When deciding whether to spend vacation dollars on international family travel tour operators (or how much), it comes down to matching the correct operator to your family’s needs. Are you looking for a full-service provider, or not much more than a translator? Do you need all meals planned and activities planned, or do you want time on your own? No matter your budget, here’s what to look for while selecting the right tour company to show you the world.
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Experience with kids:
Well, obviously, right? But the fact remains that even tour companies advertising that they’re ‘not your grandmother’s guide service’ may still be just that. Look for a tour operation with youthful (in body or spirit) tour guides and active itineraries. Tour guides experienced in guiding families will also be well-versed in the nitty gritty of kid-centric travel: they’ll be aware of the need for frequent bathroom stops, snacks, and rest periods.
A client list filled with families:
Even if the tour operator you’re considering welcomes families, the other travelers on the itinerary may not. The fact is, more kids are joining their parents for international travel than in years past, and some long-term travelers on luxury international tours haven’t gotten the memo. Why be a pioneering family? Ask a potential tour company for a ratio of families to couples on a given itinerary, and find out if other kids will be present. Many luxury tour operators are now offering specialized family itineraries, designed especially to meet this need.
Evenly balanced itineraries:
To get the most of your international vacation, families will want their itinerary to reflect a mixture of cultural experiences, natural discoveries, and active fun. The best tour operators for kids list activities such as pizza cooking classes in Italy (with time for eating, of course!), hikes with local or native experts in South America, or kayaking excursions in Alaska. Kids learn best by doing (actually, all of us do), so the more activities that give your family hands-on experiences, the better.
Reasonable expectations and flexibility amid guides:
If you bring kids on an international vacation, there will be moments of culture shock, jet-lag, stress, and fatigue. As parents, you may be well-equipped to deal with these realities as they arise, but if your tour operator is not sympathetic, you may miss itinerary stops, or worse, feel pressured to carry on with miserable kids. A good tour operation will build in downtime and be ready for spur-of-the-moment changes in itinerary as needed. As parents, don’t be afraid to request breaks, and be ready to go with the flow.
Specialized, regional experts:
Not all guide operations are experts in all regions. Once you know where your vacation is taking you, spend some time researching the best tour service in that particular country or continent. These operations will have built-in contacts with local attractions and experiences that you cannot find on your own, and have the ability to give you better than a ‘cookie-cutter’ vacation experience. You’ll want to learn more about travel planning in Ghana from Africa tour and safari specialists, for instance.
The right match:
International tour operations range from budget guides to get you from Point A to Point B in countries or regions where a guide is crucial to luxury services that take care of your every need from the moment you touch down. Figure out as a family what you are looking for in your international travel experience, and find the company to match your needs. There’s no need to pay for more than you want, nor any reason to build your vacation a la carte if you’d rather leave it in other capable hands. Ask yourself the following: Will we want lots of freedom to explore on our own? Do we want our meals taken care of? Do we want a highly active trip with lots of hiking and outdoor touring, or a more cultural experience, with ample time in museums and landmarks?
The above post includes sponsored material. Photo credit: flickr/lifeoftravel
