Top Tips for Flying With Or Without Kids

Whoever said, “getting there is half the fun” obviously wasn’t “getting there” by flying with children! 

While family vacations are something we look forward to, the transportation part is usually the most stressful.

Those travel days can be stressful anyway with lines at security, weather delays, and tight connections, but it is compounded when you are also trying to keep the kids happy and cooperative.

Here are some of our favorite tips for reducing the stress of flying with kids by helping to make sure that your airport logistics run smoothly…

Murphy’s Law Applies to Travel Too

As a parent, I trust you are familiar with Murphy’s Law… you know the one, if it can go wrong, it will go wrong. You may not have invited Mr. Murphy on your vacation, but he loves to tag along.

It’s always a good idea to expect the best… but plan for the worst. There is no need to start your vacation by being stressed that you might miss your flight. Make sure you leave plenty of time for travel to the airport and for getting through security before your flight. Plan for traffic and other delays.

When traveling with kids, or with any larger group, we recommend arriving at the airport no less than 90 minutes before a domestic flight or two and a half hours before an international flight.

Avoid Tight Connections

If you aren’t taking a nonstop or direct flight, make sure you leave plenty of time to make your connecting flights. Nothing is worse than running through an unfamiliar airport yelling at your children to hurry up and stick together!

While airlines may allow you to book close connections, remember that flights will begin boarding around 45 minutes to an hour before take-off, and most airlines require that you are on board at least 15 minutes before your departure time. When you think about that, a 40-minute connection starts to feel a little more stressful!

We recommend at least 90 minutes for domestic connections and 2.5 to 3 hours for international flights. Remember that most connections occur at “hub” airports. These airports tend to be larger and more confusing. Your connection could involve a change of terminals, and at some airports, you may have to wait for a train or bus to travel from one terminal to another.

Don’t Split Your Flights

We often hear travelers talk about finding a “deal” by splitting their flight up into 2 tickets. For instance, when traveling to Europe, they may book a one-way ticket from home to a hub city like Atlanta or New York and then another ticket from there to their European destination.

This means you will have to collect your bags after the first flight, then check them in for the next flight, and go through security again. You will also likely have to change from a domestic terminal to an international terminal. In some cities, this is not easy to do. Not to mention that it is not uncommon for travelers to realize too late that their New York flights are actually arriving and departing from two different airports!

Should you miss your connection, there is nothing you can do since the airline had no idea you were connecting from an earlier flight and the airline will consider you a no show.

It’s always best to book your flights on one ticket all the way through. That way, your bags can be checked straight through to your final destination. Should circumstances beyond your control result in an unexpectedly tight connection, they will often hold the second flight for you as well.

Pack Smart

When selecting your carry-on for the trip, pick your bag carefully. Consider all of the little loose things that you’ll be carrying and make sure there are either pockets to keep them organized and easy to find or pack smaller bags to keep things together in your carry-on. Be sure you have room for jackets, pillows, books, or toys that can easily get left behind as you transition from one step to the next of your trip.

Keep Documents Handy

Something else to consider with your carry-on bag is if it has somewhere to securely store your documents where they are safe but still easily accessible. One way to reduce confusion and stress is to have one person be in charge of all of the travel documents, so they are always in one place. Everyone can hold their own paperwork at security or when ready to board an international flight, but once they are through, keep them all together. Not having to fumble around to find them will save you time and frustration.

Pack Some Power

Traveling with electronics? Make sure you have charging cords, outlet plugs, adapters, and ideally extra battery packs. One of the most helpful things to have in your carry-on is a splitter that allows for more than one device to be plugged in at a time. 

Should your flight be delayed, the outlets in the terminal will quickly be claimed by passengers wanting to be sure their device gets charged while they wait. Being able to ask if you can share the outlet, and both have access to power can be a lifesaver!

TSA PreCheck and Global Entry

If you travel frequently, these programs are worth their weight in gold!

TSA PreCheck allows you to zip through shorter security lines without having to remove your shoes or take liquids or laptops out of your bag. An added bonus is that most people in the TSA PreCheck line are seasoned travelers, so the process is that much smoother and faster. Global Entry holders are automatically enrolled in TSA PreCheck.

Global Entry helps you speed your way through customs on your return from an international flight. The last thing you want to have to do at the end of a long and exhausting travel day is stand in a long line at the very end of your journey! I've had Global Entry since 2012 and here's how both programs worked for me

Traveling with kids can be stressful! It’s our job to make family vacations as fun and easy for Mom and Dad as they are for the kids. Sit back and let us take care of all of the details… all you have to do is show up and enjoy your vacation! Click here to schedule a time for us to talk and get started planning your next getaway.

