Yes, you can!
It is true that you will no longer travel the same as before. But you won't live the same as before . And does that mean your life or your travels are over? No, just that they will be different . Because you will also be different from what you were. It may seem like a daunting, crazy task, but it is possible. “You are afraid that the children will get sick and you will not find a pediatrician, that be bored as oysters watching monuments, break a vase from the Ming Dynasty in the Louvre Museum or that they spend the two and a half hours that the flight to London lasts crying non-stop, while the rest of the passengers point their fingers at you”, we can read in the introduction to the book traveling with children (La editorial Viajera), which also comforts us: “It is normal to have certain fears of the unknown; but children are malleable and adaptable , even more than we adults imagine. They have thousands of resources that we don't even consider, they just need a little attention with the schedules of sleep and meals , choice and duration of visits and little else”. simple and reasonable , what yes?
With you to the end of the world (also to the Colorado Plateau)
AND WHAT HAPPENS IF IT IS A BABY?
There is no clear answer about At what age can you go out to see the world with a child? , “Since it depends on the desire to travel that the parents have and the health of the little ones. Each age has its own characteristics and the trip is approached very differently depending on the needs of the children ”, they explain in traveling with children.
Pilar Manrique write a delicious blog of getaways with children and proposals for activities in her province, Córdoba, called Welcome to Lilliput. For her, "the slightly older children are more flexible with sleeping and eating schedules , and are already involved in the destination. They like to browse and begin to ask questions about what they see and to interact with the people at the destination, especially with other children, which greatly enriches the travel experience."
WHERE DO I BEGIN?
With one or the other, "a good trick to gain confidence and lose initial fears is to try to make a few days getaway to a destination that is not too far away to see how the traveling machinery works, either on your own or with the help of a travel agency”, point out the authors of Traveling with children.
And, of course, our first trip with the baby doesn't have to become nomads in Mongolia for three months . we can start with a weekend in a rural house , a getaway to some **European city with attractions for children** or a couple of days at the beach. Thus, we will lose our fear and we will see that “the lion is not as fierce as they paint it”.
Let them look at the map too.
THIRTEEN KEY POINTS
Pau García Solbes is a journalist, travel blogger, author of that travel hit with children on the Internet called elpachinko (and if you don't know it, you're already taking a long time), co-author of the aforementioned book and, in addition, a committed family man. traveler, of course . Himself, along with another traveling mother who should inspire us, mavi , creator of the guide to enjoy the city with all your tribe that is Mammaproof , have prepared this catalog of key ideas you should memorize (or get a tattoo, especially the first one) for each trip with babies (and small children):
1. Patience, patience, patience (thus, in bold, well marked and never to be forgotten, never) .
two. Choose a destination where sanitary conditions They are good and they are not dangerous.
3. Change the chip and adapt to the needs and tastes of the little ones , everything will go smoothly.
Four. Involve the children in preparing for the trip. If they are very small, put them videos, photos or tell them stories about the place you will visit. (In the book Traveling with children, for when their age allows it, they add “also ask their opinion about the places they would like to visit”).
5. respect their meal and sleep times at destination.
6. Look for a time a day to play , there are parks in almost all destinations. In the parks, draw friendship with other parents , and above all, let your child play with the local children.
7. Forget marathon itineraries Better a couple of well-used activities a day.
8. Find a local guide (like Mammaproof herself).
9. Stay in a vacation rental apartment for families, and choose a quiet and family neighborhood for sleeping.
10. try to go light luggage , most childcare knickknacks you won't need at your destination.
eleven. Before making the trip of your dreams, try little traveling skirmishes to see that it is not as difficult as they paint it.
12. If you can to breastfeed give it! And for the big ones try it all!
13. Enjoy , you'll rediscover the world through the eyes of your children and that will cause you to remember wonderful sensations that you have not felt since childhood.
In short: common sense . And relax. It is the most important thing. As an unmissable travel tip, we would add that golden rule that every father has almost tattooed : that the journey takes place when children are most likely to fall asleep (night flights, please, and car outings, in the siesta) . Everything will be more bearable.
You can look for a family rental flat to stay, such as MammaHouse.
ARE ALL DESTINATIONS VALID?
For Pau, "there has been no traumatic destination traveling with the little ones, they have a amazing adaptability . We have been in places as unprepared for traveling with children as South Korea and we have returned delighted”. And if her family was able to skip the idea that we can only travel to places with a bracelet, yours will be able to too: “ It would be a mistake to go only to places for children , firstly because they lose the essence of the places we travel to and secondly because there has to be space and activities for everyone, not just for the little ones. For example, on a seven-day trip, it would be normal a couple of places for children and the rest teach them other new experiences ”. Namely, a little bit for them, a little bit for you.
