Travel Guide for Single Parent Family Holidays

It can be hard to know where to start when planning a holiday as a single parent family. As the only adult, all the decision making falls to you! Here are some things to consider when planning your single parent family break:

What sort of holiday:

• What activities do we enjoy? You know your family best. Are you all happiest after a day on the water? Would nail-biting downhill mountain biking tick all the boxes? Or would you all relax visiting a historic temple?
• Consider the pace of your trip. When you know what you want to do, think about how much of each activity you want. For some families, long days packed full of activities and experiences is just the thing. Other families prefer a mixture of activities and experiences with afternoons to relax.
• Choose age appropriate activities. You might have always wanted to take a four-day trek along the Inca Trail but consider whether your little (or not so little) ones will enjoy the journey too.

What time of year:

• When are the school holidays? Make sure you check your child’s term dates before you book your travel. If they have exams this year, they might finish up earlier than usual.
• Consider the climate of your chosen destination. This might be very different from your own. If it is a tropical climate there might be a rainy season too.
• Are your chosen activities running? Some activities or experiences might be specific to certain times of year. For example, whale watching on Vancouver Island is best between May to October

 Where to go:

• Think about your budget. Flights will likely be more expensive for long haul destinations and the in-country costs should be considered too. Look into how expensive it is to get around, eat out and for any additional excursions.
• How far off the beaten track? Think about how adventurous your family are. Would spotting wildlife in the jungles of Borneo be your idea of heaven or would your family relax more if their surroundings were more familiar.
• Consider your own needs. It’s easy as a parent to put our children first but this is your holiday too. Are there places you have always wanted to visit or maybe somewhere you want to see more of? The great thing about travelling in a small group is the adult company – you’ll meet likeminded travellers and have company in the evenings once the kids are in bed.

 
Travel documents

• Check your passports. It is your responsibility to make sure that everyone’s passport has the correct, current information and that it is well within date before departure. You must also have all visas and vaccination certificates needed to enter or pass through countries on your trip.
• What insurance do I need? Travel insurance is an important part of any holiday. Make sure that yours covers all countries and activities you plan to visit and take part in on your trip.
• Do you have the relevant permissions? Make sure that you have the relevant permissions to take your child or children overseas on your own. Your government website should have more information.

Holidays for single parents travelling abroad can cost more. The cost of a single parent travelling on their own with one child can pay up to 28% per person when compared to two adults with one child going on the same holiday. Most of this additional cost is due to single adult supplements for accommodation.

At Explore, we know that no two families are the same and we’ll never charge you for a single room occupancy when you’re travelling as a family. Instead, we’ll do our best to make sure you get a single, twin or triple room depending on your needs.

Make sure you check your eligibility for family travel in the small print before booking your single parent holiday. Child prices apply to varying ages depending on who you are traveling with. Some tour operators charging full price for young people over aged 16 years of age.

On an explore family adventure, a family is defined as having a minimum of two people, with at least one being an adult over the age of 18 and one child under 18. There is no minimum age for child prices because we have a minimum age of travel on our trips. This is because of the active nature of our holidays, we want to make sure that the activities can be enjoyed by everyone on the tour.