Tips for taking a trip with toddlers

By Harriet Baskas, 

“How do you fly with two toddlers?”

That’s what Jessica White wants to know. She’s planning to travel soon with her two toddlers and wrote to Overhead Bin for advice.
“When I called Frontier Airlines,” said White, “they couldn't answer my questions about bringing aboard car seats and checking our large double stroller at the gate.”
We didn’t find anything to address gate-checking strollers under the Traveling with children section of the Frontier Airlines website, so we called the airline directly.

A cheery agent offered to make a note in a reservation record and assured us that White would be able to gate-check her stroller for free. “She could also check the stroller at the counter,” the agent told us, “but I suggest the mom take it to the gate so she doesn’t have to worry about chasing toddlers through the airport.”
The agent also took some time to run through the options for taking and using car seats on board the airplane. “Usually putting a car seat in the middle or aisle seat is not permitted,” she said. “But in this case, if both children have tickets for their own seats, the mom could put the seats side-by-side, in the window and middle seat, and take the aisle seat herself.”

 8 - 16 seater minibus taxis to Heathrow London airport

Each airline has its own rules for gate-checking strollers, so it’s a good idea to call ahead or look on an airline’s website before traveling. And don’t assume that the rules you encountered last holiday season are still in force. This past June, for example, American Airlines announced it was changing its rules and only gate-checking collapsible or umbrella-style strollers under 20 pounds.
White also had a question about taking along drinks and snacks for her children.
“One child has severe food allergies and I want to bring aboard soy milk in sippy cups and snacks from home that are milk, peanut, tree nut & egg free. Will security let me through with these items?”
The TSA does not restrict non-liquid snacks taken through the checkpoint. Guidelines about baby formula, breast milk, juice and other liquids are posted in the Traveling with Kids page of the TSA's website.

“Parents traveling with children may pass through a security checkpoint with a reasonable amount of milk or baby formula in containers larger than 3.4 ounces after it is screened,” said TSA spokesperson Greg Soule. “We encourage parents carrying larger amounts of liquids for their children to declare the items to one of our officers in front of the checkpoint, so it can be screened properly.”

Tips from well-traveled families

By Colleen McBrinn,
Sean Runnels and his wife, Diane, with children Abby, right, 7; Elise, 4; and Rhys, 1, in front of the Angkor Wat temple in Cambodia.

Most of us travel with our kids a few times a year at most. We stress about all the gear to pack, the change in routines, and how to keep our tots entertained en route.
But some folks raise their kids traveling, and have it down to an art. Their tips and tricks — some learned the hard way in such remote places as Croatia or the Cascade mountains — can perhaps help us “regular” traveling parents ease up a bit and enjoy the ride more.
Three families — two sets of physicians and a couple that lives and works on Oregon’s Mount Hood — share what they’ve learned on various adventures.
Sean Runnels, an anesthesiologist in Salt Lake City, and his wife, Diane Ellis, an obstetrician/gynecologist, have worked and traveled around the world with their three kids, ages 12, 8 and 5. After they complete an upcoming two-year volunteer stint in Africa on the Mercy Ship floating hospital, their kids will have circled the globe on its surface.
“I think it’s a good way for them to get the idea of how big the Earth really is, something you can’t get an appreciation of when flying,” Runnels said, referring to their plan to travel to Africa by boat, rail and hiking trail, starting with sailing from New York to England on the Queen Mary 2.
Runnels shares his thoughts…

Travel transport to Gatwick Airport London

On gear …“Less is more,” Runnels said. “You can always get more if you need it when you arrive, but most likely, you’ll not miss it.”
They pack one pair of shoes per child, and earth-tone-colored clothes (“to hide stains”) as well as tie-dye shirts to quickly spot the kids in a crowd. After watching their middle child nearly drown in a lake in Croatia, they now travel with life jackets if they plan to be near water. They favor backpacks over suitcases, after finding that wheeled suitcases leave no hands for controlling children.

