I am not sure about encouraging families with young kids to travel. We went to Greece when our twin sons were just over one year old. The brake on the twin buggy was broken off during transit, so we had to hold onto the buggy at all times. Our accommodation had a flagged stone floor. As our sons couldn’t walk, only crawl they basically had to stay in their cots when we were indoors out of the sun. The only opportunity they had to crawl around was on the beach for short time in the mornngs before the sand became too hot. We were limited in the number of toys we could take with us. I found the holiday very stressful as our sons would play around happily all day at home on the carpeted floor with their large assortment of toys. The flight back was awful as they both cried for the whole 3 hour flight. Sorry to say this but your life, especially with regard to travel, does change when you have kids, especally twins.

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[...] I read the guest blog on Travel Rants entitled “Can kids travel?“. I’ve been thinking about my rather negative response pasted below. “I am not sure about encouraging families with young kids to travel. We went to Greece when our twin sons were just over one year old. The brake on the twin buggy was broken off during transit, so we had to hold onto the buggy at all times. Our accommodation had a flagged stone floor. As our sons couldn’t walk, only crawl they basically had to stay in their cots when we were indoors out of the sun. The only opportunity they had to crawl around was on the beach for short time in the mornngs before the sand became too hot. We were limited in the number of toys we could take with us. I found the holiday very stressful as our sons would play around happily all day at home on the carpeted floor with their large assortment of toys. The flight back was awful as they both cried for the whole 3 hour flight. Sorry to say this but your life, especially with regard to travel, does change when you have kids, especially twins.” [...]

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Hi Karen,

Sorry to hear that you had such a traumatic experience. Unfortunately children do affect the way we travel. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t take them along. Understanding their needs at each age and planning a trip that is right for you and them will go a long way ensuring family holiday success.

Greece is a great family travel destination. Yet during the peak summer season, it is unwise for infants and toddlers to spend the hottest hours of the day in the sun. Families set on traveling to Greece with tots may want to consider visiting in late spring or early fall when the sun is not nearly as strong. If your holiday cannot be scheduled at another time the year, agree to divide the indoor duties. For example, alternating days on the beach alone or hiring a sitter each day from 12:00 to 15:00.

Thoroughly researching accommodation prior to booking should reduce the risk of ‘surprise’. While stone floors may make a hotel or rental home that much more charming, they could present a problem for children that are just learning to walk. Understanding what other accommodation is available and choosing a hotel with your needs in mind will go a long way to managing an adults expectations.

Here’s to an easier trip next summer!
ann at http://www.kidscantravel.com

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Interesting article, will come handy with my newborn
thanks!

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What a nightmare all this sounds.

I think I’ll buy the girlfriend some shoes to keep away from the baby thing!!

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Thank you for the great advice Ann.

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I’ve been traveling with my now 4.5 year old since she was 1. The longest flight being Los Angeles to Paris when she was 2.5. And as icing on the cake, I’m a single parent. It’s almost always just me and my daughter traveling together.

Here’s what I’ve found to be helpful when traveling by air:

* Don’t bring lots of old toys. I make a goodie bag of 10-15 new dollar store/cheapie toys before we leave. This way when we get on the plane she has some new stuff to keep her busy. This helps tremendously.

Just be sure to stay away from really noisy toys. If you have one noisy toy, that’s the one they’ll cry to play with!

* If I know it’s an international flight of 6+ hours, I prefer to take a late flight. Say after 8pm. This way I know she’ll sleep most of the way.

So far I’ve always taken direct flights. If your kids have problems with painful popping ears, direct flights are the only way to go. (I had the worst pain with popping ears when I was kid, so I speak from experience.)

* Get a portable DVD player. I ALWAYS travel with mine. Make sure you have DVD’s of their favorite shows. My daughter loves Scooby Doo, as well as kung fu movies. (Yeah kung fu!)

* Talk to your children ahead of time. Even if they’re very young. I’ve always explained the plane ride, what happens when we get off, etc. I tell her that she has to use her quiet voice on the plane.

And it works for me. I’ve never had a problem with my daughter freaking out on the plane. People comment all the time about how quiet and well behaved she is.

Planning is the key point here.

Good luck to all!

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can my 15mth child have his own suitcase when travelling aboard?
me and my partner are travelling on tuesday (19/6/07) please help..

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i’m flyin wi leeds and bradford. thank you for your reply.

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