Preparing for Travel

Pre-trip prep is key! From packing tips to travel deals, we’ll guide your family through stress-free travel planning.

Blog Posts

Jan 17, 2025

Why the Schengen Region and Understanding It Is Important for Your 2025 Europe Travel Plans

If you’re planning a family trip to Europe in 2025, chances are you’ve come across the term “Schengen Zone.” But what exactly is it, and why does it matter for your European adventure?  When we first planned to take our kiddos through Europe on our full-time travels in 2019, this was a new term for

Nov 26, 2024

Travel Tip: How To Claim a Flight Compensation In US – New Rule by 2024

Ah, the joys of air travel – the thrill of soaring through the sky, the excitement of new destinations, and, of course, the occasional… well, “unexpected surprises.” If you’re a seasoned jet-setter like us, you know that delays, cancellations, and lost baggage come with the territory. We’ve traveled over 1,000,000 miles as a family, mostly

Sep 06, 2024

Travel Tip: How To Claim A Flight Compensation In Europe – Follow These 6 Steps

Remember that time we got stuck in the airport with cranky kids and a mountain of luggage? Remember that feeling when your airline announced that your flight actually isn’t going to be taking off for 2, 6, or maybe even 24 hours?  Remember that awful feeling? Well, buckle up, because I’m about to share a

Aug 06, 2024

Travel With Kids: Expert Tips For A Smooth European Family Vacation

Traveling with children is different from traveling as a couple. Frankly, before we had kids, we were young and broke, so we traveled little and not internationally (unless our parents were helping us out!).  Our first big international trip was to Grand Cayman with my parents when we had two small children, and I still

Jul 18, 2024

How to Choose the Best Travel Insurance for Your Family

Hi adventure families! Buckle up, because we’re about to dive into the wild world of travel insurance. I know, I know, insurance sounds about as exciting as watching paint dry, but trust me, it’s your secret weapon for stress-free globetrotting! While we all hope that we never need insurance, we all know it’s a great

Feb 07, 2024

Tourist Car Lease in Europe

Are you dreaming of a European adventure but want the flexibility of your own wheels for an extended stay? We’ve been there! We thought we needed a long-term car rental. However, it turned out that a short-term car lease in Europe was a better fit. With this solution, we were able to travel at our

Nov 17, 2023

How To Choose a Destination When Traveling Abroad With Kids

*Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. Opinions shared are my own, and I only endorse products I support. By clicking on any of the links below, I may get a small commission if you purchase at absolutely no additional charge to you. I appreciate your support.* Where to next? Planning your next family trip

Oct 12, 2023

Hot Tips for Buying International Flights for Your Family: 250+ Flights Later

Travel addicts like us constantly daydream about where to go next and what kind of deal we can get on our flights. Flights tend to be the most expensive part of an international trip, especially for a family. With most international flights across an ocean clocking in at $500, on average, that adds up quickly

Apr 28, 2023

Why You Should Use Flytographer For Your Next Family Vacation Photo Shoot

Have you heard of a photography company that specializes in capturing vacation memories? Imagine one that connects travelers with local photographers in more than 300 cities worldwide so travelers can have professional photos taken of themselves, their family, and their friends in the places they visit. Flytographer has got you covered! We recently took advantage

Apr 15, 2023

Important Tips When Flying In Brazil With Kids

Is Brazil beckoning to your travel spirit? Are you are wondering if you can head there with the kids?  Our family of seven went to Brazil for six weeks and flew several times within Brazil.  We rented a car, took many taxis and Ubers, and walked around.  Read about our experience with Ubers and Taxis

Nov 08, 2022

68 Critical Tips for New International Travelers From An Expert Travel Family

After visiting nearly 40 countries, most with our five kids in tow, we’ve learned a few things about traveling internationally. I remember the dread and fear in my stomach when facing our first big international tour.  Your first trip overseas can be nerve-wracking. You might start thinking about what you can expect. Will this new, foreign land be

Jul 01, 2022

10 Tips For Surviving Jet Lag When Traveling With Kids

Our five kids have traveled over 30 international flights around the world. Our longest flight was from Auckland to Los Angeles for 14 hours; we understand jet lag well. What’s the best way to deal with it? How can you minimize the adverse side effects of your vacation? *Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. Opinions shared

Apr 22, 2022

30 Must-Have Tips for Flying With a Toddler

Have a toddler and want to travel? Fear no more! While toddlers are the most difficult to fly with, in my opinion, I’ve got loads of tips to make your flight smooth. Take heart. Parents around the world travel with toddlers every day. You CAN do this. It just takes planning, dedication, and looking forward

Jan 03, 2022

18 Beginner Tips for International Family Travel

We’ve traveled over 35 countries with five kids and we’ve got dozens of tips to help you book your trip, get around and be successful!

Dec 09, 2021

Best Apps For International Family Travel

Get your devices ready for international family travel with these must-have apps! From flights to food, these apps have you covered.

Jul 19, 2021

Obtaining Two Passports: When You Need Them and How To Get Them

There are a few reasons why you may need to obtain a second passport. This will guide you through the entire process of applying for your second passport, step-by-step.

Apr 12, 2021

30 Family Travel Items You Need Before Your Next Trip!

I approached a bunch of my fellow full-time travel families (or almost full-time) to get their favorite travel items. Who better knows what is essential for family travel than those that do it for a living?!
Take a peek and start planning your next family adventure. I promise it will go more smoothly with some of these items in tow!

