Archive for the ‘Travel Tips’ Category

Article by Abel Smith

Traveling is tough. Traveling with children – even tougher. Airlines generally suggest that arrive at the airport three hours before your flight is scheduled to depart. Checking in usually takes about one hour, leaving two hours in which you must find a way to occupy yours, and your child’s, time. And that is only at the airport. Once you are aboard your flight, you are forced to sit in your barely big enough seat for hours upon end. This is hard enough for an adult, let alone a child. If you are traveling with children, do not fear, there are things that you can do to help your child through the long airport process.

The main thing you will want to do when traveling with children, is keep them occupied. While you are traveling, you will spend several hours in the airport and several hours on the plane. For anyone who has children, you know that keeping them happy, even at home, is a difficult task. Therefore, keeping them content in an airport where there is little to nothing for children to do, is even more difficult. If you are traveling with children make sure to pack games, coloring books, or toys that will fit in your carry on luggage and that can occupy your child’s attention. For older children, consider beginning a journal in which your child can write down their experiences while on vacation.

Having help is a good way to ensure that you travel successfully with children. Managing more than one child on the train, bus or an aircraft can be difficult if you have no assistance. The degree of difficulty depends on the age and needs of the child. Having the care of one or more children under the age of 8 years as you travel can be challenging.

It is always a good idea to pack games and toys which can entertain and stimulate the minds of the children. Children who are bored are likeliest to find themselves involved in activities which can be troublesome. This includes marking on public walls, frequent visits to rest rooms, fusses with siblings and other challenging behavior. Be sure to bring along their favorite toys, books or games.

Language: If there is likely to be a language barrier then also purchase a phrase book. The ability to say “yes” and “no”, “please” and “thankyou”, “hello” and “goodbye” in a foreign language (at least) will stand you in good stead with the locals! If you can order food, drinks and understand menus and signs, even better – this will serve two purposes, getting you respect from locals and allowing you to take a foreign holiday confident that you will not get ripped off because you cannot understand what people are saying.

Children: If travelling with children then make sure you have something to keep them entertained. You do not need something just for the flight, but also for the evenings when you are at base. Children are easily bored, and foreign TV (especially if in a none English speaking country) is not fun for children as the only English shows they have are news channels. You will maybe need a few toys (electronic ones are best – batteries are universal and electronic chargers can be used via adaptors you buy before you go away). And they do not take up a lot of luggage space as they can be carried in hand luggage. Also take paper and pencils to allow some time spent drawing.

Is drugging kids on flights a form of terrorism? Terrorism and kids? Family travel isn’t what family travel used to be. Parents on airplanes, on flights, on vacations traveling with kids are drugging their kids, drugging children with Benadryl to keep them quiet during a flight. Terrorism? Probably no. Drugs and kids, kids and drugs don’t mix, and Benadryl? Benadryl may be a harmless sedative but drugs and kids on planes? Parents are outraged that Benadryl would be given to children to calm them on a family trip, a family vacation. Benadryl may be more or less harmless, but if we freely give kids Benadryl, what drug is next. Should kids fly first class? Should families be in the back of the plane? Why do we have to calm kids with or any drugs? Family travel and taking your kids on a vacation should mean having well behaved children. Or at least kids who can be entertained by books, DVD’s, hugs and other creative ways to fly calmly with kids. Benadryl? Drugging kids? There has to be a better way than drugs and Benadryl. Even pediatricians are not taking a stand. They say giving drugs to kids is up to parents. Really? Should parents use drugs on kids? Sleep aids? Some airline passengers say kids shouldn’t fly at all because they are too much trouble. Not toilet trained. Is drugging kids on flights a form of terrorism? Terrorism and kids? Family travel isn’t what family travel used to be. Parents on airplanes, on flights, on vacations traveling with kids are drugging their …

Traveling with children, especially infants and toddlers, puts special demands on the adults responsible for their well being. Based on analyses of dozens of aviation incidents and accidents involving children and on my own experience as a traveling parent, here are ten tips that can make the trip safer for the child.

