Here are a few pieces of family travel advice that make flying by airplane more agreeable for the whole family. Use these tips and your flight could be the best part of your trip (although we thoroughly hope not!).

Research where you’ll sit

Airlines claim their seats are comfortable for anyone of any height. However, if you are taller than “5,9” – and sometimes even smaller – you know this is a fallacy. Always try to find the best family travel deals when looking for your air travel provider, but don’t give up comfort! Work a little harder to get that exit row or bulkhead seat. If you have older kids who don’t mind being separated, buy a few seats in business class and have family members take turns sitting where there is more room.

This is not only better on joints and bone growth but will make everyone happier while traveling.

Block the noise

If you have a young toddler or baby and have baby travel products we do not recommend this purchase. However, if your children are older a pair of noise-cancelling headphones can help block the noise of the engines that might cause panic, or of other passengers. These kinds of headphones are a bit pricier than normal, but if you travel a lot of get distracted easily they will be well worth the cost!

Bring your own water

Water on airplanes is not necessarily sanitary. In fact, water on airplanes has been under review by the EPA for traces of E. coli for six years. In light of this, keeping a bottle of water on you is always smart. Keeping a few bottles in a carry-on backpack allows for easy access when anyone in the family gets thirsty and you can rest easy knowing the water is safe.

Our world is becoming smaller and more reachable, yet there are several essentials it is best to check out prior to leaving when family travel abroad. These travel tips will help your travel while abroad be a smoother ride (no pun intended) while also keeping in mind what is best when traveling as a family unit.

1. It might appear obvious, but many individuals really do not bother to discover the most elementary things concerning the location they are traveling to. You should do this to avoid surprise or disappointment. For example, make sure you know the languages of the country and how well English has been adopted. Also, find out if your international cell phone will work, and how your finances are going to keep up with the exchange rate of the country you’re visiting.
2. Check on the kind of weather conditions you’ll find where you are going. If you’re traveling to Greece you may be in for a surprise unless you understand that significantly warmer weather conditions are normal there. Overseas travel constantly includes these sorts of unexpected situations.
3. Make sure that the medical and general insurance policies you have is adequate for your destination and covers everyone in your family.
4. Do you have all of the paperwork and documentation essential for your getaway? Make sure your passport is handy as well as any other documentation you might need to show at airports. If your children have traveled abroad before they were 16 and are now over their passports might have expired. Passports take a long time to process so give yourself plenty of time!
5. If you are driving in the location you want to travel to, verify you have an acceptable license. You might need an international driver’s permit, for example. And are you acquainted with the local driving laws and regulations where you are going? If not, become informed about them fast. Also learn about the transportation laws for infants.

Most parents think their kids need a seat to themselves, but in many cases you could be wasting your money by purchasing two seats.  If your child is under the age of two you can share! Sharing a seat with a child helps you to save money because the ticket you bought will be less than regular price because you’re sharing.  Some airlines charge a fuel charge for lap infants, but it’s cheaper than a full price single seat!

If your child happens to be older than 2-years old you are required to have a car seat for them.  Even though some airlines require baby car seats they have no problem charging you extra for having it.  Don’t become a victim of these extra charges!  Contact your airline directly before the date of your flight and bargain with them.

Layover flights are cheaper than direct flights.  If you have the chance to take a layover flight instead of a direct flight, do it!  It will help you save money but be prepared to spend more time in the airport with your children.

Airport food is overpriced and usually unhealthy.  Feed your kids a full meal before arriving at the airport, pack dry food snacks and share drinks bought at airport stores.

Checking in baggage has also become a money problem.  Our suggestion is to pack everything you and your kids need into one suitcase.  If you and your significant other are traveling together with the kids try fitting all the adult’s clothes in one suitcase and the kid’s clothes in another.  Having every family member pull a suitcase costs more money than having your luggage packed tightly into one or two suitcases.

The last piece of advice on travel is to simply just ask for a discount!  Discounts aren’t offered online but if you directly call the airline, mention how little your child weighs and hope for the best you might be surprised at the offers available to you.

Flying

When traveling by plane be sure to keep documentation needed during your travels together in a secure place like a zipped compartment in your handbag or backpack. You need to keep on your person:

• personal identification
• boarding pass
• confirmation number
• luggage information
• all of the above for your children

This should be handy so you can move quickly through lines without digging around in a bag. This will also let you quickly double check that you have all necessary documents with you. Each piece of luggage that you are traveling with should be clearly labeled with your contact information as well as with some type of marker. I chose to attach bright orange ribbon on each of my bags so I can clearly distinguish them on the luggage carousel. Since flights may be delayed due to weather and you may end up having to stay the night near an airport be sure to pack a change of clothes for everyone along with a coat, gloves, blanket, and any necessary medication. Having an extra change of clothes is a good idea whenever traveling in case your luggage is misplaced or delayed.

Driving

Road trips are often a perfect opportunity to bond during a family vacation, however they are accompanied by extra risks during the winter, which should be accounted for while packing. Road delays may significantly extend your travel time so be sure to pack extra books or battery operated games for entertainment. Snacks are another necessity during long car trips. Also be sure that there are blankets, gloves, and coats packed for each passenger. It may be in your best interest to bring a car phone charger or a battery operated phone charger in case you get stuck.

Riding

When traveling aboard a train it is just as important to take care of your travel documents as it if you were flying. Be sure to keep some information about hotels near major stations in case you get stuck due to winter weather delays. Pack a cozy sweater for everyone as well as some extra snacks and entertainment.

