FAMILY: How to make full-time life on the road compatible for your family

All in: Luxury fulltime family travel

While the Nascimentos and Averetts make it a point to travel somewhat affordably, others prefer a more luxurious approach. Phillip Lockwood owns a successful Colorado-based web design and digital marketing agency. When the pandemic hit, the Lockwoods plucked their three kids, now ages 9 to 14, from school and hit the road. They sold their Denver home and got dual memberships for a service called Inspirato. Starting at $2,500 per month, the family can stay in luxury homes around the world.

“It was time to leverage our career freedom and get the kids out of the textbook-based learning model,” Lockwood said, adding that the hardest part of full-time family travel for them is not having a home base. “You’re literally having to pack months in advance.”

Scheduling is also a challenge, he said, but schooltime and work hours tend to coincide. The couple finds afterhours time to produce videos for their fledgling YouTube channel, “Always Be Changing.”

Despite the challenges, the Lockwoods’ eyes have been opened through the education of full-time travel. Before this experience, none of the family had ever left North America. Now, they have experienced far-flung cultures and witnessed different perspectives that have left lasting impacts.

“It amazes me how moved I am by some of these trips,” Lockwood said.

While the Nascimentos are still full-time travelers, both the Lockwoods and Averetts have purchased homes in the Mountain West and still travel as much as possible. But the adventures stay with them.

“The takeaways weren’t the places we saw,” Averett said. “They were the experiences we had together.”

HORSES:

In a desert canyon outside San Miguel De Allende, Mexico, the Lockwoods took a private, eight-hour guided horseback tour that combined culture, education and adventure into one package and included eating cactus plucked from the trail.

OFFICE:

Phil Lockwood records a vlog from a dining room on Coronado Island, California. He says the nomad's life means your office is always in a new place.

WATER HOLE:

This 300-foot-deep cenote on the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico became an educational swimming hole for the Lockwoods.

PYRAMID:

Reagan (14), Phillip, Colt (9), Erin, and Brooklyn (10) pose at the pyramids of Chichén Itzá in Riviera Maya, Mexico, where they learned to write any number in Mayan from zero to infinity.

Traveling with kids on the cheap

Full-time travel can be expensive and at times uncomfortable. But Jessica Averett, mother of five “energetic and wild kids” who’s traveled with her family to nearly 40 countries, says it can be easier than you realize. Here are some pro tips to turn your family into global explorers.

START WITH CHEAP FLIGHTS With flexibility and advance planning, you can find flights to exotic places under $100.

AIRBNB IT “We rarely stay in hotels because they cost us a million dollars and it stinks to be stuck in a room with just beds,” Averett said, adding that tempers flare in tight quarters. Airbnbs can be cheaper while offering more space.

GO FOR THE LONG-TERM Airbnb and other similar platforms offer discounts for weeklong or monthlong visits. The Averetts targeted $70/night or less, then watched the rates drop as they piled on more time. Long-term stays also cut down on cleaning and administrative fees.

EAT LIKE A LOCAL Locals don’t eat out every night. Find the small markets, cook your own meals and ask around for great food on the cheap.

TRAVEL LIGHT Baggage no longer travels free unless you can pack super light. Plan for no more than basics and a few changes of clothes. “Each kid gets a storage cube and all their stuff has to fit in there,” Averett said.

SKIP THE CAR RENTAL With planning you can find walkable places or take a bus or taxi to your destination. Foreign countries often have cheaper public transport and more-expensive rental cars, especially for family-sized vehicles.

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