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Family travel

How much travel is part of family life, from waiting until children are older to easy local trips to travel as a core value.

How much should we travel with children?

In short: Parents choose between 4 main approaches: Wait until older; Easy local trips; Travel as a core family value; Extended travel or living abroad. Evidence: your call. No outcome evidence picks a winner. Preference, culture, money and logistics decide. Best settled: 6–12 months.

Evidence
Your call
Best settled
6–12 months
Part of
The family system

Family travel: what are the options?

Parents usually land on one of these 4 approaches.

  1. 1. Wait until older

    You put off trips until the child is older.

  2. 2. Easy local trips

    You take short, simple trips close to home.

  3. 3. Travel as a core family value

    Travel is one of the main things your family does.

  4. 4. Extended travel or living abroad

    You travel for months or move to another country for a time.

Family travel: what does the evidence say?

Your call. No outcome evidence picks a winner. Preference, culture, money and logistics decide.

No research located

What else is worth knowing?

Travel with children costs more and takes more effort, and some families value it highly. Others wait until children are older. Your view often reflects how you travelled before having children.

Questions to ask each other

  • What does travel mean to us and our child?
  • How much can we do with a baby or young child?
  • What would we like our child to see?

More in Values, character and family culture

First published 2026-10-03. Last updated 2026-10-05. General information, not medical advice.