A lot of people think that once you have a baby you have to stop traveling. Fortunately, that’s far from the truth. In this guest post, Kristin Addis from Be My Travel Muse and Parenthood Adventures shares her tips for flying with a baby so you can travel with confidence the next time you take flight with your little one.

Flying with a baby can seem daunting. Plenty of parents dream of traveling with their little one, but visions of an entire plane of people gawking as their child cries keeps them from taking the leap.

As the mom of a well-traveled one-year-old, I’ve had my fair share of flights where everyone complimented how well my baby did, and others where I was counting the seconds until it was over, with a fussy, squirming child in my arms.

From those successes and failures, I’ve learned a lot about how to make a long flight more tolerable with an infant.

With 10 countries and nearly 100 flights as a family under my belt (plus some solo with my child), here’s everything I’ve learned about how to fly internationally with a baby:

1. Get Your Documents in Order Prior to Booking

Before traveling internationally, ensure you’ve left enough time to get your baby a passport. First, you’ll need a birth certificate, and depending on where you live, this could take a while.

Next, take photos of your child lying on a white background (I used a T-shirt) and make your passport office appointment, where you’ll submit your application forms (available online and at the office), photos, and payment. Check your local passport office or post office for the required documents and procedures.

Make sure that you leave plenty of time to spare for processing the application. Consider expediting it if there’s a long wait or if you plan to travel in a week’s time (in which case, go in person). It took us about three weeks to get the appointment, and six more to get the passport (even with expedited processing).

2. Make Sure Baby Has a Ticket

Even if your infant will be on your lap, they still need to be ticketed to be allowed to board. For international flights, you’ll have to pay the taxes, and usually 10% of the adult fare, even if they’re just on your lap.

Make sure you have this ticket confirmation prior to heading to the airport. I have run into issues before, when the airline said my son was added to my reservation when in fact he wasn’t, causing me to miss my flight while we sorted out the extra ticket and fees. Now, I make sure I have the actual ticket confirmation to avoid any issues.

3. Reserve a Bassinet

For those traveling with lap infants, check with your airline to reserve a bassinet. Bassinets attach to the area in front of the bulkhead seats, providing a safe and cozy spot for your baby to rest during the flight, and giving you your lap back. You do not need to book your child their own seat to reserve a bassinet, as it will be attached to the wall in front of you. They have weight limits, but each airline is different in terms of what those are, with most being 20–26 lbs.

These bassinets are limited, and bulkhead seats are popular, so make your reservation early to secure one. Not every airline reserves these ahead of time, but some do. Singapore Airlines and Emirates even reserve bassinet seats especially for parents!

4. Get Toddlers Their Own Seat for Longer Flights

Children under two can fly on your lap (usually for free or for a discount, as mentioned above) instead of in their own seat, but on lengthy international flights, it’s well worth booking a separate seat for them. If they’re mobile, they’ll be squirming and encroaching on the space of the people next to you if they don’t have their own seat and will probably be frustrated that they can’t move around more.

Though we didn’t do this for my baby before he was standing and crawling, on our most recent flight, from Cape Town to San Francisco, which involved 24 combined hours in the air, it was our saving grace. Having our own row gave my son space to move, stand, climb a bit, and get his energy out. It also gave us more legroom and a space for him to sleep. It was so worth the expense.

If you do this, you’ll need to either bring a car seat or CARES harness onboard for them. A CARES harness wraps around the seat, creating a better-fitting seat belt situation, but they are only usable for babies who can sit up comfortably unaided, are over 3 feet (1 meter) tall, and weigh 22-44 lbs (10-20 kg).

5. Reserve a Meal for Them

Some airlines offer baby meals, such as purees, and even toddler meals. Though it’s a rare offering, Emirates even has formula onboard!

Notify the airline in advance about any dietary restrictions or allergies your child may have. Airlines can often accommodate special requests, ensuring that your child has a suitable and safe meal during the flight. I always pack our own snacks and food as well, since you never know what the meal might include, and babies get hungry on their own schedule.

Don’t count on the airline to provide milk for your child. We’ve found that while some have milk onboard, they’re not really prepared with extra for babies and toddlers, and some might not have any to spare at all. We bring our own plant milk in smaller containers (see below about quantities), or lately, I’ve been bringing powdered fortified oat milk sachets now that he’s older. Toddler formula is an option as well!

6. Print Their Boarding Pass

Even though parents can use mobile boarding passes, I’ve always been required to show a printed ticket for our baby, even as a lap infant. From time to time, the ticketing agents have not realized this and said we could use a mobile ticket, but TSA, at least in the US, may require the printed ticket to get through security. While you’re checking in at the kiosk, just ask for printed tickets to avoid any headache.

7. Leave Extra Time at the Airport

Give yourself more time at the airport than you ever did before when traveling with a baby. Diaper changes, blowouts, extra time in security, and impromptu feedings can all happen, and having a comfortable buffer before your flight leaves is essential. It also allows for a more leisurely airport experience, ensuring that you don’t start off the whole trip rushed and stressed. You may have been able to sprint to a closing gate in the past, but that’s going to be difficult with a baby and all the extra luggage that entails!

8. Be Aware of TSA Regulations

Security is a whole new experience as a parent, and one you’ll be spending extra time dealing with. Familiarize yourself with regulations concerning traveling with a child, and know your rights. Regulations can change, so if you’re departing from the US, check the TSA website for the most up-to-date information (and if abroad, check your country’s website).

The most important thing to know is that formula, breast milk, juice, water, and food for infants are allowed over the 3 oz./100ml limit in “reasonable” quantities, which will be up to the agent. I have only been questioned once, and only in the US. Abroad, we’ve hardly been given any extra checks when the agents know the liquids are for a baby. We even brought an entire carry-on full of oat milk through security in South Africa without anyone batting an eye.

However, when going through US security, you will have extra checks. They may run any liquids through an extra scanner, bomb-test the bag if there’s powdered formula, and even take off the lid to perform a vapor test. This can take anywhere from 5 to 20 extra minutes, even if you have TSA Precheck!

9. Learn How to Survive the Airport and Layovers

After security, we’re usually on the lookout for a family bathroom (so we can all go in) for a diaper change, followed by finding a quiet area to let the time pass. If you have a toddler, locate family-friendly amenities, such as play areas, where your child can expend some energy. I like to research this before we even get to the airport, so we know where we’re going.

Remember to have a stroller that can fit in the overhead bin of an airplane or baby carrier for easy transport in the terminal. I prefer smaller strollers, so that I don’t risk them getting damaged through gate-checking and don’t have to wait after the flight to get the stroller if it’s a tight connection, which happens all the time when there are delays.

However, if your stroller is too large to be a carry-on, you can usually gate-check it for free. I have yet to come across an airline, including low-cost carriers, that don’t do this.

If your baby needs to move, let them crawl. Yes, the floor is dirty, but you can always wash their hands and change their outfit before boarding.

10. Keep Them Entertained

In your diaper bag (which doesn’t count against carry-on allowance), pack a variety of entertainment options for your baby. We like to stick spinners to the plane windows and bring small object permanence boxes, little books, and stickers. Most airlines have had little toys as well, though I wouldn’t count on those being your main source of entertainment. Never underestimate the power of reading a book, playing peek-a-boo, or giving your child a water bottle to play with.

Although we’ve never done this, I’m not here to judge you if you download some Ms. Rachel on your phone or tablet before leaving home. Just keep in mind that you’ll have to either play it without sound or get your toddler baby-sized headphones for the full experience.

11. Pack Finger Foods for the Flight

Another way I pass the time is by making sure my son is fed and happy with foods that take some time to eat. Finger foods like Cheerios, squished blueberries, smoothie melts, quartered grapes, and other non-messy fruits or veggies your child enjoys are always good to bring along. If you’re doing baby-led weaning, you can do this from six months of age. If you’re doing purees, bring pouches that don’t need refrigeration.

Keep in mind that you’ll have to finish any produce before entering your destination, as most countries do not allow outside fruits and veggies through customs.

12. Prepare Your Carry-On

In your carry-on bag, ensure you have enough diapers, wipes, pacifiers, and changes of clothes for delays. We usually pack way more diapers than we think we’ll need, and even so, we often go through all of them when we encounter delays or an upset stomach. We’ve gone through four changes of clothes before, too. Diapers and wipes can be difficult to impossible to find in the terminal, and most airlines don’t carry them onboard.

Don’t forget extra outfits for yourself, too, as travel can sometimes lead to unexpected messes. Additionally, have a small first-aid kit that includes any medications your baby might need, such as pain relievers, fever reducers, or allergy medication. It’s the worst to wish you had these onboard when you need them and to not have them on hand.

TSA will apply liquid limits to medications unless you have a prescription, so put over-the-counter liquids into smaller containers for travel.

13. Understand Stroller Policies

Thankfully most airlines do not count a stroller or car seat against your checked baggage allowance if you choose to check your stroller or car seat. I also have yet to find an airline that doesn’t allow parents to gate-check strollers, meaning you can use them in the airport until you board the plane. This convenience can make navigating the airport much more manageable.

If you can’t gate-check your stroller, many airports have free ones you can use while you’re at the airport.

14. Review the Car Seat Policies

If you’re traveling with a car seat, you have the option of checking it as hold luggage, bringing it to the gate, or bringing it onboard if your baby has their own seat. If you do check it as hold luggage, as mentioned above, it usually does not count against checked luggage limits, even on low-cost carriers. If you plan to check both a stroller and a car seat, check with the airline, as some only allow one.

You’re rolling the dice a bit checking a car seat, because if it gets lost, you could show up to your destination without it. We’ve still gone for it, though, knowing the risk, in order to have less to juggle in the airport, but it’s important to keep that in mind just in case.

If you plan to bring the car seat onboard, make sure it’s FAA-approved for air travel. I loved our Uppababy Mesa, and the Nuna Pipa is great too.

15. Know the Baggage Policies

Traveling with children often means more luggage, so be prepared for potential extra baggage fees. Familiarize yourself with the weight and size restrictions to avoid surprises at the check-in counter. Some airlines will give a baby some checked baggage allowance, but most don’t unless the child has their own seat.

We have yet to manage to go carry-on only since having a baby. We’re usually traveling with his foldable bed, travel high chair, and extra food for him. Thankfully most baggage is included without extra fees for international flights, with the exception of low-cost carriers.

Carry-on strollers and diaper bags have never been counted against our allowance.

16. Clear Their Ears Before Takeoff and Landing

During takeoff and landing, changes in cabin pressure can cause discomfort for everyone, but babies don’t know yet how to clear their ears. To help alleviate this, breastfeed, or offer a bottle, pacifier, or even a snack that encourages swallowing. By making sure we do this for every takeoff and landing, we’ve been able to avoid crying due to ear pressure issues.

17. Know How to Clean Things Onboard

If you’re on a long flight, you’ll eventually need to clean a bottle or maybe even a breast pump. I like to bring a small, 2–3 oz. unscented soap container and a portable bottle washing station. Ask the flight attendants for clean water for washing. I’ve had them sometimes even offer to rinse a bottle out for me with hot water.

18. Keep Nap and Sleep Times Consistent

International travel often involves crossing multiple time zones, which can lead to jet lag for both you and your child. To help minimize its effects, make sure you’re keeping with regular nap times and bedtime as much as you can while flying. Stick to the local schedule upon arrival to adapt more quickly.

Jet lag is one of the biggest fears parents have, but my son tends to adjust more quickly than I do, and I’ve been impressed every time!

19. Dress Your Baby Comfortably

Dress your child in comfortable, breathable clothing for the flight. Opt for layers, as the temperature on the plane can vary. We always put my son in bamboo baby clothes, which are great for temperature regulation, and, having worn the adult versions myself, I can vouch that it’s like wearing a cloud. In a dry environment like an airplane, having some comfort is key.

20. Take a Walk

If you have a toddler, make sure you’re getting up and letting them walk up and down the aisles when there aren’t food or beverage carts around. It can help pass the time, get some energy out, and if you have a social kiddo like mine, give them a chance to wave at their adoring fans.

