Travel with Toddler GTKY

[bcandlm]

Inspired by @emazeem's Orlando thread:

Have you traveled yet with your toddler? If so, where did you go, and how did it work out? (By travel, I mean somewhere you stayed overnight for at least a couple of days.)

Where do you plan on going next?

If money were no object, where would you choose to go with LO within the next five years?

[bcandlm]

Jan 26, 2015 19:37:26 GMT -5 thelorax said:

DD has been on almost 20 flights and we've been to Mexico, Canada, Scotland, Ireland, Florida, Montana, Massachusetts, and a bunch of places in Colorado. We are going to Canada next month to go skiing. We also have trips to Florida, Costa Rica, and New Hampshire planned.

I really want to go to Australia and if the Euro continues to drop we will be heading back to Europe.

We rarely pay for flights (miles) and stay with family/friends a lot so it's less expensive.

Super duper jealous of you! Can I come in your luggage? ;-)

[cricket]

My SIL is having a baby in April so my mom, LO, and I will be headed down there a few weeks after her LO arrives. They live in DC and I'm psyched about that trip.

[skk]

We've taken B to Maui a lot, but it's only a 25 minute flight. We stay with my mom once we get there, so his schedule gets thrown off with all the family, but it's a relatively easy trip.

We've also taken B to Las Vegas and Seattle. It's definitely much harder to keep him busy as he's gotten more mobile, but he's a pretty good traveler. We go to Vegas again next week for my grandma's 100th birthday, so fingers crossed B will travel well again. Everything except interisland is a long flight for us, so it's especially fun trying to keep a busy toddler confined for so long.

If money were no object, we'd love to take B to Orlando. The Magic Kingdom is always fun and we have friends and family out that way. We'd also want to go Australia and New Zealand.

[bcandlm]

1) We went to Disney World for five days this past fall. We had a great time, and LO just went with the flow, no meltdowns or anything. (Except for the flight--he was whining/crying on the flight because he was having trouble falling/staying asleep.)

2) We are definitely doing a short cruise to the Bahamas this summer and maybe a few days at Disney World again too.

3) With LO, I would probably want to start with somewhere I have already been that I know can be kid friendly, like Alaska or London, because I wouldn't feel like I was missing out on adult stuff I wanted to do since I have already been there. I would also be down for Dublin or somewhere else English speaking even if I had never been there. I would love to do Australia, but I don't think he would do well with that flight right now. (When he is older, I would love to go somewhere more adventurous from my personal bucket list, but I would want to see how one of the above places went first.)

[bcandlm]

Jan 26, 2015 20:02:31 GMT -5 cricket said:

My SIL is having a baby in April so my mom, LO, and I will be headed down there a few weeks after her LO arrives. They live in DC and I'm psyched about that trip.

I don't live that far from DC (2.5 hours), and I still haven't been there. We keep talking about doing a weekend there but haven't gotten around to it yet. Does anyone have any recommendations for a nice centrally located hotel that's not outrageously expensive?

[lingeringwithcoffee]

We've been to Myrtle Beach a few times (ILs have a house there) and to see my family in the DC are, plus one trip to Philly.

We might be slightly crazy, but we are considering an 18 day road trip out west this summer. DH and I have road tripped to 42 states plus a cruise to Alaska, and he is in a wedding in Wyoming this summer. DD is great in the car, but not sure about that many days (driving no more than 4-5 hours most days).

I'd love to take DD all over the world, but it will depend on what the budget allows. We plan to do a Disney cruise sometime in the next few years.

[stargazer763]

You guys are making me hyperventilate about moving from DC to Minnesota! And I'm in awe of some of your trips with the kiddos.

[musicalsilver]

We've only visited family since LO was born. Once by plane (unmitigated disaster - would have been much better if we *hadn't* done the carseat route. LO wailed like somebody was sticking pins under his fingernails until I put him in my lap), and mostly by car. Car rides have been pretty okay as long as LO has been well. The one sick cartrip we had (8 hrs) was wretched. The well ones we've had have been *much* better.

LO naps terribly when we travel generally. His sleep isn't any worse than when he's at home (he sleeps pretty terribly normally).

If we had all the monies, we'd go to Europe - England and Norway for starters. Our dream trip to New Zealand would wait until LO was older.

