6 Week family "Trip of a Lifetime" suggestions

saggycaggy · 20-01-2021 10:14pm #1

So planning (and saving) a good bit in advance but hope to travel on a 6 week holiday in July/August 2023 with our 3 kids, who'll then be 15,11 and 5.

We've nowhere particular we're itching to go to but really want it make a lot of memories with the family wherever we go.
I suppose what we really want is a bit of adventure, culture and good weather.

I've been to Australia and New Zealand but would happily travel around NZ with the family but worried the weather wouldn't be the best that time of year?

Another idea was driving from San Fran down to LA, San Diego and all the stops in between (Yosemite National Park etc). Has anyone done this trip?

The budget will be roughly €15-20k.

We're kind of ruling out Europe at the minute as we feel we can do a lot of European cities in shorter breaks, long weekends.

Totally open to suggestions/advice if anyone has any.

Thanks.

strandroad · 20-01-2021 10:21pm

saggycaggy wrote: »

?
Another idea was driving from San Fran down to LA, San Diego and all the stops in between (Yosemite National Park etc). Has anyone done this trip?

Great fun to be had, but it could be too hot when you plan to go... I did it in October and we still had 30+ temperatures in places (SF was cooler). Do your research beforehand or you're risking running from one air conditioned space to another a lot of the time.

bigar · 20-01-2021 11:00pm

Why not go closer afield and do a road trip through Europe? There are so many beautiful places to see and you do not need to spend a day on a plane to get there.

duffman13 · 20-01-2021 11:05pm

I did 5 weeks in NZ in September, weather was actually alright mostly but definitely not dependable in July/August

Oz East Coast or West Coast, again weather is against you on the south end of both trips.

The American road trip was on the plan last year but shelved unfortunately. 15-20k for 6 weeks is very achievable though depending on your comfort levels. Id agree with you regarding Europe in terms of Citys however much like NZ/Oz, the travelling between cities is generally where you see the best stuff

Caranica · 20-01-2021 11:11pm

I did the Lions tour in NZ June/July. Lots of rain, rare sun and then freezing in Queenstown. The following year most of the South Island was shut down due to flooding so I would agree that it's not the time of year to do that.

How about SE Asia? Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Laos or any combination of same.

JohnCleary · 20-01-2021 11:57pm

Thailand. 6 weeks is a perfect amount of time to see both the cultural North and beaches down South.

Leaving COVID aside, however, Jule - July can be wet in some places, so a bit of research required.

It'll also give your kids the travel bug (in a good way). While Thailand has certainly 'westernised' over the years, it's still a different culture.

We have been travelling SE Asia the past 10 years and met many families along the way. The kids were always blown away with SE Asia.

I would say to add in either Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam etc. but you won't get bored exploring Thailand in 6 weeks. If you don't want long travelling times with kids, internal flights are cheap as chips... think we flew from BKK to Chiang Mai for approx. €40 - 50.

cdeb · 21-01-2021 12:59am

A lot of it depends on what ye like really.

You mention the US and Oz/NZ, which would have great parts to them of course. I met people who did a similar thing across SE Asia - Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia, Vietnam - and they had a great time. Six weeks with two teenage kids; I met them doing schoolwork on the Mekong in Laos, and again in Kuala Lumpur when it was school holidays.

So to throw something random out - six weeks is plenty time to get to Beijing by train. Some pros -

> Sense of adventure from the moment you leave home and head for the ferry. (Or you could cheat and fly to Warsaw for the first part if you wanted)
> Lots of varied cultures - Moscow and/or St Petersburg, then maybe Kazan or Samara as a stop-off on the way to the open plains of the Kazakh countryside and Nur-Sultan's futuristic architecture, back up to Siberia and Lake Baikal, into Mongolia and finally to China (compared to "just" the US or Oz/NZ/Thailand - not to say they're not great places too, but they'd have less variety)
> Trains are great for meeting people (including for the 5-year-old)
> Overnight trains save costs by doubling up as accommodation
> Visas and train tickets - effectively the whole journey - can all be booked in advance

A train compartment might seem a little cramped - but no more so than a car or camper van really. Trains give you less flexibility to stop off an explore - but the flip side is it's easier on the driver! There's enough in the cities for interest, or in somewhere like Mongolia you could hire a car or join a tour.

That's very much the kind of thing that'd either be of interest or not at all be of interest. But it's a different option anyway; said I'd throw it out there.

21-01-2021 1:06am

Six weeks with a private driver in Vietnam. Do the entire north, including the Ha Giang loop. Then all down the country and fly out of Phu Quoc.

I've lived here for a decade and have done all that on motorbike, and the idea of doing it again with a family with a driver has me craving a trip. And a family.

smurfjed · 21-01-2021 7:12am

Hire a WINNEBAGO in the states and drive wherever you wish. Did that a few years ago with the wife in a 9.5 meter Winnebago big enough to sleep 6. It was wonderful if somewhat nerve racking for the first few days getting used to driving it.

saggycaggy · 21-01-2021 12:41pm

Thank you all so much, I'm loving these suggestions and totally open to them all.

I'd love to find out more about the train to Beijing, have you done this trip or know anyone that has? The amount of culture we'd experience would be amazing but i'd have to see how much time would actually be taken up on a train, the novelty might wear off after week one!!

Vietnam, yes definitely love that idea-would never think of a private driver etc but exploring Vietnam will be added to the list.
SE Asia in general, I've been to Thailand as a backpacker but did it terribly,as in stayed on the one Island and didn't venture too far while staying in the nice but cheap enough hotel. I would like to explore Thailand properly, along with Cambodia etc. It could be very wet then too right?

For wherever we go we want comfort but basic comfort so nothing too fancy/expensive.
I have a brother and his family in San Francisco so we've a good excuse to visit another time if not on this trip, yeah if the heat is unbearable that mightn't be pleasant.

Loads to go on,thank you all.

saggycaggy · 21-01-2021 12:46pm

smurfjed wrote: »

Hire a WINNEBAGO in the states and drive wherever you wish. Did that a few years ago with the wife in a 9.5 meter Winnebago big enough to sleep 6. It was wonderful if somewhat nerve racking for the first few days getting used to driving it.

Where did you go on this trip? Thanks!

cdeb · 21-01-2021 12:46pm

saggycaggy wrote: »

Thank you all so much, I'm loving these suggestions and totally open to them all.

