7 Tips For Planning A Round The World Trip As A Family

We are off. We will soon be flying to Australia as the first stop on our nearly four-month journey around the world. My husband, two of our children, who are still not school-age, and I will be on the plane to Australia very soon. Excited? Yes!

This trip has been on our minds for many years. We’ve been saving for this trip, talking about it and planning it. Finally, the time is here.

How do you start the adventure of traveling the world with your family? What should you consider, where do you begin and how much money do you really need?

Tip #1: Secure your finances!

Money isn’t the only thing that matters. Few people are able to pay for a trip of this magnitude from scratch. Consider a family savings plan.

Our savings plan “was born” with our first baby, we can see. At the time, my husband and I were traveling in Canada. We were so happy with our trip that we asked guests at our wedding to give us a small donation for the “next big trip” instead of traditional gifts.

After a pandemic, we added a child to our family and our dream grew. True to our motto: We are doing it. Now! We’re taking a trip around the world. Before our firstborn begins school. We have budgeted EUR30,000-EUR40,000 from our savings is that enough? Well, we’ll see!

Tip #2: Plan your itinerary and get insurance

The travel itinerary is closely related to the financial aspect of the trip and the savings question. Which countries will you visit, which accommodation options, or modes of transport, for how long? We chose a period of four months. We chose four months because it seemed to be the perfect length for us. It also fit in with our work schedules.

Safety is a priority when we travel, not only because of the cities and friends or families that we choose to visit but also because of the children. The value for money is excellent for both the travel period as well as the countries.

I’ve travelled around the globe a lot, and I always book my trips through a travel agent. With all the changes (flights) and other things that could happen, it is important to have someone who can give you information and be a point of contact. Melanie helped us get great fares almost one year in advance and save a lot of money on international flights. It’s also important to note that children over two years old (and therefore as soon as they require a seat) will pay full price, even if the fare is cheap. In our case, we have good prices but they are multiplied by four.

Tip #3: Get your partner to join in!

You may find it funny, but it is important that your partner gets on board!

You have to remember that travel around the world is not a holiday, but an adventure trip. Are you and your partner both up for the adventure? It’s important for me to discuss all the possible options (for travel) in advance, especially if there are (small) kids involved.

As an experienced optimist, I can answer the “What if …?'” questions with confidence and humour. It doesn’t harm to keep reminding the other person that this is true.

We have always made together all major decisions, including those relating to routing, rates, the home in our absence, children, and many other things. It was not always easy and there were many discussions. But in the end, it brought us closer together.

Tip #4: Check your health before you travel: vaccinations, warnings about travel, and drugs.

A second essential tip is to think about medical care. What vaccinations, if any, are required or recommended for which countries? What medications do I need to travel? What is the general medical care available on site, including for children?

We are also convinced by the high-quality services in the cities and regions of the world mentioned above. We can claim reimbursement for any expenses we incur at the local doctor’s or pharmacy. All will be well!

My family doctor and my paediatrician were also consulted in advance. We were not required to be vaccinated for the countries to which we traveled. I was due to get a few boosters, and we decided to give the children hepatitis-A vaccinations in addition to their basic immunisation.

Tip #5: Check your homefront: mail, house, garden, etc.

What happens to your house and garden if you are away for several months? The best scenario is to have a family member or a neighbour take care of things.

We’ve notified the Post Office of our absence. We’ve signed power of attorney forms for the family. We’ve applied for international driving licenses for campervans and rental cars in plenty of time. We have notified the post office of our absence, signed powers of attorney for the family, applied in good time for an international driving licence for rental cars and campervans, planned accounts so that regular debits can continue to be made. Also informed the bank about countries where debits are expected over the next few months (for security reasons! My car is with my parents, our (few plants) have been temporarily moved to the great-grandparents’ house, and the garden has not been left entirely on its own.

Tip #6: Requirements for school or kindergarten

Please double-check with the authority in your own country. would love to have a checklist for our children. It could include what to do, who to call, what to submit at what time and to whom. About a year prior to leaving, I had googled the necessary steps in Vienna for our children’s ages, but found nothing useful. Here’s how and what we did:

• We had to submit a “request for home education” for our preschooler, since preschoolers are only allowed to be away for up four weeks at a time, outside of the statutory holidays.
  • It was not a huge deal. More of a question of explaining to your child how they would benefit from languages, music, exercise, etc. The application can be filed in the correct way with the help of a guide. Easy, actually.
  • The application was submitted around six months prior to departure and we received approval almost instantly. A documentation sheet detailing the steps taken is required at the end of the time period. It sounds good to me.
• The kindergarten where our little one is enrolled has the right to make decisions about him. It was also important to ask questions: even very young children had to report longer absences.
  • I am so proud of our kindergarten and the authorities who managed to arrange everything to ensure that our youngest could return to his friends, family and caregivers after the trip – yay.
  • Keep talking, keep informing the teachers, keeping the management informed. Once everyone is on board, I am sure that a solution will be found, just as it was for us!

Tip #7: Packing light and easy! !

How do you pack for a world trip? You should start by paying attention to weather and climate zones. If necessary, you can always equip yourself more. And yes, less is more.

Our travel gear is mainly made up of summer clothing (lighter). After packing for 10 days (just like at home), we will look for washing machines in holiday flats with friends and family, campsites, youth hostels, etc. Travelling is not a problem.

We prefer rucksacks over suitcases because we want to be able to carry our bags with us. Liam can take his suitcase and both kids will have their own small rucksacks filled with toys, bottles of water, etc. I am looking forward to the photo when everything is in place shortly before our departure.