There’s a saying that traveling with kids is not a vacation… it’s a trip. I’m here to help you increase the joy and create a positive association with family travel, so your children will be enthusiastic for your next adventure. A well-crafted itinerary should have plenty of padding between tourist sites to allow for down time or free play time, and it helps to know where the best nearby playgrounds are. Ice cream or a local specialty sweet is a great pick me up in the mid-to-late afternoon – a time of day when energy levels and moods tend to sag. A tour of a museum with the right high-quality, child-centric guide can turn boring into a lifelong, positive memory for your children.  Or how about one of the following to really enhance your trip:

• Gelato or pizza making class in Italy
• Perfume-making in Paris
• “Bean to Bar” Chocolate tour in Costa Rica
• Tour of an actual chocolate factory in Switzerland, ending with all-you-can-eat
• For teens: a street art tour in Lisbon
• For teens: Harajuku and Shibuya shopping tour in Tokyo

Before your vacation even begins, start building anticipation and a fuller connection with the destination by listening to audiobooks in the car, podcasts while you cook or clean the house, watching films and reading books set in the destination. I always buy a selection of books for the kids to give them at the outset of the journey, which always makes them happy. I usually slip in a few non-fiction ones in there, and some have been a surprisingly big hit. And finally, after the vacation, looking at your best photos with your kids can help seal the good memories.

As a member of the Family Travel Association‘s Travel Agent Council, I specialize in families and have access to the best tools and insights in the business. My goal is to make it easier and less intimidating to travel with kids. Contact me today to discuss your goals, and we can come up with travel plan that will be a perfect match for your family.

Let’s start planning a vacation everyone in the family will love.

Inspire World Travel is an affiliate of Gateway Travel, a Virtuoso® Member.