The Pillars of Extended Family Vacations
Albert and I are both super close to our families and love taking extended family vacations. Every year, we travel with either the Lo clan or the Chen clan on a family trip. Sometimes this brings challenges for travel, but it also allows for economies of scale and free babysitting! Here are some pillars that we go by for our extended family vacations.
Family-Friendly Destinations
We have traveled both domestically and internationally on our extended family vacations. They can both be done, but honestly, domestic travel is much easier. The flights are usually shorter, so toddler meltdowns are more manageable. Also, toddler jet lag at 4am is far from fun.
Cruises are a great option for extended family vacations. There is always something to do for all ages, you’ll never go hungry, and babies have somewhere nearby to sleep at all times.
Rent a House
We almost always rent an Airbnb when we travel with our extended families. Renting a house is usually cheaper and definitely more spacious. It also allows you to save money by cooking a couple of meals yourself, if you’re into that.
I am always super hungry in the morning. Waiting for everyone to wake up and get ready to go out for breakfast can be painful. So, it’s really nice to stock up the refrigerator in the Airbnb and have food on hand at all times. We usually buy breakfast items at a nearby grocery store and eat at the house before we start our day. In case you’re not already aware, hangry toddlers are even worse than hangry mommy.
What’s also nice about renting a house is that there’s usually an extra room or closet where you can set up a pack ‘n’ play for the infant or toddler to sleep. My kids are used to sleeping in their own rooms at home, so when we are all stuck in a hotel room together, the little one thinks bedtime is playtime. If she can’t see us, she may cry for a minute, but she usually accepts her fate and goes to sleep. I may not be winning any Mom of the Year awards, but I’ll trade a trophy for sleep any day.
Don’t Bring Every Bulky Kid Thing with You
It may be tempting to bring every bulky kid thing for every “what if” situation on family vacations. We have traveled with all kinds of stuff, but now we know what’s really essential.
Baby carrier is a must, especially for flights and naptime on the go. Single stroller (or double if you have two littles) is also helpful for naptime and for kids that just don’t want to walk, like Noah. The carseat is debatable. If you will be renting a car, just rent a carseat along with it. It will make it much easier to get through the airport. Since we don’t check luggage, carrying a carseat all the way to gate check is painful. If you will be riding in taxis, you may want to bring a carseat for safety reasons. Although, there are Lyfts and Ubers now with carseats.
As far as pack ‘n’ plays go, I would definitely leave this off the list. It’s super bulky and most hotels will have cribs you can rent at a low cost. Call ahead and reserve the crib so you’re not stuck in a sticky, sleepless situation. Also, Airbnbs often have a pack ‘n’ play and other baby stuff available. Just e-mail the owners and ask what’s available.
If you still don’t have what you need, there are baby gear rental companies in many major cities all over the world. Here are some helpful websites to find baby rental gear:
Domestic Travel:
https://www.babiesgetaway.com/
Domestic and International Travel:
https://travelmamas.com/shop/rent-baby-travel-gear/
Hotels with Breakfast
If you must stay in a hotel, pick one with free breakfast for your extended family vacation! This can really reduce your meal expenses, especially if you’re traveling in a large group. If you can’t find one with free breakfast, a paid breakfast is often worth the money. Planning meals for a large group is extremely difficult, so if you can have one meal taken care of every day, do it!
Respect Nap Time
In anesthesia, we often say “respect the airway.” In other words, bad s*** can happen if you don’t have a good plan for intubation. I would say the same thing about nap time. One thing I learned early on as a mom is that tired babies sleep worse, not better. So, on our family vacations, we make nap time a priority. This does not mean we always go back to the hotel or Airbnb when it hits 12:30pm. Instead, we plan baby carrier or stroller-friendly activities during nap time.
If we have to do some driving, like with our Grand Canyon road trip, we plan the driving during nap time when possible. That way, everyone but the driver can also take a nap. Chen family is all about naps. It’s a good thing Albert is our designated driver.
Be Flexible
Coordinating activities, meals, and sleep for a large group of people can be daunting. It works out best when your plans are flexible and can be changed last minute. We try to book hotels or Airbnbs close to where our activities will be. That way, if someone gets sick or prefers to take a nap, you can drop them off at the hotel and be on your way to your next activity.
Also, picking destinations that have many different fun activities is key. We usually try to incorporate good food, good shopping, pool or beach, hiking, and site-seeing on our family trips.
It’s also ok to split up! Sometimes, Albert and I and our siblings will go do a more strenuous activity such as hiking or riding bikes on the beach while the grandparents watch the kids. Adults-only time is definitely a big bonus for us when we go on extended family vacations!
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