Puerto Vallarta is an excellent family vacation choice because it offers such a wide variety of family resorts as well as unique vacation experiences for kids.
Sally Black
Recent Posts
Hurricane Sandy has closed all major airports on the east coast of the United States. Major airlines like United, Delta, USair, Southwest and Jetblue all have major connecting hub airports in these effected cities. Highways and mass transit that would normally get travelers to the airport have been closed. President Obama has signed the state of emergency declaration in the District of Columbia, Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Rhode Island and New Jersey. If you and your family have vacation and flight plans for this week...well, as they say in NYC..."Fugget About It!...you ain't goin" no place!"
Costa Rica is a fascinating destination for parents and kids to explore together. Costa Rica family vacations are perfect for nature loving families looking for a bit of adventure. Costa Rica is home to more than 500,000 species of plants and animals. This is a country of biodiversity and micro climates that stretches from the Atlantic to the Pacific oceans with mountains, rain forests and volcanoes in between.
It seems the more kids you have, the more you NEED a vacation. It also seems that the more kids you have, the more difficult and expensive it is to find affordable large family vacations. Why is that?
Behind the scenes this week here at Vacationkids, I'm getting ready for my own "vacation" to several Mexico All Inclusive Family Resorts next week. I use the term "vacation" very loosely in this sentence. This started out to be a relaxing family vacation. The problem is the Mexico All Inclusive Family Resorts that we work with are constantly growing, improving and changing. Whenever I visit, I feel obligated to find out all of the latest news and updates for our clients. If I try to kick back and relax by the pool or beach I end up feeling guilty. Instead of wasting time with a great book I get to thinking "shoulda, woulda, coulda".
Striking a balance between work and vacation is really hard when you're a travel agent. When word gets out that I will be "in the neighborhood", the invites arrive in my inbox. Vacationkids has so many amigos in Mexico that it becomes hard to say no. Even if I was successful declining invites, it still doesn't mean I can actually relax. When you're in the travel & hospitality business, your radar is always on. You're constantly watching service and operations, making mental notes for future blog posts and webpages, even taking photos of your meals before you can actually eat them.
Airlines make money when their seats are full of passengers. To insure this, airlines will often overbook. This means they will sell more airfares to passengers than there are actual seats on their planes. It is perfectly legal and a normal way of doing business for the airlines. The airlines argue they need to keep their flights as full as possible in order to work efficiently and economically. Overbooking supposedly keeps flight prices down for all travelers. Whether you agree with this business plan or not, overbooking happens. Frequent business travelers are generally familiar but families who fly infrequently may not be familiar with this process. Overbooked flights can seriously effect your family Vacation.
Finding Cheap flights for families can often be a determining factor between an exciting family vacation or a local road trip. Airfare is often the most costly component of a family vacation so finding affordable options is critical. Last minute airfare deals rarely work for families. It's hard enough to find one cheap flight deal, let alone a bunch of cheap seats for a family of 3, 4 or more people.
Traveling with a baby comes with it's own set of rules. Obviously the comfort and safety of that infant is the most paramount.
Family vacations with teenagers can be a real fun adventure...and for once, I'm not being sarcastic. It doesn't have to be the deep sighing, eye rolling, back sassing nightmare. With a bit of cooperation and planning, everyone can have the time of their lives. Whether you're traveling with a new 13 year old or planning that last family vacation together before your child heads off to college, here are a few tips to keep in mind with traveling with teens...
Great family vacations don't just happen. For good family vacations to become great vacations, it take planning and extra insight. You need to look past the obvious.
