We've been traveling quite a bit lately. And many do not just travel, but do it with children, who are not always sick, like all children. Journeys from planned and predictable easily turn into unexpected and full of surprises.
Wherever you go and regardless of the time:
a) luggage must be lifting and the bag must be comfortable;
b) never ask your child if he wants to go to the toilet, but just take his hand and lead him there. Otherwise, you risk being in the middle of the road, somewhere at a concrete bus stop with unbearable bags and a child who is stuck in the toilet.
1. Luggage should be light
Do not carry a first-aid kit with you, which will be the envy of a small pharmacy in the district center. Each time of all this, you use only a maximum of three medicines - from a runny nose, from a cough and, as a result, from your headache. The same applies to clothes - a huge number of warm jackets, pants, jackets and shoes (and what if it is cold?!), and T-shirts and skirts do not have a number at all - this should not be. As a result, you will go to the beach in swimsuits and light capes, and your three evening dresses will not wait for their finest hour.
And yet - a bag or backpack should be very convenient. For the family, you can choose the option of hiking backpacks - each has its own displacement and the weight that it is able to carry on its shoulders for a long time. A child, by the way, can also have his own small backpack.
2. Rent rooms or apartments, not a hotel, in the central areas of the city
In hotels, the cheapest of the more or less decent, where it is not terrible to settle with a child, are rooms worth 100-120 euros per day. On the outskirts, hotels are usually cheaper, but if you take into account the fact that many resort towns are 4 times larger than the same Kiev, you will spend much more money on the road to the center and the main attractions than you save on a room.
You can use the AirBnB service and rent an apartment, for example, in the center, about 50 euros per day.
3. Walk everywhere and look into all corners of a new place
You can just wander the streets. It is in such cases that you can get to the most beautiful and interesting places without crowds of tourists. So if you have comfortable shoes and a few days in a new city, one day can be devoted to excursions, and then just wander and look into secluded corners. But not in the evening! In the evening, it is better to send your curiosity and love for walking to sleep. And if you wander, then only on the central and well-lit streets.
4. Get Lost
The card is a necessary thing in the tourist's hand luggage. It is simply necessary when looking for specific places. But if you hide the map and just wander through unfamiliar streets, you can discover a huge number of incredible and interesting places!
5. Ice cream will return a good mood to your children
Only if the child is not sick! And so it really is a great way not only to eat, but also to maintain the morale in your children.
6. Use your trip as a mini course in foreign languages
Such trips are a great opportunity to learn a couple of new words in a new language or hone already acquired skills. The locals will be very happy to help you. Moreover, the attitude towards you will also change dramatically for the better when they see that you are trying to address in the local language.
Perhaps in this way you will understand which language is easier for you and decide to learn a couple more new ones.
7. Ask for recommendations from local residents
Of course, all the books and guides to the cities are an excellent source of information about the main attractions of the city, but they still will not tell you the most interesting thing. Only locals will send you to the best wine shop or pizzeria, where they prepare the most delicious pizza in the city. Only locals know the secret routes and all the interesting places that are not indicated on the map.
You can write in advance to a friend from the country you are going to, or write in a general group on social networks. And you can also read tips in Foursquare or on Google maps. Tested – works!
8. Avoid "tourist traps"
On the hiking trails are the most expensive restaurants and cafes with dishes of dubious quality and the most expensive shops. At the same time, they are unlikely to please you with a wide selection of goods or dishes.
Try to buy something or dine away from the main tourist streets. This is especially true for cafes - the price decreases, and the taste improves the farther you move away from the center. You can buy in such places only what you will not buy anywhere else - souvenirs.
9. Always carry something with you that will occupy your children
Not all excursions or walks will be interesting to your children. I'm already silent about the hours spent waiting at airports. If you do not find something to do with your child, you risk earning a headache and feeling dozens of dissatisfied glances of others on your back.
Pencils and painters, books, toys and computer games – there are no restrictions! Believe me, a six-hour airport transfer is not the best place to think about how useful and informative this activity or game will be for your child.
10. Daytime nap and once again daytime sleep!
After long walks, it is very pleasant and useful to take a nap after lunch. This is especially true for children. Even if the child resists and assures that he does not want to sleep and will not fall asleep for anything (play, play, play!!!), he will turn off faster than his head touches the pillow. Some even manage to fall asleep at a bowl of soup.
In addition, daytime sleep will be useful for you in order to gain strength for new walks.
11. Buy groceries in the store
Cafes, restaurants and street food are good. But if you have the opportunity to cook something in the apartment that you rent, it is better not to miss this opportunity. I am by no means agitating to cook all day, but you can cook soup for children once for a couple of days. In addition, it is not necessary to cook something, you can just buy yogurt, fruits, vegetables and bread - it is cheaper than in a cafe, and at home there is always something to eat.
And it's not always the food that's served in the café, or the local cuisine in general, that might be right for your kids.
12. One or two days is not enough to see a new place
Moreover, if you want to really get into the culture and learn a lot of interesting things, and two weeks will not be enough!
If you just want to see as much as possible, stay in the same city for 4-5 days. And if you want to understand how the locals live, stay no less than a month.
13. Remember the Lessons of History
In travel, history comes to life. After all, you can see and touch the Colosseum, the pyramid or the ruins of a Greek temple. To walk through the history of the place or city in which you go will be useful not only for children, but also for you. And, of course, on such trips, children are much more willing to listen to such stories and remember. After all, they not only read about it in the book, but also saw it with their own eyes! And the rest will be completed by the rich children's imagination ;)
14. Arrange yourself days of rest
Constant walks are very tiring and at some point you will no longer be happy with new places. Despite the fact that children are just bubbling with energy, they get tired even more. Rather, they do not even get tired, and they just get tired of constantly going somewhere or going.
Therefore, arrange yourself free days without a clear program, when you can just relax and unwind (or lie on the beach, if possible). And then, with renewed vigor and enthusiasm, plan new routes.
15. Wine relaxes and makes things easier
After a long and busy day, a glass of red wine for dinner will be very useful - very relaxing. But this option is not necessary at all if you do not drink alcohol or are not a fan of wine.
16. Travel is always an adventure!
And not a fool's errand for collecting and transporting things and catching runaway offspring. Traveling is great! These are new places, new acquaintances and, possibly, new friends. It's new experiences and new knowledge. This is the discovery of an unfamiliar side of the world. You can't plan everything and keep everything under control. So just relax and give in to the flow.