voyage children's definition

Definition of 'voyage'

voyage in American English

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• American English : voyage / ˈvɔɪɪdʒ /
• Brazilian Portuguese : viagem
• Chinese : 航程
• European Spanish : travesía
• French : voyage
• German : Reise
• Italian : viaggio in nave, nello spazio
• Japanese : 旅
• Korean : 긴 여행
• European Portuguese : viagem
• Spanish : travesía
• Thai : การเดินทาง

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Voyages of Christopher Columbus facts for kids

Between 1492 and 1504, Italian explorer Christopher Columbus led four Spanish transatlantic maritime expeditions of discovery to the Americas . These voyages led to the widespread knowledge of the New World . This breakthrough inaugurated the period known as the Age of Discovery , which saw the colonization of the Americas , a related biological exchange , and trans-Atlantic trade . These events, the effects and consequences of which persist to the present, are often cited as the beginning of the modern era.

Born in the Republic of Genoa , Columbus was a navigator who sailed for the Crown of Castile (a predecessor to the modern Kingdom of Spain ) in search of a westward route to the Indies , thought to be the East Asian source of spices and other precious oriental goods obtainable only through arduous overland routes . Columbus was partly inspired by 13th-century Italian explorer Marco Polo in his ambition to explore Asia and never admitted his failure in this, incessantly claiming and pointing to supposed evidence that he had reached the East Indies. Ever since, the Bahamas as well as the islands of the Caribbean have been referred to as the West Indies .

At the time of Columbus's voyages, the Americas were inhabited by Indigenous Americans . Soon after first contact, Eurasian diseases such as smallpox began to devastate the indigenous populations . Columbus participated in the beginning of the Spanish conquest of the Americas , brutally treating and enslaving the natives in the range of thousands.

Columbus died in 1506, and the next year, the Americas were named after Amerigo Vespucci , who realized that these continents were a unique landmass. The search for a westward route to Asia was completed in 1521, when another Spanish voyage, the Magellan-Elcano expedition sailed across the Pacific Ocean and reached Southeast Asia , before returning to Europe and completing the first circumnavigation of the world.

Diameter of Earth and travel distance estimates

Trade winds, funding campaign, discovery of the americas, first return, caribbean exploration, hispaniola and jamaica, slavery, settlers, and tribute, colonist rebellions, bobadilla's inquiry, trial in spain, fourth voyage (1502–1504).

Many Europeans of Columbus's day assumed that a single, uninterrupted ocean surrounded Europe and Asia, although Norse explorers had colonized areas of North America beginning with Greenland c.  986 . The Norse maintained a presence in North America for hundreds of years, but contacts between their North American settlements and Europe had all but ceased by the early 15th century.

Until the mid-15th century, Europe enjoyed a safe land passage to China and India —sources of valued goods such as silk , spices , and opiates—under the hegemony of the Mongol Empire (the Pax Mongolica , or Mongol Peace). With the Fall of Constantinople to the Turkish Ottoman Empire in 1453, the land route to Asia (the Silk Road ) became more difficult as Christian traders were prohibited.

Portugal was the main European power interested in pursuing trade routes overseas, with the neighboring kingdom of Castile —predecessor to Spain —having been somewhat slower to begin exploring the Atlantic because of the land area it had to reconquer from the Moors during the Reconquista . This remained unchanged until the late 15th century, following the dynastic union by marriage of Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon (together known as the Catholic Monarchs of Spain ) in 1469, and the completion of the Reconquista in 1492, when the joint rulers conquered the Moorish kingdom of Granada, which had been providing Castile with African goods through tribute . The fledgling Spanish Empire decided to fund Columbus's expedition in hopes of finding new trade routes and circumventing the lock Portugal had secured on Africa and the Indian Ocean with the 1481 papal bull Aeterni regis .

Navigation plans

In response to the need for a new route to Asia, by the 1480s, Christopher and his brother Bartholomew had developed a plan to travel to the Indies (then construed roughly as all of southern and eastern Asia) by sailing directly west across what was believed to be the singular "Ocean Sea," the Atlantic Ocean. By about 1481, Florentine cosmographer Paolo dal Pozzo Toscanelli sent Columbus a map depicting such a route, with no intermediary landmass other than the mythical island of Antillia . In 1484 on the island of La Gomera in the Canaries , then undergoing conquest by Castile , Columbus heard from some inhabitants of El Hierro that there was supposed to be a group of islands to the west.

A popular misconception that Columbus had difficulty obtaining support for his plan because Europeans thought the Earth was flat can be traced back to a 17th-century campaign of Protestants against Catholicism, and was popularized in works such as Washington Irving 's 1828 biography of Columbus. In fact, the knowledge that the Earth is spherical was widespread, having been the general opinion of Ancient Greek science, and gaining support throughout the Middle Ages (for example, Bede mentions it in The Reckoning of Time ). The primitive maritime navigation of Columbus's time relied on both the stars and the curvature of the Earth.

Eratosthenes had measured the diameter of the Earth with good precision in the 2nd century BC, and the means of calculating its diameter using an astrolabe was known to both scholars and navigators. Where Columbus differed from the generally accepted view of his time was in his incorrect assumption of a significantly smaller diameter for the Earth, claiming that Asia could be easily reached by sailing west across the Atlantic. Most scholars accepted Ptolemy 's correct assessment that the terrestrial landmass (for Europeans of the time, comprising Eurasia and Africa ) occupied 180 degrees of the terrestrial sphere, and dismissed Columbus's claim that the Earth was much smaller, and that Asia was only a few thousand nautical miles to the west of Europe.

Columbus believed the incorrect calculations of Marinus of Tyre, putting the landmass at 225 degrees, leaving only 135 degrees of water. Moreover, Columbus underestimated Alfraganus's calculation of the length of a degree, reading the Arabic astronomer's writings as if, rather than using the Arabic mile (about 1,830 m), he had used the Italian mile (about 1,480 meters). Alfraganus had calculated the length of a degree to be 56⅔ Arabic miles (66.2 nautical miles). Columbus therefore estimated the size of the Earth to be about 75% of Eratosthenes's calculation, and the distance from the Canary Islands to Japan as 2,400 nautical miles (about 23% of the real figure).

There was a further element of key importance in the voyages of Columbus, the trade winds. He planned to first sail to the Canary Islands before continuing west by utilizing the northeast trade wind. Part of the return to Spain would require traveling against the wind using an arduous sailing technique called beating, during which almost no progress can be made. To effectively make the return voyage, Columbus would need to follow the curving trade winds northeastward to the middle latitudes of the North Atlantic, where he would be able to catch the " westerlies " that blow eastward to the coast of Western Europe.

The navigational technique for travel in the Atlantic appears to have been exploited first by the Portuguese, who referred to it as the volta do mar ('turn of the sea'). Columbus's knowledge of the Atlantic wind patterns was, however, imperfect at the time of his first voyage. By sailing directly due west from the Canary Islands during hurricane season , skirting the so-called horse latitudes of the mid-Atlantic, Columbus risked either being becalmed or running into a tropical cyclone , both of which, by chance, he avoided.

Around 1484, King John II of Portugal submitted Columbus's proposal to his experts, who rejected it on the basis that Columbus's estimation of a travel distance of 2,400 nautical miles was about four times too low (which was accurate).

In 1486, Columbus was granted an audience with the Catholic Monarchs, and he presented his plans to Isabella. She referred these to a committee, which determined that Columbus had grossly underestimated the distance to Asia. Pronouncing the idea impractical, they advised the monarchs not to support the proposed venture. To keep Columbus from taking his ideas elsewhere, and perhaps to keep their options open, the Catholic Monarchs gave him an allowance, totaling about 14,000 maravedís for the year, or about the annual salary of a sailor.

In 1488 Columbus again appealed to the court of Portugal, receiving a new invitation for an audience with John II. This again proved unsuccessful, in part because not long afterwards Bartolomeu Dias returned to Portugal following a successful rounding of the southern tip of Africa. With an eastern sea route now under its control, Portugal was no longer interested in trailblazing a western trade route to Asia crossing unknown seas.

In May 1489, Isabella sent Columbus another 10,000 maravedis , and the same year the Catholic Monarchs furnished him with a letter ordering all cities and towns under their domain to provide him food and lodging at no cost.

As Queen Isabella's forces neared victory over the Moorish Emirate of Granada for Castile, Columbus was summoned to the Spanish court for renewed discussions. He waited at King Ferdinand's camp until January 1492, when the monarchs conquered Granada. A council led by Isabella's confessor, Hernando de Talavera , found Columbus's proposal to reach the Indies implausible. Columbus had left for France when Ferdinand intervened, first sending Talavera and Bishop Diego Deza to appeal to the queen. Isabella was finally convinced by the king's clerk Luis de Santángel , who argued that Columbus would bring his ideas elsewhere, and offered to help arrange the funding. Isabella then sent a royal guard to fetch Columbus, who had travelled several kilometers toward Córdoba.

In the April 1492 " Capitulations of Santa Fe ", Columbus was promised he would be given the title "Admiral of the Ocean Sea" and appointed viceroy and governor of the newly claimed and colonized for the Crown; he would also receive ten percent of all the revenues from the new lands in perpetuity if he was successful. He had the right to nominate three people, from whom the sovereigns would choose one, for any office in the new lands. The terms were unusually generous but, as his son later wrote, the monarchs were not confident of his return.

First voyage (1492–1493)

For his westward voyage to find a shorter route to the Orient , Columbus and his crew took three medium-sized ships, the largest of which was a carrack (Spanish: nao ), the Santa María , which was owned and captained by Juan de la Cosa , and under Columbus's direct command. The other two were smaller caravels ; the name of one is lost, but is known by the Castilian nickname Pinta ('painted one'). The other, the Santa Clara , was nicknamed the Niña ('girl'), perhaps in reference to her owner, Juan Niño of Moguer. The Pinta and the Niña were piloted by the Pinzón brothers ( Martín Alonso and Vicente Yáñez , respectively). On the morning of 3 August 1492, Columbus departed from Palos de la Frontera , going down the Rio Tinto and into the Atlantic.

Three days into the journey, on 6 August 1492, the rudder of the Pinta broke. Martín Alonso Pinzón suspected the owners of the ship of sabotage, as they were afraid to go on the journey. The crew was able to secure the rudder with ropes until they could reach the Canary Islands, where they arrived on 9 August. The Pinta had its rudder replaced on the island of Gran Canaria , and by September 2 the ships rendezvoused at La Gomera, where the Niña ' s lateen sails were re-rigged to standard square sails. Final provisions were secured, and on 6 September the ships departed San Sebastián de La Gomera for what turned out to be a five-week-long westward voyage across the Atlantic.

As described in the abstract of his journal made by Bartolomé de las Casas , on the outward bound voyage Columbus recorded two sets of distances: one was in measurements he normally used, the other in the Portuguese maritime leagues used by his crew. Las Casas originally interpreted that he reported the shorter distances to his crew so they would not worry about sailing too far from Spain, but Oliver Dunn and James Kelley state that this was a misunderstanding.

On 13 September 1492, Columbus observed that the needle of his compass no longer pointed to the North Star . It was once believed that Columbus had discovered magnetic declination, but it was later shown that the phenomenon was already known, both in Europe and in China.

