I'm beyond lucky to have two beautiful boys and I would love to explore the world with them, showing them all the stunning places on this Earth, teaching them about different cultures and history and making the best memories for them.
Being free spirits, having adventures around the world, experiencing breathtaking beaches and scenery of different countries and visiting all my dream destinations was something I always wanted and being able to do it all with my children in tow would be a dream come true.
I thought I'd share my ultimate family travel bucket list. This is a list of all the things I want to do when it comes to traveling with my family and hopefully writing all these things down will help me to keep focused on the list and start ticking off our dream travel experiences one by one.
Absolutely stunning views in New Zealand and lots of open road to explore
1. Fly to New Zealand and explore the islands by car. New Zealand is top of my list of places to visit. As a nature lover, the landscape of this beautiful country really appeals to me and I'd love to see it and photograph it in person. Hiring a car would be the best way to see all that the North and South Islands of New Zealand have to offer and would make bringing the children along even easier. There are car rentals in New Zealand for very reasonable prices, so it makes for a cost-friendly way to travel for a family too. For example, to book an 8 seater car for two weeks is just €277.58 which is an absolute bargain! Having the extra seats with the kids would mean they'd have room to travel comfortably and lie down for naps at rest stops, etc.
Apparently it takes approximately two weeks to travel around both the north and south islands of New Zealand, so a two week car rental should be plenty. I've been researching trips and driving routes in New Zealand and they all look so beautiful! I can't wait to go one day.
2. Take the boys to see Santa in Lapland and ride sleighs through the forests. There are now flights from Cork to Lapland at Christmas time so I really have no excuse not to do this some day soon.
3. Visit California and fully immerse ourselves in the beach life there.
4. Bring the boys to South Africa to share their heritage with them and show them where their dad grew up. I know Jacek is dying to bring us all there and go to the Drakensburg Mountains - the place he holidayed as a child.
5. Take the boys to DisneyLand in Florida. I've been to the Paris one when I was 21 and it didn't live up to expectations so I want to take my boys to the one in Florida someday, we want the America hospitality.
6. Go on a cruise. I had never wanted to go on a cruise before but having seen other people's cruise holiday photos and posts I've been inspired. Plus I like the thought of visiting multiple countries over a number of days.
7. Visit all of the Channel Islands. We've so far been to Jersey and Sark but I really want to go to Herm (where there are no clocks!), Guernsey and Alderney. It's amazing that places so beautiful are so close to home.
8. Explore more of Ireland. I've lived here all my life but there's so much of this beautiful island that I'm yet to see. I want to go to the Wicklow Mountains, the Cliffs of Moher, the Aran Islands, the Giants Causeway, Newgrange and so many more places here at home.
One of the many sights I hope to see on our family travels. A rainbow over the road in Tepako, New Zealand.
Traveling with children doesn't have to be daunting - although the thoughts of going on a long-haul flight with a toddler do fill me with a bit of fear I have to admit! However, kids love exploring and visiting new places too and I know my boys would absolutely love to be spending days on sandy beaches, visiting theme parks and exploring new places of interest. You can read my ultimate guide to traveling with toddlers if you feel you need to prepare before making a trip with small ones!
There are so many ways to make traveling comfortable for all the family and I definitely think renting a car and exploring the area you're visiting by car is a great thing to do because it gives you the time to explore at your own pace and not have to rush for public transport, etc. We rented a car on our family holiday last year and it was the best thing we could have done. It was my first time driving a car in a place other than Ireland and I was a bit anxious at first but it honestly was fine and it's something I'm going to be doing on this years family holiday to the Channel Islands. I've also shared 6 ways to keep kids happy and entertained on long car journeys, so, if like us you'd like to explore a country by car, be sure to check them out!
Safety Essentials for Family Travels
As we all know, when it comes to traveling, especially with children, safety always comes first. An indispensable item for any travel - local or international - includes devices for emergency medical alert bracelets. These portable devices help convey vital health information in case any emergency arises. With these, you can feel confident that your family's critical health details are always within reach, even in unfamiliar environments. Hence, a significant element of our ultimate family travel bucket list is to ensure safety while experiencing the most adventurous journeys.
I'm all for anything that makes family travel more enjoyable, keeps the kids comfortable and allows us to transport all we need with ease - because we all know that traveling with kids can be stressful enough without any added worries!
Are any of these places on your family travel bucket list?
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