The Complete Guide to Hiring a Travel Nanny

For families who split the year between residences, a travel nanny is not a luxury but logistics: children keep their routine, parents keep their schedule. This guide covers how travel nannies work — and what separates a smooth trip from a stressful one.

What a travel nanny actually does

• Keeps sleep, meal and school routines stable across time zones
• Manages packing, travel documents and children's logistics
• Covers evenings and full days while parents attend to work or guests
• Adapts activities to new environments — city, beach, mountain or yacht

What it costs

Travel nannies typically earn their usual salary plus a per-diem of $100–$200 per travel day, with flights, accommodation and reasonable expenses covered. Rota arrangements for travel-heavy families are negotiated as annual packages — in 2026 usually $120,000–$180,000 per position at the top end.

The contract points that matter

• Working hours versus on-call time during travel days
• Private accommodation on the road — non-negotiable at this level
• Days off during longer trips and compensation time afterwards
• Passport validity, visas and vaccinations agreed in advance

Elite Swiss places travel-experienced nannies across New York (us.elite-swiss.com/nanny-agency-new-york), Miami (us.elite-swiss.com/nanny-agency-miami), Los Angeles (us.elite-swiss.com/nanny-agency-los-angeles), London (us.elite-swiss.com/nanny-agency-london) and Monaco (us.elite-swiss.com/nanny-agency-monaco) — every candidate personally interviewed, every placement guaranteed for 12 months.