Which Country Treats Traveling Families the Best?

A recent New York Times article focused on babies in First Class on airplanes and the general intolerance for children in public in the United States. Parents often feel shamed for taking their babies on airplanes and to restaurants because of the impact it will have on those around them. While the Sensible Traveler doesn’t hesitate to take kids on airplanes (especially when kids are under 2 years of age and fly for free!), I’ve often opted to eat meals back at the hotel or Airbnb when traveling with kids because it’s cheaper and it’s more enjoyable for me and the other adults who are eating in the restaurant.

Nobody likes to constantly be picking food off the floor, asking kids to lower their voices or stay in their chair throughout the meal. This is work and I don’t want to be paying extra restaurant prices to be doing work as opposed to enjoying the fabulous meal. Now some of the desire to do this “work” just comes with being a parent and is part of preparing your kids to be productive members of society. However, this “work” is also motivated by the fact that I don’t want to ruin the experience of others in the restaurant. So I do my best to keep the kids quiet by negotiating treats and constantly throwing a pack of crayons in front of them telling them to color me a castle. This usually works for about 15 seconds and then the process is repeated BUT I digress.

While some of this is just part of being a parent, much of the pressure to do this “work” comes from the fact that certain destinations are far more accommodating than others when it comes to children. For example, when you fly Icelandair your child will be given a healthy meal, the choice of a stuffed animal (who doesn’t love a plush Icelandic horse stuffy) and an activity pack. But if you fly United Airlines you should consider yourself lucky if they give you a two pack of crayons and a piece of paper to draw on. Why do these airlines treat kids so differently? Because different cultures do a better job at accommodating families and the Sensible Traveler should highly consider the local culture when traveling with kids. So what country treats traveling families the best?

New Zealand Treats Traveling Families Well

New Zealand should be at the top of the Sensible Traveler’s list if traveling with kids. There really isn’t a place that does a better job of accommodating kids than these two islands floating in the Pacific for the following reasons:

1. It’s not uncommon to find children play areas in local restaurants, which makes eating out as a family so much more enjoyable! New Zealand is full of restaurants other than McDonalds that have areas for kids to explore/hang out in while adults enjoy good meals.
   • For example, the Cyprus Tree in Ohakune is a wonderful place to stop for dinner after a full day of hiking/exploring Tongariro National Park (this is where the Morador volcano from the Lord of the Rings is located) because the food is tasty and there is a gigantic play area for the kids. This is essentially like your favorite local restaurant having a play place in the corner.
2. Unlike wineries in other destinations, kids are very welcome at wineries around the country.
   • Plus New Zealand has some of the best wine in the world, in some of the most stunning locations, at reasonable prices.
3. Everybody knows breweries are typically family friendly but New Zealand breweries go the extra mile by having play structures and activities for kids to burn off energy while you enjoy a nice drink or two. This means everybody is sleeping soundly at night!
   • For example, the Heke Kitchen Brewery and Distillery on Waiheke Island is a classy brewery with a play kitchen and a jumping blob for the kids.
4. New Zealand Airlines generally allow families to pre-board and give kids an activity bag for international flights.
5. Perhaps most importantly, New Zealand invests heavily in playgrounds throughout the country.
   • New Zealand’s Margaret Mahy Playground in Christchruch is the largest playground in the Southern Hemisphere
   • Plus many of the playgrounds are in stunning locations with wonderful scenery for the parents too.
6. The most family friendly hike the Sensible Traveler has ever encountered is called Jim’s hike. As we talk about in 6 Reasons Why you Should Visit Bay of Islands When Visiting New Zealand (And Some Reasons Why Not To Visit), the hike contains painted rocks for the kids to find and then encourages to find them and hide them in different places for the next hikers.

Well, there you have it. There are certainly other cultures and places that treat kids well but New Zealand should certainly be at the top of any Sensible Traveler’s list if you’re thinking about taking the kids.