6 Family Travel Tips for Flights and Car Rides

travelandleisure.com

By Amy Tara Koch

Whether you are traveling by plane, train or automobile, the key to tranquil trekking is all about doing the prep work. When traveling, spontaneity often yields a nightmare scenario. To reduce frustration and tantrums, parents must anticipate and be prepared for common in-transit issues: delays, hunger, bumps, bruises and illness and, of course, bad behavior. Here are my 6 top tips for reducing stress while traveling with the family:

1. Snacks on the go. Don’t wait until the kids get hungry and cranky. Pack an array of snacks and meals for the trip. Always plan for delays and bring a few extra nibbles.

2. Keep them busy. Bring a cross section of easy-to-transport toys, books, workbooks, gadgets and activities to engage them through the hours of travel.

3. Have bribery material on hand. Lots of it: Travel can be challenging for kids, so bring the goods to ward off tantrums and encourage good behavior. Some of my favorites are Tasty Brand organic (no corn syrup) Fruit Gummies, Tootsie Rolls, lollipops and a surprise activity (stickers, coloring book, Etch A Sketch, a new movie download, iTunes card for older kids).

4. Have an in-transit pharmacy. Have a zippered pouch with medicine and other products that deal with any and all medical maladies: ear pressure, sudden onset of a cold, cuts, allergies, even mystery rashes.

5. Avoid cootie exposure. To defend your family from the brazen germs lurking on every surface, build your anti-cootie arsenal with Potty Toppers, Tray Toppers, and anti-bacterial wipes.

6. Stay powerful. Always have an extra power source for your cell phone and other electronics.

Top Family Travel Tips from the Experts

travelandleisure.com

By Clara Sedlak

I'm just back from a trip to Italy and like every long adventure with toddlers, it was a schizophrenic mix of life-could-never-be-better moments and how-am-I-going-to-get-through-this hell. There was Sebastian's meltdown at Heathrow because I wouldn't buy him the really big Paddington bear (thank god for the Terminal 5 play area); the relentless "I want milk" requests while driving through the milkless rolling hills of Tuscany; and the constant sticky faces and stained shirts from twice-daily gelato injections (Italian napkins just don't do the job). In anticipation of my next family excursion, I reached out to the pros for some tips on how to make the journey smoother. Here, my favorites:

To reduce the inherent chaos of family travel, eliminate spontaneity from the equation. Translation? Prepare for hunger, headaches and boredom by stocking an easy-to-access bag with necessary gear. My must haves include kids’ Advil, band-aids, activities like Word Search or coloring books, non-perishable snacks and a forbidden food (chocolate, lollipop) to stave off potential tantrums. —Amy Tara Koch, Style expert, TV personality, Journalist

I've found that giving my boys, ages 5 & 8, some ownership in the trip planning helps to make family vacations more fun for everyone. Kids love to be given responsibility, and the process can spark great conversations about budgeting and compromising. Let them select from a list of hotels or destinations, and pull out a map to determine the route! —Amy Norman, co-Founder and co-CEO of Little Passports

Encourage your kids to keep a travel diary: for each day of your trip, have your kids write about or draw a picture of their favorite activity in a spiral notebook. Bring some scissors, glue and tape and add fun mementos from along the way, i.e. ticket stubs, postcards, maps, brochures. This is a great way to keep kids busy during long car trips, and in restaurants waiting for dinner to be served, and will make a great inexpensive and personalized souvenir. —Amy Bizzarri, Family Travel Writer

If you’re flying with babies and/or toddlers, make sure to block your airline seats in advance. Car and booster seats always have to be next to the window as passengers are not allowed to climb over a car seat to exit a row for safety reasons. The correct seating is child next to window, child in the middle, and the parent on the aisle. Also, you can’t have two infants in your laps. This all seems logical, but few travelers know these rules. —Kara Slater, SmartFlyer

We love self-storing and battery free activities, like Flip-to-Win games and ON the GO books. Our “Traveling with Kids” board on Pinterest is also packed with hundreds of fun and practical tips. —Karen Myers, Social Media Director, Melissa & Doug, LLC

After you return, keep the memories alive—and the fun going—by creating a photo album together to memorialize the trip. Have your kids help you pick the photos, write the text, and assemble the layout using an online service such as Blurb.com. —Amy Farley, News Editor, Travel + Leisure

Top 5 Family Travel Tips: Safety, Awareness and Entertainment are Key!

canadatravels.com

by Natasha Jervis

If you are traveling with family this year and have kids, you might want to consider taking note of these important 5 family travel tips. Traveling on your own can be fun and less difficult, but family travel can create memories that will last a life time. There are some important tactics to remember when planning a family vacation this year. Check out these top 5 family travel tips for 2012!