Following these packing tips will help you get your family vacation started off right. Easing the stress of traveling will set the right tone for your trip and enable you to relax and enjoy some family time.

If you are a wise traveler, you would prefer to travel light. Not only will you be able to avoid paying all those fees for excess baggage, you will also be able to avoid having to lug around (or alright, wheel around) really heavy luggage. It will also be better to pack light because then you will be able to buy things from your destination without worrying how to carry them all.

But what if you really have to pack heavy, like say, you have to pack so many essential things you barely know what to do? Okay, I know I’m exaggerating. But yes, what will you do if you really are a heavy packer? Are there ways on how to seemingly reduce the weight of your luggage? Well don’t worry because there are ways indeed, and here they are.

Choose a light suitcase

First things, first. You will never have a lightweight luggage if your luggage bag is 5 kilograms to begin with! There are so many lightweight luggage available in the market today and you don’t have to worry because these are made of durable materials too such as nylon. They are also more flexible than hard shell suitcases so you can fit in more stuff inside them.

While at the department store, try carrying and lifting up the empty luggage. You must have no difficulty at all in carrying the empty luggage. If you sense that you need to exert some effort lifting it up, put it down and ask the salesperson to point to the lightest luggage they have. But remember you do not have to compromise the durability of the luggage.

Pack your clothes wisely

Clothes comprise the bulk of our luggage because they are the one of the most important things a person should be packing for his trip. Clothes are also what makes most luggage exceed the weight limit so you should work on the clothes’ arena and be able to pack them lightly without having to run out of clothes while on vacation.

To do this, you need to pack clothes that have light fabric. Light and thin clothes are ideal for summer vacations but if you are going on a winter trip, just pack a heavy duty sweater, jacket or coat and then layer your light clothes on top of the other. It will be better if you can pack thin shirts with long sleeves or with a turtleneck. This will make you warm, don’t worry.

Bring your heavier things into the plane

Aside from wearing your heavier clothes inside the plane during the flight (uh, of course), you can also reduce the weight of your luggage by bringing the heavier things with you in your carry on luggage. You can bring with you your books, your laptop, camera, the chargers and whatever you have that may contribute to the weight of the luggage.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alan_Cassidy

Before the trip…

• Research your chosen airline’s website. The information you find – or lack thereof – can be a good indication of how helpful the flight attendants are going to be
• See if you can pre-order a baby bassinet for your flight. Some airlines only allow you to check if there are any bassinets at check-in. Booking this baby travel product in advance can really help with the stress of planning a flight and flying with a baby.

At the airport…

• Doing anything with a baby talks more time so make sure you add at least 45 minutes extra for check-in and connecting flights
• Smile sweetly and helplessly at the other customers. This will make it less likely for someone to yell at you if your baby starts to cry and could even help you make a jump in the line!
• When checking in, ask if the flight is full. Sometimes, assistants will block out the seat next to you in a less full flight. This can be extremely helpful when traveling with a baby.
• Get on the plane first and off the plane last. This gives you a better chance of gaining help from the flight attendant staff.

Changing diapers on a plane…

• Pack a small bag with the essential baby travel products to have with you on the plane; one diaper, a few wipes, perfumed nappy sack, etc. The best place to stash this is in the seat pocket in front of you.
• Note that most planes have a slightly larger bathroom in the back, which means slightly larger changing tables. Every little bit helps.

Staying sane…

• Keep smiling at the baby
• Ignore rude people
• Be prepared to lose stuff and don’t stress about it when you do
• Pack a mirror and lipstick. When you get stressed out, take a few minutes to put on some lipstick and give yourself a pep talk in the mirror.
• Look out for fast track customs and immigration check points for those traveling with infants.

Source: FlyingWithKids.com

Entries must be in by Feb. 20, 2010 and the winning flag will be flown on the National Geographic Ocean Now expedition ship during its outing in 2010. The winner will also receive a patch bearing his/her flag design.

Details on the contest rules can be found here.

Source: Takingthekids.com

There are a number of options out there, but here’s a few good choices in the low to mid-price range:

Mobile Edge’s ScanFast collection ranges from $49.99 carry bags and backpacks to sleek $99.99 briefcases, some in different shades of suede.

The Targus Zip-Thru™ is $94.99, but is a sturdy, well-designed bag that fits up to a 15.4” laptop and accommodates a variety of business needs. It also boasts a patented shock absorber system to protect against the inevitable bumps and shocks of travel.

Briggs & Riley, a high-quality luggage and business cases manufacturer, offers several sizes of the SpeedThru, a checkpoint-friendly laptop sleeve. Starting at $49 for a 13” sleeve, they are also available at $59 for 15.4” and $69 for 17”.

Take a look at this video of The Travel Mom’s Tips for Family Spring Break Trips. It tells you how to do things like how to pack a boredom bag to keep your kids entertained and how to be open-minded about what you decide to do during your spring break travel:

In addition to being ready to deal with the familiar “Are we there yet?” from the kids, parents also have to think of ways to make the road trip as safe and enjoyable as possible. If you don’t prepare ahead of time for the long drive ahead, then you won’t even make it past your driveway!

Here is a great video that offers preparation tips for road trips:

With these road trip travel tips you will be well-prepared for any type of family road trip, so start packing and get ready to have some cross-country fun!