Travel builds empathetic, adaptable humans in a way that kiddie soccer teams never will. But travel only works its magic when families trade in their usual vacation routines and push the boundaries of their travel comfort zones. What better way to create a lifetime of curiosity than to take your kids when you step out of yours… International travel that much easier and appealing, we’re sharing our reader recommendations for the best first-time international trips for families. Over the past few weeks, we’ve curated your recommendations once again directly into our posts, then turned all of your comments into handy lists. Those lists are essential travel tools, packed with information and links you can refer back to over and over again with ease.
Factors to Consider Before Choosing an International Trip
The key source of stress for a lot of first-time international travelers is being able to communicate overseas, but some countries are much easier than others thanks to the ubiquity of English-speaking locals, guides, and road signs. If your aim is to take the least stressful trip possible, focus on family-friendly spots in Great Britain (especially London), Ireland, Australia, and the English-speaking stretches of the Caribbean – these are the most trouble-free experiences when it comes to speaking English everywhere. Even though only about 7% of the US population is fluent in Spanish, many families opt for their first trip abroad to be a family vacation to Mexico.
If you’re considering taking your family on an international trip, it’s important to make sure it’s age-appropriate, focused on experiences that will make a lasting impression, and where planning will pay off. That said, some trips are better fits the first time you leave the country as a family. Here are some factors to consider to help you decide which destinations are the best bets for your family’s first international trip. Every family is different, so weigh these considerations against your own circumstances as you choose a trip that’s right for you.
Safety and Security
As a parent looking to take a trip abroad, whether within the country or internationally, safety and security are undoubtedly the top priorities when choosing a travel destination. Ensuring this peace of mind can help determine a destination that both parents and kids will enjoy. When you consider these safety and security components, it will help you make a decision. You can trust that as long as you have done your homework and are prepared, your family will have a great time. As you begin planning where to go, consider how to keep your family safe and ensure a good experience. No family should travel with fear. But on the other end of the spectrum, it would not be fun to have a family trip with stories of crisis and misadventure either. Having done a bit of planning and preparation ensures that you and your family will have a great family vacation.
Tips for keeping your family safe while traveling internationally. When it comes to family vacations abroad, safety and logistics are job one. With that in mind, here are some important safety and logistics considerations as you plan your international trip. – It’s impossible to anticipate everything that might go wrong. Closing off all possibilities could be more hassle than it’s worth. – Just as you wouldn’t travel to a new restaurant without checking to see what the fare is — and if the kids will eat it — research the local food and a few child-friendly dishes. It will make both kids and parents happy. – Consider insurance just in case. It could add peace of mind. These are some of the most important things to remember when planning a family vacation. Not only will these tips help you become more organized, but they will help ensure that your family is comfortable and safe and that you all have the best time possible.
Ease of Travel
Negotiating an international airport, understanding the customs process, and converting U.S. dollars to euros can be more overwhelming than taking an international flight. But the truth is that traveling to some international destinations is the same as traveling to any city in the U.S., if not easier. In Mexico, there’s never a language or money issue to deal with. England is so similar to the U.S. that not even the kids will feel they have left America. As for the holidays to Mexico, those can be just as fast and cheap as domestic ones, especially right now. And the hassle for Americans of exchanging dollars for euros is enough to make the British Isles an attractive stepping-stone abroad. Everyone will have a great time, too. Think of all the photo ops in front of the Eiffel Tower, the Coliseum and the Leaning Tower of Pisa (or maybe an ice cream shot would be preferred?).
Family-Friendly Attractions
In general, international capitals are great family-friendly destinations because they are filled with kid-friendly attractions. The more you offer a discount (or free entrance) to domestic and visiting families. For example, top of the line London with the British Museum, the bench, and the London Eye offer free admission for both kids and adults. The more those international cities cater to your family’s needs when you get home, the greater the ease of travel. Here are some major tourist destinations worldwide that I’ve found to be particularly good for the family.
If you’re thinking about your first adventure overseas with kids and considering what might be ideal family-friendly destinations, there are a few places that come to mind. A multi-city package tour of Western Europe, the capitals of the British Isles and Ireland, are all nearby first-class cities themselves and stay within a couple of hours of one another. Australia and New Zealand are mighty family-friendly destinations where you’ll find not only a kindred spirit language but a robust infrastructure where families are considered. South Africa, from the gorgeous Western Cape of Cape Town to the cosmopolitan city of Jo’burg and in the Kruger’s extended family, is a good value with families in mind.
Top Destinations for First-Time International Family Trips
International tips for first-time travelers, many of which still apply today despite advances in technology and destination development. 1) Try a place where English is common. 2) Plan your day to account for time zone changes and jet lag, which could be the better part of your days on the trip. 3) Have a plan but realize that kids may not have the stamina for a full museum tour. 4) Prepare kids a little with a reference book or kids’ book, and 5) Enjoy the differences and make an attempt to learn a few local phrases.
International travel is one of the best ways to expose kids to different cultures and help them learn about the world. But what’s the best trip to start with? There’s no one-size-fits-all answer for everyone, but we think these seven destinations are the best places to start. Some are easy to navigate without speaking the local language, others will introduce your family to fantastic local people and traditions, and all are guaranteed to make everyone thrilled to have decided to go abroad.
