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If you have a travel bug like me you dream about taking an out-of-country vacation! As a single parent, it’s not always easy to fulfill that dream. Whether you share custody or are the only full-time parent it’s hard to come up with all the details that are needed in traveling to not only be successful but have a safe trip as well.
Depending on your budget, the age of your child, and the location you want to visit will dictate all the information you need to gather before going ahead with travel plans. Several years ago I decided that I would move out of the country to see my family in South America for an extended period of time also so I could save up money while I worked online teaching. It was a great learning experience for me. Here are a few things I learned along the way.
1. Tickets: Make sure you book your tickets with the ability to back out in case of an emergency. Always have a backup plan in place in case your child gets sick or there’s something that goes wrong. I usually have all my planes booked online so I can access them through my phone. Most of the airports will have Wifi so even if your phone doesn’t have an international plan you can access the information you need. I also have a print copy just in case. I love booking.com because it’s all on my phone. This way I’m able to access the information I need right away.
2. Passports/Money: One of the biggest things that you need to keep track of is your Passports, tickets, and money. Depending on where you are going you may need to make an exchange to the country’s currency. You can do this ahead of time in the US if you want but make sure to look at rates online ahead of time to make sure the rates where you live are cheaper or the same inside the country. If it’s cheaper in the country you can do an exchange at the airports. If I have cash on me I put it in several places. Don’t carry your cash all in one place. Depending on what country you go you can be an easy target for pickpockets or even stick-up thieves. I often use one of these holders underneath my clothing. When you are going to and from the borders you can get the passports out ahead of time to make it easy but I stick some of my cash in there as well. It’s harder to see than a purse or a wallet and it’s a lot harder to get to.
3. Food/ Water: When you are traveling with a child, especially you need to have snacks and water on hand all the time. If you are like me you don’t want to spend a ton of money at the airport because they jack up the prices so high. What I usually do is at the beginning of the journey I pack an empty water bottle in my carry-on. I will pack a bunch of snacks as well make sure your kid likes the snacks you pack or you will be hearing it all the way lol. I don’t like the collapsable water bottles because they tend to leak everywhere so here’s one that’s great! You need one that’s sturdy so it can take a beating. Most likely at the first airport, you are at they have a Starbucks where you can ask for Venti water (it’s always triple filtered) and fill your water there! It’s a great trick I learned over the years.
4. Entertainment: As an adult, we can entertain ourselves for endless hours by reading books or watching TV but kids get bored easily waiting for planes or on planes. Here are some ideas for entertainment. Coloring is a great way to keep kids entertained here’s an amazing pack that will keep kids busy for a while. The crayons are the tricky part. You don’t want to have them rolling all over the place so here’s a box of crayons that will be easy to keep in one place. I love my apple products however when traveling overseas I try to keep electronics more to the cheaper side, especially for kids in case they lose it or it gets stolen it won’t be a big deal. I used this overseas and it worked great to have games on and keep my kiddo entertained for a bit. Another thing I like to do especially for really little kids has wrapped 5 or 6 small gifts like small toys or fidgets then when they are having meltdowns I like to distract them by having them open a present. Here is a fidget pack that’s great and if you pull these out one at a time are perfect for distraction!
5. Accommodations/ Transportation– It is so important that before you leave you know where you are going to be staying and how to get there. Not only is it important because you don’t want to end up on the streets but you will be exhausted traveling and managing your child you need to have it all set up ahead of time and I would say have a backup just in case. I always try and spring for the extra insurance or cancel a plan for any airlines or hotel accommodations just because you don’t want to get stuck when plans change paying a bill you don’t need to. You can go through booking.com or you can do AIR B&B. I’ve done both and have found some good places. I would say that you need to look ahead of time if they have buses, taxis, or rental cars. If they have buses they are usually easier to use than in the US. Do research in the particular area you are staying so that you can make sure that you have a way to get around and know how to do that.
6. Travel Insurance– It’s really important that when you are traveling abroad you have a way to protect yourself and your child in case something major happens. Hopefully, this will not be the case but it’s always important to have some backup. Do your research on what you think would be the best policy that would cover you and your child while you travel. Some companies offer different benefits, make sure it’s the best fit for your situation.
7. Cultures/ Laws/ Traditions- Make sure that before you leave you are aware of any cultural traditions, laws, and traditions in the country you are visiting. This is important because you don’t want to get into trouble for something you aren’t aware is even a problem. If you are a woman traveling alone with a child it is even more important that you are informed of all the laws of the land. When I was in South America with my daughter I wasn’t aware that people didn’t have any trust in the police. One night I heard a bang on my door at 2 am and it was a policeman looking for someone. I opened the door to them. Later I was told that is the most dangerous thing you could do because they were so corrupt they could have hurt us. These are very important things that you need to be aware of. If you want to know a lot about a place find a taxi driver who is not only honest but knows the area well they usually are a great source of information. Here’s a fun book to read about preparing to travel and the adventure that awaits!
8. Famous Sights– If you are planning on going sightseeing with your child make sure you do some research ahead of time. Find out the times that the attractions or sights are open and if you have a fee for entry. Usually, I like to find a time when it’s not as busy so you aren’t contending with a large crowd. This can also be a safety issue when you have a child with you. Make sure on any outing that they are holding your hand or with you at all times depending on old they are. Never let them go off by themselves this is another safety tip, especially for single parents. Here’s a book of famous places you may want to check out while traveling!
9. Phone Service– Depending on your phone plan you may not be able to get international calling however with wifi you should be able to access all the information you would need to communicate. Make sure that before you leave you have a way to contact back home. This is important because just in case you don’t have a calling plan you could end up with a huge bill or not be able to use the phone at all. When I was in South America I got lost and I was able to call my sister in the States to help me out with the information I needed to get me to where I needed to be. I got a local service because I was staying there for an extended period of time however if you are just visiting for a short time talk with your carrier to see if they have deals for you.
10. Embassy Information– If you are traveling out of your country check to see if where you are traveling has an embassy from your country. It is another safety net for you while you travel also they will have some good information for you on health requirements or possible dangers you might face. Know where your embassy is and have all the information handy so that you can contact them in case of an emergency. They are there to help you while you are visiting.
Most of all have fun! It’s so exciting to get to share experiences with your child. I believe in travel to expand my child’s capacity to be a part of the global community. It’s important that we experience what it’s like in other countries and how other people live their daily lives! Enjoy your travels!
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