[daffy2k]

We've taken her to Quebec, Ontario, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Arizona and B.C. When she was small (like 3-4ish months old) she flew really well, but hated the car. She's pretty good with both now as long as it's not too lengthy. The longest I've done with her solo is 7 hrs of driving in one day and that was a little too much. 5 is more manageable especially if DH or someone else is along for the ride so they can sit back there with her.

We were hoping to get a vacation rental on the east coast for a week or two this summer but DH hasn't been able to secure his time off yet. Once he does I don't know if there will be anything good left. Either way, I'll be taking both kids to Quebec to visit my grandparents and my dad. If DH gets the time off we'll extend the trip and vacation somewhere after we get all our visiting done.

Next summer we are hoping to spend a few weeks in Europe. We are planning to go with another couple and their two kids, we'll rent a villa to use as our home base and tour the area. Depending how long we go for will Impact how many different countries we do. I've learned through my travels with M that hotel travel does not do us really well unless we get an extra room for her so I've found it easiest for us to do condos or house rentals instead of hotel rooms. Plus that way we are guaranteed a kitchen to store milk, snacks, etc. She also takes a night or two to adapt in each place we get to, so bouncing from place to place every few days like we used to isn't really that enjoyable once you factor in a toddler who isn't sleeping. So we have slowed down the intensity of our travel and just accepted we can't always fit quite as much into each trip.

[bcandlm]

Jan 26, 2015 20:14:23 GMT -5 lingeringwithcoffee said:

They are totally worth it! We went on one while I was pregnant and greatly enjoyed it and are going on LO's first one soon.

ETA: It ate your quote, but it was the one about a Disney cruise!

[bcandlm]

Jan 26, 2015 20:30:24 GMT -5 @theformerwren said:

Jan 26, 2015 20:09:58 GMT -5 bcandlm said:

I don't live that far from DC (2.5 hours), and I still haven't been there. We keep talking about doing a weekend there but haven't gotten around to it yet. Does anyone have any recommendations for a nice centrally located hotel that's not outrageously expensive?

Hey guys! Everyone come to DC! bcandlm Are you hoping to be near the mall and museums?  I don't know much about hotels here but I have a cousin who works for Mariott and I can ask her if she has the scoop on area hotels.

Preferably museums! 

[majwv8]

Last summer, we went to Florida for a week. We rented a house with my Mom/Dad & BIL/SIL. It was nice and relaxing. Because we had our own house with a pool, she could nap while we hung out in the backyard. And she was flexible and took naps on the beach. We flew and she did pretty good with the trip, but got a little restless spending that much time in the carseat - the one we brought on the plane was smaller and not as comfortable as the one we use regularly.

This summer we are planning on another trip to somewhere with a beach - currently looking at Savannah/Tybee Island. I think we'll drive this time, so that will be interesting. Hoping if we drive through the night she will sleep.

Hmm - not sure what the dream vaca is. I think Disney World when she is 5 sounds like a magical vacation so we will probably aim to get there around then.

[subliminalrabbit]

Since E turned one he's flown to Hawaii, Halifax, Colorado, and Ohio. He gets antsy on planes but will usually sleep a bit. Halifax was definitely the most challenging as I was on my own and couldn't check luggage so we were sure to make a tight international connection -- with a toddler and a car seat as well as our clothes, etc. And E is actually quite good about sleeping in hotels!

Next up this spring we're planning to do Ohio/NYC/Boston in one go. Probably fly to Ohio, fly to NYC, drive to Boston. We'll see when I price it out. (Yes, I want to meet up with the local ladies!) Then we'll be headed wherever we move in June...

If $ was no object we'd be hiking in Iceland in a heartbeat!

[heelibrarian]

Maybe it's because we can't afford to travel much, but we've only taken DD to Texas and Arkansas, usually by car. We've flown with her once, but she was like 6 months old. I can't stand driving with these two, but it's cheaper than plane tickets. She's getting better, now that she knows she can watch movies with her brother.

[melohdy]

We took her on a 7 day cruise to Mexico. She did surprisingly well. She made friends all over the ship and had all the staff fawning all over her. She napped pretty well. Dinner time was a little dicey because she's not used to having to stay seated for so long.


We'd love to go over and see my in laws and husband's siblings in England.