I'd love to find out more about the train to Beijing, have you done this trip or know anyone that has? The amount of culture we'd experience would be amazing but i'd have to see how much time would actually be taken up on a train, the novelty might wear off after week one!!

I've gotten the train to Beijing alright (though I didn't have time to arrange visas for Kazakhstan) I can give you an idea of what I did if you want? You have to consider if it's suitable for sure - but if you take it that you spend 3 days in Moscow, then 2 days on a train to Samara, then 3 days there, it probably seems less daunting! You could probably just as easily get tired of a camper van or lots of driving in a car after week one too.

Boscoirl · 21-01-2021 12:51pm

Deleted User wrote: »

Six weeks with a private driver in Vietnam. Do the entire north, including the Ha Giang loop. Then all down the country and fly out of Phu Quoc.

I've lived here for a decade and have done all that on motorbike, and the idea of doing it again with a family with a driver has me craving a trip. And a family.

We did this for our Honeymoon(3 weeks, cheated a bit by taking some internal flights) and it was amazing, loved Vietnam

smurfjed · 21-01-2021 2:17pm

saggycaggy wrote: »

Where did you go on this trip? Thanks!

We rented this monster in October 2017 so rates were dirt cheap. Started in LA, first night under the stars in the Joshua Tree national park, moved from there towards Phoenix and down to an aircraft museum, back up towards Horseshoe Bend canyons, Sedona then onwards to the Grand Canyon, and a couple of days driving back towards LA for the last night. Had never driven something so big before and was surprised that they only required a normal Irish driving licence. Crazy thing to drive but I didn’t put one scratch on it. The fun of being able to stop wherever you wish, no packing, no rushing to checkout, just lower it down off the jacks, open the blinds and away you go.

beggars_bush · 21-01-2021 10:08pm

Fly into Vancouver, enjoy city
Do 2 weeks up into the Rockies with a van hire or camper van
Transit over into the USA and enjoy Seattle for a few days. My advice is ferry to Van island then ferry through San Juans with a night in eg Victoria and Friday Harbour. Hire van or camper in WA. See Mt Rainier, Olympic NP down the west coast to North Cali, Redwoods, Wine Country, San Fran,
OR return campervan and fly down from Seattle and hire in San Fran.
Lake Tahoe, Yosemite, sequoia NP, LA then back up the coast to San Fran. Drop off hire van and enjoy the city

Bring 3 tents with you or buy them and other items in Vancouver. You'll be able to camp out everywhere at that time of year
There are so many spectacular campsites you could stay in
Its worth it to be able to wake up with a view or to see the stars at night

Living Off The Splash · 25-01-2021 11:40am

With children still very young I think I would be including a few areas that might have a theme park to give them a break.

We did a family trip to Hong Kong, inland China, Macau a couple of years back. One of the family group and his children headed to Disney in Hong Kong and that was a great break for them.

We also did Vancouver, to Banff to Victoria to Seattle with a 16 year old who enjoyed it.

At the moment we are putting together a plan to do Toronto, Ottawa. Montreal and Quebec city but without children so a different kind of holiday.

However, you have discounted Europe. I understand that you can visit Europe very easily but I still think that it should be considered. Majorca, Soller train, Caves of Drach etc. with a lot less travelling for the younger ones.

Muahahaha · 26-01-2021 8:02pm

saggycaggy wrote: »

So planning (and saving) a good bit in advance but hope to travel on a 6 week holiday in July/August 2023 with our 3 kids, who'll then be 15,11 and 5.

We've nowhere particular we're itching to go to but really want it make a lot of memories with the family wherever we go.
I suppose what we really want is a bit of adventure, culture and good weather.

.

Lots of things to think about especially as the kids will be 5 up to 15. The 15 year old needs to be engaged and you need comfort for the 5 year old at the same time. Its a balancing act especially over six weeks. And spending long times in big cities will bore both of them. But so could spending long times on the road between destinations.

Also the July/August timing along with criteria of good weather means you are largely stuck to the northern hemisphere.

As others have said the a campervan road trip in the US or Canada would seem like the obvious option. With 6 weeks you could either do a LA to San Fran coastal trip and then head inland to take in Yosemite Park before doing a loop around the other parks across Nevada, Colorado and Utah. Alternatively you could start in LA to San Fran and keep heading north to Seattle, Oregan, Vancouver and then all the way up to Alaska. Problem with that though is its not a loop and its a long way back down.

If its adventure you want Id suggest spending the entire 6 weeks in China including Hong Kong and Macau. Though with a 5 yr old that could be tough travel, it depends on your appetite for it. But it would definitely tick the criteria of adventure, culture and good weather. Theres lot of fantastic national parks in China as well as good sights like the Great Wall, Terraccotta Army and the giant Buddha at Leschan. Distances are large though so you would have to consider taking the odd internal flight of which there are many.

Another option might be to do this. Fly into Florida and then either at the start of the 6 weeks or the end of it spend 7-10 days doing all the theme and waterparks with the kids. Then fly down to San Jose, Costa Rica and spend a few weeks there. Costa Rica is a small compact country (ie short distances) with both Pacific and Caribbean coasts and then rainforests, waterfalls, jungles and active volcanoes in the interior. It is well set up for families and has a developed eco tourism industry there. You could spend 2 or 3 days with the entire family volunteering at the rescued turtle sancturary or the sloth sancturary, kids would love getting up close with animals like that. Because you've a few weeks there Id also suggest using 5 or 6 days to do one of these two things
-Hire a skippered yacht and load it up with food.Kids would love the adventure of being on a sail boat, doing a little bit of island hopping, stopping off at empty beaches and going snorkelling. The 15 and 11 year old (and you parents) could also get involved in helping to sail the yacht under instruction from the skipper which is a lot of fun and adventure.
-Or take 5-6 days and bring the family to learn how to scuba dive. It would involve 2 days on shore for lessons in a swimming pool and then join a liveaboard for 4 days to scuba dive on coral reefs offshore. The downside is the 5yr old would be restricted to snorkeling but if you could live with that you'd open the eyes of the other two to a whole new underwater world and give them a hobby for life. Research timings but it is possible in Costa Rica to scuba dive with hammerhead sharks and whale sharks at certain times of the year, that would be a very memorable experience

Finally would say whereever you go try to give the family some kind of very unique experience, something that will live long in the memory for the kids. Id be thinking while it might cost the guts of a 1,000 euro to take the entire family on a hot air balloon ride it would be something you'd all remember fondly forever.

saggycaggy · 28-01-2021 11:08am

Brilliant thank you for those last few posts, loads to think about there.
Good thing we're not in any hurry to make a decision!

