Family Vacation Central

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Traveling abroad can be an exciting undertaking and an invaluable experience packed with fond memories lasting a lifetime. Depending on the amount of time you will be in a foreign country, preparing for a trip overseas can take anywhere from a couple days to many months. Like many travelers, your primary thoughts probably consist of what clothing to pack, buying extra memory cards for your digital camera and figuring out if your cell phone will work in the country you’re going to be in.

Most importantly, you want to prepare as much as possible in advance to ensure a pleasant trip. After all, you’ll likely be in unfamiliar surroundings and amongst people that may not speak your language. Here are some valuable travel trips to help make sure your trip is everything you imagined and more!

– DO safeguard your valuables when traveling to a foreign country. Use a fanny pack or something with a zipper, instead of an open pocket or purse. Before departure, alert your bank and credit card companies of dates and locations of travel. Pack as few credit cards as possible and keep a separate quick reference sheet with International numbers to report a theft. There are also services that will do this for you. Read the rest of this entry »

Book now for 2009 travel with Funjet Vacations’ Book Early and Save Big Sale and travelers can save on select airand hotel vacations to Mexico, Hawaii, the Caribbean, ski destinations and more. The sale offers savings of hundreds of dollars on vacations purchasedow through November 2, 2008 with travel valid through December 22, 2009*.

As recently reported by eTurboNews, “Airlines release their schedules up to 330 days in advance, so get a jump start on next year’s vacation planning this year for the best chance in finding an open seat.” By locking in travel now, travelers can gain peace of mind and save big by taking advantage of Funjet Vacations’ Book Early and Save Big Sale. Read the rest of this entry »

Cruises are becoming more and more popular for families.

It’s the best way to travel to lands beyond the ordinary, and passengers have choices that range from intimate, small-scale river cruises to luxurious vacations aboard some of the world’s finest ships.

From there, they can choose family, themed and adventure cruises. The seemingly endless choices are also the reason why cruising is one of the fastest-growing forms of travel.

Destinations such as South America used to see only a few ships sailing along the coasts of Argentina and Chile. Today, all the major cruise lines sail around Cape Horn, the southernmost tip of South America.

A 14-day cruise exposes passengers to unique natural wonders, including magnificent fiords and the penguins that inhabit them. Destinations such as the Baltics and the Mediterranean are growing at double-digit rates, as are Australia and New Zealand. Read the rest of this entry »

The resort islands of Charleston, SC are fast gaining a reputation as a mecca for family-oriented fun. Kiawah has been voted the No.2 island to visit in the United States by Conde Nast Traveler and a Top 10 Winter Island Getaway by LIFE Magazine. Seabrook Island features one of the few Equestrian Beach Rides on the east coast and boasts one of the top 25 ranked tennis clubs worldwide, according to Tennis Resorts Online.

Isle of Palms and Wild Dunes are continually cited as a top destination by Travel + Leisure, Tennis Magazine and Golf Digest. There are plenty of things to do, and a spectacularly preserved natural environment in which to enjoy them. Here are just a few: Read the rest of this entry »

Air Canada said on Thursday it will be the first major North American carrier to drop its extra fee for a second piece of checked baggage in response to the recent drop in fuel prices.

However, with Canada’s economy slowing and a round of staff and capacity cuts looming, Air Canada’s move is more a signal of its desire to boost competitiveness with rivals than a sign of the end of tough times in the sector, one analyst said.

It had joined numerous other airlines in implementing a C$25 ($23) charge for extra bags this spring as oil prices headed to highs above $147 a barrel. Crude has since dropped by a third to below $100.

Air Canada said it will scrap the fee on September 23.

“It is fair to say that we are always going to be competitive in our markets. Because we have seen some retreat in the fuel prices of late, we’ve made the decision to reinstate our previous baggage policy,” Air Canada spokeswoman Angela Mah said.

Its chief competitor, WestJet Airlines Ltd , did not impose extra baggage fees. Read the rest of this entry »

WestJet today honoured its commitment to monitor the fuel environment and remove the fuel surcharge if and when the price of fuel subsided. The airline announced the removal of the fuel surcharge, effective 1 p.m. MT today, in acknowledgement of the recent decline in fuel prices.