[bcandlm]

Jan 26, 2015 22:23:22 GMT -5 majwv8 said:

This summer we are planning on another trip to somewhere with a beach - currently looking at Savannah/Tybee Island. I think we'll drive this time, so that will be interesting. Hoping if we drive through the night she will sleep.

An old college friend of mine lives in that area, and it looks gorgeous from the pictures she posts!

[ciahanna]

She's been to VA twice but that's it. The first time she slept most of the way down/back. The second time my parents went so they kept her occupied and happy on the drive. The only place we really go is Williamsburg,and well go again in September!
If money were no object, we'd do Disney every year like my inlaws. And when she's old enough, I have a cd that's just gaining interest so we can take her to Ireland and Scotland.

[doodletwins]

We've gone to Vegas for a week, Disneyland/ San Diego for 10 days, and Phoenix for 3 days. The kids did surprisingly well on all vacations and slept great at night. Maps were either in the stroller on the go or in the car.

[majwv8]

Jan 27, 2015 2:03:09 GMT -5 doodletwins said:

We've gone to Vegas for a week, Disneyland/ San Diego for 10 days, and Phoenix for 3 days. The kids did surprisingly well on all vacations and slept great at night. Maps were either in the stroller on the go or in the car.

I just pictured your twins staying busy and occupied the whole trip because you let them look at maps in the car and stroller. :-)

[lioness13]

My baby girl has been on for a round-trip flights in the last year. We have not taken any long car trips yet. She's done really well on flights. I'm so thankful she does not appear to get motion sickness or have any ear popping issues. This summer we hope to travel to Martha's Vineyard (flight car and boat) and hopefully out of the country by the end of the year to Trinidad. If we could go anywhere, I would just want to be able to go to Trinidad every year to visit family there.

[kh59]

We went to Buenos Aires last fall to see some friends. Although I was totally dreading the 14-hour flight with a toddler, she did awesome--it worked out really well that we were traveling overnight, so she mostly slept in my lap. She's also flown to Montana, Ohio, and Washington state to visit family.

I'm bummed that the lap child era will soon be over for us. We'll still fly to visit family at least once this year, but now that might be the only big trip we can afford. If money was no object, though, I'd love to go to New Zealand and/or Iceland.

[islandgirl14]

We've only gone up north (aka, four hours north in our state), and went this past summer when G was just over 1. We went for a week. It went okay... He had a horrible time sleeping and was almost always too scared (or something) to fall asleep on his own, so that was extremely tough as bedtime and naptime took FOREVER to get him to fall asleep, and there was lots of screaming and crying. Fortunately we were in a house with just my parents, so we didn't have to worry about disrupting people in a hotel room next door. Other than that, it went okay!

As for next, we have another up north trip scheduled for this summer, but we're not 100% committed yet since I'll have just had the baby, so I'm not sure if I feel comfortable with that trip yet.

If money were no object in the next 5 years, I would take him to the Keys to see my family, and then spend some time on the mainland. However, I would wait until I wouldn't have to lug strollers and playpens to sleep in, as well as car seats for the plane, so I would be going on later end of that 5 year mark!

[wheresmyspatula]

We went down to New Orleans last January. It was a 7 hour drive. We left at about 2am so he slept most of the way but he did cry the last hour and we were not in an area where we could stop so that sucked. He did great at the hotel and sightseeing though.

We are going up to WI this weekend to see my ill FIL. This will be a 12 hour drive but we are going to split it in half over 2 days. We will be up there all next week. We decided to stay in a hotel because he is doing hospice and we wanted to have somewhere to go when he needs a break. The hotel I picked has an indoor water park, arcade and mini golf so I am hoping to be able to wear both boys out so they'll be calmer for Grandpa.

I'll be flying out to Ca by myself with both boys for a few weeks to see my parents this summer. Jack is a great flyer and I know he will be a big help with Will, so aside from bathroom logistics on the plane, I'm not worried.

I'd like to take the boys on a trip this summer. Somewhere fun, maybe Branson or Gulf Shores. We'll see about that though. Once Will gets a bit older I would love to do some family camping trips. I would like to do one of the Disney parks but I'm not sure how Jack would do on the rides and if he panics it would ruin the whole day for him. I would wait until Will was older though just because if I'm going to spend that much $$$, I'd like him to remember it.

[dmlk413]

DD has been to California twice, once at 6 weeks and once at 14 months. Surprisingly, she did really well on the flights. She struggled a little at 6 weeks with sleep and naps but when we went in the Fall, she did better. Naps were still tricky but she slept great at night.

