Creating an Itinerary

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Possibly the most important thing to remember in planning a successful trip is that you won’t be able to move as quickly or take in as many “tourist” sites with kids as you would have on your own. This means spending longer in each of the places you visit on your trip. Don’t feel disappointed about this. The extra time will be spent bonding with your kids, experiencing things that are special to them (but not necessarily notable on the tourist map) and exploring local culture. You’ll take in more about each place and enjoy the trip more.

How long to stay

If you’re headed to a destination where you expect to see specific sites or do specific activities, you should plan to spend 50% to double the amount of time you would have without kids. For example, if you would normally spend three days in Paris on a trip to France, you would now spend 5. You’ll also want to take into account the amount of travel time to reach the destination and allow extra time to recover from long travel times.

• No less than 2 nights if there is a flight involved or a train/bus ride that lasts longer than 2 hours
• No less than a week if we cross an ocean
• No less than 2 weeks if we go to the other side of the world

How many places to visit

Moving between cities or resorts can be stressful. With each move, there is the potential for something difficulty with your transportation or the new accommodation. Even when everything goes smoothly, each time you move is an adjustment for everyone. The kids need to settle in & you need to re-find places that supply the daily necessities (grocery, snacks, etc). On a trip with very young kids, I would recommend staying in no more than four different places. As your kids grow and you learn more about how they travel, you can al