Tips For Traveling Abroad With Young Children by Erin E.H. Austin

I was overjoyed when my two kids got their first passports! From the time they were born, my husband and I were in agreement that traveling internationally with them would be a priority, and we would do what we had to do to make that happen. 

We now have a 6- and a 9-year-old who love collecting passport stamps and trying out different languages and food. Those stamps, however, feel like they are not so much made with ink but with actual blood, sweat, and many tears! 

After several trips abroad, I know there are some things we did right and some areas where we horribly missed the mark. To anyone considering taking young children traveling out of the country, here are my recommendations to increase the joy—and sanity—for everyone involved!

Essential Tips (in random order)

Bring snacks…but not all snacks are created equal.

Snacks are essential to everyday parenting life. Traveling, they become even more essential because they are often the barrier between you and a (very public) meltdown. The first time we took our kids to France, our son (who was 7 at the time) was a nightmare. I was convinced one of us wasn’t going to make it home alive…and I was willing to be the one to die, just to escape. Afterward, I shared this with a doctor friend, and she immediately asked what snacks we had. Mainly, they were dried fruit, crackers, pretzels, and the like. She relayed that boys, especially, need regular protein, and that it has a direct effect on behavior. The next summer (with a now 8-year-old) we went back to France, only this time we were armed with meat sticks and jerky. The difference? Stark!

Bring your own snack containers and utensils.

For me, one of the toughest downsides of travel is the constant purchase and disposal of single-use plastic. To avoid that, we pack snacks in small containers and silicone bags, and we all have a set of utensils. This way, we can refill snacks from larger bags while traveling, make and store sandwiches, and reuse utensils, all of which makes things like day-trip picnics easier.

Plan only one thing per day, and do it first thing in the morning.

Want to do something cultural or have a guided tour? Great…but most kids can’t handle more than one such activity per day. When booking an activity that has a clear start time, plan it for the morning when the kids have the most energy and are least likely to melt down.

Let the kids decide what to do during unstructured time.

If you made it through your structured time with everyone still alive, good for you! Now make sure that you have unstructured time for the (bulk of the) rest of the day. Our first time bringing kids to Paris, we traveled with another family who had slightly older kids. I made a list of activities (all of which were pre-approved by the adults), and we gave the list—complete with photos—to the four kids. We told them it was up to them to let us know what we’re doing every afternoon; they had to set the schedule. The oldest child had her own device, so the four kids would gather around with their handouts, look up each site/activity, and report back to the adults what the plan would be. Having some ownership in the trip helped all the kids complain less. (Note: There was definitely still complaining. It was just less.)

One gelato a day keeps the peace…for at least half an hour.

Is there some sort of edible treat the place you’re traveling to has? Get one for your kids every day, and use it as a carrot: If you’re well-behaved on our museum visit, we’ll get ice cream afterwards! or We just have to walk for 10 more minutes, and if you make it, we’ll get ice cream! Now, you may be thinking, “But we don’t eat that many sweets!” or “We don’t bribe our children.” You have to give all such arguments up because parental sanity is critical. Also consider the fact that you’re playing the long game here: The goal (presumably) is for your children to enjoy travel and for your family to continue doing it…which requires adjustments from “regular life.” 

Sometimes you have to throw some money at the problem.

I understand traveling inexpensively—heck, I even give presentations called Global Travel Minus the Expense to help world language teachers get abroad for free or cheap!—but sometimes, when traveling with children, you have to spend money to save sanity. Should we wait for the subway and then do three train changes plus a 15-minute walk to get from the airport to the city center? No. Take a taxi, and be done with it. 

Maintaining routine is not a top vacation priority.  

Some parents try to figure out the voodoo math of “Well, we’re 8 hours ahead of our normal time…and bedtime is usually at 7:30pm…but restaurants don’t open here until 8:00pm…so factoring in the activities we’re doing today, that means the kids should be going to bed at…3:00pm? Wait…that can’t be right…” Let it go. It’s not worth the mental gymnastics, and it’s not going to work anyway. If you’re switching time zones, let the kids sleep as long as they want to that first day, and whether you’re in the same time zone or not, realize that it’s impossible to predict how the new environment will affect your kids’ energy levels. When the kids are awake, take advantage of it (mornings!); when the kids are tired, let them sleep.

Bring waterproof mattress pads.

I have traveled with and without waterproof mattress pads, so I know what I’m talking about here. It’s hard to explain to hotel staff in a language you don’t speak that your child wet the bed. Likewise, it’d be a bummer to get a bad review from an AirBnB host because your child wet the bed. Children’s bladders cannot be trusted! Waterproof mattress pads are a small investment with BIG reward. 

One week is the sweet spot.

Although you may be tempted to vacation longer than a week—”It takes a full day to even fly there!”—I don’t recommend longer than one week with young children, at least at first. Kids miss their friends and pets, and they miss the regularity of life at home (which, as previously stated, you simply can’t replicate while traveling.) Additionally, if you have a trip that includes multiple cities with the goal of doing some “go go go” activities and some “relaxation time”, I recommend saving the relaxation time for the end of the trip. Kids love knowing that the beach (or whatever) is coming in a day or two…we just have to stand in this museum line a little bit longer today.

Lower your expectations…and then lower them again.

The best-laid plans can—and will—be completely turned upside down by children. Every. Single. Time. Whatever you think you can accomplish, trim it to half. If your trip will include a significant time change, trim further. 

Beach-Specific Tips

Reapply sunscreen NONSTOP.

Anyone who has made the mistake of thinking that applying sunscreen once in the morning and once in the afternoon on a beach vacation knows how sorely mistaken they were. A sunburn can ruin an entire trip for the whole family, so an “apply every two hours” rule (at least!) is the way to go. 

Buy the beach umbrella.

The best ~$10 you’ll ever spend is getting that cheap beach umbrella from the “We sell a little of everything” store a few blocks off the beach. Before leaving, pass it on to some poor, umbrella-less parent who is looking defeated. They will love you for it.

All-inclusives are a godsend.

My husband and I were always “off the beaten path” travelers…until we had kids. The first time we took them out of the country, we opted for an all-inclusive resort despite not ever having been all-inclusive types of people. Best. Decision. Ever. The kids always had access to food, we could easily leave to go into town or to do an excursion, and the Kids’ Club was fantastic for when we needed a little break. All-inclusives are an excellent way to dip your toes into the International Travel with Young Children world.

Have you taken young kids abroad? Tell us what tips you have in the comments below!

The 2023 CCFLT Teacher of the Year, Erin E.H. Austin is also a National Board Certified French teacher in Fort Collins and the author of The Ultimate Guide to Selling Your Original World Language Resources, Going Global in the World Language Classroom, and Achieving National Board Certification in World Languages. Follow her on Bluesky @erin-eh-austin.bsky.social or on YouTube here.