Travelling With Three Kiddies?

Chris17 on 05/05/2025 - 09:06

So it looks like another squealing bundle of joy and bills will pop up (or out) next month. I’m big on travelling, but some of the prices I’m seeing for two adults and three under-10s are eye-watering. Four grand barely gets you a week in Bali.

What are people’s favourite destinations for larger families? I’m considering split holidays - ie one parent plus one child - but going together as a family would be nice, too.

We’re not fussy about destinations, though prefer overseas. Are there any particular agencies or websites people here favour for this sort of group travel?

Travel

Comments

  • sumyungguy on 05/05/2025 - 09:15
    +3

    Best wishes for your new addition; and adapting your defensive strategy from man-on-man to zone. Here's a couple of resources if you haven't seen them already:
    https://sleeps5.com
    https://sixsuitcasetravel.com

  • Ocker on 05/05/2025 - 09:58
    +2

    https://holidayswithkids.com.au/

  • donga100 on 05/05/2025 - 10:03
    +4

    Don't add that many kids when searching for accommodation as it will exclude most hotels from the search results. Better to just look for twin or family rooms and BYO cot or request on arrival for the infant. Kids that age usually don't care about cultural or historical attractions, they just want a big swimming pool and maybe see some monkeys and elephants. Bali is probably the best considering the shorter flying time but Vietnam and Thailand are a bit cheaper/cleaner/better infrastructure.

    • Chris17 on 05/05/2025 - 15:30

      That’s an interesting point. But don’t you risk getting refused accommodation if you show up with an unbooked baby in tow?

      • Save 50 Cent on 05/05/2025 - 16:50
        +2

        Leave the baby outside in a hidden spot until you check in.

      • donga100 on 05/05/2025 - 17:50
        +1

        Have done it many times and never had a problem. Might be an issue only if it is an all-inclusive place with meals.

  • Duckie2hh on 05/05/2025 - 10:07

    Travelling With Three Kiddies?

    Definition of happiness

  • Benoffie on 05/05/2025 - 10:21
    +2

    We did China when ours was 1 - left him at home (Grandparents)

    Vanuatu at 4 - whole extended family - rented a house. Great value 👍

    Asia (Singapore/Thailand/Penang) at 10 - this was good. Not bad pricing, cheap hotels, good eating and travelling.

    Then took the pest to whole Asia for 2 months at 17. Expensive nightmare. Teenagers are the pits.

    Advice - house rentals, free internal flights, kids go free packages, places where the doing compensates for the slightly higher flights

  • geekcohen on 05/05/2025 - 10:53
    +2

    Got a car that can tow? Invest in a cheap caravan and a small tent and do local holidays/weekends away.

    We have a Caravan (cost me about $10k) and it's great for our two kids (18 months and 5 years old) Double Bunks and a Double Bed with Kitchen and seating area. Enough to go away for the weekend. We plan to do bigger and longer trips locally until they are older and will enjoy plus appreciate the international stuff.

    All my daughter wants to do is go to a beach and/or pool, do a bit of travel around the area, do some of the attractions and then go back to a playground.

    I honestly also couldn't be bothered doing international travel with kids and all the effort plus cost when they wouldn't appreciate it. If you they want to do stuff on a plane, go interstate like QLD or something to the theme parks.

    Unfortunately with your location being VIC as well, flights to Bali or that area are long…… it isn't like you are in WA and Bali is like 3 hours. Maybe consider NZ since it is only a 3 hour flight? Apparently you can get flights for like $500 return.

    • Chris17 on 05/05/2025 - 15:30
      +1

      Lovely suggestion. Unfortunately we’d have to get a new car - Kia Rios can barely tow a wheelbarrow.

      • geekcohen on 05/05/2025 - 15:51
        +1

        Yeah, that is unfortunately an issue but still might be worth looking into rather than doing OS travel. Invest in the gear at home and then travel more often within Aus.

  • Chris17 on 05/05/2025 - 15:29
    +1

    Thanks for all of these suggestions. I mostly agree that overseas travel is wasted on the young.

    To me, ‘travel’ means exploring places like Venezuela, Congo, Antarctica and Kyrgyzstan. It means hitting German autobahns in a Porsche and experimenting with psychedelics in Amsterdam. I’ve done all those things and want to do more. But I suspect it’ll be Bali and SeaWorld for the foreseeable future.

    • geekcohen on 05/05/2025 - 15:50
      +1

      To me, ‘travel’ means exploring places like Venezuela, Congo, Antarctica and Kyrgyzstan. It means hitting German autobahns in a Porsche and experimenting with psychedelics in Amsterdam. I’ve done all those things and want to do m

      That is what most people do when the kids are at least 20 and parents can just go on their own. Or some people also do those things in retirement.

      My parents went travelling to do all those things kid free when my sister had finished school and was able to get herself around with her license. They are now doing big yearly trips whilst they still can.

  • payless69 on 05/05/2025 - 16:52

    Your local sexual health centre will issue free condoms.
    But ONLY if you ask.
    Just future proofing.
    Yeah Bali is still cheap, just ask for prices first.

  • Muppet Detector on 06/05/2025 - 20:50
    -1

    Camping at Ayre's Rock

    => will never have to take three kiddies on holidays ever again.

    • Chris17 on 08/05/2025 - 10:26

      Nobody’s going to fall for that one again.

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