Tips for Traveling to a Foreign Country with Your Special Needs Child

Tips for Traveling to a Foreign Country with Your Special Needs Child

There are many different types of travel.  You can go somewhere close by for a weekend getaway.  Or you can go backpacking to Europe for six months.  Depending on where you’re going, you’ll have to prepare in different ways.  Plus, you’ll also need to take the requirements of your special needs child into consideration.  If you’re planning to travel to a foreign country, here are a few tips to help you prepare:

---

Air Tickets.  You can either buy your tickets directly from an agent or you can go online and scour all the websites that offer you discount tickets.  If you try the latter option, you can often end up with really good deals.  Priceline.com, for example, gives you the option of naming your own price and they’ll let you know if they can find any airline to accept that bid.

Currency.  You’ll need to exchange your money for the currency of the country that you’re going to visit.  This can also be done at the airport.  However, keep the value of that currency with regard to your own in mind so that you don’t end up overspending when you go there.  If your children are old enough to have spending money, you should also help them to understand how much the new currency is worth.  There’s no harm in whipping out your phone and calculating how much you’re spending every time you buy something.  That way, you won’t end up regretting your purchases.

Visas.  You should find out if the country that you’re visiting requires you to get a visa.  For example, U.S. nationals can travel around most places in Europe without a visa but they do need one to go to Brazil.  Sometimes, you can get the visa issued at the airport.  Do a bit of research to find out if this is a necessary step for you and your child.  You should be able to find out what types of documents are necessary for you to get the visa by looking on the internet.

Language.  If you’re going to a country where they speak a different language, you’ll need to at least learn a few phrases in that language so that you can get around and ask people for directions if need be.  This is something that even your special needs child might like to get involved with.  Children are often fascinated by new languages and customs.

Contact us for more great tips on traveling to a foreign country.