Three rules of traveling with kids

Hey, Nikki here, I'm fresh off a family vacation with some tiny traveler tips — as well as those of the money-saving variety [View in browser]( [Bloomberg]( Well, hello! It’s been a minute. I’m [Nikki Ekstein](, your once-again peripatetic travel editor here at Bloomberg Pursuits, writing you from a literal castle in Ireland. Last time you heard from me was in August — just before I had my second kid. In this most exciting trip halfway around the sun, I’ve grown enormously, not just as a parent but as a traveler, too. After all, kids force you to re-learn how to do everything. (I’d argue they make you do it all better.) And I’m not alone. Family travel was a $160 billion industry in the US in 2019, and it should soon exceed those numbers; in the 2022 edition of an annual white paper that tracks it, more than 85% of families said they had plans to travel in 2023. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy. Those same families gave the travel industry a C+ grade, on average, for how well it caters to those of us with littles. Ashford Castle, from which this newsletter was written. Photographer: Justin Ocean/Bloomberg Here’s the honest truth: In the three trips that I’ve taken so far with my now-8-month-old baby and his 4-year-old sister, I think the kids have taught me more about travel than I could teach them. Here are three three lessons I think we can all learn from the tiniest travelers among us. Relish the down time. My kids currently have syncopated naps, which means our afternoons are a total wash. (We hit pavement and explore all morning to compensate.) But we use our down time wisely. On our most recent trip together, to Montage Palmetto Bluff, a resort in coastal South Carolina, my husband and I alternated days doing something for ourselves during that quiet time; I went to [the decadent spa]( one day, he went clay shooting another. One afternoon while on duty, I taught my daughter to play Uno on our enclosed porch — she beamed, realizing she could read the cards with words. On a trip full of special moments, it was an unexpected highlight. Happiness is... a sunny space to run free. Photographer: Nikki Ekstein/Bloomberg Eat early. My first kiddo was always a very flexible sleeper, but the second had a much harder time figuring out that nighttime is, ahem, for sleeping. The trick in his case has consistently been an early bedtime, so the most important mental math I do on vacation is working backwards from bedtime. Here’s why I’m not mad about it: Not only can I get (almost) any reservation I want at 5:30 p.m., but we all stave off hanger and give our bodies enough time to digest a big meal before bed, which can be crucial for good sleep. Which leads me to… Prioritize (but don’t agonize over) sleep. The [genius sleep coach]( who helped straighten out my son’s upside-down habits generally follows an 80/20 rule. As long as the sleep schedule stays on track 80% of the time, the other 20% can, and should, be flexible — so while we were in Savannah, Georgia, last month we rolled the dice on a morning stroller nap and enjoyed post-dinner walks only if his three naps had all gone to plan. It’s a good rule for grown-ups, too. I know the triggers that can negatively impact my sleep, and on vacation, I’ll let some of my best practices slide — but only in careful moderation. Connect with Nikki on [Twitter](, [Instagram]( or [via e-mail](mailto:nekstein@bloomberg.net?subject=I%20read%20your%20newsletter) Need inspiration? Here are a few hotels on my own traveling-with-kids bucket list, and a few helpful tools to get your family going. - [Ashford Castle](, where I’m staying right now, is counter-intuitively a dream for kids. Do you really want your toddler running around a formal, 800-year-old, [impeccably preserved castle](? Strangely the answer is yes, when the hotel has its own movie theater, a stable of horses and ponies to ride and a Lego butler who can deliver sets of toys with white gloves and silver trays. (I’m not kidding.) When I come back, it’ll be with my brood. - [Montage Palmetto Bluff,]( where I just came from, was a place I’d dreamed of visiting for years. But I’d earmarked it as a “with-kids” trip, knowing it had treehouse playgrounds built into moss-draped live oaks; rambling grounds to be explored with two (or three) wheels; and a [s’mores]( buffet around a central fire pit each night. It far exceeded my expectations; the service was practically flawless. - All of the hotels mentioned in this 2018 story we wrote are still raising the bar on [kids’ clubs and amenities](. - But now summer vacations are taking over [villas in the Caribbean, too](. - Finally, ​​​the one thing [you should always pack](, even though you’ll be tempted to leave it behind. The Snooz white noise machine. (Yes, traveling with young kids means always bringing more gear than can possibly fit in a carry-on.) Photographer: Jamie Chung for Bloomberg Businessweek It’s going to be another crazy summer... Last summer, the intense thirst for travel was met by a perfect storm of travel nightmares: a pilot shortage, too few luggage handlers at airports, scarce availability of hotel rooms and rentals, not to mention skyrocketing prices for literally everything. Well, I hate to tell this to you: 2023 isn’t poised to look much better. True in 2022 and true today: Expect high prices across the board if you plan to travel this summer. Photographer: Jordan Speer for Bloomberg Businessweek All of last year’s problems are persisting, and uncertainty in the global economy hasn’t helped. This month, the government even [called on airlines to reduce flights]( in and out of New York City, because its airports don’t have enough air traffic controllers. Airfares are particularly excruciating right now. That trip my family took to the