Safe Harbor Publishing Travel Newsline

Plan Ahead

Which sounds more toddler-friendly? The beach or the Louvre? What kind of a vacation would appeal to a teenager? Kayaking in whale watching territory or shopping for antiques?

The most crucial piece to planning a successful family vacation is matching the destination and the family. If you've traveled with another person ? your husband, friends, siblings ? you have hopefully learned the art of travel compromise. He hates to shop, you live for it. He spends hours and hours in museums, you like the cursory visit. Add children of varying ages and interests to the mix and you have an entirely new set of things to consider.

First, accept the fact that your travel will never be the same again. Gone are the days when you could walk for hours through the labyrinth of Paris or push past meal times while you search out that historic London pub. That?s not to say it won?t be enriching, exciting, fun and stimulating. It?ll just be different. So once your mindset is adjusted, consider these tips from moms and dads whose kids have traveled so much they can find their own airplane seat, thank you very much.

Convene a family council and talk travel (even if the only verbal family members are you and your spouse). Don?t take anything, or anybody, for granted and give everyone a vote. Even preschoolers have opinions. We all know families are not really democracies, so parents can maintain veto power, but your kids will appreciate being part of the discussion no matter what the outcome.
Think kid-friendly destinations beyond Disneyland. Many beach resorts offer kids? programs and babysitting. Club Med has family-oriented resorts that keep children busy all day long with educational and fun activities. Ski resorts will strap toddlers and teens on snowboards and skis, teach and feed them for most of the day. Some dude ranches have terrific riding and ranch activities designed for children. Many countries and U.S. states offer specific tips on family activities and some have ?passports? your child can have stamped when he or she visits an attraction. Cruise lines are excellent because everybody can go their own direction and meet for dinner, all the happier for it.
Research and ask lots of questions. If your chosen vacation spot advertises kid-friendly, ask for specifics. Find out costs and exactly what?s included. Ask for references then contact other families who?ve visited that spot. Go to www.tripadvisor.com and read reviews by parents.
Travel off-season if possible. Spring break, the long Thanksgiving weekend, Christmas holidays and summer are prime time and are best avoided. Pretty hard to do when you have kids in school, but not impossible. Consider taking your child out of school for a few days and leave before or come home after peak travel dates. Talk to their teacher ahead of time and plan to have your son or daughter make up assignments they?ll miss. Get creative and offer to have your child do a destination-specific project for extra credit. We?ve helped our kids create a Hawaiian-English dictionary, write short papers on Mexican folklore and put together a scrapbook of pictures of indigenous plant life. Sneaky way to turn a vacation into relevant education. For everyone.
Flight plan. Avoid commuter flights (before 9 a.m. and after 5 p.m.). For long-haul trips, take advantage of overnight flights. Reserve your seats when you make your flight reservations. See Baby on Board for hints on traveling with little ones. Click on Experts Speak for even more advice on traveling with children.

Documentation & Security

All of the safety advice we?ve covered in the Safe Harbor Travel Publishing Newsline applies to families traveling with children. Here are some additional considerations.

Whose kid is this? Blended, adopted, step, half ? today?s American family might have different last names, even different ethnic origins, and in a normal day that?s nobody?s business but yours. At international customs and immigration, however, the issue becomes public and you may need to provide documentation proving that these kids are legally yours. Copies of adoption papers, birth certificates or custody papers along with the child?s passport are usually sufficient. If you are the non-custodial parent, you should have a notarized, dated, signed letter from the custodial parent granting permission for the child to travel with you. If your child has brought a friend along, you should also have a notarized letter from that child?s parent giving permission to travel with you. These rules apply to Mexico and Canada as well the rest of the world.
Identification. Take extra photos of your child in case he or she is separated from you or their passport gets lost. Make photocopies of your child?s passport, leave one at home in an accessible location and carry one with you (not in the same carry-on as your passports though).
Name tags. It is an excellent idea for your child to have identification on them at all times, as long as it?s not prominently displayed. Before you go, type out your child?s name, your name, your itinerary and contact numbers at home and on the road on a small piece of paper. Have it laminated and pin the info to the inside of your child?s pocket.
Airport security. First you stand in line for an interminable amount of time waiting to get to security screening, then you feel like you have to rush through the actual ?event.? Take your time and don?t worry if you hold the line up a tiny bit. You, your kids, your stroller and your diaper bag will probably be faster than the overweight businessman who can?t reach his shoelaces or get his laptop out of its case anyway.