 
1. Plan ahead: Ask yourself what supplies you will need to have on hand to take care of any normal or special needs for the child. Remember, it is the airline’s responsibility to carry passengers to their destination, but it is the responsibility of the parent or responsible adult to take care of any children. 
2. Use a child restraint system for children under 40 pounds (18.1 kilos): The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration strongly recommends that children weighing less than 40 pounds be put into a child restraint system appropriate for their weight. Children under the age of two may be carried on the lap of an adult, but the lap child should have some kind of restraint system.For small children, consider the following recommendations:
   • Find a way to conveniently carry an appropriate child restraint system through airports and into and out of aircraft.
   • If the child is over the age of two and less than 40 pounds (18.1 kilos), follow the FAA recommendations for using child restraint systems.
   • If the child is under two, consider buying a separate seat for the child and use an appropriate restraint system for the seat.
   • If the child is under two and will be traveling on the lap of an adult, consider using an appropriate in-flight child restraint. Also, bring along an appropriate child restraint system for a seat just in case you happen to be next to an unoccupied seat.

   AirSafe.com has further information about using child restraints on aircraft. 

3. Prepare for possible emergencies: Make sure you are aware of emergency equipment or procedures that would apply to your child:
   • Pay attention to the standard preflight emergency briefing
   • Ask a flight attendant if that particular aircraft has emergency equipment like life preservers specifically designed for small children
   • If your child has a medical condition that may become an issue during the flight, make a flight attendant, counter agent, or gate agent aware of that possibility before the flight

    

4. Take all essential items for the children in carry-on luggage: Take enough food, diapers, medicine, and other items to last through possible flight delays and lost luggage. Carrying all the child’s essentials with you is especially important if your child is on a special diet or on medication. 
5. Keep your children under control at all times: YOU and not the flight attendant is responsible for supervising your child at all times. An unsupervised or unrestrained child could quickly wander way into dangerous areas such as galleys, especially if the responsible adult falls asleep. During a very long flight from Australia to the U.S., I observed a parent traveling alone with a child fall asleep and then saw their toddler wander down the aisle. You should also be careful when walking about the aircraft with your child so that they don’t reach for cups of hot coffee, silverware, and other hazards. 
6. Seat your child away from an aisle: Small children enjoy reaching out and exploring, but if they are on the aisle they could get hurt if their little arms get bumped by a person or serving cart passing down the aisle. Ideally, two responsible adults should sit on either side of the child. Also, one can seat the child on a row with a window on one side and a responsible adult on the other. 
7. If emergency oxygen masks deploy, put your mask on first: This advice may seem cruel, but there is a very practical reason for it. If the brain is starved of oxygen (hypoxia), one can get confused or pass out and be unable to help themselves or their child. By putting on their mask first, the parent or responsible adult will reduce their chance of falling victim to hypoxia. 
8. Keep your child belted or in a child restraint system at all times: This is for the same reasons given in my more general Top 10 Air Traveler Safety Tips page. Turbulence can happen at any time and without warning, so keep your child belted in as much as possible. If the child, wants to get up and move around, let them do so only if the seat belt sign is off. The FAA has related information in this brochure about child seats and turbulence. 
9. Bring along safe toys: Try to avoid bringing along toys that are sharp, heavy, or that break easily. If the child has an electronic game, only allow them to use it during the cruise portion of flight. Electronic games may interfere with an aircraft’s navigational system during other phases of the flight. 
10. Take extra precautions for children traveling alone::
    • Escort the child onto the aircraft and check the area around the seat for hazards such as heavy carry-on items in the overhead storage bins.
    • Inform the chief flight attendant that the child is traveling alone
    • Ensure that the person meeting the child at the destination will have proper identification.
    • Make it clear to the child that they should report any problems to a flight attendant. This could range from feeling sick to having a suspicious character seated next to them.
    • If the child has to change planes, make arrangements for the child to be escorted between gates. This usually costs extra and is required for small children and is recommended for older children, especially those old enough to do it on their own but not mature enough to deal with potential problems or temptations at a busy airport
    • Check out the Top 10 Tips for Children Traveling Alone

Last year I traveled more than I traveled in my entire life. I’ve been on 4 continents and circled the Earth 2 times by plane. It was an exciting time, knowing my propensity for travel as a personal development tool, but it was also pretty draining. Never having long distance trips until that was definitely a huge roadblock for me. I had to learn on the fly (sometimes, literally on the fly). Somewhere between my 2nd and 3rd trip I started to write down some simple steps I should follow, sort of self directed tutorial. For your information, long distance traveling means for me one to two weeks trips which includes at least a transcontinental flight longer than 7-8 hours.

