Travel Tips for All - Including Families and the Young at Heart!
Airlines
Commit or be a free agent? It depends...
Some of us do not really have much of a choice if we live in a fortress hub and want to travel internationally. You will know if that description covers you if one airline dominates multiple terminals of a sizable airport (hello, IAH!). If you have little ones or olds in your travel posse, this information will also be useful. If the above does not fit your situation, congrats! You may find my other topics more useful!
Pick an Airline and Dive In!
We already had status with United, and we are hub captives, so our choice was made for us to a decent degree. I mean, there are always options, but if you are trying to streamline and minimize stress, I would pick one and stick with it to get status. For
Trip Planning Tools and Tricks
Set yourself up for success!
I consider this to be the fun part but I understand not everyone feels that way! The stakes feel exponentially higher if you are traveling with small children or older family members in tow. I used to wing things a lot more but the stress of traveling with a small child really made me up my game on the organization front. Read the articles below on the tricks and tools I have found useful to help you get started!
Picking Seats on Flights
Are you a window or an aisle person? What about the bulkhead? Some people have strong preferences for the ‘poor man’s business/first class’ (aka the exit row). Well, if you’re a two-parent, one-lap-infant family, you can say goodbye to the exit row for quite a while and embrace the ultimate
Planning Activities
What kind of planner are you? Do you like to research and have a highly detailed itinerary, or do you just show up at a new place and wing it? I highly recommend a mashup of these two strategies for the best result. If you overplan, you will either be
What’s for Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner?
Embarking on a international family vacation can be an exciting adventure, but it can also be daunting on the food front. In this guide, I will share practical tips and strategies for enjoying kid-friendly (or picky eater) dining experiences while traveling. From seeking recommendations for restaurants to handling unpredictable food
Hotels and Places to Rest
No longer in search of just a crashpad.
Hotels and accommodations used to be just places to lay my head between sightseeing and exploring whatever corner of the world I happened to be visiting at the time. Not anymore! Below are tips and tricks for when "just any clean place in a decent or okay location" does not cut it anymore.
Hotels vs Rentals
I am team hotel outside of a few specific circumstances, but the calculus might be different for you. David and I (pre-Bear) spent part of the pandemic working from other locations in the US and renting houses, which worked great during that crazy time. When we started traveling with Bear
Picking a Great Stay
I fully admit I have never really been the backpacker/hostel type (I’m sure you are shocked) and can count on one hand the number of true hostels I set foot in during my twenties. I always found it worth the (sometimes slight) extra cost for a decent 2 or 3-star
The Concierge: Your Local Yoda (Incl. Babysitting Recs)
Concierge. Such a fun and fancy word to say. What does the word conjure for you? Perfectly outfitted and manicured staff standing behind a desk ready to help you in hushed whispers? The person you tip at the beginning so you get access to the best service? My tip to
On the Ground at the Airport
Welcome to the Gauntlet!
Don't worry, you've got this! If nothing else the adrenaline will get you through along with my tips and tricks below.
In the Air
The airport was the gauntlet but this is the marathon.
This is for you brave and beautiful parents! You are doing a great job and I've got you.