Brief your older children on what to expect and tell them they are in charge of their own backpack, their shoes and sticking close to you. You won?t let them out of your sight, of course, but if they?re five or older, they can probably handle some of this themselves.

Everyone should wear slip off shoes if possible. Avoid belts if you can. Backpacks and purses should be closed and zipped so the contents don?t spill out.

Your stroller and/or car seat will go through the x-ray machine and you will carry your baby through the metal detector in your arms or in its front carrier. Older kids can pass through just ahead of you or holding your hand, it varies from airport to airport.

Babysitters. A leisurely dinner with your spouse in a ?grown-up? restaurant might be just the break the two of you need. If you are staying at a reputable hotel, the concierge can arrange a babysitter and you can be sure your son or daughter will be safe and well taken care of. However, you should avoid the temptation to have that lovely girl you met in the market come by and watch junior.

Staying Healthy on the Road

Start out healthy. You would quickly decide to postpone your trip if your child came down with the chicken pox, the flu or some other debilitating illness just before departure. What about the sniffles or a full-blown cold? Since you can muscle through traveling with a cold, you might think your son or daughter could, too. Think again before you get on an airplane. Those little ears can?t take the pressure and besides the excruciating pain, you risk a punctured eardrum.
Health insurance. Make sure you contact your insurance company before you leave and find out how medical emergencies and routine illnesses are handled outside of your area. Be sure to carry your health insurance card and insurer?s contact phone numbers with you. Some policies exclude coverage for what they term ?dangerous activities? and the definition for those can range from rock climbing to scuba diving to river rafting, so be sure you know what?s covered by your policy. You also need to know if your policy will cover ambulance services or an emergency flight home. If it doesn?t, you might want to purchase supplemental insurance. See our section Before You Go for info on documents, immunization and general health on the road for the whole family.
Immunizations. Yellow fever is the only vaccine subject to international health regulations and vaccination is required for re-entry into the U.S. if you have visited infected areas. Your doctor may recommend your child get booster shots against measles or polio, depending on where you?re traveling. If you are visiting Third World countries or destinations with substandard health or infectious diseases, talk to your doctor and arrange to get your shots well ahead of your departure date. Your doctor may recommend smallpox, cholera, typhoid and other immunization. See Before You Go and visit the Centers for Disease Control website (www.cdc.gov/travel) for specific immunization requirements.
Just-In-Case medical kit. Children always get sick in the middle of the night when nothing is open. That can be a hassle if you?re home and a disaster in Puerto Vallarta. A small emergency medical kit stocked with essentials can see you through till you can find a pharmacy. See Before You Go, Just-In-Case for guidelines on stocking your medical kit.
Prescription medicine. Take an ample supply of your child?s prescription medication. It is also a good idea to take the doctor?s prescription and the packaging showing the name brand name and the generic name of the medicine in case it is lost or left behind and you need to replace it.
Eating and drinking. In some countries, it?s safe to eat and drink the without fear. In others, it?s an invitation for those nasty stomach viruses to set up housekeeping in your digestive tract. In those countries, children and adults should drink only bottled water, juice or soft drinks and eat only well-cooked food or fruit you have peeled yourself. You need to go one step further with children, however. They are especially susceptible to water and food-borne illnesses not only because their immune systems aren?t fully developed but because they touch everything and constantly stick their fingers in their mouths. Antiseptic handi-wipes to the rescue, they?re even better than soap and water. You should monitor tooth-brushing as well and make sure the tap water doesn?t hit the toothbrush.
Restaurants and food stalls. Some of the best food we?ve ever eaten ? or served our kids -- has come from outdoor kiosks, and we?re here to tell about it. So are our kids. A food stall that?s busy (which means the food doesn?t sit around) and one that?s packed with tourists is most likely a safe bet. Same goes for sit-down restaurants.
Sunburn. The sun sneaks up on you and the adage about the burning rays being concentrated between 10 and 2 is not exactly true. You can get a sunburn just about any time in the tropics, the desert and mountains. Children and adults should wear sunscreen with SPF 15 or above at all times, not just when they?re on the beach. You can get a terrific burn just walking around a market. Make sure you re-lather your kids all day long, especially if they?re in and out of the water. Take hats and t-shirts and don?t forget SPF lip balm. Don?t be lulled into thinking you?re out of harm?s way sitting in the shade. The sun reflects off the water and the sand, sneaking right into your shady sanctuary. Worst case scenario and a sunburn strikes, treat it with cool compresses, aspirin and calamine lotion or aloe vera gel.
Bugs bites. Take insect repellant for travel to beaches, deserts, jungles, estuaries, ranches, campsites, and any place biting bugs live. Long-sleeved shirts and pants can be lifesavers. Mosquito coils can be purchased in many locales and when set up safely, they can be left to burn overnight in your hotel room.

