After one family travel, parents with young children may start asking the Lord for greater capacity for patience. If you’re planning your next holiday, first and foremost you must obey the Ten Commandments of Family Travel. While they are not Godsend, follow them and you are sure to enjoy your next adventure.
Here are our Ten Commandments of Family Travel:
1. Thou shall not make big fuss of little accidents
During family travel things will happen that are out of your control. Just accept it. Delayed flights, less than perfect weather, tantrums and accidental vomits – these are just part of travelling with children.
Keep calm, take a deep breath, do what you need to do then move on. It is also a great opportunity to teach your children how to handle the unexpected.
When tomorrow comes, you are forbidden to mention yesterday’s mishap again.
2. Thou shall not keep comparing your family with others
When travelling with your family, do things you are interested in. You don’t have to do activities solely because someone said, “You must go here” or “My friend said this restaurant is a MUST TRY.” The itinerary is 100% yours. You don’t have to worry about what other people think. Some families travel for culinary experience, cultural immersion, shopping, or just to relax. It is completely your choice.
Do the things your family enjoys.
3. Thou shall not stuff your face
Trying new foreign food is part of family travel fun. But resist the temptation to eat all the local street food you’ve been dreaming about on day one. This is one of the simplest tip to help your family avoid getting sick while travelling.
You want to enjoy your holiday sightseeing and having fun, not toilet hunting.
4. Thou shall put your smartphone away
Parents, do not constantly record videos and take photos with the intention of posting it as soon as you spot a free Wi-Fi. Stop looking at Facebook or Instagram to see how many people liked your last post. And stop endlessly chatting on Whatsapp with friends and family back home.
As for the children, they should be without the iPad. Enhance their curiosity. Get them a small camera too and let them snap away.
Promise your family that you will spend more quality time and be more present.
5. Remember your valuables and your little ones at all times
Do this by keeping things simple and not bringing too much stuff! As most experienced family travellers would advise: pack light and bring the minimum amount.
Never flash your wealth by wearing designer goods from head to toe. Do this and you might as well wear a sign that says “Rob me”.
Always keep an eye on your little ones. Do not get distracted by taking too much photos that you lose track of them.
6. Thou shall not travel as you did before having children
Do not try to replicate the way you used to travel before having children. It is not fair to your children to move cities every second day, and wanting to cram in too many activities and sightseeing in one day.
Stay longer in one place. Minimize the packing, unpacking and luggage carrying from one hotel to another. This will make your trip less tiring and much more enjoyable.
7. Thou shall not buy everything you see along the way
Have reasonable expectations and create a budget so you won’t come home with a shocking credit card debt. You don’t want to come back and say “I can’t afford to go travelling” again.
Before you make reckless and spontaneous purchases, reconsider if that money could have been used for another family holiday. It always comes down to priorities.
Also don’t become broke before even leaving home by buying brand new travel gear and more.
8. Thou shall not get too excited and lose sleep
Is your family member famous for being grumpy and irritable while travelling? Lack of sleep can be the cause. While exploring sites is very exciting, you will definitely need enough energy to do this.
Try to get at least 7 hours of sleep every night. Invest in good ear plugs if your hotel’s sound proofing is not the best (or if your spouse snores loudly). A good night’s rest is crucial for your body to function properly.
9. Remember to come home with awesome family photos
BUT don’t turn your family holiday into one endless photo shoot session.
Simple family photo planning will go a long way. There is no need to come up with new photo location or ideas. One of the easiest things to do is to copy examples from Instagram or Google images.
Avoid the usual 11 family travel photo fails. Also avoid taking too many photos in front of “Welcome to… ” signs, hotel lobby, eating in restaurants, too many selfies, these kinds of shots don’t create lasting memories.
10. Thou shall not bring too many things in your daily bag
To not break your back, don’t bring too many stuff with you in your daily bag or backpack. Checkout our daily travel checklist.
If you happen to forget to bring something, you can just purchase at the destination. It is not the end of the world!
For places we have visited, Checkout our website’s travel Destinations section. We buy of our travel essentials online via Ebay
