We mentioned travel to anyone and there’s a general excitement in the room… and then we add the word ‘kids’ and a bit a panic is installed.
So many times when we shared with friends and family that we were going overseas, or taking the kids camping or trekking for a couple of days and they thought we were just nuts! Yes, travel with children can be daunting but it is so worth it!
And sometimes I do think: “but why have we decided to do this? It would be so much easier to just stick around or go to a resort-type thing where everything is included!” But quickly, my mind gets back in shape and I remember all those times watching them grow as they respond to new adventures and challenges of travelling, and we grow ourselves as our own travel experiences are enriched by their reactions.

So yes since we had Noah almost 5 years ago (and now Finn 8months old) we always travel with our kids but we do it smartly – anything that helps us to organise and create a memorable experience to our family we take it!
So I’m pleased to be taking a look at the Lonely Planet’s new Family Travel Handbook; which is designed to help you to inspire, plan and to help minimise the number of unexpected challenges you’ll get next time you decide to take the family on holiday.
The Family Travel Handbook
This handy handbook has everything you need to know to take your children on unforgettable trips around the world.
The Lonely Planet family shares their years of experience on how they have planned and organised their holidays with the family. Full of inspiration and advice to keep away the stress of organising your holiday.
The book has both practical help, such as package checklists, things to think about depending on the age of your kids, health advice for travelling, and survival tips for travelling with a toddler (one of our favourite!)

The Travel List Inspiration
Filled with fabulous stories of real-life travel to exciting you too; helping to see how some of the ideas actually work practically with a family.
Also has plenty of different ways in how you can engage your children deeply in the travel experience.
The Planning Side of Things
The Family Travel Book comes in most handy here, think about what you want from the holiday, where you feel comfortable travelling. The book is a great starting point for then look into more details once you have a destination in mind.

Travelling at any age
With a baby, a toddler, teenager or preschool? This book got it covered. Survival tips, tricks on how to keep them engage, essential info to keep them healthy and fit!
Get your Children involved
Involve your children in the discussions about where you are thinking of going. Don’t forget they have an opinion on the holidays too. Share with them your thoughts, show them the maps and point out different locations you might visit. Ask them what would they like to explore!

Lonely Planet kindly sent The Family Travel Handbook to the Armchair Traveller mailbox.