Keep your carry-on bag to a small backpack that you can use as a day pack as well. Carry all your important gadgets and documents  as a change of underwear and your toothbrush in case your luggage goes astray!

Check on your airline’s website to read their baggage policies and if you stick to what they say you can’t go wrong. Also, for long-distance flights, consider investing in a good eye mask and ear plugs to get some sleep.

Since you are away long enough that you will need to do laundry, you may want to consider taking a few washing machine tablets or a laundry soap so that you can do your own wash. Even washing some underwear in the sink in your hotel will save you money rather than getting everything laundered. Some apartment-style hotels will have a guest laundry; we had a nice place in Nuremberg, Germany with a reasonable priced self-service laundry. Look out for those extra facilities when you book accommodation; it will save you time and money in the long run.

During our travels we have eaten many a meal in youth hostels, hotel kitchenettes, and via camp cooking on our small one burner camp stove. My boys have loved my one-pot “camp food” creations. Favorite dinners for my family and those that are easy to cook include any kind of pasta and sauce (that includes Asian sauces like sweet and sour) to serve with chicken and rice.

The bare essentials for cooking away from home include:

• One medium sized non-stick saucepan with tight fitting lid
• One strainer
• One or two large plastic dishes that can be used to hold pasta/rice or used as a salad dish and can also be used in the microwave
• A plastic bowl for each person that can be used for breakfast or dinner (not shallow bowls)
• A set of cutlery for each person
• A plastic plate for each person
• One large plastic ladle type spoon for stirring
• A sharp knife for cutting fruit, meat, and vegetables
• A small chopping board
• Two tea towels
• One dish cloth and scrubber
• A small bottle of dishwashing liquid
• A rectangular plastic tub for washing up (optional, though we found it useful for storing items too)

We kept all these items in a collapsible plastic crate and made sure that everything stacked together neatly to reduce the amount of space. When cooking a hot dinner I would use the pot to boil rice or pasta first. When it was cooked I would place the pasta/rice into another container that could be covered with a plate or plastic wrap to keep it warm. Use the same pot to cook meat and then add sauce. Combine the everything and voila – easy dinner with little washing up. The one pot can even be used to cook sausages or hot dogs and kept keep warm on a covered plate while you cook instant mashed potatoes and use the microwave to cook some frozen vegetables. You can heat soup in the pot or canned beans/spaghetti and serve with rolls.

The large plastic dish can be used as a salad bowl as well. Don’t forget that kids love the most basic of dinners too so every now and then cook something simple like packet mac-n-cheese or scrambled eggs and make lunch a healthier affair with salad and meat sandwiches. During our travels we had limited access to refrigeration so we relied heavily on canned tuna, pasta, rice, bottled sauces, canned vegetables (especially corn and peas), canned soup, long-life milk, eggs, and cereals.

We had to buy fresh items and any items that required refrigeration frequently, which meant numerous trips to the supermarket. This obviously gets a little tiring so having a good supply of pantry items takes the pressure off shopping every day. A picnic rug is also a valuable addition to your supplies because if the weather is nice you can get out and enjoy a picnic dinner of sliced meat, cheese, and rolls when you start to go stir crazy in your hotel room! Good luck with your move and your cooking adventure ahead.

So that you don’t spend all your time in transit for your two week vacation in Spain, consider staying in only a couple of places and really explore those areas.  The Catalonia region includes wonderful places such as Barcelona and Girona and the ski resort areas mentioned.  These three places would certainly keep your whole family fully occupied and entertained with many varied things to do and see.

I was in Spain this past summer for 35 days with my boys aged 6 and 9 years old.  We were in Barcelona for the last four days of our journey so you can see what we get up to by following us at Four Dots on the Map. Adios!

