Posts Tagged ‘family vacation’
NC)Picture it your minivan is stopped at a rest area. Your partner sits at the wheel while you are buried under a mess of unfolded maps. You feel tense as you debate over directions while your jumpy kids in the back seat are spreading chocolate over each other. Aah, the joys of a family vacation.
Don’t despair, not every trip has to be like that. By making plans in advance, you can help ease tensions on the trip and turn it into a family adventure filled with wonderful memories for everyone. Before getting started, consider these quick travel tips.
Where are we?
Try to map out your trip in advance or at least be prepared with a road atlas in the car. Michelin’s 2003 North America Road Atlas is spiral bound and compact, which means it lies flat for easier navigating and folds over easily so it can be tucked away in the glove compartment. A great innovation is that maps are organized by geographic region, not by the alphabet according to the way you actually drive.
Are we there yet?
Let your children also have their own map so they can follow along with you. Use a road atlas to teach your children how to use maps and help them learn to answer that gnawing question, “Are we there yet?” Make a game out of it and try to see who can calculate the distance the fastest.
I have to go!
Plan exciting pit stops along the way to give everyone a chance to stretch their legs and use a restroom. Choose interesting locations and tourist attractions such as the world’s largest coffee pot in Saskatchewan, magnetic hill in New Brunswick or a haunted lighthouse in Ontario. Make these stops part of the fond memories of your family trip.
I’m bored!
Entertaining car-based activities for the kids will help make the journey more pleasant for everyone. There are a variety of great board games available in compact sizes, which use magnets to ensure pieces stay on the board. Other options include reading out loud, singing or listening to audio books. Consider the classic games of “I Spy”, a scavenger hunt or even counting cows, horses and other unique items you identify.
I’m hungry!
To avoid grumbling stomachs keep some snacks handy such as fruit, granola bars or juice boxes to keep everyone satisfied while you search for the next rest stop.
Spending time together on a road trip is a great way to have quality time with your family. Don’t let it ruin your trip. Instead make it part of the adventure and the wonderful memories. Not only will some advance planning make your trip a lot more pleasant, it may keep everyone talking to one another!
- News Canada
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In the best of times, it can be difficult for families to budget the funds to get away for a time of rest and relaxation, but that task proves to be even harder in today’s economic conditions. Thankfully, it’s not impossible. The following list of travel tips provides affordable vacation ideas for families who want to escape the rat race this year and enjoy a little time away together without breaking the bank.
Take a Stay-Cation
It used to be that family vacations meant packing Mom and Dad and the kids into the family station wagon or boarding a plane for a long cross country trek, but with the challenging economic times of the past few years, families are finding plenty of opportunities to get away within a day’s drive of their own backyards.
>From state parks and theme parks to regional resort towns around lakes, beaches, or mountains, budget-minded travelers are finding plenty of opportunities to relax and unwind just a tank or two of gas away from home.
Talking with friends and relatives who’ve taken similar trips or searching for nearby family vacation destinations on the Internet can help you turn up some of these nearby family fun spots.
Take Advantage of Discounts and Special Offers
Just like the vacationers who visit them, the owners of hotels and attractions are very mindful of the recession and are offering special deals and discounts to entice vacationers to spend their hard earned dollars with them.
To find these special offers, visit the websites of the destinations, hotels, and attractions you wish to visit and look for a link to the page containing their current discounts and promotions. Additionally, placing a call to the destination can uncover any specials they have recently announced that might not have been posted on the website.
Be Spontaneous
Although it’s not always possible, the ability to drop everything and go with a few days’ notice can save hundreds if not thousands of dollars. While this may not be feasible for a family that has just a small window of opportunity to get away, families with small or home-schooled children and parents with flexible work schedules can take advantage of these last minute opportunities.
Though it does take some diligence and the ability to make a quick decision — the Internet makes it easy than ever to find these deals. Travel comparison sites, like FareCompare.com and Orbitz track the latest deals and pass them along to their readers. Airlines such as Southwest Airlines frequently post last minute airfare and hotel packages online.
To be among the first to know when these deals become available, track sites that follow vacation deals and sign up for their newsletters or deal alerts. If you don’t like giving out your email information, you can also follow them on Twitter or Facebook. Just make sure to periodically check their posts and updates in order to take advantage of any time-sensitive offers.
Travel Off Season
In good times or bad, vacationers can save money and avoid the crowds by traveling off season. Peak times for family vacation destinations vary on location, but most are Memorial Day through Labor Day. Vacationers who visit outside of these dates can avoid fighting the crowds and paying peak rates that are associated with the busy season.
If vacationing off season isn’t an option, look into the possibility of travelling on weekdays during the peak season. Many resort towns fill up end-week through Saturday night, but are quieter on Sunday through the middle of the week and may even offer room and attraction discounts for these off-days of the week.