Yeah the age of the kids is a big issue to factor in, what we can do with the 15 year old compared to what the 5 year old can/will do!

Thanks all!

paw patrol · 28-01-2021 11:49am

Good thread OP.

We are also planning 6 weeks away for 2022 - wife and 3 kids (well one will be 20)

First choice is japan and second was the USA road trip.
This was pre covid.
So we haven't booked anything yet.
Restrictions and mask wearing will now sadly be a factor - the less the better for us.

still saving , just planning on hold a bit cos we aren't sure where we will go.

* edit just seen your last reply
we have a 15 year gap from eldest to youngest - it occasionally is a factor on our holidays.
we try in addition to family trips have individual activities on holidays - like I'll go out with the eldest on 1 day to do something they like and likewise with other 2. that said we are lucky they are close and we all love the sea.

saggycaggy · 29-01-2021 11:26am

That's cool Paw Patrol, very similar to ourselves so.

Yeah our kids are very close too, the 2 older girls are great with their younger brother and we live beside the coast here and all the kids love being in the water. Yeah I'm sure along the adventure there will be a couple of things the young guy won't be able to do but we'll make sure they all get a lot of enjoyment out of the trip.

It'll be interesting to see where you also book so! Thanks

holly8 · 29-01-2021 10:16pm

paw patrol wrote: »

Good thread OP.

We are also planning 6 weeks away for 2022 - wife and 3 kids (well one will be 20)

First choice is japan and second was the USA road trip.
This was pre covid.
So we haven't booked anything yet.
Restrictions and mask wearing will now sadly be a factor - the less the better for us.

still saving , just planning on hold a bit cos we aren't sure where we will go.

* edit just seen your last reply
we have a 15 year gap from eldest to youngest - it occasionally is a factor on our holidays.
we try in addition to family trips have individual activities on holidays - like I'll go out with the eldest on 1 day to do something they like and likewise with other 2. that said we are lucky they are close and we all love the sea.

I dont think you can ever go wrong going to the USA with teenagers. It can be awesome!

cdeb · 30-01-2021 1:03pm

Just to be a bit contrary - you could argue America is a bit familiar a family trip of a lifetime where culture and adventure are two key criteria.

But if part of travel is to broaden the mind - particularly formative minds such as kids - then there'd be something to be said for going somewhere completely different. It'd help give a broader appreciation and awareness of the world beyond America (which is already culturally dominant), to appreciate how good we have things here in Ireland or get a perspective on how much material items we really need (there's plenty people in the world living in tents without running water or the latest console games) or to really push the boat out in one particular area (such as food, say - lamb's brains and testicles anyone?). That's all stuff you can absorb on a trip without being too preachy about it too.

A US road trip has the potential for a great trip of course, and I don't want to say one trip is better than another (that's for the family to decide; the family interests and, in particular, the kids' ages will decide a lot, as others have noted) But just wanted to throw out that opposing view.

Daisies · 30-01-2021 3:27pm

Gonna throw another idea into the mix and say South Africa and Namibia. Hire a 4x4 and mix it up between staying in hotels and camping. Drive from Joburg along the Garden Route to Cape Town and then up into Namibia.
The campsites in Etosha National Park are amazing with pools etc.

Balmed Out · 30-01-2021 4:30pm

I would agree with the last suggestion except shift it to Tanzania and visit the Serengeti, Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar. Bit of something for everyone.

paw patrol · 01-02-2021 12:12am

cdeb wrote: »

Just to be a bit contrary - you could argue America is a bit familiar a family trip of a lifetime where culture and adventure are two key criteria.

But if part of travel is to broaden the mind - particularly formative minds such as kids - then there'd be something to be said for going somewhere completely different. It'd help give a broader appreciation and awareness of the world beyond America (which is already culturally dominant), to appreciate how good we have things here in Ireland or get a perspective on how much material items we really need (there's plenty people in the world living in tents without running water or the latest console games) or to really push the boat out in one particular area (such as food, say - lamb's brains and testicles anyone?). That's all stuff you can absorb on a trip without being too preachy about it too.

A US road trip has the potential for a great trip of course, and I don't want to say one trip is better than another (that's for the family to decide; the family interests and, in particular, the kids' ages will decide a lot, as others have noted) But just wanted to throw out that opposing view.

that's actually why we picked japan.
Somewhere culturally very different, I wanted to try parts of africa but my wife wasn't keen.

That said if we pick America being massive we will do many of the less normal places - less normal as applied to Ireland. National parks would be a big factor

Muahahaha · 01-02-2021 2:56pm

cdeb wrote: »

Just to be a bit contrary - you could argue America is a bit familiar a family trip of a lifetime where culture and adventure are two key criteria.

But if part of travel is to broaden the mind - particularly formative minds such as kids - then there'd be something to be said for going somewhere completely different. It'd help give a broader appreciation and awareness of the world beyond America (which is already culturally dominant), to appreciate how good we have things here in Ireland or get a perspective on how much material items we really need (there's plenty people in the world living in tents without running water or the latest console games) or to really push the boat out in one particular area (such as food, say - lamb's brains and testicles anyone?). That's all stuff you can absorb on a trip without being too preachy about it too.

A US road trip has the potential for a great trip of course, and I don't want to say one trip is better than another (that's for the family to decide; the family interests and, in particular, the kids' ages will decide a lot, as others have noted) But just wanted to throw out that opposing view.

Yeah Id agree fully with this too which is why I suggested spending the entire time in China/Hong Kong. USA is great and everything but doesnt quite tick the cultural and adventure box in a way that somewhere in the Far East would.

It all depends on the OPs tolerance for a bit of more difficult travel as bringing a 5 year old around China could be tough at times. But also highly rewarding. If they wanted something a bit easier then Japan as suggested by paw patrol would fit the bill, albeit a fair bit more expensive than China.