On planning …Runnels said they try not to plan more than one step ahead so they can remain flexible. They stay in one location for at least two days for every day of travel, and have learned to slow their pace and lower expectations, gravitating toward smaller towns where the environment is typically safer and more interesting for kids.
The Runnels’ youngest child took his first steps while on a month-long, 250-mile trek in Nepal, in which their 7-year-old daughter walked the entire way and their 4-year-old daughter walked a quarter of the way. They took frequent breaks, often hiking one day and resting the next.
“We went from village to village, stopping at tea shops where there were chickens to chase and goats to play with,” he said. “It’s hard to have that kind of down time in big cities.”
Runnels said success when traveling with kids comes when you have realistic expectations and learn to plan just one activity in the morning and one in the evening.

“If you put kids in the right environment where you’re not having to say no all the time, and they’re seeing and doing new things, they’re going to have fun,” he said. “They’re kids — that’s what they do."

On lessons learned the hard way …In addition to the life-jacket lesson, they’ve learned:

• to spend a bit more when traveling, if necessary, versus “taking a midnight ferry in Croatia to save $10.”
• that high-end hotels are no place for kids.
• that when changing time zones, stay at hotels with pools since it’s impossible for kids to sleep when it’s their day time.
• to pay attention to what your kids are eating before “a monk tells you the nuts they just grabbed in a Thai temple are powerful laxatives.”

On go-to travel spots with kids …Runnels swears by Asia. “Everyone loves kids, lots of great street food, and eye candy everywhere.” He also recommends trekking inn-to-inn in Europe, where there are “cheap hostels with good food, castles and medieval cities — it’s all a fairy tale to them.”

Rafting around the world
Jenny Blechman, a family physician in Bend, Ore., and her husband, Tim Carney, an anesthesiologist, make the most of weekends away to the coast and longer raft trips around the Northwest. With their two sons, ages 8 and 5, they have traveled to Mexico, Alaska, New Zealand and Spain.
Blechman shares her thoughts…

On gear …They pack light, bring books and occasionally hand over Blechman’s iPad for movies and games. They never leave home without Zack’s favorite stuffed dog and Alex’s blue blanket.

On planning …“We started traveling with them early so it made it normal for them,” Blechman said. “They don’t mind sleeping in strange beds or waking up somewhere else.”
They took Zack on a week-long raft trip down the John Day River in eastern Oregon when he was just a few months old, and Alex to Spain when he was 5 weeks.

On lessons learned the hard wayBring (or rent) car seats! When traveling in Mexico four years ago, they were in a car crash caused by a hit-and-run driver. Blechman’s husband, Tim, was arrested for questioning and held in jail for 24 hours, along with the other drivers involved. Blechman had almost let the car-rental employee talk her out of needing a car seat for her oldest child, then 3 1/2, but then rented one, “thankfully,” she says. Both boys suffered significant skin burns from the crash’s impact.

On go-to travel spots with kids …“We go rafting!” she said. “It’s a lot of prep work bringing your own food and gear, but the kids love it — there’s nothing to entertain them but just being outside, and we all have a lot of fun.”

Adventure travel for the whole family
Tammy Villali, catering manager at Timberline Lodge on Oregon’s Mount Hood, and her husband, David Villali, wine program manager, do a lot of day-tripping with their 9- and 3-year-old sons to hike, ski and kayak around Mount Hood where they live. They also travel to Florida, California, Maui and southern Oregon.
Villali shares her thoughts:

Travel to heathrow Airport london taxi services

On gear …In addition to snacks and books, the Villalis now pack a portable DVD player, something they resisted for years because they permit only a half-hour of screen time a day at home.
“But for long trips over 2 hours,” she said, “it was worth the lower stress levels and enjoyment level for all and I wish we had bought it sooner.”

On planning …Villali said her biggest hurdle traveling with kids has been changing her expectations of how long and how far they would go.
“I had to go from ‘Let’s go ski six miles or snowboard today’ to ‘Let’s have fun getting there, getting gear on, playing in the snow,’ " she said. “It’s not about the distance we cover as much as the time spent making it fun to get outside and spend time outside.”

