New Year’s Resolution: Spend Time Traveling With Parents

By Lisa Sievers
CandysDirt.com Contributor

What better way to start the year off than by planning something to look forward to while creating memories by traveling with your parents? Time flies when you reach a certain age, and cherished moments and shared life experiences become much more valuable than material gifts.

My mom and I traveled on our first trip together about 15 years ago. We chose a week in London because flights were fairly short, it was economical, there was much to do, it was easy to get around, and they spoke English! Since then, we have been to over 45 countries together and counting! We still talk weekly about “Remember that time … “

Here’s How To Make Traveling With Parents Work

Find some common interests.

My mother and I both love art museums, cultural heritage sites, and historic buildings. We have expanded our list of “likes” to include parks, arboretums, tea at nice hotels, an occasional fancy meal, and massages. If there’s a market or a fabric/quilt shop in the area, we are there!

Be real about health expectations

My mom has a hearing disability. As she likes to say, “I’m deaf in one ear and can’t hear out of the other.”  This and other accessibility challenges are not problems at all if you set expectations appropriately. We use a couple of apps that convert spoken language into text. That way she can easily talk to everyone. When there are a lot of people around, I use texting to let her know what’s going on and I always walk on the side of her good ear. If I give her a nudge, it’s because I hear something that she can’t. We have figured out a way to make it work and you can too.

First, check with your doctors and your loved ones’ doctors. It’s no fun if you pack too much into a trip and spend most of your time exhausted or with aching knees because you have overdone it. It’s better to miss a few sights and take more coffee breaks if it means you get to enjoy your trip! Don’t forget that you may need specialty trip health insurance, as Medicare typically doesn’t cover out-of-country care.

Understand time limitations and budget constraints

We chose London as our first trip abroad because it was relatively inexpensive, and we could both make a week-long trip work. I jumped online and looked at flight costs, hotel costs in a central location, and cost to go to the places we wanted to see. Was it affordable? YES!

You can wing it yourself for a weekend or a week in a large city, look at inexpensive small group tours that do everything for you, or blow it out with a private tour of several weeks. Do a little exploring and see what syncs.

Don’t forget that there are tons of ways to save money on trips. Here’s a start: Include the free breakfast buffet at the hotel. We use this time to plan the details of our day and usually have a small late lunch that sometimes suffices for dinner.

Plan a Rough Itinerary

You don’t have to schedule every minute of every day, but it helps to have a rough plan before you leave. We usually plan a museum and another sight per day with time for coffee stops and people-watching.

First Trip Tips For Traveling With Parents

Start small

How about a three-day trip to New York City or Seattle? Choose a location where the flight/drive is not too long. Schedule something that both of you like to do every day. Plan time to stop for a break from the action.

Get on neutral ground

Taking a trip can bring out the best or worst in your relationships. Getting away from familiar places takes both of you out of your comfort zone and will maybe lead to better communication. If you need a break, take a book and head to the lobby for a bit, have a snooze, or watch some futbol (soccer) like we do! 

Set Expectations When Traveling With Parents

Maybe visiting a five-star restaurant is your dream, but Mom is happy to split a sandwich. Compromise before the trip and be very clear on the itinerary before you leave. You don’t want to have to replan your trip after you arrive. Spontaneity is good and can be fun, but it can also be a headache.

Finally, SLOW DOWN! You’re on vacation!

Traveling with Mom and Dad can be rewarding in so many ways. Time is precious, so this year resolve to give the gift of travel memories! It is the ultimate gift of love that never stops giving!

You can find practical travel tips for charting a new course for adventures with your parents on Lisa Sievers’ new site Mom and Me Travels!