With distant destinations now easily accessible, and low-cost airlines making travel more affordable most parents plan to take their children with them when they go abroad. Making a family vacation a success for all, however, takes a little more than just booking the tickets.
Health comes first
For off-the-beaten-track travel, before you even start opening the atlas, the first issue to consider is health. Ask yourself, if you want to go somewhere far off and exotic, whether your children are old enough to understand the importance of any necessary medication. Will they get something out of the vacation, too, apart from an increased dislike of long-haul flights? Pre-trip jabs may take their toll on your tots, and you may find that administering anti-malarial tablets, for example, to youngsters on a daily basis can get tiresome.
As a general rule of thumb, it’s better to avoid visiting areas at an altitude of more than 3,200 feet with babies under 12 months, and, while 2-year olds should be able to cope with 6,500 feet altitude, make sure you can turn back easily to lower ground if they start having difficulties.
Arrange for a medical check-up, and ask the advice of your local doctor or pediatrician well in advance of your planned vacation, to allow for possible inoculations, and to make sure your children will be able to travel well. Think also about the routines and natural rhythms that your children are used to