Here is a (hopefully incomplete) list of tips I gathered last year. Looking at it, I just know there is so much more to be explored, but I can’t avoid a feeling of satisfaction and fulfillment for already being in all the beautiful places I’ve been so far. If you’re an experienced traveler, this list will look like common sense, but if you’re just starting out you may find out some simple, practical, yet most of the time underrated advice.

Packing

If possible, you should automate as much as you can. I’m easily bored, so packing is just not my stuff. Whenever I can put this on auto-pilot, I put it.

1. Make A Standard Packing List

And refine it every trip. I do have a minimal packing routine and I always start by getting it done first. After my minimum is done, I try to figure out what exactly I need in rapport to that specific destination: is it going to be clothing? Or maybe some specific medicines I should carry on? Sun glasses and sunscreen? I’m usually done in one hour, regardless of the final destination.

2. Pack Light

Especially when you’re going long distance try to understand that you can’t really take with you everything. Packing light means to have a bare minimum and then a little bit of extra. But not more. Most of the stuff you’ll need in case of an emergency will be available at the destination too, so instead of carrying too much with you, better have a little more cash.

3. Have At Least 5 Kilos Less Than The Airplane Limit

Usually, the maximum accepted weight for a bag is 20 kilos. So, instead of trying to figure out how to reach that limit with more stuff from home, try to go with at least 5 kilos less. You will badly need those kilos for stuff you’ll got home from the destination. On my first trip I had to actually leave some clothes to my friends to make room for some presents.

4. Load Your Digital Companion

I use my iPhone as my travel mate. So, I make sure I load it with everything I need just as I pack my bag with clothes and personal hygiene stuff. I put maps on the GPS app, audiobooks for the plane, make sure that I have enough space for photos and even load 1 or 2 movies just in case I get bored by the inflight entertainment system.

5. Take Some Meds

It’s a good idea to have some light meds with you. Depending on where you go, taking some prophylactic shots in advance is also a very good idea. I usually carry some antibiotics, some bandaids and some digestive pills. I stick them in a pocket of my personal hygiene bag and I only verify the expiration date each time I get on a new trip.

6. Have And Use A Local Dictionary

Again, I use my iPhone for that and it does a great job. I have a number of dictionaries, especially for exotic countries, like Japan, or Thailand. Whenever I get the chance I exercise my language skills with locals. It’s one of the best parts of my long distance travels. And since I’m not a native English speaker, I can also use a plain English dictionary as well.

7. Get An Universal Plug Adapter

They have different plugs in Europe, United States, Oceania or parts of Asia. It’s better to get an universal kit that would become part of your standard list above, especially if you’re part of the digital nomads tribe, as I am. You can get adapters for free during your stay in hotels but form the 3rd or 4th travel it’s easier to just make it part of your baggage.

Planning

I like the feeling of randomly putting my finger on an Earth map, making that spot my destination. But between that gesture and the actual plane take-off there’s a little bit of extra action. It’s important and it’s about planning.

1. Book Your Flight And Hotel Together

You will get some discounts if you do that and it’s also easier to maintain the necessary documents. Having all the reservations in one plastic envelope makes it easier to access them on crowded and / or hectic airports . If your trip has multiple segments (flights + hotels) keep them in a separate plastic envelope.

2. Don’t Create A Fixed Itinerary

Most of my long distance trips have been one week long. It’s a shame to stick into such a limited time as many attractions as you can even before landing there. I usually go with my intuition and try to book some guided tours on the spot, if need will be. But most of the time I’m on myself. It’s far more flexible and much more fun.

3. Plan Your Transfer From Airport To Hotel In Advance

It’s very important to solve your transportation from airport to the hotel (or your accommodation of choice) in advance. Some of the airports can be pretty far (Narita is 1 and a half hour to center Tokyo by train, for instance) while others can offer limited on the spot transportation. A smooth transition to the hotel will also have a positive effect on your entire trip.