After 29 days out of sight of land, on 7 October 1492, the crew spotted "[i]mmense flocks of birds", some of which his sailors trapped and determined to be "field" birds (probably Eskimo curlews and American golden plovers ). Columbus changed course to follow their flight.

On 11 October, Columbus changed the fleet's course to due west, and sailed through the night, believing land was soon to be found. At around 10:00 in the evening, Columbus thought he saw a light "like a little wax candle rising and falling". Four hours later, land was sighted by a sailor named Rodrigo de Triana (also known as Juan Rodríguez Bermejo) aboard the Pinta . Triana immediately alerted the rest of the crew with a shout, and the ship's captain, Martín Alonso Pinzón, verified the land sighting and alerted Columbus by firing a lombard. Columbus would later assert that he had first seen land, thus earning the promised annual reward of 10,000 maravedís .

Columbus called this island San Salvador, in the present-day Bahamas ; the indigenous residents had named it Guanahani . According to Samuel Eliot Morison , San Salvador Island is the only island fitting the position indicated by Columbus's journal. Columbus wrote of the natives he first encountered in his journal entry of 12 October 1492:

Many of the men I have seen have scars on their bodies, and when I made signs to them to find out how this happened, they indicated that people from other nearby islands come to San Salvador to capture them; they defend themselves the best they can. I believe that people from the mainland come here to take them as slaves . They ought to make good and skilled servants, for they repeat very quickly whatever we say to them. I think they can very easily be made Christians, for they seem to have no religion. If it pleases our Lord, I will take six of them to Your Highnesses when I depart, in order that they may learn our language.

Columbus called the indigenous Americans indios (Spanish for Indians) in the mistaken belief that he had reached the East Indies; the islands of the Caribbean are termed the West Indies after this error. Columbus initially encountered the Lucayan , Taíno , and Arawak peoples. Noting their gold ear ornaments, Columbus took some of the Arawaks prisoner and insisted that they guide him to the source of the gold. Columbus noted that their primitive weapons and military tactics made the natives susceptible to easy conquest.

Columbus observed the people and their cultural lifestyle. He also explored the northeast coast of Cuba , landing on 28 October 1492, and the north-western coast of Hispaniola , present day Haiti , by 5 December 1492. Here, the Santa Maria ran aground on Christmas Day , 25 December 1492, and had to be abandoned. Columbus was received by the native cacique Guacanagari , who gave him permission to leave some of his men behind. Columbus left 39 men, including the interpreter Luis de Torres , and founded the settlement of La Navidad. He kept sailing along the northern coast of Hispaniola with a single ship, until he encountered Pinzón and the Pinta on 6 January.

On 13 January 1493, Columbus made his last stop of this voyage in the Americas, in the Bay of Rincón at the eastern end of the Samaná Peninsula in northeast Hispaniola. There he encountered the Ciguayos , the only natives who offered violent resistance during his first voyage to the Americas. The Ciguayos refused to trade the amount of bows and arrows that Columbus desired; in the ensuing clash one Ciguayo was stabbed and another wounded with an arrow in his chest. Because of this and because of the Ciguayos' use of arrows, he called the inlet where he met them the Bay of Arrows (or Gulf of Arrows). On 16 January 1493, the homeward journey was begun.

Four natives who boarded the Niña at Samaná Peninsula told Columbus of what was interpreted as the Isla de Carib (probably Puerto Rico ), which was supposed to be populated by cannibalistic Caribs, as well as Matinino, an island populated only by women, which Columbus associated with an island in the Indian Ocean that Marco Polo had described.

While returning to Spain, the Niña and Pinta encountered the roughest storm of their journey, and, on the night of 13 February, lost contact with each other. All hands on the Niña vowed, if they were spared, to make a pilgrimage to the nearest church of Our Lady wherever they first made land. On the morning of 15 February, land was spotted. Columbus believed they were approaching the Azores Islands , but other members of the crew felt that they were considerably north of the islands. Columbus turned out to be right. On the night of 17 February, the Niña laid anchor at Santa Maria Island , but the cable broke on sharp rocks, forcing Columbus to stay offshore until the morning, when a safer location was found to drop anchor nearby. A few sailors took a boat to the island, where they were told by several islanders of a still safer place to land, so the Niña moved once again. At this spot, Columbus took on board several islanders who had gathered onshore with food, and told them that his crew wished to come ashore to fulfill their vow. The islanders told him that a small shrine dedicated to Our Lady was nearby.

Columbus sent half of the crew members to the island to fulfill their vow, but he and the rest of the crew stayed on the Niña , planning to send the other half to the island upon the return of the first crew members. While the first crew members were saying their prayers at the shrine, they were taken prisoner by the islanders, under orders from the island's captain, João de Castanheira, ostensibly out of fear that the men were pirates. The boat that the crew members had taken to the island was then commandeered by Castanheira, which he took with several armed men to the Niña , in an attempt to arrest Columbus. During a verbal battle across the bows of both craft, during which Columbus did not grant permission for him to come aboard, Castanheira announced that he did not believe or care who Columbus said that he was, especially if he was indeed from Spain. Castanheira returned to the island. However, after another two days, Castanheira released the prisoners, having been unable to get confessions from them, and having been unable to capture his real target, Columbus. There are later claims that Columbus was also captured, but this is not backed up by Columbus's log book.

Leaving the island of Santa Maria in the Azores on 23 February, Columbus headed for Castilian Spain, but another storm forced him into Lisbon . He anchored next to the king's harbor patrol ship on 4 March 1493, where he was told a fleet of 100 caravels had been lost in the storm. Astoundingly, both the Niña and the Pinta had been spared. Not finding King John II of Portugal in Lisbon, Columbus wrote a letter to him and waited for the king's reply. After receiving the letter, the king agreed to meet with Columbus in Vale do Paraíso despite poor relations between Portugal and Castile at the time. Upon learning of Columbus's discoveries, the Portuguese king informed him that he believed the voyage to be in violation of the 1479 Treaty of Alcáçovas . After spending more than a week in Portugal, Columbus set sail for Spain. Columbus arrived back in Palos on 15 March 1493 and later met with Ferdinand and Isabella in Barcelona to report his findings.

Columbus showed off what he had brought back from his voyage to the monarchs, including a few small samples of gold, pearls , gold jewelry from the natives, flowers, and a hammock. He gave the monarchs a few of the gold nuggets, gold jewelry, and pearls, as well as the previously unknown tobacco plant, the pineapple fruit, the turkey, and the hammock. The monarchs invited Columbus to dine with them. He did not bring any of the coveted East Indies spices, such as the exceedingly expensive black pepper, ginger or cloves. In his log, he wrote "there is also plenty of 'ají', which is their pepper, which is more valuable than black pepper, and all the people eat nothing else, it being very wholesome".

Upon first landing in the Americas, Columbus had written to the monarchs offering to enslave some of the indigenous Americans. While the Caribs may have met the sovereign's requirements for such treatment on the grounds of their aggressiveness towards the peaceful Taíno, Columbus had yet to meet them and only brought Taínos before the sovereigns. In Columbus's letter on the first voyage , addressed to the Spanish court, he insisted he had reached Asia, describing the island of Hispaniola as being off the coast of China. He emphasized the potential riches of the land and that the natives seemed ready to convert to Christianity. The descriptions in this letter, which was translated into multiple languages and widely distributed, were idealized, particularly regarding the supposed abundance of gold:

Hispaniola is a miracle. Mountains and hills, plains and pastures, are both fertile and beautiful ... the harbors are unbelievably good and there are many wide rivers of which the majority contain gold. ... There are many spices, and great mines of gold and other metals...

Upon Columbus's return, most people initially accepted that he had reached the East Indies, including the sovereigns and Pope Alexander VI , though in a letter to the Vatican dated 1 November 1493, the historian Peter Martyr described Columbus as the discoverer of a Novi Orbis (' New Globe '). The pope issued four bulls (the first three of which are collectively known as the Bulls of Donation ), to determine how Spain and Portugal would colonize and divide the spoils of the new lands. Inter caetera , issued 4 May 1493, divided the world outside Europe between Spain and Portugal along a north–south meridian 100 leagues west of either the Azores or Cape Verde Islands in the mid-Atlantic, thus granting Spain all the land discovered by Columbus. The 1494 Treaty of Tordesillas , ratified the next decade by Pope Julius II , moved the dividing line to 370 leagues west of the Azores or Cape Verde.

Second voyage (1493–1496)

The stated purpose of the second voyage was to convert the indigenous Americans to Christianity. Before Columbus left Spain, he was directed by Ferdinand and Isabella to maintain friendly, even loving, relations with the natives. He set sail from Cádiz , Spain, on 25 September 1493.

The fleet for the second voyage was much larger: two naos and 15 caravels. The two naos were the flagship Marigalante ("Gallant Mary") and the Gallega ; the caravels were the Fraila ('the nun'), San Juan , Colina ('the hill'), Gallarda ('the gallant'), Gutierre , Bonial , Rodriga , Triana , Vieja ('the old'), Prieta ('the brown'), Gorda ('the fat'), Cardera , and Quintera . The Niña returned for this expedition, which also included a ship named Pinta probably identical to that from the first expedition. In addition, the expedition saw the construction of the first ship in the Americas, the Santa Cruz or India .

On 3 November 1493, Christopher Columbus landed on a rugged shore on an island that he named Dominica . On the same day, he landed at Marie-Galante , which he named Santa María la Galante. After sailing past Les Saintes (Todos los Santos), he arrived at Guadeloupe (Santa María de Guadalupe), which he explored between 4 November and 10 November 1493. The exact course of his voyage through the Lesser Antilles is debated, but it seems likely that he turned north, sighting and naming many islands including Santa María de Montserrat ( Montserrat ), Santa María la Antigua ( Antigua ), Santa María la Redonda ( Saint Martin ), and Santa Cruz ( Saint Croix , on 14 November). He also sighted and named the island chain of the Santa Úrsula y las Once Mil Vírgenes (the Virgin Islands ), and named the islands of Virgen Gorda.

The fleet continued to the Greater Antilles , and landed on the island of San Juan Bautista, present-day Puerto Rico, on 19 November 1493.

On 22 November, Columbus sailed from San Juan Bautista to Hispaniola. The next morning, a native taken during the first voyage was returned to Samaná Bay . The fleet sailed about 170 miles over two days. On the night of 27 November, cannons and flares were ignited in an attempt to signal La Navidad, but there was no response. A canoe party led by a cousin of Guacanagari presented Columbus with two golden masks and told him that Guacanagari had been injured by another chief, Caonabo , and that except for some Spanish casualties resulting from sickness and quarrel, the rest of his men were well. The next day, the Spanish fleet discovered the burnt remains of the Navidad fortress, and Guacanagari's cousin admitted that the Europeans had been wiped out by Caonabo. While some suspicion was placed on Guacanagari, it gradually emerged that two of the Spaniards had formed a murderous gang in search of gold, prompting Caonabo's wrath. The fleet then fought the winds, traveling only 32 miles over 25 days, and arriving at a plain on the north coast of Hispaniola on 2 January 1494. There, they established the settlement of La Isabela . Columbus spent some time exploring the interior of the island for gold. Finding some, he established a small fort in the interior.

