Tip of the Day
Weekly Column
Eileens Blog
Travel Diary
Eileen in the Media

Lids Guide to New York City
Kids Guide to Orlando
Eileen Ogintz's newest book "The Kids Guide to Orlando" will be published in November. "The Kids Guide to New York City" has been published and, coming next Spring, "The Kids Guide to Washington, D.C." All of Eileen's Taking the Kids are now available for the NOOK and Kindle. Your kids will love the fun facts, games and puzzles!



Share on Facebook

Links

Here you’ll find a collection of travel links where Taking the Kids is featured on.  Eileen also collects useful travel site links for family vacation planning. 

Check out Norwegian Cruise Line’s new “Freestyle Family Fun” section- www.ncl.com/family  

Follow Eileen on Twitter  

Taking the Kids is featured on:
Foxnews.com
www.Frommers.com  

 

Southwest Airlines family travel site (with help from Taking the Kids) — http://www.southwest.com/html/customer-service/family/taking-the-kids.html 

A safe, easy and affordable way for families to find nannies and babysitters nation wideFindTheBestNanny.com 

http://www.SmarterTravel.com  also features an archive of Taking the Kids columns- http://www.smartertravel.com/all/?content_type=column&column_type=taking_the_kids     

Ciao Bambino is a travel blog and worldwide guide to the best family-friendly hotels and resorts.: http://www.ciaobambino.com   

the Centers for Disease Control http://www.cdc.gov/travel  for the latest information on necessary vaccinations and potential health risks, like Avian Flu

Clif Bar has posted a blog on family travel tips, including Eileen’s http://www.clifbar.com/blog/detail/road_trippin/   

CheapOair runs a charity organization  to help young adults learn valuable skills that can translate into future job opportunities and providing resources to help homeless, underprivileged, or sheltered children, youth and adults find a better way of life.

Looking for day-trips in New England? Visit http://www.shortdrives.com  and find all kinds of attractions-golf, fishing, museums, even lighhouses, within a short drive of your home base.

The U.S. Department of State website – http://www.state.gov  - posts Consular Information Sheets for every country of the world with information on everything from health conditions to entry requirements, warnings, and the location of the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.

http://www.safetytats.com – a site with many useful tips for traveling SAFELY with young children.
 http://www.kidsflysafe.com  - for more info on the new Child Aviation Restraint System (CARES), the first designed specifically for use on planes and just approved by the FAA for use by children 22-44 pounds. CARES is small-it fits into a 6″ pouch-and attaches directly to an airplane seat, thus allowing a child to be restrained by a shoulder harness (Price: $74.95)

http://www.faa.gov  - for why the FAA strongly urges parents to use safety seats on planes

http://www.tsa.gov  - the Transportation Security Administration website to see the latest rules on what is and is not permissible through security

http://www.usa.safekids.org  - the website for the National Safe Kids Campaign, with tips on everything from installing your car seat correctly to keeping your kids safe around water

http://www.luggageconcierge.comhttp://www.luggagefree.comhttp://www.luggageforward.comhttp://www.baggagedirect.com are among the companies now offering to ship your luggage and sports gear when you travel.

http://www.insuremytrip.com  and http://www.quotewright.com – to compare and purchase travel insurance plans, some of which insure kids free including http://www.travelguard.com  - http://www.travelex-insurance.com  - http://www.accessamerica.com  - http://www.travelsafe.com   

http://www.familytravelforum.com  - a rich archive on family travel

http://www.waytofly.com/articles.php?tip=traveltips.families  — useful tips for flying with young children

http://www.jetsetbabies.com  and http://www.babiestravellite.com  are sites that let you purchase all kinds of baby gear and have it delivered to where you’re staying on your travels. Sure beats schlepping those heavy diaper bags!

http://www.nps.gov  to link to the National Park you hope to visit

AAA’s http://www.fuelcostcalculator.com  to see exactly what you’ll spend on your upcoming road trip and if you’d be better off renting a more fuel-efficient vehicle for the trip. http://www.travelpost.com  promises to help travelers find the cheapest gas as well as hotels offering special deals to those arriving by car

http://www.hotels.com  and http://www.hotwire.com  for discount hotel rooms in cities

http://www.citypass.com  and http://www.gousacard.com  to purchase discount coupons for major city attractions around the country

http://www.site59.com  for last-minute trips  

http://www.harvardsquare.com  is a good source of information when touring colleges or sighseeing in Boston, as is http://www.bostonusa.com   

http://www.cruising.org  - the website of the Cruise Lines International Association where you can search for a cruise, find a deal and a travel agent in your area who is a cruise specialist. http://www.cruisemates.com  is an excellent webzine about cruising, with a special section on family cruises.

