Early in this pregnancy, I’d started laying overly optimistic plans for our usual fall travel (as birds fly south, we fly where we find the best mid-season deals). My first instincts for this fall were to book a discount package to Turkey where I’ve been longing go for some time, to run to Costa Rica now that the kids are (just barely, and still debatably) old enough to enjoy some of the exciting activities (okay, no zip lines, but how can you go wrong with howler monkeys?), or to finally see the great pyramids that have really been calling to me, and to generally go-go-go while we can!!! Of course, this was our travel motto before having kids, but didn’t change after the first, or the second…
Having a first, then second child, however, systematically ruled us out of many European budget hotels (the ones bundled in most package deals) as they insisted the rooms were too small for our family, though we were sure we could make it work. And with rising airfare costs, added taxes, baggage fees, and fuel surcharges, pricing domestic airfare for four these days can nearly bring on anaphylactic shock (just take a look at Debbie Dubrow’s recent post on how a seemingly modest vacation to New Mexico with kids [one flying for free] totaled $3,373). So it’s really hard to fathom pricing for: “Istanbul, party of five,” or much more in the way of overseas travel.
Clearly, it’s time to take out another frequent flyer credit card with a fabulous mileage bonus.
Yet, as I battle indigestion, round ligament pain, and tuck that fourth pillow into its place at night, I am reminded how much easier adventure can be after the baby comes out. It didn’t take too many episodes of first-trimester nausea, or midnight trips to the john, or sudden cravings of very specific foods to own up to the fact that a real “vacation” during these labored months might involve more sitting on the beach time and less riding a bus into the desert time.
While first-time expectant parents often take advantage of a “babymoon”–one last hurrah to pamper themselves in their couplehood without worrying about waking the other hotel guests for a 2 a.m. feeding, and sleeping in without a small person propped between them–I still trip over the word. To me, “babymoon” sounds more like something you’d take after the baby arrives–a first camping trip together as a family, a first weekend at the beach, a visit to introduce the baby to family and friends, or how about an escape to Thailand?
You would think that the expression “familymoon” would cover that base: “Yay! We’re a family now! Let’s get away from the laundry baskets and diaper pail and venture out on a familymoon!” Instead, “familymoon” is what the travel industry’s dubbed the vacation a newly blended family takes after a remarriage. (“I have to share my room with my new stepsister?! You’re darn right we’re going to Disneyland!”)
I think it’s only fair that with all of these special terms and designations there should be some official expression to describe the crazy family with a toddler and a preschooler and a pregnant lady who set out in search of one last travel hurrah–before they outnumber place settings in a typical restaurant booth. Perhaps a “Haven’t-You-Changed-Enough-Diapers-Yet-Moon?” We’re going to be a big family, at least compared with my experience growing up and certainly by Bay Area standards. Just think, this will be the last Thanksgiving Grandma will be able to pick us up at the train station in her own car.
The fact that we still don’t have our travel plans completely nailed down shouldn’t worry me too much, however. Given our appetite for travel, we’ve pulled out plenty of stops to squeeze in as much travel as we can fit into the travel budget–including booking most of our trips in as few as 2 weeks (and less) before our departure. Our amazing “New Additionmoon” to Hawaii’s Big Island (shown above) while pregnant with Travel-Baby #2 was no exception. (It helps that I am always planning trips to the places I most want to see, of course, for when the right time–and deal–comes along!)
Whether we travel far and wide this season, or stick close to home and continue saving up for next year’s “Travels-with-Babymoon,” one thing is clear for this next trip: there had better be plenty of pillows.
Some vacation planning suggestions for the pregnant lady with two small children in tow:
1. Visit family or friends. They will help keep track of (and feed and entertain) your children while you put your feet up and possibly even take a bubble bath (by yourself, without the squeaky toys).