#1: Keep your Cool

If you can keep your patience level in tact when traveling with the kids, you are ahead of the game! Patience is extremely important when you are traveling with loved ones, If in the event of any difficult scenarios. You must keep your cool and calm yourself down when travel takes its toll on you and your family.

#2: Pack Necessities

Make sure you bring everything you and your family urgently require in your carry-on bag. This may include toys, colouring books and entertainment, breast milk, medications, snacks, juice, baby wipes and more. Just make sure you check with the Transit Security Administration to make sure you have filled the travel requirements when it comes to liquids.

#3: Window Seat Fun

It is a smart traveler who gives their kids the window seat. By putting your kids in the window seat you can save them from getting smacked around by fast moving beverage and food carts. The rest of the in-flight passengers will be happy if your little one is by the window because it limits the amount interaction across isles.

#4: Entertainment is Key

When traveling you may undergo long waiting periods in airports with regards to delayed flights or other travel issues. You may have to wait in busy hotel lobby's and stay in long lineups at the train station. Whatever the case is, make srue you have entertainment for the kids. Keep them distracted so you don't have to listen to their frustration and boredom complaints.

#5: Safe Traveling and Check-Ins

When you are staying at hotels, resorts and other venues, check that everything within the rooms and establishment is safe for your children to roam. Look out for low balcony railings, cords and loose wires, as well as any other dangerous items that kids can hurt themselves with.

Be aware and you and your family will enjoy your vacation in full. Keep your family safe by keeping your cool in situations that may frighten or cause anxiety for your kids. The cooler you are, the safer your family and loved ones will feel. It's family travel time!

10 Smart Tips for Better Beach Vacations

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(photo: Flickr: Visit St Pete/Clearwater)

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Where do lifeguards look first when a child is lost on the beach? What everyday product makes sand fall away from skin? How can you take the pain out of a jellyfish sting? MiniTime readers offer their best tips for a stress-free beach getaway.

1. I was a lifeguard for many years in Vero Beach, Florida. Whenever a young child got separated from his or her family on the beach, we always looked downwind. Why? Because nine times out of 10 a little kid will follow the path of least resistance and walk with the wind. So if your preschooler goes missing on the beach, try following the wind. -Becca from Jacksonville, FL

2. I always bring baby powder if we are going on a beach vacation. I keep it in my beach bag. Sprinkle it on your skin and any clinging sand will fall right off. -Krista from Morris Plains, NJ

3. Having worked for years at the front desk of a hotel, I know that every hotel has a few rooms that are better than others -- perhaps slightly more spacious, or with a nicer view. Making an effort to be nice to the front desk staff when you arrive can go a long way in getting a better room. I always say, "This is a very special trip for us." We usually end up with a wonderful room, and sometimes even an upgrade! -Cecilia from Santa Barbara, CA

4. We love collecting seashells but we have taught our kids not to collect "live" shells such as starfish, sand dollars and sea urchins. In some top shelling destinations (such as Sandestin, Florida) taking a live shell can land you a very hefty fine. -Cheryl from Oakhurst, GA

5. There's nothing my family loves more than a beach vacation, but they can be pricey. In the past few years, I've discovered that we can easily save over $1,000 on our one-week summer getaway simply by heading to a lake rather than an ocean resort. Many resorts on large lakes have gorgeous, sandy beaches and nearly all the water sports you find at the ocean. -Charlene from Charlotte, NC

(photo: Flickr: sidibousaid60)

6. Pack a small spray bottle filled with vinegar in your beach bag. If anyone gets stung by a jellyfish, vinegar takes the sting out. -Nicolette from Tampa Bay, FL

7. Whenever we go away to a popular beach town, I tell my kids to keep their eyes open for coupon booklets in our hotel lobby and at the entrances to restaurants and attractions. We always find discounts for meals and sightseeing, and it ends up adding up to quite a lot of savings. -Marie from Manhattan Beach, CA

