Posts Tagged ‘Ireland’
Airplanes and your children: A good mix?
Greetings from 30,000 feet. We are somewhere over Baltimore – or maybe Richmond, Virginia – on our way to a family vacation in Florida.
Sunshine. Warmth. Grandma and Grandpa. Mickey Mouse.
What more could a sun-deprived, so-darn-tired-of-winter-I-could-just-spit, family from New England ask for??
This is a relatively easy trip for us.
I promised myself, when I adopted my sons (at the ages of two and three), that I would not give up my passion for travel. Just because there were three of us – and at that point, two of us became stroller-bound when fatigued or cranky – we needn’t give up the wonders of seeing the world up close and personal.
That would be taking the concept of -stay-at-home Mom- just a little too far.
And so, we’ve become a traveling family.
The boys and I have flown from Boston, Massachusetts to Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, British Columbia; we’ve slept our way across the Atlantic to Ireland and England; and we’ve enjoyed multiple trips to Mexico and the Caribbean.
With no connections, overnight flights or passing through Customs, Orlando is a piece of cake.
Still, flying with children does take some preparation. If conscious parenting begins with paying attention to our parenting choices, let’s apply this principle to family travel.
Just because I like you (and because I am hoping you will return the favor), I am going to share my…
-Top 12 Tips for Traveling with Kids on Planes.-
1. Set Your Intention. Don’t go into the whole thing planning on difficulties and misery. Write yourself an affirmation, such as -Our travels are always safe, restorative and joyful.- Repeat it regularly as you prepare for your trip. If you keep a journal, write down your vision of a perfect family vacation. Visualize!
2. Start Packing a Couple of Days in Advance. Spending the last eight hours before departure in a frenzy of packing, accompanied by a last minute dash through airport security is not a recipe for success. Get your suitcases out two or three days before your travel date. Make packing a meditation: As you pack each item, give thanks for the people who made your clothes, sandals and sunscreen. Where would you be without them?
3. Pack a Carry-on Bag for Each Child. If your children are old enough, get them each a rolling duffle bag or back pack, to carry whatever will keep them occupied and entertained on-board. A couple packs like these from Olympia have served us faithfully for years now.
4. Plan for On-board Snacks. What goes in those carry-on bags depends upon each child’s age and preferences. While you can’t bring a water bottle through Security, you can bring some yummy snacks, which will undoubtedly be healthier choices than anything you can purchase at the airport.
5. Plan for On-board Entertainment. Portable electronic items seem to be the most popular choice for on-board entertainment. We currently travel with the I-Pod Touch and a portable DVD player; our first Nintendo DS systems got us to Ireland and back a couple years ago.
Does providing my children with video games make me an unconscious parent? I don’t think so. I don’t believe electronics — or most other things in life — are inherently bad. We use them wisely, and in moderation. And almost always on long plane rides.
Don’t forget some -old-fashioned- items, like coloring books, puzzle books and/or just plain books. You will want something for when you aren’t allowed to use the electronics, anyway. A simple deck of UNO cards has been a standby for us since the boys were toddlers.
6. Plan a Few Surprises. You might get a little extra mileage (just a little pun, intended), by wrapping up a small gift to open on-board. When the kids get fidgety, pull out a new DVD or video game, puzzle book or card game. I’ve been known to wrap up a pack of gum. Hey, whatever will make them smile?
7. Prepare Your Children for the Process of Traveling. Tell them what will happen at the airport. Describe the security screening process, the boarding process and the need to obey on-board seatbelt instructions. Explain to them when they will be getting their next meal (always an important consideration with my sons, at least) and what snacks will be available in transit.
8. Consider Seating Carefully. Put seat selection somewhere on your strategic plan. Will you be making a tight connection in Dallas? First, try not to. If unavoidable, get seats towards the front of the plane, so you can make a quick exit. Taking a six-hour non-stop to Los Angeles? Consider sitting towards the back, where you can make easy and frequent trips to the restrooms.
9. Speaking of Potty Breaks… Pay close attention to the overhead seatbelt lights. You never know how long they will stay on. We’ve been on a couple bumpy flights where even the flight attendants were strapped down the entire way. I don’t mean to scare you here, but be smart: When that light goes off, get everyone out of their seats, take a leisurely stroll to the back of the plane and hit the restrooms.
10. Make Friends with the Flight Attendants and Other Passengers. Start smiling at people as soon as you get on the plane. Get yourselves seated as efficiently as possible and help others where appropriate. You never know when you might really, really need the goodwill and/or assistance of those around you.
11. Keep Your Children from Kicking or Pushing on the Seat in Front of Them. One of the easiest ways to make friends with the people sitting in front of you is to let them sit in peace. Teach your children about airplane etiquette. Practice at home, it you need to.
12. Enjoy the Ride. Remember that your airplane ride is part of your vacation. Plan ahead, for the enjoyment of you and your children. And don’t forget your commitment to conscious parenting: Create your vision and keep those affirmations flowing. -Our travels are always safe, restorative and joyful!-
If you have kids, you are already an expert on family travel. Do you have some helpful travel tips to share? Write me a comment and spread the joy!
Happy Trails.
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Why not start your gap year off by discovering more about the British Isles. It may not strike you as an exotic location, compared with Thailand, but knowing more about the countries closer to home will help your future employment chances. Employers love to have intelligent, curious workers who have an interest in what makes their economy, and therefore business, tick. Ireland offers a wealth of landscape, industry, history and politics as well as music and entertainment too. Here are some great tips for travelling to, and around, Ireland on your gap year.
Flying into Ireland from the UK is easy. Aer Lingus, the national carrier of the Republic operates from nine airports in the UK and nine cities across Europe. Dublin, Cork and Shannon are all only an hour from the UK and Dublin is the main airport for the Republic of Ireland. There’s a frequent bus service from the airport to the city centre so transport to your accommodation should be easy. Flights from outside of Europe are frequent, although often involving one change at a continental European airport.
