Make the most of the last days of summer with these fun tips! 10-more-tips-and-tricks-for-summer

What is your favorite tip for beating the summer heat?

summer fun

It’s no secret that much of our travel success comes from including my parents in the journey.  With four young kids, the extra hands are essential!  But traveling with relatives is not always easy.  Here are some ground rules to smooth the journey. 

1.  Set expectations before the trip.  Are you going to be together all the time?  Do you need kids to sleep in the relative’s room?  What are seating arrangements on the airplane.  These details must be discussed before the trip.

2.  Budget.  How are you splitting expenses?  Will you reconcile when you get home?  For our family, we pay for the hotels and my parents pick up most meals.  When we get home we do a rough reconciliation to make sure things came out close to even.

3.  Allow for alone time.  We give my parents at least one nice dinner on their own.  We also try to allow for them to split up and take in the sites they want to see – which leads us right into….

4.  Discuss site seeing desires.  When traveling with kids, it is impossible to see every site so have everyone make a list of two or three “Must See” things.  Plan the vacation itinerary to accommodate the lists.  If it is a particular passion that isn’t really kid friendly, don’t push it – plan an separate activity for the kiddos!

5.  Pack fun activities for the kids.  Even the best grandparents appreciate a helping hand so be sure to bring hotel room, park and travel activities so they can keep the kids entertained.  Some of my favorite vacation memories include my dad flying kites with the kids in Rome, London, Geneva and Munich.  The Made in the Shade from TravelKiddy is one of our most used travel activity kits!

What are your tips for a successful, multi-generational travel experience?

family travel · traveling with grandparents