2. Head for the sand. You can sun yourself on it while your children play in it and happily bury your spouse in it.
3. Aim for an all-inclusive. With the right deal, your children will stay for free. The added advantage of having plenty of (not-gonna-cost-you-extra) food options within a short walk should keep you all happy, and if there’s a children’s program that covers your children’s age range–you can both cat nap by the pool.
4. Consider a cruise. If you’re past your woozy phase, and there’s plenty onboard to keep your kids happy (a playroom, supervised kid’s program and activities, pizza), you might appreciate venturing into some fairly exotic ports while returning to mama- and toddler-safe food and drink onboard–the aromas and flavors of which may be more likely to agree with you. (Again, check out the kids-free cruises offered by MSC, Costa, and some others that occasionally offer this promotion.)
Got some ideas or suggestions of your own? By all means post them below!
Safe journey,
Shelly Rivoli, author of the award-winning guide Travels with Baby
PUBLISHER’S DISCOUNT – Get 15% off Travels with Baby & qualify for FREE Super Saver shipping when you buy from “Travels with Baby Books”
It’s only natural for new parents to assume that wearing their child through the airport in a carrier, wrap, or sling and keeping their hands free for juggling passports, shoes, diaper bags, and carry-ons at security is a smart way to travel—until their plans get derailed in the final moments before passing through the walk-through metal detector.
As I advise all parents in Travels with Baby, be prepared to remove your carrier, wrap, or sling to run it through the X-ray at airport security even if it is only made of fabric, without any buckles, plastic, or metal components (yes, even if your baby is blissfully slumbering in it at the time).
A while back, I’d received an email from Elizabeth in Austin, Texas, regarding a comment I’d made on carriers and slings at airport security:
I noticed a comment in one of your Amazon lists saying:
“Since the TSA won’t allow you to wear your baby through security in any kind of frontpack carrier or sling, even if it IS only fabric (trust me, I’ve tried), streamline your passage through security, with a simple sling that slips on and off with one hand. This one has handy pockets for travel documents and a couple of diapers– also helpful when you visit the lavatory with your baby.”
This struck me, because we took our 9-month-old son to the Virgin Islands for a couple of weeks at the end of May/beginning of June and we were able to wear him through security both directions. He was in an Ergo, and perhaps we were able to do it because it’s their organic version that doesn’t have much metal? We went through security in Austin on the way down and in St. Thomas on the way back and didn’t even pause for a moment. He even had shoes on when we went through on the way back. I hadn’t thought about it until right when we are about to go through security, but when I started to take them off, the guard said that wasn’t necessary.
What’s the actual TSA policy?
Having tested the theory at security myself, with my own all-fabric Moby Wrap (shown above), I had the unpleasant lesson—along with all of the travelers piling up behind me—that it doesn’t matter if it is: “…only a long piece of fabric, with no buckles of any kind!” The TSA officers explained to me, as I unwound and unwound and unwound my wrap defending its clothing-like virtues, that any kind of carrier or sling has to go through the X-ray. Period.
As the TSA states on its website regarding the X-ray at security:
“All child-related equipment that will fit through the X-ray machine must go through the X-ray machine. Examples include: strollers, umbrella-strollers, baby carriers, car and booster seats, backpacks, and baby slings.”
…and also at the walk-through metal detector:
“Remove babies and children from their strollers or infant carriers so that our Security Officers can screen them individually.”
Still, I get conflicting reports from parents who are sometimes allowed to wear various carriers, wraps, and slings through the walk-through metal detector. For example, I recently heard from a mom who wondered if she’d been allowed to wear her baby through the detector because it was in a sling made only of fabric, which she was able to lift away from her body as she passed through.
That may have been what the particular guards she encountered had been thinking, but the policy still holds and could be enforced at any time at any U.S. airport, so don’t get caught off guard. There can be enough unpredictable delays when traveling with a small child, so you might as well avoid those that you can.
Let’s face it, since it can be awkward enough, and certainly stressful enough, to get your carry-on bags and gear through the X-ray while juggling a baby, the last thing you want is the added complication of trying to unbuckle or unwrap a carrier on one side of the detector and having to reassemble it again on the other side as you juggle your child and watch your bags and shoes pile up with other travelers struggling to pass through.