Although there are some well-publicized incidents with passengers getting upset at crying babies, I’ve never personally encountered anything like that, and find that fellow passengers will often play peekaboo or smile and wave at my son.

21. Be Mindful of Timing

When booking your flights, choose departure times that align with your child’s schedule as much as possible. Although it’s sometimes unavoidable, it sets us off on the wrong foot if I have to wake my son up for a flight well before he would naturally. He’s fussy and irritable, and he doesn’t always fall back asleep easily.

As for red-eyes or day flights, I’ve found that both work, but at least on a red-eye, he’s more likely to sleep for a good chunk of it, meaning I have to find fewer ways to entertain him.

22. Invest in a Good Baby Carrier

A comfortable baby carrier is a valuable asset when traveling with a child under two years. It allows you to have your hands free to manage luggage, documents, and other essentials while keeping them secure and close. We only traveled with a carrier until my son was about eight months old before switching to a stroller. That said, some destinations don’t have great sidewalks (I’m looking at you, Southeast Asia), so having a carrier is important, too. I have used both Ergobaby and Artipoppe and like both for different reasons: Artipoppe is more comfortable for the baby facing in, and Ergobaby is nicer facing outward.

23. Know Your Destination’s Regulations

Different countries may have specific regulations and requirements for traveling with a child. Research and familiarize yourself with any necessary documentation, vaccinations, or permits needed for your international destination.

I was surprised that in Namibia, we were asked to produce a birth certificate for my son when checking in for our flight to South Africa. We travel with a copy, which I’m glad we had along.

If you’re traveling solo, you may be required to show a copy of the birth certificate, a copy of the other parent’s passport, and a written authorization from the other parent that you’re allowed to take the baby out of the country. Canada listed this as a requirement, but I was never actually asked for anything. Still, it’s important to be prepared just in case.

24. Plan for Delays

Delays can happen (over 20% of flights are delayed, in fact!), so it’s wise to be prepared for them. Pack enough supplies, including diapers, formula, snacks, and entertainment, to handle unforeseen delays. We encounter them all the time, and a well-stocked carry-on can make waiting at the airport more manageable. If you have a phone or tablet for your toddler, make sure you have an external battery to keep them charged.

25. Be Patient

Traveling with a child can be challenging, and there may be moments of frustration or fatigue. Remember to stay patient and calm throughout the journey. If you’re super stressed out and nervous, your child will pick up on it. A positive attitude and a sense of humor can go a long way in making the experience enjoyable for both you and your little one.

Ultimately, the key to a successful international journey with a child under two is embracing the adventure and knowing that it may not go perfectly. The flight is a necessary step to get to the vacation, so make the most of the experience, relish the small victories, and know that even if you have a fussy baby, it’s okay. They are part of society, and they’re allowed to fly, even cry if they have to.

It’s all worth it to build memories that you’ll always cherish with your little one, and to treat yourself as parents, too!

Kristin Addis is a solo female travel expert who inspires women to travel the world in an authentic and adventurous way. A former investment banker who sold all of her belongings and left California in 2012, Kristin has been traveling the world ever since. You can find more of her musings at Be My Travel Muse or on Instagram and Facebook.

The post 25 Tips for Flying with a Baby appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

I love Japan. It’s one of my favorite countries in the world. But is it a suitable destination to visit with a baby? Solo female travel expert Kristin Addis from Be My Travel Muse was recently there with her baby and has tons of tips and advice for travelers thinking of taking a baby with them to Japan.

Japan was our first major international trip with our then six-month-old. I’d heard mixed things about how baby friendly Japan would be, from DMs telling me it wouldn’t be a great trip to the total opposite with people gushing about how baby friendly it was.

We decided to go for it, hitting four spots in two weeks, taking public transportation and staying in a mix of apartments and hotels. Traveling with a baby in Japan comes with some special considerations, but overall, it can be a great trip IF you plan it right. Here’s everything to know:

Japan Baby and Toddler Friendliness

With a few strange exceptions, like the lack of cribs, Japan is one of the most baby and family-friendly places I have been. It all started when we were personally escorted to the aircraft by a Japan Airlines gate agent when boarding our flight to Osaka. They even offered me a place to sit with the baby while I waited. It felt like first class treatment.

Each time we encountered an airport queue in Japan, whether it was for security or boarding, they always had a family line, which is sadly missing from every US airport I’ve encountered.

There are family restrooms everywhere as well, and I really mean everywhere. Even the smallest metro and train stations had them, and I never encountered one that wasn’t sparkling clean. People respected that they were only meant for those with disabilities and young children, as well. I never had to wait to use one and never saw an able-bodied single person walk out of them, which I see all the time in the US.

The bathrooms are also full of useful items like a baby holder, which I’ve only otherwise seen in Singapore, changing tables, and padded benches for nursing. I’ve truly never seen a family bathroom as equipped as the ones in Japan.

The locals also LOVED our baby. Everywhere we went, people would play peek a boo with him, smile at him, and light up when they saw him. We felt very welcome everywhere we went with him.
 

Getting Around Japan with a Baby

Generally, planning fewer things is easier than a packed itinerary when traveling with a baby anywhere in the world. This is especially true for Japan where you’re most likely taking a mix of trains and buses around the country. The more remote you’re going, the more connections you’re likely to have as well.

Although they’re more expensive, we tended to prefer train travel to bus travel in Japan so that we could make use of the changing tables on the trains. They were more spacious, and the buses rarely had a place to change diapers.

If you’re traveling during high season, be sure to book train tickets ahead of time and reserve seats to avoid having to stand with your baby.

Alternatively, consider renting a car to get around. They can be pricey, and if you’re North American you’ll be driving on the opposite side of the road, but it also gives you ultimate flexibility.
 

Packing Light is Wise for Japan

If you’ll be taking the Japan Rail and/or metro to get around, you’ll want to pack as light as possible. Realistically, only what you and whoever you’re traveling with can carry is going to work. This seems to be the biggest issue for families traveling in Japan. They pack too much and it impacts their trip enjoyment.

We opted to leave the stroller at home and just travel with a soft baby carrier. While a stroller can be helpful at times, Japan has a lot of stairs and some metro stations, even in Tokyo, don’t have elevators. We always found them at JR stations, though.

I have mixed feelings about this decision as we were aching by the end of the trip. If I were to do it with a toddler or older baby I’d probably opt for a hiking baby carrier instead. It distributes weight better and is a more comfortable experience, plus they have storage space. Just keep in mind that they’re bulky and you’ll most likely need to remove it when using public transport.

If you absolutely have to bring more than you can physically carry, there are luggage forwarding services in Japan that can help transport your luggage from hotel to hotel for you.
 

Renting Baby Gear in Japan

Since our baby was a bit younger and not yet mobile when we visited Japan, we felt OK with not having a dedicated sleeping space and utilizing the floor beds instead. However now that he’s older, he needs a dedicated sleeping space and ideally a stroller. If we were to visit now, I’d utilize rental services to keep our suitcases light and still have access to the items we need for safety and comfort.

It’s possible to rent strollers in various cities in Japan, depending on how remote you’re going. You can also rent other baby gear in some parts of Japan, particularly in the more major cities.
 

Buying Baby Essentials in Japan

One way to pack lighter is to plan to buy baby essentials in Japan. It’s easy to find diapers, formula, and baby food if you know where to look.

If you’re doing baby-led weaning, which we were at the time, you can shop at any Japanese supermarket for fruit and veggies.

It was actually a treat to visit the grocery stores there since they had almost entirely different snacks and brands than I’ve seen elsewhere. The produce was also way better, as it was mostly locally grown. Even in the winter, we were eating perfectly ripe, locally-grown strawberries.

If you need diapers, baby food, or formula, you won’t find them at a grocery store. These items are for sale in drug stores only. Matsumoto Kiyoshi (with brown lettering) is the one we came across the most often.

Diapers were easy to buy. They will have the weight clearly displayed in kilograms. Jarred baby food and formula were in the same section of the store. If you need a specialized (non-cow) formula, that may be harder to find. Since we did for my baby, we brought enough with us from home for the whole trip.

Download the Google translate app so that you can hold your phone camera up to the Japanese Kanji and read what the ingredients and baby food flavors are. Don’t expect to see English translations in stores.
 

Choosing Where to Stay in Japan with a Baby

We did a mix of hotels and apartments in Japan and they both had their benefits.

Unless you’re willing to pay up a bit more, especially in Tokyo, you can expect hotel rooms to be on the smaller side. However they tend to include breakfast, which makes life easier for parents with young children.

Apartments, which you can book on Airbnb, usually have two floors and a kitchen. The kitchen was helpful for food prepping for the baby, and the two we stayed in had microwaves. I travel with microwave steam bags to sanitize our bottles, so this was a nice surprise.

The two floors also gave us a place to hang out while he took his naps. Apartment rentals are almost always larger, and in my experience, more affordable than hotel rooms can be. Sometimes they have washers and dryers as well.

Hot water kettles are a nice feature whether you’re in an apartment or hotel room. They seem to be the standard in Japan, which makes sanitizing, washing, and heating water for formula easier. Tap water in Japan is generally safe to drink and wash with.
 

Baby Sleep in Japan

The most bewildering and disappointing thing about traveling in Japan with our baby was the lack of cribs. Even in the 5-star ryokan we stayed at in Kawaguchiko, there was no baby crib on offer. It made me wonder what locals do. Do they bring their own? Do they co-sleep?

In half of the places we stayed, the beds were traditional-style mattresses on the floor, so it was fine for our baby to sleep on the floor mattresses, however now that he’s more mobile, I’d want to bring along our travel bed.

Feeding and Meals in Japan

One of the negative things I heard was that we’d be turned away from restaurants in Japan with our baby. While I’m sure it happens, I didn’t encounter this, even at kaiseki (which is the highest level of dining in Japan) restaurants. Sometimes they even had toys they’d bring out for our son.

We were told that the lounge in the hotel we stayed at in Tokyo wouldn’t be available to the baby in the evenings when alcohol was served, however. Some restaurants, including the Michelin star ones you might be hoping to eat at, could hold the same policy. There are some restaurants in Japan that are specifically geared towards families. The most common you’ll find are Bikkuri Donkey, Joyfull, and Gusto.

Most restaurants in Japan will have high chairs, but when at more casual ramen or yakitori restaurants, you’re less likely to come across them.

If you’re nursing, my sense in Japan was that it’s best done in private. I never saw anyone openly nursing in Japan, though I saw plenty of bottle feeding. The family restrooms are probably your best bet for a comfortable and private experience. I saw a nursing pod (a little room that offers nursing privacy, similar to the Mamava pods at US airports) at a few major train stations in Japan as well.
 

Medical Services in Japan

As a parent, I’m more concerned with the availability of healthcare services than I ever was before traveling with a baby. Thankfully Japan has a wonderful medical system with perfectly capable doctors.

I know this firsthand as I needed to visit a doctor in Kyoto when my asthma flared up. I was able to visit an international doctor at a clinic that services foreigners the same day. All of the medication the doctor prescribed was available there as well. In most cases they’ll want a cash payment which you can then submit to your travel insurance for reimbursement.

In non-emergency situations, look for a doctor that specializes in international patients as there can be language barriers. I was able to find mine easily on Google Maps. Otherwise, hospitals are widely available, even in smaller towns.

Overall, I loved traveling in Japan with our baby. The clean family bathrooms provided an easy place to change him, feeding and buying supplies were easy, and getting around was simple with such a well-connected rail system.

I was worried with so many stops and logistics that it might be a nightmare, but everything is so well-organized in Japan, it all worked out. Plus, the adorable interactions between our son and the locals made it a heartwarming experience.

Kristin Addis is a solo female travel expert who inspires women to travel the world in an authentic and adventurous way. A former investment banker who sold all of her belongings in 2012, Kristin has been traveling the world ever since. You can find more of her musings at Be My Travel Muse or on Instagram and Facebook.

The post How to Travel Japan with a Baby appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

Everyone says that you have to stop traveling the world once you have kids. In this guest post, Kristin from Be My Travel Muse shares how she has managed to keep traveling the world — even with a baby — and the lessons and challenges traveling with a child has presented.