Columbus left Hispaniola on 24 April 1494, and arrived at the island of Cuba (which he had named Juana during his first voyage) on 30 April and Discovery Bay, Jamaica, on 5 May. He explored the south coast of Cuba, which he believed to be a peninsula of China rather than an island, and several nearby islands including La Evangelista (the Isle of Youth ), before returning to Hispaniola on 20 August.

Columbus had planned for Queen Isabella to set up trading posts with the cities of the Far East made famous by Marco Polo, but whose Silk Road and eastern maritime routes had been blockaded to her crown's trade. However, Columbus would never find Cathay (China) or Zipangu ( Japan ), and there was no longer any Great Khan for trade treaties.

In 1494, Columbus sent Alonso de Ojeda (whom a contemporary described as "always the first to draw blood wherever there was a war or quarrel") to Cibao (where gold was being mined for), which resulted in Ojeda's capturing several natives on an accusation of theft. Ojeda sent them to La Isabela in chains, where Columbus ordered them to be executed. During his brief reign, Columbus executed Spanish colonists for minor crimes. By the end of 1494, disease and famine had claimed two-thirds of the Spanish settlers. A native Nahuatl account depicts the social breakdown that accompanied the pandemic : "A great many died from this plague, and many others died of hunger. They could not get up to search for food, and everyone else was too sick to care for them."

By 1494, Columbus had shared his viceroyship with one of his military officers named Margarit, ordering him to prioritize Christianizing the natives. Columbus's brother Diego warned Margarit to follow the admiral's orders, which provoked him to take three caravels back to Spain. Fray Buil, who was supposed to perform baptisms, accompanied Margarit. After arriving in Spain in late 1494, Buil complained to the Spanish court of the Columbus brothers and that there was no gold. Groups of Margarit's soldiers who remained in the west continued brutalizing the natives. Instead of forbidding this, Columbus participated in enslaving the indigenous people. In February 1495, he took over 1,500 Arawaks, some of whom had rebelled against the oppression of the colonists, and many of whom were subsequently released or taken by the Caribs. That month, Columbus shipped approximately 500 of these Americans to Spain to be sold as slaves; about 40% died en route, and half of the rest were sick upon arrival. In June of that year, the Spanish crown sent ships and supplies to the colony on Hispaniola, which Florentine merchant Gianotto Berardi had helped procure. In October, Berardi received almost 40,000 maravedís worth of slaves, who were alleged to be prisoners.

Columbus's tribute system was described by his son Ferdinand: "In the Cibao, where the gold mines were, every person of fourteen years of age or upward was to pay a large hawk's bell of gold dust; all others were each to pay 25 pounds of cotton. Whenever an Indian delivered his tribute, he was to receive a brass or copper token which he must wear about his neck as proof that he had made his payment; any Indian found without such a token was to be punished." Since there was no abundance of gold on the island, the natives had no chance of meeting Columbus's quota and thousands are reported to have taken their lives. By 1497, the tribute system had all but collapsed.

Columbus became ill in 1495, and during this time, his troops acted out of order, enacting cruelties on the natives to learn where the supposed gold was. When he recovered, he led men and dogs to hunt down natives who fled their forced duties. Brutalities were carried out even against natives who were sick and unarmed. In addition, Spanish colonists under Columbus's rule began to buy and sell natives as slaves.

The Spanish fleet departed La Isabela on 10 March 1496. Again set back by unfavorable trade winds, supplies began to run low; on 10 April, Columbus requested food from the natives of Guadeloupe. Upon going ashore, the Spaniards were ambushed by arrows; in response, they destroyed some huts. They then held a group of 13 native women and children hostage to force a sale of cassava . The Niña and India left Guadeloupe on 20 April. On 8 June, the fleeted landed at Portugal, near Odemira, and returned to Spain via the Bay of Cádiz on 11 June.

Third voyage (1498–1500)

According to the abstract of Columbus's journal made by Bartolomé de Las Casas, the objective of the third voyage was to verify the existence of a continent that King John II of Portugal suggested was located to the southwest of the Cape Verde Islands. King John reportedly knew of the existence of such a mainland because "canoes had been found which set out from the coast of Guinea [West Africa] and sailed to the west with merchandise." Italian explorer John Cabot probably reached the mainland of the American continent in June 1497, although his landing site is disputed.

On 30 May 1498, Columbus left with six ships from Sanlúcar, Spain , for his third trip to the Americas. Three of the ships headed directly for Hispaniola with much-needed supplies, while Columbus took the other three in an exploration of what might lie to the south of the Caribbean islands he had already visited, including a hoped-for passage to continental Asia. Columbus led his fleet to the Portuguese island of Porto Santo, his wife's native land. He then sailed to Madeira and spent some time there with the Portuguese captain João Gonçalves da Camara, before sailing to the Canary Islands and Cape Verde.

On 13 July, Columbus's fleet entered the doldrums of the mid-Atlantic, where they were becalmed for several days, the heat doing damage to their ships, food, and water supply. An easterly wind finally propelled them westwards, which was maintained until 22 July, when birds flying from southwest to northeast were sighted, and the fleet turned north in the direction of Dominica. The men sighted the land of Trinidad on 31 July, approaching from the southeast. The fleet sailed along the southern coast and entered Dragon's Mouth, anchoring near Soldado Rock (west of Icacos Point, Trinidad's southwesternmost point) where they made contact with a group of Amerindians in canoes. On 1 August, Columbus and his men arrived at a landmass near the mouth of South America 's Orinoco river, in the region of modern-day Venezuela . Columbus recognized from the topography that it must be the continent's mainland, but while describing it as an otro mundo ('other world'), retained the belief that it was Asia—and perhaps an Earthly Paradise . On 2 August, they landed at Icacos Point (which Columbus named Punta de Arenal) in modern Trinidad , narrowly avoiding a violent encounter with the natives. Early on 4 August, a tsunami nearly capsized Columbus's ship. The men sailed across the Gulf of Paria , and on 5 August, landed on the mainland of South America at the Paria Peninsula . Columbus, suffering from a monthlong bout of insomnia and impaired vision from his bloodshot eyes, authorized the other fleet captains to go ashore first: one planted a cross, and the other recorded that Columbus subsequently landed to formally take the province for Spain. They sailed further west, where the sight of pearls compelled Columbus to send men to obtain some, if not gold. The natives provided nourishment including a maize wine, new to Columbus. Compelled to reach Hispaniola before the food aboard his ship spoiled, Columbus was disappointed to discover that they had sailed into a gulf, and while they had obtained fresh water, they had to go back east to reach open waters again.

Making observations with a quadrant at sea, Columbus inaccurately measured the polar radius of the North Star's diurnal motion to be five degrees, double the value of another erroneous reading he had made from further north. This led him to describe the figure of the Earth as pear-shaped, with the "stalk" portion ascending towards Heaven. (In fact, the Earth ever so slightly is pear-shaped, with its "stalk" pointing north.) He then sailed to the islands of Chacachacare and Margarita (reaching the latter on 14 August), and sighted Tobago (which he named Bella Forma) and Grenada (which he named Concepción).

In poor health, Columbus returned to Hispaniola on 19 August, only to find that many of the Spanish settlers of the new colony were in rebellion against his rule, claiming that Columbus had misled them about the supposedly bountiful riches they expected to find. A number of returning settlers and sailors lobbied against Columbus at the Spanish court, accusing him and his brothers of gross mismanagement. He had an economic interest in the enslavement of the Hispaniola natives and for that reason was not eager to baptize them, which attracted criticism from some churchmen. An entry in his journal from September 1498 reads: "From here one might send, in the name of the Holy Trinity, as many slaves as could be sold ..."

Columbus was eventually forced to make peace with the rebellious colonists on humiliating terms. In 1500, the Crown had him removed as governor, arrested, and transported in chains to Spain. He was eventually freed and allowed to return to the Americas, but not as governor. As an added insult, in 1499, the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama returned from his first voyage to India, having sailed east around the southern tip of Africa—unlocking a sea route to Asia.

Governorship

After his second journey, Columbus had requested that 330 people be sent to stay permanently (though voluntarily) on Hispaniola, all on the king's pay. Specifically, he asked for 100 men to work as wood men soldiers and laborers, 50 farmers, 40 squires, 30 sailors, 30 cabin boys, 20 goldsmiths, 10 gardeners, 20 handymen, and 30 women. In addition to this, plans were made to maintain friars and clergymen, a physician, a pharmacist, an herbalist, and musicians for entertaining the colonists. Fearing that the king was going to restrict money allotted for wages, Columbus suggested that Spanish criminals be pardoned in exchange for a few years unpaid service in Hispaniola, and the king agreed to this. A pardon for the death penalty would require two years of service, and one year of service was required for lesser crimes. They also instructed that those who had been sentenced to exile would also be redirected to be exiled in Hispaniola.

These new colonists were sent directly to Hispaniola in three ships with supplies, while Columbus was taking an alternate route with the other three ships to explore. As these new Colonists arrived on Hispaniola, a rebellion was brewing under Francisco Roldán (a man Columbus had left as chief mayor, under his brothers Diego and Bartolomew). By the time Columbus arrived on Hispaniola, Roldán held the territory of Xaraguá, and some of the new colonists had joined his rebellion. Over months, Columbus tried negotiating with the rebels. At his behest, Roldán tried the other rebels, ordering his former partner, Adrián de Mújica, to be executed.

Columbus was physically and mentally exhausted; his body was wracked by arthritis and his eyes by ophthalmia. In October 1499, he sent two ships to Spain, asking the Court of Castile to appoint a royal commissioner to help him govern. On 3 February 1500, he returned to Santo Domingo with plans to sail back to Spain to defend himself from the accounts of the rebels.

The sovereigns gave Francisco de Bobadilla , a member of the Order of Calatrava, complete control as governor in the Americas. Bobadilla arrived in Santo Domingo in August 1500, where Diego was overseeing the execution of rebels, while Columbus was suppressing a revolt at Grenada. Bobadilla had orders to find out "which persons were the ones who rose up against the admiral and our justice and for what cause and reason, and what ... damage they have done," then "detain those whom you find guilty ... and confiscate their goods." The crown's command regarding Columbus dictated that the admiral must relinquish all control of the colonies, keeping only his personal wealth.

Bobadilla used force to prevent the execution of several prisoners, and subsequently took charge of Columbus's possessions, including papers which he would have used to defend himself in Spain. Bobadilla suspended the tribute system for a twenty-year period, then summoned the admiral. In early October 1500, Columbus and Diego presented themselves to Bobadilla, and were put in chains aboard La Gorda , Columbus's own ship. Only the ship's cook was willing to put the shamed admiral in chains. Bobadilla took much of Columbus's gold and other treasures. Ferdinand Columbus recorded that the governor took "testimony from their open enemies, the rebels, and even showing open favor," and auctioned off some of his father's possessions "for one third of their value."

Bobadilla's inquiry produced testimony that Columbus forced priests not to baptize natives without his express permission, so he could first decide whether or not they should be sold into slavery. He allegedly captured a tribe of 300 under Roldán's protection to be sold into slavery, and informed other Christians that half of the indigenous servants should be yielded to him.