Family Hotels Beyond the All Inclusive & Theme Parks

You may have heard the quote from writer Robert Benchley that "there are two classes of travel: first class and with children." Fortunately for families that appreciate the finer things in life when they travel, that doesn't have to be the case!

Family vacations don't have to mean theme parks, chicken nuggets, crowded pools, or mass-market cruises. Some of the most beautiful hotels in the world do an outstanding job at welcoming guests of all ages… no matter how small.

We've put together a list of our top 5 luxury resorts that cater to families with specialized amenities, kids' programming, and special touches for younger guests…

Four Seasons Hotel Sydney, Australia

photo ©Four Seasons

If you are looking for a well-appointed, family-friendly hotel, with friendly, attentive service, and a prime location in Sydney, look no further than the Four Seasons Hotel Sydney. The spectacular views of the harbor, Sydney Harbor Bridge, and the Opera House are particularly stunning (the corner rooms on the upper floors have the best views.

Family-friendly attractions such as the Taronga Zoo, the Rocks district, and Manly Beach are easily accessible by ferries, trains, and buses that regularly leave from stops across from the hotel.

Rooms are spacious and well appointed, and even come with child-size bathrobes and slippers for the kids! In-room babysitting services are available for parents who want to plan an evening out.

Outrigger Castaway Island, Fiji

photo ©Outrigger Hotels

Castaway Island is part of the Mamanuca islands in Fiji, and it is a paradise for families!

The Outrigger Castaway Island is one of the few properties with private bures for families. The resort is accessible only by seaplane, helicopter or boat… an adventurous start to your vacation that the kids are sure to love! The layout of the resort is such that it doesn't feel crowded, even when it is booked to full capacity.

Kid-friendly amenities include a children's pool area, available in-room babysitting, a whimsical kids' club, and even a special bistro that caters to the kids for breakfast and lunch.

Kids 8 and up can join in an introductory scuba course at the resort pool. Those age 12 and up can even get dive certified!

The Balmoral Hotel, Edinburgh, Scotland

This one is a must for any family with a Harry Potter fan! Author JK Rowling wrote the final book in the Potter series while staying here.

The Balmoral is a Rocco Forte property. Rocco Forte is known for luxury hotels that cater to families. Everything is designed with convenience for families without sacrificing the luxurious touches discerning travelers have come to expect. Rooms have kid-friendly amenities such as content protected WiFi service, kids' backpacks, age-appropriate books, movies, and games, and so much more. Older kids and teens can even enjoy unique teen spa treatments.

Parents will appreciate the availability of interconnecting rooms and extra beds upon request – both options not readily available at most European hotels. 

Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui

photo ©Four Seasons

The Four Seasons is one of the world's top luxury hotel brands. It is also well known for its Kids for All Seasons program. The Four Seasons Koh Samui is one of their highest rated hotels for families looking for luxury vacations with the kids.

Children are greeted with their own complimentary welcome packages, treats, and other goodies. The kids' clubs are top notch with their own versions of typically adult activities such as cooking classes, spa treatments, or even Muay Thai boxing.

The pool and beach areas will have family activities throughout the week, including sports like volleyball, table tennis, and soccer. The beach house has activities, games, and video games for kids of all ages.

Family accommodations include pool villas with separate sleeping areas for kids and parents and private infinity pools. There are also private residences that are ideal for large families and multigenerational groups.

Ashford Castle, County Mayo, Ireland

photo ©Ashford Castle

What kid… or even teen… wouldn't love staying in a 13th-century castle! You won't find too many more family-friendly resorts anywhere in the world either. This hotel is consistently ranked as one of the top hotels in the world, and it's easy to see why!

Located on 350 acres of Irish parkland, Ashford Castle recently underwent a $75-millon renovation. The spacious bedrooms are beautifully appointed and include extras for the kids such as juice and cookies upon arrival and kid-sized robes and slippers. Larger families and those who wish to have separate sleeping spaces for parents and kids will be pleased to learn that connecting rooms can be guaranteed at the time of booking.

One of the unique touches is a personalized storybook for each child. They will be delighted to discover that they are the main character in the story!

Onsite activities include a falconry school, fishing, tennis, watersports, golf, cycling, kayaking, and a host of other options. The onsite activities coordinators will even document your family's activities with Go-Pro cameras.

The perfect vacation begins with scheduling your complimentary consultation. Click here to request a time for us to chat . We’ll discuss the details and what your vacation priorities. I’ll give you my suggestions and explain how we can best work together to plan the vacation of your dreams.

What Does a Family Travel Adivsor Do?

I’m going to let you in on an “industry secret…”

When you get a group of travel professionals together, it’s not uncommon for us to ask each other what type of title they use. You may be most familiar with “travel agent,” but many of us feel that doesn’t adequately capture what it is we do. We become travel advisors, travel consultants, travel designers or any number of creative titles that attempt to convey what we do for our clients.

