Tips for traveling with kids

Let’s get back to discussing tips for traveling with kids.

• First, you might want to consider boarding early. Yes, I know that will make your trip feel that much longer. But doing this will enable everyone to feel more settled in their places. It will be especially helpful if you do not have assigned seats.
• Everyone getting enough rest is essential for a nice, smooth trip. Consider getting a condo. If you are for sure staying in a hotel or resort, consider getting a suite or at least another room.
• Having free breakfast not only cuts down on costs, it also cuts down on stress. This is one meal you’ll know what you’ll be doing and won’t have to have any discussions about.
• I know a lot of people like to just go with the flow while they are on vacation, but some planning is a good idea when you’re traveling with children. You’ll want to try your best to work your children’s sleeping and eating schedules. Not messing with those will help keep everyone happy and on track.
• But you don’t want to overplan your trip, keeping everyone busier than usual.? Children love afternoons at the pool or movie nights.
• You will want to pack everything that you need, but you do not want to overpack. You don’t want to have more to carry than you have to. A lot of places are going to have washers and dryers that you can use.
• If you aren’t going to a resort that has a children’s program, consider bringing a babysitter. It isn’t going to cost that much extra. And vacations are the perfect times to get in some extra dates.

Advertisements

MSC Cruises

I’ve decided that I like doing two things at once. Sure, writing about what I am learning about in this travel agent school seems to take me a little longer. But we are supposed to get the word out about the things we’re learning, and writing about the things I am learning does help. And since this school has many different courses, I should keep quite busy for a while.

Today we are going to look at the MSC Cruiseline. MSC stands for Mediterranean Shipping Company. MSC  strives for excellence in everything that they do, and has won a lot of awards for what they do.

• Where do these cruises go? Basically anywhere you would be interested in traveling to. They do Mexico and the Caribbean, they also do Europe and Asia. They also do an excellent South American cruise.
• Let’s take a closer look at some of what they have to offer. When it comes to food, their specialty is Italian. They have a lot of great pasta dishes. You will be able to get a great pizza any time that you’d like. But Italian isn’t the only cuisine that they have. They have a famous Asian chef that is over their Asian restaurants. And of course, they have a pas chef to make sure your sweet tooth is satisfied.
• MSC has partnered with LEGO to bring children and their families experiences they will never forget. They will have all the supplies that you will need for your baby and toddler that you will need.
• MSC also understands your need to keep up with your fitness program while on board. They will help you create the right exercise program while you are on board. They will also help you come up with healthy menus.

I would love to know your thoughts on any of this..

Okay, I know there are ways to book trips on the internet. So why would you need a travel agent? Let’s look at some times you might want to use a travel agent.

 

• Travel agents are great when you and your extended family are going on a trip together. You have a lot of people, some people may have special needs to figure out..People may need to come and go on different days. There are just a lot of details to figure out.
• You might want to book through a travel agent if you are going to a place you’ve never been. You may have a lot of time to do the necessary research. A travel agent can help you to set everything up. We can figure out your complete itinerary.
• And when you’re planning your honeymoon, you probably want to go through a travel agent. You have a thousand other things you need to plan. And this is a special trip you is really do not to mess up. Let a travel agent handle all the details .

Movie places

I am going to try to do this, and hopefully I’ll do a better job than I did yesterday.. I’m still doing a lot of experimenting and figuring things out as I go along… x

I think a lot of us like to watch movies when we want to relax. But have you ever wanted to go to the places where specific movies were made? Let’s look at a couple of these today.

• Do you have any Indiana Jones fans in your did you family? You might want to visit Petra, Jordan where these films were made. This has become a popular destination since the films were made.
• Slovenia might be small, but it is where Narnia was made. If I am remembering right, the place has some absolutely gorgeous spots.

Planning the perfect girls’ trip #2

Let’s get back to discussing how to plan a great girls’ trip. I have several things I’d like to look into more today, but feel like I need to do the normal things first and just see how the rest of the day goes. Let’s pick up where we left off.

• Some friends don’t need much except to have a place to gather and some nice food to enjoy themselves. Other groups will want to go to some of the more exotic locations. If your group is trying to start their annual trips together, it might be wise to have a gathering and discuss what everyone is thinking as far as overall budget. Is it going to be easier to gather in each other homes, or do people want to mark places off of their bucket lists? One of you might want  to play hostess more often than the others to cut down on her costs. You can find solutions that work best for your group.
• If one person is planning the whole thing, this lady will want to give some clues. You might want to get creative with the e-mails you send your group. Some people will go a step farther and send cute little packages to give hints. Groups who are going go somewhere exotic will usually meet at one member’s house, and then they do the reveal at the airport.
• This is a girls’ trip, so you are going want to have comfortable places where ere you can sit and gab. You might want to have one more than one place like this in case your group wants to split up for whatever reason.
• But as much as girls like to just sit and talk, you will want to have a few activities planned. Especially if you are going somewhere you’ve never been, you’ll want to get out and enjoy some of the sights. The planner should have a pretty good idea of the things your group likes to do.