A number of returned settlers and friars lobbied against Columbus at the Spanish court, accusing him of mismanagement. By his own request, Columbus remained in chains during the entire voyage home. Once in Cádiz, a grieving Columbus wrote to a friend at court:

It is now seventeen years since I came to serve these princes with the Enterprise of the Indies. They made me pass eight of them in discussion, and at the end rejected it as a thing of jest. Nevertheless I persisted therein... Over there I have placed under their sovereignty more land than there is in Africa and Europe, and more than 1,700 islands... In seven years I, by the divine will, made that conquest. At a time when I was entitled to expect rewards and retirement, I was incontinently arrested and sent home loaded with chains... The accusation was brought out of malice on the basis of charges made by civilians who had revolted and wished to take possession on the land... I beg your graces, with the zeal of faithful Christians in whom their Highnesses have confidence, to read all my papers, and to consider how I, who came from so far to serve these princes... now at the end of my days have been despoiled of my honor and my property without cause, wherein is neither justice nor mercy.

Columbus and his brothers were jailed for six weeks before the busy King Ferdinand ordered them released. On 12 December 1500, the king and queen summoned the Columbus brothers to their presence at the Alhambra palace in Granada . With his chains at last removed, Columbus wore shortened sleeves so the marks on his skin would be visible. At the palace, the royal couple heard the brothers' pleas; Columbus was brought to tears as he admitted his faults and begged for forgiveness. Their freedom was restored. On 3 September 1501, the door was firmly shut on Columbus's role as governor. From that point forward, Nicolás de Ovando y Cáceres was to be the new governor of the Indies, although Columbus retained the titles of admiral and viceroy. A royal mandate dated 27 September ordered Bobadilla to return Columbus's possessions.

After much persuasion, the sovereigns agreed to fund Columbus's fourth voyage. It would be his final chance to prove himself and become the first man ever to circumnavigate the world . Columbus's goal was to find the Strait of Malacca to the Indian Ocean. On 14 March 1502, Columbus started his fourth voyage with 147 men and with strict orders from the king and queen which instructed him not to stop at Hispaniola, but only to search for a westward passage to the Indian Ocean mainland. Before he left, Columbus wrote a letter to the Governors of the Bank of Saint George, Genoa, dated at Seville, 2 April 1502. He wrote "Although my body is here my heart is always near you." Accompanied by his stepbrother Bartolomeo , Diego Mendez, and his 13-year-old son Ferdinand, he left Cádiz on 9 May 1502, with his flagship, Capitana , as well as the Gallega , Vizcaína, and Santiago de Palos . They first sailed to Arzila on the Moroccan coast to rescue the Portuguese soldiers who he heard were under siege by the Moors.

After using the trade winds to cross the Atlantic in a brisk twenty days, on 15 June, they landed at Carbet on the island of Martinique (Martinica). Columbus anticipated that a hurricane was brewing and had a ship that needed to be replaced, so he headed to Hispaniola, despite being forbidden to land there. He arrived at Santo Domingo on June 29, but was denied port, and the new governor refused to listen to his warning of a storm. While Columbus's ships sheltered at the mouth of the Haina River, Governor Bobadilla departed, with Roldán and over US$10 million worth of Columbus's gold aboard his ship, accompanied by a convoy of 30 other vessels. Columbus's personal gold and other belongings were put on the fragile Aguya , considered the fleet's least seaworthy vessel. The onset of a hurricane drove some ships ashore, with some sinking in the harbor of Santo Domingo; Bobadilla's ship is thought to have reached the eastern end of Hispaniola before sinking. About 20 other vessels sank in the Atlantic, with a total of some 500 people drowning. Three damaged ships made it back to Santo Domingo; one of these had Juan de la Cosa and Rodrigo de Bastidas on board. Only the Aguya made it to Spain, causing some of Columbus's enemies to accuse him of conjuring the storm.

After the hurricane, Columbus regrouped with his men, and after a brief stop at Jamaica and off the coast of Cuba to replenish, he sailed to modern Central America , arriving at Guanaja (Isla de los Pinos) in the Bay Islands off the coast of Honduras on 30 July 1502. Here Bartolomeo found native merchants—possibly (but not conclusively) Mayans —and a large canoe, which was described as "long as a galley" and was filled with cargo. The natives introduced Columbus and his entourage to cacao . Columbus spoke with an elder, and thought he described having seen people with swords and horses (possibly the Spaniards), and that they were "only ten days' journey to the river Ganges ". On 14 August, Columbus landed on the mainland of the Americas at Puerto Castilla, near Trujillo, Honduras. He spent two months exploring the coasts of Honduras, Nicaragua , and Costa Rica looking for the passage, before arriving in Almirante Bay, Panama , on 16 October.

In mid-November, Columbus was told by some of the natives that a province called Ciguare "lie just nine days' journey by land to the west", or some 200 miles from his location in Veragua. Here was supposed to be found "gold without limit", "people who wear coral on their heads" who "know of pepper", "do business in fairs and markets", and who were "accustomed to warfare". Columbus would later write to the sovereigns that, according to the natives, "the sea encompasses Ciguare and ... it is a journey of ten days to the Ganges River." This could suggest that Columbus knew he had found a unknown continent distinct from Asia.

On 5 December 1502, Columbus and his crew found themselves in a storm unlike any they had ever experienced. In his journal Columbus writes,

For nine days I was as one lost, without hope of life. Eyes never beheld the sea so angry, so high, so covered with foam. The wind not only prevented our progress, but offered no opportunity to run behind any headland for shelter; hence we were forced to keep out in this bloody ocean, seething like a pot on a hot fire. Never did the sky look more terrible; for one whole day and night it blazed like a furnace, and the lightning broke with such violence that each time I wondered if it had carried off my spars and sails; the flashes came with such fury and frightfulness that we all thought that the ship would be blasted. All this time the water never ceased to fall from the sky; I do not say it rained, for it was like another deluge. The men were so worn out that they longed for death to end their dreadful suffering.

In Panamá, he learned from the Ngobe of gold and a strait to another ocean. After some exploration, he established a garrison at the mouth of Belén River in January 1503. By 6 April, the garrison he had established captured the local tribe leader El Quibían, who had demanded they not go down the Belén River. El Quibían escaped, and returned with an army to attack and repel the Spanish, damaging some of the ships so that one vessel had to be abandoned. Columbus left for Hispaniola on 16 April; on 10 May, he sighted the Cayman Islands , naming them Las Tortugas after the numerous sea turtles there. His ships next sustained more damage in a storm off the coast of Cuba. Unable to travel any farther, the ships were beached in St. Ann's Bay, Jamaica , on 25 June.

For a year Columbus and his men remained stranded on Jamaica. A Spaniard, Diego Mendez, and some natives paddled a canoe to get help from Hispaniola. The island's governor, Nicolás de Ovando y Cáceres , detested Columbus and obstructed all efforts to rescue him and his men. In the meantime, Columbus had to mesmerize the natives in order to prevent being attacked by them and gain their goodwill. He did so by correctly predicting a lunar eclipse for 29 February 1504, using the Ephemeris of the German astronomer Regiomontanus .

In May 1504 a battle took place between men loyal to Columbus and those loyal to the Porras brothers, in which there was a sword fight between Bartholomew Columbus and Francisco de Porras. Bartholomew won against Francisco but he spared his life. In this way, the mutiny ended. Help finally arrived from the governor Ovando, on 29 June, when a caravel sent by Diego Méndez finally appeared on the island. At this time there were 110 members of the expedition alive out of the 147 that sailed from Spain with Columbus. Due to the strong winds, it took the caravel 45 days to reach La Hispaniola. This was a trip that Diego Méndez had previously made in four days in a canoe.

About 38 of the 110 men that survived decided not to board again and stayed in Hispaniola instead of returning to Spain. On 11 September 1504, Christopher Columbus and his son Fernando embarked in a caravel to travel from Hispaniola to Spain, paying their corresponding tickets. They arrived in Sanlúcar de Barrameda on 7 November and from there they traveled to Seville.

The news of Columbus's first voyage set off many other westward explorations by European states, which aimed to profit from trade and colonization . This would instigate a related biological exchange , and trans-Atlantic trade . These events, the effects and consequences of which persist to the present, are sometimes cited as the beginning of the modern era.

Upon first landing in the West, Columbus pondered enslaving the natives, and upon his return broadcast the perceived willingness of the natives to convert to Christianity. Columbus's second voyage saw the first major skirmish between Europeans and Native Americans for five centuries, when the Vikings had come to the Americas. In 1503, the Spanish monarchs established the Indian reductions , settlements intended to relocate and exploit the natives.

With the Age of Discovery starting in the 15th century, Europeans explored the world by ocean, searching for particular trade goods, humans to enslave, and trading locations and ports. The most desired trading goods were gold, silver and spices. For the Catholic monarchies of Spain and Portugal, a division of influence of the land discovered by Columbus became necessary to avoid conflict. This was resolved by papal intervention in 1494 when the Treaty of Tordesillas purported to divide the world between the two powers. The Portuguese were to receive everything outside of Europe east of a line that ran 270 leagues west of the Cape Verde Islands. The Spanish received everything west of this line, territory that was still almost completely unknown, and proved to be primarily the vast majority of the continents of the Americas and the Islands of the Pacific Ocean . In 1500, the Portuguese navigator Pedro Álvares Cabral arrived at a point on the eastern coast of South America on the Portuguese side of the dividing line. This would lead to the Portuguese colonization of what is now Brazil .

In 1499, Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci participated in a voyage to the western world with Columbus's associates Alonso de Ojeda and Juan de la Cosa. Columbus referred to the West Indies as the Indias Occidentales ('West Indies') in his 1502 Book of Privileges , calling them "unknown to all the world". He gathered information later that year from the natives of Central America which seem to further indicate that he realized he had found a new land. Vespucci, who had initially followed Columbus in the belief that he had reached Asia, suggested in a 1503 letter to Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco that he had known for two years that these lands composed a new continent. A letter to Piero Soderini, published c. 1505 and purportedly by Vespucci, claims that he first voyaged to the American mainland in 1497, a year before Columbus. In 1507, a year after Columbus's death, the New World was named "America" on a map by German cartographer Martin Waldseemüller . Waldseemüller retracted this naming in 1513, seemingly after Sebastian Cabot , Las Casas, and many historians convincingly argued that the Soderini letter had been a falsification. On his new map, Waldseemüller labelled the continent discovered by Columbus Terra Incognita ('unknown land').

On 25 September 1513, the Spanish conquistador Vasco Núñez de Balboa , exploring overland, became the first European to encounter the Pacific Ocean from the shores of the Americas, calling it the "South Sea". Later, on 29 October 1520, Magellan's circumnavigation expedition discovered the first maritime passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific, at the southern end of what is now Chile ( Strait of Magellan ), and his fleet ended up sailing around the whole Earth. Almost a century later, another, wider passage to the Pacific would be discovered farther to the south, bordering Cape Horn .

In the Americas the Spanish found a number of empires that were as large and populous as those in Europe. Small bodies of Spanish conquistadors, with large armies of indigenous groups, managed to conquer these states. The most notable amongst them were the Aztec Empire in modern Mexico ( conquered in 1521 ) and the Inca Empire in modern Peru ( conquered in 1532 ). During this time, pandemics of European diseases such as smallpox devastated the indigenous populations . Once Spanish sovereignty was established, the Spanish focused on the extraction and export of gold and silver.

• This page was last modified on 6 November 2023, at 09:15. Suggest an edit .

