This Thanksgiving, Brandon Cardet-Hernandez is planning a big family trip to London. He’ll be pulling his son out of school two days before the school break officially begins. But Cardet-Hernandez, a former special education teacher and principal, who now serves as the president of the edtech company Mrs Wordsmith, will use the trip as a learning opportunity for his almost 8-year-old son.
“In preparation for this trip, we’re talking about the history of the U.K. We’re talking about London as a city. We’re planning where we’re going to go and using a map to start building out an itinerary,” says Cardet-Hernandez. “There’s a lot of learning that’s going into it and will happen during those two days.”
He’s leaning into an increasingly popular travel trend among families. In a recently released report, luxury travel company Zicasso found that more and more families are opting for off-season travel, with many stating that an educational trip is top of mind. These types of family travel requests during May more than quadrupled between 2023 and 2025, the company found. That includes stepping back in time to see ruins in Greece, Italy, and Egypt, as well as wildlife and nature-based trips, such as the Galapagos Islands.
“What we have seen is a lot of families taking those weeks, like a January break or February break, and really expanding them—so skipping a few more days or adding a week here or there,” says Marci-Beth Maple, Zicasso’s senior manager of the advisory team. “Then you see other families being much more aggressive and actually moving forward with plans in a time of year where their friends may be thinking, Is this responsible? But, of course, it can be and is if you plan properly.”
Experts agree that educational travel can be beneficial for families, but it’s important to do it in a thoughtful way. So, if you’re planning to take your child out of school for a trip, there are a few things to consider.
Why Is Off-Season Travel on the Rise for Families?
Why don’t parents just wait for a school break? A big motivator is avoiding crowds, says Maple. Another is the weather. With record-breaking heat waves across the globe in the last few years, it makes sense why parents may want to avoid vacation in the summer.
“As parents, we all know how horrible it is to schlep children through hot places; they get cranky and unhappy,” says Maple. “If you can see those places at a more palatable time of year, why not?”
Other families have costs on their mind, especially as travel prices continue to rise. Spring break travel in 2025 cost an average of $8,306, more than twice the price in 2019, according to Bloomberg.
“The shoulder seasons and the low seasons do present opportunities to upgrade or have a slightly elevated experience with a slightly lower cost,” says Maple.
Then there are families who simply don’t want to miss a memorable event happening at a specific time. For example, Maple once took her sons, now 17 and 21, out of school to travel to Barcelona to see Lionel Messi play for FC Barcelona.
But the why behind a family’s decision to travel when school is in session is important in weighing the pros and cons, says Robin Berman, MD, an associate professor of psychiatry at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.
“If it makes sense for your family because of budgetary reasons, or just timing, or a complicated schedule, I think it’s about trying to figure out how to make that time as pedagogically sound, as educational as possible.”
Brandon Cardet-Hernandez, educator
Is Off-Season Travel With Kids a Good Idea?
Booking a vacation during school days comes down to your family’s situation and your specific child.
“To any parent, I would say, know your kid, know where they’re at. Think about the skills and the skill gaps that they have,” says Cardet-Hernandez. “If your kid is deeply struggling or falling behind in school, as we know so many kids are, this may not be the priority.”
This is critical as reading levels are declining across the country. According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 40% of fourth-grade students performed below the “NAEP Basic” level range in 2024. On top of that, there are elevated levels of chronic absenteeism, a problem that spiked after the pandemic.
“The greatest learning happens for a kid in a classroom, particularly in our earliest years—pre-K to fourth grade. That’s when we’re building all of the skills to be able to learn independently,” says Cardet-Hernandez. “We’ve got to make sure our kids are having the right access to that, and we have to be really aware if our kids are falling behind, that we are not further widening the gap that they’re experiencing.”
Dr. Berman also worries about parents who may be taking their kids out of school because of mental health challenges. Many parents, she says, have been reporting that their child has anxiety, as levels are on the rise for younger age groups. Deciding to pull your child out of school for this reason isn’t so clear-cut.