4. Don’t Plan Anything Important In The First 36 Hours

You’ll be pretty tired after a 9+ hours flight, not to mention that jetlag will most likely give you a hard time. I usually spend the first day and a half walking around the hotel, knowing the environment, finding local stores and transportation. Once I know my way around the hotel and I have a decent amount of food supplies in my room, I can go out and experience more.

5. Get Roaming On Your Phone

It’s far more convenient than buying local calling cards. I use it because it helps me keep all the data in a central point, not mangling with several phones at once and also keeps me for making long, unnecessary calls. On the other hand, when there’s a need to make a call, I can do it instantly.

6. Budget Your Local Currency Leftovers

You will have local currency leftovers. Meaning the small notes you end up with at the airport, when you’re ready to leave that country and don’t know when you’ll going to be back again. During my first long travels those leftovers were in the 70-80 USD range. Quite a lot. After a little bit of exercise I reduced them at around 15-25 USD, which is basically a decent meal at any airport restaurant.

7. Identify Human Connections At Destinations

Find them on the Internet, on discussion groups, on blogs. Find some people you know in advance and try establish a connection with them. Not only they will become useful guides but they will also enhance your overall experience of traveling. It’s not as much about visiting places as it is about making friends.

Destination

Knowing where you go is important, although keeping a little bit of mystery around is also pretty exciting. But there are several things I learned to do before and sometimes right after I get to my destination of choice.

1. Get Info About The Food

If you’re on a special diet, as I was back when I was a raw foodist, get as much information as you can in advance. I overlooked this step only once, during my trip to Japan, and incidentally Japan is one of the most unsuitable places for a raw vegan to be. I actually had to break my diet during that visit and even after, so now I’m a little bit cautious on this one.

2. Assess Political Situation

I don’t travel in hot areas of the world, but even if you don’t do this on purpose, traveling long distance can get you close to hot areas (if your plane has been rescheduled for instance and you have to connect on a different airport in a different country). Assessing the political situation of the closest countries on your itinerary is a good idea.

3. Read Reviews On Travel Sites

But take them with a little bit of salt. I use only a few of travel sites, wikitravel being the most important one. Most of the time I’m just trying to get in the vibe, know the local habits, the local geography and cultural norms, letting the actual discovery to occur once I’m there.

4. Look Up The Itinerary on Google Maps

Especially on long distance trips this could be a very interesting activity. When I first come to New Zealand I actually didn’t realize that I would have 2 10+ hours long flights. The segment between Bangkok and Auckland seemed like a few hours, when in reality was 10 hours. That made me a very loyal client to Google Maps ever since.

5. Follow Your Intuition

Don’t always go for the famous places. Risk your time a little. The very best moments of my travels were the unexpected ones. I searched for a floating market in Bangkok (while the real floating market was 150 km away), got lost on some mountain roads while driving in Alps and got lost in a park near Danube Tower in Vienna.

6. Search For The High Points

Literally. Every big city has a high point. I’ve been on Eiffel Tour in Paris, France, on Sky Tour in Auckland, New Zealand, on Danube Tower in Venna, Austria, on Tokyo Tower in Tokyo, Japan and so on. There’s something really special about climbing on those high points and see the city unfolding under your feet.

Flying

A big part of your long distance trip will be on a plane. Don’t overlook this because you can’t really sleep all the time. Besides, there are a lot of interesting things you can do on a long distance plane if only to make sure you’ll arrive at your destination in the best possible shape.

1. Request An Aisle Seat

Even if you’re going to be bothered by other passengers to get up and down, it will be good for your body. Not to mention that you have the freedom to get up and walk whenever you want. Unless you really want to look at the Earth from 10.000 meters every minute of your 10+ hours flight, take an aisle seat.

2. Don’t Oversleep

It’s not good for your body. Out of 9-10 hours of an average transcontinental flight, I found that maximum 3 hours of sleep are the best you can get. Oversleeping will have a very strange effect on your body and will make your jetlag fighting a little bit difficult. Try some light conversation instead.

3. Don’t Abuse The Inflight Entertainment System

Every transcontinental plane has what they call an inflight entertainment system: movies, tv shows, documentaries, music or games. From my experience one of the best combos is maximum 2 movies and 1 documentary per flight. More than that is going to have quite an adverse effect on your brain. Balance the entertainment flight with some sleep, light conversation and discrete physical exercise.

