Vacation Nannies In Jamaica…

As a first-time mom, I was very uncomfortable with the thought of leaving my daughter in a baby club, or in the care of someone other than a family member whether we were at home or away. But once my son came along, I understood the appeal – BIG TIME. Now as a travel agent specializing in family vacations, I’m finding my clients are like two different versions of me – the first-time parents and family travelers, who don’t need a resort with a lot of bells and whistles (yet), and those who have two and maybe even three little ones, and they NEED. A. BABY. CLUB.

Most resorts offer some form of private babysitting, or can refer you to a local agency who can help out. But this can really add up, plus the convenience of having a baby club on site  - a place to drop off the little ones, even to get them into some air-conditioning for a little bit – can mean a real vacation for you and your partner too.

Obviously this list is a work in progress, but I’ve compiled all the resorts with baby clubs in the Caribbean and Mexico and listed them by country…

Varadero Beach, Cuba

Resorts with Baby Clubs in Cuba
While Cuba still sometimes struggles with the perception of less-then-appetizing food or somewhat haphazard amenities, Cuba is awesome for families. It is safe and clean, and while the number of resorts that can accommodate large families is somewhat astounding (ie – very very few) it actually has quite a lot of resorts with baby clubs. CLICK HERE

Resorts with Baby Clubs in the Dominican Republic
Punta Cana seems to be the place to be, as all the resorts with baby clubs in the Dominican Republic seem to be located here. While the mega-resorts can seem huge and a little overwhelming, knowing there’s a well-regarded baby club that will happily take your baby or toddler for a little while might give you a chance to explore some of it. CLICK HERE

Resorts with Baby Clubs in Jamaica
Jamaica kids of takes the cake when it comes to availability of baby clubs – with the creme de la creme of two Beaches Resorts plus the wonderfullness that is Franklyn D. Resort and their famed vacation nannies. Jamaica may be pricier than some other Caribbean destinations, but if you factor in the things like potable tap water, good medical care, and great food, and maybe padding the budget a little bit is worth it. CLICK HERE

Club Med Ixtapa Pacific

Resorts with Baby Clubs in Mexico
Mexico and its warm and wonderful family-friendly culture has many destinations with their own appeal, plus so many different accommodation options that are suitable for families. They have some amazing resorts, and some of those resorts offer included baby care (or in the instance of Club Med Ixtapa Pacific, available at an extra cost). Given Mexico’s size, there are actually not that many resorts with baby clubs, and with the exception of Club Med the minimum age to participate starts at one year. CLICK HERE

The post Resorts With Baby Clubs In The Caribbean And Mexico appeared first on Have Baby Will Travel.

Ben With His Daughters In Cuba…

I was so pleased when this turned up in my inbox from Ben – the trip he took to Cuba with his wife and two young daughters is a dream trip for me, and frankly, one that I did not have the courage to take when my kids were smaller. The mission of Have Baby Will Travel is to inspire, motivate, and help families travel with babies, toddlers, and young children – and with this post Ben has inspired, motivated, and helped me! If you’ve dreamed of extended travel throughout Cuba with baby, and hoped to get off the resort trail, read on – and and get in touch if you’re ready to plan your first trip with baby!

Planning For Cuba With Baby:

Pedicab In Camaguey, Cuba

First off, we were a little paranoid after reading about the lack of baby material in general and especially nappies. In fact, nappies in Cuba are not difficult to get hold of (except in Havana Vieja, the best place to go for child things in Havana seems to be the shopping centre at the base of Havana Libre hotel), but they vary significantly in quality and price, whereby among the cheapest also being the best (Brand name: Tenders). We found that we needed to buy a size larger than stated on the packaging to ensure that they would last a while. Even so they are not as good as European nappies, so if you want to avoid having to change nappies at nights its probably best to bring those nappies with you.

You Can Never Go Wrong With A Horse & Carriage Ride

Food – we ate in our Casas quite often, where we got nice, simple traditional Cuban food (lots of rice and beans, but also meat, egg, salad – usually too much for the three of us (incl. big daughter) even though we would only order for the parents. As our baby was eating purees reasonably well, we would ask if they could puree some rice and beans or whatever they had made and that was no problem. It wasn’t salty most of the time, so that was a good meal covered too.

Not To Miss Touring Cuba With Baby:

Cuba Is More Than Just Beaches, But They Are Awesome

The all-inclusive hotel at the end (Sol Palmeras) was nice, but not ideally suited for very small children (they didn’t have enough baby seats, entertainment as of 5 year olds, no significant playground) but was fine, great beach, ok baby pool, food was good and the huge choice meant all always found something to their tastes. But being in Varadero is not experiencing Cuba, while travelling independently does let you get at least a vague idea of what life is like there – especially with kids! (You go to places away from the normal tourist route, people are even more friendly and helpful).

The post Travel Stories: A Month In Cuba With A Baby & Toddler appeared first on Have Baby Will Travel.