That’s why I recommend not wearing your carrier or wrap to security at all, unless you have a simple over-the-shoulder sling you can easily remove and replace with one hand while holding your child at the same time (practice at home to be sure).
For more tips and advice on “Clearing Security with Small Children and a Small Mountain of Gear,” see Chapter 16 in Travels with Baby.
Safe journey,
Shelly Rivoli, author of the award-winning guide Travels with Baby
The Ultimate Guide for Planning Trips with Babies, Toddlers, and Preschool-Age Children
PUBLISHER’S DISCOUNT – Save 15% on Travels with Baby and qualify for FREE Super Saver shipping at Amazon when you buy from “Travels with Baby Books” – Click here!
I won’t lie to you, I still flinch each time I try to price travel to Europe for our family of four now… particularly because I can still look back on our foray into France as newlyweds when Tim and I managed to spend 9 days in Paris for $1644 USD, total. Yep, that was airfare for both of us, 2-star hotels (one of course on the Rue de Rivoli), all meals, Metro and RER tickets, museums, and even a couple of tacky souvenirs. Of course, we went in February (not a fountain was running and the gardens weren’t much to see), but who can beat a Valentine’s Day walk along the Seine and rain-drizzled kisses on the steps of Sacre Coeur?
Now we might count ourselves lucky to both fly roundtrip to Europe for that price–and then there are the kids’ tickets. At least the kisses are gratis.
To those of you hoping to plan a family vacation to Europe in the next year, you might just consider working a cruise into your visit, especially when you consider this: MSC Cruises, an Italian, family-owned cruise line that is not widely known in the US, is letting children 17 years and younger cruise free when they sail with two paying adults.
When you can book the adults at 50% or more off the brochure price, and have two children (even teenagers!) cruising and dining with you FREE, you may actually manage to shelter and feed your family for a week onboard for less than you could on land with current exchange rates (and you won’t have to live on a diet of jambon crudité). Not to mention, that includes transportation between multiple destinations, with no re-packing required. But where can you go on a cruise in Europe?
Here are just a couple of the eye-catching “kids-FREE” itineraries I’ve noted:
7 days RT from Venice, with stops in Bari, Italy; Rhodes, Greece; Athens; Argostoli, Greece; and Dubrovnik, Croatia.
8 days RT from Barcelona, with stops in: Genoa, Italy; Malaga, Spain; Cadiz, Spain; Lisbon, Portugal; Gibraltar, UK Ter.; and Alicante, Spain.
Surprisingly, I haven’t seen this offer widely advertised–or even mentioned on many cruise websites, even when I go through the motions of of pricing qualifying MSC cruises (read MSC’s explanation of the offer here). Rest assured you can get this deal, however, and on all MSC Mediterranean cruises departing now through 2009–even during peak seasons and school vacations (though the discount you can get on your adult price will vary).
The best site I’ve found for navigating to and through these kids-FREE cruises online–and comparing available discounts and dates–is www.vacationstogo.com. You will have to sign up for their Fast Deals email, but if you’re considering cruising at all, I recommend this site as a resource–and no I don’t get a kick-back for your click-through, darn it.) To see for yourself, follow these steps:
- Click the orange “Find a Deal” button
- Choose the region: Mediterranean
- Choose the month (plus one if you like)
- Choose the cruise line: MSC Cruises
- Click “Show me the deals”
You’ll see a list of all the departure dates during the month(s) along with some other basic details–including “Kids Free” for each of these cruises. Click the FastDeals number to see the specific itinerary and category discounted prices for each departure.
Since MSC is an Italian, family-owned cruise line, you can bet you’ll still be surrounded by other cultures and languages, even as you cruise–which is of course at least half the reason for venturing overseas. Paid babysitting and free supervised activities are also available for potty-trained children 3 years and older on most of these cruises.