4. Exercise Your Muscles And Joints

Doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll have to run to the restroom and back every 15 minutes (your flight attendants could be especially upset by such a behavior) but do try to activate some groups of muscles every half an hour. Your legs especially must be worked out, in a very discrete and effective way, but don’t forget your shoulders and neck.

5. Get On The New Local Time

Once you’re on the plane, set up your clock to the local time at the destination. If you had at least 3 weeks between your trips, it’s a good idea to get on the local time with 1-2 days in advance, in order to reduce some of the jetlag. Regardless of that, once you are on the plane, think and live by the new time at the destination.

6. Prepare For Glitches

Flying is by far one of the safest and best organized ways of traveling, but this doesn’t makes it perfect. Even flights can be delayed, or technical problems may postpone your flight with several hours or days, or you can jump into a bird. Be ready to face those situations and don’t get panicked. Eventually, you’ll get there, that’s all that counts.

7. Fully Recharge All Electronic Devices Before Getting On Board

You will need your kindle, your iPod or your laptop. During the flight, your electronic devices can be a very good replacement of the inflight entertainment system, if you can’t find something you like. Not to mention that you will need them functioning at your destination. Of course, you must switch them off during landing and taking off.

8. Take Off Your Shoes

This is not a joke. First time I saw some of my flight colleagues doing that I was quite surprised. But after 3 hours of hurting feet I finally understand. Don’t worry about walking in your socks on the plane, it’s much cleaner than you think and you’ll get rid of those socks anyway. Having healthy feet once you get down from the plane is so often underrated.

9. Keep Your Tickets And Passports Handy

Don’t stick them to the bottom of your backpack or handbag. Always keep them at hand especially when in the airport. You will need them at security checkpoints, at boarding and sometimes during the flight when you will complete arriving cards (various countries need some of those cards completed when you enter them).

10. Keep Your Tickets And Vouchers Available

I book electronically most of the time so I don’t really have tickets but receipts and itineraries. I print them and I also print all the vouchers (most of the time for airport to hotel transportation). Don’t underestimate the stress you’ll experience in a foreign airport. Make sure you can react fast to any request regarding your tickets or vouchers.

11. Get A Name Tag For Your Bags

Many airlines are providing this at the check-out desks, but many still aren’t. A name tag will have your exact name and address on it, gets attached to the bag handle and makes it much more easier to identify your baggage at the carousels.Your bag may look very much like another bag and in this case the name tag is the only distinctive element.

12. Keep The Flight Timetable Available

Again, I use my iPhone Notes app for that. For each long segment I write down my flight number, my plane type and the expected duration of the flight. It helps me gain a feeling of clarity in the middle of unknown surroundings. You may put it in a notebook or on a piece of paper. For me, it worked with the iPhone and helped me keep my head clear during 20.000+ km long flights.

13. Airports Are Part Of The Trip

I always enjoy walking inside airports, watching people and trying to get a glimpse of the local lifestyle. I don’t take airports as transitory, tasteless points in my journey. Whenever I can, I try to connect with people, to visit interesting places, to get in airport lounges or to capture beautiful pictures of planes taking off or landing.

14. Hunt For Power Outlets

Some airports have designated places for charging electronic devices, some not. Whenever I am at a coffee shop or in a waiting room, I hunt for the closest place to a power outlet. And take it.

15. Take An Extra Sweater On Board

Although many airplanes are providing light blankets, on long flights the temperature can get pretty low. Better be prepared with an extra sweater. When flying at 10.000 meters for more than 9 hours, the cold combined with the lack of humidity can be pretty nasty.

16. Get Hydrated

The air in the plane cabin is extremely dry, due to the pressuring conditions. It’s very easy to get dehydrated but it’s also very easy to avoid it. Be sure to tell to flight attendants to get you water or juice every time you need it. Some prefer to take some moisturing creme for the hands or face, I’ve been ok without it, but your mileage may vary.

Accommodation

This is something really personal, so your choice may be different than mine, Regardless of the quality of the accommodations, and of the main goal of your trip, I found out that you will always need at least those 3 simple tips.

1. Look For Basic Hygiene

I usually book hotels when I know in advance where I’m going. In 99% of the cases hotels are clean and safe. But depending on the trip, budget and local context, I can book some bed and breakfast or even a backpackers hostel. Whenever I have to choose on the spot, I usually ask to see the room in advance. Saved a lot of frustration, many times.