For nearly ten years, I traveled to over sixty countries on six continents by myself.

If you had told 26-year-old me, who was just beginning her solo travel adventures, that she would eventually have a baby, she might have searched out a DeLorean to rewrite the script.

Traveling solo meant ultimate, intoxicating freedom. It didn’t matter if I woke up and made a last-minute decision to leave a place, or to stay for two more weeks. It didn’t matter if I completely upended my plans on a whim because of a new person I met or a new destination I became aware of. It didn’t matter what I wanted to eat for dinner or when. I could be totally, deliciously selfish, which I loved at the time.

But a baby changes all of that.

My son has now turned six months old. He has been on 17 flights and has his own passport and Global Entry card. Though traveling with him is beautiful, it is certainly very different in a way I did not expect.

These are the eight ways that traveling has changed for me as a parent.
 

1. I research MUCH more

One of the great things about traveling on a shoestring on an open-ended trip on which you’re time rich (and in my case ten years ago, cash poor) is the ability to coast. Although I did some research for my year in Southeast Asia, I also knew that I would learn a lot from the people I met along the way. For this reason, I didn’t want an itinerary in advance or do much research.

But now there’s so much more I need to learn. What do I need to know about flying with a baby? What kind of streets and sidewalks am I in for? (That will dictate whether I just bring a baby carrier or a stroller.) Is the water safe to drink? Are diapers, baby food, and formula easy to find?

When it comes to accommodation, I have to consider whether it’s going to be safe for him or not, if my son will be mobile by the time we visit, whether or not they have a crib, and even whether or not there’s a microwave or kettle for sanitizing baby bottles.

For our Mexico trip, I had to make sure the home had a water filter for safe bottle washing. I wouldn’t have worried about this for just me.

So, as a traveling parent, I spend more time on Reddit and parent groups than I ever have before. Two resources worth checking out are:

• Reddit Parenting
• What to Expect Forum

2. I plan MUCH more

I remember how freaked out my mom was when I took off to Bangkok with a one-way ticket and nothing else booked. I didn’t even have accommodation picked for the first night. I figured I would show up and just find something — and I did!

Although some people might be comfortable doing this with a baby, I need to have a plan to feel confident these days. For our most recent trip to Japan, I knew what we would be doing each day of the trip because I had researched the baby friendliness of all of my desired activities ahead of time. I already had all of our accommodation booked, train routes planned, and even many restaurants and food experiences picked out.

This ended up being a good choice, as most of our trip was drama-free, thanks to my meticulous planning.

This goes back to research: I’d read the reviews and looked into places where people had brought their children. I read blog posts about traveling with a baby in Japan, so that I wouldn’t repeat their mistakes (like overpacking). I figured that the fewer variables and in-the-moment decisions, the less stress we’d have to deal with.
 

3. I move around less

There were times during my solo travels when I’d arrive in place, decide I didn’t like it, and catch the next bus out. I had nothing planned or booked, so it didn’t matter. But now, each new stop means taking turns watching the baby while the other parent packs, planning around nap time, and carting all of your extra kiddie stuff around for hours. With a baby, nobody needs to be a hero with a 12-stop, all-you-can-see-in-a-fortnight itinerary. (Actually, that’s not much fun even without a baby in tow.)

For our first domestic trip to Vermont and our first trip abroad to Mexico, we stayed in one town each time. In Japan, we visited four towns in two weeks, and even that felt ambitious.

More stops don’t always make a trip better. In fact, it often has the opposite effect, since you spend much of your time in transit. Slow travel is more relaxing and cheaper, and provides an opportunity to know a place on a deeper level. Over the years, I’ve come to prefer it.
 

4. I accomplish less on the trip

In Thailand a few years ago, I did not miss a single sunrise all month. I felt that I needed to photograph each one, as well as journal, set intentions, and meditate each morning. Then I’d spend all day adventuring. Rinse, repeat. Such is the life of a blogger and photographer.

On our first trip to Vermont as a family, I realized that we were not going to be getting up for sunrise, hiking out past sunset, and going to the extremes I often do on my solo trips, because it often takes us an extremely long time just to get out the door each day. We need to make sure he’s fed, that we have his diaper bag adequately packed, and that his diaper is dry before we head out, and take turns getting ready while the other person watches the baby.

So I had to make peace with the fact that we weren’t going to do all of the things I normally do — and sometimes that’s still a struggle for me.

But I’m also happy with the slower pace.

I used to put a lot of pressure on myself to “see it all” on a trip, and that sometimes made me miss the point of being in the moment and just feeling gratitude for being on the road at all — which I’m now more aware of.
 

5. I can no longer travel with only a carry-on

For my entire first year of traveling alone in Southeast Asia, I had a 35-liter backpack and a crossbody bag that I could easily carry on my own — that was it. I never had to check luggage, which gave me so much more freedom than people who were lugging huge suitcases. It was cheaper never paying checked-bag fees, too.

But the strange thing about humans is, the younger they are, the more things they need. You might need a stroller that fits in an overhead bin, car seat, travel crib, and definitely lots of diapers, wipes, clothes, and food. Gone are the days of only traveling with a carry-on backpack.

I still try to go as minimalist as possible, but I’m definitely checking luggage now that I travel with a baby. But being older and wiser about collecting points and miles, I have cards that refund the checked-baggage fees, and status on some airlines that gives me free checked baggage, so it’s not a big deal.
 

6. People treat me differently (in a good way)

I met some amazing people when I traveled alone. I hitchhiked through China, solo-trekked in the Peruvian Andes, and navigated my own way through Mozambique. At the eleventh hour of any given situation, someone would always show up to help if I needed it. It reinforced my view that humanity is mostly good.

I thought this was as good as it could get, but I didn’t imagine how much people would light up seeing a baby abroad, on the trails in national parks, even if only on social media.

Many have gone out of their way to be extra helpful. In Japan, Felix was almost a celebrity, and he got so many smiles and much positive attention. We were offered toys at dinner, a private dining area simply because we were a family, and always the right of way when hiking with him. These are kindnesses that have been above and beyond what I’d experienced before.
 

7. I see the world through a new lens

When you’re traveling alone, nobody is there to influence your impression of a place. Nobody knows you or has preconceived ideas of your personality, so you also get to be whatever version of yourself that you are right then and there. I used to love this, but I think I was also discovering who I was back then, and I needed that time.

Although I’m always on a voyage of self-discovery, now I’m seeing the world through the eyes of someone else. It’s amazing how much my son loves windchimes, the way that he smiles at falling snow, and his love of colorful lights. I know that as he gets older, there will be even more seemingly random things that he’s going to pick up on when we travel that I never would’ve otherwise noticed. I’m excited to see how he continues to explore the world. It’s giving me a new way of viewing it, too.
 

8. I get to know myself better

They say you never really know someone until you travel with them. The same can be said for yourself.

Solo travel helped me get to know myself on a level that I hadn’t had the opportunity to discover prior. I learned what I was capable of when there wasn’t anyone else around to make decisions for me. I became a more confident person.

But it wasn’t until I became a mother that I realized I was going to get to know myself on an even deeper level. Although I do not think parenthood is for everyone — and completely support those who don’t want children — I’ve been amazed to see how much I have grown, not just as a traveler but as a person, by becoming a mother.

I didn’t realize I could be so selfless. I didn’t realize I could plan a trip, mostly with someone else’s needs top of mind, and find it in some ways even more enjoyable than when I’d traveled alone.

I didn’t know that I could enjoy traveling so much with a baby. I had worried that it would just make things so much harder, as I heard so many people say. But now I think it’s all about how one approaches it. Letting go of expectations, planning more, packing strategically, and letting it be a completely new kind of travel experience all help. It’s so much different than traveling alone.

But different doesn’t mean worse.

I’m glad I got to experience so much of the world solo. I’ll cherish those memories forever.

Now, I get to make new ones with a family.

Kristin Addis is a solo female travel expert who inspires women to travel the world in an authentic and adventurous way. A former investment banker who sold all of her belongings and left California in 2012, Kristin has been traveling the world ever since. You can find more of her musings at Be My Travel Muse or on Instagram and Facebook.

The post How I’ve Kept Traveling the World After Having My Baby appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

I don’t have much RV experience — and I definitely don’t have any experience RVing with kids. But, this summer, with many people are planning domestic vacations instead of traveling abroad, RV travel is going to be even bigger than last year.

To help those of you with kids plan an epic domestic trip, I’ve asked Karen from The MOM Trotter to share her tips and advice. She’s been traveling in an RV with her family for almost two years and knows exactly how to make the most of a family RV trip!

RVing with kids is a great way to create lasting family memories. From the excitement of seeing new things to the joy of the simple pleasures like stopping for ice cream or seeing that odd attraction that you stumbled upon, it always makes life more fun.

My family and I took a trip in November of 2019 that introduced us to the world of RVing. We rented one from Outdoorsy and set off on a two-week adventure, visiting all five national parks in Utah, state parks and monuments in Arizona and Nevada, and Joshua Tree National Park in California. We fell in love with RVing after this trip — and a few months after that, we sold our home in California and purchased our very own RV.

This kind of travel requires some forethought, however. You can’t just hop into your vehicle and hit the road. You’ll need to plan, get and stay organized, establish boundaries and ground rules, and generally be prepared for anything the road might throw at you. While that all might sound daunting, it’s quite similar to planning for any other trip in a lot of ways.

That being said, it will not always be smooth sailing. You’ll have bumps in the road — both literally and figuratively. However, it is one of the best adventures you’ll get to have as a family.

These tips will help you prepare for the journey as best as possible, allowing you to focus more on fun and less on roadblocks.

1. Find the Right RV

There are so many different types of RVs, from those you can drive to those that need to be pulled with a truck. If you don’t own one, research the size and type of RV that will match your family’s needs.

When renting an RV or even buying one, it is important that you check how many people it can sleep. When we rented our first RV, I was planning a trip for six people — two adults and four young ones — so I found one with a bunk room so that the kids would have enough space to sleep and feel comfortable.

We love to cook, so finding an RV with a decent-sized kitchen was also high on our list. It’s good to look for one with a spacious living room and dining area as well, but keep in mind that you’ll be spending lots of time outside, so indoor space might not matter as much as you might expect.

RVLove has tons of resources for helping you learn more about what RV is best for you, your family, and your budget.

If you’re not ready to purchase an RV, keep in mind that there are tons of places that rent RVs too. You can start with RVShare for affordable local rentals (it’s like Airbnb but for RVs).
 

2. Set Expectations

It’s important to set expectations for your upcoming trip. The kids need to know what’s expected of them and all the ground rules, so they have some sort of structure while on the road.

Talk about the rules for electronics, other devices, and screen time; who will be responsible for what chores; and how much help you expect with setting up and taking down your camp. It’s also important to explain campground etiquette to your children if they’ve never been camping before. With your neighbors so close, making excessive noise and running amok — especially on other people’s RV plots — is frowned upon. Everyone in an RV park has a limited amount of space. It’s important that your kids don’t sprawl into other travelers’ territory.

3. Clearly Define Personal Space

RVing with kids means addressing and respecting personal space, as RVs are quite small.

Before your trip, you should discuss where each person will be sleeping, and emphasize that every member of the family should respect that space when it’s time to go to sleep.

You can also set rules about bathroom time: most have only one bathroom, so setting up some sort of schedule so that everybody gets equal time will help a lot. Defining personal space also includes letting the children know who gets to use the bathroom first in the mornings, as well as reminding them to always knock before entering any space in the RV.

If the RV park you are visiting allows for tent camping, consider allowing your older ones, such as teenagers, to pitch a tent outside, as they may enjoy it even more.
 

4. Get (and Stay) Organized

When it comes to children, organization is key no matter where you are. This is especially true when it comes to RVing.

There’s a finite amount of space in an RV, no matter how large it is, so it’s critical to create spaces for the kids to store their toys, books, devices, and the like. Make sure they know that their items should always be put back in those places when not in use. Otherwise, your space can get cluttered very quickly. Set up a cleaning/tidying schedule so that everyone gets into the habit of keeping the space organized.