8. Beach hotels will often charge an arm and a leg to rent fun items like boogie boards and inner tubes for just a few hours. Instead, when we get to our destination, we stop at a dollar store and buy our own beach toys and then use them as much as we want for much less. On our last day, we pay it forward by giving our toys to another family." -Kerri from Bend, OR

9. When we go to the beach, we always bring a very bright yellow umbrella and set up our towels and gear near a large landmark like a lifeguard station or jetty. It makes it easy for our kids to find their way back to us if they lose track of where they are on the beach, or if they are playing in the water and drift a bit. -Melodie from Fairfax, VA

10. We brought my daughter to Hawaii when she was about 14 months old, and wanted to let her play in the water but also keep her safe. Our solution was to buy a small inflatable baby pool, which we set up next to our beach chairs. We filled the pool with a few inches of water, gave her a shovel and bucket, and let her have fun. She stayed cool and we could keep an eye on her while she played. -Jeremy from Walla Walla, WA

This story was compiled from travel tips submitted by the MiniTime community.

Build a Better Family Vacation

 Thayer Allyson Gowdy

By Sally Schultheiss

Feel as if you need a vacation after your vacation? Easy ways to make the words "Have a nice trip" a reality.

Share a Rental With Another Family

Sharing a house or a condominium can keep costs down. It gives you more room to spread out than a hotel room does, plus a kitchen to cut down on restaurant meals. And the extra vacation-mates provide kids with built-in entertainment (other kids! Uncle Jimmy!) and supervision. Two good sources of vacation properties are resortquest.com, which manages a network of more than 17,000 rentals in the United States and Canada (specialty: beach and ski areas), andvacationrentals.com, which lists private homes in most states and on most continents at prices to suit various budgets. 

Tip: Many newspapers have online classifieds for house swaps―a four-bedroom colonial in the Chicago suburbs, say, for your New York apartment. Or visit homeexchange.com orintervac.com, two swap agencies that do the work for you for a small fee.

Figure in Child Care

If you're not traveling with another family and you and your spouse hope to spend some time alone, plan ahead to make sure you'll have someone to watch the kids. Hotels may maintain a list of qualified babysitters, and some even include the service with the cost of the room. If the hotel refers you to an agency, call to ask for references from other travelers, and request to speak to the sitter it assigns you before you arrive. If you're staying in a condo, try calling a nearby reputable hotel for recommendations. Some resorts have full children's programs that offer supervised entertainment, like pizza and games, so you and your spouse can have dinner alone. If you feel uncomfortable leaving your kids with a stranger, consider bringing along another family member to help. Your children might prefer their grandmother (especially one who lives far away) or a teenage cousin (who may be happy to trade a few hours of child care a day for the trip) to an unknown babysitter. Another option: Hire a mother's helper to accompany you so she can play with the older kids while you give your undivided attention to your toddler (go to Craigslist.org and look under "Community/Childcare"). 

Tip: When you arrive at your hotel, take the kids on a quick tour. Show them the front desk, and explain this is where they should go if they get lost or have a question. And point out house phones they can use if they forget how to find their way back to the room.

 

 

Research Activities Before You Go

To get your children excited about the trip in advance―and to be ready with surefire boredom chasers when they're needed―check the area's tourist office or chamber-of-commerce website for the week's scheduled activities, such as farmers' markets and parades. Call the local library and bookstore to find out about story hours. To save scrambling for a local paper when rain dictates an afternoon at the movies, go online before you leave home to find a local theater's show-times or at least a number to call. And if you're counting on using the hotel's children's program or heated pool, ask before booking to be sure those services are available during your stay; don't find out when you get there that the pool has been drained for repairs.

 

Put the Kids to Work

Involving the children in trip planning will relieve some of your burden. It will also send the message that this is everyone's vacation―so everyone needs to help make it fun and easy―and set a good tone for the whole trip. "If your child is mature enough, possibly as young as five or six, tell him where you're going and how you'll get there, then let him help make plans," says David Fassler, a clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of Vermont. In addition to engaging them and getting them enthused about going, helping to plan can lessen any anxiety kids may have about the trip, "like where they will be sleeping or new foods they may encounter," says Fassler. Online, older kids can research activities and places they'd like to visit; younger children can find the destination in an atlas and look in a travel book for pictures of what they're about to see. Assign each child a task while on vacation, advises Laurie LeComer, a consultant on child development and behavior and the author of A Parent's Guide to Developmental Delays (Perigee, $15, amazon.com): "They can help by making sure no toys are left behind, picking up the room each night, or carrying small bags." And let kids have the responsibility of packing their own carry-on bags. Give older kids a list; ask younger ones to pick out a few favorite toys, books, and outfits (you can help with the final cut).

