Ultimate Vacation Spots

posted by Travel Cat on Oct 10

There was a fantastic post submitted for this months Traveling With Kids Blog Carnival, that I thought it should get a post of it’s own.

TheLifeLessTraveled presents Family Downsizes Life to a Camper, the Open Road and Adventures Rich in Simple Pleasures posted at The Life Less Traveled.

The family and their dog - naming themselves the Smudge Family (a winner for me) decided that enough was enough - and they were going to enjoy their lives together away from the ‘daily grind’.

No more 9-5 ruining their precious time together as a family.  Find out more on their journey as they continue to add more posts…..

Enjoy. 

posted by Travel Cat on Sep 20

Travel With Kids Series - Essential Documents - Part 4

It may not even have crossed your mind until just now - but some countries require documented proof that any children with you are yours, and that the other parent has given their permission for their children to travel with the other parent.

It is very rare, but you could be refused entry to a country without it. Taking copies of birth certificates, passport pages or signed letters form the absent parent can all save you time when arriving in a country - so be prepared.

The same goes for adopted children - passport control may well ask for certified proof that the children ‘belong’ to you or that you are their legal guardians. Other family members (grandparents, aunties, etc) will also require written proof that the children’s parents agree to them traveling with you.

Younger children are more likely to be checked than older children, due to the huge trade in trafficked babies and young children across the globe. Unless the children are of a different skin tone to their traveling parent, there are not usually that many issues - but there is no harm in being prepared for all eventualities to avoid wasting time and hitting ‘red-tape’ on your journey.

2 parents traveling with their own children:
This is fine in legal terms, as both parents of the child/children are present, and agree for the child/children to travel.

Possible problems could be encountered if the parents have different surnames, and/or look very different from the child/children. In these cases, it may be worth carrying their birth certificates or a written confirmation from a solicitor to avoid any issues.

1 parent traveling with their own children:
Regardless of marital status - it would be wise to carry a letter of consent to travel for more unusual destinations from the absent parent. This would usually detail the child/children’s names, nationality and passport number, and the permission to travel statement.

Details of the mode of travel and destination could be included, and of course the signature and nationality/passport number of the absent parent. Ideally this should also be counter-signed or stamped by a solicitor or notary.

If you have no idea who the absent parent is, or the absent parent refuses or cannot complete this declaration, then you would need advice from a solicitor regarding an attestation to this effect.

1 or 2 Adoptive Parents or Legal Guardians with their Children:
You must travel with their adoption certificates or legal paperwork that attests to the fact that you are their legal representatives and that you give them permission to travel.

If there are 2 names showing on the legal paperwork and only 1 ‘parent’ traveling, then you would be wise to carry a consent letter from the other named person as well, granting consent to travel for the child/children.

Other Relative or Friend:
You will need a legally represented document from both parents declaring that they have given you permission to travel with their children.

As mentioned at the beginning of this article - problems are very rare, but for the sake of a letter and a copy of a passport, it is worth being over-prepared.

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posted by Travel Cat on Sep 10

Welcome to the first Blog-Carnival for this site.

The theme for this Carnival was stories of your travels with your kids - or someone else’s - to tie in with the Travel Series that is currently being run on this blog. 

The 2 post below are the best of the offerings this month, but this is an ongoing Carnival, so please keep sending them in for subsequent posts, or add some useful comments along the way.  

First up is a great little story about taking a youngster to London.  Tamara describes all the best places to go to keep them busy Going Places Blog: Cookiemag.com posted at Going Places.

Second up is the story of some young girls, on the journey of their lives. Tracee Sioux presents Empowering Girls: So Sioux Me: Are We There Yet? posted at Empowering Girls: So Sioux Me.

The Story So Far….. 

There have already been 5 posts related to this theme - all filled with useful facts about organising travel with your family and top tips on all the essentials:

Traveling With Kids - A New Series

Preparation Has Great Benefits

Essential Documents: Passport, Visa & Tickets

Essential Documents: Travel Insurance

Essential Documents: Booking & Financial Details

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posted by Travel Cat on Sep 7

Travel With Kids Series - Essential Documents - Part 3

When making arrangements in advance for your vacation, make sure that you get everything in writing either posted to you or printed off of an email - and keep everything important for each journey to hand.

Confirm with hotels, vacation properties or car hire firms, etc, everything you think is important to you. For example if you are departing at a certain time or could be late arriving, make sure that they are aware of this and have made any extra arrangements for that.

If you are not sure of something, make sure you clarify the details in advance and get copies of everything that might cause a delay or confusion.

This is essential when either party is using a language that they are not fluent in. We had problems travelling in Central America, where the hotels claimed to speak English, but appeared to be answering slightly different questions to those that we were actually asking. We had to write them an email in just one line statements to get them to confirm all the details individually, rather than them just assuming our original email was just one single question!

Accommodation Details:
Make sure you call the accommodation or receive a written confirmation in the week leading up to your stay before arriving there.

Careful planning of your journey can all be wasted if your destination is not booked or they offer different rooms or services to that which you had planned for. For example planning for a self-catering location and then arriving at one without a kitchen could be a small disaster depending on the age of your children and their needs.

