The Frugal Cruiser

Nothing is better than setting sail on a relaxing cruise that doesn’t leave your wallet high and dry. These days you don’t have to drain your bank account to afford a dream cruise.  Instead, you can save a bundle by following a few simple money-saving tips.  For example: Size:  When it comes to financing a cruise, size matters.  Massive cruise ships that house thousands of passengers and crew members often offer a boatload of amenities that may cost you a pretty penny.  By opting for a smaller vessel with fewer available goods and services you can reduce the price of … Continue reading

Finding the Christmas Spirit

  Sitting on Santa’s lap is not the only way to get into the Christmas spirit.  There are dozens of affordable travel opportunities that will help you get into the holiday mood, including: Indiana:  Gather the kids and head to Santa Claus, Indiana.  The town celebrates Christmas all year long, but during the month of December things really hit a fever pitch.  In addition to snapping photos of your kids with St. Nick, your entire clan can tour a Santa Claus museum, shop at Santa’s Candy Castle or enroll in Santa Claus training workshops to learn the find art of … Continue reading

The More the Merrier

One way you can save a substantial amount of money on a dream vacation is to travel with another family or gather your friends and escape as a group. Discounts for larger groups are available for lodging, airfare and popular tourist attractions. The trick to making this money saver work for your clan is to select your travel companions carefully. Finding a destination that will appeal to a wide range of age groups can also be challenging. In addition, you have to consider other people’s preferences, as well as safety concerns. Would you feel more comfortable vacationing with your group … Continue reading

Holiday Travel: Don’t Procrastinate

The big takeaway from travel experts this holiday season: Don’t procrastinate. This year, more than ever before, experts are advising to make a plan and act on it now, especially if you are looking to book a bargain. Christmas may still be more than a month away, but if you want to secure a spot on a plane, train or at a popular resort, now is the time to make your reservation. Most hotels have strict deadlines for their holiday specials, and the dates seem to get earlier and earlier each year. For example, this year, Beaver Creek Resort in … Continue reading

Flying the Not-So Friendly Skies

What is it with families and flying these days? And by flying I mean getting booted from airplanes. Barely a day goes by anymore without some innocent clan getting the heave-ho from a commercial flight due to a perceived threat made by a child. However, the latest incident doesn’t involve a screaming baby, a chatty toddler or a hungry infant; rather, a California family claims they were kicked off an American Airlines flight simply because their 16-year-old son has Down syndrome. Joan and Robert Vanderhorst, of Bakersfield, California, are irate by what they are calling “pure discrimination.” “It’s defamation,” Robert … Continue reading

Pint-Sized Stowaway

Talk about a gate crasher. If there were gold medals given to travelers who could get by increased security at airports on high alert during the London 2012 Olympics, then a cheeky 11-year-old boy would be wearing some major hardware around his neck right now. Instead, the only things that are circling Liam Corcoran’s neck is his mother’s hands. Last week, the boy made international headlines when he managed to slip through security and fly from Britain’s Manchester Airport to Rome without a passport or a boarding pass. So, how does a kid walk through more than one airport security … Continue reading

Are We There Yet?

“Are we there yet?” Those four little words can result in major anxiety for parents traveling with children. The dreaded chorus emanating from the backseat of the family vehicle is far from music to parents’ ears. Fortunately, if you are planning to hit the road with your pint-sized clan this summer, there are ways to keep the “Are we there yet” blues at bay. While music is a quintessential part of a family road trip, rather than have your kids sing a melancholy melody, turn them on to classic travel tunes. Sure, “99 Bottles of Root Beer,” may keep the … Continue reading

Summer Road Trip Survival

Do you remember when Oprah and her BFF Gayle embarked on an 11-day summer road trip across America? The queen of talk’s cross-country adventure served as a reminder to many of us about the challenges associated with being crammed in a limited space for an extended amount of time with more than just ourselves. Even the people we claim to love with our heart and soul can get under our skin during a long car ride. To avoid taking a turn into vacation purgatory this summer, it’s critical to be well prepared. Remember, when you’re cruising along the highway, one … Continue reading

Tips for the Teen Road Trip Challenge

For many parents, taking teens on a summer road trip is not exactly a relaxing vacation option. In fact, for some moms and dads, the idea of being trapped in a cramped vehicle with moody kids could be categorized as downright torture. The mere act of persuading a teen to enthusiastically partake in a family road trip is a challenge in itself. However, once you hurdle that initial obstacle there are ways to make the rest of the trip run a bit smoother. And who knows; you may even strengthen the family bond in the process. Choice of Vehicle: Embarking … Continue reading

Road Trip Sanity Savers

Keeping the peace in a vehicle filled with cranky kids is no small task, and with the summer travel season kicking off this weekend, now is the time to arm yourself with weapons against the “Are we there yet?” blues. With advancements in technology, the family car often morphs into a mobile living room complete with DVD players, video games, and smartphones. These days, most parents don’t dare travel long distances without arming kids with portable digital devices, from iPads to portable PlayStations. These electronic entertainment systems are a far cry from playing 20 Questions in the back of a … Continue reading