On lessons learned the hard way …The only routine they stick to now when traveling is meal times and bed times, having found that naps don’t happen when they want them to.
“I also learned that a hungry and tired child is close to impossible to reason with … a fed but tired child can buy you the extra 15 minutes you need to pack your gear, car or them!” she said.

On go-to travel spots with kids …They often hit Trillium Lake and Frog Lake around Mount Hood for frog-catching, hiking and kayaking in summer, and cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in winter.
“Stash a plastic garbage bag in your pack to slide down a hill here and there to keep it fun for the kids and again,” she said, “pack lots of snacks.”

World's best Bed and Breakfast (B&Bs)

Tripadvisor's world’s best B&Bs are in, and eight of them are in Great Britain.

---

www.tripadvisor.co.uk

The Twenty One

1 The Twenty One, Brighton, England
Located steps away from the seafront, The Twenty One has rooms that seem more boutique hotel than B&B. Warm, cream interiors are "spotlessly clean" according to users.
Keith B adds: "Superb breakfasts and comfy beds. The whole of 21 is wonderfully clean and immaculately presented. I go to Brighton now to stay with them as much as to enjoy Brighton."

2 The Old Manse, Invermoriston, Scotland
It helps that the location is utterly gorgeous - set in secluded woodlands with views of the mountains - but inside, the Old Manse is just as pretty.

www.tripadvisor.co.uk

The Old Manse

Pippa S says: "From the moment you arrive you are made to feel like old family friends coming for a visit, the house has a fantastic homely feel."

3 Riverside Hotel, Cumbria, England
Not to be confused with the hotel by the same name in Kendal, the Riverside Hotel is a converted Victorian country house. Rooms are tastefully furnished, large and drenched with light. 

www.tripadvisor.co.uk

Casa Portagioia

Eclair999 says: "The service is friendly and thoughtful without ever being obtrusive. The standard and character of the rooms is almost crazily luxurious for the price..."

Travel from Gatwick Airport to London Taxi services

4 Casa Portagioia, Tuscany, Italy

www.tripadvisor.co.uk

The Green House

Casa Portagioia is set in a small estate with an unrivalled view of Valle di Chio. Snarky1 says: "The setting, grounds, garden and house are all beautiful. Rural but in a great spot for day trips by car. The room was quite spacious, very comfortable and well appointed, with all the modern comforts..."
5 Kenley Hotel, Blackpool, England

Our spirits were lifted at Kenley Hotel's strict 'no stag or hen policy', and Chris B, who took his girlfriend there says:" I don't think I have ever stayed in such a lovely, clean and modern guest house, and in fact would go further to say that I have spent more on lesser accommodation in established mainstream hotels."

6 The Green House, Sacred Valley, Peru
Medea7 says: "Hosts, meals, location, and overall aesthetics are impeccable. A gem in one of the few parts of the Sacred Valley that hasn't exploded with development. Great hiking right outside the door, great tranquility inside. Laika the hiking dog is world-class, as is everything else."

7 Byfield House, Cotswolds, England
We love a B&B with a bit of history - the house is Grade II-listed and has a 17th-century barn - and Clare D adds: "Byfield House is magical - with its cosy attic room, a bulging fridge filled with treats that you never buy for yourself, portraits and rugs and piles of picture books."

www.tripadvisor.co.uk

One Alloway Retreat

8 One Alloway Retreat, Ayrshire, Scotland

You can scarcely believe this modern, stylish pad is a B&B - it wouldn't look out of place in a Mr and Mrs Smith book about boutique hotels. Davidsonm says: "This is how a B and B should be... I can wholeheartedly recommend this outstanding, sophisticated guest house."

