round the world with kids

Thank you again for your replies. Thank you Hudson Family for your excellent advice about overplanning. (The mom in our home is definitely guilty of it:) When we think back though, some of our most memorable travel experiences before children happened because we had the flexibility to change plans when an opportunity presented itself. Moseler you are certainly right about there being plenty of things to occupy us just in the getting ready at home. Another good reason to plan a little less.

Well, can't resist adding to this...we are also a family from western Canada beginning to plan a RTW leaving late spring/summer 2013; 3 sons will be 11, 14, 14 at that time. We'd like to get to places a) my husband and I haven't been to before b) inexpensive as possible c) as exotic as possible (all of which means probably giving most of Europe a pass). Thinking maybe rail east across northern Europe to Moscow then TransSiberian, spurring off if feasible; add SEA; some part of Africa; central/south America. Pretty vague, but we still have a couple of years.

We plan to distance-ed the kids; though apparently elementary doesn't require much at all to move on to the next grade; and there seems to be universal agreement amongst teachers and parents we've talked to that missing gr 9 is a darn good idea.
Looking forward to hearing from those of you heading out ahead of us....

just a thought; the Olympics only lasts two weeks in summer 2012 and won't make that much difference to most of the UK.

you do want to avoid the rugby in NZ; but that will be over by October this year I believe.

I'm going to be travelling with my 7 year old son - middle east in autumn 2011, India around christmas, southeast asia in the early spring and then on to australia. We would love to talk with or meet up with other families who we might be able to see along the way - my son is worried about not being able to make any friends for any period of time!

Couple of pointers. To assess malarial risk zones, use the NHS Fit For Travel malaria map by country: http://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/advice/malaria.aspx

Australia is EXTREMELY expensive for anyone not earning Australian dollars, even if you are camping. More here: http://travelswithanineyearold.com/2010/12/02/oof-australia-budget-travel-costs-prices-exchange-rate-pound-londoners-bargains/

I'd second the advice about not over planning. It's one of the most common mistakes people make when planning a RTW trip, along with not factoring in travel time and recovery time:

http://travelswithanineyearold.com/2011/01/07/tuesdaytravel-tips-longterm-rtw-rtwsoon-planning-itinerary-mistakes-advice-tickets-tt-2/

Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy. And, Julie, travelling children learn to make friends very easily... Playgrounds are a good place to meet other kids, or just hanging out on the beach with locals...

Theodora

Thanks for your advice theodora. Advice about not over planning has been followed. We are in russia and will be going across russia on the transsiberian railway. Then in october to mongolia and china. Would love to talk to others doing the same! Especially families - my son is now 8.

Great to hear that you followed your dream! I hope I can do the same sometime.