In-flight Diversions

If a child is old enough to walk unassisted, they can carry their own backpack or pull their own tiny suitcase. This is their ?toy box? and is an important part of your pre-trip planning and packing.
Does Junior have a ?binky? or favorite stuffed toy? Be sure that?s in the backpack. Portable CD players and kid-friendly music are great. More good bets: books, self-contained toys like Etch-A-Sketch, sticker and coloring books, a small assortment of crayons or markers (washable, please), games the two of you can play. Avoid noisy toys or things with lots of small pieces. Don?t ignore the possibilities right there in your row: ?barf bags? can be turned into puppets, magazines are perfect for ?I Spy.?

Baby On Board

Many parents shudder at the thought of spending hours in a pressurized metal tube with a baby (that does sound pretty intimidating), but with a little planning and a fair amount of knowledge, but you can pull it off smoothly. The first rule: relax. We telegraph our stress to our children and with all the noise, bright lights and activity of airports and airplanes, your baby will be revved up as it is. Stay calm, convince yourself this?ll be fun (OK, pleasant), and consider your travel time an opportunity to shower your baby with hugs and attention.

The Berkeley Parents Network website is an entertaining, educational spot to read parents? tales of traveling with infants (http://parents.berkeley.edu/adbvice/going/travel-with-infants.htm). From eleven-hour trans-Atlantic flights to the best place to sit on the plane to diaper changing etiquette, these parents have done it all.

Packing. A well-stocked diaper bag will be a thing of wonder containing food, diapers, toys, change of clothes for baby (and an extra top for you), passports and travel documents. See if you can also stow the contents of your purse in your diaper bag so you have one less thing to deal with. Your checked suitcase can carry the rest of your travel necessities.
Wheeling along. Parents who travel frequently with their babies invest in nifty car seat/stroller combos that make it easier to maneuver the check in line, security screening, boarding and deplaning. Other parents like to travel with collapsible strollers. You can keep baby in his or her wheelie all the way to the gate where the agents will check the stroller, and you can pick it up as soon as you deplane at your destination.
Airport security. You will carry your baby through the metal detector. Your diaper bag, car seat and/or stroller will go through the x-ray machine on the conveyor belt. Wear slip-on shoes and minimal jewelry. A front-carrier for your baby makes transit easier.
Lap babies. Children under the age of two fly free on most airlines but are not given a seat of their own. You hold the child on your lap for the entire flight. Don?t buckle your baby in with you though. Request a bulkhead seat and ask if the airline has a bassinet, which will attach to the bulkhead or sit on the floor at your feet. There is usually no charge. You cannot sit in an exit row with a baby.

Holding a tiny baby on your lap for the duration of a flight is not terribly difficult, but trying to keep a robust and energetic 18-month-old confined to your lap is a different story. Even though children under the age of two can travel free without a seat, consider purchasing a seat for your child. Ask if the airline offers a discount for infants occupying a seat. Some will sell you a 50 percent reduced fare ticket.

