Traveling With Children, part 1

Our first child, Anneliese, made her first road trip with us at age 6 weeks, to Colorado. The next year we drove down the west coast of the US with her as a 1-year-old. Every summer that followed there was another road trip. Shelby joined in the fun in 1999 on the beaches in Texas. It instilled in the children a certain expectation of how trips worked - the periods of stillness followed by a great deal of activity, frequent changes of location, and expecting new adventures each day. But it was relatively easy, too. We could pack almost as much as we wanted into our vehicle. Art kits, lots of books, movies, favorite stuffed animals, extra clothes, blankets, pillows - they all got stuffed in there so that we would have an activity for every long drive and a solution to every possible problem. The locations were easy too, because we knew what to expect for lodging, food, and entertainment choices in the US.

When the idea to travel outside the country first came to me several years ago, I wondered how much our children would get out of it. After all, travel to Europe would not include the comforts of hotel swimming pools and reliable fast food. In particular, I wondered how practical it was to take our youngest child (Joshua, then age 4) along. Would he really appreciate it? Would he even remember it? Could we afford it? We wondered if maybe he might be happier spending the time closer to home with grandparents instead. But as we contemplated spending three weeks away from him, we realized that we couldn't enjoy the trip with the family split up. If we waited until he got older, our oldest child would have less time to travel with us before going off to life on her own. There may not be a perfect time to start travel like this, but it is better to err on the side of too soon that too late, I think.

So we stayed together - the five of us - on our first trip to England in 2007, and it was everything we could have hoped for. All the children (Joshua included) had a blast. We will never forget how the look on Annie's tired face brightened as we arrived our first day at the top of the stairs from our Tube station in central London to a sea of red double-decker buses, or Shelby's face as we rounded a corner near the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben was suddenly in front of us, or how eagerly Joshua dove into every castle visit. We vowed then to repeat the experience of traveling together to different countries as often as we could.

There are practical problems to overcome, of course, and cost is a primary one. Each child is another round-trip airfare to purchase. Many airlines charge the same fare regardless of age. But IcelandAir does offer a 15-20% discount for children up to age 12, and we have benefited from that. Once on the ground, however, additional costs are significantly less. Children often travel for free, or at greatly reduced rates on trains. Car rentals are the same price whether there is anyone in the back seat or not. Children (often up to age 18) usually visit museums for free and have greatly reduced rates for other attractions and activities. So the cost of food is the only one that rises proportionately when children are along. As long as you avoid "service" restaurants when you can, food costs can be kept under control.

There are other challenges as well. Children need to learn to pack light and be able to keep amused with only small amounts of extra clutter (iPods are great for this). Children need to be physically fit enough to be on their feet most of the day and to take long walks at times. We need to have all reservations made in advance to avoid any unnecessary hassle finding lodgings or transportation connections. Lodgings, in particular, can be tricky for a family of five, making it even more important to search out the rare large but reasonably priced hotel room or B&B and to book it early. Most importantly, the children need to be enthusiastic about the experience. Nothing will wear you down faster than a reluctant or fussy traveler. Toward that end, it is important to start the traveling tradition young and with smaller, easier trips. The childrens' ability to enjoy trips like these can then grow gradually over time.

Yes, an argument could be made that the children would appreciate it more as young adults, going themselves as college-age backpackers, or that the adults would appreciate it more traveling without the children, lingering longer in museums, taking longer meandering walks and simply people-watching without the need to play tour guide for the children or constantly counting heads to make sure everyone is together. But I think the children get a great deal out of the trips as well. They gain a grasp of history that is impossible to fully appreciate from a text book. They gain an appreciation for the fact that there is a whole rest of the world out there with people going about their lives, perfectly happy to not be Americans. They get a chance to try different foods and witness different traditions than they are used to at home. They grow more accustomed to the challenges of overseas travel and gain the ability to "roll with the punches" as things happen, plans change, and there are small obstacles to overcome. Perhaps most importantly, they become world-wise travelers who will feel free to see even more of the world on their own later in life...