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Welcome to family travel Tips & Products. Here you'll find everything you need to know about the traveling with kids but were too exhausted to ask. Load up on A+ travel tips, like how to amuse kids during a five-hour car ride, tricks for taming frizz on a (humid) Caribbean vacation, and secrets for sliding through airport security sans snags. Need to know which tfamily travel products are worth the money? We've got it covered. Don't find what you need here? Ask a Traveling Mom for help and we'll track it down.
Sequestration has been a hot topic of debate since it came into the public eye in late February. The big question is Will sequestration affect travel? No matter what side of the political spectrum you fall on most folks want things to go smoothly when they travel but with budgetary cutbacks in US Customs and Border Patrol delays will be seen. Between the combination of hiring freezes, furloughs, and reduction in overtime US Customs and Border Protection is advising travel industry partners that peak wait times at land crossings could double and airport wait times particularly at gateway airports could increase by 50% or more resulting in 3-4 hour waits. (US Customs and Border Protection Travel Industry Letter)
As the mother of a nine-month-old who was still nursing and an almost three-year-old, taking a business trip was not my ideal way to spend three days and two nights. Between missing my family and pumping three times a day, not to mention 12-hour work days, I did not book my airline tickets without carefully evaluating if the trip was necessary. But, alas, there is business that simply needs to happen in person and that is why I boarded a plane to San Francisco and then drove to Palo Alto.
Up until now, my 3rd grader has never missed a day of school due to family travel plans but many of her classmates have. A recent opportunity arose for me, and our family, to travel to Disney World in Orlando. And by opportunity, I mean that we were not able to choose dates of travel that did not conflict with school. In this instance, it did not seem morally right to go without my daughter. Come on, it’s Disney World!
Traveling with family carries its own challenges, but traveling with family amidst the hustle and bustle of business travelers may have you wanting to get it way it from it all long before you’ve even left the terminal. So, keep in mind some hints that may save you travel angst.
Money More Valuable Than Time?
Since vacations feel like a non-essential expenditure to begin with, we often try to save money. While on the one hand, it is good to have a general budget in mind, on the other hand, you want to be careful where you cut corners. For example, if possible, avoid booking tickets with connections, despite the reduced-price fare temptation that often comes with tickets on sites like Expedia or Kayak. Direct is typically best. If "time is money," any money saved on a ticket could be easily lost due to a missed connection or lengthy layover. Traveling off-season will likely save you money, but be sure to consider what you could be giving up. March may be cheaper but the days cold and wet. June may be more expensive but the days long and sunny.
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