Traveling With Children - Important Tips For a Memorable Vacation

I was planning for a quiet summer vacation at the beach with my wife and daughter, but my wife's family wanted to take a trip to Italy to celebrate her father's 70th birthday. I had never traveled out of the country with my family and I assumed it would be nothing but headaches and hassle. I was intimidated enough traveling on my own or with my wife to foreign countries with all the unfamiliarity and strange customs, but traveling with children I thought would make the trip unpleasant and not the stress free vacation that I planned.

I was glad my wife convinced me to take the trip to Italy. I was pleasantly surprised that it went so smooth and best of all our daughter enjoyed herself nearly the entire time. My wife's parents planned the trip and they made accommodations for our daughter each step of the way which I believe helped greatly. The trip gave us some good ideas for traveling with our daughter in the future such as the following:

Lodging

I should go without saying, but planning ahead is always a good idea. Good accommodations for a young child will allow enough room for the child to spread out and not feel cramped or stressed. We chose to stay in an apartment rather than a hotel not only for the larger rooms but also so we could prepare our own meals and have our morning coffee in our room. Also consider if you will have your own car and, if not, try to stay close to public transportation. Look for a playground nearby or plan activities that your child will enjoy during downtime. Children are quick to get restless when adults get tired.

How much time to stay

Space out your trip to avoid a hectic pace. In our second week, we went to Florence, Venice, then Rome which was too much travel for us compared to the first week. We should have left with my wife's parents before the second week. Choose a city with a slow pace and a good atmosphere for children by talking to people who have been there. Venice was cool enough and not too hot in May. The people were relaxed and easy going. However, Florence was too loud and too hot and it was difficult to feel safe with all those Vespa's racing around.

What to bring

Don't bring too much. Before I pack, I take out everything I believe I will need, then I put away half. A backpack or roll-up pack is great for being on the go and chasing after a little one. I try not to take too many clothes for my daughter since she can wear the same outfit multiple days, but I wanted a few extra clothes in case of dribbles during meals or a few falling down accidents. I didn't want her to look homely without clean clothes after a mishap. Remember sun screen for babies over 6 months, a hat for shade and some warm clothes even if the weather is warm most of the time.

A backpack or carrier for our daughter would have been good if we were hiking, but the stroller we had with an umbrella was great for our trip. We rolled it up to to the gate where where it easily folded and was stowed by the flight attendant. The attendant then unfolded it for us when we arrived so that we could push the stroller when we left the plane.

Be sure to take some of your child's favorite toys, but try not to over do it. Our daughter can think of most anything as a toy. We brought a few of her favorite things, but she spent much of the time playing in our suitcases with our clothes.

A trip well worth the expense

We have many great pictures and great memories of our trip. It was our best vacation as a family. We met a woman in Venice who said that she remembers a trip to Venice with her parents when she was a girl and the trip helped to develop her outlook. I hope our daughter will look back through the pictures years from now with good thoughts and memories.

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Top American Vacations - Why Travel Abroad?

Who doesn't like a vacation? A vacation is always a welcome respite from seemingly endless work, school semesters that seem to go on and on, and the same old boring routines and scenery. A vacation, whether it is enjoyed alone or with family, offers everyone a time of relax and enjoy. A main consideration and perhaps the primary consideration would be where to spend your vacation.

With a million destinations to choose from anywhere in the world, it is always part of the fun to choose where you want to have your vacation. If you're clueless as to where you want your next vacation to happen, you the opinion of the majority should be a good barometer for you. Here are the top ten vacation spots in America to hopefully to check where vacationers have gone to time and again, making these places tried, tested, and enjoyed

A list of the top vacation spots in America will not be complete without stating the number one obvious choice for most people - the Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. The young, young at heart and families from all over the world come in droves to experience the rides, the attractions and the interaction with Mickey, Donald, and friends.

The next most popular destination is The Old Faithful Geyser of the Yellowstone National Park. Spewing a spectacle every 76 minutes, this natural wonder is a crowd drawer and pleaser.

Other popular destinations include the city that never sleeps - New York City and its iconic Times Square. Washington D.C. boasts of historically significant monuments. Hollywood, California is home to the world's most popular movie industry. Boston and Philadelphia are bastions of academics, higher learning, and great museums. Lastly, the Grand Canyon is always there to take your breath away.

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Are You Overpaying by Using a Travel Agent?

Generally in life, if we want a job doing well, we call in a professional. If there is a leak, we call a plumber and if the car stops, we call a mechanic. However, the current trend has been to cut out the professionally trained and qualified travel agent, and to do the job ourselves. It is true that with the huge amount of information available on the internet, and a host of booking websites offering discounts, almost anyone can book a hotel, flight or vacation, but do they really get the best deal?

An experienced travel professional has unrivaled experience in the world of travel, working 40 hours a week for many years. A professional travel agent or broker will have access to a huge choice of services from contracted suppliers and can see the whole picture, not just choosing the first option that ticks all the boxes. For example, an agent may see that a flight is a few dollars more, but saves you hours of travelling time. They can view all the possible connections and combinations and can spend time trawling through the options with their sophisticated Travel Agent's Reservations System, as that is their job.

The current reluctance to use a travel agent stems from the belief that we are saving money if we book ourselves. However, you the customer are not being charged a penny by the travel agent. They do not add a fee to your booking. Instead, companies make their hotels, flights etc. available to brokers at preferential rates, as travel agents generally are going to be much better clients than individuals to deal with. It is the suppliers who pay the brokers a commission for their business, not the customer.

The advantages of using a travel agent are many. Their sophisticated browsers and software can sift through thousands of combinations and fares. They do not just throw up the cheapest fares but they also look for the best schedules for you. In the International arena, travel agents still provide the most business to airlines and consequently have the best inventory and prices from them. Agents can also watch potential bookings on your behalf and monitor the sales of a particular flight to get you the very best deal using their professional knowledge of the industry. Furthermore, international flights offer a mind-blowing number of possibilities, with a huge combination of airlines and flight connections which a home-based computer and a small booking company cannot possibly hope to compete with.

The key to getting the most from your travel agent is to build up a rapport as a long-standing customer with them. That way, you can request perks such as free parking in hotels, cabin upgrades and maybe an additional hotel night free. You will be the first to be notified of special deals. In the end, these perks are worth cash in your pocket and are hidden benefits which, although not immediately apparent, do save you money.

Choosing the right travel agent is part of this process. Look for an agency registered in the state you live in. Ask if they are members of international travel organizations such as IATA (International Air Transport Association), ARC (Airline Reporting Corporation) or ASTA (American Society of Travel Agents). Make sure they are bonded and insured so that your booking is guaranteed should an airline cease trading. It is much easier to get recompense through a travel agent, than if you have made the booking yourself through an unknown internet booking company who has no position of strength for negotiating recompense. In the current economic climate, when even the largest companies are struggling, it makes sense to use a professional. Should problems arise travel agents are worth their weight in gold as they do the job they are trained and specialized in.

Cessy Meacham is a Travel Agent offering travel packages in the US and vacation hot spots around the world. Each year special tours hosted by Travel with Cessy share her love of each destination. Cessy is a charismatic person with a flair for fun. To find out more on this year's tour check http://www.travelwithcessy.com and http://www.anytimetravelsolutions.com
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