Have you done anything like this? I would love to hear about it.

Go play in your favorite video game

[Disclaimer : I have never been into video games. I have never enjoyed playing those type games. I hardly know anything about any of those games. I’m just going to tell you what this article says.]

I may not know much about these games, but I know they are pretty popular. I know some children, and adults, absolutely love these games. If they aren’t playing them, they’re thinking about playing these things. So let’s look at some places you can play these games in RL [for those that don’t know, RL is real life].

• The first one is, of course, Mario Brothers. I do remember sitting and watching people playing these games. Who doesn’t dream of getting into these games? The closest thing you can get to this is in Tokyo.
• There is always Pokemon Go. And I know that you can play that anywhere. The cool thing about this game is that you have to play it outside.
• In l Las Vegas you can play Any Resident Evil. There you can play zombies to your heart’s content
• .And now I have good news and bad news good news is that  Nintendo is building its own amusement park. The bad news is that it will not be ready until 2020.

Flying standby

There is so much to learn and figure out when you are in the travel business. One person can not learn everything.. Today let’s look into what what it means to fly standby.

Flying standby is a good way to fly if you don’t especially care when you leave or come back. It’s usually the least expensive way to fly, you’ll usually pay around twenty-five dollars, but you are not guaranteed a seat. So if you think that flying standby would be a good fit for you, here’s what you should do.

• Firs, you will want to see which airlines have this option available . You will want to read up your chosen airline’s policies to make sure that you, and they, play by the rules.
• A lot of times they’ll want you to purchase a normal ticket. Sometimes you can get away with a friend flying. Again, you will want to know the specific policies.
• Another thing that would be good to remember is that you do not want to have checked luggage. They’ll more likely to take you if you don’t. You’re allowed one carry on and purse in most situations. The day before or the flight, you will want to look at the airline’s website to get the latest info on the flight. You will not want to check Expedia or Priceline, they are not going to have the latest information.
• You are going to want to get there at least two hours in advance. You will want to go to the ticketing agent, and let them know that you’re interested in flying standby.
• Next you will want to proceed through security and all that. Be sure to let the people at the gate know that you want to fly standby.
• At the time of the flight, the gate people will be able to let you know whether you’ve made it on.

I would love to know your thoughts  about any of this.

Winter destinations #3

We are going to get back to our discussion on winter destinations.

• I am going through an article written by someone else, so I know this first one for today may sound a little strange, trust me, it sounds weird to me as well. But the destination is Anchorage, Alaska. Alaska is cold and dark a lot of the year. And while this is especially true in winter, this is a great time to see Northern Lights. You may also want to see the famous dog sledding race.
• You may want to visit San Juan, Puerto Rico, which doesn’t sound nearly as weird to me. There are a lot of festivals in the San Juan area during the winter months. You will not find a deserted island, but you will find reasonable accommodations and some fantastic weather.
• Houston, Texas is huge, but then again isn’t everything in Texas? This is an up and coming vacation spot. They have some historic sites. You will also find some interesting museums in this city.
• Looking for a city that has a lot to do? Try San Diego. They have great beaches. They have a fantastic zoo. There is a lot of great night life. You might also want to get a glimpse of Mexico from here.
• Want to experience some Southern charm? Go to Savannah, Georgia. You will avoid some of the crowds if you go in the winter. But there will be some nice festivals for you to take part in.

Winter destinations #2

r

Let’s get back to looking at some more winter destinations you might be interested in trying. Are you thinking about planning a vacation? I would love to help you book it. Please let me know if you are interested. The best way were to reach me is by e-mail, and that is familytripsinc1@gmail.com. I also have a Facebook group and that ishttps://www.facebook.com/groups/TravelforMompreneurs/.