South? We picked it in part because flights from New York to the Dominican Republic were going for $1,400 — in coach! But new research shows the best time go to the Caribbean is any time. Source: Oetker Collection With that in mind, we at Pursuits have been hard at work finding ways to work around the broken systems. (Yes, there are secrets to paying less for that flight — and even weatherproofing your next trip!) [Google Wants You to Never Overpay for a Flight Again]( [Sargassum Seaweed Doesn’t Need to Ruin Your Next Beach Trip]( [Seven Money-Saving Tips to Beat Travel Inflation This Summer]( [Hotel Discounts Are Still Possible With This One Hack]( [Rainy Weather Spoil a Vacation? You Can Now Get Your Money Back]( What else is on my radar. Do you still Wordle? [A new game from the New York Times]( calledDigits, currently in beta, is fast becoming part of my daily routine. You’re given six bubbles filled with numbers that can be combined using functions of basic arithmetic — addition, subtraction, multiplication or division — to reach a precise target. Since I work so much with words, I feel like the math puzzles really sharpen a less-exercised part of my brain. Musical theater nut that I am, I’m loving Apple TV+’s new season of [Schmigadoon](. Produced by Lorne Michaels and featuring a cast of legitimate Broadway talent — Kristin Chenoweth, Alan Cumming, Ariana DeBose — led by Cecily Strong and Keegan-Michael Key, it’s about a couple that escapes into a literal musical to help troubleshoot marital stress. Last season the focus was on shows of the 1950s, making for fairly obscure references; this season they riff on Broadway hits of the ’60s and ’70s that are much more familiar, like Chicago, [Sweeney Todd]( and Hair. The musical numbers have ridiculously high production value (yes, everyone can sing, though Key is given fewer bars), the choreography is super fun, and the storyline doesn’t take itself too seriously. Speaking of Broadway, I’ve been stunned that the upcoming production of [Merrily We Roll Along](, featuring Daniel Radcliffe, Jonathan Groff and Lindsay Mendez didn’t sell out the minute the box office opened, given that an acclaimed and very limited run of the same production last winter did just that. This second, longer run opens in September and tickets start at $116. Merrily has a moving-back-in-time structure that critics have sometimes found jarring, but the score from Steven Sondheim is one of my personal favorites. (It’s also being turned into a movie [that’s shooting over the course of 20 years]( with Ben Platt and Beanie Feldstein; Richard Linklater is directing, and it’s set to come out in 2039.) So, you had some questions… Here’s some answers! Whatever the topic, keep them coming for next week via our [Bloomberg Pursuits Instagram]( and [e-mail](mailto:askpursuits@bloomberg.net?I%20have%20a%20question). Can you help me find some great animal safaris in the US? Sure thing, @phalesharawai! If you haven’t heard of [American Prairie Reserve]( in Montana, it’s an incredible organization with a goal to restore 3.5 million acres of onetime bison habitat to support the growth of herd populations throughout the Great Plains. You can book safari-style yurts at [Kestrel Camp](, or stay at a variety of other accommodations in the area. There’s also [Vermejo, a Ted Turner Reserve,]( in New Mexico — a place to go horseback riding and spot black bears, elk and mountain lions. If you’re willing to head north to Canada, you can amp up the adventure factor even further; there, [Churchill Wild]( runs Arctic safaris to see such rare creatures as beluga whales and polar bears. Bison, which roam the Great Plains of Montana, are among the animals you can see on an American safari at Kestrel Camp. Photographer: Kevin Kunstadt for Bloomberg Pursuits What’s your best advice for traveling with a lap infant? You’re speaking my language, @lorengomez4. Do your best to pick flights that coincide with naptime, so you can maximize your odds of sweet sleepy cuddles. (Airplane sounds are excellent white noise.) You’ll surely bring a change of clothes for the baby, but don’t forget to bring one for yourself, too — in case of emergency! If a favorite toy can be attached to a pacifier clip, do that to prevent it from falling on the gross floor. (Ziplock bags for soiled toys and clothes are a good idea; ditto sanitizing wipes.) And consider packing these [Whirly Squigz](, which suction onto plane windows and spin around. I think they’re a universal hit — both my kids have loved them — and they’re suitable for babies as little as three or four months. Which destination are you excited about next? Drumroll, please… We’re going to Disney! I grew up in South Florida and spent tons of time in the parks as a kid, so I’ve been looking forward to this trip for a long, long time. Now that my daughter is in peak princess obsession mode, it’s the perfect opportunity. And there’s a whole new way to skip lines and meet Mickey Photographer: Matt Stroshane/Walt Disney World Resort/Getty Images We’ll be staying at the [Four Seasons](, which does an epic character meet-and-greet breakfast, and carving out afternoons to enjoy their enormous complex of pools and lazy river. Each morning we’ll hit up a different park, and I’m expecting that we’ll take turns staying out late to watch fireworks with the big kid. (They’re visible from the Four Seasons, but you’d miss the cool light displays and orchestrations.) The best part: My parents and sister are joining us there, so we’ll have extra hands on deck and lots of personal photographers. Don’t tell my daughter, though — it’s still a surprise. New for subscribers: Free article gifting. Bloomberg.com subscribers can now gift up to five free articles a month to anyone you want. 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