Category: Small talk

Before the pleasure of every trip I have to suffer the torture of packing. I believe that every mother knows how difficult it is to fit half of the house in a suitcase so that the inner ‘what if?’ is calm and the overweight charges are avoided.  On the other hand, I guess everyone would like to travel ‘light’, avoid endless packing and unpacking when changing hotels or being obliged to hire a bigger car as the economy one has too little trunk for all the stuff.

I wonder what your packing ‘habits’ are? As for me, over the time I have learned to pack into two suitcases, one small and one medium, all the family and it is regardless of how far and for how long we go (keeping in mind that normally we go warm places). But travelling light needs thorough preparation and reflection. My trick is to put everything I intend to take on the floor or on the bed, so that I can have an overview of how many things I plan to bring along. This usually makes me realise that there are a lot, too many, things on the bed. Then I start counting: five t-shirts, four dresses, two blouses… This is enough to change clothes every day for 11 days! But frankly, do I need to change my outfit every day (and I will not be walking the red carpet in Cannes)? Therefore, I think it is enough to pack one outfit for two days with some extra for emergencies. Basically for a trip of one week it is enough to take five combinations of clothes and for any longer trip 7-8 outfits will do. For the longer trips instead of more clothes I take detergent tablets (buying detergent at the place results in getting huge box for just one washing).

Another important trick is to be realistic about what you will be doing during the trip. If the holidays bring you to Bali you will not, believe it, you will not need two pairs of jeans and three sweaters. And there is no ‘what if’! It is also highly unlikely that you will need an evening dress and stilettos, especially if you do not even wear them at home. Better leave some space in your luggage and profit from an occasion to do a little shopping if it finally appears that you are invited to a king’s palace.

Finally, when travelling with kids do not forget to bring along a small piece of ‘home’. Our hand luggage always includes two small cushions and kids’ bed toys. This way they feel a little bit like at home when sleeping in the plain or in a hotel. We also bring for kids one or two of their favourite books to read before the bed and some pencils with paper for them to draw. They can also pack some toys they want to have but the rule is that all these things shall fit into one backpack and shall not contain the things they would really hate losing.

At the end of the day, the only three things you shall not forget are the passports, the credit card and the curiosity to explore. Soon you will realise you don’t need anything else.

When travelling around the world we inevitably end up visiting local McDonalds. Mostly for breakfast as it serves quite good pancakes (not in Spain though), but also for a fast dinner when kids get tired of trying out ‘strange’ food and want something known. It is interesting to observe how McDonalds adapts to local tastes by offering something from the place. In Spain it has gaspacho and burgers prepared by Spanish Michelin starred chefs, in Malaysia it offers corn as a desert and ‘Bubur Ayam’ (chicken strips with porridge), in Hong Kong it has pasta soup for breakfast and here in Emirates they have McArabia sandwich which is a version of shawarma with pita and chicken and Arabic salad (photo) which is another version of Greek or Turkish salad. It was so delicious (something you don’t normally say about McDonalds food) that would not make shame on a menu in any ‘normal’ restaurant.

–What happened that lately before any bigger trip we shall function in a ‘saving mode’? asked our pappy one of these days when I decided that I do not really need yet another dress (which I really loved though!)

–Well, my dear, our kids grow, and so do the travel expenses.

Indeed, our little explorers are not babies anymore and since Elin turned four last year we entered the period when we have to pay for 4. Luckily, the child fares still apply in most of the cases (we should be ‘safe’ for the next four years before Tilius turns 12). So how do we fit our big travel dreams into a modest budget?

In order to profit from the flight deals, we embrace the adventure – instead of first deciding destination and then looking for the flights, we start by checking where the flight offers would bring us and then decide if it sounds interesting. The place shall be safe and not visited yet and then, I believe, there is always something worth discovering. By the way, I think the best time to hunt for a bargain flight is in January.

Accommodation is a next big line in the travel budget and it takes some patience and research to find a nice and cheap place. The problem is that many hotels are not equipped to accommodate four people in a room but luckily the latest trends in apartment sharing and renting, such as Airbnb, allow for the families to get the best price and comfort combination. Plus having kitchenette is a real saver when travelling to different time zones. It allows having breakfast at lunchtime or making quick pasta dish well after midnight if internal clock requires some supper then and not before. It also allows saving few euros to be used for amusement park rather than paying hotel breakfast. But holidays are holidays so we shouldn’t spend them cooking!

As for the entertainment expenses that also eat up some important part of the budget, I usually check for offers or discounted tickets on the Internet. I think the most expensive way to get to an amusement park, a zoo, a tour or a museum is to buy the tickets near entrance! There are many offers on the web so some research is needed again especially because some websites have better offers in one country or region while not so good for the other places. But you will surely get some discount buying online, even if small, but when multiplied by all family members and by number of places to visit, it gets to a nice dinner saved.

Finally about food. I wouldn’t say we are saving on food when we eat at the street markets or street food stalls because we love trying new dishes and discovering new tastes. Saving is just a side effect of the experience. And when the kids get very tired of all the exotics they want to go to ..McDonalds which definitely does not break the bank.

So small budget should not preclude you from dreaming big and travelling far and away. But it is true that it requires more planning and more research than a weekend trip to a countryside. On the other hand, hunting for bargains may be addictive. I am already not sure what I enjoy better – going on a trip or organising it. So beware, you may actually like it!

Photo: infinity pool with the view over Kuala Lumpur that came with our rented appartment (48 euros/night!)

So now you are convinced to take your kids along and go on a trip together. Great! … But?

Oh yes, that famous BUT! … great idea BUT later… , … I would love BUT they are too little…, …we will go BUT when they get older…

Well, you can always find a reason not to go, but I’ll intend now to offer a million one reason why you should. And why you should not wait until your kids get older. Believe me, there is a reason why people say ‘small kids small problems’!

To start with, travelling with kids before they turn two is cheaper. You don’t pay their flight ticket so it is a good occasion to go far away (no coincidence we visited Easter Island before Elin’s second birthday), they are not counted when booking a hotel room and all entrance tickets or public transport are for free. You actually get some benefits such as priority or simply better attention. And what I mostly miss now – you may avoid travelling during school holidays! School holidays mean you don’t find flight deals, you overpay hotel rooms and you have to bear with crowds. In addition, there are so many nice destinations (I’m dreaming Argentina…) that are just not good to visit during European summer. So profit well before!

In addition, traveling with small kids does not require you to change much your itinerary. For them it is virtually the same where to take a nap so you can easily spend your day in Louvre or watching ancient coins in a local history museum. You won’t be disturbed by that weeping sound ‘I am bored’. You may also run as fast around the place as you want (and can while pushing the stroller) without hearing that sobbing ‘I am tired’. So one advice – get along a stroller as long as your kids fit in one.

As far as the ‘difficulties’ of travelling with babies are concerned, I would dear to say they are all just in your head. I somehow believe that kids also get tired from routine: same room with the same toys every day, same tired parents, same morning stress when they leave to work… The trip changes all that. First and foremost parents are around all the time and likely they are happy and relaxed – a reason good enough to enjoy the trip. And the views around change faster than on TV. So many reasons to be a happy little child:).

Finally, the earlier you start travelling the easier it will be later, both for you and for kids. I bet it may be difficult to convince older child to try frog legs or eat at the plastic street food table. But small kids have less prejudices and once they tried it, they don’t find it strange later. 

So the only one who needs to put the prejudices and fear aside is you. Don’t say that famous BUT anymore.

Photo: During our one month long trip to Chile Elin was 1 year 10 months old and Tilius 4