Would you travel with your family, given the chance?

[RestingPlaces]

I have the potential opportunity to take my husband and my 2-year-old travelling.

We could either choose one country to live in for a while, which would probably be a European one - Spain or Italy being the most likely choices.

Or we could spend some time traveling different countries, probably 3 - 4 weeks in each. We'd probably start with Spain, Italy, Germany, Morocco, and then there'd be potential opportunities for Singapore etc too.

Or we can stay where we are, with me working in London one day a week, and DS going to nursery 2 days. We have friends here, but no family, so he wouldn't miss out on grandparents or anything. He's not the biggest fan of nursery. He does like to travel - he's spent a decent amount of time on work trips with me so far. I'd miss our toddler groups and things, but I'm not sure that cancels out the ability to show him a new culture and language...

I have always had major wanderlust and would go in a heartbeat if it was just me. DH is open to it, but has traveled (in a more backpack-y style) before. DS is too young to really understand what I'm asking him 😆

We'd still have our house here, unless we decided to stay permanently. It'd slow our plans to do it up, a bit. DH is self-employed so his career wouldn't really be affected.

Do it, so much harder once kids are in school.

Thanks @ACynicalDad! That has occurred to me 😅

Categorically not. But I don't like wasting precious travelling with others.

But since your kid is here and you're probably quite attached, yeah do it!

That made me laugh, @IneedhandcreamandaNC! Thanks :)

Absolutely yes! If you can afford it and it's manageable work wise, definitely go for it. You still have your house and could therefore return any time. Looking back, it's a fairly easy age for kids to travel. Yes, sometimes hard with new surroundings, etc but kids at that age are usually content just pottering around, finding playgrounds, etc. Plus you haven't got school to consider.

Do you have EU passports? Otherwise you are limited within EU to 90 days in 180.

OP, I would DEFINITELY go travelling ! Spain is a brilliant country to live in with young children (I don't have experience of living in Italy so that might be a great place too.) Do it, do it, do it.

I wish I had done this

Definitely do it! This is the best age to do it. I took off and lived in an Asian country when DC was little and travelled around.. it was the most fun we had! DC doesn't have a lot of memories but I think the experience definitely had impact. Now it's all exams, school stability and what not but I still travel on my own for a few weeks at a time.

I met someone who travelled with his two children in the 80s. They did a round the world tour for a year. It sounded incredible and I had a lot of fun looking through their photos .

I think as long as you are prepared for things to go wrong occasionally (delayed flights, delayed hotel check ins etc) and can maintain your sense of humour when you have an inconsolable toddler, you'll be fine. It will be so much harder to do it at school age and you can't count on your child living independently in early adulthood. So many need to live at home for a few years already, I dread to think what the housing market will be like in the future.

I wouldn't, no. I absolutely love being a parent and having kids but I don't like travelling with them.

I love travel and I've done quite a bit, but it's just horrible with kids. They are more fun at home. You can't do much that you want, and there's no work or day care to break up the week.

Only you know your child to know it this would be ok. But I would choose travelling to different places rather than stay in one place. Such a great opportunity

Do it! Honestly, when they get to school life becomes constrained by school holidays and it’s much harder (although I know people who have travelled with older kids.)

When the girls were tiny and DH was put on garden leave, we packed up and spent three amazing months renting a friend’s parents ski apartment in France. I’ve got so many happy memories of that summer. we’d walk in the mountains in the morning, then spend the afternoon swimming in the lake. And of course, I came back pregnant!

About missing toddler groups. We are off to the same resort (now visit every year) to ski. And DD16 has already arranged to meet up with one of the boys we met at the village toddler group when we spent that summer in France. I assume made friends I see each year and who have visited us in England 🙂

We travelled with kids although only for a couple of months at a time. It was bliss and I'd do it again in a heartbeat, although we were ready to go home each time! I'd do 6 months in one base so you can get childcare support and various groups sorted, or shorter chunks of actual travelling.