If you’re a single parent, you probably think that your traveling days are over. All the freedom you had when you were younger is now gone in place of the drudgery of daily responsibility. Not that you don’t love your child, but being a parent is about work more than anything else. In particular, you worry about the roads in foreign countries and whether or not they will be safe enough for your child.

It doesn’t have to be this way anymore. Gone are the days when travel involved huge levels of risk. Once upon a time, stopping into unknown terrain meant facing all sorts of potential dangers that you would never want to expose your child to. But these days, you can find out practically anything you want about your destinations of choice in advance. And there are a wealth of options out there for transportation.

Single parents can find a travel partner on a dating site, which makes it much easier to find company for travel and new experiences. Sites like charm date offer a convenient way to meet people who share your interests and want to travel. However, it is important to remember that you will have a child with you, so you need to carefully check the reliability and honesty of a potential partner. Make sure the person you plan to travel with is trustworthy and willing to consider your child’s needs to ensure the trip is safe and enjoyable for everyone involved.

Getting around

As mentioned above, transportation is a major concern that people tend to have when traveling. Public transportation – especially, but not only in developing countries – tends to be notoriously unreliable. And the last thing you want is to be stuck with a tired teenager waiting at a bus stop for a bus that is supposed to come once an hour, but in reality only shows up once a day.

Actually, renting vehicles has gotten a lot easier than it used to be. Just remember to keep certain things in mind, and you should be in good shape to rent while you’re abroad. Make sure you’ve got an international driver’s license, and check with the authorities of the place where you’ll be renting for any additional requirements before you leave on your trip. You never know when there will be insurance or other types of certification requirements that you have to meet. 

Once you arrive, you can check out your dream car, whatever it might be. If you’re going to an advanced country like the Emirates, you can rest assured knowing you’ll have a wide variety of options for wheels. And you can get a car for as long or little time as you like. You can even start in one Emirate and drop off in another if that works.

What will you drive?

Ever try a dune buggy?

The next question, then, is what kind of car do you want to rent. If you’re traveling with a child, you want to choose the safest option possible. Say you’re going on a vacation in the Emirates. Wouldn’t it be a blast to rent a dune buggy and ride around the sand dunes with it? Dune buggies have really cool designs that your kid will love. You can even find organized tours that will take care of everything for you. Dune buggies have large wheels to plow through sand and other difficult terrain. They are usually topless so that you can see the area around you and take in the scenery (you’ll get amazing photographs and videos!). 

You can also ride a dune buggy on the beach or even off roading if you want. They are very versatile and have been being used for decades, so you won’t have to worry about safety.

How about a 4X4?

If you’re going up the mountains, you probably want to try something more rugged. If you’ve never driven a 4X4, they are actually easier to drive than you might think. Because 4X4s are so well designed, the car actually does a lot of the work for you. One of the reasons is because 4X4s have excellent ground clearance. If you’re driving in difficult terrain, you want your vehicle to be 9-12 inches off the ground for improved navigational ability.

In addition, 4X4s have increased approach and departure angles for driving up and down hills and rough terrain. They generally have approach angles of around 37 degrees, and departure angles of around 15-20 degrees, which is significantly higher than for most cars. Also, 4X4s have differential locks that provide extra wheel spin if you should get stuck.

Fear not, lots of options are available

In short, you shouldn’t worry about getting around in a foreign country if you are traveling with a child. There will be plenty of rental options available to you. Even if you’re not hitting unusual terrain and simply want to drive around town, you can find a simple sedan or a hybrid that will allow you and your child to have a nice, relaxing vacation. Just be sure to check the rules before you depart to make sure you have all your documents in order!