Another way of staying organized is by setting a daily schedule that kids can see and follow, so they know what to expect and when to expect it. For example, having a menu will give them an idea of what’s for dinner and breakfast so that they can start to understand the routine.

RVing is about freedom and fun, but in the midst of it all, whenever possible, stick to the routines that you have at home like bedtimes, nap times, and mealtimes.

5. Set a Cleaning Schedule

We all know how quickly a home can get out of control when it’s full of children. Now imagine that happening in an RV. Things can go bad really fast.

Set up a cleaning schedule for both yourself and the kids. This is a great way to teach them about the RV itself while instilling a sense of helpfulness and a strong work ethic.

Older children can and should be part of the regular cleaning process too. It saves you some work and teaches them the value of helping the family. If they are old enough, they can help with things like emptying the gray water tanks, adding chemicals to the freshwater, and other RV-related upkeep tasks.
 

6. Map Out Your Stops

While RVing gives you a certain amount of freedom, it does come with caveats. Unless you’re traveling in a conversion van, even the smallest RV is pretty big. So before your trip, research places that make for convenient stops for your rig.

Truck stops, gas stations, and even Walmart parking lots are all great places to stop for a rest, enjoy a meal, fill up on gas, and maybe pick up any essentials that might have fallen through the cracks during your packing.

Mapping out stops helps a lot. Knowing where you plan on stopping for gas, for food, and to park overnight gives you peace of mind for the rest of the trip. With the essentials handled, you can plan accordingly and relax.

Planning regular stops for food and gas can also help if a problem arises. One time, we had a flat tire in a small city on a Friday evening and couldn’t go anywhere until Monday morning because there wasn’t any open tire shop near us. If we had planned our stop in a more accessible area, we could have avoided this situation. (Of course, not all situations like this are avoidable, but the better you plan the less hiccups you will encounter).

This is also important while traveling as a Black family because we need to make sure we don’t end up in the wrong city at the wrong time of the night.
 

7. Choose the Right RV Park

One of the most important things about RVing as a family is choosing the right RV park. If you’re all about spending time in nature, then you’ll want to choose a state or RV park located close to nature, with lots of trees and hiking trails nearby. If you’d rather enjoy a more glamping-type experience, then pick one with amenities like a pool, a lazy river, a playground, Wi-Fi, etc. (One of my son’s favorites, in Galveston, Texas, has all of that plus a water park and weekly kids’ activities.)

We’ve had the opportunity to experience both types of RV parks and loved them equally. Neither is better than the other — it just depends on what you’re looking for. Call ahead to a few to find out which are best suited to your family size and your travel needs.

GoRVing and RoverPass are a great resources for finding RV parks.

Additionally, here’s a list of some of our favorite family-friendly parks.

8. Shorter Travel Days are Best

The thrill of the open road is something that calls to the entire family, but it might call a little more strongly to the adults. Kids — especially younger children — need time to relax. Remember, to a child, sitting in one place for hours on end can be downright exhausting.

Make sure to keep travel times to around 5 or 6 hours if you have older ones and as little as 3 to 4 if you have toddlers. Try to travel during nap times, as that’ll help them not get anxious about the long drive.

If you do drive for long stretches, make sure to have plenty of snacks and activities to keep your kids busy. It’ll be easier on you too.
 

9. Keep Snacks and Finger Foods Handy

The easiest way to keep children entertained during long drives is to offer them as many snacks as you can. You’ll be surprised to find out that your kids will want snacks so much more than normal on long road trips.

So bring along prepackaged or store-bought snacks and water bottles or juice boxes that they can keep nearby to limit the temptation for them to get up and roam around the RV while you’re cruising down the interstate.
 

10. Take a Day Off

One of the most fun things you can do when RVing is taking a day off from driving. Of course, you have to reach that final destination, but don’t forget to stop and smell the roses along the way. Nothing beats a day of just hanging out with the family and seeing what an area has to offer.

On our first RV trip, we had almost no days off, as we wanted to see everything in the short time that we had. Because of this, we were so tired after our trip.

Now that we are slow traveling, we plan for lots of days off, when we can just relax by the fire and unwind.

11. Pack Some Entertainment

Board games are a great way to bond as a family, and they’re an excellent source of entertainment. They provide lots of family time, promote togetherness, and are the perfect entertainment platform for the slower pace of an RV road trip.

But kids need variety, especially when playing on their own. In addition to any tablets they might have, think about packing things like coloring books, bubbles, Play-Doh, and, if your camper has a DVD or Blu-Ray player, their favorite movies.
 

12. Create an Outdoor Playspace

Once you’re all settled in at a stop, set the kids up with an outdoor playspace. All you need is some sort of waterproof mat that you can unroll to create an area that’s perfect for building blocks, toys, and other fun.

If you’re traveling with toddlers or babies, bring along a baby gate or two or even a collapsible playpen. These are excellent for keeping young children safe while outdoors by the campfire or keeping them out of potentially dangerous areas inside your RV.
 

13. Safety First

If you’re camping, be sure that they understand the boundaries of the camp and where they can go unattended, if at all.

In addition, it’s important to talk about safety if you plan to hike in any national park. Be sure the young ones understand the importance of paying attention to their surroundings, giving local wildlife plenty of space, and respecting nature. Make sure you have a well-stocked first-aid kit in your RV too. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.

From planning to packing and sightseeing safety, these tips for RVing with kids will help keep your trip on the straight and narrow, so you can focus on fun.

One of the biggest keys to having a successful journey is to accept that things won’t go perfectly or smoothly at all times. Children are a constant wild card. They might be crabby out of nowhere; they might get a small owie and freak out — it could be anything. However, all of these things will pass, and in the grand scheme of things, they’ll only be a small part of the whole picture.

But, with these tips, you’ll be able to ensure a relatively smooth trip that builds family memories and togetherness and is full of adventure and fun.

Karen Akpan runs The MOM Trotter blog, a website dedicated to inspiring and encouraging parents to show their children the world. She is also the founder of Black Kids Do Travel which was created to bring about diversity in travel and bridge the travel gap by sharing black travel stories. Her goal is to raise global citizens who are open and accepting of everyone. You can find her on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram

The post 13 Tips for RVing with Kids appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

Today’s guest post is from Kristin Henning. She and her husband Tom Bartel are perpetual travelers and publishers of the blog TravelPast50.com, where they discuss travel for older travelers looking to make the most out of retirement. Kristin is here to give her best tips on retirement travel (since I obviously don’t know much about this subject!).

Many hardworking people dream of the time when they’ll retire from their regular jobs and hit the road. For almost as many, the allure of travel is offset by the stress of planning and packing and leaving home for more than a few days.

Getting started can be especially difficult for senior travelers because of the “baggage” accumulated over a lifetime, including habits, pets, elderly parents, children and grandchildren, medical and other professional support networks, and assorted household stuff. Managing even a couple of months away can be complicated.

We were lucky to start our retirement travel early. We sold our house in 2010 and moved to South America, starting with a brief time teaching English. For the next ten years we traveled in almost every way imaginable: from months overseas to weekend trips in the USA; from road trips to bike trips to walking across Spain; from solo adventures to luxuriating together on a river cruise; from house-sitting to hotel-hopping.

We had no idea when we started out where this journey would take us, but before we knew it, we’d visited more than 70 countries on six continents!

We know such extensive travel isn’t for everyone. But the benefits of travel are available to anyone willing to take the leap and devote a month or two, at least, to exploring with interest and curiosity.

In any case, regarding retirement travel, we want to focus on using time and flexibility to your best advantage. Let’s replace the idea of a fully scheduled holiday — those plans you squeezed into your too-short paid vacation time — with the concept of independent, slower travel, because that’s when discoveries blossom. (Even if you do participate in a package holiday, we encourage you to surround the experience with additional weeks on your own to realize the rewards of independent travel.)
 

Why Seniors Love to Travel — and are Good At It

We older travelers have some great advantages. We have time to extend our trips, the freedom to focus on the present instead of a job back home, and a desire to make the most of our time, experiences, and relationships.

Following our noses and personal interests, we can pursue opportunities that pop up along the way. Unrushed, we can stop to ask questions or read a roadside marker; we can add a few days to our travels to detour to an unusual site; we can decide to linger longer in a favorite spot.

So, while acknowledging our logistical barriers — and the need to adapt to new pandemic-related travel protocols — let’s remember why travel still calls. Here’s why we keep on traveling, right into even older age!

1. Natural beauty: Discover diverse scenery and ecosystems
We love moving beyond our Great Plains roots to spend time in the mountains, to explore the deserts, to appreciate oceans and wetlands, and to view geological mysteries. The history of the Earth is long, and our time to witness all its glories and sunsets is short.

2. Historic context: Travelers love to learn
No matter where we travel, we’re likely to start our visit with historic sites and museums to gain perspective on the area’s cultural heritage. These experiences not only add meaning to travel but often steer us to the next destination (or detour!) in order to follow some thread of the story.

3. Healthy lifestyle: Travel for your health
Travel means more fresh air and exercise than we ever manage at home. The best of travel is active travel; walking in cities, hiking through national parks, and enjoying biking or water sports make for healthy bodies and engaged minds. Active travel also means you are that much closer to local people, as opposed to being escorted around by bus. Try it!

4. Food and culture: Find common concerns around the globe
Who can deny the joy of watching a festival, eating the best regional dishes, and enjoying the local wine? These are the windows into the culture of a community, and we travelers are lucky to sample the fare and recognize these common concerns and joys around the world.

5. Increased resilience and patience: Calm down and enjoy the present
Just because our children tell us we’re set in our ways doesn’t mean it’s true! Facing the unknown isn’t easy, but travel teaches patience and adaptability. Handling delays, changes, or adversity calls on us to solve problems and propose solutions. Problem-solving builds confidence, and confidence builds self-reliance, which in turn brings more joy to travel.

It’s also true that senior travelers aren’t afraid to take a day of rest. Sightseeing is most enjoyable at whatever pace one finds manageable.

6. Youthfulness: Surround yourself with all ages
Traveling helps us feel young and energized. Interest in exploration and discovery is ageless, and fellow travelers love to share tips and stories. It’s easy to strike up conversations with all sorts of people when you are abroad. We especially enjoy meeting young travelers and hearing about their homes and travels. Most are interested in hearing about us, too.

7. Simplify your life: Travel light
When you travel for an extended time and pack light, it becomes clear that joy comes from experiences more than things. Appreciate the lightness of living with only a roller bag and backpack for a few months and you’ll be inspired to declutter or downsize once you’re back home.
 

Prepare Now to Enjoy Travel Later

With a little preparation, you’ll feel much easier about starting your retirement travels, whether that means several weeks on a road trip or a couple months overseas. Consider these tips to alleviate stress, to ready yourself for leaving home, and for more carefree travels.

1. Take steps to leave your home safe and sound

• Install a Wi-Fi remote-controlled thermostat.
• Consider a home security system to alert you of any opened doors or windows.
• Go paperless: If you haven’t already, eliminate all paper mail, including bank and credit card statements, doctors’ and insurance bills, and Social Security mailings. A good paperless habit now means easier travel preparations to come.
• Hold or forward mail: The US Postal Service will hold mail for up to 30 days. For longer trips, consider USPS Informed Delivery, or (as we did) forward your mail to a post office box accessible to a trusted family member or friend.
• Arrange house and/or pet sitters: Relying on friends and family to check in on your house and pets may not be a realistic solution. Look into the array of options, whether boarding your pet, hiring someone to tend to your pet/plants/house regularly, or finding a live-in house sitter. Check out Trusted Housesitters or House Sitters America for example.
• Sell or park your car: Avoid unnecessary auto expenses by storing your car and removing the insurance (except comprehensive) while it’s not being driven.

2. Prepare your online banking and travel credit cards

• If you haven’t already switched to online banking, now is the time to free yourself for travel.
• Check out PayPal and Venmo for settling up with friends, family, and small businesses instantly, from your phone.
• Find a travel credit card that doesn’t charge a foreign transaction fee.
• Know your credit card benefits. Know in advance, for example, which credit card you want to use to book a rental car so that you will realize built-in insurance benefits.
• Advise credit card companies of your travel. Otherwise, when they see unusual activity in, say, Bolivia, they may freeze your account.
• ATMs use debit cards, so know your PIN. Some services also require debit card transactions (versus credit). This is common in rail and metro systems.
• Leave unnecessary credit cards and jewelry at home.
• Carry and exchange minimal cash.