One word of caution, however, when traveling off season, some of the attractions may be offered on a more limited basis or not at all. Be sure to call ahead to verify which venues will be open and what their hours will be.
Don’t Eat Your Budget
Finally, one of the simplest ways to save while traveling is to avoid paying the inflated tourist prices for food. Booking a hotel room with a kitchenette or even a small refrigerator can help you keep and prepare food for simple meals or lunches to go.
Even theme parks offer in and out privileges. Getting your hand stamped and heading off-site for a picnic or even to a fast food restaurant outside of the attraction can drastically cut down on the costs associated with visiting the park.
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There are many challenges that parents have to face when they air travel with small children. Their main concern is child safety. Then they fear that the child may cause inconvenience to fellow passengers. For all these reasons, many parents defer their long awaited family vacation. However, the fact is that it is possible to overcome them with little bit of planning. All air travel tips with kids given in the next section are related to advance preparation in order to tackle any kind of unforeseen crisis.
Tips for Air Travel with Children
When you make proper arrangements beforehand, then it is likely that your air travel is going to be a pleasurable experience. Here are a few last minute air travel tips that can be useful in this regard:
Tips #1: Reserve a seat for your child. This is the most helpful air travel tips with kids that you can get. Even though toddlers below the age of 2 can travel on the laps of their parents, using an airline approved car seat is a much safer option. Inform your agent that you are traveling with a kid. For your convenience, you can ask for a seat closer to the bathroom.
Tips #2: Packing for air travel with kids is a bit tricky because you often fail to decide what are the things to be taken. Keep a separate carry on bag or back pack where you pack all essential items that you need on board. It should contain enough snacks that kids can nibble on. Then there should be some of their favorite toys to keep them busy during the flight. If your kid is interested in music, carry a portable DVD player and headphone. An extra pair of clothes for the child and also for yourself is a must to manage any spit ups or spills. A small blanket, a zipper bag to keep dirty clothes and some medicines for emergency use.
Tips #3: On the day of journey, start your day early so that you can have sufficient time at hand. Kids must wear comfortable clothes that are suitable for the weather condition. Serve them some light foods but take care that they do not feel hungry before you board the flight. You must reach airport much before the scheduled departure time of the flight. This way you can avoid any last minute confusion.
Tips #4: Once you board the aircraft, you must listen carefully to the briefing provided by the flight attendant about the airline safety measures for various emergency situations. In case, you have doubt or confusion in your mind about the operating system of any of the safety equipments, do not hesitate to clear them from the airline staff.
Tips #5: Position the child’s car seat away from the aisle. You know kids have a tendency to reach out here and there. So, if they seat next to the aisle they may get hurt by people moving on the aisle. Preferably, they should be seated in between two adults.
Tips #6: During take off and landing, children tend to get nervous because of the pressure felt inside the ears. If you are flying with baby, then give them a feeding bottle to suck on which will ease off the pressure. For older kids, sucking on a candy can provide them a lot of comfort. You should also ask them to swallow to make themselves feel better.
Tips #7: Kids should be kept in a proper restraint system throughout the flight. This is because you never know when turbulence is going to happen. If they insist that they want to move around allow them to do so only when the seat belt sign is off. Be alert throughout the flight to supervise your kid. It is solely your responsibility to check out whether he or she is wandering into some dangerous areas or not.
Tips #8: You can try your level best to prevent any kind of inconvenience to your fellow passengers but you have not control over your child’s bad mood. When kids get restless and start making a lot of fuss, then ignore reactions from irate passengers and focus on pacifying your child. When required ask help from flight attendants.
These are some of the most valuable air travel tips with kids which can make the trip memorable for you and your little ones for all good reasons. Just remember one thing that you should not get panicked unnecessarily. When kids see their parents tensed, they may feel nervous too. Infant air travel tips are more or less the same as air travel with kids tips. The only difference is you have to carry baby foods, baby wipes, bibs, diapers and other such necessary items for tiny tots.
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Traveling with your fuzzy (or scaly, or feathered!) loved one isn’t always a walk in the park. Your pet will depend completely on you in an environment foreign to their habitual life. That said there is no greater fun than having your best friend on vacation with you. Here are some pet travel tips and suggested pet supplies to keep your family’s vacation worry-free.
Pack a Doggie Bag
We all need some necessities and personal possessions along on our vacation; this is true for your pet family member as well. Some essential pet supplies may include dog collars, leashes and harnesses, food bowls, dog crates and beds, Frontline, pet insurance information and enough natural dog food and treats for the road! This goes for your furry feline as well, though your cat might need their scratching post with them too. For your reptile, amphibian, bird and parrot friends, you can simply bring their whole home! Make sure you pack everything your pet needs to be comfortable away from home.
