Top Ten Tips for Travelling With Children!

06:30 | Posted by | | Edit Post
The thought of travelling with children can turn even the most calm parents into jibbering wrecks. The thought of being stuck on a plane or train with someone else's children when they haven't planned properly in order to keep them quiet is enough to make anyone shudder. So here are the top 20 tips for travelling with children. They're not foolproof but if one of them helps you then my work here is done!
  1. Don't rule out taking children on a long-haul flight. Only you know your children and whether they will cope.

  2. Don't forget your child's favourite book or cuddly toy that they use to get to sleep at home. If they don't sleep without it in the familiar surroundings of their own bedroom, they won't sleep without it whilst travelling.

  3. A pack of playing cards can provide hours of entertainment during airport delays, particularly if you don't usually play cards at home. It won't take up much space in your hand luggage and may be worth its weight in gold.

  4. If delayed at an airport with plenty of shops, give your children a (very small) budget and allow them to look around the shops to see what they can buy with their money. Not only will they spend ages window shopping and adding up what they can afford, they will usually choose something that will keep them entertained for a short while once they have bought it.

  5. If travelling on a ferry with children for the first time, allow them to travel on the deck in the fresh air, at least at the start of the journey. They will be fascinated by the boat and the water and are less likely to feel seasick if they are outside and able to see the boat's movements whilst they get used to the feeling of motion.

  6. Children have a hand-luggage allowance as well. If you are smart with your packing, you can all travel with hand-luggage only. This can shave hours off your journey time and eliminate the possibility of lost luggage. Both of these can make travelling with children much less stressful.

  7. If travelling on a long haul flight with children, gift wrap some favourite toys and a few new toys. Unwrapping anything is exciting and they will be delighted to see their favourite toy and even more delighted by a carefully selected new toy.

  8. If one parent is a nervous flier, sit children on their first flight next to the less nervous parent to avoid the child picking up on the nerves. This will be beneficial for everyone on the child's first flight and will benefit that child in later life because it's no fun being a nervous flier.

  9. If travelling on very short flight, check whether the total time spent including airport check-in, baggage collection and the flight itself is quicker than you would make that journey by train. Children are often easier to cope with on a train as they can move about throughout the journey. It is always worth putting in a bit of time to research other options before booking your travel.

  10. Lastly, make sure you have a few days off work after returning from your family holiday. This can be your time to get the house back in order recover if it was a bit stressful! You will go back to work much more refreshed and ready to face the world!

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The New Wave Of Travel - Peak Life Experience Travel

06:29 | Posted by | | Edit Post
With the travel season is just around the corner, everyone is making plans to escape from their hectic work life and packing their travel bags for their long-awaited vacations. Although going for vacation is the best escape plan ever, many of us are anticipating the travel journey with a quiver of dread because the thought of carrying all the overweight baggage, queuing the endless security lines and squeezing into the small airplane seats are just not the most exciting part of traveling.
Those kinds of experiences make it hard for us not to envy how the rich travel these days. Their getaways such as taking private jet planes to Caribbean Island villas are way above the travel standard of normal tourists.
Recently, on my last night in Thailand, I met up with some friends who had just spent their vacation staying in a five-star hotel on the outskirts of the city. To my amazement, my friends who are luxury travelers quizzed me about my comical but vivid excursions, which had left me both tiring and excited by the end of every single trip.
After the meet up, I began to realize that my friends suffered their own form of travel envy. The sense of control provided by their huge spending power had deadened their travel experience. The experiences with private hosts and staying in 5 star hotels did not create the memories that they could treasure and remember forever.
As the rich is shifting towards the experience-oriented traveling, they are more willing to fork out large amounts of money to acquire the travel experience they are hoping for. As an example, by the early of next year, wealthy travelers will be able to take a commercial space flight on Virgin Galactic, including a whole five minutes of weightlessness for US$200,000. With so many rich people showing interest in the space flight since its announcement, we are certain that the rich is going to great lengths to set themselves apart from others, as traveling is getting more and more common for most people.
Another proof of the shift is that wealthy travelers these days even plan for charity driven excursions to remote villages in countries like Madagascar and take a light aircraft to such villages just to shake hands with the Amazonian shamans.
As a result of the shift from luxury travel to peak life experience travel, travel planners will be creating their travel packages with the ultimate aim of creating a memorable experience for all the travelers. In the near future, I can assure that the most highly sought after vacations by the rich and the middle class will definitely be 5 star vacations that are charity driven or vacations that are able to offer the travelers with peak life experiences.