Great wonders are not necessary either, "simply places where children and parents have an equally good time . For me, a great example of a Family Welcome city is Mechelen in Flanders , where they even have a children's committee that proposes fun activities and experiences for the little ones”, reveals Pau (and we already know what our next destination will be ) .
Among the perfect destinations recommended by this traveling family, there would be especially those Scandinavian and Central European countries . “We would repeat without hesitation in Norway, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Flanders, Germany, Cancun or Japan, our all-time favorite and that of our little ones since last Easter. From Spain... Costa Brava, Cantabria, Asturias or Euskadi ”.
For Pillar, " Spain has many areas that are very adapted to children . We have recently visited Cantabria , magnificent to visit with the family, or the Catalan Pyrenees . We also really like areas like Valle del Jerte, or Sierra de Cuenca, and already in Andalusia, the Sierra de Cazorla Natural Park , Segura and Las Villas, as well as coastal areas such as Cabo de Gata or the beaches of Cádiz".
Who said fear of the suitcase?
THE TERROR OF EVERY FATHER: THE SUITCASE
“In this, experience is a degree”, explains Pau. “At first we took everything and then we didn't use it. For example, car bottle warmer ...and we weren't driving. Think that at destination they will sell almost everything you need , so take things you need for the first few days and then do what the locals do.”
The perfect suitcase is " small and with the necessary . A fleece and a raincoat essential for anywhere you go, several t-shirts and short and long pants. When the children were younger we always carried a spare change of clothes. Now that they are older (5 and 7 years old) the amount and type of clothing is similar to ours . In general, whenever fate allows us, We fly with a carry-on bag and we do not check in" , tells us Pilar, from Welcome to Lilliput .
There are things that we cannot miss. For Mavi, "the ergonomic backpack", but everyone who chooses his own. “My little ones always travel with your favorite stuffed animals , that is non-negotiable”, says Pau. In case they lose them, and not to go like crazy suffering beforehand (a far-sighted father is worth two), there are those who have two identical stuffed animals: one from home, another traveler.
Rediscover nature with your eyes.
WITHOUT FEAR
And what can we lose our fear of when traveling with young children? “ To nature, it is amazing to see how children interact with the environment... everything surprises and pleases them . It's not bad to put on some boots from time to time and carry them on your back in a baby carrier backpack ”, says this highly experienced blogger on the matter.
Mammaproof's Mavi is adventurous, and she thinks we should losing the fear "of getting lost... is the beginning of every good trip". With "curiosity, joy and respect for cultures different from your own" you will get anywhere.
Let them play in the park (especially if it's an urban beach in Paris).
**PLAN (AND BE REALISTIC)**
Perhaps to lose fear, it is best to plan, “investigate the destination and develop routes with interesting points to see or activities that can be enriching for everyone”, they point out in Traveling with children. “As for the itineraries, keep in mind that you are not in the army or running the New York marathon . No one forces you to be the first to enter that museum or to climb that peak in the wee hours of the morning to see the sun rise. When you decide to draw up a route plan, it is essential to be realistic with the children's rhythm and very flexible . If when you traveled alone, as a couple or with friends it gave you time to live 'X' experiences per day , you will probably have to divide that 'x' by three , even for four. Stops and distractions will be constant along the way. So better to visit two or three places well than get frustrated because you are not fulfilling the planned itinerary before leaving home".
To the Tate Modern, but calmly.
WHAT DO YOUR CHILDREN LEARN TRAVELLING?
It is often said that every journey is also an inner journey . For children too. Children learn "to adapt to circumstances, and that not everything goes as planned. They have learned to be patient (on long trips, for example), to not everything is the same as in your city that people are very different from each other, to train your curiosity, to be tolerant with what they don't understand, and enjoy the adventure . And that we don't all speak the same language!", summarizes a proud Pilar.
The Ice Hotel, in Lapland, may be the best for them.
*You may also be interested in:
- Rome with children: an eternal playground
- The best accommodations to go with family
- Paris with children and without clichés
- Traveling with or without children: that is the question
- Rome with children: more than pizza and ice cream
- Rural map to travel with children in Spain
- All trips with children
- How to survive Disneyland Paris
- Paris with children and without stepping on Eurodisney
- Ten cafes to go with children (and drink coffee to taste) - Mini destinations (I) : Thailand with children
- Mini destinations (II) : Cambodia with children
- Mini Destinations (III) : Hong Kong with children
Pau García Solbes and his family on the Costa Brava.
The traveling sons of Mavi, from Mammaproof.