Traveling with family is so much more than the sights and sounds you experience on your trip. It’s an opportunity for family bonding, learning together, and enriching your life in ways you could never imagine.
While travel is an eye-opening experience in and of itself, traveling as a family offers a completely different way to see the world and be active in it. From road-tripping with young kids to jet-setting for grandparent getaways, there are countless ways you can deepen your relationships while exploring new horizons.
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As a mother of three children myself, I know first-hand how rewarding traveling with kids is. I grew up traveling with my parents and now I am doing the same with my own children.
Travel instilled a spirit of adventure and curiosity in me. It taught me how to be more open-minded, brave, and comfortable with new experiences. It also made me appreciate cultures across the world for their diversity and beauty. I wanted that same sense of adventure for my children, and we’ve had many memorable moments as a result of our travels together.
Benefits of Traveling with Family
Whether it’s discovering different cultures or just immersing yourself in nature, your experiences are made even richer when shared by those closest to us!
Whether we were visiting relatives in another country or exploring close to home, here are 10 benefits of traveling with family that may surprise you:
Quality Time Together
One of the key benefits of traveling with family is that you get to spend quality time with the people who matter most to you. Often, work, school, and other responsibilities can take away from the time you get to spend with your loved ones.
Setting aside precious time for each other is the perfect way to remind everyone that no matter how distant life can sometimes feel – nothing matters more than being together!
Unplug and Connect
Another essential benefit of traveling with family is that it allows you to unplug and connect with your loved ones. In today’s world, we are often glued to our devices, taking away time that we could be spending with our family. I personally struggle with this.
Being a content creator and freelance writer, I’m glued to my computer and/or phone every day, but when our family goes on vacation (not for work) I put my devices away, stay off social media, and so do they.
I use vacation time to truly connect with my family and give them all of my attention – this is something that can’t be achieved in the comfort of our home! Sometimes it also helps to plan a family-friendly getaway where you know wi-fi will be sketchy (Yellowstone National Park is one of them).
Ignite Sense of Adventure
Traveling with family reignites the sense of adventure that we tend to lose as we get older. Children, in particular, are naturally adventurous and love to explore new things. By traveling with them, you get the chance to experience their curiosity and see the world through their eyes, which can add an extra level to your travels.
As my children got older, I started encouraging them to play an activity or experience during each trip. This could be anything from bike riding or hiking a local trail to visiting a local museum or attraction. It created a sense of excitement for them to do something they really enjoyed and I found that their enthusiasm was contagious. Plus they found some really cool off-the-beaten-path places.
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Explore New Interests
Furthermore, traveling with family allows you to enjoy different activities that you may not have chosen on your own. Like the example I gave above on letting your children help plan and activity, doing something unexpected gives you the opportunity to explore interests you’d never have discovered on your own.
For example, if your family likes photography, why not go on a nature walk and take photos of wildlife? Or what about visiting a nearby beach and learning how to surf? Exploring activities that are outside of your comfort zone can be really fun and turn out to be some of your best memories from the trip.
Create Lifelong Memories
Traveling creates lifelong memories that strengthen the bond between you and your family members. Even years later, you will find yourself talking about that one time you went snorkeling together or that funny juggler you met on the beach boardwalk. These memories form an essential part of your children’s childhood, and being able to share them with your family is priceless.
Education Beyond Borders or Books
Theme parks are one of the most popular vacation destinations for families, but don’t be afraid to travel to a new country. I speak from experience when I say that traveling with younger children is much easier than with teenagers. In high school, it can be very difficult to travel with school schedules, dance recitals, track meets, etc.
A family trip also promotes global education, and children become more open-minded when immersed in different cultures. While getting to know local customs, children learn how people live their lives, how different languages are spoken, and the importance of protecting the environment.
Stress Reduction
Family vacations can reduce stress for the entire family. Yes! You read that correctly. Research has found that taking some of your vacation time and using it to travel as a family is one of the best ways to reduce stress in both adults and children.
While getting ready for a trip may be hectic, once you are traveling with family, it can help all of you destress. When we are on vacation, we disconnect from our daily routines and reconnect with each other, which reduces stress and increases relaxation.
Foster Social Awareness
Traveling with kids can also expand their social awareness, as they step outside their neighborhoods and see how people live in other communities. Children learn that people may look different and sound different, but they are similar in many ways. The experience of travel also teaches children to be outgoing and better at expressing themselves.
Slow Down to Appreciate Being Together
In our busy lives, it can be hard to find time to slow down and appreciate being together. Vacation provides that opportunity, allowing everyone the chance to reconnect with each other in meaningful ways.