I think the earlier suggestion of splitting up the holiday to include a theme park somewhere is a good one too. 6 weeks is a fair wedge of time to be travelling with 3 kids so its a good idea to base yourself somewhere for a week of it or so.

cdeb · 01-02-2021 8:45pm

Yep. Though I think if you were going to go all the way to China (and it was in my suggestion as well), throwing in 4/5 days in Mongolia could really enhance things. It's a very different culture, and off-roading in the most spectacular open scenery imaginable (there's almost no roads in Mongolia) and watching wildlife by day (watching wild horses, riding tame horses, falconry, etc) while sleeping in gers under the stars at night could provide balance to some city stops as well.

It's connected to Beijing via a spectacular train journey through the Gobi desert, with the unusual feature of a change of wheels at the Mongolia/China border. Then on through rural China, through village scenes which look hundreds of years old, until you get to Beijing, where there's plenty to do of course.

The downside to Mongolia is that you'd probably have to go on an organised tour (what with the genuinely complete lack of roads and signposts and stuff), which would add to the cost.

(The OP is going to have to be careful we don't end up booking the trip for them! Nothing worse than travel enthusiasts in a lockdown

)

saggycaggy · 01-02-2021 11:15pm

cdeb wrote: »

Just to be a bit contrary - you could argue America is a bit familiar a family trip of a lifetime where culture and adventure are two key criteria.

But if part of travel is to broaden the mind - particularly formative minds such as kids - then there'd be something to be said for going somewhere completely different. It'd help give a broader appreciation and awareness of the world beyond America (which is already culturally dominant), to appreciate how good we have things here in Ireland or get a perspective on how much material items we really need (there's plenty people in the world living in tents without running water or the latest console games) or to really push the boat out in one particular area (such as food, say - lamb's brains and testicles anyone?). That's all stuff you can absorb on a trip without being too preachy about it too.

A US road trip has the potential for a great trip of course, and I don't want to say one trip is better than another (that's for the family to decide; the family interests and, in particular, the kids' ages will decide a lot, as others have noted) But just wanted to throw out that opposing view.

Hey cdeb, thanks so much for the reply and I totally get what your saying and have to agree too. I think while the US have some spectacular sights and would create amazing memories it's also the "safe" easy option as we wouldn't have a language issue and I guess it's more familiar-both myself and my husband have travelled to a few states in the US.

Yeah so really to make this a trip to remember I think it's worth going somewhere completely eye opening and culturally different to anything we've seen before.

Cdeb if you want to plan out and book the trip for us that would be brilliant:D

I must look into Mongolia some more. China and Japan too.
The issue of the 5year old and all the travel we still have to think about.

It's a good thing it's not for 2.5yrs anyway:p

lonestargirl · 01-02-2021 11:19pm

I travelled to China with a 7 year old snd he had a great time. A trip to Chengdu to see Pandas is a good addition too and it’s pretty cheap, we had a high end hotel apartment for €100 a night.

We finished our holiday in Hong Kong and there is soooo much to do but it’s good to get in the kid friendly options of Disney too.

saggycaggy · 01-02-2021 11:28pm

Muahahaha wrote: »

Another option might be to do this. Fly into Florida and then either at the start of the 6 weeks or the end of it spend 7-10 days doing all the theme and waterparks with the kids. Then fly down to San Jose, Costa Rica and spend a few weeks there. Costa Rica is a small compact country (ie short distances) with both Pacific and Caribbean coasts and then rainforests, waterfalls, jungles and active volcanoes in the interior. It is well set up for families and has a developed eco tourism industry there. You could spend 2 or 3 days with the entire family volunteering at the rescued turtle sancturary or the sloth sancturary, kids would love getting up close with animals like that. Because you've a few weeks there Id also suggest using 5 or 6 days to do one of these two things
-Hire a skippered yacht and load it up with food.Kids would love the adventure of being on a sail boat, doing a little bit of island hopping, stopping off at empty beaches and going snorkelling. The 15 and 11 year old (and you parents) could also get involved in helping to sail the yacht under instruction from the skipper which is a lot of fun and adventure.
-Or take 5-6 days and bring the family to learn how to scuba dive. It would involve 2 days on shore for lessons in a swimming pool and then join a liveaboard for 4 days to scuba dive on coral reefs offshore. The downside is the 5yr old would be restricted to snorkeling but if you could live with that you'd open the eyes of the other two to a whole new underwater world and give them a hobby for life. Research timings but it is possible in Costa Rica to scuba dive with hammerhead sharks and whale sharks at certain times of the year, that would be a very memorable experience

Really liking this idea too actually, love the idea of spending a few days on an animal sanctuary and i think we'd need to break down the holiday to be able to spend 4-5 days in one place here and there.

Just thinking now like with all the culture we want to soak up and experiences i'd imagine our kids would be happy with 6 weeks on a beach in Portugal:rolleyes: which is grand but we want more than that and hoping they'll appreciate discovering new cultures and experiences

saggycaggy · 01-02-2021 11:30pm

lonestargirl wrote: »

I travelled to China with a 7 year old snd he had a great time. A trip to Chengdu to see Pandas is a good addition too and it’s pretty cheap, we had a high end hotel apartment for €100 a night.

We finished our holiday in Hong Kong and there is soooo much to do but it’s good to get in the kid friendly options of Disney too.

Cool that's great to hear! the 7 year old loved it so? How long was your trip? Thanks!

cdeb · 02-02-2021 11:20am

saggycaggy wrote: »

Cdeb if you want to plan out and book the trip for us that would be brilliant:D

Don't tempt me!

The planning of a trip like this is good fun in itself. I can certainly give you an rough plan of my suggestion (overland to Beijing) if you want - it's something I've done myself (albeit solo).

For what it's worth, I think you're going about it the right way though - lots of time to plan and pick the option that suits, and to google things that might be of interest and to start pulling together a plan. The 5-year-old is probably the biggest restraint - both for the reasons others have mentioned, and also because they're 3 now and their interests will develop between now and the trip. You could even find that you might decide on a trip now, but this time next year change your mind entirely.

saggycaggy · 02-02-2021 3:49pm

cdeb wrote: »

Don't tempt me! The planning of a trip like this is good fun in itself. I can certainly give you an rough plan of my suggestion (overland to Beijing) if you want - it's something I've done myself (albeit solo).

