For most families, traveling with young children is stressful — worth it, but stressful nonetheless. Some families recruit help by utilizing resort child care programs or bringing along the grandparents, but others opt to use a nanny while traveling. The term “travel nanny” applies to any child care provider that works with a family on a trip, but there are different types of travel nannies.
Some families bring their regular nanny along when they travel, which provides continuity for their children. Families without a regular nanny often book a nanny who specializes in travel to go along with them or hire a nanny who lives in the destination they are heading to. If you are an experienced child care provider who loves to explore new places, becoming a travel nanny may be a great fit.
“The best thing about being a travel nanny is the relationship that is built with the family and children and being able to see the world from a child’s point of view.”
— Kelsey Barr, owner and founder of Three Flamingos Agency
While each trip is unique, there are some general guidelines and expectations that will help you understand how to become a travel nanny. A few travel nannies who’ve racked up a lot of miles have insight to share on how they book trips, guarantee time for themselves and make sure they are well-compensated for their time. If you think you might be interested in becoming a travel nanny, read on before dusting off that suitcase.
What is a travel nanny?
If you provide child care while a family travels, that makes you a travel nanny. However, there are different ways that nannies assist families on trips.
Full-time nannies who travel with their nanny families
If you already provide child care for families in your hometown, that’s a perfect way to begin exploring the idea of becoming a travel nanny. Let local clients know that you’re willing to travel. Since their children are already familiar with you, it’s a great option for many parents.
MiMi Scharmann, an early childcare professional and travel nanny based in Pittsburgh, began as a live-in nanny with a local family before they offered to take her on the road with them — eventually traveling to 19 states. “I taught their kids while traveling for their parents’ jobs. I started as a nanny with them part-time,” says Scharmann, which eventually transitioned to living with the family at their Baltimore home and traveling often with the children.
Nannies hired for specific trips
Some families don’t have a regular nanny, but a big trip means they need an extra set of hands. Hiring a nanny to fly with their family makes every step of the journey easier, from navigating the airport to unpacking the luggage. That’s what Kelsey Barr, owner and founder of Three Flamingos Agency in Naples, Florida, does. “In some cases, as a travel nanny, you don’t get to meet the family and children until the day before travel,” she says. They chat via video, but Barr only flies into their home city just before the trip.
With established families, they already know the nanny so it makes things run smoothly. “With new families, not only are you figuring out how to work as a team, you’re also working to build a relationship with the children in your care as well as additional staff in some cases,” says Barr. “Sometimes it can be really easy to win the kids over immediately and other children take a bit longer to warm up.”
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Destination-specific travel nannies
Some families hire a nanny at their destination rather than take one along. Local nannies know their own city well and are skilled at helping families with children enjoy it. That’s why Katie Jo Cassidy Dupree launched her Disneyland travel nanny service, Fairy Guide Mother. As a southern California native, she knows the park inside and out and helps families make the most of their day.
From traversing the park with families to watching kids at the hotel so parents can sneak back to Downtown Disney for a date night, most of her clients become repeat clients. “Most people spend so much money going to Disneyland. So they’re like, This is it. We got two days, we’re hitting the pavement,” she says. Cassidy’s job is to make sure they don’t miss a thing and the whole trip goes off with few hitches.
What are the typical responsibilities of a travel nanny?
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While each travel nanny gig is a bit different, most travel nannies bear the majority of the childcare duties for the duration of each trip. Through tantrums, missed naps and beachside diaper blowouts, they think on the fly and do their best to ensure their clients enjoy their vacation.
Travel assistance
For nannies that aren’t destination based, most trips involve helping families travel. Navigating an airport is tricky with young children, and flights are often a challenge too. Scharmann says she’s been up at 4:30 a.m. preparing a baby for a flight, lugging car seats and bases through the airport and helping the family keep that baby happy for a long flight. It’s all part of the job, though, she laughs, adding, “Don’t tell me you are tired yet? The adventure hasn’t even begun!”
Travel nannies might be responsible for:
- Packing kids’ bags.
- Manage child luggage and ticketing/airport reservations.
- Waking kids and preparing them to fly.
- Entertaining children during the flight.
- Managing feeding and toileting while in transit.
- Transport and install car seats in various vehicles while traveling.
