Travel with 2 year old
Oct 21st, 2006, 11:48 AM
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Travel with 2 year old
I have been considering a couple of trips for this upcoming January, but am still undecided. My wife and I are planning a 10 day trip with our 2 year old and are looking for something interesting, but not too difficult. We have been considering Hong Kong at the top of our list, but my wife is having 2nd thoughts as she thinks there may be a lot of smog/pollution in January, as well as cool weather, not conducive to a lot of walking/strollering.
So, can anyone share any great travel experiences that they have had with their young children? We are interested in Asia, Latin America and Europe (although in January, Europe may be out). We like culture, local experiences, and interesting food. Thanks.
So, can anyone share any great travel experiences that they have had with their young children? We are interested in Asia, Latin America and Europe (although in January, Europe may be out). We like culture, local experiences, and interesting food. Thanks.
Oct 21st, 2006, 08:24 PM
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Where are you traveling from? USA? I think it would matter how long the plane trip-if I planned on flying with a 2 yr old. I once had one cry-loudly- the whole 'short' trip from Chicago to Atlanta. So that would be a consideration to me.
Oct 22nd, 2006, 07:14 AM
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We are travelling from the US and so far, she has been a pretty good traveller. We have taken several long flights and she manages well. I am most interested in hearing about cities or destinations that are interesting, but fairly easy to navigate with a 2 year old.
Oct 22nd, 2006, 01:04 PM
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While in Italy, several friends visited us for 10 days with their 2 year olds. It went well, with the following pointers:
1. Both had less than ideal times travelling to Italy. The flights were tough on the babes and moms who were up with them. Upon arrrival both girlfriends looked pretty worn. Return flights were much easier.
2. Jet lag is not a concept within the grasp of a 2 year old. So, at 2-3am one or both parents would be doing jet lag duty. This did help the tykes sleep during part of the day touring though.
3. People loved babies, especially Italians. That said, I have drug my four kiddos to China and Thailand, as well as Korea, and the world loves kids.
4. Definitely travel with a stroller of some sort, and don't have too ambitious of a schedule.
You know your kiddo best. If you have already done extensive travelling, know how s/he travels, and are ready for the possibilities, why not go?
As for destinations, choose three or four places you and your wife want to go. Then narrow it down based on research you do.
One point of caution. If the baby cries the entire flight, you might well be too tired to enjoy much of your trip.
Mary in Korea
1. Both had less than ideal times travelling to Italy. The flights were tough on the babes and moms who were up with them. Upon arrrival both girlfriends looked pretty worn. Return flights were much easier.
2. Jet lag is not a concept within the grasp of a 2 year old. So, at 2-3am one or both parents would be doing jet lag duty. This did help the tykes sleep during part of the day touring though.
3. People loved babies, especially Italians. That said, I have drug my four kiddos to China and Thailand, as well as Korea, and the world loves kids.
4. Definitely travel with a stroller of some sort, and don't have too ambitious of a schedule.
You know your kiddo best. If you have already done extensive travelling, know how s/he travels, and are ready for the possibilities, why not go?
As for destinations, choose three or four places you and your wife want to go. Then narrow it down based on research you do.
One point of caution. If the baby cries the entire flight, you might well be too tired to enjoy much of your trip.
Mary in Korea
Oct 22nd, 2006, 02:00 PM
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I'd worry a bit about the heat in SE Asia with a 2 yrs old. They get dehydrated so quickly. That being said, traveling with a child is a great "people magnet" and you can really meet wonderful people that way.
Oct 22nd, 2006, 06:45 PM
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I live in Hong Kong. In terms of interesting culture, local experiences and food, Hong Kong certainly has it all. January is actually a good month generally, it’s not really
”cold” in the sense you may be used to, take a look at weatherbase.com. Daytime temps are in the 60F to low 70S. It may be cool in the morning and evenings, but a light jacket or shawl is sufficient. It is generally very dry in terms of rainfall and humidity, both of which are bloody awful in the summer months (April to October is the summer). It is excellent walking weather. The first half of January is generally more pleasant and sunnier than the second, although last January was beautiful for most of the entire month. It is excellent weather for walking and touring, IMO.
Now, it terms of pollution, we have that as well. I do not find it affects me in the way that a few days in Shanghai or Beijing does, but you might. Children may also be differently affected. Also, if you will have a stroller, this is not the most stroller-friendly city, sidewalks are either narrow or just jammed with people, and there are lots of elevated pedestrian walkways which will require stairs to reach, a backpack for the baby rather than a stroller would be a better idea, esp if you want to take walks in the countryside which are the best way to get into the vast green areas of Hong Kong Island and the outlying areas.