9 The Manor Coach House, Worcester, England
"Probably the best B&B in the world," says Smye, and it doesn't get much better than that. Regarding the all-important breakfast, Chrissyc02 adds: "Sylvia and Terry were marvellous hosts, the breakfast was lovely - all cooked to order and much more, a lovely fresh fruit salad, pancakes, preserves, cereals."

Travel Heathrow Airport taxi services

10 Bindon Bottom B&B, Dorset, England

Set on the Jurassic Coast, Bindon Bottom is a beautiful Victorian country house. TheHappyHikers says: "All Bindon Bottom rooms are named after authors and/or poets who have a Dorset connection... the comfortable king-size bed was dressed with clean white crisp linen which complimented the pastel tones of the room.

The ensuite shower room was beautifully kitted out and the additional touches provided by Lisa and Clive were just great."

Top tips for getting a flight upgrade

Getting upgraded on a flight is one of the best travelling perks around, there's nothing like relaxing in first class knowing you paid for economy! But the thing is getting a flight upgrade need not just be a stroke of luck, there are ways to get upgraded on a flight and here's how...

Blagging, flannelling, verbal gymnastics, sweet talking – you know what we're referring to: that ability to talk yourself into a business class or, better still, first class seat when you haven't paid for it! Almost everyone, provided they're not bags-of-money travellers, wants to buy a cheap economy ticket and get upgraded so that they're travelling in business class or first class. After all, who out there doesn't want more legroom and better service when they're travelling – especially if it's free?

To improve your chances of getting that much-sought-after upgrade , check out realbuzz's following tips – which should help to get you rubbing shoulders with the first class jet-set while being pampered by attentive staff and stretching out on a flatbed chair!

Top tips for getting a flight upgrade

- Become a member of your airline's frequent flyer mileage club. The more miles you rack up against your name, the greater your chances of getting an upgrade will be if there is one available. Also, remember that you can be a member of many different airlines' clubs.

- Travelling alone may help when you're trying to secure that cherished upgrade. You won't have a realistic chance of getting bumped up to a higher-grade seat if you're being trailed by others – particularly if you're travelling with the whole family.

- Travelling with someone else who is holding a higher-class ticket than you and asking to sit together may reap rewards. And you may be even more likely to blag an upgrade if you, as the lower-class ticket holder, have good status in a frequent flyer programme.

- Really try to look the part if you're looking for an flight upgrade . Smart casual wear or business attire should ensure you fit in, while some decent-looking luggage will complete the picture. A battered rucksack and sandals are unlikely to fit the bill!

- Make sure you're early at your flight's check-in, because your chances of getting an upgrade will quickly diminish over time. If you're one of the last to check in, then it's a certainty that you're going to be one of the last to be enquiring about an upgrade – by which time they will probably all be taken.

- If you can help it, don't order a special meal if you want to get upgraded. This is because a meal cannot usually be moved up with you – plus an airline would never want to be seen serving an economy meal in business class in the same way that you wouldn't want to be seen eating it!

- You should nearly always be willing to move from your seat when asked to do so by the cabin crew, as it's quite possible that the seat you are being offered as a replacement is in first class. Of course, there's always the possibility that you may not get a better seat than the one you had before – but you never know!

- It may sound obvious, but make sure you're courteous. Being nice to ground staff – who are probably used to being on the receiving end of hassle and abuse – can go a long way towards making you stand out and getting you that upgrade.

- If you feel like laying it on thick, then make it known that you have been inconvenienced on a previous flight. Do this in such a way that you don't make a scene, however – otherwise you might end up in the worst possible seat! If you handle this well, the airline may be more willing to accommodate you.

Ground transportation taken looked closer

By Joy Jernigan, senior travel editor

When air travelers touch down at an unfamiliar airport, they have a few options for the next leg of their journey.

Rent a car. Take a taxi. Step onto a shuttle. Board a bus or a light-rail train.

Or hire a private car service.

While online travel agencies such as Hotwire, Orbitz or Travelocity make it easy for travelers to book a rental car when they make flight and hotel reservations, customers who prefer not to drive have largely been left to their own devices once they're on the ground.