“The decision to eliminate the fuel surcharge is in line with who we are,” commented WestJet Executive Vice-President of Guest Experience and Marketing Bob Cummings. “The WestJet brand is all about caring, straight talk, trust and best value - our advertising is effective because we walk the talk.”

The elimination of the fuel surcharge supports WestJet’s commitment to providing the best value to its guests, which is the premise for the airline’s new advertising campaign. This latest addition to the successful and award-winning owners campaign extends WestJet’s caring reputation, demonstrating the airline’s commitment to offering guests the best value in air travel.

“We are proud of the transparent approach we have to our pricing and the superior value we provide to the travelling public,” continued Bob Cummings. “Our latest owners campaign highlights those key differences between us and the competition. The campaign is done in a light-hearted, fun way. Read the rest of this entry »

There is such a “wow” factor about Vancouver Island.

There are big vistas, like the one atop Mount Washington. There are impressive mountain ranges, like the jagged Mackenzie Range. With more than 2,100 miles of coastline, there are choices of water views, such as the wide expanse of the Pacific Ocean or the island-studded Johnstone Strait.

But visitors can find plenty of hidden gems on this island of more than 12,400 square miles, the largest island on North America’s west coast. My family and I discovered some great places, despite the limited size. And if young children are among the travelers, an hour or two at these locales are well spent. Here are some worth including on a family vacation itinerary. Read the rest of this entry »

If you’re like millions of other Americans, this summer you and your family are likely to buckle up the kids in the back seat, strap luggage to the roof and set out for a vacation driving the nation’s roadways. And if you do, there is one thing as certain as your kids getting antsy here and there: The trip will be more expensive this year than it was last year.

In light of rising costs of fuel, food and hotel accommodations, the American Automobile Association advises that you do your research before getting behind the wheel.

Fortunately, the Internet is an excellent resource for the budget-conscious traveler, with web sites offering everything from helpful tools such as fuel calculators to ideas about innovative and affordable lodging opportunities such as house-sitting. Read the rest of this entry »

Found this list from Cosavoo.com and wanted to share. As we all know there are a lot of things to think about when we travel with our very young children and here are some tips that make it that much easier for everyone.

Ask the hotel about child facilities

Some resorts are built for couples, with lots of spas and romantic nooks. Kids will hate this. You need a resort with plenty of indoor recreational facilities, where they can play safely, and happily. Some hotels will even offer babysitting or child care services, so you can do some shopping or sight seeing on your own, without someone tugging at your knee and saying, “Mommy, can we go now?”

Don’t overload the itinerary

Kids get tired more easily, or can rapidly become overstimulated and cranky. Make sure that the itinerary leaves lots of room for resting, snacks, or (if you’re taking toddlers) even naps. commercial carpet cleaners you should only cover two major destinations in one day (one in the morning, another in the afternoon). If you want to see more sights, make arrangements to leave your child to rest in the hotel (see tip number one) and do it on your own.

Bring a “child care pack”

This includes lots of water (kids get dehydrated more easily), an extra change of clothes, and small toys to amuse them at restaurants.

If you are going to a warm place (like a beach or a tropical country) remember that kids are more vulnerable to sunstroke and sunburn. Bring sunblock, a handheld battery-operated fan, and sports drinks (which will help them retain water). Avoid bringing them out in the hottest times of the day. Read the rest of this entry »

I have just seen a great list of tools that you can use on your computer to plan and have your next road trip.

The site Mashable is all about the cutting edge of high tech but today there is this article that list 20 tools that Mashable thinks are the great online tools for your family vacation.

Most of the article is including sites to book hotels, cars and other stuff as well as journalling your vacation experiences online.

The first tech stuff I used on a vacation was back in 1999 when I brought a laptop along on a long 16 day road trip. I used the program Map Point that is really the old version of Microsoft Streets and Trips and was able to map our vacation as well as get myself out of trouble whenever we got lost.

The newer versions of streets and trips actually come with a GPS unit that you can plug into your laptop so that you can find out where you are when you get lost…out of town this is really easy to do espcially in big cities.