2. Sleep Well

Don’t overextend yourself by staying late, especially when you’ve been jetlagged. Sleep as much as you want, because you don’t want to be hit by an unbearable need to sleep in the middle of a visit to some important attraction, or even when you’re in a public spot, like a restaurant or coffee shop. Assess the room in advance and ask if it’s quiet and / or sleep friendly.

3. Make Human Connections

I split my accommodation between hotels, hostels and bed and breakfast facilities. Every time I try to make some human connection with somebody there, being the concierge, the owner of the house or just some random sleeping colleagues in a backpackers hostel. The next step for this will be of course coach surfing but I’m not sure I’m ready for it. Yet.

Field Activities

This is what you’re actually doing, the core of your trip. Of course, it’s entirely personal so the only tips here are related to your interaction with the world, and how to streamline it as much as possible.

1. Get Local Currency As Fast As You Can

If you can get it with you in advance, that’s even better. I travel mostly with EUROs and US dollars and that covers pretty much every part of the world. Be aware that exchange offices in the airports are usually much more expensive than the bank offices in the town, or have some huge commission. From my experience, it’s always better to get local currencies at a local bank.

2. Update Your Itinerary Frequently

And by that I mean let your friends and followers in the digital world knowing where you are. I am a digital media citizen and I do update my itineraries as often as I can (meaning when I get some free wifi spots, data roaming being horrendously expensive everywhere in the world). It’s good not only for letting your closest ones that you’re safe and sane, but also for personal branding. I got a few interesting followers from each country I visited after some of my long distance travel tweets.

3. Know Your Surroundings

That goes hand in hand with the planning activity which says not to do anything important in the first 36 hours. I use those hours to know: shops around, restaurants around, walking areas and public transportation areas. If there’s internet in my hotel room (99% of the cases, that is) I’m also browsing some Google Maps around my accommodation address to see the big picture.

4. Buy Day Or Week Long Public Transportation Tickets

If your planning was good, you should know in advance the costs of public transportation. In almost any of the cases, buying day long passes or even week long passes proved to be an incredible money (and time) saver. Depending on the local context you may use some exotic transportation, like Thailand tuk-tuk’s but don’t rely on them for getting fast and safe at a certain destination.

5. You Can’t Have Enough Photos

Never. Traveling long distance is such an eye opening experience, in every way you look at it. I never know when I’m going to be back there, so keeping a strong visual record will always help me remember the best I can. Most of the time I use – again – my iPhone, but recently I took the habit of carrying with me a brand new Canon 450D.

1. Ask whether you actually need to travel super-light at all. If shedding a few pounds is going to cost a lot of pounds I prefer just to have a slightly heavier pack and regard it as extra training.

2. Having said that, it certainly is nice to travel light. A great way to do this on a long trip is to imagine you are going away just for a weekend. You do not actually need a lot more gear for a year-long journey than an overnighter.

3. From ‘Three Men in a Boat’ I learned that I must not take the things I could do with, but only the things I could not do without. Don’t try to cover every possible contingency.

4. Take a good book. I always deem a book worth its weight anyway, but they also double as toilet paper. Always read absorbing books.

5. Don’t bother with a towel – use your socks or just get dressed wet.

6. Decide what ratio of comfort:misery you are willing to tolerate. I now deem a 3/4 length Therm-a-Rest to be essential rather than luxury. I have also suffered too often from planning a trip from the comfort of a nice warm house and making decisions like “oh, I won’t bother with any food or warm clothes. I’ll just suffer a bit.” Easier said than done!

7. Don’t automatically choose a lightweight backpack. On a recent trip I saved about 1kg by using a very light pack. My shoulders and hips rubbed raw and I cursed the lack of padding.

8. I don’t care about being smelly, but I do care about being cold or hungry. This determines my selection of kit as much as anything. In other words, leave the spare pants behind, pack another bar of chocolate.

9. A bit of discomfort is a small price to pay for bringing simplicity, minimalism, and a lightweight ethos to your trip.

10. Any fool can be uncomfortable.

 

 

 

Photos:  1) Elisa, enjoying her snack, in front of a Fra Angelico masterpiece in Florence;, and 2) Pausing on the town wall,  Monteriggioni.