For what it's worth, I think you're going about it the right way though - lots of time to plan and pick the option that suits, and to google things that might be of interest and to start pulling together a plan. The 5-year-old is probably the biggest restraint - both for the reasons others have mentioned, and also because they're 3 now and their interests will develop between now and the trip. You could even find that you might decide on a trip now, but this time next year change your mind entirely.

Unless the 5 years old has a massive obsession with space and only wants to go there then he'll just have to go wherever we plan on going and we'll make sure to make it as kid friendly and fun as possible:P
The kids aren't going to enjoy going to a temple/museum every day but would enjoy experiencing different activities (animal sanctuary etc), off road treks, beach days, meeting other people, and just lots of fun.
It's not going to be the same type of trip if it was just myself and my husband- although he'd probably wouldn't want a museum/temple every second day either:pac:
I'd love to hear a rough plan but honestly no stress either, it be great to hear from someone who has done it. I'd worry it'd be like us booking Ireland and only going to Dublin and Galway cities and not experiencing the hidden gems around the country. i.e Donegal

Thanks!

cdeb · 02-02-2021 9:57pm

saggycaggy wrote: »

I'd love to hear a rough plan but honestly no stress either, it be great to hear from someone who has done it.

Yerrah, sure I'll give it a go. It's obviously a lot easier as I have done it - though of course routes that operated in 2012, when I travelled, mayn't exist now. And again, fully appreciate it's the kind of trip that is either of interest or not at all of interest!

Cost - who knows what it'll be like post-covid I guess. I think I spent about €5k getting to Beijing (slightly different route). So it'd be tight, but probably doable. I don't know if all these connections are feasible (mightn't be a train every day for example) - Seat61.com is a good reference site. I've tried to give a bit of time in each place; the days listed are just the full days, but if you arrive at, say, midday, then you've an extra afternoon to explore too.

Stuff like accommodation, general safety advice, evening entertainment (again the 5-year-old makes it a bit awkward), laundry, time apart from each other, packing/unpacking, cooking dinner or eating out (the latter = culture but also cost), etc, is going to be part of the trip whatever you do, so I've ignored that. I'm sure most of the cities will have, say, zoos or cinemas with films in English and subtitled into local language. Weather in all this should be high 20s.

Day 1 is Sail/Rail to London. Always the cheap option.
Day 2 London to Köln, and an evening train to Moscow, arriving the morning of day 4. Poland will start to feel a fair bit different (east v west). The train changes wheels at the Belarus border in mid-afternoon, which you won't have seen before. (You could fly direct to Warsaw and start there too. It'd be cheaper, even if it's cheating a bit!) Practice the Russian alphabet on the train, or try have a list of things to keep an eye out for. (Doesn't matter if you miss them - it's just a conversation starter)
Day 5, 6, 7 - Moscow
St Basil's, Red Square, the Kremlin, the Lenin Mausoleum, the Bolshoi Theatre (even for a look, if not a performance), and the former world's biggest McDonald's (the one there was huge queues outside when it opened post-Communism) are all very close to each other. Gorky Park in the city centre has an artificial beach, cafés, ducks, and all the other stuff you'd expect. Park Pobedy is another place to walk around but with huge Communist architecture. There's a Communist-era toy museum (I think you can play some of the games) and a cat theatre (not sure how animal welfare people would view it though). Pop into Cathedral of Christ the Saviour (or any large church) - it's amazing in itself, but it's interesting to people-watch inside too; the Russians are quite devout and it's nothing like popping into a church in Ireland. Or just hop on and off at random stops on the metro - the stations are amazing, and the tiny underground kiosks are very different too.
Day 8 - Moscow to St Petersburg (4 hours)
Day 9, 10, 11 - St Petersburg
A great city. The Hermitage is the best museum in the world, or take a boat trip down the canals, or just wander the streets (every other building is (literally) a palace. The Fabergé Museum is worth a visit if you like million-pound pieces of jewellry; there's old spaceships and rockets from the original space race in the Peter and Paul area if that's of interest. A Caucasus restaurant maybe - the menu would be a mix of beef and spuds, and lamb testicles/heart and spuds, so you won't go hungry, but you can be adventurous if you want. Keep an eye out for hookahs though. Loads of parks, needless to say, some with spectacular palaces attached.
Day 12, 13 - St Petersburg to Perm/Samara/Kazan
About 24 hours - actually surprisingly relaxing cos you've nothing to worry about at all. The trains are slow (but always on time) and it just slows the whole pace of life down. I found the Russians quite friendly and willing to practice their English. Having some food to share is another ice-breaker. And obviously keep an eye out the window at the rural scenes. A third-class ticket is cheapest and helps meet more people (also second class is a 4-person compartment, which might be a squeeze). Russian trains are quite safe; there's a stewardess assigned to each carriage and they'll keep a firm eye on any drunks, etc.
Day 14, 15 - Perm/Samara/Kazan
I went to Yekaterinburg, which doesn't have much about it. I don't really know anything about these three other than that they could be a stop en route to Kazakhstan. Perm was a closed city (closed to outsiders and kept off maps) until 1990, Kazan is a Muslim city, and Samara was a World Cup host city, so each would offer something different I think.
Day 16, 17 - P/S/K to Nur-Sultan
About 40 hours. See above note on what to do on board. Make sure to avoid a train leaving or arriving at, say, 2am!
Day 18, 19, 20 - Nur-sultan
Didn't get the chance to visit, but there's some mad buildings in the city centre, including a huge tent/leisure centre with minigolf, an indoor upstairs beach, a boating river (apparently), lots of shopping, and plenty of other entertainment. All the Stan capitals are basically dictators throwing money about to keep the plebs happy - they're..different!
Day 21, 22, 23 - Nur-Sultan to Irkutsk to Lake Baikal
About 2½ days. Kazakhstan is surprisingly empty but I think supposed to be very scenic. A new train means new people to meet of course.
Day 24, 25 - Lake Baikal
One of the largest lakes in the world. Try seal spotting on a boat trip - the water is so clear you can see quite a ways down in it - or go to Olkhon Island in the middle of the lake for a local homestay and some hiking.
Day 26, 27, 28 - Lake Baikal to Irkutsk to Ulaan Baator
A curious thing about Russian train stations is the clocks always show Moscow time even if you're five hours ahead. So the small local stops as the route gets more scenic towards the border will tell you it's midday even when it's actually 5pm. It'll also tell how far Moscow is in kms, so you can see how far you've come.
Day 29, 30, 31, 32 - Mongolia
Have already some ideas on this in a previous post. Or visit nomads in their tents (or the local shaman) in the 13th Century Park - it suits them as it's extra income and they get to keep their old lifestyle. Also, the Ghenghis Khan statue is worth a visit.
Day 33, 34 - Ulaan Baator to Beijing (24 hours or so)
Again, some notes earlier.
Day 35 - first full day in Beijing with a week to go!

dory · 02-02-2021 11:09pm

Lots of great suggestions so far. I'm jealous of you even being able to plan this far ahead. Whenever I try something like this my other half says something like "I don't know what I'm doing tomorrow never mind next year!".

