Martin Luther King Day weekend is upon us and we’re heading up to the mountains with a group of friends for a long winter weekend. The Catskills are only a 2-3 hour drive and we’re fortunate to be staying at friend’s place where we’ll surely enjoy all the comforts of home. But as we begin thinking about our travel plans for the rest of 2012, I’ll be taking into account these great tips from my fellow Residence Inn by Marriott Residence Moms for stress-free travel:
Tip One: Soar on flights
“When we’re flying, I go to the 99 cents store and I buy each kid 5 toys they have never seen before, and then when they get on the airplane they get to pick one out of the bag, and it/s exciting because they’ve never seen it before and it keeps them busy. I also always wait until everyone gets on before getting on with my kids, so there’s no extra wait time.” Laurie McDermott (LA Examiner and LA Family)
Tip Two: Get your children involved in the planning
“Involve your kids in as much of trip’s planning as possible. Let each child choose at least one favorite, must do activity.” Joyce Shulman, Macaroni Kid
Tip Three: Rest your head in a comfortable bed
“When traveling, the number one thing that appeals to me is a good night’s sleep. Meaning that I need a comfortable bed to rest my head. It is one of my favorite things about my house, so I feel more at home when the bed measures up to what I’m used to.“ Laurie Cooper, Clueless Mama
Tip Four: Room to relax (without the kids!)
“When I travel, I look for suites that have a door that closes between the bedroom and the other rooms so I don’t have to go to bed at 7:30pm at night. It’s also nice to have a balcony or patio, because then the kids can go to bed and my husband and I can sneak out and have a glass of wine and talk without having to whisper.” Colleen Lanin, TravelMamas
Tip Five: Compliment your stay with a complimentary breakfast
“A complimentary hot breakfast is key when traveling with kids. Having organic food options or grocery delivery is great; apples, strawberries, and grapes are great for my daughter.” Sarah Chang, Stroller Ballet
Tip Six: Full size fridge ahead
“We have to bring a lot of food for food allergies, so we always call ahead to see if there is a refrigerator and microwave in the room, which is helpful. It’s nice when there is a full freezer and fridge.” Shelby Barone, OC Mom
Tip Seven: Choose hotels that are child-friendly
“Great hotel experiences I have had are where the staff acknowledges my children. I love it when they treat my children as guests as well.” Carol Cain, NY City Mama
Tip Eight: The inside scoop on where to go, eat, and visit
“It’s important to plan or find child friendly restaurants in the area. I have always thought that hotels should have sample itineraries when they know families are coming with some great places that other families have enjoyed – a great cupcake shop, restaurant suggestions for kids and for date nights – the gems of the city. To have it all on one cute little card would be great.” Andrea Fellman, Savvy Sassy Moms
Tip Nine: Regroup and recharge in spacious lobbies
“I love great seating areas in the hotel because when I’m with my family I like to have our own space to regroup and chat for a few minutes.” Chelsea Skaggs, Someday I’ll Learn
Tip Ten: Quality first
“The most memorable trips we’ve had, and the hotels we’ve liked, are the ones that have offered good quality all around. Sure you want a nice room but when the restaurant is awesome and there’s a clubhouse where you can grab a great burger, it makes all the difference. People like good food and it can make a trip. What differentiates hotels is the service.” Jill Seiman, Glamamom
Do you have any trips planned for 2012? What’s your best advice for traveling with children?
Happy long weekend!
{I was not compensated for this post.}
Twitter: BigSea :
We’re huge “suite” fans too – suites and balconies! We also try to find hotels with great pools (and pool bars) so we can leave our 12yo in the room when our 3yo naps and head down for a drink to relax alone for a bit
Andi recently posted..Just. Keep. Running.
These are such good tips! It can be so hard to travel with toddlers, esp. if you’re bringing a stroller! I particularly love the tip about picking up 5 new toys from the dollar store – kids love the novelty of things they havent seen before!
Yakini recently posted..NeNe Leakes Behind-the-Scenes of “Glee” + Interview
Twitter: BiculturalMama :
Great travel tips! One thing I always do is keep a packing list – I add on as I think of things to bring. In this way I know I will not miss anything when it’s time to pack bags because kids require a lot of things!
Bicultural Mama recently posted..Bringing Together Friends at Zingerman’s Roadhouse in Ann Arbor
Twitter: mrsloulou :
Great tips – I do so many of these!
Loukia recently posted..The truth about Motherhood
We love to travel and I love the idea of buying new toys from the Dollar Store. When traveling between time zones, we must have plenty of snacks. It makes for a more pleasant trip and you can’t forget about the naps. If your child is younger and you are traveling where there is a 3-4 hour time difference, make sure they take a nap (anyway) or else everyone will be going to bed a 6pm. For flights, we like to get organized before take off. Which means…hand held games and DVD recorders at arms length for easy access. On road trips, I bought a back seat organizer (for kid’s still in toddler seats) so that their things can be reached easily….this includes books,games, and snacks.
Kathy Sykes recently posted..Niedlov’s Breadworks—Our January Chattanooga Favorite!
Twitter: natertotblog :
Great tips! Especially the first one. We take a lot of long car trips to see my parents and I always throw my rules about non-toxic toys/DVD watching out the window. It’s all about survival!
Amber recently posted..29 months! Letter to almost 2 1/2 year old Nate
Great tips. And when jetlag is involved, plan a middle-of-the-night rotation with the husband and lots of dvds.
Lady Jennie recently posted..Just a Vestige
Twitter: anna_sandler :
such good tips, i also always bring my kids stickers. no matter the age, they seem to be good at least a few minutes of happy playtime.
Anna recently posted..Instructions for My Husband: Please leave the empty water bottles out on water delivery day
If you want to know what to pack for YOUR wardrobe, I am your girl…other than that, I have zilch on travel advice for mama’s….I rarely travel with Connor…road trips in 5 hours or under are IT…he has never been on a plane…it just freaks me out! lol. I am such a travel wimp I guess.
Have a wonderful weekend:)
C
These are awesome tips…enjoy your trip!
Twitter: MY :
All great tips I’ll have to remember someday
have a great trip and bring us back some good stories!
Charlotte recently posted..taking the plunge… part deux
great tips! Even though my daughter is now 10, traveling with her can sometimes be stressful. Got a few great ideas from your post!
Twitter: MommyDelicious :
I’m planning on visiting my friend in FL next month for a weekend, but that’s a solo trip. I’m in need of getting away for a while. I do plan on taking a vacay with A and I, but I’m not sure where yet. There are so many places that I want to visit — I’m hoping for some place in south america or europe this summer.
Alicia @Mommy Delicious recently posted..The Sequined Blazer at Cocktails with Belle