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Choosing a Destination

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The world is yours? Where will you go first? Here are some considerations in narrowing down your destination

• What will the weather be like during your vacation dates? weather.com has good historical data for major cities. It can be difficult (but of course not impossible) to travel with children during rainy or very hot weather.
• Are there any major festivals or national holidays during your vacation dates. Much of Europe shuts down in August. Sevilla is so crowded during Semana Santa that it can be difficult to move, let alone book a hotel room. Of course a minor festival may enhance your trip, but it’s best to know in advance what you’re in for.
• Try to find information about their attitude towards children & make sure it works with your style of travel. For example, French cities in general, and Paris in particular have wonderful parks and accommodations for children. However, children are expected to do kids stuff and not join in at a nice restaurant, etc. When they do, the standard of conduct is very high. In Italy, children are expected to be part of every aspect of everyday life and restaurants welcome them, but most towns (especially Rome) have few special activities just for kids)
• Make sure you understand the safety issues, your comfort level, and how they will impact your trip. For example, food safety and not being able to drink the water in Mexico makes it more difficult to sanitize and prepare baby bottles. A wild animal safari in Africa might seem like it would be exciting for your kids, but will there be enough secured area for them to run free and get the exercise they need? travel.state.com and smartraveller.gov.au have general information about safety, security and health in foreign countries.
• What is the total travel time (including layovers) and time change? After you’ve recovered from flights and jet lag, will you have enough time to enjoy your destination? Flight routing might make some destinations difficult to reach, and others easy. Also, while we have no qualms about travelling long distances with the kids, we factor in the length of time we’ll be able to spend at the destination and get adjusted before we decide to go far away.