Frequently Asked Questions for Familys

Traveling Companions
Are Backroads Family Trips just for parents and children?
Our definition of family is quite broad. We invite grandparents, single parents, aunts, uncles, cousins and family friends to join in the fun of a Backroads Family Trip!

Is it possibe to find out the ages and gender of other children booked on a trip?
We know it’s more fun when kids have playmates near their own age. Just ask your Trip Consultant to give you the break down of ages. Remember, of course, that this information may change before your trip departs. Please also keep in mind that for the majority of our trips we have age recommendations not age restrictions. There may be kids of all ages on a Backroads Family Trip.

Will childcare be available during the trip?
Many of our hotels on Family Trips do offer childcare services. Your Trip Leaders are not available for childcare outside of scheduled kids’ activities. If you would like to arrange for childcare at other times, your leaders will help explore all reasonable avenues to find English-speaking caregivers in foreign destinations, but we can’t guarantee that childcare will be available. Please keep this in mind when selecting your trip. In the event you do opt for childcare, your leaders will provide contact information and you will be responsible for making the arrangements.

Age Restrictions and Recommendations
Do your family trips have age restrictions?
Yes. Some activities—such as rafting, canyoneering and horseback riding—have minimum age requirements. In addition, a small number of our family inn trips have minimum age requirements for enrollment due to hotel restrictions. And, while we don’t see many families with very young children, we do have a minimum age requirement of 2 years for all Camping Trips. Your Trip Consultant can give you the details for any trip you’re considering, or click here for more information.

What happens when kids are too young to participate in an age-restricted activity?
We consider this question carefully when setting recommended minimum ages for our family trips. While we pride ourselves on providing flexibility, there are times when available options are limited. For kids at or above the recommended age for the trip but too young for a specific activity, we always provide an alternate activity. When the child is below both the trip age recommendation and the specific activity requirement, we ask that a parent remain with the child and we do our best to suggest alternative activities.

My 6-year-old daughter is steady on her bike but not ready for the open road. What's your policy on this?
For safety reasons, we do not allow children 6 and younger to ride their own bikes; 6-year-olds may ride their own bikes only if we are on a bike path. In locations such as Tuscany where there is hilly terrain and some traffic, we raise the bar to 9 years old for kids riding their own bikes. Kids who are under the required age for riding their own bikes may ride a Piccolo with a parent. Note that pulling an 8-year-old uphill on a Piccolo can be challenging and there is a weight limit of 85 pounds.

On many of our trips, children ages 7-8 years may pedal their own bikes as long as they are safe, competent riders. This means they must be comfortable with light traffic, able to ride a straight line without weaving or losing balance, and able to handle gears and hand brakes. Note that if your leaders determine that your 7- or 8-year-old child is not riding safely, they will require a switch to a Piccolo or alternate activity.

In Yellowstone last summer our youngest son was 3 years old and we pulled him in a Burley trailer. Will he be able to ride a Piccolo now that he's 4?
Many kids ride a Piccolo at 4 though some still prefer a Burley trailer. In general, we find that kids ages 4-7 years ride Piccolos and kids ages 1-3 years ride in the Burley trailers. Note that children under the age of 1 year may not ride in a Burley trailer. And we do restrict the use of Burleys and Piccolos in some locations.

Are some trips better than other for younger or older kids?
Yes, though we understand that kids are individuals and have varying needs and desires regardless of their age. Taking many factors into consideration, we set recommended minimum ages for all of our family itineraries. You can ask your Trip Consultant for minimum age recommendations by trip or see the Family Trips page. Once again, we do not have minimum age restrictions for trip enrollment unless there is a hotel restriction.

How exactly do you determine the recommended minimum age for a given trip?
We make a judgment call based on our detailed knowledge of the itinerary and many years of experience in providing fantastic family vacations—including feedback from past guests. Specifically we consider: the number of age-restricted activities along with available options; whether the terrain is well-suited for Burleys and Piccolos; and the sophistication level of the hotels, dinner venues, even the cultural content (e.g., World War II content on our biking trip in Normandy). Please remember that if your child is younger than the recommended minimum age for your trip, then you will need to refrain from any age-restricted activity—we will do our best to suggest options during the trip.

