How to make travelling with kids bearable

Two month old twin baby sister and brother sleeping on tiny, inflatable, pink and blue swim rings. They are wearing crocheted swimsuits and sunglasses.

Would you travel with your parents again if it meant your kids would be out of your hair? Well, according to new stats, over half of you would.

Babysitters are out, grandparents are in – a new survey of Australian parents revealed that one in two parents would pay their own parents or in-laws to travel with them on holidays in exchange for helping with the kids. Pretty sweet deal for all those grandmas out there!

The findings come from a survey of a nationally representative, independent panel of 1,076 Australian parents commissioned by HotelsCombined.com.au.

The results reveal that 59 per cent of parents with children under 4 years – and 44 per cent of all parents – would have their parents or parents-in-law accompany them on holiday to help with their kids.

48 per cent of all parents would pay some or all holiday cost for the grandparents’ trip – in exchange for babysitting help, of course. This contrasts with at-home babysitting by grandparents: a massive 89 per cent of respondents don’t pay for grandparents to babysit their children.

So do parents need more help whilst on holidays? Enough to hire a babysitter whilst on holiday? Apparently not.

The survey also asked parents in which countries or continents they would feel more and less comfortable hiring babysitters or nannies when on holidays. Respondents said they trusted babysitters most in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the UK and USA.

The countries where they would trust babysitters least are Central America (over half agreed this was the least trustworthy travel destination for babysitters), followed by Turkey, India, Russia, South Africa and the UAE.

But overall, 39 per cent said they would not trust a babysitter in any destination.

So if you don’t want to travel with your parents, and don’t trust overseas babysitters – check out these top family-friendly accomodation options from Hotelscombined.

Mantra French Quarter (Noosa, QLD) from $726 per night. These deluxe two-bedroom apartments are located in Noosa Heads and are a short drive away from Noosa National Park and Sunshine Beach. The apartments feature a kids’ pool and babysitting/child services for the children, and offers massage services for the adults. Each apartment includes a kitchenette, private balcony and movies-on-demand.
Turtle Beach Resort (Gold Coast, QLD) from $405 per night. The apartments at Turtle Bay Resort caters for families, offering a waterpark, kids’ club, playground and mini golf. Famous attraction, Sea World, is an easy car ride away. The resort offers an on-site relaxed restaurant with a menu showcasing local cuisine.
Whitsunday Apartments (Hamilton Island, QLD) from $491 per night. Boasting extensive views of the sea and garden, Whitsunday Apartments offer a pool for the kids as well as free shuttle services to transport your family with ease. For the adults, a spa and wellness centre promises complete relaxation, while its in-house restaurant is available for those who want to stay close by.
Peppers Broadbeach (Broadbeach, QLD) from $623 per night. Treating guests to a private cinema, Peppers Broadbeach provides relaxed accommodation on the Gold Coast and is the ideal location to base your family for sightseeing. Its family-friendly amenities include babysitting/child services and a kids’ playground. A range of apartments are available for families of all sizes.
Beachside Holiday Apartments (Port Macquarie, NSW). These apartments are perfect for families travelling with kids, with a range of outdoor activities available including rock climbing, horse riding and mini golf. There’s a rooftop terrace for the adults to enjoy, as well as a tour desk to book and organise activities in Port Macquarie.

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Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au

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