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Vacations can be exciting. And for parents who feel the need for a break away from work and all of the stress, it can be one of the most relieving times in your life. However, traveling with young children can almost put all of that that stress right back into the situation. I know that traveling with kids through airports can be seem little daunting, and with kids, it may seem a little impossible. However, there are some quick tips for you to make your vacation trip run as best as it can when t

Looking for a Costa Rica family adventure out in nature? Spend a fun-filled day splashing in the mild rollercoaster rapids of the Pejibaye River.

The beautiful, tropical Pejibaye River is a tributary of the mighty Reventazon River in the Turrialba Valley, just two hours from San Jose. Its low-key Class 2-3 rapids (in the lower section) make it a great introductory whitewater rafting trip for beginners and children (ages 8 and up). The three-hour river trip gives you spectacular scenery of coffee

The entire country arguably could be considered one hug outdoor classroom – filled to the brim with amazing nature and exciting adventure. For this reason, Costa Rica has become one of the top family vacation destinations in the world.

All in one small country you can find warm tropical weather, beautiful beaches along two oceans (Pacific and Caribbean), rainforest, cloud forest, volcanoes, rivers, and fascinating wildlife that is actually “in the wild.”

For families looking for a safe, educationa

by Kyle McCarthy with Kaleel Sakakeeny

With demand for family-friendly summer vacation destinations,  multigenerational accommodations and organized tours at an all-time high according to industry sources, the moms behind the first TMS Family Travel Summit decided to look at what “family travel” really means.

They found that the classic married couple with two kids, or more technically, the “married-couple-biological-children” family represents less than half of all American families. Single pare

In a previous post, New Media Travel  asked “Why Is Hotel Content So Boring?”
The point was that hotels, airlines, and often the entire travel industry, are inclined to present images of the perfect family: a leggy blonde mother, two gorgeous light-haired kids and a handsome, fit dad playing in the blue water.

Or, lest they offend anyone, their glossies and web images are full of empty hotel pools, empty dining rooms and empty lobbies.

Why?

Hotels report that showing a racially mixed family o

Are you stuck for ideas on what to do with your kids when half-term starts? Here are some things you could consider doing to keep the little ones busy:

‘Frozen’ the pop-up experience

Are your children fans of the popular Disney film Frozen? Then they may enjoy this show. Take your kids on a trip to Arendelle itself and enter a magical ‘Frozen’ winter wonderland. Princesses Elsa and Anna provide musical performances and visitors can dance, sing and play around the stunning frost-inspired decoratio

Jennifer and Craig Ruckert, a very attractive 30-something couple, were sitting in front of a terrific fire, enjoying some great cheeses and local wines, a regular pre-dinner ritual  at the Tidewater Inn, in the laid back, classy Connecticut shore town of Madison.

Except Jennifer wasn't drinking wine. She was nursing a sparkling-something drink because she's pregnant with the couple's first child.

"This is a special weekend for us," she said. "This is the weekend we pick a name for our baby, a

The birth of empathy between siblings is a beautiful thing to witness.  One of the many unexpected joys of living abroad is watching the way such a powerful experience changes your children.  For the better.  Kids who travel together, learn to rely on each other in a deeper way than life in suburban America demands.

When we left for Italy, Katie and Matt were fifteen and eleven.  At that time they were attending different schools, played different sports, had different sets of friends, and had de

There’s no event that most families look forward to more than their annual summer escapes together.

Perhaps it’s downtime at a glorious beach paradise.  Or maybe a trip to a big city, taking in the exciting sites.  Even some adventure travel, with lots of wonderful activities in the great outdoors to savor.

However, for my wife Sue and I, summer vacations weren’t experiences that inspired warm Kodachrome memories.  Our kids may have had a blast, but for the two adults on the team, the vibe that su

November means autumn school breaks and Thanksgiving week in the USA. It’s time for your fall family vacation.

This year, be ahead of the learning curve and visit one of the world’s largest “outdoor classrooms” in the sun and tropics of Costa Rica. Imagine discovering animals and plants that you have never seen before with your family... a terrific bonding experience and good school report material too! Costa Rica is one of the safest countries in Central America, and a main reason the nation is

by Kyle McCarthy (Family Travel Forum) and Kaleel Sakakeeny

Forty-four per cent of adults bring children (and grandchildren) along on leisure travels. Taken as a group, they take more trips per year (4.5) than business travelers (3.9), Gen Y (3.9) or Gen X travelers (3.5), according to the 2012 Portrait of American Travelers (MMGY Global/Harrison Group).

Parents, fueled by social media, are becoming more vocal, more demanding and more interested in what travel businesses can do for them and their

My cousin is probably the most efficient family traveler I know. She has her work cut out for her with 2-year-old and 4-year-old girls. Like a well-oiled machine, she’s ready for every contingency as if preparing for a survival operation. Sticky hands or nowhere to wash before eating? She pulls packets of wet wipes from a handy pocket of her carry-all, akin to Mary Poppins’ bottomless carpetbag. Hungry? She keeps Ziploc bags of healthy snacks and small juices or waters at the ready. Cold? Hot? O

Although I'm only getting around to posting this now, during the UK winter our little family spent 2 months in New Zealand visiting friends and family and enjoying the great outdoors in the only way you can truly savour it, camping.  If you are planning to visit the land of the long white cloud during the southern hemisphere summer months, now's a good time to start planning.  Typically the best weather is in late January through February, but you can always expect sudden downpours and changeabl

Travelling with children can be a great experience for the whole family, but it can also be an exhausting experience for everyone involved. Children are more prone to boredom than adults (or at the very least are more vocal about it), so having a game plan to keep them entertained is of the utmost importance for the sanity of everyone in the car. Here are a few tips to keep your kids entertained in long car trips.

1. Embrace the 21st century - We live in the digital age. Finding a way to keep you

 Do you remember going on family vacations when you were a kid?

   It's funny how I can't remember where I put my keys or my phone or what I was supposed to pick up at the store (so when I arrive, I just stand there looking around for some hint) but I can remember being on vacation with my family when I was a kid.

  My parents worked several jobs at once to keep us afloat. Neither of them had it easy.

   We weren't able to spend much time with our Dad as he worked a day job and a night job.

Las Vegas can be family-friendly and a great winter getaway.  There are shows and adventure for the entire family. Flights from Central New York on Continental Airlines are often under $350.

1.  Show of shows: Not sure what show to take in.  Consider V the Ultimate Variety Show. The show offers something for everyone and it is very family friendly with nothing to embarrass, which can’t be said about many of the Vegas shows. The show includes several acts from heart-stopping aerial antics to belly-l

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