FAMILY WORLD TOUR: TIPS FOR PLANNING A FAMILY TRIP AROUND THE WORLD

Indeed, doing and preparing for a world tour with the family is no easy task! With this article, I hope to give some advice and share resources that have been very useful to me in the whirlwind that can be organizing a family trip around the world.

1. Prepare a world tour in the image of our family

This helped me better anticipate what our reality would become, but also to realize that there are as many ways to travel around the world as a family as there are families .

I think the most important thing is to take the time to think about the form of travel that best suits the needs and desires of your family . For our part, our starting point was to have a serious discussion with the children’s mother, because we are a blended family. We are lucky to be on very good terms and she immediately approved of our project. It was together that we made the decision to take a world tour as a family in several stages, returning to Quebec a few times a year , so that the children never spend more than two and a half months without seeing their mother.

2. Choose the countries to be visited during a family trip around the world

During our preparation, it was important for me to involve the children as much as possible in choosing the destinations and adventures they wanted to experience . Renting books from the library, watching travel films and documentaries, coloring books related to different countries: any opportunity was good to approach the different cultures of the world. This way, they were able to name the countries they wanted to go and discover and we were able to take this into account. For example, one of our children’s wishes was to go to the desert during this family world tour .

A family world tour requires a lot of effort from all members of the family. This is normal since we are leaving our comfort zone, we are constantly together and we have to compromise. I think that for it to work, each member of the family must feel that their opinion matters and be able to give their opinion on the planning. One of the phrases I have repeated so often this year is: “There are four of us, we have to compromise to keep everyone happy!” And it has had a lot of positive repercussions. We notice it more since we are back home, but we are a closer family than ever.

3. Budget for a family world tour

Some of the ways to amass such a large amount of money include subletting your house and car while you are away, saving well in advance while minimizing your expenses, working while traveling, etc.

For our family, the funding to realize our dream of this family trip around the world came primarily from the sale of my partner’s farming business. After more than 25 years of working tirelessly on his dairy farm, an accident made him realize that life is short and that he wanted to spend as much time as possible with his children and doing what he loves.

4. Check country entry requirements for family travel

Once you’ve decided on the countries you’d like to visit and your itinerary is becoming more concrete, it’s important to check each country’s entry requirements. For example, is a visa required to enter the country, are there any mandatory vaccinations, etc.? The easiest and most reliable way is to visit the International Air Transport Association’s travel center website . By entering your travel information, you’ll get the most up-to-date information on the entry requirements for the country you’ve specified.

5. Take precautions to enjoy a wonderful world tour with your family

One aspect that should not be overlooked when preparing for a family world tour is health. In my opinion, the easiest thing to do is to make an appointment with a travel clinic and explain your plans. This way, health professionals will be able to guide you regarding vaccinations and recommended medications.