Leaders and Safety
Are your Trip Leaders trained to effectively deal with the dynamics of children?
Our Trip Leaders are the most carefully selected and rigorously trained in the travel business. For Family Trips, we look for leaders who like, respect and want to be around kids and have experience in managing and/or teaching children. Equipped with a wealth of entertaining and educational resources, our leaders are experts at creating a comfortable, safe and fun environment for children. They can communicate at kids’ level, see the world through their eyes and have the energy to keep pace with even the most active kids. Each day of your trip, one Trip Leader will be completely dedicated to the role of Kid Coordinator. Please note that Trip Leaders do not provide childcare outside of these specific kids’ activities and that kids must be 5 and older to participate without a parent.

How do you encourage safe practives among children?
Safety is our top priority. Our Kid Coordinator presents a safety talk every day, providing tips for preventing accidents and staying safe. Playing games and leading by example are some ways we communicate the importance of safety to children.

How do you safely manage a group of kids of different ages and athletic abilities?
For starters, we design the biking and walking routes on our Family Trips with an array of length and difficulty options. Our Kid Coordinator will review these with you each morning and help you to make great choices for your family. During the course of the day, the Kid Coordinator and other Trip Leaders will monitor both adults and children to provide desired support. Our Family Trips are staffed with an additional leader and supported with an extra van so that we can provide the flexibility needed to keep traveling families happy.

Daily Logistics
Do adults and children spend all their time together?
We know from our own experience that families need a balance of time together and time apart. Each day of your Backroads family vacation will feature specific activities designed just for kids, giving parents a chance for some well-deserved adult time. These kids’ activities typically take place a couple of hours before dinner and on two days the activity may take most of the day, depending on what we’re up to—but the themes will always be exploration and fun! Please note that Trip Leaders do not provide childcare outside of these specific kids’ activities and that kids must be 5 and older to participate without a parent.

Do adults have a chance to bike or walk at their own pace and sometimes take long options?
If your children are 5 and older, you’ll have some time on your own each day when special activities for kids are scheduled. We typically plan two separate half-day activities for kids when the hiking or biking is more challenging, or if there’s a cultural experience, wine tasting, excellent shopping or a luxurious spa for adults to enjoy, without kids. And, of course, when there’s something spectacular for the kids to do!

Can kids ride in the support van without an adult relative?
Your child needs to be 8 years or older to ride in the support van without a parent. If you have a younger child who wants a lift, one parent must ride along.

Do kids need car seats when riding in the van?
Car seat laws vary by state and country; we’ve included a helpful chart for North America so that you can determine whether or not your child is required to be in a car seat for those destinations. While we provide car/booster seats for children 3-8 years of age, parents with children below this minimum age are responsible for bringing their own seats. Please contact a Trip Consultant for details.

U.S. State Age Requirement
Alaska 3 years and younger
California 5 years and younger
Hawaii 3 years and younger
Idaho 3 years and younger
Maine 8 years and younger
Montana Younger than 6
South Carolina 5 years and younger
Utah/Arizona 4 years and younger
Washington 5 years and younger
Wyoming 8 years and younger

Canada: Children 4 and under must be in a car seat.

*For more detailed information on child restraint laws, please visit the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s website.

Food/Dining
Do you offer healthy meal choices?
We know that kids have special tastes, so we make sure that our meals cater to their varied appetites without sacrificing yours. You and your family will find freshly made, healthy and delicious food on our picnics and Camping Trips, as well as quality cuisine with good kid options at our inns.

Do adults and children dine together every night?
On most trips, adults and children dine separately on two evenings. We realize that adult conversation and relaxed dining in the fine restaurants found on Backroads trips are an important part of the experience for parents. We also realize that long dinners can be tough on kids. On these evenings, our leaders will organize separate dinners for children 5 and older. If you are traveling with children under age 5, you must join the kids’ dinner with your child, or you can arrange for a childcare provider (if available). And, of course, you can always choose to dine separately as a family.

Lodging/Accomodations
What are the rooming choices for families?
Rooming options are dependent upon individual hotels. Typically we can arrange for single, double or triple rooms on all Family Trips. In some cases, a triple room may include a rollaway bed. In some European hotels with smaller rooms, triples may not be feasible.

Can you guarantee connecting or adjoining rooms for families when requested?
Once you make a specific request to your Trip Consultant, we will make every effort to secure rooms that connect, are adjacent, or at least near one another. Hotels will be advised of your request and Trip Leaders will follow up with hotels about special requests prior to check-in. Please note that connecting rooms are not available in all of our inns, particularly in Europe.

What about camping trips?
Our four-person dome tents comfortably accommodate two adults plus luggage. On Family Camping Trips we set up separate adjacent tents for parents and children. This way kids have a space of their own, which seems to work well for parents too! Of course, if you prefer, kids and parents can share one tent and luggage can be stored in the other.