“The treatment is not to avoid things. It’s, ‘Hey, you can do hard things, and let’s work through this feeling you’re having, as opposed to push the escape hatch,” she says. “At the exact same time, sometimes a reset and a reboot can be very helpful. So, it’s going to be incredibly dependent on the kid and the family and the specific situation.”
For kids who are in a good position to step away from school for a few days, the benefits may be worth it. Dr. Berman says travel is an expansive and perspective-building opportunity for kids.
“I do think reading about something in a book is very different than experiential learning,” she says. “Experiential learning is very powerful and more memorable.”
Travel also helps to foster family bonds and connections that can leave a lasting impact. “Family vacations are powerful memories for my adult patients,” she shares. It also gives children a chance to step away from screens and unwind, especially from any intense pressure coming from school or sports.
So book the trip, says Cardet-Hernandez, as long as you focus on the educational part.
“If it makes sense for your family because of budgetary reasons, or just timing, or a complicated schedule, I think it’s about trying to figure out how to make that time as pedagogically sound, as educational as possible,” he says.
“Not only do you have those educational benefits of seeing those things from your textbooks come to life, but you’re creating that culture in your family of exploration and curiosity and feeling empathy and connection with others in the world.”
Marci-Beth Maple from Zicasso
Tips for Off-Season Travel With Kids
If you’re thinking about taking your kids out of school for educational travel, here’s what experts suggest.
Choose the right dates
“Any parent can look at the academic calendar and think about days that feel really important, and maybe some days that don’t,” says Cardet-Hernandez.
Try to avoid the start of the year when kids are building norms and routines, as well as between big breaks, which Cardet-Hernandez calls central learning times. You’ll also want to stick around for big assessments or state-wide testing dates. Also, make note of memorable school trips your child won’t want to miss.
But right before holidays or before the end of the year, tend to be more flexible dates for travel.
Moderation is also key. These trips shouldn’t be happening four or five times a year. “If it gets excessive, it becomes negligent,” says Cardet-Hernandez.
Know your kid’s workload
While Maple says Zicasso sees a lot of travel for families with kids between ages 5 and 9, as well as 12 and 18, it’s critical to know your child’s workload and if pulling them out of school will set them back.
Many parents with kids in late middle and high school say they often find it harder to pull their kids out of school to travel. Aside from class schedules and extracurricular activities, kids in these age groups tend to find it more difficult to make up the work when they return.
Talk to your child’s school
Transparency is key, says Cardet-Hernandez.
“Talk to the school and share with them early that you’re making this plan,” he explains. They can even offer suggestions on the best time to go. “You can find a thought partner in the classroom or in the administrator’s office to help you plan the right time,” adds Cardet-Hernandez.
He also points out that teachers may be able to offer ideas on how to bring learning onto the trip and back into the classroom.
Be strategic about your travel plans
Think about how you plan to make the trip educational for your child. Cardet-Hernandez suggests asking yourself questions, such as, “What is the type of deep thinking you’re asking your kid to do?” or “What are the spaces you’re exploring and you’re connecting back to a bigger idea for your kid?”
Along with that, you can bring learning tools with you, such as games that build vocabulary or focus-learning video games, to avoid slippage during the time away.
“If you know your kid is working on some serious skill building in particular areas, then bring along those tools,” suggests Cardet-Hernandez.
Let the lessons continue
Once back home, Cardet-Hernandez says parents should find ways to have their kid memorialize the trip. “Think about a way that they can succinctly define that experience and the learning that took shape,” he says.
Maple agrees, recalling that she had taken her sons to Egypt the year her oldest was learning about ancient Egypt in history class. Her son was able to bring back his experiences and photos to his classmates with enthusiasm. Experiences like these also positively impacted her kids in the long run.
“Not only do you have those educational benefits of seeing those things from your textbooks come to life, but you’re creating that culture in your family of exploration and curiosity and feeling empathy and connection with others in the world,” she adds. “As a parent, for me, those are things I want most.”
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