3. Tend to your travel health and wellness

• No matter where you travel, it’s important to start out with a clean bill of health, or at least some knowledge of how to deal with particular health issues.
• Prescriptions: With cooperation from your doctor and pharmacy, it’s possible to get more than 90 days of prescriptions filled at once.
• Travel clinics: Visit your doctor or a travel clinic with your specific destination in mind. This is invaluable if immunizations are required for visas or entry, and a huge help for understanding potential diseases and dangers in certain regions of the world. Travel clinics may also help supply first aid items and medicines, such as antidiarrheal or antibiotic pills, or medicine to prevent altitude sickness or seasickness.
• Pandemic and other global health updates: Do research the current conditions in your intended destination(s).
• Travel insurance: Check out single-trip coverage or annual plans (if you travel three or more times a year, including domestic trips). A good travel insurance program for seniors will (a) allow the traveler to find an emergency room or medical care provider quickly, (b) provide for emergency evacuation as the medical condition or situation dictates, and (c) offer appropriate coverage with minimal prior approval requirements.

4. Mind your digital records and mobile communications

• Eliminate headaches and having to put out fires back home by organizing your essential documents in digital format in advance.
• Scan or photograph your passport and credit cards and know where to access these on your phone or computer (preferably both).
• Update any travel-related apps, including those you might want in an emergency (banking, travel insurance, maps, and travel planners like TripIt or AAA).
• Protect your various login usernames and passwords in a secure online place like 1Password.
• Set up your phone plan according to your destination, time away, and need for connectivity. Options include everything from using Wi-Fi only as available (turning roaming off), getting a SIM card specifically for your destination country (recommended for long stays), or using your US phone plan. We’ve appreciated the ease of T-Mobile’s unlimited data plan, which is good in over 140 countries.

The reward for being prepared is great enjoyment of the moment, your travel moment. When we travel, we expect we’ll meet up with various challenges. But many of those challenges are the adventure stories that stick with us the longest. We’re proud of those times when we’ve been able to roll with the punches, adapt to the situation, and continue to enjoy the journey.

Senior travelers, we know, are as qualified as any to launch themselves into the unknown and fully appreciate the benefits of travel. May we all discover that travel experiences are part of our lives and character, not escapes from them.

Kristin Henning and her husband Tom Bartel are perpetual travelers and publishers of the blogs Travel Past 50 and MN Trips. Their wwebsites are regularly featured in major media and they often speak at travel events.

The post Retirement Travel: How to Get the Most Out of Senior Travel appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

I’m in my 40s, single, and I travel solo. These are things that probably won’t change anytime soon (though my mother keeps asking me when that second one will).

As such, most of the travel tips on this website tend to be focused on what I, a single traveler, learn about traveling better, cheaper, and longer.

But that doesn’t mean my advice is only for solo travelers.

My belief is that budget travel tips are universal because when we all touch down in, say, London, we all deal with the same costs. We may end up staying in different places and eating in different restaurants, but the methods we use for saving money will generally be the same.

A common question I get asked is if my advice will work for families or older travelers. (It’s also brought up in my reader surveys: “Matt, I wish you would write more for those with families or older travelers.”)

There’s a common perception that family and senior travel is an inherently different form of travel that requires special considerations. I know not everyone thinks that way, but I often feel that the question, “Can you write tips that apply to family/senior travel?” implies that distinction.

But I don’t think that is really the case.

Sure, when you’re traveling with a family, you want kid-friendly activities and restaurants, and maybe you just won’t stay in a hostel dorm together. But is that really a whole new form of travel?

I don’t believe so.

You’re just looking for different things within the realm of budget travel.

Of course, not every budget-travel tip applies to every traveler. We all have different desires and needs and, since the question above is a very valid one, I wanted to show how you can apply the advice of this solo traveling nomad to your family trip or, if you’re older, highlight some different accommodation types and tour information.

(Disclaimer: I’m not pretending to know about how best to travel with children or the needs of older travelers. I don’t. But since this is a question that comes up a lot, I just want to collate the tips and articles on my website to create a resource page that I believe can help in your planning.)
 

Family Travel Tips

Like solo travelers and senior travelers, families that travel together are going to have three major expenses:

• Flights
• Accommodation
• Food

The more you can lower these expenses, the longer you’ll be able to travel. To that end, here are some tips, tricks, and resources to help you save money on your trip so you can

How to Save Money on Flights

It’s one thing to buy a flight for one person; it’s another to buy flights for four or five people. That $700 flight suddenly becomes $3,500, and that’s just more money than most of us can or want to spend. Seeing that number just for the flights would keep me at home!

To help you save money on flights, here are the 5 steps I follow whenever I am searching for a deal. It will work just as well for families as it does for me, a solo traveler. Nine times out of ten, I’ll be able to save myself some money following these steps — and I don’t have to spend hours researching either.

1. Start your search on flight deal websites – These sites will have rare deals that won’t last long. It’s a great place to start to get ideas and find last-minute deals. If you’re not picky about where and when you travel, you’ll likely find some great flight options here.

My favorite cheap flight deal website is Going. They send incredible flight deals straight to your inbox, so if you’re flexible on where and when you go you can save a fortune. It’s only available to US travelers, but has saved me a ton in the past.

Other reliable sites for flight deals are:

• The Flight Deal
• Holiday Pirates
• Airfarewatchdog

I compare what I find there with ITA Matrix. It allows for complex searches and is used by every avid flyer I know. While it only searches major airlines, it has a calendar option so you can see prices over the course of the month. It’s helpful to show you the approximate baseline price. You’ll want that moving forward so you can compare other sites to find the best deal.

2. Search budget carriers – Next, I visit Skyscanner. I’ll check this site for budget carrier options. There are a lot of third-party options here as well. Booking third-party might save you money, but if there is an issue (delay, cancelation, missed connection) you’ll have to deal with them instead of the airline, and most third-party sites have slow customer service.

That said, if the price difference is huge it might be worth booking via a third-party site — just read their reviews first and make sure you buy travel insurance just in case.

3. Check Google Flights – Third, I check Google Flights to see if it is cheaper to fly to a different airport. For example, if you’re flying to Paris from New York City, it might be cheaper to fly to Dublin and then book a cheap Ryanair flight (I once did exactly save and saved $200 USD when compared to a direct flight to Paris).

If you’re traveling with kids, booking a non-direct flight might actually be a good idea as you’ll all be able to get up and walk around, eat, and stretch out during your connection.

4. Visit the airline’s website – After I’ve searched for deals and budget flights, I check directly with the airline. Airlines occasionally offer cheaper prices to encourage customers to book directly with them. You’ll also have more peace of mind booking direct since there won’t be a third-party involved should a delay or cancelation occur. That said, more often than not, you won’t find the cheapest prices directly with the airline.

In addition to following those simple steps, here are some other helpful things you can do to find the best flight deal for your next family trip:

Use travel credit cards to get points – Using points and miles is vital when you have to buy multiple airline tickets. With very little work, you can accumulate hundreds of thousands of points — all without any extra spending. That’s enough to get you and your family anywhere in the world!

These days, there are tons of amazing travel credit cards that provide incredible perks and value for avid travelers. These include 5x points on certain spending categories, huge sign-up bonuses, lounge access, Global Entry, priority boarding, and much, much more!

I earn over 1 million points per year — and you can too. Best of all, it doesn’t require any extra spending either. Just buy your regular groceries and gas, pay your bills on time, and you’ll be earning free travel in no time!

If you’re new to points and miles, you can download my free primer to help you get started!

Visit a travel agent – Believe it or not, travel agents can still be good for bulk flight discounts, especially cultural-specific travel agents that specialize in flights to their country of origin (for example, buying flights to China in Chinatown).

Beyond using points or finding some amazing deal, there’s not much you can do to lower the cost of flights (whether for a single traveler or a family). Airline ticket prices are going up and we’re all going to suffer. There are ways to avoid being the person who pays the most for their ticket but, without points, there’s no way to get free or very discounted flights.

For more tips and advice on finding a cheap flight, here are some helpful posts:

• How to Find a Cheap Flight
• The Ultimate Guide to Points and Miles
• How to Pick a Good Travel Credit Card
• How to Earn Free Flights By Paying Your Rent
• The Best Travel Credit Cards

Finding Budget-Friendly Accommodation

This is another big cost that doesn’t need to break your bank. The biggest way to win: skip the hotel. Hotels are the most expensive form of accommodation. Luckily, there are some great alternatives. Here’s how you can overcome (or cut) these costs:

Stay in a family-friendly hostel – Hostels are not just for young, single backpackers. There are many hostels out there that are great for families (and tour groups) that don’t have the party atmosphere normally associated with hostels.

One of the best family-friendly hostels in the world is the chain Hostelling International. They offer nice, quiet, clean rooms, and have hostels around the world.

Use Hostelworld.com to find quiet, family-friendly hostels. You can read reviews, see what facilities and amenities there are, and look at photos to find the perfect hostel for you and your family. It’s my go-to site for finding great places to stay. Here’s a list of my favorite hostels in the world.

Rent someone’s home or apartment – Vacation rental sites can get you all the comforts of home while on the road and work out cheaper per person than a hostel or hotel. In many instances, you can rent a whole apartment for prices similar to budget hotels. This allows you access to self-catering facilities so you can cook your own meals, saving you even more money in the progress.

The best apartment rental sites include:

• Airbnb – The biggest platform for finding private rooms and entire homes for rent. There are both budget-friendly and luxury options too.
• VRBO – Similar to Airbnb, HomeAway offers vacation and short-term apartment rentals all round the world (they merged with Homeaway so they have a sizeable list of properties too).
• Campsapce – A platform for renting space to camp on private property, as well as cabins, lodges and other more rustic accommodation.

Use last-minute hotel discount sites – If you do need a hotel, use websites like Hotwire, HotelTonight, and Priceline to find cheap, last-minute hotel rooms.

Use a hospitality network – Many of the hospitality networks like Couchsurfing, and Servas have numerous hosts who take families. You’ll need to spend a bit more time finding and connecting with them, but it’s definitely possible.

There is often this perception that these websites are for just young, solo travelers, but many, many hosts take families (Servas more so than Couchsurfing). You get to know a local family with these websites, and your kids will have other kids to play with, too! Win-win.

For more information and tips on finding cheap accommodation, check out these relevant blog posts:

• How to Find Cheap Accommodation
• How to Pick a Good Hostel
• The Best Hotel Booking Sites to Use
• How to Use the Sharing Economy to Travel on a Budget
• How to Become a House Sitter and Never Pay for Accommodation

Cutting Food Expenses

I imagine feeding a family is not very cheap (I know, I know — Captain Obvious over here, right?). When you’re traveling, being budget conscious becomes even more important, as food costs can ruin your budget. Here are some tips that can help:

Cook – Obviously, cooking food will be cheaper than eating out in most destinations. Visit local markets or grocery stores, get some food, and have a picnic or make sandwiches for later. When I don’t have access to a kitchen, I buy a lot of pre-made meals at supermarkets. They aren’t world-class meals but they do the trick.

Get lunch specials – The best time to eat out at restaurants is during lunch when places offer lunch specials and set menus that are cheaper than dinnertime menus. This is especially true around North America, Europe and in Singapore.

Food trucks/street food – If you’re in a place with food trucks or street food, eat there. Not only will these meals be cheaper, they will probably be tastier too. Food trucks and street stalls are my favorite places to eat. You can find meals for under $1 USD in many parts of the world, making it easy (and cheap) to feed a family.

Don’t eat near tourist attractions – This is an important rule of mine. If you eat near a major site, food will be three times as expensive and probably a third as good. Walk at least five blocks away before you pick a restaurant. You’ll get cheaper, more authentic local food this way.

Stick to local food – Local food is always going to be cheaper than imported food, non-seasonal food, and western food. If you want to stick to your budget, eat what the locals eat.