We will probably drive down to Arkansas in April to visit my mom and brother before he moves to Italy. Not sure if we'll make it back to California this year or not. Since my brother is moving to Italy, we are planning to visit next year over Spring Break.

If money were no object, we would go to Russia. I'm hoping that I'll be able to take DD there at some point in the future. Part of the reason I want to be OAD is to be able to afford to take trips abroad with DD.

[megsw85]

We've flown back to Ontario a few times only once was my H with me. It's usually just me and the kids

We drive into Alberta almost everyday, but that's only a block down the road.

We drove to the mountains last summer it's a 8 hr drive. The kids did great. I've driven 6 hrs solo with them and it's no problems.


We are planning on going to Newfoundland this summer for a month staying with my inlaws. Also planning on Disney at Christmas fir Travis's 5th birthday

[momofcatan]

We drove to Montreal (6hrs?) and flew to Las Vegas, both before DD was one. Haven't done any traveling recently.

Don't know what we will do next ILs are talking about doing a family vacation this summer, probably a Caribbean cruise. Not my first pick for vacationing, but they would pay for us to come so we'll probably do it.

DH's dream is to go to Australia, I would only agree if we fly business class, that's a freaking long flight. I would love to go back to Hawaii, or go to Europe (France or Italy).

[michelin82]

We travel to Ohio quite frequently to visit DH's grandparents and extended family, and we went to Indianapolis this summer for a wedding. All driving.

After those experiences, I have zero desire to travel with them until they're a little older. It was a nightmare for us. It was much easier when it was just one child. With two (and only one hotel room), it was like playing whack-a-mole ALL.FREAKING.NIGHT trying to get them to sleep. I got a max of 3 hours of sleep each night. That, to me, is not an enjoyable trip. So I don't want to be miserable on a trip that I should otherwise be enjoying!

We will be going to London next year for a friend's wedding. Whether or not we choose to stay and explore (we'd likely go somewhere else in Europe since we've already been to London) is yet to be determined. We'll assess the situation much closer to the wedding date and likely book things somewhat last minute.

Down the road when they are old enough (5-6 maybe?) we will resume our typical travel schedule We'd like to start with some of the national parks here in the States and take them to Disney, of course. Then when they're just a little older than that we'll start doing Hawaii and Europe again.

My parents literally took me on vacation only once when I was a kid. I swore up and down that when I was old enough to make my own money I'd travel tons. I did just that before having kids - and I hope to get back to it when the kids are ready so that I can give them a different childhood experience than I had!

[daffy2k]

michelin82 we have the same problem in the hotel room, and only 1 kid so far. I told H that from now on we are getting suites with a separate bedroom for overnights and we try to rent condos/cottages/houses when we are staying somewhere for more than a night or two. This past summer when we went to DH's family reunion, we rented a couple of connected cabins with kitchenettes and living rooms. We shared with DH's parents and sister's family, but it was perfect because we had a separate room for M and everyone was happy to hang out on the patio outside the cabin after the kids went to bed.

[michelin82]

Jan 27, 2015 10:58:18 GMT -5 daffy2k said:

michelin82 we have the same problem in the hotel room, and only 1 kid so far. I told H that from now on we are getting suites with a separate bedroom for overnights and we try to rent condos/cottages/houses when we are staying somewhere for more than a night or two. This past summer when we went to DH's family reunion, we rented a couple of connected cabins with kitchenettes and living rooms. We shared with DH's parents and sister's family, but it was perfect because we had a separate room for M and everyone was happy to hang out on the patio outside the cabin after the kids went to bed.

That's our plan for the next time we visit DH's grandma.  I swore several times that I'd only travel with them again if we got a suite - but each time I've had difficulties finding one (we're not talking the big vacation-type destinations that we're going to - little old Milan Ohio doesn't offer much in the way of tourism!  haha).

I'm very worried about what we'll do when we go to London.  I don't know that we'll find any good suites - and to get 2 rooms would be incredibly pricey since the pound is a good bit stronger than the dollar (though nowhere near where it was the last few times I was there!  Maybe there's hope for next year! ;-)).  But if we're paying for flights to get over there, I almost feel like we *have* to do some traveling, right?!?  We'll see how that goes.