Travel Nanny in Sydney: How to Take a Nanny on Your Family Holiday

Aug 1
5 min read

Here is a question worth asking before you book your next family holiday: who is actually getting a break?

For a lot of parents, the answer is nobody. A holiday with young children is often the same job in a different postcode — the naps, the meals, the meltdowns, just without your usual routine, your own kitchen, or your babysitter down the road. That is where a travel nanny comes in.

More Sydney families are choosing to bring a nanny along, whether it is a week in Fiji, a ski trip in July, or a few days at a family wedding interstate. With the spring school holidays running from 28 September to 9 October this year, and summer trips being booked now, it is a good time to explain how it works.

What is a travel nanny?

A travel nanny is a professional nanny who joins your family on a trip and cares for your children while you are away from home. That might mean:

Coming with you for the whole holiday — flights, hotel and all
Joining you for part of the trip, such as the first settling-in week
Travelling with you to an event, like a wedding, where you need reliable care on certain days

Some families bring their regular nanny. Others book a nanny specifically for the trip — often someone experienced with travel, confident in new environments, and happy to work flexible hours for a set period.

The point of a travel nanny is simple: your children are cared for by someone they trust, and you actually get to rest, have a dinner out, ski a full run, or sit through the wedding speeches without a toddler on your lap.

When Sydney families use one

The requests we hear most often:

Overseas holidays. Bali, Fiji and Hawaii are favourites for families from the Eastern Suburbs and North Shore. A nanny means kids' club is optional, not essential.
Ski trips. Someone to care for little ones in the lodge while older kids and parents are on the slopes.
Weddings and family events. You are there for the event; the nanny is there for the children during the ceremony, reception and late nights.
Work trips with the family attached. One parent works, the family comes along, the nanny keeps the days running.
Visiting relatives. A long stay with grandparents is lovely — and much easier when there is an extra pair of professional hands.
Road trips around NSW. A second adult who can handle the back seat changes everything on the drive to the South Coast.

What a travel nanny actually does

On a trip, a nanny's role usually looks like this:

Keeping familiar routines going — meals, naps, bedtime — so children stay settled somewhere new
Full days of care while parents have time to themselves, or shared days where everyone is together and the nanny is an extra pair of hands
Babysitting in the evenings so parents can go out
Handling the small logistics: packing the day bag, sunscreen, snacks, pool supervision, quiet time

What it should not look like is a nanny on call 24 hours a day. A good travel arrangement has clear working hours, proper breaks, and at least some genuine time off for the nanny across the trip. That is not just fair — it is what keeps the care warm and energetic for your children.

What does a travel nanny cost?

There is no single fixed rate, but here is the honest picture for Sydney families in 2026:

Hourly rates for professional nannies in Sydney generally sit around $36–$45 per hour, and travel work tends to sit at the higher end because of the extra responsibility.
Daily rates are common for trips instead of hourly billing — an agreed rate for an agreed span of hours each day, with anything extra (like evening babysitting) on top.
The family covers travel costs. Flights, accommodation (her own room), meals and any activity costs while working are paid by the family. The nanny should never be out of pocket for your holiday.
Days off still apply. On longer trips, build in full days off, just as you would at home.

If you are weighing this up against your everyday care costs, our guide to how much a nanny costs in Sydney is a good place to start.

Yes, it is a premium. But many parents find that one properly restful holiday — where the adults come home recharged rather than more tired than when they left — is worth every dollar.

How to plan it well

A great travel nanny trip is mostly about preparation. Here is the order we suggest:

Book early. The best travel nannies are booked months out, especially for the summer school holidays and Christmas. If you are travelling in December or January, start now.
Meet before you commit. Your children should spend time with the nanny before the trip — ideally a few normal days of care at home, so the airport is not their first hello.
Agree everything in writing. Working hours each day, days off, the daily rate, what counts as extra babysitting, and who pays for what. Clear now means comfortable later.
Sort the paperwork. A valid passport for overseas trips, travel insurance that covers the nanny, and a signed letter of authority so she can act for your children if needed. Keep copies of Medicare and emergency details with her.
Check the screening. A travel nanny should meet the same bar as any professional nanny — Working With Children Check, National Police Check, first aid and solid references. Here is how we screen our nannies.
Plan the rhythm of the trip. Decide roughly which days are family days and which are parent days. Everyone relaxes when the shape of the week is clear.

Can our regular nanny come with us?

Often, yes — and for younger children it is usually the best option, because the relationship is already there. It is a conversation, not an assumption: travel means time away from her own life, so ask early, agree the terms generously, and treat the trip as work with holiday moments, not a holiday with work moments.

If your regular nanny cannot travel, or you do not have one yet, a carefully chosen short-term nanny can step in for the trip. This is also how some families first discover how much easier life is with regular help — the holiday becomes the trial run. If that sounds familiar, our school holiday nanny guide covers short-term care closer to home.

Thinking about your next trip?

Whether it is the spring school holidays, a summer escape, or a wedding on the other side of the country, we can match you with a carefully chosen nanny who is right for your family — at home in the Inner West or Northern Beaches, or wherever the trip takes you.

Start your nanny search or book a call and tell us about the trip. We will take it from there.