#CreativElenaRTW reloaded: 7 tips for planning a round the world trip as a family.

Here we go. Very soon, the four of us will be on a plane to Australia, the first destination on our almost four-month trip around the globe. We, that’s my husband, our two children who are not yet of school age, and me. Excited? Oh yes!

We’ve been dreaming about this trip for years. Talking about it, saving money for it. Now the time has finally come.

But how do you go about kickstarting the adventure of travelling the world as a family? Where do you start, what do you need to consider and … how much money does one really need for such a big trip?

Liam, our preschooler, can hardly wait: “Mum, does Australia have lots of sea?” – Here with his toes in the sand by the beach in Valencia, Spain.

Tip #1: Securing the finances!

Money really isn’t everything. However, very few people can finance a trip like this from scratch. It’s worth considering a savings plan – especially as a family.

Looking back, our savings plan was “born” with our first child. My husband and I were travelling in Canada at the time. We enjoyed it so much that we even asked our wedding guests to refrain from giving traditional gifts – and instead support us with a small contribution for “the next big trip”.

One pandemic and one more kid later, not only have our savings grown, but so has our dream. True to the motto: We’re doing it. Now! We’re going on a world trip. Before our firstborn starts school. We’ve budgeted some €30,000 – €40,000 off our savings … enough? Well, we’ll see!

Tip #2: Itinerary and insurance.

Closely linked to the financing of a trip around the world and the question of savings is, of course, the travel itinerary: Which countries, what choice of accommodation or transport, over what period of time? We decided on around four months. This seemed neither too short nor too long to us, and also combines well with our respective work (read on here if you want to know more about planning and living the big round the world trip adventure).

We also chose countries where we have personal connections: Australia, New Zealand, the USA and Canada. In addition to the choice of cities, friends and families we visit, safety is of course a top priority for us when travelling, especially with the young ones. We have opted for the tried-and-tested ReiseKomplettSchutz insurance from Europäische Reiseversicherung and are very satisfied with the value for money for the travel period and countries.

We are also very satisfied with our local travel agent, Melanie Zalto from Ruefa Reisen. Even though I have travelled a lot and often: I have always booked my trips around the world through a travel agency; with all the (flight) changes and things that can happen, trust me – it pays to have a contact person who knows about everything and can provide information in good time. And that’s not all: thanks to Melanie, we were able to get sensational fares almost a year before the trip and really save money on international flight prices. Nevertheless, it’s important to know that children aged two and over (so as soon as they need a seat on a plane) also pay the full price – especially if the fares are cheap and far in advance. So in our case: good prices, yes, but of course all fares times four …

Float planes in Western Canada might not travel around the world. But still, they are pretty to look at. Let’s see if we come across them again in the Vancouver area!

Tip #3: Getting your partner on board of it all!

It may sound a little amusing, but I think it’s really important to get your partner on board, too!

When it comes to travelling around the world, you have to bear in mind that it’s not really a holiday but rather an adventure trip. Is your partner as up to it as you are? Personally, I believe it’s extremely important to talk a lot about all possible (travel) options in good time – and even more so if (small) children are involved.

As a cheerful optimist with experience, I know to answer all the ‘What if…?’ questions with a certain sense of humour and confidence. But it certainly doesn’t hurt to keep reassuring the other person of this 🙂

My husband and I have always taken all big decisions regarding routing, rates, home issues in our absence, children’s affairs and much more together. It wasn’t always easy, and certainly caused some discussions, but in retrospect it definitely helped bring us together for the adventure about to begin now.

Here we go: Our first trip with baby in tow … what an adventure (at the time!).

Tip #4: Medical checkups: Travel warnings, vaccinations, drugs …

Another essential tip is thinking about medical care. Which vaccinations are recommended, even mandatory, for which country or region? What medication do I need while travelling? What about general medical care on site – also for kids?

In our case, we are convinced of the excellent facilities in the cities and world regions mentioned above. Thanks to our very own ReiseKomplettSchutz insurance, we can get any necessary expenses at local doctors or pharmacies reimbursed. Everything will be fine!