Travel experts from Best Family Travel Advice sites Travel Mamas, Trekaroo, Delicious Baby, The Vacation Gals, Ciao Bambino and Pit Stops for Kids traveled to Hawaii to cover the resort’s grand opening last week, during which we met with the creative and executive team behind this fabulous new addition to the Disney family. We were given a first-hand account of the cultural and environmental care put into the resort’s creation as well as Disney’s vision for the family vacation experience during a roundtable discussion with Disney CEO Bob Iger and President of Parks and Resorts Tom Staggs, and were able to meet one-on-one with the cast members, creative directors, and consultants who put so much care and detail into this resort.

From the moment of arrival, Aulani ‘wows’ guests in a myriad of ways, but speaking for myself, I was most impressed by the small touches that are so uniquely Disney. The resort felt intimate and personalized even while covering so many distinct needs, and I could spend another week there and not see all the details so gracefully woven into the fabric of this resort (primarily at child eye-level). This impression was reinforced for me while speaking with Joe Rohde, head designer of Aulani, who explained to me that he tried to design Aulani in a way that will make children notice the details before adults do. The creative team were, and continue to be, not only creators, but students of the Hawaiian culture, storytelling traditions, and natural environment.

We spent the remainder of our time checking out all Aulani has to offer families, from the pools, water play spaces, and beach to the spa experience, excursions such as their already famous Hawaiian Fire Surf School, and family activities held multiple times daily. We know the room layouts backward and forward, and can offer tips on special occasion resort offerings, saving money, feeding your family, exploring Aulani and Oahu with a toddler, and more!

So bring on the Aulani-related questions! We’ve got answers!

Mahalo!

California’s Central Coast stretches from Monterey through Santa Barbara. This part of the Pacific Ocean coastline is stunning and the weather can be sunny and mild in December. Noting, however, that there are no guarantees, but if you are lucky … it can be wonderful. I was there in January a few years ago and we wore shorts, went sailing, and lingered for hours on the beach.

The Monterey Peninsula has a plethora of things to do for families. See our post on Monterey with kids for ideas including the not-to-be missed Monterey Bay Aquarium. The beauty of the beach areas here is that people enjoy them year-round. If you fancy a road trip, from there you can hit Carmel, Big Sur, Hearst Castle, Pismo Beach, and finally end up in Santa Barbara. It’s all fabulous for families and every one of these destinations has a different vibe and things to do.

If a road trip sounds to taxing, we have a new resort on Ciao Bambino in Carmel Valley that is wonderful for families called Carmel Valley Ranch. Year-round activities include golf, swimming, tennis, plus they have a kids’ club and an activity center. Read our full kid-friendly review of Carmel Valley Ranch for details; you can check on specials and availability from our page too. Happy travels!

Photo credit Ciao Bambino!

There are numerous bed and breakfasts and home rentals throughout the region (and just driving from tiny town to tiny town is a treat!), but if you have older kids looking for outdoor fun, I highly recommend Bousquet’s Mountain Adventure Park offers outdoor adventure in all seasons. While we visited in summer, our kids tried their hand at their climbing wall, bungee trampoline, go cart track, slides and pool, and advanced rope course (for kids approximately 10 and up). Also offered is frisbee golf and mountain biking. Not only did we love playing at Bousquet, but it was the most affordable location for summer resort fun we’ve ever experienced. It was a deal…and the staff was friendly, fun, and relaxed!

Also within easy driving distance is a Shaker village, berry picking, horseback riding, and camping. Northampton, MA is only an hour away, and offers the convenience of motels and a variety of restaurants in addition to its artsy, college vibe, river walk access, and numerous street fairs and growers markets.

Photo courtesy of Pit Stops for Kids.

You may find your iPhone useful for email etc but I would bring your iPad if you intend to research on the Internet; it’s also easier for emailing.  Check if your accommodation offers wifi and if there is an associated cost; many hotels do offer it for free, but it can be quite pricey at places that do charge. Some restaurants and fast food chains also offer free wifi but it can be tricky to connect from your phone.