 

 

4 Fun Travel Games

realsimple.com

By Sarah Engler

James Baigrie

Trivia Free-for-All

 

Elizabeth Foy Larsen, a mom of three and a coauthor of Unbored: The Essential Field Guide to Serious Fun ($15, amazon.com), packs a box of Trivial Pursuit cards: Each passenger takes turns reading questions, and anyone can shout out an answer. “A lot of those questions are much too hard for me, even,” she says. “But part of the fun is wildly guessing the answers. And this always winds up spurring larger discussions.”

The Mundane Game

 

Larsen’s family often challenges one another to see who can recall the most details about something they did during the day. “For instance, after lunch we’ll ask if anyone remembers the name of our waitress or the special of the day,” she says. “It prompts kids to have their antennas more finely tuned during these new experiences.”

Counting Cars

 

An oldie but goody. Have kids find license plates from as many states as possible. Print out a U.S. map so they can cross off states and see how far the cars have come. (Find a nice big one at 50states.com.) “One time my children got so into this game that they wanted to stop at every huge parking lot we passed to get more plates,” says Larsen.

Duty Roster

 

Sick of hearing “Are we there yet?” Give everyone a job: Let an older kid be the navigator, manning the GPS or the atlas. Kelleher often gives one of her kids the title of “banker” and lets him decide where the family can eat or the souvenirs to consider based on the day’s budget.

Packing Tips From the Pros

realsimple.com

Paul SirisaleePage 1 of 8

By Laura Sinberg

If you have to sit on your suitcase to zip it, well, there really is a better way. Just follow this three-step plan on what to bring, how to fold, and where to (phew!) fit it all in.

Pack Mentality

Getting ready for a trip can feel like a game of Tetris, in which you’re figuring out how to fit everything while frantically planning for each possible scenario. “When traveling, people become fearful of going into the unknown and use clothes as a security blanket,” says Cary Cooper, a professor of psychology at Lancaster University, in England. “But all those what-ifs only lead to overpacking.” (And even more stress.) Here’s a surefire way to eliminate the agita.

Step 1

Decide what you’re taking. And, just as important, what you’re not. These streamlining guidelines will help, whether you’re bound for a beach or a boardroom.

Follow a simple formula. Pack three tops for every bottom. Generally, pants and skirts take up more room than shirts, and when you wear them multiple times, no one is the wiser, says Justin Klosky, the founder of the Los Angeles–based organizational-consulting company O.C.D. Experience. A weeklong trip, he says, shouldn’t require more than six tops, one pair of pants, one pair of shorts, one dress, and three bras. “Choose staples you feel most confident in so that you’ll be less inclined to bring alternatives,” says Lesley Grosvenor, a cofounder of Clothes Up Style, a wardrobe-advising service in Los Angeles. Then, for a handy reminder about all the other stuff you’ll need, from floss to batteries, print the vacation-essentials checklist atrealsimple.com/packingchecklist.

Stick to a color scheme. “Start with two neutrals for your core basics and add two to three fun shades that coordinate,” advises Alan Krantzler, the senior vice president of brand management at Tumi, a travel brand. A dark palette hides stains and easily sails from day to night. If that feels too uptight for your jaunt to Margaritaville, try a breezy mix of white, navy, red, teal, and pale yellow. Or “plan your wardrobe around one shoe color,” says Judith Gilford, the author of The Packing Book ($15, amazon.com). You need only three pairs—sneakers, flats or sandals, and heels or wedges.

Be a lightweight. Not all clothes are worth their weight. Leave behind pieces with bulky linings or heavy embellishments. Think thin and opt for pants made of polyester-rayon or acetate-spandex. Also, stretchy jeans or jeggings can take up half the space of regular denim. Control temperature with layers, says Heather Poole, a flight attendant and the author of Cruising Attitude ($15,amazon.com). She piles on tees, tanks, and cashmere cardigans instead of bringing thick sweaters or a hefty jacket. (If you’re traveling somewhere cold, keep reading for a clever tip on transporting a down coat.)

