You know that old adage: “If it’s Tuesday, it must be Belgium”? It applies to the type of touring that our parents or Aunt Mary took when she did the grand tour of Europe. (And literally, you’d pack 40-50 people in a bus and cover a whole lot of countries in two weeks’ time. You knew it was Tuesday when you got to Belgium. Wednesday was Paris, Thursday was London and so on.) For many of us, myself included, it doesn’t hold any appeal.
So why would a web site like Ciao Bambino be interested in talking about tours at all? We’ve already agreed that the idea of being packed into a bus and being driven-literally-into boredom sounds terrible for anyone, and in particular for families with kids.
I’ve been in the adventure travel business for 17 years—and head of Classic Journeys since its inception in 1995. My wife, Susan, is also actively involved in Classic Journeys as our CFO and head of HR. We have two sons, Jack (12) and Matthew (9). Because of what we do professionally, they’ve always traveled with us. Over the years, we’ve found some real benefits to traveling on small group tours. Here are a few things I’ve learned on our travels.
Everything looks brighter when you see the world through younger eyes:You rediscover the fun of family travel when you take the kids-or grandkids-on a family adventure vacation. Suddenly, ancient ruins are for climbing on. Bocci ball and boules become games for playing rather than spectating. Rivers are for rafting, and alpine tram rides turn into joy rides. That said, it helps to have someone in the know locally who can organize these activities and make your vacation seamless. A good tour company blends these into your days without you having to figure out when is the best time, place, etc. to do each activity.
A tour can give you all the fun and none of the hassle: Okay-long-distance trips with kids can be a challenge. A well-designed small group family tour should match the curiosity, energy levels and attention spans of fledgling travelers. Check the distances companies cover so that you can avoid the “Are we there yet?” It’s almost axiomatic that if you have someone else taking care of the details for you, you (and your kids) actually get more flexibility in what you do each day.
Hold out for the “cool factor”: Find a company that scouts out cool stuff like a nighttime safari, mountain biking on the wide medieval walls of an Italian city, or rafting down a scenic river valley. Nowadays, the best companies have local contacts and so can hook you up with local artisans so that you can get your hands dirty in craft sessions…and join kid-sensitive explorations of must-see landmarks.
With the kids it’s a trip; without the kids it’s a vacation: That used to be the case. Now, you can find itineraries almost anywhere, from Costa Rica to Canada, Peru to Provence that give you some time together and some time apart. Ask the tour company if their itineraries are designed to satisfy the curiosity, energy levels and attention spans of multiple generations. There should be some activities each day for the whole family and some time for the adults to go off alone while the kids are on chaperoned kids-only events.
Picky eaters are people too: I remember reading the Arthur book by Marc Brown titled “DW the Picky Eater” to my sons when they were young. You might remember it too. I have some friends whose son ate only steak and chocolate. He’s a great kid, but it was challenging when they’d try to travel. On a good tour with a great guide, your kids will be introduced to new foods in a way that makes them approachable. The guides find the local specialties kids love-pizza, fondue, picnics-as well as plenty of chances for the adventuresome to try new tastes.
For me, there are times to travel alone as a family. Every once in a while we go to Maui and we ski as a family every winter. I could not imagine needing a tour company to organize either of those for us. Then again, we’re going to Morocco on a Classic Journeys tour for spring break and I know the four families traveling together will have more fun, see more things, stress less and come home with better memories because it’s a tour designed for families.
