Colleen's Big List of Travel Tips

Many of my tips come from personal experience as well as from friends and family.  In addition, I gather many of my tips from colleagues and from fellow parents who are willing to share their ideas with me.  I will always give credit when I describe a tip that is not originally my own.  What you will find here are some of my favorite tips for family travel and I encourage you to share your ideas as well via Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or email at info@kellymediaproductions.com!

Your Airline’s App

Flying United Airlines? American? Delta? No matter which kind of flight you’re taking, download the airline’s app. Remember to check off the “alert” box so you can get text message updates when there’s a gate change, delay, or cancellation.

Gasbuddy.com

With this free app you just put in your location and find the best prices for gas in the area.

Get the App >>

 

iExitapp.com

Tells you what is available at the end of each exit whether it is a gas station, restaurant, lodging, etc. (FREE or .99 for full version)

Get the App >>

 

Mint.com

Keep track of your Vacation Budget while on the go. Mint will automatically organize your spending into categories and upload your spending immediately. Go beyond the app and login to mint.com to maximize your mint usage. Expand your categories, set goals, and better understand your budget with graphs and charts.

Sign Up >>

 

Find My Friends

Allows you and your family to keep tabs on each other while apart. With permission from friends or family members, this app lets you see their location on a map on a cell phone.

Get the App >>

 

Whats App

Is a mobile messaging app, which allows you to send/receive messages without paying for SMS. Great for staying connected with friends in the U.S. and Abroad! It’s free for a year!

Get the App >>

 

Hotel Tonight

If you are a last minute traveling family then the app Hotel Tonight will be your saving grace. This app offers last minute steep discounts to luxe and hip hotels for same day stay.

Get the App >>

 

TripIt

A Travel Itinerary Organizer. “Plan your family vacation online with TripIt for free. Organize all of your family vacation details in one place, and easily share your plans with other family members who aren’t traveling on your trip.

Get the App >>

 

Strollers at the Airport

Keep your stroller with you until you have reached your gate. Ask the gate agent how you will gate check your stroller.

TSA PreCheck 

Security lines at the airport can create trouble for families. If you have TSA PreCheck, then your children 12 years and younger can get in the same line as you.

Read more >>

Airport Play Areas

If you have a long layer over or a delayed flight be sure to find out if the airport has a child play zone.

Read more >>

Relieving ear pain in Toddlers

Encourage them to drink water or juice while the plane is taking off or landing. The liquids help to keep ears clear.

Read more >>

Going through airport security

TSA allows mothers of Children drinking formula or breast milk to exceed the 3oz limit. Check out the helpful video and below to see what going through security with a baby looks like!

Read more >>

Watch TSA video >>

3 Ounces or Less at the Airport

Remember to bring liquids under 3 ounces or less. Don’t want to spend much money at the airport? Bring an empty water bottle and fill up at the water fountain inside the terminal. Jazz up your water with the powdered lemonade packets.

Read more >>

Car Seat Rentals

Car rental places make it easy to travel with toddlers as many offer car seat rentals.

Train Traveling with Toddlers

Most dining cars on trains wont have a large selection of food. Make sure to pack meals & snacks for your smaller children.

Read more >>

RELATED ARTICLES

Mind Your Fabrics

Merino wool is a lightweight fabric that regulates your temperature and keeps you sweat-free. Nylon and polyester are also great for drying quickly. Cotton is breathable and great for warm destinations–but keep in mind that it wrinkles, unlike the other materials.

Spot Clean

Be sure to buy spot clean before head out on your trip

Dryer Sheets

If you want to make your clothes last make sure to bring along dryer sheets to freshen up on the go. Double use these little bad guys to combat static.

Read more >>

Dressiest Shoes for Walking

Dansko makes some of the most comfortable semi-formal shoes.

Read more >>

Best Walking Shoes for Kids

Stay away from sandals (even in summer) or casual shoes with a very thin sole. Go for comfort and support. The kids will be able to keep moving for longer.

