What’s your approach to travel when you have a toddler?

[POWdone]

We’ve just realised that it’s a completely different ball game than travelling with a baby so trying to figure out how to approach it.

Do you go to the places you like anyway even if it’s challenging with a child?
Do you pause travelling for a while until they can meaningfully engage?
Do you go to other places even if it’s not somewhere you’d go because it’s easier with a child?
Do you leave them with someone you trust and go for a shorter break so you can have a rest?

Curious to hear your perspectives as there are so many different ways to go about it!

We mostly did UK/Europe when ours were very small because we didn't have the budget for long haul. But we still did city breaks/sightseeing etc rather than beach/pool holidays. We just slowed the pace and made sure they had space to run around each day. E.g. when we went to Paris we stayed at a Eurocamp site on the outskirts and got the train into the city. DS2 needed to eat early evening or went past his sell by date so we either self catered or did our main meal at lunch and a snack early evening.
Our first long haul trips were a US motorhome trip when DS2 was 5, then a camping road trip in Zimbabwe when DS2 was 6.

I travelled around Tuscany in Italy with a toddler. We would go out each day and ensure we drove mid afternoon to cover a nap. Same with a camper trip down through Europe, planned a little driving each afternoon for a nap. Built in play parks and ice cream stops. Otherwise we were good to go with anything else. Similarly as she has aged, the activities have changed to more kid friendly museums and sometimes walk past sights rather than in. You can still travel with some adaptions

We have to travel to see family so from 5 months onwards DD was either on a plane or a car journey. You adjust and plan differently.

We discovered fast that hotels don't work when DD was younger but even before DD we did more self catering than hotels so we like the lifestyle and don't see it as "chores on holiday". We did a mix of activities, similar to what we did at home, unless you go utterly remote there is always something for a child to enjoy.

We did AI 3-4 times since DD was 7, not bad but not what I wanted to do on a regular basis.

DD was used to be taken to museums and sightseeing since she is born so while we look for things which interest her, we also ensure we enjoy it. Often one of us may went for a wander and the other does a more child-friendly gallery or one stayed in the garden/park while the other looked at a stately home. It must have paid out, DD is now studying history.

Again, you can teach them to enjoy a restaurant, just look for food they enjoy and that the place is more casual. DD was a toddler pre-tablets so we had books, paper, crayons and the ultimate treat - a magazine.

Do you go to the places you like anyway even if it’s challenging with a child?
Yes, pretty much. We've done AI for the first time and that was easier in the evenings rather than going out for nicer food. And spent more time at the hotel pool than otherwise would have done but always still based location around somewhere with lots of places we want to visit and still gone to those places.

We have travelled all over with ours.

The only major consideration is flight time - sticking to usual schedules / flights when it’s night time / no very early or late flights.