Travel with Kids!

Recently I traveled through Europe with my husband and daughters and I came to realize that there are always ways to make traveling more enjoyable for everyone concerned, especially when it comes to traveling with kids. After returning home from the trip, I asked my eldest daughter if she had any suggestions for parents who want to travel with their kids. Her response: “Don’t bring them!”  I can’t say that I agree with her this time around! Follow the tips below and you too can make family vacations an enjoyable affair.

Step 1- Follow your Dreams. Take action; don’t be discouraged by those who say that it’s too much trouble and aggravation traveling with kids. Start planning right away – now - today. There is no time like the present. Call your travel agent, search Expedia (www.expedia.com) …and as Nike says, “Just Do It”.

Step 2 - Establish a Budget.  Budgeting well in advance for a family vacation will give you an opportunity to get the best deals, considering that you don’t have the same flexibility as most last minute travelers. Kids don’t have the same tolerance for travel aggravations that parents do. Their schedules tend to be more regimented and delays that an adult might shrug off with a good book, may leave the kids pretty upset. 

Step 3 - Carefully Select your Accommodations. It’s often worth paying a little more to get separate bedrooms for the kids. Separate sleeping arrangements let’s the kids go to bed before you do, gives them a play area and a quiet place to nap after a full day, and gives mom and dad privacy that they so often need to enjoy their vacation together. Apartments give the family more flexibility than hotels. For a wide selection of apartments from around the world, visit www.VRBO.com.

Step 4 - Select a Variety of Activities. Have every family member choose at least one activity, visit, side trip … they want to do on the family vacation. Ask them to research the activity in question e.g. time allotted to visit a special beach, any costs that might apply, times that the facility is open for business, proximity to subways, parking … This will give each member a sense of ownership for the success of the trip. Scheduling “downtime” where everyone can rest and regain a sense of balance is very important on family vacations. Don’t overbook yourself – allocate free family time!   

Step 5 - Select a Travel Insurance Plan that’s Right for the Family. You can’t anticipate everything that might happen on a vacation. Travel insurance reduces the risk of extensive out-of-pocket expenses, either incurred during the trip, or later on, resulting from unforeseen circumstances. Personal injury, a trip cancelled at the last minute due to extenuating circumstances, lost baggage … all of these are insurable events. Many of the banks now offer travel insurance at very favorable rates, as well as most travel agents. Check to see what travel insurance your credit card offers - often times these are only applicable to trips and items purchased with the card. Check to see what insurance riders may be available on your regular home or car insurance. If available, these can cut very significantly reduce or even eliminate the need for extra insurance offered up at the car rental counter. 

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