Traveling with Twins

Maureen is right about Spain and the late dinners - but if you will be "living like locals" then you will just have your kids with you late at night! We were SO surprised at our trip last year and the families that were out in the square (and it was March so was cold) at 10:00 pm with their kids in strollers. But again, being in one place for a very long time you probably wouldn't eat out every night. Well given a choice I still suggest you take your kids at the upper end of your dates, when they are older. We traveled long distances with our kids from the time they were quite small as we had family on the West Coast and Canada. The airplane trips were not fun, especially at 2 & 3 when they know they can now walk but they are too young to understand why you won't let them. They are just too young to reason with. Alot will also have to do with the personality of your not yet born children. The magic travel age for my youngest was when he was 5. Up until then he had a harder time being away from home, staying in strange places - and that made it hard on everyone. That totally turned around when he was 5 and he was a great traveler after that and we wouldn't trade our family trips to Europe for anything.

Not completely sure I'm reading you correctly. Are you saying that you will definitely have a sabbatical soon (with infants) and then again within 5 years? Or looking to do it sometime within 5 years? If the second then it is an easy answer - do it when they are 5, no sooner. Worst time for me to travel with my one infant was 1 month-3 years and so can't imagine traveling with 2 though I know many people say it is easy when they are very small. If you are going when they are small, regardless, then yes - buy a seat, or two. If you have that option for any flight take it. And I really hate to put a damper on things but I would seriously reconsider taking them at all when they are young. I assume these are your first children? YOU don't know how you will handle this and my friends with twins spent the first 6 months doing everything possible to get both children on the same schedule - sleeping, eating, etc. They did not have the luxury that I had of feeding my newborn every 1 1/2 hours the first few weeks. They said if they had done that they would have been up 24 hours/day. So don't book your trip now, or even start the planning. Give yourself at least 6 months to see how you all are doing. Then if you are still determined to do an infant trip you'll have a better idea of what your situation will be. Again, at 5 though, it will be a wonderful experience for all of you!

I don't know...infants on such a long trip? Perhaps you should either wait until they're older or leave them with grandparents if you must go. You mentioned that you're scared of the flight...believe this to mean you want to ensure your infants are safe and secure when flying. I believe the FAA and safety experts are going to recommend you buy a ticket and have a seat for each infant, so that they can be secured in the same infant car seat you use in your car. From a safety perspective, I wouldn't recommend doing the lap baby thing, although you see it all the time. Think about it...clear air turbulence or thunderstorms are enough to cause a potential problem (not to mention something more serious like a hard landing or worse). It also sort of sounds like you're considering buying just one additional seat for both of them...I would get two and use your car seats as mentioned earlier if they must go. Whatever you decide, good luck and happy travels.

My friend has twins who are now 10. For her and her husband, they found it easiest to take them when they were infants and small enough to be carted around in Baby Bjorn carriers. They did not take the kids anywhere overseas during the terrible 2s & 3s stage. They waited until just before the 5th birthday and had no problems travelling with them at that age. They definitely bought a 3rd seat for the babies. Nothing worse than having a squirming baby on your lap for 6+ hours. Some infants have ear problems with the airplane cabin pressure changes. You may want to do a "test run" and try a short flight someplace in the US (1-2 hours) to see how it goes before you attempt overseas. You will need access to a kitchen when traveling with small kids, so definitely consider apartment rentals if you are staying in one place a week or more, and family rooms in hostels if only staying a few nights (but as most hostels only have a small number of private rooms for families, they book up fast so you will often need to reserve in advance). The amount of stuff you have to take with you for twins is cumbersome, so limiting how much you change overnight locations is recommended. Pick 1 or 2 places to set up base and take daytrips. There are lots of website guides devoted to travelling with children. I think Frommer's used to have some special publications about traveling on a budget as a family. Fodors is not really budget, Lonely Planet & Rough Guide are more for backpackers traveling solo or with other adults.

Thanks everyone for the replies so far. Karen - to clarify, I was wondering what would be best - to take a trip sooner (when they are small and more portable) or wait until they are closer to 5 years old (or something in between). But it sounds like the 2's and 3's are out of the question. Michael - I guess I wasn't so much worried about the physical safety as much as my mental sanity and dealing with screaming, squirming kids and giving everyone the room they need. And I may have to come to terms with the fact that a trip to the grocery store might be as exciting and adventerous as I can be for the next many years. Hope not. When they are getting older and we are in a situation where we need to "use or lose" the sabbatical - we may have to leave them with grandparents, but it would be a minimum of 20 days due to the sabbatical regulations and that is a long time to leave your kids. So any experienced parental advice is welcome. And thank you Ceidleh, good advice on the smaller US trip and the experience of your friends.

