Anne-Charlotte PasseraTravelling as a single mom with two kids is challenging. You’ll have to be resourceful. It will be a balancing act trying to attend to the diverse needs. Yet, with the right amount of stimulation and downtime, it is totally doable.
While there will unexpected challenges along the way, you can have the time of your life even if you are the only adult tending to your kids. Also, if like me, you barely get child support, you’ll have to find a way to be able to afford such vacation.
The cost of travelling can take a good chunk out of your family’s budget. With everything that has happened in the last few years, I wonder how anyone can afford to leave their house. Gas prices have gone up, the cost of airplane tickets is insanely crazy, the food cost has tripled, hotels have extra taxes, etc. It’s tough planning a vacation you can afford. When you are a single mom, the idea of travelling might just seem like Utopia.
Nonetheless, you should travel and live life just as you did before starting a family minus the dancing on the bar. You can do so as a road trip, stay in a resort or just get a rental. Each type of vacation has its own benefits and not all cost the same.
This guide will make it easier for you to plan and decide, no matter what type of vacation you are aiming for.
Single mom travel logistics
First and foremost, figure out how much you want to spend. Don’t look at what things cost, look at what you can afford. Then, you’ll have to decide what kind of travelling you want to do and pick your destination.
Getting there and around
Are you driving or flying? I won’t even bother talking about sailing.
If you are driving, will it be your car or a rental? If you are flying, how will you get around once you arrive at your destination?
Usually, driving to your destination in your own car will be the most affordable option, if you can’t get there using mass transportation (train, bus). The benefits of travelling by car, especially as a single mom, is that you can stop and go as you please. You don’t have any obligations such as a set time in having to return the car.
Flying
If you plan on flying with your kids, remember that you can’t fly alone with two kids under 2.
Think ahead of all the steps you’ll have to go through if it’s your first time travelling alone with your child.
Don’t forget to do the Online checkin. That will save you time at the airport if you already have your boarding pass in hand, even if you have to check a bag. Dropping off a bag usually takes less time than standing in line to do your checkin and dropping off your bag. However, if you can, only travel with carry on luggage.
If you are flying for the first time with a baby, read our baby travel guide.
Bookings
Forget about spontaneity for this trip. Book the most important parts ahead such as transportation and lodging. Find out what child-friendly activities you can do at the destination of your choice.
Pick an accommodation, that is close to the attractions you wish to visit. This will save you time and you won’t have to walk too far. Locate the closest grocery store to where you’ll be staying if you plan on cooking or need specific necessities.
Don’t forget that you need to know what your options are when you land at the airport. Will it be: taxi, shuttle, bus, train, rental car? Not only that will help you figure out your budget but in case plan A fails, you’ll have a plan B.
Always plan for the worst case scenario.
Picking lodgings
Don’t be afraid of staying in hostels with kids. Not all of them accept children, but they do exist. Of course, I’m not talking about sharing a dorm with complete strangers. Private rooms or dorm rooms for 4 exist and can be cheaper than a hotel room. Hostels have kitchens where you can cook food. There is always someone around and games. You won’t feel completely alone.
Otherwise, try to pick accommodations where breakfast is included. That will be one less hassle to worry about for you in the morning. No one enjoys a cranky and hungry child to start the day off.
Through booking.com, sometimes you don’t have to pay until the you show up at your destination. This is great if you are travelling on the budget and can’t afford in paying for everything all at once.
If you can, pick special place to stay that will make your trip unforgettable. This will spark your kid’s imagination and make your accommodation seem a little less ordinary. When we travelled to Big Island, we stayed in an avocado tree house on an organic farm.
Pack light and right
If you will be travelling by plane, try to pack light. You do not need to bring the whole house with you on vacation. Depending on your destination, you can always grab something their that you need in case you forgot. Also, if your child is already walking, he can carry a small backpack. Put all that pertains to him in it such as small toys, security blanket, change of clothes, etc. Just don’t over do it.
Medicine
If you are going abroad, you might not find the same thing that you are used to nor understand the language. You don’t want to waste time looking for it. Therefore, bring what you think you might need just in case.
Equipment
I found that a travel tent such as the one from Kidco is perfect for a vacation. It’s light and can easily fit in a backpack, suitcase or just as carry on. To save some room, if travelling by air, forgo the mattress and replace it with towels at your destination. It works great as a bed inside inside your room, or as place to nap in on the beach or in a park. Also, you can use it back home when you are visiting the grandparents or friends.
Also, sometimes, you can rent baby equipment at your destination. Babyquip is a great resource if the need should arise. However, it doesn’t come cheap. Once again, even if you are travelling with a baby, there is no need to bring the house with you. You can make-do without most of the things you have at home.
More ideas on how to pack a carry-on HERE.
Maintain a routine
Follow a routine on vacation to make things more manageable for yourself and your children. Of course you can forgo the routine once in a while. However, as a single mom, you might not want to stray too far from it in order to keep your sanity in check.
- Put the kids to bed early. This will give you some time to yourself. Also, with a good night sleep and some nap times in between, you’ll have less cranky children. Of course, there can often be exceptions. But it is a good rule of thumb to follow.
- Eat earlier. Restaurants are less crowded when you eat early. You won’t have to wait in line or bother making a reservation. Also, you won’t feel pressured to hurry to eat. It also allows you to enjoy the bedtime routine.