South America hasn't been mentioned so I feel I should throw that out there. Maybe Central America for the shorter travel times. It would be great to tell the kids now that they'll be going somewhere that speaks a language they could learn some of in the next two years. Would really give them a reason to learn and they'd get to use it. I think I'd have paid more attention in school to French /Spanish class if I'd seen how great it is to be able to speak to people who you're travelling.

The trip to Moscow sounds great. That would be a proper adventure. As would the USA/Canadian roadtrips.

I know you discounted Europe but the coast down by Croatia / Montenegro / Albania / Greece is absolutely worth 6 weeks. Went there two years ago and we loved finding small towns in places and staying there a few days. I had the same plan as you to see Europe when I'm older, and on shorter trips. But I'm glad now I spent a month rambling around there.

If you want culture overload, a week in India before heading to SE Asia would be amazing. I've seen lots of families on holidays there. You could easily pre book a driver and some nice hotels.

Enjoy the planning.

Muahahaha · 02-02-2021 11:39pm

saggycaggy wrote: »

Really liking this idea too actually, love the idea of spending a few days on an animal sanctuary and i think we'd need to break down the holiday to be able to spend 4-5 days in one place here and there.

Just thinking now like with all the culture we want to soak up and experiences i'd imagine our kids would be happy with 6 weeks on a beach in Portugal:rolleyes: which is grand but we want more than that and hoping they'll appreciate discovering new cultures and experiences

Theres a sloth sanctuary in Costa Rica that has accommodation you can stay at. You can see sloths in the wild in most of the rainforests there anyway, Costa Rica is very much known for its wildlife which is abundant. Another great thing to do there is watch baby turtles hatching and running towards the sea. We were there is September and saw thousands of them over a couple of nights. You would need to look up timings as they only hatch at certain times of the year.

Costa Rica is a pretty compact country so distances between attractions are not long which makes things easier for your 5 year old. While I would say China is a great option myself I suppose you have to think how your youngest is going to be with long train journeys. Chinese trains are modern and comfortable but distances are vast so its not unusual to be taking a train journey that is 12+ hours.

saggycaggy · 03-02-2021 12:13pm

Cdeb, brilliant thank you for taking the time to share your itinerary.
What a trip!
I'll look into more for sure but just looking through the days etc I really think we'll need beach days in there and while the the trip is full of culture and exploration I wonder how much the kids would appreciate that? Something we'll think about.

Dory, yeah my husband brought up about actually doing Europe and I know there's so much to see but I just think when we have the time we should go further with the kids for our one big holiday. If we did do it hopefully the 6 weeks wouldnt be taken up with 2 weeks quarantining either side of it:pac:

Yes South America on the list too, I like the idea of the languages, our eldest currently in first year is going French but Spanish would be handy for us all to learn!

Muahahaha, also love the idea of the sloth sanctuary in Costa Rica, the kids would love that. Maybe Central America and Costa Rica?

cdeb · 03-02-2021 12:28pm

saggycaggy wrote: »

I'll look into more for sure but just looking through the days etc I really think we'll need beach days in there and while the the trip is full of culture and exploration I wonder how much the kids would appreciate that? Something we'll think about.

Absolutely. There are beaches in there btw (Gorky Park, St Petersburg, the Kazakh shopping arcade, Lake Baikal). But at this stage it's really about googling lots places to see what stands out and what ye feel ye want in a trip.

saggycaggy · 03-02-2021 12:36pm

cdeb wrote: »

Absolutely. There are beaches in there btw (Gorky Park, St Petersburg, the Kazakh shopping arcade, Lake Baikal). But at this stage it's really about googling lots places to see what stands out and what ye feel ye want in a trip.

Ok sorry, need to check the map more closely

Thanks again!

cdeb · 03-02-2021 12:47pm

Don't be apologising - the city centre isn't the kind of place you'd expect to find a beach in fairness!

happyoutscan · 03-02-2021 6:11pm

This could be one of those threads that just grows and grows, hopefully!

We are planning on doing something with our two in the next couple years as well, something along the lines of:

- Flying out to Singapore and staying on Sentosa Island for 2/3 days to let the kids relax. There's a Universal Studios here but ours are still quite young (9 and 6) so may not be an option.

- Taking the bus up to Mersing in Malaysia before taking the ferry out to Tioman Island. Myself and herself did this years ago (flew in but no longer an option) and it is beautiful, stunning actually. Unbelievable snorkelling/scuba diving and monkeys roaming the place (Macaques). Tropical is not the word.

- From here, back to Singapore to then fly up to Luang Prabang in Laos. Quite simply stunning. Waking up, having breakfast next to the Mekong before heading for the waterfalls or out the surrounding countryside.

- Finish up by hitting for an island in Thailand and treating ourselves (the kids moreso) to a few days in a nice resort with a pool and near the beach.

Still vague on what we will be able to do as we don't know how much time we can 'miss' from school/work etc. If we had 3 weeks we would throw in a stop in Cambodia as well perhaps.

So many options.

As others have said, I wouldn't bother with the U.S./Canadian trips just yet!

Once again, great thread!

JustAThought · 03-02-2021 6:29pm

Singapore Airlines used do fantastic discounts with really good hotels and resorts if you flew with them and even did a stop off at Singapore. I think Singapore is a great cultural hub and tourist destination - particularly for families. Its exciting, exotic, accessible, safe, has fantastic infrastructure and fusion of cultures and is set up for tourists. Everything is olanned to be accessible, family friendly and tourist focused - the best scenic viewing spots, preprepared picture perfect photo sites, tourist sutes that are ipen at night and things that might captire kids imaginations like the night trip to the zoo, sky walkway through rainforest, orchid gardens and stunning parks, free night fountains by Sentosa, temples, markets, Chinese Junk trips through the port, rickshaw tours etc - all in an extremely safe and oruce friendly city that feels safe, has great infrastructure and amazing food at easy prices.