Jet lag will undoubtedly be an issue, the time difference is 13 hours from the East Coast and 16 from the West. The baby will be up all night for the first few days and will want to sleep during the day; this will take its toll on everyone. I agree on the dehydration issue, in Hong Kong this would not be a problem because it will not be hot and humid in January, but you would need to watch this in truly tropical weather in other places. (And would certainly need to be aware of this on the long flights, which are quite dehydrating.) It is also possible that the baby will pick up a cold on the plane and may be ill either on the way out or on the way home. It’s definitely hard with a toddler to go those distances.
I don’t know that I would take such a long flight and then spend the entire 10 days in Hong Kong, esp when places like the beaches of Thailand are at their best at this time. There are beaches in Hong Kong and opportunities to take boat trips, but in January it will be a bit cool for swimming. A trip to Hong Kong could easily be combined with at trip to other hot places in Asia, such as the beaches in Thailand. Singapore is another thought, generally has cleaner air (and a marvelous zoo), but lately it has had a great deal of smoke haze due to huge fires in Indonesia, so you would have to watch that. You could do a trip to Singapore and Hong Kong in 10 days quite easily and/or combine this perhaps with a trip to a place like Langkawi or Phuket for beaches. You could of course go to places like Beijing or Japan but it is definitely winter in those places.
”cold” in the sense you may be used to, take a look at weatherbase.com. Daytime temps are in the 60F to low 70S. It may be cool in the morning and evenings, but a light jacket or shawl is sufficient. It is generally very dry in terms of rainfall and humidity, both of which are bloody awful in the summer months (April to October is the summer). It is excellent walking weather. The first half of January is generally more pleasant and sunnier than the second, although last January was beautiful for most of the entire month. It is excellent weather for walking and touring, IMO.
Now, it terms of pollution, we have that as well. I do not find it affects me in the way that a few days in Shanghai or Beijing does, but you might. Children may also be differently affected. Also, if you will have a stroller, this is not the most stroller-friendly city, sidewalks are either narrow or just jammed with people, and there are lots of elevated pedestrian walkways which will require stairs to reach, a backpack for the baby rather than a stroller would be a better idea, esp if you want to take walks in the countryside which are the best way to get into the vast green areas of Hong Kong Island and the outlying areas.
Jet lag will undoubtedly be an issue, the time difference is 13 hours from the East Coast and 16 from the West. The baby will be up all night for the first few days and will want to sleep during the day; this will take its toll on everyone. I agree on the dehydration issue, in Hong Kong this would not be a problem because it will not be hot and humid in January, but you would need to watch this in truly tropical weather in other places. (And would certainly need to be aware of this on the long flights, which are quite dehydrating.) It is also possible that the baby will pick up a cold on the plane and may be ill either on the way out or on the way home. It’s definitely hard with a toddler to go those distances.
I don’t know that I would take such a long flight and then spend the entire 10 days in Hong Kong, esp when places like the beaches of Thailand are at their best at this time. There are beaches in Hong Kong and opportunities to take boat trips, but in January it will be a bit cool for swimming. A trip to Hong Kong could easily be combined with at trip to other hot places in Asia, such as the beaches in Thailand. Singapore is another thought, generally has cleaner air (and a marvelous zoo), but lately it has had a great deal of smoke haze due to huge fires in Indonesia, so you would have to watch that. You could do a trip to Singapore and Hong Kong in 10 days quite easily and/or combine this perhaps with a trip to a place like Langkawi or Phuket for beaches. You could of course go to places like Beijing or Japan but it is definitely winter in those places.
Oct 22nd, 2006, 07:31 PM
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Although not in your original 'wish list' of ideas, Buenos Aries has culture, local experiences and food.
The flight to BA from here in SE USA is at night and the return flight is through the night. Therefore, less disruption of a child's schedule. Also, no jet lag - only l or 2 hours difference in time.
The flight to BA from here in SE USA is at night and the return flight is through the night. Therefore, less disruption of a child's schedule. Also, no jet lag - only l or 2 hours difference in time.
Oct 22nd, 2006, 07:57 PM
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I think BA or South American generally is a GREAT idea, it's also summer in South America. I have only been to Sao Paolo a few times, but have to say that I loved South America and thought the food and people were wonderful.
