Work trips can be excellent excuses to travel with your family. When my husband goes through heavy travel seasons, we like to pick a work trip to tag along on. Even though the kids don’t see him most of the day, they get little moments with him, usually in the morning before work. That can help mitigate the impact that his work travel can have on our kids. Sometimes, tagging along on a work trip can also help alleviate some of the expenses of a trip. The hotel is often already paid for, as is one person’s plane ticket.
No work trip is exactly the same, so the kids and I have learned to be flexible. Flexible in terms of how much we expect to see my husband on the work trip. And flexible in terms of how we spend our days. Here are some tips for making the most of a spouse’s work trip when you have little kids in tow.
1. Pick the right work trip.
A 3 day work trip may not be worth the travel time if we can’t tack on vacation time. But a five day work trip with no vacation time has worked well when we have made use of the two weekends bookending the trip. I recommend figuring out the working person’s schedule first and then determining what time you will have as a family. From there you can decide if it is worth making the trek with the whole family.
I personally prefer direct flights. The kids and I are not always sitting in the same cabin as my husband when we tag along on his work trips. It is as if we are traveling on our own. Managing layovers/missed flights adds an extra layer of exhaustion when by myself. I also prefer to stay in one location during the work portion. Checking in and out of hotels adds a layer of chaos that can be harder by myself. If your spouse will be traveling around during their working days, consider choosing a central home base for you and the kids to stay.
You might even consider going off and doing your own thing for a few days and then meeting back up after the work portion. We did this on a recent trip and it was a great time. I knew we weren’t really going to see my husband at all during 4 days of the trip, so we went off and had our own adventure and then joined up with him afterwards.
2. Be the keeper of important documents.
When we tag along on my husband’s work trip, I act as if I am taking a solo trip with the kids. I always keep all the important documents (passports, visas, copies of passports, etc.). I pack our luggage and get all the reservation/ticket details so that the kids and I can be self-sufficient, without my husband.
3. Carry a consent letter from the other parent.
If traveling internationally with your kids, consider bringing a notarized letter from the other parent saying you are authorized to travel with the kids. This may be helpful if you are questioned by a government official or decide to go explore another city/country alone. A notarized letter can help clear up any confusion or questions that may arise about custody and may be required by some countries. Even if not a requirement for entry, the US Department of State recommends always traveling with your children’s birth certificate as well.
4. Plan to stay out of sight and out of the way.
My husband’s days are usually pretty packed with meetings and some dinners when he travels for work. I try to respect that he is there for business and the kids and I try our best to make it seem as if we are not there. If I get the sense that we won’t really see my husband at all, I may choose not to join on that trip. Or maybe that doesn’t bother me and we tag along anyways but do our own thing entirely.
5. Know how to get yourself through the airport and to the hotel.
Sometimes, my husband needs to head to the office right when we land. He may speed ahead through customs with his colleagues and grab a cab. That leaves me and the kids to get through the airport/customs on our own and make our way from the airport to the hotel. Even though the hotel room is usually booked under my husband’s name, we try to make sure my name is also on the reservation. That way I can check us in on my own.
Tagging along on my husband’s work trips also means getting comfortable with the idea of exploring the destination independently. For some additional tips, check out my post on how to explore new places alone with young kids. Safe travels!
