One year ago, my family and I embarked on a year-long journey around the world. Five months since our return, we are still brimming with unforgettable experiences and life lessons. Many people have since approached me, expressing their own desires to undertake a similar adventure. So, for those who dream of or are planning a year-long world trip with their children, here are:
10 Essential Tips for Traveling the World for a Year with Kids
1. Just Do It!
If you have the dream and the means, my advice is simple: do it! It’s an incredible experience for the entire family that you’ll never regret. Don’t let others’ opinions or school-related concerns deter you. Every problem has a solution.
2. Plan Ahead
Embarking on a world trip requires dreaming, discussing, pondering, and reading before making the decision. Take all the time you need for planning. We booked everything ourselves, but travel agencies can also handle arrangements. Our plan took shape over a year before we left and required at least six months of preparations.
3. Research Thoroughly
Read extensively about the countries you wish to visit and learn from other families’ experiences. Consider your children’s ages and potential risks associated with certain countries. For example, we wanted to visit Peru, but the risk of altitude sickness for our 3-year-old led us to skip it.
4. Travel Light
One of the biggest lessons from our travels is to pack as lightly as possible. We didn’t need at least two-thirds of the items we brought along. You can buy necessities anywhere in the world. Pack only the basics and purchase what you need during your trip. You’ll find that you end up wearing the same clothes almost every day. Buy what you need from thrift shops or stores like Walmart, and sell or donate these items when you leave the country.
5. Embrace Variety
After several weeks of RV travel, it can be refreshing to settle in one place for a while. Travel fatigue can set in, making the prospect of a temporary permanent residence appealing. It’s important to assess what best suits your travel needs in each country and to incorporate some variety into your journey.
6. Avoid a Strict “Must-See” List
While it’s tempting to tick off all the highlights in different countries, we found it more rewarding to immerse ourselves in the local ways of life. Of course, there are some places you simply can’t skip, like the Golden Gate Bridge. However, some of our most memorable experiences, like a spontaneous swim in the crystal clear waters of a deserted Lake Tahoe beach, weren’t on any list.
7. Experience the World Through a Child’s Eyes
This point complements the previous one. Travel at your child’s pace. Often, they’ll find more joy in walking around a building than going inside it. Watching baby sea turtles on the beach can be more meaningful than visiting a touristy village. Embrace the little surprises – they can make your year-long world trip truly special.
8. Let Go of Expectations
This might seem like an odd tip, but releasing all expectations can lead to two positive outcomes. First, you won’t face disappointment. Second, you’ll be open to experiences you might not have anticipated because you had a preconceived image in your head. So, once again, try to see the world through the eyes of a child.
9. Keep a Travel Journal
When you’re traveling the world for a year, time will seem to fly by. You’ll experience so many things that you might forget where you were just a week ago. A handy app for travelers is Polarsteps. This app tracks your journey, allowing you to take pictures and add stories along the way. This way, your loved ones back home can follow your adventures. The best part? At the end of your trip, you’ll receive an email notifying you that your photobook is ready. Your entire journey, including photos and stories, will be bundled together in one beautiful book.
10. Enjoy Your Journey
It might sound cliché, but don’t forget to savor the moments when you’re standing on a beautiful beach, watching your kids play, and the world seems to stand still. These are the moments you’ll remember forever.
This article “10 Tips to Travel the World for a Year with Kids” is written by Myrena, a 41-year-old mother of three who took her family on a trip around the world. During their journey, she wrote several blogs about their amazing travels, which will soon be bundled into a book.