Keep Your Pets Secure While Traveling
Some accidents can be avoided by properly securing your pet in the car. Make sure to keep your pet safe in a secured crate or latched in with a seatbelt harness. There are also pet booster seats available at your local pet supply store that you can purchase for added security. One of the best ways to keep your animal protected is by getting your dog or cat microchipped. Your pet’s life may depend on you making sure your pet does not become separated from you while traveling so every precaution you can take is wise.
Bear in mind, while on vacation your pet may act out of the ordinary and in ways you cannot predict. You never know what their instincts will tell them, especially out of their familiar environment. Never let your animal roam freely in an un-enclosed or unlocked area and always have their “dog tags” on. Another invaluable tip is to have recent photos of your animals that are clearly identifiable as your pet in case of an emergency.
Practice Makes Perfect
If you have never gotten in a vehicle with your pet, now is the time! It is hard to anticipate every need your animal might have while driving, but if you take a couple easy test drives around the neighborhood you will be much more prepared for the long haul. It will also let you know if buying certain pet supplies, vinyl seat covers and plastic floor liners is needed due to extreme shedding because of nerves or other unfortunate accidents.
Traveling Schedule
Your pet may be use to being fed at a certain time or having access to food at their leisure. They might also be use to being walked or other natural animal processes at a certain time. However, while on vacation, and especially while on a long car trip, your pet will have a different schedule. Feed your dog a small meal several hours before you depart and do not feed them while you are on the road if you perceive they are the least bit uncomfortable with traveling. Do make sure they have plenty of water throughout the journey though! Remember to be responsive to your pets needs as they adjust to the traveling schedule routine.
Pit Stop?
Leaving your animal in an unattended car, no matter how long you think you will take or what the temperature is outside, is never wise and can lead to complicated health conditions and even death. Take measures to insure you will be able to provide for your pet’s safety both while traveling and while stopped!
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If you are planning for a weekend getaway or an extended family vacation, you can include your pets in your travel plans. Now your pets can travel too! So far you avoided traveling because of your pets, but now there are plenty of hotels all around the world that will welcome your pets with open arms.. Also, quite a large number of airlines these days, allow you to travel with your fur friends, giving your pets a chance to see the world. Now you don’t have to worry about leaving your pets at home or in foster care when you travel.
Look Up Pet Friendly Hotels On The Internet
Type in pet travel on your favorite search engine and you will find numerous websites devoted to pet friendly hotels, pet travel reservations and services. Many hotels around the world can provide you with fine amenities to help you relax and enjoy your vacation with your family and pets. Pet friendly accommodations usually arrange for services like pet sitters, veterinarians, and pet transporters. They also provide comfortable bedding so you and your furry friends can have good rest during your stay. You could check with them, if they offer any complimentary services like pet walks during the day, grooming services and pet spas, to pamper your pets.
You will also find a lot of help from online communities where other animal lovers provide tips and suggestions and their travel stories with their pets. Once you reach your destination, try and locate a vet who can deal with any emergencies, during your stay there. Also have a list of animal hospitals handy. Take a printout of this information for yourself, along with emergency phone numbers, addresses and maps.
Make travel reservations in advance
You only need to plan ahead a bit so you can make the longest of journeys enjoyable for your pet. Check with your regular airline if they are willing to accommodate your pet when you book your ticket. It is good to make reservations in advance especially if you are traveling during peak season.
Once you have decided your travel location and which hotel you would like to stay in, it is a good idea to call them and check specifically if your pet fits their guidelines. Ask plenty of questions beforehand, so you know what you can and what you can’t expect at that hotel. Get acquainted with any extra costs that can come up while you are put up there.
There are many factors that a pet owner must consider before actually packing bags for the trip. It is important for you to prepare your pet for travel, a few weeks in advance. You can do this by taking them for outings close by in your car, or taking them out for walks in parks or in the neighborhood. This effort will be worth it when you have a worry free trip with your pet.
Some pointers to ensure you are ready for the trip
Before traveling, do make sure that your pet is in good health. Have your pet checked by a veterinarian a few weeks before you travel and update your pets vaccinations.
One of the most important travel tips for taking your pet on vacation is to carry your pets medical records and a health certificate from your vet with you in case of emergencies.
Some pets suffer from motion sickness. It is better to carry appropriate medicines to deal with stress during travel.
Carry your pets regular supply of food and bottled water to avoid stomach upsets and diarrhea.
Take along your pets bed and favorite toys.
Keep a first aid box handy.
Make sure your pet has a proper ID tag on the collar, with identification details and your contact number. Pet friendly hotels are also useful in events when you need to travel abroad for business and you cannot leave your pet alone at home. Now you too can go out and enjoy vacations with your pets! And you can take back happy and wonderful memories of your holiday together!
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