It doesn’t matter what we call ourselves; there is no way to describe what we do each day in a title.

You may be wondering what exactly it is we do? What do we bring to the table that you wouldn’t get by booking your vacation online? As a Certified Autism Travel Professional and a mother to a son who was diagnosed at age 5, I bring not only my professional knowledge but my own personal experiences so you can have that family vacation that works for your whole family.

Here are just a few of the things we do for our clients…

We are great listeners.

This is one of the most essential skills for a travel advisor to have. We listen to what you say when you talk about your vacations. We ask questions to get a better idea of your tastes, likes, and preferences.

Which Cruise Line is the best for you, not your neighbor

We pay close attention so that we can get a clear picture of your needs, concerns, issues, and expectations. It’s crucial for us to understand these things so we can best anticipate your needs and make the best recommendations for you.

We are master troubleshooters!

It’s our job to take care of all of the nitty gritty details of your trip and to manage the whole thing from start to finish.

We’re here to help you out if things don’t go as planned. If you run into travel delays or any issue, you can look to us to sort it out for you. Because of our vast industry connections, we are often able to resolve things much faster than you could on your own.

We pride ourselves on our attention to detail.

We love putting together the pieces of your travel itinerary as if it were a big, beautiful puzzle! We make recommendations for things that will provide you with an added layer of convenience, security, or simply to surprise and delight you.

How about a day trip to Neuschwanstein? The inspiration for the castle at Magic Kingdom?

We’ll take care of the mundane details like keeping track of important dates, paperwork requirements, and other logistics. It’s our job to make sure your vacation is seamless and that you don’t have to worry about any of the things that can make travel stressful or frustrating.

Did you know your passport needs to be current up to 6 months after your return date? I'll let you know if you need to renew before your trip.

We’re continually building our network to benefit YOU.

From connecting with other travel professionals with expertise in specific types of travel, destinations, or properties to meeting the general manager and sales managers or places we visit, we are always working to create connections that can help us take better care of our clients.

With the General Manager of Sandals Barbados & Royal Barbados Resorts

Since no travel professional can have personal experience for every destination, we use our colleagues when we need to. If we haven’t been to that specific city you want to visit, there is someone on our contact list who has… and who can give us the inside scoop and direct us to the hidden gems you won’t want to miss.

We spend a significant amount of time… and money… traveling to do site inspections and research new destinations. While that may sound glamorous, and you may have been a little jealous when you saw our Instagram photos from fabulous places, it really is work! 

Quick stop to kiss the Blarney Stone on a trip with a supplier in Ireland

We took those fantastic pictures during the very brief downtime we had in a day spent walking the resort with a sales manager and touring multiple different room options, getting a walk-through of the spa (alas, no treatments for us!), the pools, the kids activities, the restaurants, and sitting through a lengthy sales seminar.

No swim up bar for me, site inspections at 3 resorts. Grand Velas Resort.

We do this so we get to check out places you may want to visit, but also to meeting and get to know the staff. An email sent to a general manager we know personally may result in a complimentary bottle of wine.

We work for YOU.

We work with various travel partners and suppliers to book your vacation, but we work FOR you. Should anything go wrong during your travels, we go to bat for you. We represent your needs and your interests… and we know who to call to get things fixed. 

When a major cruise line had issues with 2 ships this year, I found other options for my clients with other cruise lines, so my clients could take their vacation that week. That "personal vaacation specialist" that is an employee with that resort or cruise line is going to do what's best for their employer, not  you.

We are in your corner from the time your vacation is booked until you arrive safely back home. 

We consider you a friend.

You aren’t just a client. We consider you a friend… or even like a member of our own family, and we take care of you the same way we would a friend or family member.

We smile when we see your name on our caller ID. We think about your bad knee when we plan your itinerary. We remember that you love to play tennis when you travel.

And like a good friend… we don’t hold back when we give you our advice. We won’t hesitate to tell you when we think you might be making a mistake. If you come to us with a suggestion that we believe might not meet your expectation… we’ll let you know. We’ll let you know when it makes sense to spend a little more to get a better experience, and which corners you can cut without having a negative impact on your vacation.

Another little secret I’ll let you in on… we absolutely love hearing from you about your experience. It makes our day when you text us from your vacation to show us the amazing view from the hotel we recommended. It delights us when we you send us photos of your kids enjoying the activities we put together for you.

We look forward to checking in with you when you get back home… and we are so appreciative when you reach out to us to plan your next vacation or recommend our services to your friends and family.

Ready to start planning your next getaway? The perfect vacation begins with scheduling your complimentary consultation. Click here to request a time forus to talk. We’ll discuss the details and what you are looking for. I’ll give you my suggestions and explain how we can best work together to plan the vacation of your dreams.

