How to Find a Babysitter on the Road
Traveling with kids and getting in some adult activities -- especially at night -- requires outside help, that is, a baby sitter. I learned that on a trip to San Diego with my 7-month-old when he fell asleep at 4pm and we wanted one grown-up night out.
This isn't the first time my husband and I relied on outside help while on the road. For a trip to Washington, DC, we hired a local day care teacher, and we are now booking a trip to Europe in April and choosing hotels that offer baby-sitting services. But, finding a reliable sitter can be challenging. Plus, if you’re anything like me, you didn’t even know hiring a baby sitter was an option when you first started traveling with little ones. Here are several ways to find child care when traveling so you can still enjoy some adult activities during the trip.
Book a Hotel with Child Care Amenities
One of the easiest ways to ensure you have child care — especially internationally — is to book a hotel that touts its baby-sitting services. Family-friendly Martinhal Family Hotel & Resorts in Portugal, for example, provides help for children as young as six months. Grand Geneva Resort & Spa in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, offers in-room child care as an amenity. The Peninsula Beverly Hills has the Camp Peninsula upgrade, which includes a four-hour baby-sitting service featuring camp-themed games and a guided scavenger hunt.
Simply look at the website of the hotel you’re considering and check under amenities. Properties with a history of offering such services will have them listed. Also, researching family-friendly hotels is an excellent place to start if you’re not sure where you want to stay.
Of course, plenty of hotels offer additional amenities for babies and toddlers, too.
Ask the Hotel
Even if the hotel doesn’t specifically list child care as an amenity, many will help you find someone reputable from an outside source. The Rittenhouse Hotel in Philadelphia partners with a local company — Your Other Hands — to help guests set up baby-sitting (as well as pet-sitting). Lotte New York Palace has a 20-year partnership with the Baby Sitters’ Guild, so that adults can enjoy a night out in New York City. Timbers Kauai helps resort guests book a private baby sitter through a local on-island company called Kauai Babysitting Co.
Any concierge should be able to suggest a service or recommend a local sitter based on your needs. You can always ask for the background of the individual to ensure you're comfortable leaving your child with a stranger.
Use the Kids Club
On-site kids clubs are great for leaving youngsters in a supervised setting while parents sneak away for a little while. For instance, Hyatt's Ziva KidZ Club in Los Cabos, Montego Bay, Cancun and Puerto Vallarta provides free, supervised activities for vacationers' children ages 4 to 12. Baha Mar Resort in the Bahamas has the Explorers Club, where parents can choose a morning, afternoon or night session to keep children 3 to 12 years old entertained. That means you get time for that couples massage you’ve been thinking about or simply three hours for an uninterrupted date night. However, your "alone" time comes at a price. Baha Mar charges $62 per child for three hours of baby-sitting.
Kids clubs are typically found at larger resorts in tropical destinations, but you can find them at non-beach properties, too. Gstaad Palace in Switzerland, for example, has a kids club for children 5 to 12 years old.
Don't miss this list of US hotels that offer free kids clubs and some points hotels that also offer free kids clubs.
Hire a Traveling Nanny
If you want someone to be on hand with the kids for more than a couple of hours during vacation, you might want to consider hiring a traveling nanny. Yes, you can book a vetted caretaker on a short-term basis to watch the children at a schedule that suits your needs. Adventure Nannies will pair you with someone who has been fully background-checked and assists with salary negotiation and an employment agreement.
While cost will vary depending on the length of the trip and hours, typically you’ll have to pay an hourly or lump-sum rate in addition to meals, accommodations and transportation costs. You also could tap nannies in your hometown to see if they’re between jobs. Some might enjoy a temporary gig and a change of scenery.
Bring a Family Member
I was a little nervous for my first international trip with my 10-week-old infant, so I brought along my mom to Portugal as a backup for my husband and I. We covered some of her costs in exchange for her baby-sitting so we could enjoy a few nights out. Ask a sibling, parent, aunt or uncle to see if anyone in the family might be up for taking a trip and playing nanny here and there. Sure, you might have to pay all or some of their costs, but you have confidence knowing your child is in the care of a loved one and not a stranger.
Ask for a Recommendation
Traveling to a destination where you know a friend, family member or friend of a friend? Ask them if they can recommend someone they trust to take on baby-sitting duty. I reached out to a cousin in DC who set me up with her daughter’s former day care teacher to watch our tot while we attended an evening family party. It’s a great way to get a vetted caretaker without the hassle of dealing with a concierge or local service.
Bottom Line
Finding a baby sitter on the road may seem like a daunting task. We all want the best for our children, which can sometimes make it hard leaving them with a stranger. But, you can travel with your kids and find some time to yourselves. You just need to plan ahead and find child care services that work for your family's needs.
Have you used a baby sitter while on the road? How did it work out?
Need more resources for traveling with your kids? Here are a few:
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- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
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- Annual Fee is $325.
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Rewards Rate
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Intro Offer
You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.Excellent to Good
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.