Some prefer staying in their comfort zone. Nicole and Jaime Fiorante and their kids, Luca and Sofia, are fans of the unknown.
“We love experiencing new things together,” Nicole says. “Some of our best memories and times spent as a family is when we are traveling and exploring the world.”
Travel makes the Fiorantes so happy they took a year off from their normal lives, selling almost all their belongings to travel full-time. They managed to visit 23 countries in 12 months.
Since then, they’ve moved to Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada, where Nicole is an IT project manager and Jaime runs a construction business. We caught up with them to chat about their must-have travel gear, their advice for families pondering traveling full time, and their favorite destination. You can also follow their adventures on Instagram at Passport Kids!
Our travel style, in three words, is…
Adventurous, flexible and thrifty.
The first trip was took as a family was was…
As a solo mom-and-son trip to the Dominican Republic when he was only a few months old. Our full family trip was after our daughter was born; we explored Mexico. These were easy trips to try traveling with little ones. We did all-inclusive beach trips to figure out what travelling with kids was like.
Our family’s favorite destination is…
South Africa. The safari experience with the kids in Kruger National Park was remarkable and life-changing for us. It was so different that it made us leave part of our hearts in Africa.
What inspired us to spend a year traveling is…
We wanted to spend more time as a family and we knew we only had so many years before the kids would be leaving. We wanted to cherish those times and create those memories. We wanted travel to be part of their lives, their story and help shape them to be better humans.
To families who are considering taking a year off to travel…
Just do it! Take the leap of faith and work hard to make it happen. Understand that there is no perfect time, everything will not line up—but it will all work out, in the end, the way it is supposed to. Take little steps every day to move you towards the mark of going and traveling with your kids for the year!
Life for us during the pandemic…
Has had more downs than ups but we have focused on the future and planning the best we can for future travel moments. Saving as much as we can. Travelling close by where we can. And catching up on other things in our lives so that when travel is back on we are ready to go!
When we travel, we try to choose places that…
We have never visited before, and to set intentions for what we want to get out of the place. It may be that we need to relax or that we want to try an adventure or to travel with friends. Sometimes we choose places with just the joy of finding out what is fascinating about it.
Budget wise we’ve learned as a family…
Whenever we arrive at a new place we pre-book our transportation to get to our accommodations or plan to take a taxi or Uber. The cost for a family of four is typically a better price than public transportation and easier with our family.
Some hidden gems for families in British Columbia are…
Little towns and outdoor spaces in the mountains in the Okanagan Valley. We’ve been seeking out hikes, biking trails and new little lakes to explore.
If families want to travel the way we do…
Think of everywhere you go as an adventure. Look at places with fresh eyes and be open to different possibilities in each place. Say yes to trying something new every time you are given an opportunity!
Our must-have travel gear is..
A toss-up between our electronic BUBM cords organizer and the wine opener! Both have their perks for family travel, lol. The organizer has kept us so tidy that we have never forgotten a cord at a hotel. The wine opener just keeps us parents happy!
The best way for families to really connect is…
To unplug from all technology and just enjoy the moment. We often take unplugged time away when we travel.
Our best advice for traveling with kids is…
Don’t overbook your days. Start early with the main activity or place you want to see and then let the rest of your day be free and figure it out as you go. Kids and families can’t have full days to truly enjoy their travels.
My favorite travel app is…
TripIt. It keeps hotels, flights, trains, ferries and trips all organized with booking numbers. I never get my dates mixed up since it reads the information right from your email and organizes things. We would have been lost on our world trip without it.