Not only will you have more room for you and your child, the additional seat gives you a spot for a child restraint system, better known as a car seat. More on car seats below. Buckle the car seat to the aircraft seat, nestle your baby securely in the seat and you?ve just provided a safe and comfortable spot in case of turbulence. Plus the familiarity of the car seat might induce a nap, always a plus.
Car seats. The FAA requires that children up to 40 pounds travel in a child restraint system or car seat, which is no wider than 16? and labeled ?certified for use in aircraft.? Call 800-FAA-SURE or go to www.faa.gov/passengers/fly for more information. Some airlines provide child restraint systems, some do not, and some will allow you to use an empty seat for your unticketed lap baby. Ask ahead of time and be aware that if you fly during peak travel times, there probably won?t be any empty seats on your flight.
Quick change. Diaper changing can be tricky onboard. JetBlue is the hands down parent favorite for their restroom changing tables and Southwest is the clear looser because they don?t have any. Ask ahead of time. Take a small blanket or changing pad.

Without the convenience and safety of a changing table, you?re forced to do diaper duty on the closed toilet seat, or on the floor in front of your bulkhead seat, or on your lap, or in the aisle. All tough spots in terms of sanitation, convenience, safety and the gross-out factor (besides, some people just don?t want to witness your diaper changing). Flight attendants have been known help out, so don?t hesitate to ask.

If you?re forced to change your baby?s diaper in public, just find the best spot, smile like the loving parent you are, and whip through it. Be sure to carry plastic bags to stow the evidence and dispose of them in the lavatory trash bin.
Where to sit. Some parents like the front, others prefer the rear of the plane. Advantages to sitting in the front of the economy section: the bulkhead (on larger planes there may be more than one), you?re off the plane first, it?s a little quieter and less turbulent. The rear of the plane can sometimes be less crowded and you?re close to the restrooms but you?ll feel the turbulence more and you will have a long wait to deplane (unless there?s a rear exit that?s put to use). Regardless of where you sit, be sure to get your seat assignment as early as possible. Call 72-hours prior to departure and reconfirm your flight and your seat selection.

Take advantage of pre-boarding, but again, some airlines do not call for ?families and those needing assistance? to board early, so check that before you leave home. If your carrier doesn?t make an announcement for advanced boarding, ask the gate agent to let you on first nd they will most likely accommodate you.
Crying babies. Nursing and bottle babies should dine on take-off and landing for one very important reason: sucking and swallowing causes their ears to ?pop? or equalize pressure. Play blowing games with older children for the same effect. Once the seat belt sign has been turned off and as long as the flight attendants aren?t in the aisle with carts, take your baby for a stroll up and down the aisle. They?ll either perk up at the new sights or settle in on your shoulder for a snooze. Toddlers can also teeter down the aisle holding your hand and work off some excess energy.
Feeding time. If you need to have a bottle heated, ask the flight attendant as soon as you can. Check the temperature before offering the bottle to your baby though.

Moveable Feasts ? Food for the Road

Every parent knows it?s kids, not just armies, who travel on their stomachs. Whether you?re traveling by train, boat, car or plane, don?t leave home without some well thought out snacks securely wrapped and easy to get to. Nothing puts a child into a temper nosedive like low blood sugar, thirst and nagging hunger.