Nov 5th, 2006, 05:57 AM
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Thanks to everyone for their thoughtful replies. Cicerone, I like your idea of travelling to a 2nd destination within the 10 day trip. Is the travel time from the airport reasonable? With a 2 year old, I would not want to engage in a complicated or lengthy trip to and from the airport with such a short timeframe. We were in Tokyo recently and that was a chore getting in and out of the city. Also, thanks for your lengthy posts about things to do in Hong Kong... already printed and it will be put to good use.
Any thoughts (from anyone) on an easy direct flight to a 2nd destination nearby? We would probably just break off 3 days for this side trip. Thanks!
Any thoughts (from anyone) on an easy direct flight to a 2nd destination nearby? We would probably just break off 3 days for this side trip. Thanks!
Nov 5th, 2006, 03:24 PM
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ron, my son, now 21, made his first longhaul flight at the age of 1.5 months. At the time I was "commuting" to Asia from New York and my husband and son joined me for a few weeks in Hong Kong. After that we went to Bangkok and Burma.
The visit to Burma convinced me that the easiest place to travel with a young child is Asia -- especially the less developed countries or beach areas. Southeast Asians love kids. They are always welcome in restaurants. The hotel, restaurant or shop staff will gleefully spirit them away to play with them while the parents have a meal, a massage or do some serious shopping. Childcare is cheap and safe.
I also suggest finding a place that allows a two year old some wriggle room. A jetlagged cranky toddler can generate quite a lot of noise at 2:00 a.m. so you want to be able to put some distance between your child and other travelers.
I'm particularly fond of Bali as a destination for kids -- of all ages. They love the arts, the dances, the beach, the marine life. The basic foods -- like satay and rice -- are extremely kid-friendly. But most importantly, the warmth and hospitality of the people is unparalleled.
The visit to Burma convinced me that the easiest place to travel with a young child is Asia -- especially the less developed countries or beach areas. Southeast Asians love kids. They are always welcome in restaurants. The hotel, restaurant or shop staff will gleefully spirit them away to play with them while the parents have a meal, a massage or do some serious shopping. Childcare is cheap and safe.
I also suggest finding a place that allows a two year old some wriggle room. A jetlagged cranky toddler can generate quite a lot of noise at 2:00 a.m. so you want to be able to put some distance between your child and other travelers.
I'm particularly fond of Bali as a destination for kids -- of all ages. They love the arts, the dances, the beach, the marine life. The basic foods -- like satay and rice -- are extremely kid-friendly. But most importantly, the warmth and hospitality of the people is unparalleled.
Nov 5th, 2006, 03:32 PM
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Travel time to Hong Kong airport is about 45-60 minutes depending whether you take a taxi, bus or airport express train and where your hotel is located. It is easier than the airport train in Tokyo IMO in that the journey does not take nearly that long, train time is like 28 minutes, then add in getting to the train station, etc for the overall journey. By taxi is certainly the easiest and takes about 45 minutes all in and would cost about US$50 give or take a bit (it’s not Japan where a taxi would be quite expensive). From Singapore airport to downtown Singapore is about the same (they don’t have any train yet surprisingly for such an efficient city). Bangkok has a new airport and I am not certain of journey times. From Phuket airport to hotels is varying journey time, taxi or private car is about the only option, but I don’t think any place is more than an hour. The JW Marriott Phuket, a big favourite on this board and one of mine as well, is about 30 minutes from the airport.
You can get non-stop flights to Singapore from Hong Kong, there are several every day. You can get non-stops to Phuket, they don’t run as often, there are also other flights which require a change in Bangkok, obviously a non-stop would be preferred so check the schedule. Flight time to both is about 2.5-3 hours.
Another thought for Singapore is to stay someplace like Sentosa which has some hotels on the beach. It’s not a fantastic beach, but it would give you some beach atmosphere and you can go into other parts of Singapore from there. Sentosa has a huge amusement park, water park, aquarium, etc. You might look it up.
You can get non-stop flights to Singapore from Hong Kong, there are several every day. You can get non-stops to Phuket, they don’t run as often, there are also other flights which require a change in Bangkok, obviously a non-stop would be preferred so check the schedule. Flight time to both is about 2.5-3 hours.
Another thought for Singapore is to stay someplace like Sentosa which has some hotels on the beach. It’s not a fantastic beach, but it would give you some beach atmosphere and you can go into other parts of Singapore from there. Sentosa has a huge amusement park, water park, aquarium, etc. You might look it up.
Nov 6th, 2006, 06:38 PM
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We've travelled a lot with our now 2 year old. We went to South Africa recently with her and she did v. well. No jet lag - there is only a 6 hr time difference. We kept her needs in mind and used private tours (so if she was cranky she wouldn't disturb a whole bus) and we ate at casual places.