While travel days can be stressful, it’s what nannies sign up for, says Barr. “Travel nannying involves, well, travel. So while you might think that you’re well traveled, have you ever traveled with children and had to entertain them on a long haul flight?”
“Flexibility is probably the biggest consideration when thinking about wanting to be a travel nanny.”
— Kelsey Barr
Managing the family’s daily routines
Once on the ground, most travel nannies keep the daily routine running smoothly. That may involve:
- Waking and dressing the children so the parents can sleep in.
- Cooking or ordering all meals.
- Putting children down for naps and/or bedtime.
- Managing toileting and bathing needs.
Barr typically is responsible for getting the kids up, dressed and fed each day. She coordinates with the family to plan each day’s activities and excursions. “As a travel nanny, you need to be someone who is very flexible and can go with the flow,” says Barr.
Sometimes parents change plans and it’s up to Barr to pack a bag and make the day as seamless and enjoyable as possible for everyone. “Flexibility is probably the biggest consideration when thinking about wanting to be a travel nanny,” she says.
Handling all the last-minute details
Cassidy says some wise words from her mother help her make sure families have a great trip — even when unexpected needs or issues arise. “Surrender to surprise,” her mother told her. “But I think that’s hard for some people.They want a strict plan. Disneyland is all about planning on the fly – because rides break down, children melt down.” She knows where every bathroom in the park is, can mobile order your food while a family enjoys their favorite ride and will have it waiting for the hangry kids.
Travel nannies, and especially destination-based nannies, are there to make each part of the trip go as smoothly as possible. That includes helping with:
- Navigating local attractions without confusion.
- Booking tickets, dinner reservations and food delivery orders.
- Babysitting for parents who want some kid-free time.
- Handling unexpected situations like bathroom emergencies or sick kids.
- Taking photos and managing souvenirs.
What are the perks of being a travel nanny?
While travel nannying is an important (and often exhausting) job, there are perks.
Seeing the world
Barr has gotten to see the world via nannying, but one of her favorite aspects is seeing kids enjoy the world. “The best thing about being a travel nanny is the relationship that is built with the family and children and being able to see the world from a child’s point of view,” she says. “There is something incredibly special about sitting down and building sandcastles with a toddler in the South of France or seeing the joy of a child eating gelato in Italy for the first time
Building lasting relationships
For Scharmann, the close relationship she built with her long term nanny family, which were forged through numerous trips, is the best part. They all clicked immediately — her first interview lasted five hours. “We both just knew it was meant to be,” she says. That close relationship made the daily grind of travel nannying worth it.
Better pay and benefits
Travel nannying also typically pays more than a regular nanny makes, which is a huge perk. Each contract is different, but travel nanny gigs are a great way to increase your income while traveling for free. Cassidy charges a flat daily rate for Disneyland, while Barr and Scharmann are compensated for the overnight time they spend with children, too.
How do you become a travel nanny?
Many travel nannies start off their business as local childcare providers in their home city and begin traveling with families they know. Barr says most of her travel gigs have come to her by word of mouth, but she’s also used Facebook groups and other platforms. As the owner of a boutique nanny agency, she knows connections are key.
Scharmman finds clients mostly through word of mouth and her Facebook group. Cassidy utilizes Care.com, her Instagram and website, as well as word of mouth to find clients. Many clients go on to tell their friends — who then book with her for an upcoming trip.
For aspiring travel nannies looking to book some trips, all three nannies recommend networking through all available avenues. Creating a Care.com profile, letting family and friends know about your new role, and social media all help travel nannies build up clientele and rack up some adventures.
The bottom line
Becoming a travel nanny is a unique way to gain valuable child care experience, see the world and make meaningful connections. Thanks to the internet, it’s also easy to get started. Jobs can be found on sites like Care.com, on social media and even by setting up your own nanny website to show off your skills and experience.
For Cassidy, one of the best parts of being a travel nanny is getting to be a part of so many families’ special moments. She recalls one time where she managed to help a family score a rare photo opp: Mickey and Minnie together. “I saw that they were together, and I scooped up the 3-year-old and 1-year-old under my arms and sprinted over,” she laughs. “It was such a precious moment, and it was such a core memory for me and the kids.”