Family Fun at Universal Orlando Resort

While Disney might be your first thought when someone says “theme park vacation in Orlando, Florida,” they are by far not the only game in town! Families can enjoy more movie-themed fun at the Universal Orlando Resort as well.

What started as one small park that guests could see in one day has grown into a vacation destination unto itself. Planning a vacation to the Universal Orlando Resort can feel a bit overwhelming, but here’s what you need to know before you go…

THEME PARKS

Universal Orlando Resort boasts three unique theme parks – Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure, and Volcano Bay as well as CityWalk, a shopping, entertainment, and dining promenade.

The original theme park, Universal Studios Florida, feels like you’ve walked into a film set that just so happens to have some rides and attractions! Where else can your family facing a fire-breathing dragon, take part in a car chase with characters from Fast and the Furious, defend the earth from an alien attack, and join forces with Gru and friend to become an actual minion all in one day?

Universal Studios Florida has seven distinct areas that each have a unique look and feel. 

The park is home to the extremely popular Diagon Alley section of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter where you’ll want to be sure to experience the Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts attraction.

Universal’s Islands of Adventure is full of adventures featuring superheroes and favorite cartoon characters. The younger guests will fall in love with the whimsical Suessland while older kids and teens will find no shortage of thrill rides such as the Incredible Hulk Coaster and Doctor Doom’s Fearfall. There is lots of fun for the entire family on attractions such as Jurassic Park River Adventure and Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls (yes, you WILL get wet… there is a chance you might get soaked!).

Probably the most popular area of the park is still Hogsmeade Village, a part of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Muggles get their chance to visit Hogwarts on Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. Even if you don’t want to experience the ride, it’s worth going through the queue to explore the incredible detail within the castle! There is a viewing area you can sit in and wait for members of your party who do want to hop on board the ride.

Guests with a park-to-park ticket can experience the Hogwarts Express train ride between Universal Studios Florida and Universal’s Islands of Adventure theme parks. The enchantment of boarding at Platform 9 ¾, watching the quaint English countryside roll by outside your window, and the surprises in store make this quite a memorable train ride!

The newest addition to Universal Orlando Resort is Volcano Bay, a top-notch water park that makes you feel like you’ve been transported to an island in French Polynesia! There are rides and attractions for guests of all ages, or if you prefer, you can find yourself a beach chair and relax in the sun (or the shade!).

photo ©Universal

A unique addition to Volcano Bay is the fact that each guest is given a Tapu Tapu band when they enter the park. This free service allows you to hold a virtual space in line for attractions and lets you spend your time exploring the park rather than waiting in line. The bands will also activate interactive surprises around the park, open rental lockers, and allows you to leave your wallet behind by enabling cash-free payments to your account.

Be sure to experience the Krakatau Water Coaster inside the park’s iconic volcano for a thrill you won’t soon forget!

RESORT HOTELS

Universal Orlando Resort features six onsite resorts operated by Loews Hotels, with two additional resorts opening in mid-2019. The resorts are categorized into Value Hotels (Universal's Endless Summer Resort – Surfside Inn and Suites, and Universal's Endless Summer Resort – Dockside Inn and Suites, both of which open in June 2019), Prime Value Hotels (Universal's Aventura Hotel, and Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort), Preferred Hotel (Loews Sapphire Falls Resort), and Premier Hotels (Loews Royal Pacific Resort, Hard Rock Hotel, and Loews Portofino Bay Hotel).

Guests at all of Universal Orlando Resort’s onsite hotels can access early entry into the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Each morning either Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade Village will allow resort guests to enter one hour before the general public. This onsite hotel benefit will not only save you a significant amount of time waiting in line for the park’s most popular attractions but will also give you the chance to explore the incredible detail in these areas with limited crowds.

Guests of Universal’s Premier Hotels (Loews Royal Pacific Resort, Hard Rock Hotel, and Loews Portofino Bay Hotel) also receive unlimited front-of-line access to most of the rides and attractions in the parks. Universal Express Unlimited passes are included in the price of your resort stay. This benefit is invaluable, especially during peak attendance times such as early summer and the holiday season. During the busiest travel times, Universal Express Unlimited passes can cost up to $150 per person so a family of 4 will save up to $600 per day!

photo ©Loews Hotels

All of the onsite resorts are beautifully themed and decorated and are close to all the action of CityWalk and the theme parks. Complimentary transportation is available to all onsite resort guests.

Wondering if a Universal Orlando Resort vacation might be right for your family? Planning the perfect experience begins with scheduling your vacation consultation call. Click here to request a time for us to meet. We'll discuss the details and what you are looking for in your dream vacation. I'll give you my suggestions and explain how we can best work together to plan the vacation of your dreams. Plus we'll show you how to get a picture like this.