We took our first trip overseas with our son when he was almost 2. It was fun, and I don't regret it a bit. The plane ride was rough, though. A lot of the newer planes now have screens in the back of the headrests. They didn't when he was small, and we'd spend the good portion of the trip entertaining him and keeping him happy. Now we just chuck the rules of how much TV the kids can watch out the window and enjoy the ride. So when they're old enough to watch a whole movie it makes the ride a LOT easier. If you DO travel when they're babies, check with the airlines. Some have bassinets that fasten into the walls of the bulkhead seats. But I remember meeting a woman in the airport on that first trip with my son, and she and her husband were bringing home twin 3-month-olds that they had just adopted from Russia. I went up to visit them on the plane, they were exhausted and the whole row smelled of spit-up. There's a couple of books on traveling in Europe with kids. Lonely Planet has one called "Travel With Kids" that has some good practical info. Our bible has been Cynthia Harriman's "Take Your Kids to Europe." I'd get that one. Definitely get an apartment. You'd have access to a kitchen and probably a washer and dryer. Plus the kids can have their own room, you can put them to sleep, then go in the other room and enjoy a bottle of wine with the hubby. And it'll be a lot cheaper than a hotel. There's tons for kids to do in Europe. Daily playground visits and ice cream are mandatory. Anything with animals is a hit. Something with Spain, tho -- the Spanish are notorious late diners, so "dinner" often doesn't start until 10. You can get tapas before that. Others might correct me on that.

As a mother to be and one who enjoys travel you might enjoy these websites: http://www.yummymummyclub.ca/ and
http://havebabywilltravel.com/

Amy Good to planning for future travel with twins! I know it is all probably overwhelming now. I suggest you take an older teen who is the oldest child in the family. IMHO, these sitters are the best since they are used to being caretakers. That way you can go out to eat in the evening while the twins are sleeping or you go on an afternoon of sightseeing while your little ones are in the care of a familiar reliable person. As others have suggested, why don't you try a shorter trip maybe to Quebec or Vancouver for a little foreign experience without the language difference if there are any health issues? Or maybe just down the road an hour or two to a local resort? See how it goes. I think the age you take them will be based more on the regular routine the babies are on and their personalities than their age. However, I do agree to not take them anywhere far at ages 2 - 3! Expecially the grocery store! Bobbie

Amy,
Congratulations on your twins! Mine are now 24. For us the first year was the hardest- our vacation that year was at the beach, they were six months old and teething, not fun. I'd recommend waiting until they are five, you would all enjoy the travel so much more. Marilyn

I have twins who are now 11; like you, my husband and I love to travel. Twins are fabulous, but ....there is a reason most babies come one at a time: It is very hard work, especially when they are infants and toddlers. Some people I'm sure will say, don't be stodgy, go ahead and travel. I advise you to wait and see what personalities your babies have, and advise you to travel only if you are very very laid back and only if you have a support system when you arrive in your destination. If not, wait until they are 4, and then go for it! I took our twins cross country from California to NY at least 1x/year from the time they were infants, which was a full day of travel. It was doable only because there were 2 adults, 2 babies, and we always paid for 4 seats. It was expensive, but unless you do so, you will be on active baby patrol for the whole time, which in theory may sound daunting but in reality WOW! Really difficult, and for an extended time. It was also doable because I knew that upon arrival I would have the support of my mom, sister, and other relatives. If I were relocating for 6 months to a new location with no friends or family already set up to welcome/help me, I'm not sure I would have tried it until they were 3. And by 6, it's no problem! SuzieeQQ

Thanks everyone! Sounds like waiting as long as possible is the winner. And thanks for the website and book suggestions. Those will help a ton as we head into this territory unknown.

A great new online resource is http://momaboard.com. Over 30 articles have been posted in just the last few months alone on travel to several European locations.

Looks like some great advice, and you have decided to make the decision that I would have recommended as well. My twins are almost a year old now, and have to say that the thought of traveling with them as infants to anyplace where I would be without family/help and that would involve a plane ride longer than two hours is scary. They are an absolute pleasure, but also all-consuming. As someone stated previously, there is a reason why the majority of humans have one child at a time. With that said, enjoy your time with them locally for the first few years. Your first trip to the grocery store, alone with them, will indeed be an adventure.
I also became addicted to traveling to Europe since our first trip in 2007. Went every year until they were born. So, I completely understand how you are feeling. But, I've come to terms with the fact that I just have to take it easy for a few years and that I cannot necessarily do all the things that parents of singletons and older kids can do. Have fun with them!