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5 Great Tips to Plan the Ultimate Holiday

06:29 | Posted by | | Edit Post
Ask most people what to them is the best time of the year and the answer might surprise you. Apparently it's not Christmas, not New Year and most certainly not Valentine's Day. To most people, the best time of the year, the day they are most excited about is the day when they are finally able to take a break from it all... a Holiday.
To get the most out of your holiday, planning is the key. This does not have to be a daunting tasks, in fact it can be nearly just as much fun as the vacation itself. To help you, here are some tips on how you can plan the greatest Holiday.
1. Set your mind
Start with setting your ultimate vacation goal. Dreaming of a honeymoon under the sun on secluded fine sand beaches and wading in an azure, pristine sea? Hawaii and Italy, among many other places, have spectacular beaches. Yearning for enchanting ruins? Peru, Greece and Mexico are some of the places you can look into. Or would you rather go hiking, climb a mountain and commune with nature? Look up Mount Toubkal, the Inca Trail or the Matterhorn. Put all your ideas on paper so you don't forget your options.
When you are a solo traveler, defining what you want to get out of your vacation is easy. When you are traveling with family, friends or your partner, make sure there is something in there for all. There is nothing so disappointing than finally going on your dream holiday and find out your partner, friends or family are not having a good time at all. When you travel with kids, it is always a good idea to include some "kid fun" days - like a water park or a zoo - in your planning.
2. Research, Research and more Research
Now that you have made up your mind on which destination to visit, use the wealth of information available on the Internet. Travel review sites will give you real accounts of other people's experiences. You will also get tips on your desired place's best spots and how other travelers enjoyed those.
If you really want to feel, sense, smell what it is like in your preferred destination, check out some Travel blogs on the Internet. You will be able to read unique travel experiences and get useful tips. Don't forget to check your governmental travel site as well. This is necessary for you to get accurate data about eventual travel warnings, vaccination requirements and passport and visa requirements.
3. Manage your budget
A great vacation doesn't come cheap; unless you're lucky and win it in some contest. Essential things that you have to prepare for are transportation, accommodation, food and eventual excursion or entrance fees. You might opt to book with a reputable travel agency for a hassle-free travel planning or when you are the more adventurous type you can book directly your flights, accommodation, excursions and other logistics. The latter - when done correctly - will usually save you some money. Money saved on booking means more money to spend on your vacation.
It does take some research to compare all possible accommodations or transportation options based upon other traveler's reviews or price but as mentioned earlier part of the planning can actually be really exciting and nearly as much fun as the holiday itself.
4. Set your calendar
The more you plan your trip in advance to higher your chance to get discounted rates on flights and hotels. Take a list of all the things you want to do or see in the area and create a detailed day-by-day itinerary. Make sure you plan enough time to relax and rest. It is always a good idea to schedule a day rest on your day of arrival to the destination and another day on your arrival back home. Try not to leave work with unfinished tasks so that you don't get overwhelmed when you get back. While you are on your Holiday, put the laptop, mobile or I-pad away... you are on Holiday so forget about work for now.
5. Packing list
To leave stress free, create a packing list containing essentials such as clothing, sunblock, medication (first aid and personal medicines). Check the weather of your destination and plan your clothing accordingly. If you are traveling with kids, make sure to take stuff to keep them entertained throughout the trip, especially if it's going to be a long one.
Make sure to bring your travel documents. For safekeeping it is always a good idea to take a copy of all documents including your passport and to send it to yourself by e-mail before you leave. This way should anything get lost; you will be able to retrieve at least the copies.

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