From a fortnight there based at one of the Sentosa complexes you could all acclamitise, experiencing and eyeball a huge amount and not break the bank. From there you could jump to Malysia, Thailand, Kuala Lumpar or further afield.

I would not be recommending in particular Vietnam or Cambodia with a small child - you can get better and far safer and cleaner experiences in Thailand where they are far mire friendly, family focused and safe - unless thirld world bathrooms and stomach issues for a 5 yo are your idea of fun.

I’d also be saying that Having 5 or 6 weeks is amazing but I would imagine dragging a 5yo around endless temples and markets in 30+ heat after 2 or 3 weeks will become an utter chore ( assuming teens are interested) and that one beautiful beach could become much like the next after a few days - even if you have spent 5 or 8k to get there.

I’ve been following a youtube site called FYD ( follow your daydream) and it follows a family in the US travelling with their kids to different state parks and RV sites - might be well worth a google!

They also talk about the ( big!) costs in overnighting and the (bigger!) ‘petrol’ costs - but the national parks look spectacular - assuming your 5yo can hike or be carried! They also talk about highway 1 (California) and travelling to RV parks and national parks there - thou I think this is now shut since a big landslide hole appeared a day or so ago! Well worth a daydream! I think the tipping prices and food prices for a famaily of 5 in the US could be crushing!

I travelled around Europe and think to write it off as too accessible is a bit of a miss - it offers beaches, mountains, deserts, landscapes and food and language cultures as diverse/ greater as anythhing you would find at the end of a 5k family flight . And with this saving you could combine a gastro tour of some spectacular sights and cities (& restaurants and beaches) in France, Italy, Croatia Spain, Switzerland, Germany ... different landscapes, different looking people, Arab influences and architecture, cery different types if food between countries - and languages and attutudes! Think incredible greman or French castles, historic chataux, B&B/ gite & bike tours, rent a houseboat and punt down the Midi for 10 days, take a cruise for a week down the Rhine, do a chartered sail ( with crew) through spectacular Croatia, stay on the islands of Greece or Italian Capri, go hiking or skiing in the summer in the Alps and experience summer glaciers in Austria etc Europe saves a quarter of your budget easily - and offers a tapestry of exciting, stunning, exotic and endless choices - requires few malaria tablets or other SEA required innoculatiins ( add another 1k per family) and you are covered for medical emergencies in a first world hospital system if anything changes or happens (eg accident/ covid etc). And it is not American culture or attitudes ir ‘just’ beaches and beautiful people servinv you in shops/restaurants.

As regards China or Mongolia - for the days faken up crushed into cubicles or travelling I can imagine for someone in their 20’s it would be an interesting & tiring adventure but for teens and a 5 yo - not worth the crush and travel and parental hassle.

Train travel - yes! Ever thought of overnighting by sleeper train to Copenhagen and the Northern Lights and a husky trip in the North of Europe from A bike trip around Holland ? Totally different. And still time to fly back to Paris for some shopping!

Muahahaha · 03-02-2021 7:54pm

saggycaggy wrote: »

Yes South America on the list too, I like the idea of the languages, our eldest currently in first year is going French but Spanish would be handy for us all to learn!

Muahahaha, also love the idea of the sloth sanctuary in Costa Rica, the kids would love that. Maybe Central America and Costa Rica?

I was originally going to recommend South America as it definitely ticks the boxes for culture and adventure but as its July/August you are going it doesnt suit your criteria of good weather, at least not Argentina and Chile who will be in winter during those months. Brazil, Bolivia & Peru will be warm but its also the wet season so there will be lots of bursts of thundery rain storms followed by sunshine. Its tolerable but not ideal weather at the same time.

re: Central America, I couldnt recommend any other country bar Costa Rica in that region. The likes of Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala have some great sights to see but Its just too dangerous for family travel. The capital of Honduras is one of the most dangerous cities in the world, when I was there I heard gunshots just a few blocks away from the hostel, its a wild place and not for kids. Whereas Costa Rica is safe and has a well established eco-tourism industry with families in mind. Its the only country in Central America where guns are illegal which says a lot.

If you did want to tack on another destination Id consider Cuba. It would definitely tick the culture box. With your 6 weeks you could spend a week or so in Florida to bring the kids to the theme parks then fly to Costa Rica for 2.5 weeks then Cuba for 2.5 before going back to Florida via Costa Rica. Cuba is good for family travel and the locals there love kids. You wouldnt be able to see everything in 2.5 weeks but would get to see all the highlights.

ratracer · 03-02-2021 8:18pm

I'm glad I found this thread! I'm gonna keep following as there are already some brilliant suggestions popping up. We also hope to take a long trip in 2023, as my two will be finished second and fourth year that summer, so a good time to take a long trip.

CelticRambler · 03-02-2021 9:36pm

2cts from someone who's wandered far-ish and wide-ish with parents, with children and all on my owney-oh: add me to the list of "USA? - meh ..." people. Sure, it has some spectacular sights, but it also has a huuuuuuuge amount of dead space in between. Most children don't appreciate that, unless the mode of travel adds something extra, very much extra. And if you're going to the States, don't waste several days of a six-week holiday in a theme park when you could easily do the same thing with a week's package holiday at any other time. On the other hand, if you did end up going there, I'd highly recommend doing at least one trans-continental train journey - the observation cars on Amtrak trains allow for really great views of the landscape (mindnumbingly boring aswell as spectacular) and there are few enough routes in Europe that give you the chance to spend two whole days (and nights) on a single train.

A self-drive safari through one or other part of Africa would be another great adventure, but bear in mind that all the "best" bits are south of the equator, so it'll be winter and many animal migrations (e.g. in the Serengeti, as suggested above) will not be happening in the way the guide books say. Self-drive is (in my opinion) the only way to do it. If you're bundled up in a group, you'll get the top-ten-highlights (or not, if the animals don't want to come out to play); when you're on your own, apart from having the campsite to yourself as soon as the tour groups clear off after breakfast, you're free to spend as much time as you want watching monkeys being monkeys or warthogs being warthogs (or cutting things a bit too fine with your evening arrival and finding yourself setting up camp in the dark with an awful lot of red eyes watching you from an uncomfortably close distance ... :pac: ) Once again, though, every African country (that you're likely to visit) is b-i-g and you do a lot of travelling for much the same scenery/activity.