Step 2

Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. Lighten your load further with multitaskers—which don’t have to be those girl-explorer zip-off cargo pants. T-shirt dresses, leggings, tunics, and maxis take you from sightseeing to dinner. Let yoga pants moonlight as pj’s, or use your cover-up in place of a robe. New York City–based designer Yigal Azrouël favors sarongs, because you can tie them multiple ways as a cover-up or a stylish wrap at night. If possible, wear a garment for the dressiest occasion early in the trip, when it’s less likely to be dirty, says Poole. For instance, one tank can stretch for days: Pair it with a skirt and heels for dinner on Saturday, capris and sandals for shopping on Monday, and shorts and sneakers for a Tuesday hike.

Embrace the accents. Satisfy your craving for variety with little things, like fun belts, bold jewelry, and printed scarves. “Chunky, colorful bracelets and necklaces draw the eye so people don’t focus on the clothes,” says Alanna Richman, the owner of Alanna Bess Jewelry.

Choose fabrics wisely. Blends containing nylon, elastane, or polyester beautifully resist wrinkling. Prefer something more natural? You’ll have the most luck with wool, Lyocell, or modal. Cotton mixed with polyester or spandex will also hold up better than 100 percent cotton. Anything with texture (crinkled gauze, ruched jersey, seersucker) or a busy print helps camouflage fold marks, says Los Angeles–based stylist Nicole Chavez. When in doubt, scrunch the material in your hand to see if it crumples easily. Keep in mind: The longer clothes stay stashed in your suitcase, the deeper creases get. For quick touch-ups, pack a travel-size (and TSA-approved) bottle of Downy Wrinkle Releaser spray ($2 for three ounces, at drugstores).

Step 3

Roll It, Fold It, or Bundle It

Rolling and folding are classic expert-packer methods; bundling is advanced—but ingenious. (To learn how, see the following slides.) The best option depends on the type of garment and the luggage you’re carrying it in.

Rolling

Great for:

• Unstructured bags, like a duffel or a carry-on tote.
• Stretchy knit fabrics that are unlikely to wrinkle, including T-shirts, workout pants, light sweaters, and jersey dresses, as well as jeans.
• Stuffing seven days’ worth of stuff into a weekender.
  

How to Roll

Pants
Fold pants in half lengthwise so that the back pockets face outward. Roll tightly from the cuffs to the waistband.

A Straight Skirt or Dress
If the dress has sleeves, first fold each sleeve backward. Fold the entire garment in half lengthwise. Roll from the bottom hem up.

A Winter Down Jacket
Zip it, then roll it the same way you would a top, trying to squeeze as much air out of it as possible as you go. Secure it tightly with string or large rubber bands so that it doesn’t come undone. Slip it into a pillowcase and you’ve even got a germ-free headrest for the plane.

Folding

Great for:

• Structured suitcases.
• Wrinkle-prone fabrics, such as linen, rayon, and silk.
• Tailored garments (dress shirts, woven skirts, trousers, jackets) and thick sweaters.
  

How to Fold

A Dress Shirt
Do it the department-store way: Lay a buttoned-up shirt facedown and flat. Center a magazine below the collar. Fold in the right side of the shirt, using the magazine’s edge as a guide. Take the arm and position it straight down, parallel to the shirt’s body. Repeat on the opposite side. Fold the bottom of the shirt so that the hem touches the shoulders. Slide out the magazine from the top. If you have several shirts of similar shape and size, you can stack them, folding them all as one to cushion the creases.

Dress Pants
Fold along the center creases or the side seams so that the legs stack on top of each other. Fold in half so that the waist touches the hem. Fold in half again.

A Full Skirt or DressPut it in a large plastic trash bag. “The slippery surface keeps wrinkles from setting,” says Evelyn Hannon, the editor of journeywoman.com, a travel site for women. Fold it in half lengthwise so that the side seams line up—you’ll have an angle down one side. Fold the angled edge inward to form a rectangle. Fold the garment in half horizontally or, if it’s on the longer side, in thirds. Pack it on top of everything else in the suitcase.

Planning a family vacation

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1. managing expectations

While traveling with a little one (or little ones) is wonderful, it is a drastically different experience from pre-child trips. Once you accept that you will be digging in the sand, not resting on it; playing in the pool, not floating on it; and that “happy hour” is any time your baby or child is not demanding one on one attention; you are ready to start planning.

