Traveling with parents allows you to enjoy adulthood fun with some of the people you love the most. These moments are opportunities to create life-long memories that you will cherish for years to come. In order to make this happen, you have to do some upfront planning. To help you get started, here’s 5 questions you’ll need to ask your parents before you hit the road.
Do you expect us to spend every minute together or will we have some alone time?
Set clear expectations in advance. If you know that you are the type of person that needs time to yourself, make that known. Build time into your itinerary where you can enjoy activities separately. For example, early mornings or evenings after dinner could be good times to kick back solo.
Do you have health issues that I need to be aware of?
One of the worse things that could happen is for a medical emergency to arise while traveling. If your parent has a heart issues or high blood pressure, you’ll want to know and you’ll also need to know what to do if an emergency occurs. Likewise, if there are any medications being taken, you’ll need to know what those are as well; just in case you’re asked that question by a doctor.
Are there any physical limitations I need to consider?
Knowing the answer to this question will help you plan trip activities that you both will enjoy. For example, it wouldn’t make sense to plan a moderate to strenuous hike if mom or dad can’t make it up the hill, navigate rocky terrain or endure long walks.
What activities or excursions do you want to do?
We all have the ability to be flexible, especially when we know what to anticipate. Talk about what activities each of you want to do. Be sure to incorporate something that will be pleasurable for each of you. Make a must-do list, but don’t be afraid to share things that are a “no-go” altogether. If someone is scared of heights, bungee jumping should be off the table for this trip. Similarly, if you both love Mexican food, finding the best Cantina in town is a good bet!
Who’s paying? or Who’s paying for what?
Sometimes parents treat their children by paying for some things on a trip or vice versa. However, you don’t want to assume anything. Understand the financial obligations before you commit to the trip so you can plan your trip budget accordingly.
Vacations are a time to relax, recharge and have fun. To sum things up, traveling with parents successfully is about being considerate of each other and being flexible. Asking the right questions and using these tips will allow you to create a memorable trip with special moments that you both will cherish for years to come.
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