Taking our son abroad for the first time sounded like a fun - albeit challenging -adventure. But as soon as I set foot on the jetway, I was hit with overwhelming trepidation at how our energetic traveling companion would handle the confinement of the long flight, the time change, and unfamiliar surroundings thousands of miles from home. Luckily, our boy proved to be a regular jet-setter, and we found that international travel with an infant or toddler can be rewarding if approached with a recalibrated mindset, some advance planning, and plenty of Cheerios.
It’s important for parents traveling with really young ones to realize that they can’t stick to their usual itineraries, says Cynthia Harriman, author of “Take Your Kids to Europe.’’ “Get your expectations in check, and understand that you just can’t do the same things as before,’’ she says.
As we planned our Irish excursion, we realized that our usual m.o. of bouncing from city to city and stuffing in as much sightseeing and night life as we could was out the window. Instead, we opted for a totally different experience, spending a slow-paced week in a small village and taking leisurely day trips instead of dashing around madly as if we were on “The Amazing Race.’’
“With younger kids, don’t try to do seven countries in eight days but really hook into the local culture,’’ Harriman says. “Rent a cottage or do a home exchange and concentrate on everyday life.’’
We rented a spacious townhouse that allowed us to spread out, cook our own meals, do laundry, and let our little guy have his own room for sleeping, which allowed us all to maintain some semblance of a normal routine. Plus, our budding Magellan, who was crawling all over the place, had plenty of uncharted waters to explore.