For more tips and information on eating cheap while traveling, check out these posts:

• How to Eat Cheap Around the World
• How to Eat Around the World on a Vegan Diet

Saving Money on Attractions

Visit city tourism offices to get discounts and free entrance into local museums and attractions. Tourism offices (think London Tourism, Paris Tourism, New York Tourism, etc.) are an amazing resource that few travelers use. They know what’s free, what events are happening, offer discounts, and more. Many cities sell tourism cards that combine discounts and free admission with free public transportation, making them perfect for families who plan on seeing and doing a lot.

Additionally, many sights and museums have free admission for kids under 12 as well as free admission days. Many have family passes too that might save you money as well. Always ask or check their website before you arrive. Chances are, there’s a discount you can use!
 

How Senior Travelers Can Travel on a Budget

Accommodation for Older Travelers

While many of the tips above will also apply to older travelers, the most common concern I hear from older travelers is that I write too much about hostels. I think many older travelers feel that they won’t fit in if they stay in a hostel, which just isn’t the case (ok, maybe that’s true if you stay at a party hostel). But most hostels are inclusive and you’ll find a pretty wide variety of ages.

In fact, lots of boomers use hostels. Both dorms and private rooms are great options because they provide lots of space to meet other travelers, get tips, and share your own experiences.

I’ve even met travelers in the 70s using hostels!

That said, here are some budget-friendly alternatives to your standard hostel:

• Airbnb
• B&Bs
• Budget hotels (Booking.com is great for these)
• Homestays
• Farm stays
• Pet sitting
• Camping/Glamping

What About Medical Issues?

The most common topic I get questions about from older travelers is the issue of medical concerns. From getting prescriptions abroad to finding coverage for pre-existing conditions, older travelers often (but not always) need to spend more time and energy making sure their medical needs are properly addressed.

Fortunately, it’s never been easier to have these issues looked after. Many doctors will supply prescriptions in advance so you can purchase what you need abroad conveniently and safely. Additionally, there are more and more insurance companies that provide coverage to older travelers.

Insure My Trip is the best place to start as they can find plans that cover travelers 70+.

For additional coverage, travelers under 75 can use Medjet. It’s the premier global air medical transport and travel security membership program. They provide comprehensive evacuation coverage that ensures you won’t get stuck at a foreign hospital should something happen during your trip.

Tours for Older Travelers

Another question that gets posed a lot is how to avoid those expensive single supplements tour groups charge for individual travelers. To avoid those fees, use small group tour operators like Intrepid Travel. It’s really only the large bus companies that still have that fee anyway (think Globus or Trafalgar tours).

Most small operators have discontinued the practice of single supplements. Generally, anyone who runs groups smaller than 15 travelers or offers a hop-on/hop-off style service won’t require a single supplement.

For more tips, information, and inspiration, here are some insightful posts for older travelers:

• This Boomer Couple Traveled the World for One Year
• How (and Why) This 72-Year-Old Woman is Backpacking the World
• How Jim Didn’t Let a New Disability Change His Travels
• This 70-Year-Old Couple Bucked Convention to Travel the World

Nothing is ever universal, but tips for solo travelers, couples, families, or older travelers are not mutually exclusive. They can be borrowed from each other and used as you see fit.

I write as a solo traveler who likes to save money, and while not all my tips are applicable to every type of traveler, most can be. I hope this post addressed some of the questions you had about what tips on this site are relevant to family and senior travel.
 

How to Travel the World on $75 a Day

My New York Times best-selling book to travel will teach you how to master the art of travel so that you’ll get off save money, always find deals, and have a deeper travel experience. It’s your A to Z planning guide that the BBC called the “bible for budget travelers.”

Click here to learn more and start reading it today!

The post How Families and Senior Travelers Can Use this Website appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

Traveling with a baby (or two!) can present its own unique set of obstacles, especially when it’s your first time. On top of that, everyone has an opinion about the right and wrong way to travel with your family. In this guest post from Corinne McDermott of Have Baby Will Travel, you’re encouraged to ignore the nay-sayers and find a solution that works for everyone!

Whether you’ve newly welcomed a new life into this world or your bump resembles a watermelon, if you’ve always loved travel you may be thinking, “Can you travel with a baby?” Of course, you can travel with a baby, but once part of the parent club, the question seems to become “Should you travel with a baby?”

“It’s too dangerous!” “It’s irresponsible!” and “It’ll be too difficult!” are few exclamations you’ll have thrown your way. And then there’s my particular favorite: “It’s very selfish. Babies need routine; they don’t want to be traipsing all over the globe.”

I can attest that babies do like routines — so it is important to create new ones when you travel. But I think the occasional break from the norm ultimately makes infants more adaptable. Babies just want to be with their parents, if it makes mama and dada happy to have a change of scenery, so be it.

As a new parent, chances are you’re not going to be choosing a war zone as your destination, and you’ll hopefully decide on a place with good access to healthcare. Small babies are more susceptible to illness, but when they’re really little you have more control over what and who they come in contact with.

And is traveling with a baby difficult? Yes — but so is travel without a baby sometimes, and we still love doing that. There is definitely more work involved than tossing a handful of diapers into your backpack, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth it.

Babies need things, and you’ll need to carry those things. Babies need to eat, and you’ll need to have food. Babies need to sleep, and you’ll need to ensure a safe place for that. (Hostels might be great for single travelers but aren’t always the best for babies.) You’ll need to adjust your pace — trying to cram as much into your days as possible will make you all cranky and tired. You’ll need to adjust your expectations — your life has changed, and if you think the way you travel won’t, you’ll likely be disappointed.

Before my daughter arrived, I was certain I had this motherhood thing down pat. I’d read the books, I’d done the research, I was ready. But from the moment she arrived, I was completely thrown for a loop and didn’t feel anywhere close to normal for almost nine months. In hindsight, she was the kind of easy, adaptable baby that would have been a dream tiny traveler. However, I wasn’t ready to make that leap until she was nearly one. The occasional “smug daddy” or “sancti-mommy” would tut-tut about how they simply popped their babe in a sling and off they went hiking the Inca Trail/trek for Rwandan gorillas/summit Mt. Everest and the baby just fit into their lives and that was that. Well that was not my experience, nor anyone else’s I know.

Here are a few key tips to get you started:

1. Breastfeed. The best food for baby is also the easiest to “prepare” when you’re on the road. Breastfeeding not only eliminates lugging bottles, nipples, sterilizing, equipment, formula, etc. but also baby will be getting valuable antibodies that will protect against illness when you’re away from home.

2. Bring a sling. Or a baby carrier. Slings can help you carry the baby, but they can also substitute as a blanket, changing pad, or nursing cover. If slings aren’t your thing, many lightweight cloth baby carriers offer excellent support, keep your hands free, and don’t take up too much room when stored.

3. Bring a stroller. When you’re traveling, a stroller is not just a stroller, it is a highchair, a bed, and an all-around stuff-lugger. The type of travel you prefer will dictate whether a lightweight or an all-terrain stroller would be more appropriate but don’t cheap out here. Good strollers are easy to push, and most are easy to fold up when needed. In warmer climes, slings and carriers can become uncomfortable, so a stroller can offer some shade as well.

4. Pack or buy wipes. Lots of them. Diaper wipes are a traveling parent’s best friend. Not only do they serve their intended purpose, they mop up spit-up, sticky hands, and faces; serve as toilet paper (don’t flush!), and can clean any number of gross surfaces that you or baby may need to touch. Diaper wipes and hand sanitizer (for you) can make sometimes-icky public bathroom scenarios a little more bearable.

5. Don’t overschedule. If you try to cram too much into your days and into your trip, you’ll all end up feeling exhausted and frazzled. Use your destination’s local parenting websites to find parks and other baby-friendly outings that will be easy and comfortable for everyone. That climbable monument/jungle trek/coral reef has been there for a long time already and will still be there when your child is old enough to enjoy it with you.

My children are living proof that starting travel at an early age makes them easier and easier to travel with and instills an early love of travel. And as they grow up, we’re looking forward to taking more adventurous trips with them. For us, it’s not “Are we there yet?” — it’s “When are we going?”

In the Spring of 2007, Corinne McDermott wanted to take a family vacation before her first maternity leave was over. Frustrated by the scattered information on baby travel – destinations, packing, flying tips, and family-specific hotel reviews – she decided to create a one-stop web brochure for busy parents with questions on traveling with baby. Now, Have Baby Will Travel is your guide to family travel with babies, toddlers and young children.
 

The post Can You Travel with a Baby? appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

We have such a large community and I love sharing everyone’s story. I think highlighting a variety of perspectives and experiences helps inspire so many of us! This month we’re featuring Donella and her husband.

After her husband had a health scare a few years ago, they decided to stop waiting, finally sell their stuff, and head on the road. As more and more adults consider a “nomadic” retirement (especially here in the U.S. where it wasn’t always so common), I wanted to interview them and have them share their advice.

Nomadic Matt: Hi Donella! Thanks for doing this. Tell everyone about yourself!
Donella: We have been raising children and grandkids for the past 30 years in South Florida. Now at 58 years of age, and with my husband retiring at 65, we decided to sell our home and take off to see the world.

I was a divorced single mother of two when I first met my husband, who was working in the construction of the hospital where I was employed. He hesitated for five weeks before finally getting the courage to ask me out. When he did, he said, “If I like you, I am going to marry you!”

That was his proposal, and a few months later we were married. He has been a marvelous provider, father, and grandfather these past 30 years.

Fifteen years into our marriage he suffered renal failure, and the doctors did not expect he had enough life left in him to get a transplant. They asked me to prepare for his funeral, which I did. It was a nine-year journey until we got a call late one night in 2008 that they had a kidney available for him.

Since that time you would never know by looking at him that he had ever been sick a day in his life. It was truly a miracle!

How did you get into travel?
For several years now, I have had the urge to travel, which has been a dream of mine before marriage and children. My husband was never keen on the idea until one afternoon last year he said, “Let’s do this!”

The next day I began to sell, donate, and give away (almost) EVERYTHING so that the day we moved we wouldn’t need any trucks. I called a realtor, and our home sold within 24 hours for more than we were asking. We were able to drive away with everything we owned in our two vehicles. My husband was a bit shocked how quickly it all happened once he agreed to go!

Did you and your husband take a lot of trips before this big one?
Over the past 30 years we only went to visit family in Tennessee, North Carolina, and Delaware, though we also explored areas on the way, such as Savannah and Charleston. I visited Texas often to see my brother, Puerto Rico to see our son, and California to see our daughter.

We are going to continue to visit family as we explore the country and travel abroad but take more time to see things that we have only read about. We have learned so much about the world in travel blogs, and we want to experience that.

Tell me about your current trip. After you sold your house, what happened? Where did you go?
As soon as our house was sold we found a beautiful beach bungalow in Juno, Florida, directly across from the beach. Never in our wildest dreams did we ever imagine ourselves being able to live so close to the ocean. We saved just enough things to use to live here.

We’ve basically done what we learned online from the nomadic community: live with less and enjoy your surroundings. Our lease here is only until the end of the year; in the meantime, we are getting our van prepared for full-time camping around the country next year.

This past March we took a long trip to Andalucia in Spain, which was the first time my husband had ever traveled to Europe.

We went to enjoy but also to look into living there the next time we visit. We will do basically the same thing: find a small space so that we are able to take the time to travel to other countries as well.

What inspired this current life change?
My daughter told me that my granddaughter was talking about traveling when she grew up. In an instant, it brought back all the memories of my own plans at that same age. That rekindled the spark in me from my own childhood.

Traveling was the way I grew up with my own parents, who were nomads in the ’50s and ’60s. I grew up in North Africa, Europe, Britain, and the United States all before the age of 10. My father continued traveling the United States until he passed away.

My mother continues to travel the US and Europe while residing in Spain. It’s in my roots, and I long to visit new places and revisit other places that I have seen as a child. Sharing this with my husband seems like a dream come true.

Did people say you were crazy when you said you were setting off to travel the world?
We were surprised at how many people have been so excited to watch us start this journey. There are also people who look at us with that deer-in-the-headlights look, because they can’t imagine living life without their homes and their stuff. I get that and don’t really believe this is for everyone, but it is definitely for us.