I'm enjoying reading this thread - I don't have twins but I do have girls 18 months apart. Some good friends of ours have twins who are now 4 and watching them interact is so interesting - you always have a best friend with you! Our kids were 3 and 5 when we first took them overseas and I really enjoyed that age - who knows if they were both 3, perhaps it would've been fine. Like others have said I think it's very dependent on the personality of the kids. I've also really liked seeing the different websites people have recommended, a few of them are new to me and they are a fantastic other resource. I thought I'd throw out my own as well, as in 'literally' my own; www.yourfamilyineurope.com I'm now off to look at those other sites - I don't think there is ever too much information out there and I'm so glad to have the internet as a resource now instead of needing to -gasp- take all those books out of a library! :) Good luck Amy, traveling with kids is rewarding, fun, and tiring - but totally worth it. Best of luck with whatever you decide!

I think very small would be easier. They sleep a lot, can be worn in front carriers so no need for stroller all the time, and don't really care where they are as long as they're with you! You'd need to plan a lot of stops - babies eat all the time - and deal with finding/bringing diapers, and formula if you are not breastfeeding. Toddlers are more challenging, they want to run around and not look at art all day :) I'd get another seat for your arms sake! With one kid, parents could switch off - but with twins I'd want a place to put them down. Technically, having 2 seats is safer but... Note I didn't go overseas with my kids as babies, but did a lot of US travel and found it quite easy. Later it got harder, but showing them things when they can kind of understand is a ton of fun. My oldest is 4, the younger is 1.5.

I didn't have twins, but my husband and I flew from Boston to Dublin with four kids ages 8, 5, 2 and 4 months, chartered a houseboat and rented bikes, and spent two weeks cruising up and down the Shannon River with cloth diapers hanging from the lifelines whenever it wasn't raining. We had a great time and haven't stopped traveling since. The youngest is now 19 and they have been all over Europe, Peru, the Galapagos, Costa Rica, Thailand, Australia, Nepal, Kenya, Gabon, and Tanzania. Traveling with children is different, but it's been a great experience for all of us.

First time we flew with our kids they were 4yrs old, 6yrs old and 9 months . The smartest thing we did was buy a seat for the baby,, we didn't at first, but after thinking about the danger of turburlance we reconsidered and bought her a seat for her carseat. Smart smart smart,, she was able to sleep happily in her seat, and we had somewear to put her down when we had to switch off to go to washroom etc..
I agree, babies BEFORE they can walk are most portable. We took our first son to States when he was 6 months old , and it was not too bad,, we didn't have to worry about him crawling around on dirty hotel floors( hey we stayed in decent places, but babies crawl using their hands ,, then suck those hands,,so hotel floors are just not that clean!) From about a 1-3 we found travel hardest,, so stuck to trips closer to home for awhile Note, hotels are not ideal with babies, the rooms are usually poorly soundproofed, and your babies crying at night ( which all babies eventually do) is disturbing to others,, which in turn stresses you out trying not to bother others. I personally would wait till you actually HAVE the babies,, to find out what they are like, my dd was a great baby, rarely cried,, but one of my sons cried alot!!

" we may have to leave them with grandparents, but it would be a minimum of 20 days due to the sabbatical regulations and that is a long time to leave your kids. So any experienced parental advice is welcome." Not before they are five years old.

I realize that you asked an age question, so the replies have been focused on recommendations for what age is appropriate (including my previous post), and I don't mean to be less than positive in my current reply, but having twins is a completely different beast all together. If you were having a single child, then I would think your question relevant. But, caring for two babies at the same time is very different than caring for one baby. It's never really breezy or graceful, and at times, a logistical nightmare. And since traveling involves lots of logistics, I would just take it easy and take shorter, manageable trips until they are somewhat more independent: can walk on their own, can express their needs and wants somewhat successfully, can carry their own luggage, are potty trained, can eat on their own, can dress themselves, can follow two-step directions, and can sit in their own seat on an airplane. I would think this would be around the four-year mark.
Also, join a parent of multiples group and ask for their advice. Although very kind and always sympathetic, parents of singletons cannot always give you the best advice simply because they just haven't been there.

Every child is different. Some children travel well, some don't. I wouldn't buy into any absolutes like, "not when they are 2 or 3" or "it is better when they are older than younger" "or it is better when they are younger than when they are older" Or "grandparents can't watch the kids for 20 days until they are 5" Depends on the kids and the grandparents. One thing to consider though is if you take a child to Europe when they are 6 months old, and then when they are 18 months old, they are less likely to be shocked and outside their comfort zone when you take them to Europe when they are 30 months old than if this is the first time they have not slept in their own bed. So waiting until they are 5 to travel can backfire. You might want to do a trial run on the airplane before trying Europe. A weekend flight to Minneapolis will let you know if your kids can handle the airplane ride and hotel or not.