The alternative method of reaching Ireland from other European destinations is by sea ferry from the UK or France. If there are a few people travelling in a car or camper van, this can be a very economical way of getting there. The high speed ferry from Holyhead to Dun Laoghaire (pronounced Dun Leary) takes only 90 minutes. Other ferry services run from Fishguard, Pembroke and Swansea in Wales. You can also travel from France to Rosslare or Cork.
If you are planning on travelling around Ireland, then a car is a good idea. The roads can be rough and difficult to navigate in rural areas. You drive on the left in Ireland. However, if you only want to stay in Dublin, owning a car can be more of a nuisance than it is worth.
The bus service in Ireland is good value for money and runs between all major destinations. Rail is another way of travelling around, and both rail and bus networks are run by CIE. At Dublin airport you can buy prepaid, advance and discount tickets from the CIE information desk. You can also pick up maps and information too. DART is the Dublin Area Rapid Transit transport network. It covers 25 railway stations in the county. Dublin Bus (Bus Atha Cliath) is an economical way of getting around the city. There is an airport link from the city centre every 20 minutes from early morning until 11pm. You can also buy advance tickets from Dublin Bus Head Office on Upper O’Connell Street. An alternative to public transport is using specialist backpacker tours. The best known of these is Paddywagon, but they all offer slightly different packages, depending on the kind of travel experience you are looking for.
Expect to pay between 10 – 20 for a room in a hostel or dorm, depending on when you go. If you are planning on staying in Dublin for a longer period of time, think about alternatives to hostels. Be aware that short term rented accommodation is not easy to come by, and keep an eye out on noticeboards at the university or in bookshops. The situation is particularly difficult at the start of the university term in September time. Hostels in Dublin in the summer are very busy, so you will need to prebook to be sure of having somewhere to stay when you arrive.
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Planning your next golf trip? If you’re flying to your golf destination, here are some tips that can save you time, aggravation, and money.
First, clean out your golf bag. Remove any items you haven’t used during the last six rounds of golf. Get rid of old golf balls; remove any balls you won’t use during your trip. Take a maximum of 4 tees for each round you plan to play. Take 2 ball markers. Take 1 pitch mark repair tool. Can you get rid of any clubs? Do you really need the 4-iron that you rarely use?
Pack golf shoes, your golf glove, and six golf balls in your carry-on bag. If your golf clubs are delayed, you can rent clubs at almost any course; but do you really want to buy another pair of shoes?
Protect yourself from theft. We hate to say it, but theft by baggage handlers is a reality. Some of our friends have had individual clubs (putters and drivers) stolen during air travel. Use a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) approved padlock on your golf travel bag to help deter thieves. You can get a TSA approved padlock on-line or at most stores that sell luggage. Look for the TSA logo on the lock to ensure it can be opened by a TSA agent. Otherwise, they will cut the lock if your bag is chosen for inspection.
Weigh your luggage before you leave home. Most airlines charge extra fees for bags weighing more than 50 pounds (22.6 kg). Redistribute items between your golf bag, your suitcase, and your carry-on bag so you don’t have to take your bags apart in the terminal or pay for overweight bags.
Make sure your luggage tags are securely fastened to all your bags, including your golf bag and your carry-on. Then put a business card inside each piece of luggage. If your bag is misrouted, and the luggage tag gets torn off during handling, airport security will be able to contact you.
Buy travel insurance. Travel insurance is inexpensive, but it can save you a ton of money if you have to cancel your trip, your flight is delayed, you or a family member has medical problems, or your clubs or luggage is lost.
Be prepared for bad weather. You’re more likely to play golf in the rain when you’re on a golf vacation than when you’re playing at home. So here are some tips on what to do to be prepared for inclement weather:
Change the spikes on your golf shoes before you leave home and put a couple of extra spikes and a spike-wrench in your golf bag. Besides giving you more stability during your swing, new spikes can make all the difference in the world if you’re walking on slippery hills. A few extra spikes and the wrench weigh next-to-nothing and will come in handy if you lose a spike.
Check the grips on your golf clubs, including your putter. If you haven’t changed your grips in over a year, it’s time! In bad weather, a new grip can make the difference between knocking it stiff or watching your favorite wedge pin-wheel into a pond after it slips out of your hands.
Invest in good rain gear, including a waterproof hat and rain gloves. Don’t skimp on cheap rain gear or you might end up with gear that isn’t fully waterproof (just ask the members of the 2010 USA Ryder Cup team!) Put an umbrella in your bag.
An extra golf glove, towel and socks are also good if you have room. Put them all in a zip-lock bag inside your golf bag to ensure you’re not going to pull out soggy gear.
Consider leaving your driver and fairway metal head covers at home and wrapping another towel around the club heads. This will ensure that your head covers don’t get soaked if it rains or that your favorite head cover (the one your daughter bought you for your birthday) doesn’t end up in the bin in some far-away starter’s shack. And it also gives you an extra towel should the weather not cooperate. If you bring your head covers with you on the trip, consider leaving them in your travel bag, the trunk of your car, or in your room before heading to the golf course.
Hopefully, these tips will help you for your next golf trip to Florida, Myrtle Beach, Phoenix, Ireland, or wherever you may be traveling.
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Dear Readers,
With this review I would give no indication of particularly beautiful destinations or accommodations. You find in travel guides, and the like. I would just point out everything that seemed important to me and where I think it is very useful to know it before.
Getting there
It is advisable to fly in and take a rental car. The route over land and sea is complicated, very far, inevitably associated with interim accommodation and ferry crossings between England and Ireland abnormally expensive (around 600
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