Read more >>

Daycare

Many cruises offer daycare in the mornings and the early afternoons.

Read more >>

Port Agent

Things happen and you and your family could miss your boat. Know the name and number of the Port Agent before you leave your home.

Small Spaces

Bring over the door shoe holder to hold everyone’s toiletries.

Themed Nights

Many cruises have themed costume nights. Check and see if your cruise is having a costume night so you will know how to pack for your trip.

Snack Fights

When traveling by car, train, bus, or plane kids can get pretty cranky, especially when someone else just ate their favorite snack. Think ahead and make sure to bring separate baggies of snacks for each your kids. Don’t want to work that hard? Have the kids pack their own snacks before you hit the road.

Picnicking

If you have the ability to throw a picnic together, this can be a great money saver while on vacation.

Vendor Trucks

Food Trucks are becoming a hit all over the country, their food is great, can be local cuisine, and of course is reasonably priced.

Ask Locals 

Ask a local for restaurant suggestions! You’ll probably get a true taste of what’s popular in the area you are visitin

Apple AirTag

Luggage gets lost? Keep track with via your phone by putting an Apple AirTag in the luggage that you check. Purchase for $30 each. Some pieces of luggage now even incorporate Apple AirTags–but these can be more expensive than just buying the AirTag separately. 
 

Read more >>

Rent Equipment with BabyQuip

“Parents already have their hands full with kiddos. Instead of lugging heavy strollers and cribs through airports, hit the easy button and rent all of your necessary equipment in your destination. We’ve rent a Snoo bassinet in multiple destinations around the U.S. The BabyQuip vendors came right to our hotel and set up the equipment for us plus it’s professionally cleaned before and after use.” – Collette Stohler of Roamaroo

Overhead Bin Space

Regional aircrafts have smaller overhead bin space, forcing you to check your luggage at the gate. If your luggage is smaller than 18Lx14Wx7D (Based on the CRJ200 aircraft configuration) you will more than likely be able to take your luggage on board with you.

Read more >>

Repair Your Luggage vs Purchasing New

Don’t throw out your luggage so quickly. If your luggage has a broken zipper or wheel make sure to see if it can be repaired before tossing out. Repairs can cost far less than it would be to buy a brand new piece of luggage.

Carry-on Luggage

Pack light and carry on your luggage. This can be tough to do for families, my suggestion would be to have the adults carry on one bag each and make sure all of the essential are brought in these bags. Also, be sure to pack at least one outfit for the whole family, just in case your vacation plans take an unexpected turn.

Soft vs. Hard Suitcase?

If you are carrying your luggage on be sure to use a softer exterior bag with some give so that it can easily mold itself in to any overhead bin space. Hard cased suitcases do not have any give and will not always work well as a carry on, these are best used when checked under the plane.

Baby Wraps

“Wear your baby through the airport to keep your hands free with the ErgoBaby 360 or the Solly Wrap. While wearing your baby, you can keep your baby close to you (baby loves this!) while also keeping your hands free for your passports and tickets.” – Collette Stohler of Roamaroo

Baby Bassinets

“Request a bassinet! If you’re traveling on a long cross-country flight or an international flight, call the airline and request a bassinet for your baby. Bassinets are not available on all flights and they’re also not guaranteed, but if the airline is able to accommodate this, it can help drastically for sleep time for baby.” – Collette Stohler of Roamaroo

RELATED ARTICLES

Top Five Trendy Must-Have for Traveling Parents

Key Toddler Essentials for a Fuss Free Journey

“Round Trip” – Recommended Travel Gear for 2022

2021’s “Round Trip” Radio-Reviewed Travel Gadgets

Picking Activities

You’ve gotten to your destination, there are so many things to do, and everyone has their own opinion. Have everyone come up with their best idea of what to do for that day/week. This way it is fair and fun for the whole group. Sometimes, it’s okay to split up–which also creates special bonding time, too.

Sharing

If you are trying to pack light remember that your extended family members will be bringing similar items that you are bringing. See if you can’t share things like hair straighteners, tylenol, band-aids, etc.