• Do you like snow and art? Okay, so that might be a strange combination. But you might want to try Park City, Utah. Here you will find some interesting art galleries. There will be several places to play in the snow, no matter your age or stage. There will also be concerts to enjoy.
• This might not be such a strange combination, but are you interested in wellness and golf? Or maybe you are interested in wellness and your husband is into golf, although it might be the other way around? Consider going to Scottsdale, Arizona. This place has some excellent resorts you might enjoy.
• Are you absolutely obsessed with Christmas? Plan a trip to Austn, Texas between December 13th until Christmas Eve. You will love their Christmas Bazaar. You will find lots of live music, several of the city’s bars are involved, and you will always have the chance to shop.
• You might think of Hawaii as a summer destination, but it isn’t. The islands have beautiful weather all year round. And Mid December is when whale watching season begins.
• Have you always dreamed of Yellowstone, but aren’t sure when to go? Going in winter is going to cut down on the crowds, except for your fellow outdoor enthusiasts. This is the perfect time to enjoy your favorite outdoor sports at this park.
• Orlando, Florida is known as the theme park capitol. And although Christmas time might be nearly as bad as summer, other times are going to be slower. Go and check out all those rides.

Winter destinations #1

It has been something of a strange day, but I’m working now, so let me do this before I really start on other projects.

Those of us who are in the south may not believe it, but autumn and winter are truly on their way. Let’s look at some places you might want to go.

• It is definitely not too early to start planning a trip so that you can experience in New Orleans. I mean, you have to go and experience this at least once in your life. You are going to find that a lot of rooms are already booked, but some will not be.
• Have you figured out what you are going to be doing for New Year’s this coming year? I hear that Vegas is a great place to ring in the new year. Of course, when isn’t it a great time to party in this city?
• Of course, the place to be on New Year’s is New York City. Then again, any time during the holidays is a great time to visit the big city. There is so much to do in this place. You have great shopping. You have world-class plays. You also likely have snow.
• If you like snow, even if it is only to look at, you will want to try to get to Breckenridge, Colorado. This place has something for everyone, whether or not you like playing in the snow. It has some great boutique shopping. And it is home to several nice resorts.
• Are you more interested in going somewhere warm this winter? Try Miami. For sure you will find a lot of great night life here. There are beautiful beaches you can enjoy any time of the year.

Visiting family #2

Happy Monday everyone. I have several different things going on. But first, I want to make sure this does get done. Today let’s get back to our discussion on how to survive visiting family.

• First, if you are relatively [ha ha] close by, and have a difficult family situation, consider going for a very limited time. Maybe you could just go for a day. Keeping your visits short will help prevent baggage being brought up. It might be more relaxing for everyone involved.
• If extremely short visits are not a practical option for you, remind yourself, and maybe more importantly, remind your spouse, that this visit is only temporary. You will return to your own home. You will return to the life that you love.
• If it is possible, try spending some one on one time with the family member you have most trouble getting along with. Try to do this when no one else is around, so that others are not made uncomfortable. Is there anything you like doing together? Try doing that.
• If you are the one who has left the family home, and the rest of your family lives right around there, take some time to be with each person individually, not leaving anyone out.
• Just because you are visiting them does not mean you have to spend every second of every day with them. Take some time to enjoy the are area. Enjoy an old favorite restaurant. Visit your favorite haunts. Do some date nights.
• They are your family, you know the hot spots. Does your mother think you’re too hard on your children, and your sister think you’re too easy? Try to avoid conflict when you can.

Visiting family #1

Traveling to visit family is one of my favorite things to do. But sometimes it can be stressful too. We may have expectations that the people we’re visiting doesn’t think about, likely they have no idea what we were thinking or feeling. They may also have expectations that aren’t being met. Old hurts may come up.. Anyway, today let’s look at some tips that might help all of us.

• Staying at your loved one’s house is though a lot of fun a. You won’t have to worry about leaving at a certain time each night because someone in your own family needs to get to bed at a certain time, or won’t get are up in the mornings. You can enjoy helping one another put meals together, and will probably get more of a feel of what their day-to-day life is like. Staying with your parents may have  a fringe benefit, they may want time to enjoy their grandchildren without you parents, allowing you and your husband to do some date nights while you are visiting.
• On the flip side, maybe you do want to get your own hotel room or condo. You might be someone that really likes your privacy. Maybe spending too much time together brings back too many memories of the past. Maybe your parents can’t handle guests full time.

We are going to get back to this discussion Monday.