Disabled Sports USA http://www.dsusa.org  to find out more about wilderness and snow-sports programs around the country that cater to those with disabilities.

websites for adventure companies that I have traveled with and that especially cater to families include the consortium of companies http://www.trustedadventures.com,  http://www.familyadventures.com  and http://www.oars.com  The Sierra Club (http://www.outings.sierraclub.org ) the Appalachian Mountain CLub (http://www.outdoors.org ) Thomson Family Adventures (http://www.familyadventures.com )

http://www.familyskiresorts.net/  A one-stop guide to family ski fun. Vacations, lessons, resort reviews, family travel tips.

http://www.mydriveholiday.com/usa  USA RV Rental-Features Motorhome, RV, Campervan Rentals and Hire in the USA

http://www.FrugalMonkey.com/  FrugalMonkey helps you find cheap travel deals and free country travel guides.

Family Vacation Destinations – Family camping with Yogi Bear & Friends at Jellystone Park campgrounds and cabin rentals.

Hawaii Family Vacations – provides information about Big Island activities, beaches, car rentals,  hotels, restaurants, vacation homes, rentals & resorts for family Hawaii vacations. 

Volunteer Work in Thailand - You Can-Build, Protect, Teach and Care through volunteering programs. Starfish Ventures specialises in volunteer travel, programs and volunteer work in Thailand.

Travel Sites for Kids

Here are some kids educational travel websites recommended by National Geographic Society Director of Education Outreach Nancee Hunter:

First, of course, is National Geographic Kids: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/kids/   

Go Zone (http://www.nps.gov/learn/gozone.htm) is a National Park Service website with links to further information on activities and programs for children in all National Parks. Also offers resources for teachers, including curriculum and field trip planners.

At The World Heritage Pointer (http://www.muenkermedia.com/whp/), children follow Sonya the dog around the globe and read stories steeped in geography, play puzzles, games, contests and activities.

Canadian Geographic Kids (http://www.cgkids.ca/cgkids/cgkids.asp) interactive site with games, facts, and a kid’s atlas.

Kids Travel Fun (http://www.kidstravelfun.com/), how-to site for younger children. Travel games, trivia, making a travel journal, and more.

UPDATE: The Texas Travel Industry Association (http://www.ttia.org) offers Texas Education Vacation (http://www.texaseducationvacation.com), offering guides for families, teachers, and kids including information, deals, and games.





Connect

Facebook Twitter YouTube Follow us with RSS


Family Travel Guides for Every Season

eNewsletter Archives

Taking the Kids publishes two e-newsletters per month, filled with information and advice for families traveling with children as well as tips on destinations and special travel offers from sponsors.


Daily Tips

Great new pop-up books helps support conservation in the Parks

May 22, 2013
America's National Parks, a pop-up book published shed by W. W. West, Inc, supports the National Parks Conservation Association. The goal for this masterpiece pop-up is to raise $100,000 for the NPCA.

Calendar of Events

Get out there and have some fun! See family friendly events happening all over the nation in our Calendar of Events.

Follow us on Twitter



Recent Comments:

  • Stefanie: What a great getaway for a mother! Arizona sounds like it was such a fun trip with so much to do! The museum sounds like it would be a great place to...
  • Steph @BestKidFriendlyTravel: Great news, Eileen! I’m glad to see hotels are taking note of the kids involvement in vacation planning. We are going to...
  • Maureen Fitzgerald: This is great. Best place to go if there are kids because there will be activities for them that they will surely enjoy. The staff will take...
  • Kiera @easytravelmom: Great information! I love that families are traveling more and I love that kids have a say in it – I totally agree that we parents...
  • Nancy: Wow GREAT tips! We are going to San Diego in July!!! So excited we have never been! The kids are looking forward to the San Diego Zoo, Belmont Park and of...
  • laurie trueblood: Cant wait to ride the train!!
  • AyannaStewart: I would love to invest in a vacation for my family this year, that offers volunteering… please get back to me with more information. Ayanna