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Definition of voyage noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

• an around-the-world voyage
• a voyage in space
• The Titanic sank on its maiden voyage (= first journey) .
• (figurative) Going to college can be a voyage of self-discovery.
• Darwin’s epic voyage of exploration
• reconnaissance
• Lady Franklin kept a journal during the voyage.
• The ship completed her maiden voyage in May.
• There were mainly scientists on the voyage.
• Bering's voyage of discovery was one of many scientific expeditions in the 18th century.
• The ship began its return voyage to Europe.
• The ship was badly damaged during the voyage from Plymouth.
• They set off on their voyage around the world.
• Writing a biography can be an absorbing voyage of discovery.
• during a/​the voyage
• on a/​the voyage
• voyage from
• a voyage of discovery

Definitions on the go

Look up any word in the dictionary offline, anytime, anywhere with the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary app.

Travelling with children

• 1 Who qualifies as a child?
• 2 Destinations
• 3.1 Unaccompanied minors
• 3.2 Tickets
• 3.3 At the airport
• 3.4 In the air
• 3.5 Pressure adjustment
• 4.1 Tips for a long car trip
• 4.2.1 Rentals and taxis
• 6.1 Cruises
• 8 By bicycle
• 9.1 Children's passports
• 9.2 Permission to travel with children
• 11.1 Breastfeeding
• 11.2 Bottlefeeding
• 11.3 Restaurants
• 11.4 Evening meals
• 11.5 Sweets
• 14.1 What to take for your trip
• 14.2.1 For infants
• 14.2.2 For bigger children
• 15.1 Insurance
• 16 Stay safe
• 17 Stay healthy
• 19 See also

Travelling as a family allows experiences to be shared. It can add interest to family time together away from the pressures of work and education. You can gain different perspectives on places when travelling in a group with children. It is often easier to get to meet local people, people can be friendlier, and when picking educational experiences for children you often learn something yourself.

However, it also often means extra preparation to ensure that you can all enjoy the experiences. You have to balance the needs of everyone in the group, and try and avoid many of the additional expenses that can apply to travelling as a group. You may have to deal with bored children in airports or on long trips, extra luggage when they get tired, and some frustration when they complain after going to all the planning effort when you could have left them at home with the grandparents.

Luckily, when you return home the crisis times seem to fade, and the memories of the activities together get remembered.

Who qualifies as a child? [ edit ]

You know what a child is, but when travelling the definition of a child varies. Normally it is based on age. There may also be minimum or maximum weight and height restriction on some attractions for safety purposes. It is also worth noting that often the definition of a child will differ for hotels, flights and travel insurance . For example while generally we accept that someone may be considered a child up to the age of 18, travel insurance may sometimes let a child remain on a parent's travel policy well into their 20s, depending on whether they are full-time students etc.

• Infants and toddlers under 2 to 6 years – often no charge.
• Children under about 12 or sometimes 14 years – child rates normally apply.
• Young People/Teenagers often 14 to 18 years – child rates in some cases, often there are special youth rates, otherwise the normal adult rates apply.
• Young Adults 18 and up – full-time students under 26 can qualify for discounts with an International Student ID. Some discounts apply to all people under 26. In some places, this is 16 and up.

Destinations [ edit ]

Often you are lucky enough to be able to choose your destination or the timing of the voyage. Is the destination you think about one that you want to experience with your children, or is it a place you actually would like to visit without them? If the latter, should you wait with it until your children are a bit bigger or when they happen to be doing something else?

If this is a journey you really want to do together, then you might still consider what destinations are the best given realities, such as the distance to be travelled (and the means of transport available) and the child-friendliness of whatever environment you will have to cope with. You may want to do a trade-off between the things you want to experience with your children, and things you can experience with them without everybody getting miserable because of practical issues. If you have a baby, think about development stages – trying to get a child who just learned to walk to sit still might be a fools errand.

If you haven't been travelling together, it could be wise to choose some easy destination first, to find out what you need to do (and pack) to get things work, and to get your children used to some unfamiliar things they will need to cope with: long times seated in a vehicle, not sleeping in their own bed, lots of strangers around, unfamiliar food, what have you.

Articles on travel with children to specific destinations:

• Giza with children
• Japan with children
• Istanbul with children
• London with children
• Stockholm with children
• Venice with children
• Charlotte with children
• Mexico City with children
• New Orleans with children
• New York City with children
• San Diego with children
• Sydney with children

See also destination guides with dedicated sections or substantial amount of content on travelling with children: Austria , Barcelona , Mayrhofen , Paris , Vienna , Rome .

By plane [ edit ]

In general, flying is the most uncomfortable way to travel both for children and their parents. In turn, it can also be uncomfortable for other passengers. However, it is the usually the fastest and often the only way to get to certain places, and for some trips you'll just have to brace and prepare for the inevitable. Try to find a direct flight to your destination, at off-peak travel times. The less time you spend walking through airports and clearing security check points, the better. You are going to have to carry plenty of extra baggage, and this will become a nuisance if you have to keep unpacking. A crowded airport is full of stimuli that can upset/excite/bewilder a young child, so travelling at a quieter time will make the journey easier. Sometimes the only option is a flight at times when children are supposed to be sleeping – unfortunately kids don't always sleep well on a moving plane.

Unaccompanied minors [ edit ]

Unaccompanied minors are children, typically 12 or younger, for whom the airline assumes some duty to care for them. They usually sit in a row down the back of a plane where a flight attendant will check on them during the flight. They will disembark last, and will only be handed over to the person identified on a check-in form. If the assigned person does not meet the child from the flight, the airline reserves the right to return the child to the origin immediately at the guardian's cost.

On some airlines such as Air New Zealand, children who are flying on the same flight but in a different travel class to their guardians (e.g. parents in business class, children in economy class) are deemed flying alone.

Some airlines (mainly low-cost carriers) will not accept unaccompanied minors, and impose restrictions on the supervision that must be provided to younger children, often that children 12 or under must be accompanied by a guardian 18-years or over.

Some airlines may charge a specific fee for the service, or may charge indirect fees by not allowing online booking, or not allowing child discounts.

Generally a child must be over 5 to be accepted as an unaccompanied minor. Some airlines require all unaccompanied children under 12 to be registered this way, while airlines like KLM require it of all unaccompanied children under 15. Usually it remains an option for children until age 15 or 17, depending on the airline.

Sometimes the minimum age for a connecting flight is 8 years or over. Airlines never allow unaccompanied minors to transfer between different airports in the same metro area via ground transportation.

Some airlines, most notably British Airways, Qantas and Air New Zealand, do not permit male passengers to be seated next to unaccompanied minors. If you were assigned a seat next to an unaccompanied minor, you will be made to swap seats with a female passenger.

Tickets [ edit ]

Age policy around child and infant tickets varies between airlines. As a general rule children under 2 often have the option of traveling sitting on your lap and not being assigned a seat. Lap infants can travel free on domestic flights in some countries and sometimes at a 10% fare on international flights. Airport and government charges are usually not applied to children under 2, thereby reducing ticket price further. They may not have the same baggage allowance as adults. Commonly when adults are allowed 20 kg, infants are allowed 10kg but exceptions exist and on "low cost carriers" nothing is included.

During take-off and landings infants on your lap should be held in an upright position facing you and against you, with your hands supporting their back and neck. Some infants are more comfortable nursing during these periods and most flight attendants will allow it. Saving a feed for the descent can make the baby much more comfortable. With some carriers a lap belt is available that loops into the adult belt and then around the lap infant for take-off and landings.

Consider putting infants with their own seat in an approved car seat appropriate for their age and weight. This is compulsory in the USA , and recommended in other jurisdictions. Still, best to confirm with your airline about it, as some airlines try to restrict carry-on, and other airlines will not permit an unsupported infant in a seat without a car-seat.

Some airlines do not have the facilities for infants to be booked through their website, and you must contact the call center or a travel agent. Your infant is recognized as an individual passenger on a flight and therefore you must book their ticket before flying. Turning up at an airport with an infant who has no ticket will cause difficulties at check-in.

Infants younger than two weeks may require a certificate from a doctor saying they are able to fly.

If you have infants under 6 months old on a long-haul flight you may be able to request a bassinet (baby bed) which attaches to the bulkhead. This can make long flights much more comfortable for the parent and child. The age, height and weight requirement for using a bassinet depends on the airline. Requirements are usually listed on the airline's website. There are also limited bassinet seating options depending on the aircraft. If you check-in after they have been allocated, then it will unfortunately not be an option for you.

For older infants, consider a bulkhead seat . Arm rests don't go up (the tray is in the armrest), and you have to stow your carry-on bags in the overhead compartment during take-off and landing since there is no seat in front of you. On the plus side, bulkhead seats have more legroom, often enough for moving around without disturbing the occupant of the aisle seat, and there is no seat in front for the child to kick. Some airlines will let you book these when you purchase tickets, others give them out at a first-come-first-served basis at check-in only. Airlines won't let you place infants on the floor at your feet to sleep. Many airlines allow carrying an FAA approved child car seat outside the normal allowances.

Children between 2 and 12 must have their own ticket. Children this age are usually given a discounted rate (typically 75% of the adult fare) on full service international airlines, but usually have no discount on discount international or domestic airlines. Discounted children's tickets may have different baggage allowances, so check before packing. Children's meals are available on some flights offering meals. The usual rules for special meals apply, and they must be ordered in advance. Picky eaters may prefer to bring their own food from home.

Unaccompanied children are usually children under 12 traveling without a supervising adult. Not all airlines accept unaccompanied children, especially discount airlines. An unaccompanied child may be required to travel on a full adult fare, and additional fees may be charged. Unaccompanied children will need to be collected at their destination by a named caregiver and may be returned to their point of departure if not collected. Some airlines do not permit connections and no airlines permit connections to different airlines. In Russia a special official document is necessary that states that the child has permission to travel alone.

Seat allocation is important. At a minimum you want to be seated next to your child, but few airlines will actually guarantee that you are. Make sure you and your child are on a single reservation. Try and reserve your seats in advance, if the airline or agent permit it. Check-in early, and if you are not seated together make sure the flight manager is aware you are travelling with a child. If you still can't get a seats together, just make sure you get a window or an aisle seat, as these are easy to swap on board, whereas swapping a center seat can be a nightmare. Some low-cost carriers may require one adult in the traveling party to pay for a reserved seat next to the child while the rest of the party is assigned random seats unless they pay for seat reservations.

At the airport [ edit ]

Airports often have play areas as well as nursery or parent rooms with changing tables and rocking chairs for nursing.

Parents with smaller children can keep their hands free with a baby sling or baby backpack . Slings can be used on the plane with small infants and can give some privacy when nursing. Many parents find a stroller a lifesaver when flying, especially since it can carry not just the baby, but also some carry-on luggage. Some airports and airlines will let you keep a stroller with you until boarding, and the stroller is brought to the gate at arrival. Some airlines allow one stroller to be checked at the gate, in addition to normal baggage allowances. Check with your airline for size and weight limits. Baggage handlers don't like having to carry strollers down the narrow stairs included in jetbridges, but if you're boarding by bus, you yourself have to carry the stroller down the stairs and the extra work required of baggage loaders is minimal.

You're often permitted to carry more liquids through security than would be otherwise allowed if they're clearly intended for the use by a child or infant.

