Planning holidays as a single parent

Schritt für Schritt

1. Define your travel wishes and budget
2. Choose a destination with a short journey and little organising
3. Check accommodation with childcare or a family setting
4. Clarify documents and authorisations, current status at the FDFA
5. Check health and insurance questions
6. Plan the travel day with time buffers
7. Agree offers with your adviser

Checkliste

• Valid ID for all travellers
• Travel authorisation or consent of the other parent checked
• Entry requirements checked, current status at the FDFA
• Contact details and emergency numbers to hand
• Childcare at the accommodation checked
• Luggage and hand luggage packed as needed
• Travel insurance checked
• Children's medication packed

Which destinations are easy for single parents?

The less effort the journey takes, the more relaxed the holiday. Destinations such as Mallorca or Crete are reachable from Zurich in around two to three hours and offer resorts with a kids' club. Lake Garda is also doable without flying and offers short distances. Especially for a first trip as a pair or a threesome, a familiar pattern with clear routines is helpful.

Choose a destination where you have little to organise. A hotel with meals and childcare takes a lot off your hands, so the holiday is a holiday for you too. The season also plays a part: in the shoulder season resorts are quieter, and staff have more time for families.

Also plan time for arrival and settling in. The first hours at the hotel are often the most tiring.

Which accommodation offers the most relief?

Family hotels with a kids' club and half board are the simplest solution for many single parents. You have time for yourself while the children are looked after, and you do not have to cook. Ask whether rooms for three people are possible without large surcharges.

Alternatively, an apartment with a pool and a supermarket nearby offers flexibility. Look for short distances and a quiet location. Check whether the kids' club also provides care in the evening, in case you would like a meal in peace.

A room with a balcony or terrace is also worthwhile, so that you can sit outside once the children are asleep.

Documents and authorisations

Every child needs their own ID for trips abroad. If only one parent travels with the child, a declaration of consent from the other parent can be useful at the border. Please clarify legal questions with the competent authority, as we do not give information on them. Talk to the other parent early, so that nothing is left open at the last minute.

Check entry and ID requirements early, current status at the FDFA. Issuing ID documents takes time. Also note down an emergency number at home that you can reach from your holiday destination.

Keep copies of the documents separate from the originals. This helps in an emergency and gives extra peace of mind.

How do I plan the budget?

For single parents, room costs often weigh more heavily because single-occupancy prices apply. Ask hotels about family offers or child discounts. Prices vary by season and category. Also check whether the booking offers flexible cancellation terms in case plans change.

Weeks at the edge of the season are usually cheaper. If you are flexible, you save on flights and accommodation. Plan the budget generously and with a reserve, so that you do not have to think about every expense on site. Also ask about prices for drinks and snacks, because they make up a noticeable part for families.

At family hotels, ask about single-parent offers. Some houses offer discounts, but prices vary by season and category.

How do I manage the travel day alone?

Pack hand luggage so that you can manage with one hand. Snacks, a change of clothes and something to keep the children busy belong in it. Allow plenty of time at the airport. And give yourself time too, because the holiday should rest you as well, and that only works if not every minute is planned.

We advise you by video call and prepare the schedule with you, so that you start relaxed. Especially on departure it helps if you have arranged the transfer to the airport in advance and the schedule is clear.

How do you find relief while travelling?

Relief comes where you can hand over tasks. A kids' club, a buffet and a hotel pool take a lot off your plate. Deliberately plan times when you are just by yourself, even if it is only one hour a day.

Contacts on site help as well. Family hotels often offer chances to meet other families, and many children quickly make friends. That relieves the parents and makes the stay livelier.

Talk to your children about the schedule before the trip. If they know what is coming, there are fewer surprises and fewer arguments. Small tasks such as carrying their own backpack also strengthen independence.