Archive for category: Ways to Travel

Several Christmases ago, our family, which then included a five-year-old and a three-year-old, decided to take a road trip up north to see our extended family members. We had made the drive before pre-kids, and thought, “how hard could it be?” We knew that if we made good time, we could get there in two ten-hour stretches, so we counted on leaving in the middle of the afternoon, driving into the wee hours, then doing the same thing the next day. This way, the kids could nap, we could stop for dinner, and they could settle back down and sleep. [...]

Once considered the vacation domain of the rich and childless, cruising has taken a more family-friendly turn in recent years. From affordable fares to extensive children’s programming, the cruise lines have recognized the needs of families, who do book a sizable percentage of their available tickets. As with anything else when it comes to vacationing with kids, having a successful and fun cruising experience depends on looking carefully into the various options and planning well. The first thing you should consider is what type of cruising experience you are looking for. This will depend in part on the ages of [...]

I have heard this a lot during my stint as a mom, particularly from my own parents and siblings. Even strangers, however, thought it was okay to say this to me when they heard that we were planning on taking our young children to Europe several years ago. The kids were six and four, and we had just finished off a wonderful year of hosting our first German exchange student. We had done it for the cultural experience, and we were not disappointed, by the way… but more on that topic another day!  We missed Jana (pronounced “ya-na,” for those [...]

With gas prices, as well as airplane ticket prices, at sky high levels, many families are having to really crunch numbers when it comes to deciding whether it’s more economical to drive or fly. When children are involved, the numbers may point to one choice, but time and sanity constraints may dictate making the other. Here are some considerations to keep in mind when determining whether it’s better to drive or fly to your next vacation destination: *Money.  This is often the consideration that causes the angst in the first place. Do the math: how much will it be for [...]