Travelling with kids is always challenging. And incredibly rewarding.
Fear of the unknown means it’s easy to be conservative with your holiday choices, especially if your kids love where you always go on holiday.
Travel adventures can be easy and comfortable for every age. We teamed up with Belmond to provide seven easy to implement tips, helping you to explore new places together.
1. Pre-Communicating Your Needs With Every Hotel
Every child is different. A two year old and a 12 year old can be happy in the same place, but they need different things.
It makes all the difference when a hotel understands your needs, before you arrive. What foods do your children like? What are their special requirements?
The best hotels will tailor your stay and small things make such a difference. Like having a baby bath set up for your arrival.
At EliteVoyage we communicate all your requirements with every hotel you stay. So you only need to communicate them once, to us.
2. Creating a Home Away from Home
Children are happiest when they feel comfortable. It’s important to have a space where everybody can do their own thing, from a teenager to a baby learning to crawl.
Pay careful attention to hotel room size and layout. You don’t want to share a bedroom with your five year old or have to tiptoe around because the kids are sleeping.
Private villas and dedicated multi-bedroom family units obviously make this easier. We love Belmond Jimbaran Puri for both the spaciousness and villa options.
Interconnecting rooms are also a good idea. Some amazing hotels like Reid’s Palace in Madeira offer a 50% discount on the second room.
An EliteVoyage travel designer will guide you through different hotels and room options, so you can find a place that can feel like your home.
3. Keeping the Whole Family Busy
When planning family trips a key consideration is how to take the hassle away from parents. That’s easiest at places with different activities for children.
Children want choice (as much as we hate to admit it). So when the child has a small list of options, it’s easier to keep them happily busy.
This can be guided activities of course. It can also be a hotel with large and safe grounds, where the children can easily run around. For example, Belmond Cap Julaca in Anguilla, where everybody can run around barefooted.
4. Pools Are Always a Good Solution
Children love swimming pools, you know that. The important consideration is how many people will share the pool.
Look for hotels with a variety of pools, especially separate children’s and adults-only pools.
The best solution is a private pool, available at many top resorts from the Maldives to Italy and Greece. Belmond Afloat is a private barge for a French river cruise. And it comes with a private pool!
5. Kids Clubs
The quality of a hotel kids club really depends on the quality of the hotel. Better hotels have more staff, better tailored activity programs, and a strong educational element as well.
They’re not only available at beach resorts. We love Mount Nelson, a Belmond hotel in Cape Town. Parents check in the kids in the morning and can leave the property to explore the city or nearby vineyards.
6. Making Sure Parents Have Time for Themselves
Everything is slower with kids. So trying to rush a holiday will only lead to stress.
It’s better to be adventurous with your destination choice, than overly adventurous with how much you can fit into an itinerary. Our travel designers will talk you through what is realistic.
It’s also essential that you enjoy some downtime. And you can only do that when you feel relaxed. When everything is taken care of. When you’re not stressing about whether the baby bath will be in your next hotel.
What's Your Dream Family Holiday?
7. Just Do It
Travel when you can, as soon as you can, and as often as you can. Yes, you might be a little bit sad when you can’t do something because it’s too difficult or not possible with kids. But remember, you will always experience more than if you stayed at home.
Not only will you create unique memories as you experience a new world together, you will stimulate your children’s interest in our planet. You’ll encourage them to appreciate other cultures and be open to new experiences in life.
So don’t postpone it. Make it comfortable. And do it.