"The ground transportation category has largely been ignored," said Charles Fraas, CEO for GroundLink, a global car service. "For years, it has really never met the consumer’s needs."

The industry is widely fragmented with numerous local suppliers, Fraas said. That's made it difficult for travelers to find broad, geographic coverage and reliable service, he added, and there's a wide discrepancy in pricing. “We’re really challenging the travel industry to think broader.”

GroundLink lets customers book a car via phone, online or through a mobile app and offers 12 classes of service, from sedans and sport-utility vehicles to stretch limos and party buses. Customers can see the price of their car before they book and view their driver's location.

GroundLink currently is available in 5,000 cities and 110 countries. “Many of these countries, you can actually book a car with us with one-hour notice,” said S. Daniel Leon, general manager of mobile for GroundLink.

Another option for travelers is Limos.com, an online marketplace for private car service. CEO T.J. Clark said his company's mission is to make it as easy to book a car service as it is to book a hotel or flight online.“Many places in New York, you can get a car with us in five minutes,” Leon said, adding that the company plans to expand to more U.S. cities in 2012.

“What is so surprising is that less than 5 percent of the bookings in this category are being done online,” Clark said.

Limos.com has aggregated 2,000 local suppliers from around the globe and entered them in a single, common interface that lets customers input, for example, the number of passengers and where they are going, and see instant results that include price comparisons, star ratings and customer reviews.

Limos.com will be live with five of the 10 largest airlines, two of the four largest hotel chains and three of the top six online travel agencies in early 2012, Clark said.

“Car service is a great service,” Clark said. “It’s reliable, safe and it can be affordable.”

Clem Bason, president of Hotwire Group, told msnbc.com that until about six months ago it was difficult to compare prices for ground transportation options. He thinks limos.com and GroundLink can help fill in that information gap. “It’s clearly meeting a need,” he said.Bob Lewis, director of ground transportation for Sabre Travel Network, the world's largest global distribution system, said corporate travel agents often are able to book private cars for their clients but he sees significant opportunity for growth in the leisure-travel market.

"I’m not sure that a cab is always the most comfortable choice,” Lewis said.

Civilization's most important places to Travel'

By Rob Lovitt

Philippe Renault / Hemis.fr / Aurora Photos

Where Cultures Took Shape: The bullring in Ronda is thought to be one of the oldest in Spain.

It’s often said that history is written by the winners but it takes an army of photographers to put it in perspective.

Consider “Great Places of History: Civilization’s 100 Most Important Sites” (TIME Books, $29.95), a new, 154-page hardcover book that captures the span of mankind’s time on the planet through more than 200 photographs.

“It’s a book about culture and history and human beings,” said editor Kelly Knauer. “We didn’t want it to be a series of ‘postcard’ shots.”

According to Knauer, the book is an outgrowth of TIME’s Person of the Year feature, which annually profiles a person the magazine’s editors consider to be the most influential on the world stage.

“We looked at the globe and said, ‘What are the 100 places that really influenced history, where historic events happened, where great trends began or societies crystallized that affected the course of civilization’,” Knauer said.

Not surprisingly, perhaps, the book features several of what Knauer calls “the usual suspects” — the Acropolis, Angkor Wat, Moscow’s Red Square — but it also highlights lesser-known places that played roles in culture, war, scientific inquiry and other fields of human endeavor. Among them:

• Avebury: “Everybody knows Stonehenge,” said Knauer, but this nearby Neolithic ruin “was actually a larger site back in the day and probably more important.”
• The Silk Road: “It wasn’t just a highway for goods,” said Knauer. “It was the conduit by which Asian culture traveled to Europe and vice versa.”
• Shakespeare’s Globe: Yes, the London theater is a replica of the original, but its inclusion speaks to the importance of its one-time resident scribe. Said Knauer, “Shakespeare shaped the way we think because he shaped the way we talk.”