For more help picking and planning a cruise with babies and small children, be sure to check out Part 7 of Travels with Baby.
Safe journey,
Shelly Rivoli, author of the award-winning guide Travels with Baby
PUBLISHER’S DISCOUNT – Get 15% off Travels with Baby & qualify for FREE Super Saver shipping when you buy from “Travels with Baby Books”
In an ideal world, no one would ever consider spending extra money on a stroller or a car seat just for travel–they would have had the advantage of owning a travel-friendly model in the first place. I wish that every new parent could start out with a stroller that they are just as happy getting in and out of the car, on and off public transportation, and pushing through the park at naptime as s they are zipping it through the X-ray at airport security and carrying it up the stairs at the pensione. In reality, however, this is rarely the case.
When it comes to the wild and wacky world of portacribs, Pack N’ Plays, and play yards, who can comprehend how much money is spent on new models and how many are given at baby showers each year? Yet when it comes time to travel, how many parents begrudge the these heavy, bulky, unwieldy contraptions–and even opt to just leave them behind? Consider the Graco “Portable” Pack N Play that weighs a whopping 30 lbs, and even Combi’s sparse “Lightweight” Jazz Play Yard still weighs 24.5 lbs (and no one’s boasting about a compact fold for any of these products).
“Travel beds” as I call them are certainly a smarter way to go, and can be as useful at home as in the hotel or tent–and even on the beach in some cases. There are plenty of options out there now (see my top picks in review at: http://www.travelswithbaby.com/gear/travel_beds.htm), but one I’m particularly excited about right now is Phil & Ted’s Traveller Full-Size Travel Crib (the even better replacement to their T2 Travel Cot). So what’s so great about the Traveller?
I’ll start by saying it weighs a mere 8 lbs.–less than some infants weigh at birth. Yet it offers all the advantages of a traditional play yard, plus many additional advantages.
- Use it from birth up through 3 years (really–read on)
- No weight maximum for your child
- Zipping screen cover (included) protects against insects and helps create a tent within your – tent on cold nights camping
- Rugged fabrics let you take it onto the beach, down by the river, into the woods, out in the desert, etcetera
- Screen mesh gives visibility and ventilation but blocks a fair amount of wind
- Therm-a-Rest-style backpacker’s mattress gives extra insulation as well as cushioning
- Optional UPF 80 sun shield zips to the top for extra sun protection outdoors (sold separately)
- Rubber feet won’t scratch hardwood floors or tile when used indoors
-Side panel unzips when desired (yes!)
That final point, IMHO, puts the Traveller over the top. Other models, like the BabyBjorn Travel Crib Light give you the toddler containment advantage, and the Peapod and Peapod Plus give you the advantage of a “play tent” indoors or out. But once your child loses patience with being completely contained (or maxes out on height), the BabyBjorn crib is out. And once your child can stand (esp. taller than the tent) and protest loudly enough, the Peapods cease to work well for containment–though they may live on as play tents and still work for sleeping once your child agrees to stay put.
The Traveller, on the other hand, gives the advantage of baby & toddler confinement (keeping her out of the campfire while you cook and from exploring Grandma’s house unsupervised after waking from her nap), with the advantage of opening up on one side to double as a shaded play tent on the beach. Plus it can continue to serve as a travel bed for your older toddler and even preschooler (up to 50″ tall) by offering in-and-out privileges through the open side. Chances are, you’ll even make use of the backpacker’s mattress for your child well beyond her days in the Traveller.
For more details about Phil & Ted’s Traveller, other travel beds, and more recommended gadgets and gear for travel with small children in an ideal (or less than ideal) world, check out my reviews of great products and gear for travel. And in case you know any expectant parents that are considering registering for a play yard… I hope you’ll pass this along.
Safe journey,
Shelly Rivoli, author of the award-winning guide Travels with Baby
Bronze Award Winner in Travel Blogs from the North American Travel Journalists Association