By taking a family vacation, you’re showing your children how important it is for people to come together and make memories. Being with younger kids and older adults helps you appreciate the scenery and the details you may have otherwise missed.
Tip: Give your younger children a camera and encourage them to take pictures when on the trip. It’s inspiring to see the world through their eyes. It’s a completely different perspective.
Teach Compassion
Lastly, traveling with family teaches children compassion. Going through airports, train stations, and other transportation hubs can be very challenging for some travelers. Showing your children how to empathize with fellow travelers will help them grow into responsible adults.
Traveling as a family should not be limited to just one trip per year; make it a part of your regular routine. The benefits of traveling as a family are endless and will result in lifelong memories that you can cherish forever.
How to Travel with Family?
If you are asking yourself, “How can I enjoy traveling with my family?” know that it is ALL about managing expectations. Planning ahead, understanding everyone’s needs, and setting goals will help to ensure a successful trip.
Make sure that you plan the destination according to all family members’ travel love language, interests, budget, and time availability. Knowing their travel love language will help you to create a trip that everyone can enjoy. Get the family on onboard and involve them in the planning process.
For more on travel tips on how to travel with kids, see:
- Tips for Planning International Travel with Children (as a Single Parent)
- How to Prepare for a Road Trip
- Money Saving Travel Tips
- 10 Tips When Traveling with Kids to Avoid Common Travel Mistakes
- How to Give Plane Tickets as a Gift
- Alaskan Cruise Planning Tips
Family holidays are more than a trip; they are an opportunity for spending time together to create a stronger bond, create new memories together, learn about and appreciate different cultures, bond closer with family members, and create lasting impressions on young minds. With each voyage comes a journey of discovery – something that can never be taken away. So don’t forget: Family holidays are only as successful as the planning you put
Family Travel FAQs
For more family travel inspiration, check out our latest posts here:
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- Splash Around for 3 Days of Family Adventure along Tennessee’s Ocoee River
- Winter Wellness for the Whole Family: Snowshoeing, Saunas, and Outdoor Culture in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula
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- Finding the Sweet Spot: A Family Stay at Buenaventura Grand Hotel Puerto Vallarta
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA
- Facebook Page
- Family Adventures Facebook Group
- Easy Camp Cooking Facebook Group
Don’t forget to invite your friends to our Facebook groups! We would also love to see your vacation pictures!
Ready to Start Planning Your Trip? Use These Helpful Links to Book Your Trip!
- AIRFARE
- Find low fares with airfarewatchdog, Skyscanner, and WayAway.com.
- Get airfare deal alerts up to 90% off from Dollar Flight Club (free & paid membership options)
- Book your plane ticket with Expedia or Kayak
- Book your Airport Parking Reservations and save money.
- ROAD TRIP/CAR RENTAL
- Take the scenic route and rent an RV from RVShare
- Get packed for an epic road trip and don’t forget the Road Trip Games to Play in the Car Need more space? Get a rental car thru Discovercars.com.
- LODGING
- From hotels to private homes, find the perfect accommodation with Hotels.com or booking.com.
- For camping and RV campgrounds, find the ideal location with Campspot.
- PACKING
- Travel in style with a suitcase, carry-on, backpack, or handbag from Away and Eagle Creek.
- For packing cubes, we love these from Eagle Creek and these reusable silicon bags for a 3-1-1 bag from Stasher.
- TRAVEL PLANNING
- Looking to start travel hacking and want a place to keep track of it all? There’s the free TravelFreely site.
- For budgeting help, get our road trip budgeting tips here.
- ATTRACTIONS/ACTIVITIES
- Save on tickets to attractions, sightseeing tours, and more with
- Tiqets for cultural events, museums, Broadway shows, etc.
- CityPASS for multi-day attraction passes at up to 55% off in select cities
- Get Your Guide and Viator for guided tours/excursions, day trips, and activitties
- Groupon for discounted local attractions and event tickets
- Undercover Tourister for discounted theme park tickets
- Find guided outdoor activities led by local guides at 57Hours.
- Find information on local trails with the AllTrails App.
- Save on tickets to attractions, sightseeing tours, and more with
- LEARN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE
- We use and recommend Rosetta Stone to learn a new language. We bought the $179 lifetime option with unlimited access to ALL 25 of their languages.
- Need something else to plan your perfect trip? Visit my travel resources page for more trusted partners.
I find it fascinating that traveling with your family helps them learn more about different places with you! My friend wants to make more memories with his daughter this year. I will talk to him about finding some tours they can try out someday.
It’s nice that you pointed out how getting to spend quality time with the people who matter most to you is one of the key benefits of traveling with your family. We need more family time, so we are thinking of taking a vacation next month. This time, we should probably try out a cycling tour.