Travel Guide

What are some issues to consider when traveling with kids?

Flying with kids

There’s nothing like flying on a plane with a baby or toddler to make a parent suddenly appreciate how comparatively easy it is to fly as an adult.

Gone are the days of reading a magazine, watching the in-flight movie or even looking out of the window in a bubble of peace and quiet. Parents are “on” for hours as entertainers and behavioral police, in an effort to keep children quiet and calm while encased in a metal tube with hundreds of other people, many of whom may be less than tolerant of children.

Even a standard run to the bathroom can be a problem — have you ever changed a diaper in an airplane toilet? When there is a line to use the facilities and your child is yelling “I have to go NOW!” it is frustration at 30,000 feet.

The answer is a pre-packed bag of toys, games, some snacks, plenty of water and loads of humor and patience. Many parents also swear by a small portable DVD player with kid-friendly movies and/or audio children’s books.

Car and RV rentals

The main issue when renting a car or any other vehicle is ensuring that you have the proper safety equipment for children (and in some countries, whether the vehicle itself holds together.)

Safety seat/shoulder belts and car seats are seemingly less of a priority in some countries, so make sure that they are functional before driving off of the rental lot. It’s obviously a lot more convenient to have a car seat or booster seat waiting for you rather than lugging the heavy beast onto an aircraft, but then again, at least you have control over the quality if you carry it yourself.

Car seats are a good idea when flying, or use a CARES harness on the plane and check the bulky seat to retrieve upon arrival and use in your rental.

Travel with young children — ages newborn to 8

Advantages

If you’re nursing, they can always be fed
They are portable in a baby sling
They are pushable in a stroller
They take naps
They are entertained by everything that’s going on

Disadvantages

They need diapers
They need some degree of routine and structure and are not happy when it’s absent
They can fuss at the most inopportune times
It’s hard to visit some places (like museums and anywhere that requires quiet)
They are often picky eaters and won’t try unfamiliar foods
There is never a break from parenting duties
There’s no quantifiable educational value in return for all the hassles

Travel with preteens and teens — ages 9 to 18

Advantages

You can carry on an intelligent conversation with them during your travels
They are self-sufficient to some degree
They learn so much from travel that is directly applicable to life in general
They can go to museums and “semi-adult” venues and get something out of the experience

Disadvantages

Just about when they become easier to take on family trips, they lose interest in family trips
The “pout factor” when they are taken away from friends to travel with parents
The expense factor when parents agree to bring along a friend to stop the “pout factor.”

Travel insurance

In some situations, travel insurance is an unnecessary purchase (some might call it a scam.) In others, travel insurance makes a great deal of sense and one should budget to purchase it. If a traveler is concerned with loss of possessions and luggage, he or she should probably check their personal property or homeowner’s insurance policy, because such losses are usually already covered.

The unexpected cancellation of an expensive trip like a cruise, however, is another matter, as is an unexpected health-related crisis while traveling.

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