At the same time, including such modern sites underscores the book’s premise that there’s more to history than a compilation of dusty archeological sites. It’s a living thing that’s happening all the time.

Consider, for example, the last entry in the book, which captures a trio of giant sculptures rising above the Nevada desert during the festival/encampment/cultural experiment called Burning Man.

“Who’s to say history isn’t being made there?” asks Knauer. “We may not know what comes out of there for 30 or 40 years but I bet something interesting will.”

Philippe Lissac / Godong / Corbis

Sacred Spaces: Pilgrims gather outside the Church of St. George, a rock-hewn church in Lalibela in northern Ethiopia.

Domingo Leiva / Getty Images

Bastions of Power: Tikal, an archeological gem once ruled by the Mayans, is located in northern Guatemala.

No passport required - See the world

By Rob Lovitt, msnbc.com contributor

Fascinated by foreign culture but turned off by the high cost of international airfare?

Think globally, travel locally. From the “Danish Capital of America” in Solvang, Calif., to the docks of “Greek Town” in Tarpon Springs, Fla., cities and towns across America offer a glimpse of foreign lands without the cost or hassle of going overseas.

“It’s hard for a lot of people to go abroad right now,” said Anne Banas, executive editor of Smarter Travel. “ Travelling domestically and getting the flavor of some of those places has a huge appeal, especially in this economy.”

Carol Barrington

Der Lindenbaum is a German restaurant in Fredericksburg, Texas.

If that sounds appealing, the following places all offer a warm willkommen, velkommen or kalos orisate.

Fredericksburg, Texas: Founded by Baron Otfried Hans von Meusebach in 1846, this town in the Texas Hill Country doesn’t wear its Germanic history on its sleeve — or, apparently, its pant leg: “You’re not going to see chalets with people running around in lederhosen,” said Daryl Whitworth of the local convention and visitor bureau, “but the town still harkens back to the way the old Germans lived.”

The results of their efforts are on display throughout the city’s downtown, much of which is contained within a National Historic District. Stroll the Marktplatz, or Market Square; explore the historical exhibits at the former Vereins Kirche, a church-turned-pioneer-museum; and enjoy some Black Forest cake or German pancakes at one of the town’s many cafes and bakeries.

New Glarus, Wis.: Looking for a place where you can eat, drink and yodel? Head to America’s “Little Switzerland,” where chalet-style buildings, Swiss flags and bilingual street names honor a history dating back to 1845.

In summer, that history is on display at popular attractions like the Swiss Historical Village Museum(closed for the season) but come fall you can get a taste of it at local favorites, including the New Glarus Hotel — try the kalberwurst, or veal sausage — and the New Glarus Brewing Company. Gatwick Taxis

Wherever you go, you’re likely to get a sense of “heimat” or home, said Beth Zurbuchen, president of the Swiss Center of North America: “It doesn’t have to be a building or a place; it can be what’s in your heart and people come from all over the world to experience it.”

Solvang, Calif.: Already famous for its windmills, thatched-roof buildings and copies of Copenhagen landmarks like the Little Mermaid statue, the self-proclaimed “Danish Capital of America” is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. 

Tarpon Springs, Fla: Thirty miles north of St. Petersburg,Tarpon Springs has maintained a close cultural link to Greece ever since the first generation of Greek fishermen came to harvest sponges from the local waters in the early 20th century.To join the festivities, check out the folk crafts at the Queen of Arts Show & Sale (Nov. 4-5) and the Julefest parade (Dec. 3), which features holiday floats, vintage vehicles and displays of Danish music and dancing.

Since then, the sponge industry has had its ups and downs but the Greek connection is alive and well, especially on the sponge docks along Dodecanese Blvd. During monthly (April­-November) Night in the Islands events, for example, the street is closed off, lights are strung and live Greek music provides a backdrop for dining, dancing and conversation.

“It’s not a performance; it’s a participatory event,” said Tina Bucuvalas, curator of the city’s art and historical resources. “Everybody gets up and dances — it’s a lot like being in Greece.”