We bought a mobile dongle when we were in the United Kingdom for a month.  Sometimes it worked beautifully and other times I would have liked to have thrown it out the car window but overall it was a good purchase.  Just walk into any of the large phone company shop fronts and buy one.  It may be best to buy one in Belgium and use
it for the 4 weeks that you are there; it is very unlikely to work in Scotland.  I am not sure of fees for a dongle in Belgium but if your hotel doesn’t offer free wifi or is charging a ridiculous daily fee then certainly look into it.

If you need a laptop for business etc then consider bringing it but otherwise I would suggest leaving it behind because it will just weigh you down and the iPad should do everything you need it to do.

For more information, check out Four Dots on the Map – we were in Belgium and Scotland during the summer.

In addition to the wonderful beaches, golf courses, and snorkeling/diving opportunities located around the Yucatan Peninsula, the resorts in Cancun and Playa del Carmen are close to the Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza and Tulum. Eco-tourists can visit the Sian Ka’an Biosphere or swim in a cenote at Xplor. And if your family just wants to relax and sip margaritas by the pool, then the weather will be perfect.

Transportation-wise, there are several direct flights from Europe (KLM, Lufthansa, and Air France to name a few) into Mexico City, allowing for an easy connection to Cancun and bypassing the need to go through customs in the United States.

Photo courtesy of 500 Places With Kids

In the Orlando area, Discovery Cove is a real treat.  For a single all-inclusive fee you can experience a wonderful day that features a dolphin interaction, wetsuits and snorkel gear, unlimited snorkeling, an extensive and exotic tropical lazy river, a stingray petting pool, a walk through jungle aviary, and most of your food and snacks.  Schedule your dolphin encounter early and then enjoy the facility for the rest of the day.

Further south in the Keys, about a 45-minute drive north of Key West, the Bahia Honda State Park offers daily snorkeling boat tours to the Looe Key National Marine Sanctuary located offshore. Canoe and kayak rentals are available as are several  rental cabins.   Best of all, Bahia Honda has some of the nicest beaches in the Keys and  is a great place for swimming and soaking up the rays.  The water temperature is usually in the mid to lower seventies (Fahrenheit) in the winter.  The water is shallow and the currents are very mild.  As you might expect, it is a popular destination so plan ahead and make reservations.

And, of course, you can’t visit southern Florida without seeing some ‘gators.  In Orlando, Gatorland offers a range of close encounters including trainer for a day and an after hours tour to the park’s breeding marsh.  Another option is an airboat ride in the Everglades at sunset to see birds and ‘gators. Most of these trips leave from the Miami area.  Don’t forget to bring the bug spray!

We have also enjoyed kayaking through the shallow mangrove swamps of the Keys and getting glimpses of the tiny endangered key deer found at the National Key Deer Refuge on Big Pine Key about 30 minutes north of Key West.  You certainly won’t run out of things to do!

Photo Courtesy Gatorland

The Barcelo Riviera Maya complex does a great job of reaching a wide range of groups including couples, families, and seniors; this is an ideal destination for multi-generational travel. In addition to appealing to a variety of ages and generations, the resort works for a variety of income brackets too by offering a multitude of lodging options at different price points. All the resort accommodations share the same stretch of stunning Caribbean beachfront.

I visited the resort during Spring Break and was surprised by the lack of wild college kids at there. Instead, the resort was filled with young families, parents with their high school-aged children, and couples looking for a fun holiday without the often overwhelming party atmosphere some resorts provide.

Parents will appreciate the availability of a kids’ club which entertains children while mom and dad relax on the beach or grab a beverage from the swim up bar.  Kids will enjoy the gentle waves at the beach and a water play area with slides, sprayers, and shallow pools. Older kids will love checking out the wide variety of non-motorized water equipment, the multitude of fun organized activities put on by resort staff, and mini disco to hang out in at night.

Grandparents will love getting a massage on the beach, watching one of the nightly shows the resort hosts, and wide variety of dining options from buffets to fine french cuisine.  The resort is also in close proximity to eco-adventure parks, the Tulum ruins, and the charming beachside town of Playa Del Carmen which makes it a great home base for exploring the Mayan coast.