It's Summer and the Kids are out of school. What do we do now? Let's
take a vacation.

Traveling with children is journey and adventure in and of itself.
Watching  your child's face light up with joy as they experience new
and amazing places will create lasting memories for your traveling
family. Having trekked through 14 countries in 6 weeks with an
infant.   I learned the do's and don'ts of traveling with pint sized
companions. From watching baby turtles being hatched, to the terror of
a tantrum  caused by a life size Elmo; Here are a few hard learned
suggestions that can help traveling families  create those
unforgettable memories while avoiding childhood trauma whether you're
traveling across the state or across the pond.
 

READY, SET, GO...wait a minute, where do we stay?
Pick a kid friendly destinations  that cater to families with children and know how to entertain them.  Daily scheduled kid friendly activities with trained professionals translates into stress free vacation. Remember you're on vacation; sweating the details need not be on your travel agenda. Various family friendly hotels and resorts provide free amenities to their young travelers. Perks can include, no additional cost for room occupancy with parent, free meals or reduced price in buffet- style breakfast included in the price of the room. Keep in mind, in most cases, “ kids stay for free” generally means age 12 and under.

 What do we do when we get there?

Keep it simple, keep it flexible. While on vacation it is easy to overload and overwhelm your family with agendas filled to the brim bustling capacities.  Jammed packed schedules, overloaded with must see destinations and activities, can pushing your little explorers to full blown nuclear meltdown tantrums.  Just to re-emphasize: Keep it simple. Keep it flexible. Limiting daily activities to one or two micro adventures a day.  Last minute adjustments to accommodate a tired child, or if your mini vacationer just wants to spend the afternoon playing in the hotel pool can be achieved while maintaining the flow of your vacation. Just remember that seeing that one last museum is not worth the pain and suffering.

Next posting - The Flights