Traveling as a couple or with friends is not at all the same as traveling with children. The needs of young explorers of the world are very different from those of their adult travel companions. Sometimes this creates additional difficulties, in other cases, on the contrary, it simplifies everything, but one way or another, it is absolutely impossible not to take into account the peculiarities of little travelers! Here are some travel guides for celebrating National Son Day with your family.
Choice of direction
The most popular travel time is summer, and it usually comes with a standard sea-sun-beach set. For families with children, it is worth choosing calm resorts, where there is a lot of greenery and a good beach with a smooth sandy entrance to the sea, where the baby will not get hurt on the stones. We recommend the sandy beaches of Anapa and Gelendzhik in Russia, the Greek island of Zakynthos, the town of Protaras in Cyprus, and the Spanish Calella. Winter travels are not at all worse than summer ones, they are just different. Less warmth, more magic. All children dream of going to visit Santa Claus (in Veliky Ustyug) or Santa Claus (in Lapland). And there are so many cozy Christmas markets in Europe with bright decorations and delicious delicacies! Not a single child will be left without a feeling of a real New Year’s fairy tale! In the off-season, there are no fewer ideas for travel, but the prices for flights and hotels are pleasantly surprising. The simplest is a trip to Disneyland Paris or lesser-known amusement parks such as Danish Legoland or Spanish Port Aventura. Acquaintance with cities can be combined with visits to interactive museums, where science is presented to kids in an easy-to-understand form (NEMO Center in Amsterdam, Technical Museum in Stockholm). Don’t forget about relaxing outdoor activities, which can also be very interesting for children. Take them to the Keukenhof Tulip Park in the Netherlands or the Garden of Space Reflections in Scotland.
Flights with children
Just as a theater begins with a coat rack, travel usually begins at an airport. Few people know that in most airports there are excellent children’s rooms where mini-passengers can frolic before the flight. Onboarding, travelers with children will also have a pleasant surprise in the form of skipping the line to the plane. If your baby still “lives” in a stroller, you can check it in with your luggage, or just before boarding – this service is always free of charge. Flying is an equally important part of the journey. Children under 2 years old are usually accommodated in the lap of a parent and a small flat fee is charged for their ticket. Many airlines provide special air cradles, please check in advance about the possibility of booking. If you wish, you can buy your own seat for the baby, but this is much more expensive. Older children always sit in a separate seats. It is believed that the best seats are in the front rows of the aircraft, but at the end of the cabin, there are more chances to fly without neighbors and “illegally” take a couple of extra seats.
Move option
Speaking of transport! When planning active movements in space during your rest, think about how exactly you are going to carry them out. When traveling with small children or in countries with poorly developed transport infrastructure, it is worth renting a car. It will give not only the joy of freedom of movement and a lot of comforts but also significantly save time and nerves. When traveling with older children, especially in countries with a good transport system, you can limit yourself to moving by local buses and trains. In this case, we recommend planning all the logistics in advance so as not to do this on vacation.
Choice of housing
Many people mistakenly believe that you need to rest with your child only on the “all-inclusive” system. And if in Turkey and Egypt such a choice is justified, then similar hotels in other countries will hurt you with their price tags. An alternative option is an accommodation in rooms with a kitchenette, where a meal can be organized at any time and at the same time will seriously save money! When choosing a resort hotel for a vacation with kids, do not forget that all its “adult” options must be supplemented with analogs for a child. The pool with a children’s section, meals with a children’s menu, a children’s playground, as well as a bed in the room and seating in the restaurant must be equipped with a “for children” prefix. When traveling with a large family, renting private housing, apartments or country houses can be a good and economical alternative to hotels. In addition to financial benefits, you will have at your disposal spatial freedom, independence from the hotel’s daily routine, as well as a lot of “usefulness”: from a full-fledged kitchen with a washing machine to a large plasma screen for watching cartoons.