More tips on Disney

I have had a crazy week as far as work goes. Hopefully next week is going to be a little less wild. I’ve been looking at some different jobs.. Anyway, decided to go through my spam folder, and from what I can tell, Disney is a pretty popular topic. First, I’m glad you like my work, and second I would love to help a trip to Disney if you are interested. Please just let me know

• I mentioned that Disney has dining plans on Wednesday, but let’s look at that some more. Each of following describes what you will get each day of your plan. Choose the Quick Service Plan, you are going to get two quick service meals and two snacks. With the Disney dining plan, you will get two snacks, one quick service meal, and one meal at a restaurant. Now if you want to do a Deluxe dining plan, you will get three meals and two snacks.
• I know with Disney you are going to have a lot to figure. That is why you will want my help. I can help you do all the research to figure things out. I can save you hours of work.
• Believe it or not, there are some inexpensive souvenirs at Disney, you just have to find. There are also scavenger hunts you can do.

We are going to get back to the Disney discussion, tomorrow hopefully. But I do not have long today, so let’s look at some times when you may really need a travel agent. Sure, I know that anyone can go online and book trip. But sometimes you want to make sure that everything done right.

When you think of your honeymoon, you don’t want to remember it as a disaster trip. This is hopefully a trip you get just once in your life. You want it to be special. You want it to be right. Travel agents will also be able to give you special perk. Planning a multi generation trip is not something you want to do on your own. You are going to have a lot of different people coming to one decision. Your family may have someone with special needs. Your family is going to have a lot of different interests. Figuring out a place that everyone will enjoy is difficult. Let a travel agent help you plan everything. And maybe you’re planning your first big international trip. Do you want to do all of that research by yourself? Let a travel agent help you plan the the big trip. Tell them what is important to you and what isn’t.

Disney tips #1

I’d bet that if you asked your children where they would like to go on vacation, they would say that they want to go to Disney World. But unfortunately, the “most magical place on earth” is also known as the “most expensive place on earth”.. Today let’s look at some ways you might be able to save on your next Disney vacation.

• When you go to Disney, you will pretty always want to stay on property. And yes, that is even true if you are trying to save money. There are some what they call “Value Resorts” that are pretty comparable to other hotels in the area. Some of these hotels are going to have their own entertainment. You will always receive free transportation when you stay at one of Disney’s resorts, and you will be able to take advantage of their “Magic Hours”. And one more advantage of staying at a Disney resort is that sometimes you can get a great deal on their din plans.
• Disney has a whole lot to offer families, so much so that you will want to plan out your trip. You will want to decide which rides you want to use your Fastpasses. You can even book the time ranges that you want to go on these rides. Disney also has a lot of character dining experiences you can take part in. You will just need to figure out which ones would mean the most to your children.
• Okay, yes, Park Hopper Passes are going to cost you a little extra, but getting these will allow you to get into any park that you want. You can actually switch parks several times a day. And this will probably allow you to stay fewer days. Let’s get back to this discussion tomorrow. I would enjoy hearing your thoughts on any of this. I would also love to help you plan a trip to Disney.

September 11th memorials

My last post was for yesterday. Today let’s look at some memorials commemorating today and all it stands for. It has been seventeen years since the attacks, can you believe it?

• Okay, first there is a memorial in New York City. They are closed September eleventh, wondering if they consider it some kind of holiday? But it is usually opened each day, and you can purchase tickets up to six months in advance.
• New Jersey has a memorial called Empty Sky Memorial. It was built to honor New Jersey’s victims, and this place was ready in time for the tenth anniversary of the attacks.
• The Pentagon Memorial is located in Arlington, Virginia. It, of course, commemorates the victims of the Pentagon attack. Parking is limited, so you may want to take public transportation.
• I guess this is to show England’s support of us. September 11th Memorial Garden has been opened in London just two years. They communicated with people who lost loved ones in the attacks as they built this.

I would love to know your thoughts on any of this. Would you like to do a September 11th tour? Please let me know.

We take for granted… #2

I’m sorry. I had every every intention of doing this yesterday. But things kept coming up. We were visiting with my sister, and things kept coming up. But anyway, I’m here now.. I am going to be doing some different things this week, and I’m not exactly sure how much I am going to be online. We will just have to wait and see. Okay, let’s look at some other things that might be different when we go to other countries.

• The website I’m reading says that brand name items are more expensive in other countries. I’ve read in a lot of places that just the opposite is true. It might depend on what items you’re looking at.
• Most the time we Americans Have the latest and greatest when it comes to laptops and gaming systems. Other people in other countries may not be as fortunate.
• We are usually more advanced all around than other people, and that that certainly includes our medicine. The medicine we have here is usually better and often less expensive than in other countries.
• We are also going to get the newest music and movies before everyone else. I am not sure whether that is referring to American entertainment.
• Unless you are going somewhere that is very remote, learning their language is nice but not necessary. Countries love American tourists, and so English is an extremely popular language to learn. And they love to practice what they are learning.