 

We leave soon for a family trip to Italy.  When I pulled out the folder used for our last trip there – five years ago – I found my version of “Tips for traveling overseas with a toddler.”  I smiled at how different (e.g. smoother) our preparations were this time around with a six-year-old.

 

I thought I’d share the old list for those of you contemplating a trip with your little ones overseas.  We used it well when travelling with our daughter from ages 8 months to 4 years or so  across three continents and 12 countries.   If one is prepared, travelling with babies and toddlers can be fun and rewarding.

 

1. Luggage: When Erik met me his travel philosophy was, “Take whatever fits in one piece of carry-on luggage.” Our philosophy with a baby was something like, “Baggage carts are not that expensive – free outside the US – so why not be comfortable?”

 

Celebrating Valentine’s Day while traveling with your significant other reminds us how important it is to treat each other as loved ones and not just traveling buddies.  It’s not easy spending every living moment with each other and still remembering to be romantic occasionally.  Traveling as a couple will test the strength of your relationship, something I suggest doing before you venture out on a 3 or more month journey.

Having a significant other, or spouse and living at home can be a challenge in itself, but that doesn’t even begin to compare to traveling with someone.  For those that have not done long-term travel, it may seem like an extended vacation, but it’s not.  It’s a new lifestyle, that still requires some planning, effort and patience.  Articles often tout the many benefits of traveling solo, and there is good reason to do so.  You can go where you want, when you want, how you want.  Basically, the same benefits of being single.  However, you can’t easily share those experiences.  Photos can’t even begin to capture what we see with the naked eye, the goosebumps felt on our arms or the sound of wind or animals surrounding us.  I always think of the movie “Into the Wild” when I imagine traveling alone.  Everyone has their own preferences, but I confidently know, mine is to travel with Aracely.

1. Don’t Test a Relationship On the Road

This is not the place to test your compatibility. Be confident of your relationship, before planning your long-term travels with them.

2. Discuss Travel Preferences

If one of you enjoys traveling in local buses and broken down roads in order to have a local experience, make sure the other does too.  Are you an adventurer seeking high peak climbs or would you prefer to relax on a beach.  Can you tolerate a communal dorm room, or you do prefer your privacy?  Are you willing to experiment with food?  This is probably one of the most important topics to spend time discussing.  You may not have the same desires, but you have to come to a compromise before departing from home.

3. Budget & Spending Behaviors

Agree on what you each intend to spend and stick to it!  Even in your stable lives in suburbia, one of the top reasons for divorce is financial disagreements.  Understand how your desire to see certain places or do specific activities will impact your budget.  I like to spend money on beer, Aracely would rather enjoy a nice meal, but we both are okay with it.

4. Inviting Friends & Family

Often when traveling long-term a friend offers to join you, or maybe even a Mother-in-Law!  Expect to receive a few self-invites and know whether or not you have agreed to have company.  Granted, a Mother-in-Law may not have been discussed.  When traveling with friends or family the travel decisions, sleeping arrangements and transportation arrangements all become more difficult.

5. Dedicated Together Time

Your probably wondering, “Don’t we have together time all the time?”  My answer is, “Not the kind of together time I am referring to.”  Much of our time is spent planning, eating, traveling and unfortunately waking up early.  I know, I didn’t think I would have to wake up early either, but most buses and adventure activities start early in the morning.  As travel bloggers and on-line consultants, whenever we get free time, we do work.  In order to stay lovers and not just travel buddies, dedicate some personal time with each other, just as you might do at home.

As I mentioned in the opening of this article, it’s important to know when to be a travel buddy and when to be a lover.  It’s easy to forget the second role, always getting caught up in the busy planning and traveling chores.  It shouldn’t just be Valentine’s Day when we decide to enjoy a nice dinner and hit the sack early, but Valentine’s Day can be a reminder to do that.  It’s not only more difficult because we are often busy, but it’s a challenge because we are together constantly.  There isn’t much escaping for some personal time, especially in our case.  As we travel in Latin America, I am entirely dependent on Aracely’s Spanish speaking skills.  The only escape I can do is walk around the block.

You will be together constantly with your significant other while traveling, but not the kind of together that brought you together.