2. setting up for success

What things are absolutely necessary for you to have a good vacation? For one person it might be a trip to the spa, while for another it might be an afternoon of uninterrupted reading. May we suggest:

• If you are traveling with a partner, plan to take turns watching your child so that each of you can have some time to pursue something you enjoy.

• Consider bringing grandma, aunty or another caregiver along to do a little babysitting.

• Find out if your preferred hotel or resort offers certified babysitters, at what cost, and if they need to be arranged in advance. Hotel babysitting services can sometimes be very expensive so you could also research outside agencies. Please see the following North American directory for a babysitter on vacation.

• A baby or kid’s club can be a great option, but be sure to find out the cost, what the age requirements are, if they are fully supervised, if you need to pre-register, and if it will be in operation during your travel dates (some are only offered during high season).

3. where to go

Traveling with a child may require you to put extra thought into your destination and type of accommodation, especially if you have a newborn.

Thing to consider include:

• proximity to good medical care
• access to clean drinking water (especially if you are formula feeding)
• childcare options
• vacation home rental versus hotel or resort

This is not to say that you can’t go anywhere you want. Travel magazines are full of stories about amazing travelers who circumnavigate the globe with a baby in a sling. It is advisable, however, to either choose a destination relatively close to home or in a country with a very high standard of medical care until your baby is at least six months old.
Traveling with a child may require you to put extra thought into your destination and type of accommodation, especially if you have a newborn.

4. safety first

If you do make the decision to travel to a less developed country, or a tropical location, we recommend looking up your destination on the website of the Center for Disease Control in case there are any medical advisories you should be aware of (Malaria, Dengue Fever etc.). On the website, you will find advice on how to minimize your risk, suggested vaccinations, and recommendations on types of medications to bring with you. If necessary, plan to visit a travel health clinic at least 6 weeks prior to your trip. Bring with you the immunization records for each family member. Use the following links for a list of travel medicine clinics in the U.S. or in Canada (in Canada they are often referred to as Yellow Fever Vaccination Centres despite the fact that they vaccinate for a variety of travel related diseases).

Should you be interested in other information, such as the current political climate or any serious weather advisories in the region you plan to travel to, you can research your destination through the U.S. State Department or Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada.

5. can you drink the water?

In many fantastic vacations spots, the tap water contains microbes that can cause diarrhea, vomiting and dehydration if ingested (think Mexico). You can still travel to these places with your baby or small child, but you need to give some thought as to how you will deal with this inconvenience. Carefully chosen accommodation (ideally with a water filtration system), or a well tipped maid bringing you copious amounts of bottled water can also make this job much easier.

The following steps will reduce your risk:

• Use bottled or purified water, a brush and dish soap to clean any of your child’s bottles, cups, bowls, and utensils. After washing, sterilize all of these items. For information on how to do so, please consult the babycenter. com website.

• Use only sterilized water for teeth brushing and wiping sticky hands and faces.

• Do not let your child have anything with ice in it unless you can be sure the ice has been made from sterilized water.

• Make sure your child does not swallow any water when in the bath or shower.

6. are children welcome?

Does the accommodation you are considering welcome children by providing rooms and services that will make your trip easier? A family friendly hotel or resort will offer some, if not all of the following features and amenities (ideally without an additional charge) :

• high chairs and booster seats

• cribs and playpens

• child proofed rooms

• baby monitors for loan

• gradual entry pool

• llfe jackets

• toys

• babysitting service

• baby or kids club

• large rooms with a private sleeping area for your child

• adjoining rooms

• kitchenette or fridge and microwave

• complimentary laundry service for kids or in-room washer and dryer

• room service

• baby menu, kids menu or buffet

• in room entertainment system

• coffee maker for bleary eyed, sleep deprived parents

When researching a hotel or resort, it is also helpful to spend some time reading reviews specifically from families. Tripadvisor.com, and  Family Vacation Critic are both decent resources.

7. love your room

With a child now sharing your space, you need to think about the location, layout and size of your room within the hotel or resort.