Has your husband’s health been an issue at all? What precautions do you have to take?
My husband is in good health now but he still needs blood work routinely and anti-rejection medicine. We decided to find a different doctor, one who would be more accessible in case of an emergency. She will be able to order blood work wherever we are and get the results.

We will continue to return here to South Florida once a year for his follow-up. When traveling to Europe, we bought travel insurance, and the cost was reasonable.

Is it easy to see a doctor overseas? How do you handle medication? Have you ever had to get a prescription filled on the road?
Our doctor here in the States made sure my husband had all the medications needed for our trip. We contacted a doctor in Spain who said they would be able to write prescriptions if needed. Between the two doctors we felt my husband was in good hands, along with the travel insurance we purchased for our trip there. We haven’t had to fill any prescriptions while traveling, but our doctor says it would not be a problem.

What are your future travel plans?
Once my husband’s work commitments are complete, we plan to leave here and live on the road. In the meantime, this fall we are planning a road trip through Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas.

Next spring we are planning a trip up the East Coast from Florida to Nova Scotia. Then we will travel across the northern states until we reach Chicago and take Route 66 west.

We plan to return to Spain, once we finish up the trips through the United States. We hope to have our kids and grandkids join us for a visit, too. Europe is cheap enough to find a small flat to reside in and use their public transportation to see other countries.

How do you keep to a budget?
We have a budget in which we divide all our costs into home, auto, entertainment, food, gifts, medical, miscellaneous, personal, and travel. I keep envelopes with receipts for each item and calculate what we are spending in each area by month. We decide where we need to make adjustments and keep within our budget. It helps to determine if we have a realistic budget or not.

Everyone’s priorities are different, but it is good to be able to see where your money is going routinely. It is the best way to determine how much we are able to spend in for our next travel adventure.

Young people are traveling like this and have wonderful advice on how to make it work, as we have read on your blog. Being retired, we have a pension for financial support, but we’ve found ideas for all types of work from young bloggers if more funding is needed.

We spend a lot of time reading and researching on the internet for great advice from people who are already living this lifestyle. We now plan smarter and more cost-efficiently because of the knowledge that we have received and feel confident that we are going to be able to do more than we ever dreamed possible!

What advice do you have for travelers your age?
Some of the best advice we have received has been from all the young bloggers online such as yourself, Matt. We learned to plan our trips for dates that are less money. Our first trip to Europe cost us less than one of our family trips here in the States!

Another important travel lesson has been not to get our information from news media but instead to rely on the US Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs. They don’t sensationalize what is going on in each country but give you the information you need in order to make good decisions.
 

Become the Next Success Story

One of my favorite parts about this job is hearing people’s travel stories. They inspire me, but more importantly, they also inspire you. I travel a certain way but there are many ways to fund your trips and travel the world. I hope these stories show you that there is more than one way to travel and that it is within your grasp to reach your travel goals. Here are more examples of people who made their travel dreams a reality:

• How Jim Didn’t Let a New Disability Change his Travels
• How (and Why) This 72-Year-Old is Backpacking the World
• How Families and Seniors Can Use the Information on this Website
• How this 70-Year-Old Couple Bucked Tradition to Travel the World

How to Travel the World on $75 a Day

My New York Times best-selling book to travel will teach you how to master the art of travel so that you’ll get off save money, always find deals, and have a deeper travel experience. It’s your A to Z planning guide that the BBC called the “bible for budget travelers.”

Click here to learn more and start reading it today!

The post Embracing Change: Health Scares, Retirement, and Travel appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

It’s been a long time since we’ve had a blog post on family travel on this website so today, I’m excited to introduce to you Cliff. His San Francisco based family spent ten months traveling the world on a career break. They homeschooled and enrolled their kids in schools overseas, spent time with family, saw the world, and bonded as a family. And, they did so, on a budget this nomad is impressed with.

Today, Cliff is going to share how his family did it — and advice for other families looking to do a big round the world adventure!

My dream of taking my family on a world tour began in Nicaragua in the summer of 2012 with my two daughters, who were three years old and six months old at the time.

Most people thought my wife and I were crazy to go to Central America with two little girls.

But, for three weeks, we relaxed at the beach in San Juan del Sur, rode horses through the countryside, and hung out in the bustling town of Granada.

It was an experience we vowed to repeat.

Over the next couple of years, we traveled together to various destinations, including Puerto Rico, Peru, Argentina, and Guatemala. We enjoyed these short trips but, the more we traveled, the more I wanted to go longer — I wanted a year-long trip around the world.

In 2015, that dream became a reality as we spent 10 months traveling in 10 countries.

But to make that happen we needed to be creative with how we saved and spent our money.
 

How We Saved Money and Budgeted for Our Trip

My family lives in one of the most expensive areas in the world: Silicon Valley outside San Francisco, California. Housing prices are extremely high and the overall cost of living is higher than most cities in the United States. I worked as a marketing manager in technology companies while my wife took care of our two daughters.

After our trip in Nicaragua, we decided that we would make family travel a priority in our lives. From July 2012 to December 2014, we saved approximately $40,000 USD, which equates to $1,333 USD per month. Saving that much money on one salary in one of the most expensive areas in the world was not easy. It took some crafty saving skills, but here is what we did:

• I worked freelance jobs. I earned extra money for work on short-term marketing projects, in addition to my full-time job. Now with the on-demand gig economy, there are many great options to earn extra money, including Uber and Lyft.
• We refinanced our mortgage. With a lower interest rate for our home mortgage, we saved over $500 USD per month.
• I reduced my 401(k) and 529 contributions. Instead of putting all of my savings into my retirement account and my daughters’ education accounts, I decided to reallocate about $500 USD per month to our travel funds.
• We reduced our spending. We cooked most meals, capping our food budget at $1,000 USD per month. We also stopped buying unnecessary electronics, clothing, and toys, limiting our discretionary spending to $500 USD per month.

By earning more, spending less, and reallocating a portion of my savings to travel, our travel budget gradually increased to a point where we felt comfortable enough to take time off to travel the world.

But in order for this trip to really make financial sense, we needed to do something about our house while we were away. We did this by renting our house with a family found through Craigslist.

Thankfully, this area is in demand and after accounting for our mortgage, insurance, and taxes, we were making $500 USD per month profit from the renters, which helped pad our travel fund.

Additionally, we sold our SUV, which ended our $700 USD per month loan payment. We also sold all our furniture and about 80% of our electronics, clothes, shoes, and toys through Craigslist and some local Facebook groups.

In total, we made about $5,000 USD from these sales.

With about $10,000 USD of extra money from rent payments and selling our stuff and the $40,000 USD in savings, we created a budget of $50,000 USD for our trip. We knew we had to make our money stretch as far as possible by being savvy with how we saved and spent on the trip.
 

How Much We Spent

Below is a list of some of the expenses of our trip per country visited. (Later I’ll go into more detail about how we accomplished this.) With this information, I hope you realize that extended family travel around the world can be affordable and realistic.

All you need is a curiosity to explore the world, flexibility, and a bit of budgeting skills.

Honolulu, Hawaii 

• Duration: 1 month
• Accommodations: Free, stayed at my mother’s place
• Transportation: $800 USD
• Flights: $2,400 USD
• Total: $6,000 USD

Phuket, Thailand

• Duration: 3 months
• Accommodations: $2,000 USD ($667 per month for one-bedroom apartment)
• Transportation: $400 USD ($133 per month)
• Schooling: $2,100 USD ($350 per month per kid)
• Visa extensions: $200 USD total
• Flight from Phuket to Hangzhou free with Star Alliance points
• Total: $8,000 USD

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

• Duration: 3 days
• Accommodations: $150 USD
• Flights: $435 USD
• $750 USD total

Hangzhou, China

• Duration: Approximately 2 months
• Accommodations: Free, stayed at my wife’s parents’ place
• Schooling: $400 USD total for 2 months ($100 per month per kid)
• Total: $2,500 USD

Europe (Italy, Spain, France, Belgium, Germany, Netherlands)

• Duration: 2.5 months
• Accommodations: about $5,200 USD (average of $71/night) for 73 nights
• Food: $3,500 USD (average of $47 per day)
• Shopping and leisure activities: $1,500 USD (average of $20 per day)
• Schooling: $800 USD for 4 weeks in Barcelona ($400 per month per kid)
• Flights and transportation: $5,000 USD
• Total: $16,000 USD

Hong Kong

• Duration: 3 days
• Accommodations: Free, stayed at friends’ place
• Flights: Free stopover in Hong Kong on the way back to Hangzhou from Europe
• Total: $300 USD

Hangzhou, China

• Duration: Approximately 2 months
• Accommodations: Free, stayed at my wife’s parents’ place
• Total: $2,500 USD

Flights to Bay Area: $2,000 USD

Breakdown by Expense Type

• Flights: $9,000 USD
• Other Transportation: $2,000 USD
• Accommodations: $7,500 USD
• Schooling: $3,300 USD
• Food, shopping, and leisure activities: $17,750 USD

GRAND TOTAL: $39,550
 

How We Saved Money During Our Trip

In order for our travel budget to last 10 months, we had to be efficient with the way we spent our money. We did this in a number of ways:

We Used Our Frequent Flyer Miles.
Using points and miles was vital to our success. In total, I used 250,000 miles for free airplane tickets on Star Alliance airlines on this trip: 100,000 of those miles came from signup bonuses for Chase Sapphire Preferred credit cards for both my wife and myself.

After $4,000 USD spent on each card, we were awarded the signup bonus of 50,000 points, which were converted 1:1 for Star Alliance miles. It’s our travel credit card of choice because there are no foreign transaction fees. Another 100,000 of those miles came from the accumulation of miles through flights flown by all four of us in the previous years.

The remaining 50,000 miles came through spending on the cards over two years. A great site I use is The Points Guy and Matt has a great book on the subject too.

We Purchased Cheap Flights
For flights that were paid in full, I used travel comparison sites like Google Flights and Kayak to find the best prices.

In Asia and Europe, there were many budget airlines that made flying economical, so those flights didn’t take a huge chunk of our travel budget.

For example, for all four of us, one-way flights from Venice to Barcelona were $420 USD on Vueling Airlines and round-trip flights from Phuket to Kuala Lumpur were $435 USD.

We Stayed at Our Parents’ Places
For about 45% of our time away from home, we stayed with my mother in Honolulu, Hawaii, and my wife’s folks in Hangzhou, China. Not only did we spend quality time with our extended families, but we also saved a ton of money on accommodations.

While our situation is unique in that we have parents in different parts of the world, there are great options for free housing, including sites like Couchsurfing, Servas, Hospitality Club, and housesitting opportunities.

It’s not as easy as what we had but it still works and is an option families can use!

We Rented Apartments
Airbnb was vital to helping us stay on budget. Especially in Europe, where accommodations costs can be expensive, we stayed in furnished apartments ranging from a studio in Paris to a two-bedroom apartment in Barcelona for an average of $71 USD/night.

Our accommodations costs were much cheaper than if we had stayed in hotels. 

We Did Free Activities
There are lots of free activities to do with kids while abroad, including going to beaches, parks, markets, shopping malls, churches, and outdoor festivals. Even for expensive cities like Rome and Barcelona, there were always free things to do. For example, from having read an article in National Geographic, we went to the Picasso Museum in Barcelona on one of its free Sundays, and we walked around the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona to watch the various street performers.

We Cut Our Transportation Costs
In Phuket, we rented a moped (for all four of us!) for $133 USD per month. In China, we took cheap taxis or rode the bus. In Europe, we rode the subways or the buses, which were not expensive (e.g., $1 USD per bus ride in Florence and Barcelona). By taking public transportation or walking whenever possible, we kept our daily transportation costs low.

We Cooked Most Meals
With a kitchen at our parents’ places or our Airbnb apartments, we ate a majority of our meals at home, especially in Europe. When we ate at restaurants, we ate simply or at inexpensive lunch buffets (e.g., $10 USD for a Japanese lunch buffet in Florence).

In Asia, eating at restaurants was fairly cheap, so we didn’t need to cook at home as much.
 