In the air [ edit ]

Once in the air, flight attendants should be able to heat milk or water for a bottle , and point out which lavatories have changing tables . Pack a small grab-bag with one or two diapers and wipes for changing, since there's not a lot of room to move around in the lavatories and you won't want to bring your whole diaper bag. Flights with meals can include an infant meal with baby food , but you'll want to bring some favorite snacks in case this is not available.

Regardless of their age, if you're flying with kids you need to bring snacks for them.

Young infants are often content to nurse and sleep through a flight, while older babies will require some entertainment . Bring small bags of snacks and toys and dole them out every 10–15 minutes so there's always something new to play with. Small amounts of playdough, books, and crayons are good ideas. Avoid anything messy or with small parts that can get lost under foot. Anything too noisy will probably not be appreciated by other travellers. Take walks up and down the aisle every half hour or so and look for other babies and young children. Making a friend (and talking with other parents) can make the flight go faster. Infants dressed too warm for the cabin temperature might begin to cry.

Flying in a group can be fun as children can keep each other busy. On a large plane such as a Boeing 747 or Airbus A380, you will want to reserve the four seats in the middle. The armrests move up allowing for children to sleep. Another option if you're flying Air New Zealand or China Airlines is the Skycouch or Family Couch: a row of three economy seats which can convert into a flat "couch" by raising the legrests and retracting the armrests. It costs extra, and is not available on all aircraft models and flights, but it does give more room for children to lay down than buying regular economy seats. On smaller planes, pair one parent or older child with each of the younger children, and make sure everyone is supervised at all times.

Time also passes more quickly for children with video entertainment, like a familiar TV show for younger children.

If intercontinental flights seem too long for children, try planning a stopover or two in between. For example, Air Canada has a five-hour flight from St. John's , Newfoundland to London Heathrow for a trans-Atlantic trip, and Icelandair usually allows having a long stop instead of just a transfer in Iceland . Trans-Pacific flights are a bit more challenging, but Hawaii and Guam (or in some cases, Anchorage , Alaska) are possibilities. Look at a round globe (not a flat map) for more ideas. Keep in mind this will involve more take-offs and landings, as well as getting from one flight to another, so it's a trade off. In addition, it will probably cost a lot more as well, especially if you can't keep the trip to just one airline and its affiliates.

Pressure adjustment [ edit ]

Airplanes have internal pressure that while higher than ambient pressure at cruising altitude is lower than air pressure at the departure point. This means that during a flight, pressure will slowly fall, remain largely stable and rise again upon descent. Adults can usually deal with those pressure changes by swallowing. For infants, the buildup of pressure in the ears is painful and screaming is a natural reaction that somewhat mitigates the problem. Babies should nurse or drink something to help with the pressure. Teach older children to yawn and offer them gum for take off and landings. For toddlers, bring a spill-proof cup and have them drink something during take-off and landing. However, if they're asleep, don't wake them; they'll be fine.

You may not be able to keep your child from screaming but a small apologetic gesture towards fellow passengers can go a long way.

By car [ edit ]

You may want your children to use appropriate child car seats when travelling by car. They are as important as seat belts are for you. Some countries require this. In some countries child seats can be rented along with a vehicle, but you may still need to bring your own. It is well worth researching well ahead of time what you need to do and checking with your travel agent or car rental company to see what is ideal.

Tips for a long car trip [ edit ]

• Try to break the trip up into small sessions. Keeping a young and energetic toddler confined to a car seat can be as stressful for them as it is for you. On the other hand, having a lot of sessions in a row is not necessarily better.
• Take a music collection your child enjoys. From time-to-time children are more than happy to bop along to your choices because at that age they don’t have a say, or an opinion, but when they’re distressed, over-tired or just plain bored – you need a better trick up your sleeve. Soundtracks to films such as Jungle Book and Mary Poppins seem to do the trick for younger children as well as a selection of fun children’s stories on CD. When all else fails, try soothing classical music to keep baby cooing. An alternative way is to scan the local radio for music stations.
• For toddlers and up, tablet computers can be a godsend. Pre-load them with child-friendly entertainment and games as you may not be able to get an internet connection while you are travelling. If your child already has a tablet and is familiar with it, buy them some new games that they haven't played yet and introduce them as you're travelling. Keep in mind that some children can get travel sickness using these while on the move.
• Drive early. Adults are a lot better than kids at adapting their daily rhythm. If you start your tour before sunrise the kids might still sleep for a few hours in the car.
• Take a selection of toys to keep them occupied. Keep a little rucksack in the car filled with books and toys and keep a selection of "non-toys" to pull out in an emergency. A bicycle tire pump and a glove box road atlas are good and safe options to raise a smile as well as make them think they are playing with something that they are not usually allowed.
• Frequent stops for fresh air, nappy changes and just plain freedom, are essential on road-trips. Pack a blanket and a sandwich to make these stops more fun for all.

Children do occasionally get travel sick and vomit on long car trips, especially when the road winds. Sometimes they do not give enough notice to pull over properly. Preparing for this eventuality will enable you to recover should it happen, just having water, soap and a cloth stop this being any more unpleasant than it has to be. Consider carrying travel sickness bags if you have older children who can use them. Otherwise a small bucket or ice cream container will suffice in a pinch, and even young children can often manage to make less of a mess.

Child restraints [ edit ]

Sharing a seat belt with a child is dangerous. In the event of a collision or hard braking you will jolt forward and the weight of your body will crush the child against the seat belt. On the other hand, even if you hold a baby or toddler tightly in your arms, the force of a collision will catapult them. If you want your child to survive a crash, a good child car seat is the only option. You are often allowed to get your car seat on a plane outside the normal allowances.

In more developed countries, child car seats may be compulsory, and imported ones may not be certified for use there. If so, you might have to get one locally.

Car seat regulations are lax in many developing countries and you may choose to carry your own. However, in many countries, especially in South Asia , taxis may not even be equipped with seat belts. In these countries, you will either have to learn to live without a car seat and safety belt, or carry your own car seat and hire a car equipped with working seat belts.

Several companies make small, portable, restraints that act as travel car-seats. These can be folded up and packed in a day bag for use in rental cars and taxis. These only work, however, if there are adult lap or shoulder belts. Also check their certified effectiveness.

Rentals and taxis [ edit ]

If you are renting a car, most rental companies rent you child and infant seats at an additional cost. Check that what they offer is adequate.

The availability of car seats and the legal requirement to use or provide one in a taxi varies from country to country and city to city – even from company to company: In London , black cabs are exempt from the car seat regulation, while minicabs must provide one on request.

If you want your child to be in a suitable restraint, either carry your own or check local regulations before traveling. Isofix connectors may be absent in some cars, especially older ones, so a car seat that does not need those may be preferable.

By public transport [ edit ]

Make sure your children are seated and/or holding on to something in case of sudden stops (for trains: switches). Also be aware of travelling at peak times when public transport can get very crowded – try to learn when these times are and travel outside them.

Like when travelling by car, a little rucksack with books, toys and similar may save your day on longer journeys. Something to eat and drink is also good to have, although try to avoid overly messy or smelly food for the sake of your fellow passengers and yourself. Don't forget the baby wipes!

Bus [ edit ]

Public buses , for the most part, don't have seat belts. This often leads to children, especially younger children, wanting to climb on seats and run around. Try to (calmly) emphasize that this is dangerous and that they should sit down or hold onto something, especially as some bus drivers will brake and accelerate sharply. Even small children have no problem in behaving well on short rides (and less problems on long rides), if this mode of transport is a familiar one – train at home if possible.

On newer long-distance or even regional buses, there may be seat-belts and buckling up may be mandatory. While carrying a child seat may be impractical, having a booster seat or something usable as one can be painless – and may allow your child to actually see the landscape without sitting on your lap. Like in cars, don't share a seatbelt, as you would crash your child. As the bus is heavy, accidents where seatbelts are critical are much more rare than with cars.

If you are on a double-decker bus, such as the famous red buses of London, going up to the top deck of the bus and sitting in the front seats can be a lot of fun! The views are often great and you can pretend you're driving the bus!

Long distance buses usually have quite cramped seating compared to trains and don't allow any running around. The main advantage they have over a car is that you don't have to focus on the road and thus can keep your children entertained. You should try to ascertain whether the bus has a toilet or how often it makes bathroom breaks before booking.

Train [ edit ]

Many parents prefer travel by train over most other forms of travel as it enables children to run around (do make sure that the children do not disturb other passengers), there is more space, bathroom breaks are no major problem and the changing scenery provides a conversation topic and distraction. Furthermore there is usually more space than on a bus or a plane to play board games or employ electronic entertainment and not having to focus on the road means you can engage with the small travellers much better. Trains are also inherently fascinating pieces of technology to many children and adults alike and there are both numerous works of fiction and things published by railway companies themselves to satisfy the curiosity of little train enthusiasts while on a train. With the exception of tilting trains, motion sickness – which can be a major problem on planes, buses and cars – is also much rarer on trains.

Especially local trains can be very full at rush hours. Long-distance trains may have compulsory seat reservation, but otherwise they also may be full occasionally. In some countries more or less all public transport is crowded.

Some trains have children's cars, with playing space, entertainment, a place to heat food for infants and a well equipped toilet. Get a ticket with seats in or near that car. On some trains you can book a small compartment for yourself. A sleeper cabin can be a great adventure!

In some countries trains have "quiet carriages". These are, as they are labelled, carriages for people who do not wish to be disturbed by needless noise. Ensure that you do not book these carriages or get seats there on boarding, as trying to keep most children quiet is a fool's errand.

If your train is late for a transfer, talk to the conductor, as your ability to run or adjust your plans are limited. They are often understanding. Some railroads (e.g. Deutsche Bahn) have a tool on their online booking system to select only connections with transfer times over a certain margin when booking, but you can certainly ask an agent to select such a train when booking at the counter.

While the problems in tunnels in terms of pressure in the ears are not entirely unlike on planes, most travel problems children encounter are lessened by trains having more space and running at or close to ground level.

Of all modes of public transport, trains also generally have the most generous luggage allowance (though you might wish for some help loading and unloading), which can be a godsend if you have small children that need more stuff than you could ever carry in a small carry-on piece. Check whether special measures are needed to get a baby carriage on board – it won't be appreciated in the corridor of a busy commuter train.

By boat [ edit ]

Going by boat can be a great way to cover a lot of ground with young children or a fun way to relax with the whole family. Before booking you'll want to find out some specifics, at least on some journeys:

• Are there child or infant rates? Do they include any activities?
• How safe is the boat for children? What sort of railing is there on the main decks and possible cabin balconies?
• What sort of child-friendly food is there?
• Is it possible to request an early dining time?
• Is there a children's play room or children's club on the boat?
• Is baby sitting service available? In the cabins? In the evening?

When aboard, find out if there are life vests and other safety/emergency equipment available for smaller children (they may be at a separate location).

Keep children close by at all times and always check whether there are dangers, such as insufficient railing.

Cruises [ edit ]

While some cruises are specifically geared towards families and children, almost all cruise lines now have some services for families. Before booking a cruise you'll want to find out some specifics:

• Are the excursions suitable for children? How much walking is involved? Is it possible to visit the sites unaccompanied?

By foot [ edit ]

You may want to put some thought in how you are moving around when not using vehicles. Are your children used to walking moderate distances?