We also consulted my family doctor and paediatrician in advance. None of us were required to have vaccinations for the countries we travelled to. I was due for a few boosters and we decided to vaccinate the children against hepatitis A, in addition to the basic immunisation they’ve received during the first two years of their lives.

Tip #5: Homefront checkups: Mail, house, garden …

Another issue: what happens to the house and garden when you’re away for months at a time? In the best case scenario, a good neighbour and/or family member can look after things.

We have notified the post office of our absence, signed powers of attorney for the family, applied for an international driving licence for rental cars and campervans in good time, planned the accounts so that the regular debits that (have to) continue can continue, informed the bank about the countries where debits are to be expected over the next few months (for security reasons!), and much more. Our (few) plants have found a temporary home with the great-grandparents, my car is at my parents’, and even the garden is not completely left to its own devices … 😉

Tip #6: Requirements around school or kindergarten.

This will be country-specific, so please always double check with your specific authority in your home town. Personally, I would have loved some sort of check list for what to do / whom to call / what to submit, at what time, to whom, for both our kids. Once, about a year before leaving, I remember having googled necessary steps for both our kids’ ages in Vienna, but I haven’t really found anything useful. Here’s what we did (and how we did it):

• For our preschool child, we already had to file an “application for home education” with the school authorities, as preschoolers may once be absent for a maximum of four weeks outside the statutory school holidays.
  • It wasn’t such a big deal, more a matter of explaining how your child would benefit with languages, music, physical exercise, etc. A guideline helps to file the application in the right way. Easy, actually.
  • We submitted the application around six months before departure – and received approval almost immediately. At the end of the period, a documentation sheet on the measures taken must be submitted. Sounds good to me!
• Our little one falls under the authority of the statutory kindergarten he’s enrolled in. Here, too, it paid to enquire carefully: Longer absences like ours had to be officially reported, even for very young children.
  • I celebrate our kindergarten (and the authorities) who were able to organise everything so that after the trip our youngest can return to his group, friends and carers – yay!
  • Keep at it, keep talking, keep the management informed, keep the teachers informed, get everyone on board with the big project, and then I’m sure a solution can be found just like in our case!

Tip #7: Packing! Light and … easy?!

So how do you pack … for a trip around the world!? Start with paying attention to the weather and climate zones, know that you can equip yourself further if necessary, and yes: Less is more!

As we are travelling from summer to late summer, then back to spring and summer again, our travel gear consists mainly of (lighter) summer clothes. We pack for about 10 days, after which (as at home) we would be looking for washing machines – in holiday flats, with family and friends, on campsites, in youth hostels etc. It really isn’t a problem when travelling.

Personally, we prefer large travel rucksacks to suitcases – for the simple reason that we prefer to have our hands free.. Liam is allowed to take his own suitcase, both children will carry their small rucksacks with toys, drinking bottles, etc. I can’t wait for the photograph when we have everything together shortly before departure. Hallelujah!

Here are some articles on my blog about packing lists, luggage and preparation for family trips:

• Packing List for our first trip with Baby Liam: What’s in his suitcase?
• First trip abroad with baby: 6 tips about getting organised and the actual journey
• Packing list for our first flight with baby Liam, now seven months old.
• Taking the train through Europe with my two-year-old son: Travel tips for preparing the journey.
• Our first trip as a #FamilyOf4 : Booking flights with an unborn baby
• Take the family to Malta: Tips on how to travel with a baby and toddler in tow.

Let’s see how it will go this time!

This is more or less how we’ll be travelling again this time: Two large rucksacks with luggage for the parents, a small rucksack for each of us, a suitcase of hand luggage for the two children and a stroller. Easy, right!?

Now, about you!

Is there anything else that you would like to know personally? Have you ever done a trip round the world trip, on your own or with kids? Would this be something for you, too?

I’m curious to hear from you and invite you to join us on the road: Simply follow the hashtag #CreativElenaRTW especially on Instagram. See you somewhere around the world!