Now, let’s see what types of travelling you can do as a single mom.
On the road with kids
A road-trip is always fun. However, hitting the road without a co-pilot can be tricky as you have no one to relieve you if you feel tired. Also, should a flat tire occur, you’re kinda screwed. That is, if you don’t know how to. I surely don’t.
I went to Gaspésie with my two kids (12 and 4 at the time). It’s about an 11 hour drive from Montréal. Yikes is right. However, I broke the trip down with things to visit along the way and back. Therefore, we only spent a few nights at the same place in Gaspésie which I had booked in advance. The rest I booked along the way. There is always a motel that will have a vacancy.
A road-trip can be an affordable option to travel if you have your own car and don’t minding sleeping in a tent. However, with gas prices skyrocketing, you might not be able to get very far. As a suggestion, to test the field, why not experience a long week-end road trip to see how you and the kids handle being on the road.
Read our article on Camping with kids.
Roadtrip tips
For a road-trip with kids, always bring water, towels and plastic bags or huge reusable ziplock bags. If your child gets car sick, at least you’ll be prepared for the clean up.
Pack snacks that kids an easily eat in the car if you don’t have time to stop yet for a lunch or pack a picnic so that you can eat on the road. It’s less expensive than eating at a rest stop.
Make sure everyone uses the bathroom before you leave and every time you stop. It is a good way to avoid unnecessary stops and make your journey more manageable. Also, it is less time consuming. However, as a general rule of thumb, stopping every 2 hours is recommended for everyone. This includes the driver, the kids (especially babies in car seats), dogs (if you have any) and also your car.
Create a playlist for the kids to listen and sing along to in the car or CDs, if that is still a thing.
Play driving games such as:
- I spy with my little eyes;
- a memory game, where everyone takes turn naming something, but you have to repeat the word the person before you said and so forth;
- Who am I, someone thinks of an animal or person and everyone else has to guess who or what it is.
All-inclusive resort
Resorts are the perfect place for a single mom travelling with young kids. Everything is pretty much taken care of for you in terms of logistics. Once you hop on the plane, someone will be waiting for you at the airport to whisk you off to the hotel. While you take care of the checking in, your bags will be brought to your room. Everyday your room will be cleaned. As for food, an essential part to your kids lives and your sanity, will be cooked for you.
In a nutshell: no grocery shopping, no cooking and no cleaning.
Resorts usually have kiddy clubs. While these are great for kids to play with other kids and socialize and give you space to breath, don’t over use it. The intentional idea behind this vacation was for you to spend time with your children.
However, when you have a kid who is still wearing diapers and another who is slowly getting body hair, the kiddy club will be handy. While the diaper age child takes a nap, the other one can go and play with the other kids. You yourself won’t be able to do anything else, except nap or read.
A kidco tent is practical to use when travelling. It fits easily in a backpack or suitcase and takes 2 minute to set up. Therefore, no need to bring the nap inside, take it outside instead so that you can continue enjoying the beach or the pool. That being said, a lounge chair in the shade will work just fine for a nap.
Leaving the resort
Don’t be afraid to go on an excursion with your kids. However, always bring snacks, water and a change of clothes with you. You won’t have control on the time lunch takes place and there is nothing worse than a hangry child when you are all alone.
Usually, excursions run around $100 USD for an adult. The cost for kids is less expensive and sometimes free depending on their age.
Excursions can be booked directly through your resort, but check beforehand what type of excursions exist so that you have an idea of what things cost. You don’t need to book them ahead of time.
Budget
It is hard to say exactly how much a resort vacation will cost you as it will depend on how many children you are travelling with and their ages. Also, prices have gone up since the last time I went to a resort.
That being said, if you are travelling during high season (example: Christmas break), you should budget at least $2,000 CAD + tax for yourself and a little less for each child. This price includes your airfare and stay in an all-inclusive resort. Excursions and souvenir gifts will of course be extra. If you can allow yourself a little more flexibility with your dates, you’ll be able to find lower prices ($1,200-$1,500).
If you are looking for a resort destination idea read Our Mexico Experience.
Rental
Renting an apartment, studio or house and using it as a base camp to do activities around it is a viable option when you are a single mom travelling with kids.
The advantage of a rental is that you have more control over your routine. You can eat at which ever time you want and what ever you want. Also, you can relax in your pjs as long as you want. In a resort, for instance, you might not want to go out for breakfast in your nightgown. Who wants to have to get dressed at 7 a.m. for breakfast when you are on vacation? However, kids can go in their pjs, and no one will blink an eyelash.
If you get a rental you have to take in consideration how you will be getting there. Are you staying in your area, changing states or provinces or will you be crossing an ocean. It can add up fast.
While Airbnb is very popular, you could stay in a hotel that has rooms with a kitchenette or studios. That is what I did when I went to Costa Rica with my kids. There was a hotel complex and then small apartment buildings with studios and also an airplane converted in sleeping quarters. The studio was wonderful with a view overlooking the ocean. I booked a shuttle through them to get there and back from the airport with stops along the way.
So there you have it. Being single and a mom shouldn’t prevent you from travelling. Start with small week-end trips to see how you handle things and then make the leap and enjoy a long holiday away with your kids!
What’s your favourite trip you’ve taken solo with your kids and why? Leave a comment below.