Are you planning to bring a pram or stroller? The models differ quite a lot in versatility, in easiness to pack in tight spaces, in what luggage can fit, in usability in cobblestone streets or on beaches, etc. Old towns were quite emphatically not designed for strollers or the likes and can be more of a hindrance than anything. Similarly, getting a stroller into a full metro can be impossible, so avoid rush hour.

A baby sling can be a good alternative, especially if streets and roads are in bad shape. Some slings can be used to carry even quite big children (up to school age and more). If considering this, be sure both you and your child are used to the sling you choose before you leave home. Specialized backpacks are also available, mostly for quite big children.

By bicycle [ edit ]

If your children are big enough and accustomed to cycling – and your routes and the traffic culture make biking safe – then all you have to do may be to find out what local law says about bikes and whether there is something in the traffic culture you and your children need to check up on and learn. Keeping strictly to the right (or left, if appropriate) may be more important than what your are used to.

Biking among cars is usually quite dangerous also for seasoned bikers, and in an unfamiliar (perhaps chaotic) driving culture, you may not want to trust your children not to make mistakes. Check routes more carefully than you would on your own and have some reliable practice for stopping to discuss the situation when traffic isn't what you expected. Probably one of the adults should go first, and if they stop, everybody should.

In many jurisdictions children are allowed to cycle on the pavement, pedestrian traffic permitting. Leading your bike on the pavement is usually allowed, but if pavements are crowded, this might not really be an option.

Small children can ride as passengers if your bike is suitably equipped. In some jurisdiction a child seat (a lighter version of what is used in cars) is mandated. There are also other arrangements, such as a (purpose-built) bike lacking front wheel used as trailer or real trailers with seats for small children (perhaps up to 6 years or so). Note that gravel from your tyres may fly in the face of anybody behind you – there are screens on those trailers for a reason. As the trailer is low and wide, it usually has a flag on a pole, making it more visible.

Hiring bikes and equipment for children may be significantly more difficult than hiring adults' bikes. Check ahead.

You certainly want to have biking helmets for your children. Use helmets yourselves also, to protect you (what happens to your children if you are hurt?) and to avoid any arguments about their necessity.

Documents [ edit ]

Children's passports [ edit ].

Increasingly, any child, including a newborn baby, needs their own passport , rather than being able to travel on their parent's passport. Check with your local authorities in plenty of time to get a separate passport for each of your children. You may also want to allow time to check into requirements for children's passport photographs , as some countries apply the same restrictions to photos of babies as they do to photos of adults. (For example, the United Kingdom used to require that a baby had a neutral expression on its face and was looking at the camera with the color of its eyes visible—a difficult feat for newborns!)

Many countries will require that all adults who have a legal parental relationship with a child agree to a passport being issued to the child. Allow extra time for the application if you think you will have any difficulty demonstrating this.

Permission to travel with children [ edit ]

A parent travelling alone with their children (single parent or not) can often be asked questions at immigration about the status of the other parent. Usually a straightforward reply will suffice to satisfy the immigration official. A parent with a different surname to the child may have additional questions to satisfy immigration. Some countries recommend, others require, a letter from any legal guardian who is not travelling with you, agreeing to your travel plans, or documentation of court orders granting you sole custody or similar arrangements. A signed letter to the effect of "I, parent to NN, know and approve of the travel of my child with their parent X" can smooth things over a lot. Some countries have further legal requirements for a particular type of documentation, even for domestic travel. Check with the appropriate department of your destination to make sure.

Friends or relatives travelling with children should seek advice from the authorities at the origin and destination as to what, if any, documentation they may require. An informal letter as above (signed by both parents) can be handy even if no documentation is legally necessary.

In general, if court orders apply to the care of children, for example following a divorce, you may wish to seek legal advice as to whether there is any risk of them being challenged at your destination. Take particular care if your child or your child's parents are citizens or possible dual-nationals of the destination country – or regarded as such: some countries ignore denouncements of citizenship.

Do [ edit ]

Take your time. If you try to visit a destination as in adult company, you will soon be miserable. Children often do not understand the grandness of the destinations: a toddler at the Rotterdam Zoo may well be most interested in the ants on the walkway. A picnic, a nap, a visit to a small playground, all of which are simple things you could as well do at home, will help the children keep their good temper. Indeed, keeping things much like at home may be key when children are becoming tired or otherwise might get grumpy.

Attractions such as swimming pools and amusement parks generally require younger children to be supervised by an adult caregiver or responsible older child. Age limits vary but if the child is getting in at the child rate, expect supervision to be required. If in doubt, ask.

There are "family" tickets to many attractions and sometimes on trains etc. Always check this option, as they may in effect give the children free tickets. Often they include two adults and two children, regardless of relationship. However Deutsche Bahn is notoriously insistent that the "free children tickets" discount only applies to actual (grand)sons and (grand)daughters.

Trips to child-friendly amusement parks such as Disneyland , Legoland , or those at the Gold Coast may keep children keen and even be enjoyable for adults. Wildlife sanctuaries or places where children can get up close with animals, or museums with dinosaurs or any other interests your child has, can all keep kids occupied and may make them put up with the "boring bits" of the trip their parents want to do.

Especially with smaller children, the important bit is to really have time for them; be attentive to their questions, observations and thoughts. If worries about the schedule or distractions around made you just rush forward and give orders rather than your ear to them, try to compensate at some nice place where they have your full attention – and make sure you really listen this time.

Eat [ edit ]

Breastfeeding [ edit ].

Breastfeeding is by far the easiest way to feed infants and young children on a trip. There's no preparation or utensils required and nothing extra to pack. If you are planning a voyage, then you might want to continue longer than you else would; many countries recommend 5–6 months of exclusive breastfeeding (letting your baby taste a bit of your food at any meal when old enough, but no formula), and partial breastfeeding to an age of 1½–3 years. In some cultures, partial breastfeeding is common significantly later.

While several countries, including Canada , Scotland and Sweden , and several US states, have laws guaranteeing a mother's right to nurse in public, it may be illegal in others – or just not universally accepted, legal or not. Usually breastfeeding just requires some discretion such as choosing a private place or using a sling for privacy, but it is best to be aware of legal and cultural issues before you arrive.

Mothers with new or colicky infants should be aware of the effect of introducing new or spicy food into their diet, as this can change the flavor of their milk. Also discuss whether any medication you need for the journey is safe for the child.

Bottlefeeding [ edit ]

Preparing milk or formula for young children while travelling requires some planning. On an extended trip or road trip it may be worth bringing a small electric kettle for boiling water unless you know you will have facilities available. Bring a bottle brush and soap for cleaning bottles or pumps in bathroom sinks. Find out what to do if the water may be unsafe. Check the availability of formula at your destination, or bring your own. Travel may not be the best time to try changing formula. If your child has special needs (such as soy based, organic or wheat-free formula), check that these are available at the destination. Mothers who are expressing and storing breastmilk for bottlefeeding will need to check on appropriate refrigeration facilities.

Restaurants [ edit ]

Many restaurants can accommodate young children and serve children sized meals. However, checking before booking a table is always wise. Some restaurants cater especially for families and offer permanent special deals or activities such as paper and pencils or a playing corner. In some countries, such as Finland, it is customary to have a special menu with a few common and neutral dishes for young children. The restaurant may also accept your bringing food for children too young to appreciate the restaurant's offers.

Evening meals [ edit ]

If your children aren't accustomed to eating dinner late in the evening, they may want your familiar evening meal. This can require some planning, as few hotels have facilities for preparing food and eating at your room, grocery stores may be closed at the time you arrive, and the foodstuff your children are accustomed to may be absent from the local store shelves.

Sweets [ edit ]

Sweets and juice are a multi-purpose tool. They can be used as a reward system in boring times. For example. Child says: 'I'm bored!' Parent says: 'If you sit still and read your book for another half an hour, we can park at a rest stop and eat some cake.'

Chewy sweets and suckers are also great for relieving the pressure on a child's ears when landing and taking off in an airplane. Have these ready, especially for younger children who are flying for the first time.

Use this tool restrictively, though. Too much sweets is never good, and it can both cause travel sickness and upset the normal eat and sleep rhythm. Depending on your child and what you have been doing at home, the "sweets" don't have to be unhealthy. Chewing on a carrot can work as distraction and variation in the same manner sweets would. Some children may appreciate local things uncommon at home, such as fresh peas bought at the open-air market or the farm you visited. Be aware that some healthy sounding sweets, such as dried fruit, often contain large amounts of (added) sugar.

Drink [ edit ]

Places that serve only or primarily alcoholic drinks may prohibit children, either due to the local laws or due to the owners' belief that they'll make more money if they provide an adults-only environment. Check the local bylaws before entering bars, nightclubs, and restaurants. There may be a special family entertaining area that that can be used or an attached restaurant.

Tap water can not be presumed safe to drink in many countries of the world. Parents need to take precautions to ensure children don't drink unclean water. Provide bottled water, sodas, or other drinks for them. Show them how to brush teeth with bottled water. Parents with babies will want to plan how to prepare bottles. Bringing your own pre-mixed formula (sold in disposable sterile bottles) is a good solution for shorter trips, but if weight or airline restrictions become an issue, powdered formula and locally purchased bottled water may work better. If your children are breastfeeding (and you find spaces for that, see above), then most of the problem goes away – plain bottled water and safe local food pose no big challenges.

Sleep [ edit ]

Many accommodation places are set up for adult singles and couples. Travelling as a group of three or more may require you to reserve an extra room or a special family suite. You should always reserve accommodation well in advance so that the proprietor can make appropriate arrangements, such as installing an extra bed. There may be additional charges for extra people as well.

Although there are hotels especially catering to families, most hotels built to be hotels, especially modern ones, are standardized to the two-per-room concept (often with the option of an additional bed) and optimized as to square meters per room. Older or odd buildings and other kinds of accommodation often have rooms more suitable for families. Some youth hostels have suitable facilities. Cottages are quite a safe bet, although you should check the standard (you probably want to avoid surprises such as lack of hot water).

In some locations there may formally be strict rules about number of persons in a room (enforced by booking software), while the proprietors could not care less and are happy to make needed arrangements. A phone call before doing the booking can help in such situations.

Hotels often offer in-house babysitting services or can refer you to a local service. You might also want to check facilities such as playing yards or parks in the vicinity. Check the language issue.

A vacation rental or a second home might provide security and comfort suitable for families with children.

Campsites are often very family friendly and you can either use your own camping or caravaning equipment or – at least at the bigger, more popular sites – rent a tent or caravan already built for you, or a cottage. Some of the companies that offer such services are so family-oriented that their default nomenclature for a party of guests is even "family" (though they of course also take the business of anyone not a family if they so chose).

Buy [ edit ]

What to take for your trip [ edit ].

The physical environment when travelling may have a negative effect on your child. To be prepared, you should consider bringing a few helpful provisions:

• Child-friendly motion sickness pills
• Lip balm and moisturizer for dry skin
• Paracetamol (called acetaminophen in the US)
• Sunscreen (check suitability for children)
• Child car seat sun visor

Children are messy at the best of times. When they are in a car or on a plane, they make even more mess than usual. Do not give them full glasses of juice or watery puddings. Very importantly: keep your bag of cleaning essentials close by – not locked away in the overhead compartment, or in the boot of the car. Messy incidents will happen at the most inopportune times.