Take Breaks

Remember that you are traveling with the very young and an older generation. Be sure to build in break times for people to relax. If you are planning a walking-heavy excursion, do your research ahead and ask about rest stops along the route.

Reusable Organizer Bags

No more digging around your luggage for that one lost item! Also consider placing each outfit for your child’s vacation in a separate bag. It’s a great way to get them involved with picking out their outfit while on vacation–and there’s now a 0% chance they’ll mismatch their outfits. (Although, it’s cute when they do mismatch sometimes, isn’t it?)

Read more >>

Shoes

Shoes take up a lot of space in your suitcase. Be a savvy traveler and pack your outfits around one pair of shoes. If you are going some place warm wear your heavier shoes to the airport and pack the sandals in your suitcase. Will save you tons of space in your bag and could even save you money from bag fees!

Pants

Take more tops with you and less pants. Try to bring just 1-2 pairs of pants that goes well with your pants selection.

Plan Outfits

Parents are more likely to plan their children’s outfits out. You can save a lot of space in your bag by planning out what you are going to wear each day. Planning in advance like this is much more work but could really save you space and money.

Megabus.com

Can be the perfect way to travel if you are on a budget. This low cost bus service is located throughout the USA, Euorpe, Cananda, and more. Seats go for as low as $1.00.

Read more >>

City Transit System

When traveling to city with a transit system make sure to see if they have passes that will give you discounts on rides.

Read more >>

Cheapest Tickets

Cheapest day to travel is Wednesday’s. Best time to buy tickets is Tuesday’s at 3 p.m. eastern standard time (Tip provided by farecompare.com).

Read more >>

Off Season Travel

A great way to save on your vacation is to travel during the off season at a destination. You can save upwards of 30 to 60 percent on great hotel packages. Cheapest airfare tickets are sold during low flying seasons, which is from September-early November, as well as January, February, and May

RELATED ARTICLES

Find My Friend App

Give your teen the space they need but allows parents to keep track of them on a map seen on a cell phone.

Get the App >>

Budget for Teens

Make your teen feel more grown-up by giving them a budget for the vacation.

Emergency Meeting Plan

Cell phones are a great way to keep tabs on family members while on vacation but cell phones can always lose power or signal. An emergency meeting plan can help when cell phones are not working.

Emergency Fund

Be sure to have your children keep the address of the hotel on them at all times. Make sure to leave them with enough cash to take a taxi back to your hotel.

RELATED ARTICLES

9 Vacation Activities Your Teens Will Love

Traveling with Teens to Europe: Munich, Germany

DISCLAIMER
I WANT TO PROVIDE YOU WITH TIPS BASED ON PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, WHETHER IT IS A VISIT TO A MUSEUM, A STAY AT A HOTEL OR THE USE OF A TRAVEL GADGET.  MOST OF THE TIME, MY EXPERIENCE IS BASED ON SOMETHING THAT I HAVE PAID FOR MYSELF WITH MY FAMILY OR IT COULD BE A REVIEW OF GIFT THAT I RECEIVED FROM A FRIEND.  HOWEVER, SOMETIMES I DO RECEIVE INVITATIONS TO TRY NEW EXPERIENCES OR TEST PRODUCTS.  I DON’T ACCEPT ALL THE INVITATIONS THAT I RECEIVE, BUT I DO ACCEPT SOME!  IF I WRITE A BLOG POST ABOUT SUCH AN EXPERIENCE OR PRODUCT, I WILL GIVE MY HONEST FEEDBACK FROM THE EXPERIENCE AND I WILL LET YOU KNOW AS WELL.
I HOPE YOU ENJOY READING MY REVIEWS, BUT, OF COURSE, I CANNOT BE RESPONSIBLE IF YOU DON’T HAVE THE SAME EXPERIENCE WITH A HOTEL, DESTINATION, ATTRACTION OR PIECE OF TRAVEL GEAR.