I find it fitting that my first post is on Valentine’s Day, the day of love, to introduce you to a place where you can find info on two of my biggest loves – family and travel. My mission is simple, to bring you tips from other hip travel mamas like you, offer great insider ways to save money and help you plan cool family vacations that pamper your spirit and recharge your family, experience other cultures and share adventures together.
Traveling “hip” is not only about being in the know before you go and finding spots that both you and your kids will enjoy, but is also about having the right attitude about traveling. Okay, so (temporarily) gone are the days you can pack all of your stuff into a carry-on and jet off to some deserted island untethered, sleep in and lounge by the pool with a book with no responsibilities. But I hear many people taking the other extreme and deciding not to travel at all with their young children and in my opinion, this is the wrong approach. Traveling with kids CAN work with the right planning, attitude and knowledge and most of all – realistic expectations. Travel for us is not only about getting away from it all, but as our kids get older, experiencing other cultures and getting a wider awareness of the world.
Countless times I have been at birthday parties, at the park or talking with colleagues about that next family vacation. We talk about where to go, how to find the best deal and ultimately, how to get the best set up to make the trip both fun and relaxing for adults and kids alike. Working in the online travel industry, I’ve also had the privilege to learn how to use technology to find the best times to buy travel and get to know some of the industry’s best travel journalists on the topic. Our family takes several trips a year and we use all of this to map out where and how we will travel, whether it is our next beach vacation, or our dream trip to Africa. Our girls, now 4 and 6 months, have done their fair share of traveling and we get better and better each year at finding fun places to escape to each year.
For many during these tough economic times, travel has been put on the back burner as we wait for the markets and our jobs to offer signs of stability. Meanwhile, our mental health needs a vacation more now than ever. So what is a hip travel mama to do? KEEP TRAVELING. There has never been a better time to snag deals on airfare and hotels.
Here are my top 5 tips for traveling “hip” with kids. What are some of yours?
- Define your family’s travel style. Do you want high-end but kid friendly? Adventure park with adult amenities? Take Disney’s fun Quiz to define your family’s travel style.
- Map your family travel. Get a world map, and chart where you want to go as a family. See Frommers 500 Places to Take Your Kids Before They Grow Up for inspiration.
- Know when to go. Use online tools like Live Search Farecast to know when to go and when to buy to find the best deals.
- Travel in Packs to “Trade up” on accommodations. Partner up with other families to get more room to spread out and splurge for more high-end accommodations.
- Pack Light and Smart. Traveling with young kids means toting lots of stuff. The Portable Baby is a great resource for finding the right gear to go.
Have a hip travel tip? Email me at hiptravelmama@gmail.com