Here is a basic checklist to consider:

• Wet wipes – an absolute must
• A bag to throw rubbish in
• A change of clothes for you and your child, packed in a plastic bag – trust us, you could very well need it, and the plastic bag makes a nice place to store the wet or dirty ones.
• Extra wet wipes
• Spare nappies for the babies, and a travel potty for the toddlers
• A tea towel or two
• More wet wipes
• Have we mentioned wet wipes yet?

Don't forget plenty of materials to keep the kids entertained and fed . Bring more toys and snacks than you think you'll need, and load up a laptop or tablet with videos and games.

What to bring back home [ edit ]

For infants [ edit ].

• Magnets for a fridge are very popular with infants at 7-10 months. (They like to remove them from the fridge and then put them back on. This is an exercise for the arms.) Go for rubber magnets with no sharp edges, no more than twice the size of the child's palm.

For bigger children [ edit ]

• T-shirts with funny stamps.
• Various presents according to age.

Pregnancy and childbirth [ edit ]

Travellers, especially those on long trips for business or study, may have children born while outside their home country. Aside from making sure that local birthing or medical facilities meet your requirements (including budget; also if there are complications), you will wish to make sure that your child's birth is sufficiently well-documented that you can at some point take them home!

If you are already pregnant, consider whether, when and how to travel, and whether your destination is safe. Some of the considerations apply if you get or plan to get pregnant during your stay.

• Risk of pregnancy complications , miscarriage or premature birth varies between pregnancies, and you should consider your own risk when planning travel where you will be away from your own medical practitioners, or away from medical facilities of the kind they are used to. Statistically, the safest weeks to travel are between the 18th and 24th week.
• Many vaccines (specifically, live ones) are not considered safe for pregnant women (or often even women who are planning a pregnancy) to receive due to a risk to the health of the fetus. You might not be able to travel to destinations that require vaccinations you haven't had before getting pregnant. A waiver for the yellow fever vaccine can sometimes be obtained, depending on the prevalence of yellow fever at your destination. Some inactivated vaccines are considered safe, including varieties of the influenza vaccine and Hepatitis B. Even if you don't normally get vaccinated for influenza, some doctors may advise you to take this precaution as the disease can be more severe in pregnant women. In any case, consult a medical expert at least 6 weeks before travel.
• The mosquito-borne Zika virus can cause severe damage to a child in the womb. There are defences, such as long sleeves and mosquito repellents, but there is no vaccine and no cure. The epidemic has ended, but the US and Canadian governments advise pregnant women to talk to a health care provider before travel to areas with a risk of Zika, and to take precautions against transmission.
• Malaria , in addition to its danger to the woman, can also cause miscarriage or premature birth. Not all anti-malarial drugs are safe to take during pregnancy.
• You should seriously consider getting comprehensive medical or traveller's insurance that would pay for you to be medically evacuated if needed. Should you plan on travelling to a country with restrictive abortion legislation, the need may include situations where an abortion is needed for medical reasons, but not legal or available at the destination.
• Travel at high altitudes is not advised.

Some forms of transport have their own issues:

• Air travel is not recommended for pregnant women beyond 36 weeks (earlier for complicated pregnancies or multiples), and most airlines impose restrictions on pregnant women close to term. You may need to present a letter to the airline from your doctor stating that you are less than 36 weeks pregnant and that it is safe for you to fly. Inquire with your airline. Also keep in mind that pregnant women have an increased risk of developing deep vein thrombosis (DVT), or blood clots. If travelling by air, get up and walk around to stretch regularly.
• When using a seat belt , make sure to fasten it below your belly.

Some activities are not safe for pregnant women, particularly alpine and water skiing and scuba diving . Unaccustomed strenuous activity, hottubbing or saunaing might also cause complications. Check with your health provider, but in general the guideline is to maintain about the same level of activity that you did before pregnancy.

If you aren't very early in your pregnancy, you must take into account the possibility of giving birth unexpectedly. Make sure to check where to call and how to handle the situation.

• What birthing centre are you planning to use? How do you get there? If planning to give birth "at home", how will you call a midwife? What are the procedures if there are any complications?
• What about emergency births? Can you get an ambulance quickly? Should somebody staying with you get a quick course on how to assist if needed, especially if things don't go as they should?
• Check with your home country's embassy about how to register the child's birth and apply for or record their citizenship.
• Children born in some countries become citizens of that country by right of birth, with any benefits and liabilities that follow; see Medical tourism#Possible benefits . If they don't, you will not only have to establish their citizenship of your home country but also meet any visa requirements and so on for them to stay with you.

Insurance [ edit ]

Check that pregnancy related illness, childbirth itself and medical care for a baby born while travelling are covered by your travel insurance if you're outside the reach of your normal healthcare arrangements. Pregnancy is usually considered to be a pre-existing medical condition that you must disclose to your insurer, and which will have limited coverage, particularly after the 30th week. Pregnancies that you don't know about at the time of application might not be covered. Read your travel insurance documents carefully.

No insurance policies cover expenses associated with a full term birth – but reciprocal arrangement with your domestic social security policies, or your foreign employer's policies, may cover them at least in part. Some may cover a very premature birth but then may not cover the baby's healthcare costs (which would likely be considerable).

Most travel insurance policies do not cover multiple pregnancies (twins, triplets etc) or any pregnancy that is the result of medically assisted conception (fertility drugs, IVF etc) even with an additional premium. If you do get cover for a higher risk pregnancy it will not extend as far into the pregnancy as cover for a naturally conceived singleton pregnancy; it will probably only extend to 15 or 20 weeks. It is close to impossible to get cover for any pregnancy that has already had complications .

Remember that you can't just "fail to mention" pregnancy (or any other information) to an insurer: failing to disclose relevant information invalidates the policy.

Stay safe [ edit ]

Your children should have age-appropriate knowledge of what to do when lost. Have an age-appropriate plan, and make sure everyone knows what they are going to do before setting out.

Younger children should always carry a card with their name, your name, contact details (hopefully including a mobile phone and accommodation details). It is too much to expect a young child to remember all this in an emergency situation. Children below school age may not even be able to tell strangers their names, especially if they're lost, frightened, and don't speak the local language.

Consider giving older children (usually at around 10) a mobile phone, or money and instructions on how to use a public phone.

An example of a plan could be for a child to go to last place they knew you were together, while the adult retraces their steps. Another plan includes nominating a particular location to meet on a particular trip.

Teach children who you would like them to approach. Consider whether you would like them to approach someone in uniform, which is something most children will recognize. Conversely, you should also teach your kids what kinds of people and situations to avoid.

There may be dangers neither you nor your children are accustomed to from home: deficit railing, rocky shores, wildlife big and small, toxic substances, lack of sidewalks, what have you. Check in advance and plan how to cope.

Stay healthy [ edit ]

Children may have special health needs while travelling:

• Very young children may not be able to receive any vaccines, even routine ones, and will be very ill if infected with the associated diseases. Check with a healthcare provider about travelling with a child who is not vaccinated, either by choice or for age reasons.
• Your healthcare providers can advise on the suitability of travel vaccinations for older children, if they cannot receive them you may wish not to travel to some destinations. Some children have difficulty swallowing tablets, and if they cannot, it can make things like malaria prevention extremely difficult (many tablets cannot be crushed; while some can, always check with the prescribing doctor or a licensed pharmacist before doing so with any given medication). Practice e.g. with M&Ms (a candy resembling medical tablets in shape and size).
• Children may have difficulties swallowing pills without chewing them. It might be worthwhile to test and train at home, e.g. by using pills instead of liquids for things you give to your children anyhow (such as vitamin D during winter darkness in some regions).
• Children get cold faster than adults. If in a cold climate or participating in winter sports, your children may need warmer clothes than you do, and it's likely that by the time you feel the cold your children are already on the way to hypothermia.
• Children suffer motion sickness more easily than adults, particularly since they are usually relegated to smaller seats with less visibility. You might need to give them travel sickness medication and prepare to clean up if they are sick. Regular pit stops on car trips to let them get out and walk around help. If possible, choose seats with windows at the right height and in the front in buses.
• Children and especially babies have trouble equalizing their ears on airplanes; see Pressure adjustment above.
• Train your child a couple of weeks beforehand to brush their teeth and rinse out of a water bottle (if appropriate) and to wear slippers in the hotel rooms as well as flip flops in the shower to avoid picking up any foot fungus. Spraying feet with a fungicide may be a good preventative measure, but ask your physician first. If the doctor approves, consider making it routine for a while before leaving.

Cope [ edit ]

Make sure your kids are well rested before any long distances of travel. You do not want to bring a tired and grumpy child through security, or have them squirming and complaining in the coach or car. Do not overfeed your kids before a trip either. You do not want to get up every ten minutes to go to the bathroom with them and you do not want them to vomit.

Make sure your child has enough to keep him or her busy, entertained and satisfied for the duration of the trip. Think about all the on-flight entertainment available for adults – drinks, food, movies, sitcoms, soaps, documentaries, newspapers and music. Now double that and you are somewhere close to what your child needs.

Pack a rucksack full of toys for each child (they will use it the whole holiday), including one or two new ones that are wrapped. These do not have to be expensive: a sticker book, a new matchbox-sized car, a small can of cheap modelling dough, or a book with mazes or other pencil-and-paper games will all work for different ages. Don't let them open them until they get on the plane or in the car. Build up the excitement for them. Versatile toys that can be reused in various ways, like craft supplies and construction kits, are better than single-function toys. Also consider making a toy wallet full of little surprises for the child to explore.

If you are packing something that needs batteries then make sure you have spares. If it is an item with rechargeable batteries, such as a handheld console, make sure it is fully charged before you leave and keep the charger handy. For items that can be charged via USB, such as tablet computers, it is worth investing in a decent external battery pack so you can recharge while on the move. There are also adapters for using the 12V system of cars.

If you think you might want to leave a toddler in a kindergarten or with a babysitter, it's always a great idea to first make such an experience in your home country, in less unfamiliar conditions:

• make sure a toddler is generally comfortable to stay without parents with a stranger [and with other children]
• escape a language barrier that is much more likely to be found when travelling
• avoid putting time-sensitive travel plans for a day at risk

Motion sickness, traveler's diarrhea, or even just a bit of unexpected bump while your child is holding an open cup of juice can mean you may need to access and re-distribute your suitcase's contents pretty quickly. Think about how you could deal with dirty laundry if you need to, both while you're still en route and after you have arrived at your destination. Bringing lots of disposable plastic bags is recommended.

See also [ edit ]

• Tips for women travellers#Pregnancy
• Organizing a group trip
• Vacation camp , a way for children to spend vacation without their guardians

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Definition of bon voyage

• congee
• good-by

Examples of bon voyage in a Sentence

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bon voyage.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

French, literally, good journey!

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Dictionary Entries Near bon voyage

Cite this entry.

“Bon voyage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bon%20voyage. Accessed 13 May. 2024.

Kids Definition

Kids definition of bon voyage.

French, literally, "good journey"

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Meaning of voyage in English

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• break-journey
• circumnavigation
• around Robin Hood's barn idiom
• communication
• super-commuting
• transoceanic
• well travelled

voyage | American Dictionary

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