FamilyTravel: Final Thoughts

Family travel can be stressful, with all the planning, movement, logistics, new time zones, new languages, different foods, and taking care of the kids. It’s never really a vacation with children, because the majority of your time and energy will be used to take care of them.

But family travel is also very rewarding. 

When you travel together, you collect memories and build the bonds of your family through the shared experiences of being in different countries, interacting with different people, speaking different languages, and eating different foods. By getting out of your comfort zones and traveling the world, you allow your family to learn and grow in ways that could never happen at home.

One of my warmest memories (and there are many) comes when we were living in Spain. We found a trilingual preschool (English, Spanish, and German) that allowed our daughters to enroll for the entire duration of our stay in Barcelona.

They became immersed in the Spanish culture and language, made local friends, and went on many field trips. It was amazing watching them learn to interact with the locals, learn a culture, and grow as people.

They developed a cultural understanding that just wouldn’t have been possible if we had stayed home. I know this is a positive experience that will live with them forever.

Whether for three weeks during a winter break, three months in the summer, or a full year, budget family travel is possible. Traveling through 10 countries in 10 months with my family was a great learning experience and a dream come true.

Despite all the headaches, fevers, upset stomachs, hot days, lost items, frustrating situations, and everything else that we went through during our trip, it was all worth it and we grew closer together as a family.

And there’s no better feeling than that as a parent.
 

The post How this Family of 4 Traveled the World on $130 a Day appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

Last year, I interviewed Cory Lee, a wheelchair user and avid traveler, about his experience seeing the world. I’m a firm believer that travel is possible for people from all walks of life, so when I stumbled across Cory’s website, I knew I wanted to share his inspirational story. You don’t meet a lot of disabled travelers on the road.

A few months ago, I was contacted by a 64-year-old wheelchair user and website reader named Jim. Inspired by Cory, he wanted to know if I wanted to share his perspective and experiences, too. Jim became a wheelchair user later in life due to health issues. Because there’s not a lot of information in the media, many people with disabilities lack the knowledge and support they need to travel. I know this because people email on the subject. “Matt, I’m a senior who can’t walk well” or “I’m visually impaired” or “I’m in a wheelchair” and they wonder how they can travel, too, so stories of people like Jim are important for me to share.

In this interview, Jim talks about how he ended up using a wheelchair, how he travels, and his advice for others:

Matt: Tell everyone about yourself.
Jim: I am a fifth-generation Florida native, dating back to 1828, when Florida was a territory. I grew up in West Palm Beach, leaving at age 19 to join the military. I served as a soldier in the US Army for slightly over 30 years of active duty service. I consider my time in the military as one of the best things that ever happened in my life because of the experience, training, opportunities, and development I got.

I retired from active duty in 2002 and immediately after, I secured employment as a civilian with the US Army Training and Doctrine Command at beautiful Fort Monroe, Virginia. I recently turned 64 and plan to work in my current position until age 66.

You’ve been in a wheelchair for a year. Can you tell us what happened?
I have been in a wheelchair since December 2014. I have an unusual autoimmune disease called inclusion body myositis (IBM); it’s the result of an overactive immune system, where white cells attack good cells, inflaming and gradually destroying muscle tissue, resulting in loss of muscle mass and severe weakness. I have always been very active and had anticipated I would remain physically active in my old age. But now I can do very little for myself, although I certainly do what I am capable of.

I cannot dress myself, put on my socks or pants, or button my shirts. I can rise to my feet under certain conditions, meaning from a certain height using a motorized office chair or lift recliner. I am very unstable when standing but can use a walker on smooth, flat surfaces indoors. But I have gotten to the point that this is not safe or even possible outdoors.

Were you a big traveler before you started using a wheelchair?
I have always enjoyed traveling and was provided many opportunities to travel as I relocated to new duty stations. For example, in 1985 I was stationed at Fort McClellan, Alabama, and relocated to Fort Greely, Alaska; we chose to drive from Alabama to Alaska. It was very interesting to drive across the country, through Canada, and then back into the USA.

Two years later we made the drive back to Fort Pickett, Virginia. A few years later we drove from Virginia to another assignment at Fort Bliss, Texas, and then back to Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

In my current job, I traveled about one week each month using air and ground travel. Many times I was working, but I also tried to make every business trip a fun trip by planning ahead and researching opportunities I could take full advantage of.

One of my favorite locations for such required travel is San Antonio: I know when I go there I’ll go to the Riverwalk and the Alamo and enjoy authentic Mexican food, the best Texas barbecue, and steaks. These are simple things, but ones I truly appreciate and enjoy.

When you ended up in a wheelchair, what did you think travel would be like now? Did you think it would be possible?
My move into a wheelchair has been a gradual process that allowed time to think ahead, research, and plan how to overcome new obstacles. I know that travel will continue to be difficult and challenging. I also know that planning well in advance will allow me to resolve problems and better enjoy my travel.

I feel that I have a choice to travel or not travel. But not to travel implies defeat, and that’s not a good choice for any of us. The time may come that travel is no longer possible, but I do not plan to rush into defeat. This will be a time of resolve and determination to make the best of the life given to me.

How did you overcome any obstacles?
My most recent travel objective was to drive the entire length of the Blue Ridge Parkway, which is 469 miles from Rockfish Gap, Virginia, to Cherokee, North Carolina. Preparation for the trip included a detailed written plan depicting each day’s starting point, destination, projected travel miles, dining suggestions, and lodging location (it is imperative that I find handicapped-accessible lodging that includes a roll-in shower, as I am unable to step over a bathtub).

A packing list has been a practice of mine for many years, and that makes packing and planning easier. Some of the unique items I pack are a hat with a mounted flashlight, a night-light for hotels, portable suction grab bars, a lift belt, a urine bottle, non-slip pads, a bath mat, wet wipes, a grab stick, and a raised toilet chair. Keeping these lists and adding to them from lessons learned during and after the trip is very helpful.

What is the hardest part about traveling in a wheelchair?
I’d say the hardest part of travel that I experience is all the unknowns. For example, arriving at a lodging location with a reservation for a handicapped-accessible room with a roll-in shower and then finding that it has a tub. I learned it is best to make a reservation for a roll-in, call and speak directly with the hotel manager, and then call again the day before arrival. That’s a lot of calls, but this is important to me.

I prefer the Hampton Inn Honors program, which clearly describes their rooms and accessibility. I am also a Marriott member, but their online site has not been very user-friendly locating handicapped-accessible rooms.

What are some good resources people in wheelchairs can use to travel? I suspect many just think they can’t do it! 
I am still learning about resources for travel, but I have found it is good to ask others specific questions about their travel experiences. The Internet is an excellent source of information; you can ask most any question and someone will point you in the right direction.

For example, I really had no idea there was a wheelchair capable of rising straight up, which is what I needed. The VA (Veterans Administration) representative immediately recognized my needs and provided the perfect chair for me, for which I am very grateful.

Don’t give up, be determined, research, and ask others for advice and suggestions.

What’s the greatest lesson you’ve learned from this? 
I don’t have life as tough as many others. When I start to feel bad, angry, or frustrated for what I am going through, I snap out of it immediately, realizing there are so many others that experience much worse circumstances and difficulties.

There are techniques, equipment, and sources of information readily available that allow those of us with disabilities to continue to enjoy many pleasures of life.

How we conduct ourselves routinely affects others. We may not realize how others observe from a distance those of us with disabilities and how we continue with our daily activities. Many have told me that they have watched me several times and how I conducted myself. Unknown to me, my actions and kindness motivated them to have a more productive and pleasurable day. It’s important to remain positive and display an enthusiastic attitude of friendliness and happiness.

Be friendly, stay positive, and find joy and contentment in your circumstances.

My wife is my best friend that I can depend on forever. Cindy and I have been married for 34 years, and our goals have always been to outserve each other without keeping score. Having a loving and caring companion is an important and necessary part of my life. We’re designed for companionship, to serve one another and to share life’s experiences, particularly in health and sickness and for better or worse, as we said in our commitment of marriage.

I have a job, friends, medical care, and more, but sadly, some do not have anyone. I am truly blessed and take none of this for granted. God has provided much more than I deserve. I pray that others will be able say to the same.

My purpose in sharing my experience as a man with disabilities and using a wheelchair is to encourage others, to find contentment in my circumstances, and to remain grateful every day. Those of us with disabilities have many challenges and difficulties ahead. I am a man of faith, and I give God all the glory as he created each one of us perfect. If you are reading this, I want you to be encouraged and to be encouraging.

Do you plan to travel internationally, or is that a little too much right now? If so, how are you planning that?
I do not plan to travel out of the country; I simply do not have that desire. I am confident that air travel is possible but would require considerable assistance. I often wonder how guys like Texas governor Abbott and Charles Krauthammer maintain their pace and travel. I believe if they can do it then so can I. We have to believe in ourselves and give it a sincere and wholehearted try.

When you are traveling, how do you figure out what activities you can and can’t do? Do you use any special organizations?
Part of my process for choosing a destination is to check out its website and verify with a phone call. Many websites specifically address accessibility. Not long ago I took my wife for dinner at the Williamsburg Lodge to celebrate our 34th anniversary. When I arrived I was surprised to see three steps going down into the dining room and the nearby elevator inoperable. No problem, though, as I had the pleasure of an escorted tour through the kitchen and down a ramp into the dining area.

I like to use Armed Forces Vacation Club to receive discounted resort lodging, sometimes as low as $299 for seven days. Their options usually address accessibility but aren’t very clear on specifics, such as roll-in showers, but a phone call to the resort will answer most questions.

I also use VRBO. These accommodations are usually very specific and provide photos and have a search filter for wheelchair accessibility.

If you could offer someone in a wheelchair or with another mobility disability three specific tips for travel, what would they be? 
1. Veterans should check out the Veterans Affairs website to determine their benefits. If you are a veteran and need a wheelchair or modifications to a home or vehicle, the VA will assist. If your disability is service-connected, then additional and increased benefits may be available. Make sure you contact a local Veterans Service Organization for their expert advice.

2. Plan thoroughly and well in advance to obtain and confirm lodging, accessibility, and available equipment. For example, while I was still on my feet and using a walker for short distances, I visited the Baseball Hall of Fame and Niagara Falls. Both facilities offered the use of a wheelchair. Keep your plan handy so that you can edit and improve it for your next trip.

3. Make a bucket list. Let planning and doing these things be a new hobby for you. If necessary, start small: go to the movies, go to the beach, attend church, work as long as you can, and as long as you want. You will develop confidence in your abilities to travel, and then your bucket list can really grow.

What trips do you have planned in the future?
I have several trips planned for this year. They are all by ground transportation in our modified and accessible van.

We also plan to drive old historic Highway 17 from Virginia to Florida and participate in the Azalea Festival in Wilmington, North Carolina. Driving Highway 17 is like taking a trip back in time, as many of the sites have not drastically changed. There are great places to eat at, locations that are a combination of restaurants and gas stations serving fried pork chops, collard greens, black-eyed peas, cornbread, and sweet tea.

In the fall we will travel the Skyline Drive, which begins where the Blue Ridge Parkway ends in Rockfish Gap, Virginia; it’s a fairly short drive north of about 109 miles of beautiful and scenic views. The goal will be to never drive on the interstate and remain on roads less traveled.

People like Jim are an inspiration. They don’t let adversity get in their way. Like the saying goes, where there is a will, there is a way. Jim uses careful planning, support groups, and the power of the Internet to let him fulfill his wanderlust.
 

Become the Next Success Story

One of my favorite parts about this job is hearing people’s travel stories. They inspire me, but more importantly, they inspire you! I travel a certain way but there are many ways to fund your trips and travel the world. I hope these stories show you that there is more than one way to travel and that it’s within your grasp to reach your travel goals. Here are some more inspiring interviews from the community:

• How (and Why) This 72-Year-Old is Backpacking the World
• How Families and Seniors Can Use the Information on this Website
• How this 70-Year-Old Couple Bucked Tradition to Travel the World

How to Travel the World on $75 a Day

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The post How Jim Didn’t Let a New Disability Change His Travels appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.