Apr 12, 2021

My Top 10 Must-Have Travel Products For Family Travel

mother with kids and luggage looking at planes in airport, family travel

With over 30 countries under our belt with five kids in tow, we know family travel. We know airports, red-eye flights, navigating new countries, and foreign languages.
What items do we not want to leave without? Here are the 10 items I wouldn’t want to ever leave on a travel day without:

Apr 02, 2021

How To Save Money When Traveling With Kids

Remember when you were about to have a baby and everyone was warning you about how expensive kids are?  I have mixed feelings about this statement, but I do think travel with kids adds up quickly budget-wise! Five kids for us means five more plane tickets (now that all are older than 2), bigger cars,

Aug 26, 2020

Airbnb vs Hotels Internationally: Where to Stay for Family Travel

Airbnb For Family Travel Internationally Thinking of taking your family on an international trip?  One of the hardest questions to solve is where to stay.  Over 25 months of full-time travel as a family of seven we have visited over 30 countries and stayed in 33 Airbnbs and 18 hotels.  In fact, we just checked

Jul 31, 2020

How To Afford Full-Time Travel As a Family

Feel the call to travel the world? Find out how we’ve non-stop traveled for over two years, how much it costs, and gain tools to plan your own budget.

Jun 11, 2020

Tips for Flying with a Baby

Have a baby and want to travel? Fear no more! I’ve got all the tips you need to fly with your baby and make it as smooth as possible. We’ve been traveling the world with our five kids for two years and have flown dozens of times with kids of various ages. When the time

Mar 29, 2020

15 Quick Tips and Digital Only Resources for Keeping Kids Educated and Keeping You Sane in the Process

Welcome! Our family has been traveling around the world, full-time, for nearly two years.  I have five children, ages 12-2, and we’ve been successfully homeschooling the entire time.  We have to be as digital as possible as we travel.  I’ve got two other blog posts about our “worldschooling” if you are interested here and here. My General

Mar 23, 2020

Bathrooms Around the World: My Dirty Low-Down

Why in the world would I write a post about something we all try to avoid: public bathrooms? Well, in case you are new to the blog, we have five kids! Our oldest is currently 12. This means lots of toddlers, one in diapers, and lots and lots of bathrooms breaks. As we travel the

Mar 13, 2020

Europe Trip by Car: 10 Things You Need to Know

Planning a Europe trip by car with your family? Here are some tips to keep in mind! *Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. Opinions shared are my own, and I only endorse products I support. By clicking on any of the links below, I may get a small commission if you purchase at absolutely

Dec 17, 2019

7 Tips to Overcome Communication Barriers

Are you worried about traveling abroad without speaking the language of that country? Communication and language barriers are one of the reasons why some people do not want to travel abroad. It is said that tourism helps enhance your awareness of the cultures and languages of other countries all over the world. But you can’t

Sep 15, 2019

Prepare to Travel for a Year: Full-Time Family Travel Part 1

So, do you want to take the plunge?  Join the crazy world of full-time travelers? Are you lost on how to prepare to travel? What do you do from deciding this life is for you to heading out to your first destination? I’m going to do my best to give you a step-by-step list of

Jul 14, 2019

How to Avoid Scams Traveling in Asia

*Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. Opinions shared are my own, and I only endorse products I support. By clicking on any of the links below, I may get a small commission if you purchase at absolutely no additional charge to you. I appreciate your support.* We are wrapping up our time in Asia this

Jun 30, 2019

How to Deal With Homesickness: 5 Travel Tips From a Full Time Travel Family

Current month 13: Location: Tokyo, Japan One of the big issues we face is learning how to deal with homesickness while traveling. How long does it take you to start to feel homesick when you are away from home? How do you deal with the homesickness? What do you start to miss the most? Your

Jun 03, 2019

What To Pack for Full-Time Travel: Master List

Here is my packing master-list of everything you need for full-time family travel. From the luggage we love to the everyday essentials, this list has it ALL! Our Luggage: Mama’s List: Clothing: Shoes: Hygiene and Makeup Products: Technology: School Supplies: Medical Supplies: Happy Traveling!! -Leslie

Apr 14, 2019

Worldschool Packing List: 20 Must-Have Items

I give A LOT more info about homeschooling, or worldschooling, in my other post here. However, for the sake of a packing list, here is a short version. In backpacks: In checked luggage:

Apr 14, 2019

What Mom Should Pack for Full-Time Travel

Alright, moms, let’s be honest for a minute. As excited as I was about full-time travel and all the adventures, I had a few big hesitations. One of them: leaving my closet behind! I know that sounds vain. It is vain. However, I’ll bet in your closet right now, you’ve got more than all my

Feb 10, 2019

How to Book a Long Term Airbnb or Travel Home

Happy Chinese New Year from Hong Kong! As I sit in this super tiny apartment, I feel totally at home at this long-term Airbnb. It’s strange to say that since only a few days ago when we arrived, I wondered how we would make it two weeks. It is, quite literally, the smallest place we

Apr 23, 2018

Last Minute Preparation for Full-Time Travel with Kids

My head is swimming.  Literally, dozens of facts, to-do’s, reminders floating around in my gray matter.  Everywhere I look in our house, I see more to do or things I need to work on.  Let’s face it, moving sucks.  Stack on that trying to plan international travels with a family of seven. *Disclaimer: This post may