Make sure that for each separate journey, you have the details of that days destination to hand, checking that you have at least one contact number for that destination (that you have previously used so you know it works).

Directions - either spoken or written - can seem perfect to someone who takes that route every day, but to a stranger - things can seem quite different. You never know when you need to contact them again.

Offering an arrival time can be difficult when journeys and children are involved, but try to offer the accommodation a ‘latest’ arrival time. If you are not there by then - perhaps you could ask them to give you a call if necessary. If they know you are traveling with children, they are usually very helpful.

Financial Details:
If travelling with a credit or debit card, make sure that you keep a separate record of account numbers, etc, and make sure you have the contact number for your bank in-case they are lost or stolen during your trip. Advising the banks of your destination and departure dates can also help reduce fraud during your vacation.

Using the cards for everyday purchases can add up in conversion charges, so watch how often you use them - and obviously be aware of any bills could arrive home while you are still away.

Withdrawing larger sums on your credit card from a bank or bureau de change could save you on multiple charges - but could have a flat out charge for a ‘to cash’ withdrawal. Check with your bank or other account for the best deals when abroad and find out the best method for your needs.

If using travelers cheques, you will need to plan a bit in advance to free up your funds - as you need to visit a bank or alternative foreign currency establishment to get them changed. Looking around for the best exchange rate for them can also use up a bit of valuable time. But - if lost - the money is guaranteed.

Try not to check your bank statements on the Internet while abroad as the Internet cafe pc’s may not be free from viruses or key-loggers (which record your details and keys pressed), or the Wifi connection may not be secure - leaving your accounts open to invasion!!!!

If you plan to use the Internet abroad - then read some suitable materials about Internet security before departure. Not saving any personal details onto the computer, deleting all history and removing ‘cookies’ after use is a great start. You could even run a free online virus check before use to be sure.

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posted by Travel Cat on Aug 23

Travel With Kids Series - Essential Documents - Part 2

Although not always compulsory to enter a country, it is a good idea to make sure that your travel insurance policies are in order before traveling. In addition, it would be advised to warn banks and credit card companies of your intended travel arrangements to avoid not only risking a late payment, but also to avoid fraud on these accounts whilst you are traveling.

It is also an idea to make sure that you have comprehensive travel insurance to cover all eventualities and to make sure you are insured and legally able to drive a vehicle - even if you didn’t intend to - just in-case.

The Best Policy:
Choosing the best policy available to you and your family will certainly save a considerable amount of effort on your part whilst abroad. Many policies will offer to cover you for many conditions and activities - but don’t assume that they are inclusive of all that you intend to do. Before applying for policies, make a list of activities and medical situations that will just not do without.

One example would be ‘Re-Patriation’ - where the policy will cover all reasonable costs incurred on returning you (after injury or illness) to your home country as soon as is safe to do so. This is essential if you require specialist medical treatment that is not available where you are, but also needed if you will miss your paid journeys home due to hospitalisation.

If travelling with kids, it is also essential that this covers everyone in the party - I mean you cannot leave one of your children abroad alone any more than you could send them off home early without you.

And what if it were you that was injured? Does it cover the cost of hiring a professional in the country you are in - or the cost of sending a friend or relative over to where you are to be with them while you are not able to.

I know these are ‘worst case scenario’s’ but they are the most important.

Your ‘Essentials’ List: 
So, whatever policies you find, make sure you check them up against your ‘essential’ list and don’t compromise. I know you may end up paying more for the most inclusive package, but it could well be too expensive not to.

I’ve got no idea how much it costs to have a child airlifted out of a rain-forest after breaking a leg - but I know I’d rather pay a few $100 rather than a few $1000!

Other things to look out for are not just about injuries. Make sure that flight delays and other travel arrangements are catered for - including a considerable sum for ‘lost luggage’ claims. How much will you need for an extra night in a hotel for everyone or a day or two’s worth of baby blankets, clothes, toiletries, food, bottles and diapers etc, should your bag not arrive with you….

And - as we all know - kids can mean a change of plans, sometimes at very short notice, so it’s worth checking the cancellation details of your policy. That way, if you need to change the dates for whatever reason, you will not incur an excessive charge.

Some policies will allow late changes, but others will not - leaving you to lose the money from the first booking and pay all over again for the replacement flights and accommodation.

Personal Liability Cover (3rd Party): 
It would also be wise to check if the policies offer ‘Personal Liability cover’ for your children. This means that if your children were to cause an accident, break something in the hotel, or do anything that involves damage to another person property - you are covered (obviously, check for any exclusions).

This is highly recommended if staying in a rented home or lodgings, as we all know how much of our own furniture is affected by several ‘adventurous’ children playing around. You’ve already paid for the vacation - you don’t want to be paying for some-one’s TV or climbing frame as well!!

And finally, make sure you know the procedure for making a claim too, as many policies want things to be done in a certain order - for example calling them before visiting the doctor, or confirming treatments before proceeding with them - this way they know what you are hoping to do - and can advise whether they will pay for it before you go ahead.

Keep all contact numbers handy, and make sure your policy number and details are in a safe place.

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