What are your family travel goals for this year?
If you haven’t already got any in place, then make this year the year you set some.
Here are 5 simple family travel goals to get you started and help make the most out of your family adventures.
#1 - Travel more – get inspired!
The more you travel, the more you realise there is so much to see, so many incredible experiences to be had and yet so little time to do it all in.
If you have kids, I’m sure you will have said at some point… ‘they grow up too quickly’, so don’t put off your family travel adventures. Before you know it they’ll fly the nest and be off on their own adventures.
Exploring the world with your family is one of the most rewarding things you can do. Not only do you create the most amazing memories but you also gift them with cultural experiences, educating them in a way that can’t be done in a classroom.
I love reading inspirational family travel quotes, they just reinforce to me what I love doing most in the whole world – travelling the world with my family.
Here are some of my favourite inspirational family travel quotes…
#2 - Bust those family travel myths
Some choose not to travel with their families because they believe it has too many challenges.
I’m not going to tell you that travelling with kids doesn’t have its challenges but it doesn’t have to be any more challenging than being at home with them.
In some ways we find that life is easier when we are travelling because they are excited, they don’t get bored, they’re happy because they have your attention and they sleep well because you’ve worn them out in the day!
Here are some common family travel myths that we want to quash…
- “Family holidays are so expensive!”
Any holiday can be expensive if you are not flexible with flights or method of travel and want to stay in the most expensive accommodation.
But if you are flexible, search engines and clever tools on the internet can help you bag a bargain (see more under goal #4 – Get travel savvy).
There is no such thing as a free family holiday (unless you win one or someone else pays)! BUT, whatever your budget, there is always somewhere to explore with your family.
- “Family friendly rooms are hard to find”
So not true! One of the longest tasks when booking our family travels is the accommodation because there is so much choice.
Occasionally we stay in a hotel but for us, apartments on Booking.com or Airbnb offer us so much more space, separate rooms and affordable luxury.
If you haven’t tried Airbnb yet, sign up through our link and get £25 off your first booking.
- “I can’t fly long haul with kids!”
This may sound strange but I think long haul flights are more comfortable and easy with children than short haul.
You get more room, your own personal in-flight entertainment and food and drink pretty much when you want it.
We travelled to Thailand (approx. 12-hour flight) when our kids were 4 years old and 11 months old. Our eldest slept a little but for most of the flight, we didn’t hear a peep out of her as she was so consumed in the latest Disney films. Our youngest had the comfiest spot and slept for a good proportion of the flight in her bassinet in front of us.
- “My kids are fussy eaters and won’t like the food!”
If you don’t give your kids the opportunity to taste different foods when they are young, they are more likely to become fussy eaters.
Believe me, when I say, every culture will have something that they will like.
Our kids will try anything and are really good eaters.
Don’t worry too much if they don’t eat much to start off with, they are not going to starve and will eat when they are ready.
- “They won’t sleep in a different bed!”
Like with food, if you don’t get them used to sleeping in different places, of course, they are going to be less adaptable. Don’t worry about whether they are going to sleep or not and forget bedtime routine and rules.
You’re on holiday and in the same way that they will eat when they are hungry, they will also sleep when they are tired.
You’ll be surprised at how adaptable kids are.
#3 - Capture your memories
Take photos, videos, more photos and maybe even create a diary. If you’re a fan of social media, this is another great way to capture your adventures – you’ve got to love a good old selfie and Facebook Timehop!
Nobody prints photos anymore but don’t let them get lost in the ‘digital graveyard’. Create a personalised hardback photobook (Groupon always has loads of deals and you can usually get a decent sized photobook for less than £15). Simply upload your photos, personalise your pages and order.
We have started to create a photo book for each year, creating a collection of annual photobooks and we love looking back at them (especially the kids).
At the very least, make sure you back up your photos!
Unfortunately, our memories can fade but photos are there forever… unless you lose them!
Every few months or after a holiday, I make sure my photos are backed up in cloud-based storage and also an external hard drive. There are lots of free services but I recommend Google Photos which provides unlimited free photo storage.
#4 - Get travel savvy
Don’t just walk into a travel agent and book the first package holiday that they offer you. How do you know if you’re getting a good deal, how do you know that’s really where you want to go?
The internet is completely saturated with everything you need to know about how to find the best prices and information on every single destination that you can visit.
Travel blogs are so valuable because they give you unbiased and honest information, advice, tips and recommendations from like-minded people. You will find you connect with certain bloggers and start to build trust in them and follow them on their journeys. A good travel blogger is there to offer support to their followers, so don’t be afraid to reach out and ask questions. We love to hear from our followers.
Search for travel bloggers on social media or use Pinterest to find a whole wealth of information on destinations, itineraries, travel tips and advice.
#5 - Research your destination
Don’t travel somewhere without feeling completely satisfied that you have seen and done everything that you could have done and wanted to do.
Similarly to goal #4 Get travel savvy, find a good travel blogger that is similar to you and your family. They can provide you with tried and tested itineraries, advice and tips about things to do and the best way to do them (as well as things not to do).
Pinterest is great because you can save all of this information to your own personal boards and read them at a later date.
Download the app and you can also use the information when you are actually there. We followed a great Game of Thrones self-guided tour when we were in Dubrovnik, saving money on a paid tour.
Final words…
Every family will have their own family travel goals but I hope these 5 have helped or inspired you to start or continue with your family adventures.
Make this the year you decide to travel more with your family x
Love this so much and totally agree. I am the youngest of 6 kids and my two parents took us on a cruise, skiing, camping, and even on an 8 hour flight to Hawaii one Christmas! I value our trips more than anything else in my childhood. I love to travel and lot has to do with them taking us places as kids!
Hi Nissa, thanks for your comment.
Sounds like you were a well travelled child too (massive well done to your parents for doing all of that with 6 kids).
Just proves that we remember and value experiences, not things! 🙂
Your post is very inspirational for parents like me who contemplate a lot when it comes to traveling with kids. Most of the parents are not ready to face the challenges when traveling with kids. But if they change their mindset and accept it as a way to get their kids accustomed to different situations, they will never feel the task difficult at all. You’re doing the right thing by giving your children different cultural experiences. It will help them become more knowledgeable, respectful, adaptable, flexible, and matured in the future.
Hi Kajal! Thank you so much for your comment, it really means a lot.
Most families who are I speak to who were anxious before taking a big trip with their kids, say that they don’t know why they worried so much.
I actually find travelling easier than home/school routine life. When we’re travelling, they are busy and entertained constantly. They don’t get bored, they don’t make a mess (we’ll at least nowhere near as much as at home) and most of all it’s such valuable family time together and memories being created.
And a massive educational and adventurous experience for them. I really hope through sharing our adventures and providing enough information, I can give more families the confidence to travel and see the world 🗺 ♥️😍😊