1. Riviera Maya, Mexico
2. Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
3. Curacao
4. Iceland
5. Sydney/Port Douglas, Australia
6. The Galapagos
7. AmaWaterways’s Blue Danube Discovery for Disney fans
Costa Rica
What better way to introduce your children to the world than with a trip to the “cradle of civilization”? In Cairo, they will learn about ancient cultures up close, exploring the tombs and temples, and marveling at the massive Pyramids of Giza. The city, a bustling metropolis, also offers kid-friendly cruises along the Nile, providing the full tour of Upper and Lower Egypt. It’s all about the Mayans at this enchanting Yucatán destination. Both the Chichen Itza and Uxmal archaeological sites are within easy reach of the charming colonial town of Mérida, which serves as a lush base for your adventures. And once you’ve got your fill of civilization (and the irresistible churros), the beaches of the nearby Riviera Maya are always ready to welcome you.
As we mentioned earlier this fall, seeing the world is one of the best gifts parents can give their kids. It can feel like a Herculean task to take a first-time international trip with your brood, but there’s little reason for trepidation. Here, the seven best trips for kids making their international travel debuts. A relatively short plane ride from the United States will bring you to Costa Rica, where the weather is warm and the beaches and wildlife are spectacular. Teach the kids some Spanish as you help conduct the mise en place for prawn and snapper filets.
Japan
Japan has long been an innovator in finding ways to combine entertainment and education for all ages. Japanese-style theme parks, like Tokyo Disneyland, and the Ghibli Museum. You’ll also find exquisite gardens, endlessly fascinating museums, miniature or full-size trains, and various events like sumo wrestling, puppet theater, and Kabuki. First-timers should typically focus their visit to Japan on the highlights of Tokyo, Kyoto, and Hiroshima, getting a feel for both the modern and ancient characters of the nation. Japan is also an extremely convenient place to take an international trip with a baby. Crisscrossing this nation is an extensive train system, for those with a good rail pass, or buses, which in some cases are faster, cheaper, and can serve areas trains cannot reach. While facilities dedicated to young children in Japan may not boast the same over-the-top themed designs of their western counterparts, they’re extremely well-maintained and clean.
It may seem like a big leap to take the family halfway around the world to an unfamiliar country, but Japan is actually one of the better international destinations to introduce children to the challenges of travel. The main reasons are Japan’s reputation for safety-first culture, clean environment, lessons in etiquette, and the blistering speed at which the Japanese traditionally build new structures, push up against the walls of old ones, and rebuild them again. This constant role of construction should serve to amaze children watching and keep them focused as you visit the monuments of this nation’s longstanding history.
Italy
The Lake District, about an hour outside Milan, is an alpine playground of peaceful internal lakes and canopied niches that remains blissfully under visited.
Milan, Italy’s unseen city of the moment, is for the richest and latest of the 300 cutting-edge restaurants that have opened here over the past 18 months; more than 8,000 international designers and finance types are fueling the inventive food scene. The museums in Milan have been showcased on recent breathtaking tours through the nearby Lake District and Piemonte.
While Venice is Italy’s most alluring city, the experience will be bittersweet; geologically unstable, the city is rapidly sinking due to overbuilding and the rising waters of the Adriatic.
Naples plays host to the country’s most important archaeological museum, famous Roman ruins, glorious, politically barbed works by an unruly Caravaggio, and a tense, dramatically foreshortened depiction of the martyrdom of Saint Ursula, painted by the swoon-susceptible Artemisia Gentileschi.
Rome encompasses antiquities, religious pilgrimages, sumptuous food, and vital contemporary street life; it can provide an exhilarating introduction to Europe.
Italy – with its stellar summer weather, vast artistic and historical treasures, incomparable food, numerous islands, and extensive coastline – represents an all-powerful lure for families. There are so many options that families will have to narrow down what they seek most in travel and choose accordingly.
Australia
Favorite family activity: Feeding the kangaroos and wallabies, getting a real sense of the outback and even meeting some of the local zoo’s koala and other inhabitants with a private Aliyimo Tours excursion out of Sydney.
Why do we love it? While much closer to home and easier to explore over multiple trips, there are several reasons why Australia is a great choice for an initial international trip. English is spoken everywhere, so there’s no language barrier (unless you don’t understand the Aussie accent, but even that grows on you after a few days). People are highly friendly and very family-oriented, which will make kids feel especially welcome. It has a long and storied history along with significant indigenous culture, from which you will learn a great deal. And of course, the Great Barrier Reef, natural playgrounds of New South Wales and Tasmania, the surreal beauty of the Outback and the urban sophistication of cities like Sydney and Melbourne provide an abundance of activities across Australia’s diverse landscapes without requiring too much time on airplanes.
Canada
Blueberry Resort, in the Muskoka/Parry Sound region of Ontario, is tailored to active families. The all-inclusive rate includes meals, supervised activities for kids, hikes, and yoga classes. It’s a short flight from the East Coast or a long but easy drive from New York and Toronto, so it’s also perfect for wet weekends in the shoulder seasons. Canoers and kayakers crowd the lakes during the day, while moose and bears are known to wander around the lodge at dawn and dusk. Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing make Blueberry an easy first winter trip, too. And while it might lack the chic factor of, say, the Maldives, spending a winter week together cooking, tackling puzzles, and getting some fresh air as a family is invaluable.
For a short flight from the East Coast, Canada offers the perfect first-time international trip, or a test run for a family that’s considering a multigeneration summer trip. At Quebec’s Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu, there’s something for everyone, from tots to teenagers, parents to grandparents. Set in the charming town of La Malbaie, and perched high on a cliff, the hotel offers beautiful river views. On the newly renovated club floor, guests can dine for breakfast, snack at lunch, and even have cocktails in the early evening, all in a relaxed, private setting. The outdoor pool, with its nice restaurant The St. Laurent, and expansive views of the St. Lawrence River, was a favorite spot with our girls in the summer.