Our first family vacation with children under five produced more anxiety than anticipation. The luggage list filled three pages. The outcome was predictable: a week of exhaustion, frustration, and precious few of the bonding moments that had motivated the trip. The second family vacation was different. We had learned that family travel requires different planning assumptions.
Family travel is not diminished travel. It is different travel, with different constraints and different opportunities. The constraints force creativity and intentionality. The opportunities for shared family experience in settings that would not otherwise exist create memories that compound in value.
The Right Destination
Age-appropriate destinations dramatically affect family travel success. Beach resorts work across ages because they offer both activity and rest, structure and freedom. Cruises offer built-in childcare and entertainment that parents can opt into or out of.
The Packing Reality
Children require approximately the same amount of stuff as adults, plus absorbent padding for accidents, plus entertainment for when screens are not appropriate, plus backup everything for the everything that will inevitably fail.