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I am desperate to travel. I want to trek across Nepal - that sort of thing.

Please can anyone with any useful information share it with me!

Can I do it with two small children (4 and 1 at the moment)? Will it cost me a lot. Can me and/or my husband work as we go? How?

I want to travel somewhere but I don't think I can in my current situation (i.e. that of a young family) without it costing an absolute fortune - can anyone tell me any different? With details!

You can do anything, but you have to decide whether you should?

Having a young family is going to make it harder, and more expensive, as you need to safegaurd those kids.

Your Dad would say No, you can't, your Sister Possibly, your school friends yes.

Look at simple things like Woofing, Kibutz type things, other community groups where you can get new life experiences but where there are beds and health care.

Best of luck.

I surely don't want to be discouraging, but if I were in your situation I would wait. (I know---much easier said than done!!) For me, it would be so much more enjoyable to travel now via books and the internet, save money for traveling later, and envision all the places I'd like to go later when my children were old enough to remember/enjoy the trip too. (I'm sure I'm old enough to be your mother, and probably far too practical--read fuddy-duddy).

Whatever you decide, I wish you the very best!

When I was young ,single etc. etc . I travelled all over the place.I suppose it was a youthfull need for adventure,trying to prove something to my old man ,the usual stuff.I'm not sure it ''broadened my mind'' as people claim,mostly I find people are the same all over..just doing their best to get by.I think most of all you need to differentiate between travel with a purpose and tourism,which is largely destructive and frankly, pretty moronic.
Perhaps if you HAVE to check out what it's like on the other side of the hill,you could do something like VSO ,or QP and S (if it still exists) but travelling with family etc. well that's something else.
Anyway ,all very negative from an old git who really should know better,best wishes wherever you decide to go..

The only way I could see how you'd do it is New Age style with some sort of motorhome. Then you can travel at will carrying your home with you and pick up jobs as necessary - although with kids in tow you'll need a fairly hefty emergency fund. The trouble is your eldest is now coming up to school age, so unless you're planning home schooling, traveling needs to be done before he/she is due to start - which put it more in the category of a holiday really. But it would get you round Europe at least.

I don't know what sort of visas or similar that you need to travel further afield these days, or what they'd cost - I'm not much of a traveller myself. South of Inverness and I'm homesick! TBH it would all be too much for me.

I think she's gone!

Hahahahahahaha

I felt pretty similar to most of the responses but hoped there was something I was missing and secretly travelling was really was and cheap to do with little ones!

Not realistic? Never mind, I will have to be happy planning the trip then - for the next 10 years!

I think it might be worth looking at what is causing the 'need to travel' feeling and why I am not enjoying the wonderful life I currently have.

Thanks for the recommendation of Woofing, that looks fab!

Dick Strawbridge down in Cornwall used to do it in the summer, they are a nice family and a very interesting set up.

I had to google it, but this woofing sounds very interesting!

I was in Nepal for four months... i would say it's kid friendly. Do it! I want to go back there.

If you need any specific advice and you think i can help send me a PM.

Can you teach? Do you have a degree?

TEFL teaching is a great way to travel places. You can sign contracts anywhere from 3 months to a year.

I know that here in China, the school that employs you has to house you too, so you don't have to worry about getting somewhere to live.

There's a filipino lady teaching here who has a 6 year old son, and she says it's been the best experience for him. They've been here 2 years and he's fluent in Tagalog, English and Mandarin!

That sounds awesome. I've looked TEFL courses before. I havent got a degree but I have taught before.

Perhaps I'll look into it some more. Thanks

I know that for China, a degree is pretty much all you need (unless you're a non-native speaker).

India's virtually impossible to get a paid position in (their official second language is English), but fairly easy to get a voluntary position in.

I sorted out coming here and left within a month...it was pretty good! It's terrifying at first, but after a few weeks it's ok.

With the kids, it might be a bit different - you have company you know from the off!

Always look at local ways of travelling...then check them again to see if they're safe. If you're going to go alone (rather than with a company) ask in hostels and hotels what is the best way of travelling. For example, here the locals use sleeper buses to get from place to place, but I've been told that they're dangerous and there are more accidents with sleeper buses than any other, so I go by sleeper train instead. It's a little more expensive, but it is a lot safer.

Be careful where you trek. There are still some bandit countries littered about!

See, half of me says JUST GO! But...the other half says plan well and then take off at the right time...

Wherever/whenever you go remember the Golden Rule: Always make yourself comfortable wherever you are. I can't remember who it was that the Golden Rule came from. It was on Michael Palin TV programme someone said it. It is important. It doesn't matter what 'being comfortable' means - you could bring a pillow from home, or really comfy PJs, whatever it is.

Pumpkin&Piglet wrote:That sounds awesome. I've looked TEFL courses before. I havent got a degree but I have taught before.

Perhaps I'll look into it some more. Thanks

You don't need a degree to do a TEFL course.The most important thin is that you do a decent course(not one of the 7 day jobs) The most universally recognised one is aCELTA .As luck would have it,you can (or at least could a couple of years ago,and I doubt things have changed) do said course P\T at the University of Gloucester at Cheltenham, check it out.BWs.

Just a thought but might it not be better to take the children when they are a little older and able to appreciate what they are seeing? I doubt if I'd remember anything if my parents had taken me somewhere when I was 1. 4 or 5 maybe, but not 1.