Its time for a revolution!

There is nothing that infuriates me more than the phrase "You can't travel with kids". This was said to me countless times in response to the news that we were becoming a family. I have since heard it countless times said to friends expecting little ones. "That'll be the end of your travel days", "You're crazy to travel with a baby", "Well of course you won't be travelling any more" .... I've heard them all.

On a recent trip, I picked up a copy of The Sunday Times Travel magazine in the airport lounge hoping for some inspiration for future trips. "Family FAQs" it promised. So in a rare moment when my young one was sleeping, I tucked in to some indulgence and read the article.

Disappointment.

"No matter how travel savvy you are" it noted, "when kids arrive you have to learn how to holiday afresh". Ok, well I partially agree with this statement as there are considerations you need to take into account... like packing for an extra person for example. But it continued...

"Q - Where do I go with toddlers and grandparents?". "A - South of France"

"Q- Where do I go for our first holiday with a six-month old. A - Spain"

And so it continued - Lanzarote, Florida, Cornwall, Pembrokeshire, Algarve...."

Boring! The same old suggestions and the thousandth time this same article has been written in a different way. If I were the editor I'd have ripped it up and told them to write it again. Where were the fresh ideas and the tempting locations? Its all been done before. I pick on the Sunday Times as it happened to be the article I read in the last week but sadly its an example of the same thing from many publications.

Seriously, why does having children mean that you are stuck with the same old well trodden destinations. Why is it that the world suddenly means restricting your holidays to Spain, the UK and France? Not that these places aren't wonderful places but the article was hardly ground breaking in its suggestions. My Mum recently went with friends to Cape Town for a week for October half term. It was cheaper than a week in Spain. Yes its a long flight but time it correctly and its not as difficult as it sounds. There is minimal jet lag and lesser crowds when you get there. If you want to stay closer to home there are some fascinating places to visit in Europe that don't mean a villa or an apartment block in Spain. With pre-school children the world really is your oyster. Pick the right dates and you can fly to Thailand relatively cheaply and once there hotels are dirt cheap, as is the cost of eating out. And it is so family friendly!!! It can mean a cheaper holiday overall.

G Adventures do family trip adventures from age 5. From 12 kids are permitted on most of their usual adult tours. What a wonderful adventure.

Come on Sunday Times. Up your game. We're ready to see the World.