Plane ahead for plane travel. Airline travel today requires careful food planning since most carriers have eliminated or severely restricted the food available on board. Find out what is served on your flight, or flights, and plan accordingly. Never get on a plane without a food stash, no matter how short the flight. Ever been stuck on the tarmac while the mechanics tried to fix a mystery problem? Ever circled an airport waiting for a runway slot? There is no onboard food service going on during either of these incidents, and half hour flights have been known to stretch into intolerable lengths, especially when you have a cranky four-year-old in the seat next to you.
Airports - All large U.S. airports and many smaller ones have extensive food courts with everything from gourmet sit-down restaurants to fast food outlets. You can take advantage of this before your flight or during connections and be rewarded with a hearty meal in a relatively relaxed setting. But never rely solely on airport food courts because there are too many things that can interfere with your dining-in-transit plans. You might get trapped in a long security line and have to rush to the gate. Your connection time might disappear because your incoming flight was delayed. You could get snowed in and the restaurants could run out of food. It has happened. Have a snack pack as a fall-back plan.
Choose food with staying power. Peanut butter, cheese (string cheese is especially portable), low-fat deli meats, popcorn, crackers, dry cereal, whole wheat bread, energy bars, yogurt, cereal, celery sticks, raisins, carrots, apples, pretzels. Avoid food that squirts, oozes or otherwise turns an airplane seat into a toxic food dump.
Forego sugary snacks. All they do is provide an energy spike which will invariably be followed by a crash. That?s not to say a few M&Ms or a couple of cookies should be completely forbidden, they can represent a food treat and help mollify a fussy kid, as long as that child has had some healthy food to begin with.
Drinks and water. Kids get dehydrated in flight (so do adults but we usually feel it coming on). Take small juice cans or pouches and bottled water. Don?t be forced to wait for the inflight food and beverage service. If you have toddlers, take their favorite sippy cup. Liquid consumption means frequent trips to the bathroom and that?s a good thing. A stroll down the aisle is a diversion and those tiny bathrooms are pretty fascinating for young kids. Avoid times when the flight attendants are in the aisle serving food and drinks though. At the first opportunity, take your youngster to the lavatory whether he or she thinks they need it or not. Once the seat belt sign goes on, your child and his or her full bladder are stuck.
Baby Love. Make sure you have extra formula for your infant. Again, if there are flight delays you?ll be glad you do. Few airports have a ?baby deli? so you need to be totally prepared and self-contained with it comes to infant food needs. And since what goes in must come out, ditto on extra diapers. Take plastic bags for diaper disposal.
Packing It Up. Soft-sided lunch boxes are a perfect way to corral food because they?re small, insulated, spill-proof, lightweight and collapsible. Put crushable food like crackers, dry cereal, pretzels etc in small plastic containers. Use resealable baggies for fruit and veggies. Be sure to include napkins and handi-wipes in your food tote.

Resources for Family Travel

Experts speak, sell and report on family travel. These web sites offer advice for parents and kids on the road, can direct you to family-friendly destinations, give you the scoop on the best airfares and ferret out some fine products to take along.

Berkeley Parent Newtork (http://parents.Berkeley.edu) ? road warrior advice from frequently traveling moms and dads.
Centers for Disease Control (www.cdc.gov/travel/child_travel.htm) - immunization and health advice.
Family Travel Forum (www.familytravelforum.com) ? with a slogan ?Have Kids, Still Travel? you know they?re serious about keeping family fun on the road. Free newsletter. Website membership $38 a year gives you access to destination reviews, tips, articles and forums.
Family Travel Guides (www.thefamilytravelguides.com) ? destinations, hotels, adventure travel, regional favorites and value packages.
Family Fun (www.familyfun.com) ? an offshoot of Family Fun magazine, the website has destination picks and tips for parents.
Family Travel Files (www.familytravelfiles.com) - vacation reviews and info conveniently listed under destinations.
Family Travel Games (www.familytravelgames.com) - purchase this ebook online and you can pack 101 word games on your next trip.
Flying with Kids (www.flyingwithkids.com) - travel tips and destination info, lots of accessories and products to make travel easier.
Family Travel Times (www.familytraveltimes.com) - parent-written since 1984. Subscription is $39 a year.
Kaboose (www.kaboose.com) - destination and travel information with an educational slant.
Travel With Kids (www.travelwithkids.about.com) - packages, events and new destinations you might not have heard of.
Trip Advisor (www.tripadvisor.com) ? real reviews of hotels, destinations, activities and tours throughout the world compiled by real travelers. Click on the Family Vacations section.
Travel for Kids (www.travelforkids.com) - destination information for North and South America, Europe and Asia. ?Fun Food For Kids? are city guides to youngster-friendly restaurants that you can purchase for $7.95.