them in a kids club.

Pros

• Very easy to organise. You only need to get to your cruise port and book your tickets.
• Cruises are available all around the world, so you shouldn’t have to travel too far to reach one
• Cruises are very family friendly. There is sure to be something your kids will love.
• The all inclusive price makes it easy to enjoy yourself without adding up money all the time.
• The included food, kids club and entertainment makes things just so easy. This is one of the best breaks you can have as a parent of young children.

Cons

• Not a good idea if you suffer from motion sickness.
• You do not have the time to explore the ports in depth.
• If you don’t enjoy the ship, you are stuck on it.
• If you have babies/toddlers, it can be frustrating having to pay full price when they are not allowed to use kids club, pools etc. (read more about that here).

Best for…

Families that want an easy option while still getting to explore new places.

In addition to the more common ocean cruises, there’s also the option of taking a river cruise. You can read more about that here.

Travel Tips

• If you have a baby or toddler, pick a ship with a water play area  since kids are not usually allowed in regular pools until they are toilet trained.
• Check out Expedia to find the best cruise option for you. They have so many cruises to choose from.

3. All Inclusive Resort

If you want a true break where you do not have much to do at all then an all inclusive resort could be perfect for your next family vacation. If you pick a good one with plenty of family friendly activities and facilities and a range of food, there is no reason that you won’t have a relaxing break – well as relaxing as it can get with kids anyway! Many all inclusive resorts feature kids clubs to make things even more restful.

Pros

• Easy to budget for – everything is included.
• Best chance to have an actual break as you do not need to leave your resort.
• Many have fabulous family friendly facilities.
• Easy to organise.
• Great for any age children.

Cons

• If you want to get out there and explore a new place, you can find this more difficult to do from an all inclusive resort.
• It can be expensive.
• You need to pick well to ensure you don’t end up somewhere where you don’t like the food.

Best for…

Families who want to relax and have a break and don’t necessarily want to leave the resort much.

Travel tips

Pick your resort carefully if you are planning on spending a lot of time there. Ensure the food is recommended and varied and there are facilities for everyone to enjoy. We particularly personally recommend the Grand Mirage in Bali, Samabe Bali Suites and Villas and the Be Live Grand Marien in the Dominican Republic.

4. House/apartment/hotel stay

If you don’t have much time or want to explore a location in depth, then booking a hotel or renting an apartment or house in your intended destination is a great way to go. Staying put in the one location can make things much easier with young kids as it is definitely the travel days which are the toughest.

Pros

• A chance to explore the one place without much stress.
• Reasonably easy to organise.
• Great option if short on time.
• Good on small budgets.

Cons

• Only get to see the one place.

Best for…

Families who want to explore somewhere new but are short on time or want to avoid stress or pressure on their trip.

Travel tips

Whether it is best to book a house, apartment or hotel comes down to personal preference and budget. There are pros and cons of each.

Apartments and houses can be fabulous. More space and a kitchen work very well for a family. Using a holiday rental service such as Airbnb can be a cost effective way to do this too – houses and apartments on there are often cheaper than budget hotels (and A LOT nicer). However, the down side can be that they are rarely serviced, so you will need to clean them yourself, and you don’t have help on hand should you need it. The biggest time this can be an issue is on check in. It can be tough to arrange a time in advance in a foreign place with kids. We find these small downsides are worth the excellent experience Airbnb can provide.

Hotels can be the easiest option and may have great facilities, like pools. However, they are usually far smaller than other options which can be tough with a family. They can also be inflexible about how many people are in a room meaning if you have two or more kids, you may have to book two or more rooms which starts getting very expensive.

Serviced apartments or apartments in a hotel, can give you the best of both worlds although are often more expensive. The choice is yours!

Please note, if you use the Airbnb link above or here, we will both receive US$25 credit 🙂

5. Multiple Destination Trip

We are a big fan of the multiple destination trip – we like to explore as much as possible when we travel. Once you are already away, it can be easy to go see other destinations at the same time.

However, this doesn’t mean it is easy. There are certainly some challenges to organising a multiple destination vacation with kids. It takes a fair amount of effort both in advance, while planning, and while you are on the vacation. Travel days can be hard.

However, travel days can also be fun. Most kids love taking buses, trains, planes, boats etc. If you treat it all like a big adventure, then it will be far more enjoyable for all of you. There is also something about getting through it all together and having a blast which makes for fabulous times, memories and experiences for all of you.

Pros

• Get to explore lots of different destinations and have many different experiences.
• Cost effective compared to lots of small trips.
• More time to spend together as a family.
• Lots of opportunities for your kids to learn about the world around them.

Cons

• Lots of planning required.
• Travel days can be hard work.
• More expensive than shorter trips.

Best for…

Families who want to see and experience as much as possible and have the time and finances available.

Travel tips

My biggest tip for this one is to not let young children scare you off. A trip like this is very possible – but be prepared for it to take a fair amount of effort both beforehand and during your vacation. We loved our 7 weeks in Asia visiting 5 countries with a 2 year old and a turning 1 year old so this is not just possible but lots of fun. It was not always easy though.

On all of our international trips, we have found it takes about two weeks for us to find our travel groove and then it gets a lot easier – so if you are struggling at the beginning, don’t worry! It will most probably get better soon.

The fact is that every type of vacation has its pros and cons. It really depends what your family is looking for – do you want adventure or do you want a break from life with as little effort needed as possible? The fact is that young kids are usually happy as long as you are happy. Hopefully using the above, you will have an easier time picking what type of vacation your family should go on next!

What is your favourite type of vacation with kids?

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Tags:  Travel Tips