Australia is yet another one of those: lots and lots and lots of driving, a quick burst of interest, then back in the car/van and off again. If you're considering a driving holiday, especially in a big vehicle, don't forget that it has to be driven! How many drivers will be taking their turn at the wheel?

Cdeb's itinerary is almost exactly the same as I've planned for my next big adventure (on my own, if I have to, but preferably with a +1) ... I'll keep going after Beijing to make it a full round-the-world trip. In the US a few years ago, I met an English girl who was coming to the end of a similar circumnavigation. I think your older children would really appreciate the symbolism of going the whole way around the world. Six weeks would be a bit tight, but doable if you accepted some trade offs along the way (e.g. skip over Europe to start in Moscow, as that's all "back yard" stuff anyway, and do a one of those trans-continental Amtrak routes to finish off.

But when all is said and done you don't have to go to these faraway places to get an enormous range of experiences. Doing a road trip through Europe is nothing at all like doing a series of city breaks; but also nothing like doing the long, long journeys in America or Africa. With your children's age range, I'd prefer to take them across Europe, because it is so much easier to pack in different activities that are more suited to either the 5-year-old or the 15-year-old. You could (for example) leave one adult with the youngster while the other goes off on a six-hour hike up a 3500m mountain; and the next day drive to a city full of shops and museums and carousels. There's so much variety packed into continental Europe that you're not committed to a single type of holiday from the start. This post is coming to you tonight from a motorhome (not much smaller than the pictured in smurfjed's post) that's been to some of the most amazing places I've seen in my time wandering the planet - all in the spaces between those convenient weekend destinations.

saggycaggy · 03-02-2021 10:16pm

Great to read that so many others will get good use out of this thread.
We're loving the suggestions/pros and cons/hidden gems etc. and just your own experience of where would or wouldn't be suitable/safe for families with young kids.

I really think we need to leave the 5 year old at home though to make it easier on ourselves :pac:

I think we'll do up a spreadsheet based on everyone's responses and our own research and try and whittle it down.

Yeah Ratracer, our eldest will have (hopefully) done her Junior Cert that June so we feel it might be our last free summer before we send her out to work and fend for herself:p

JustAThought, yeah more great valid points re Europe!

HappyOutScan, great itinerary, how old will your kids when you hope to go on that trip?

Thanks everyone.

happyoutscan · 03-02-2021 11:08pm

saggycaggy wrote: »

HappyOutScan, great itinerary, how old will your kids when you hope to go on that trip?

They are 7 and 4 now, so the ages I put in my post would be the ages when we hopefully can head off.

Return flights from Dublin to Singapore for 4 are usually 2000 or under. Flights over there (AirAsia, Lao Airlines) very cheap as well. This could well change though with covid!

I'm a bit more intensive when it comes to planning/itineraries but herself is pretty good at talking me down and reminding me of how young the kids are! So it might just be over to Singapore, Tioman Island and Thailand and home. That would not be too intensive at all.

So many options.

+1 for Cuba as well. We were there years ago and it was fantastic, although we didn't see as much of it as we would have wished. We booked 2 weeks in the touristy Varadero with the intention of driving from there to Havana for a couple nights but it didn't work out (I was recovering from an injury so was limited mobility wise). On arrival Castro announced he was stepping aside so within 24 hours there wasn't a bed left in Havana. We did hire a car though and see some of the island (an experience and I've driven in most countries we've visited!). Lovely people.

***If going to Thailand for 10-14 days, would we be better off dividing the time between Bangkok/Phuket or just staying in one? Any thoughts or suggestions appreciated!

Nigel Fairservice · 08-02-2021 8:58pm

beggars_bush wrote: »

Fly into Vancouver, enjoy city
Do 2 weeks up into the Rockies with a van hire or camper van
Transit over into the USA and enjoy Seattle for a few days. My advice is ferry to Van island then ferry through San Juans with a night in eg Victoria and Friday Harbour. Hire van or camper in WA. See Mt Rainier, Olympic NP down the west coast to North Cali, Redwoods, Wine Country, San Fran,
OR return campervan and fly down from Seattle and hire in San Fran.
Lake Tahoe, Yosemite, sequoia NP, LA then back up the coast to San Fran. Drop off hire van and enjoy the city

Bring 3 tents with you or buy them and other items in Vancouver. You'll be able to camp out everywhere at that time of year
There are so many spectacular campsites you could stay in
Its worth it to be able to wake up with a view or to see the stars at night

I would continue down into Montana if you make it over to Alberta, stunning place. All the various Rocky mountain parks are stunning.

fits · 10-02-2021 11:59am

We have been thinking along these lines also. Current plan is to rent an RV and tour western Canada and the Rockies. We would do a dry run the year before in Eastern Europe to see if it suits us all before committing. One of my boys has special needs and hasn’t been on a plane so it’s hard to know how he will take to travelling but the constant of a motor home is most likely to suit.

I’ve been to Malaysia before children and there were lots of European families there. The perhentian islands were gorgeous but I was a little concerned about the environmental impact of tourism there. I think a lot of rubbish is dumped at sea. Malaysia is very safe though and the food is delicious. Singapore and Thailand well worth consideration also.

Great thread by the way.

happyoutscan · 22-02-2021 5:49pm

Malaysia is beautiful and the people are absolutely fantastic.

Been to KL on a couple occasions, Tioman and Penang.

Still trying to come up with a plan for Easter 2021.

Kerry25x · 24-02-2021 1:09pm

South Africa for sure! We rented a car and roadtripped from Cape Town to Johannesburg a few years back. So much to do and see there! Incredible scenery and beaches, amazing food and its unreal value too. Penguins on the beach, cage diving with great whites and crocodiles, self drive safaris and driving alongside lions and giraffes. We passed herds of zebras grazing peacefully while out hiking and we saw hippos wander in to town at night. Plenty of adventure sports like bungee jumping, paragliding, hot air balloning, rhino trekking etc. The route we took avoided all malaria areas too so we never had to take tablets. Definitely a trip I want to do back and do again when I have children!

6 Week family "Trip of a Lifetime" suggestions

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