The most important consideration is where you will be when your child is sleeping. Having accommodation with a separate bedroom, walk in closet where you could fit a crib, or a living room with a sofa bed, allows you to still enjoy this time. Even a nice patio where you can retreat to can make all the difference between being on vacation, and feeling like you are a prisoner of your room. Many parents we have spoken to (as well as the author) have spent evenings holed up in the bathroom with a bottle of wine watching a movie so as not to disturb their child; but generally this is not ideal. The long and short of it is that if at all possible spend the extra dollars and get the suite, the one bedroom, or the adjoining rooms rather than a single standard room.

Depending on your personal style and the temperament of your child you may also want to:

• request a room away from the noise of the elevator/bar/restaurant

• request a room away from other guests so you do not need worry about a screaming baby disturbing anyone

• request a room close enough to the amenities that you can use a baby monitor while you child is napping(not everyone is comfortable doing this of course)

8. vacation home rentals

Many parents find renting a house or apartment a much more convenient option than a hotel. The benefits of a home rental  include: more privacy, more space, a lower per night cost, laundry facilities, a kitchen, and the ability to have meals and naps on your schedule, not on that of a hotel. Several popular vacation rental companies include  VRBO.com, and Airbnb.com (be sure to use the ‘kid-friendly’). Also worth taking a look at is KidandCoe.com which features some very special family properties

There are several potential drawbacks to vacation rentals of course. Booking it may require a little more time and work than a hotel as you are often dealing with an individual owner. Another consideration is that since you now have the ability to do more for yourself, you may find that you spend a lot of your trip cooking and cleaning. For a price, however, anything is possible. If needed, you can arrange maid service and plan to eat some of your meals in restaurants. You could also hire a babysitting or nanny service to give yourself a break once in a while. Some home and villa rental companies even offer a concierge service that can help to arrange things for you such as pre-stocking the kitchen with groceries. For a list of reputable villa rental agencies around the world, please see this Travel and Leisure article.

If the property you have selected does not have certain things that you need such as a crib, almost every city has a baby equipment rental company. The following link will provide you with a directory of baby equipment rental companies in North America.

9. passports for international travel

If you are traveling internationally you will need a passport for everyone in your family no matter how old they are (this includes newborns). The processing time for a passport in Canada is about 10-20 days and in the U.S. it is about 4-6 weeks (although in both countries it can be done in as little as a few days for a higher cost). Give yourself ample time since the application is lengthy and there is nothing worse than being a week away from travel and not having your documents in order. For more information on getting a passport, consult the website for Passport Canada or the US Department of State. If you already have a passport, make sure that it does not expire within 6 months of your trip as this is generally frowned upon by foreign governments.

Single parents planning to obtain a passport for their child will be expected to present a copy of the court order establishing custody and guardianship. Also important to note is that regardless of custody or guardianship, if only one parent is traveling internationally with a child, they may be asked to provide to customs and immigration a notarized letter of consent signed by the other parent. Please see the following link for an example of a letter of consent.

10. visas for international travel

In addition to presenting your passport, some countries require that you have a tourist visa for entry. To find out if you need one for your travel destination, check on the following government website links for Canada and the US.

11. programs that will get you through the airport faster

More than the flight itself, one of the most dreaded parts about airplane travel with babies, toddlers and kids, is the security screening process. While there have been small improvements over recent years (such as the fact that children no longer need to remove their shoes), the new TSA Pre expedited screening lane is making things much easier for qualified passengers and their children 12 years and under. These pre-screened travelers are allowed to leave their shoes, light outerwear and belt on, keep their laptop in its case, and their 3-1-1 compliant liquids/gels bag in a carry-on,when traveling through one of 115 designated airports across the U.S.A. and most recently Canada (Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto with Air Canada).

There is a bit of a laundry list of things required to participate in the program including either a personal invitation from TSA-Pre, or membership in the following trusted traveler programs; CBP Global Entry, SENTRI and NEXUS. You also need to be flying domestically in the U.S. on one of the following airlines: Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, US Airways and Virgin America (or on Air Canada between the U.S.A. and Canada). Still, if you can qualify it can be a real time and stress saver.  For more information on the program see the TSA Pre website or for entry through another trusted traveler program, see the GOES website.

12. travel insurance

We all know that buying travel insurance is important when traveling out of country, but your chances of needing medical, cancellation or trip interruption insurance are much more likely when traveling with a child. A serious medical problem out of country can easily cost you more than $50,000 especially if you require an ambulance or an air evacuation.