Stacey and her beautiful daughter at the Now Amber, Puerto Vallarta

We travelled for the first time with our 8 month old daughter to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, staying at the all-inclusive Now Amber Resort & Spa for one week in early February 2013.

The Flight: We flew direct from Ottawa with Sunwing. We upgraded to Elite Plus which gave us an extra 6 inches of leg room, afforded us an extra 10 kg baggage allowance (30kg instead of the standard 20kg), and gave us priority check-in at the airport; yay for no line-ups! In my opinion these three “perks” were well worth the cost of the upgrade. A lap infant takes up more room than I realized and we took full advantage of our extra baggage allowance.

Our flight was supposed to depart at 3:30pm but upon arrival at the airport we learned it was delayed 3 hours (and later an additional 2). We checked our bags at the counter and took the baby back home for a proper nap before heading back.

Back at the airport, we went through security and then watched the departures monitor as our departure time inched forward little by little. In the end, we were delayed about 5 hours in total. Needless to say, the Little Miss was exhausted by the time we boarded.

Baby was overstimulated and fussy and therefore didn’t want to fall a sleep on the flight, despite it being way past her bedtime. We were able to keep her fairly content by standing, sitting, bouncing, singing, pointing out new things, etc. We also brought a few small new toys for her to play with. They entertained her for only a short time, but I’m still glad we brought them.

We packed an arsenal of disinfectant wipes and wiped down everything within her reach as soon as we boarded (and boy did she reach!).

Little Miss finally passed out from sheer exhaustion at around the 3 1/2 hour mark and slept for about 45 mins, long enough that when she woke up there wasn’t too much left of the 5 hour flight. The flight was anything but relaxing, but we hadn’t expected it to be.

One thing I hadn’t planned on was not being allowed to breastfeed during take-off and landing to help with baby’s ears. I had counted on this after having read countless trip reports on travelling with a baby, so I was surprised when they told me I had to hold her against me in the “burping” position. I suppose it makes sense, but I do think her ears bothered her during take-off and landing, particularly on the way home.

The flight home was far less eventful. There was a 1 1/2 hour delay but they were able to shave some time off the flight itself so we only arrived home an hour late. Aside from the crying during take-off (and boy did she cry), Little Miss slept the whole way…on me. No pee breaks for Mommy, but it was worth it to have a quiet, sleeping baby. For that return flight, despite having paid for the seats with more leg room, I discovered a few empty rows near the back of the plane after take-off, so I went back and chose a row, lifted all the arm rests and cozzied up as best I could for the long haul. My husband checked on us often and helped me with my meal so that the baby could keep sleeping. After all, happy baby, happy parents! Tip: I learned quickly to keep my seatbelt buckled at all times so as not to risk waking a sleeping baby when the seatbelt sign comes on and the flight attendants come around to make you buckle up!

Toward the end of the flight I moved back up to my seat in the 3rd row so that we could be first off the aircraft and avoid the line-up at customs. *Something to consider if you’re flying with a lap infant: on Sunwing and on most aircraft the armrests don’t lift up in the first row (and on the Sunwing 737 aircraft the first row on the right hand side of the plane is actually labelled “row 2″).

I changed baby’s diaper once on the plane. I used the change table in the bathroom – doable but a bit of a challenge to fold down and disinfect one-handed while holding baby (those bathrooms are so disgusting, I couldn’t bring myself not to wipe down whatever she could reach). If I were to do it again I’d have my husband hold her while I set up/wiped down the change station, or potentially even use an empty row of seats if that were an option.

Gear: We plan to travel often with our little one so these purchases made sense for us.

For starters, we brought a car seat just in case we had to ride in anything other than a bus in Mexico. We bought the Cosco Scenera on sale specifically for travelling so as not to risk damaging our Britax, and we practiced installing and removing it at home before the trip. We packed it in a duffle bag. We didn’t end up having to use it but it gave me great peace of mind.

UPPAbaby G-Luxe

We also decided to buy an UPPAbaby G-luxe umbrella stroller specifically for travel; it was worth every penny and we found ourselves singing its praises several times on this trip, starting at the airport. We splurged on the G-Luxe travel bag as well. We kept the stroller with us until we boarded the plane and then put it in its protective bag and gate checked it. The bag probably wasn’t necessary but I liked knowing that if the stroller was damaged on the aircraft while in the bag, UPPAbaby would fix/replace it free of charge. It took all of 30 seconds, if that, to get the G-Luxe in and out of the bag and while not in use it fit into the basket under the stroller. The sun shade on this stroller is superb and we love that the seat back reclines.

We also tucked a small soft-structured baby carrier (the Beco Butterfly II) into our carry-on bag. This particular carrier can be used front and back, and can also be rolled up and clipped around your waist like a fanny pack. If you wear the “fanny pack” to the side, your baby can sit on it and you can carry her on your hip without having to use any muscle power – handy if you’re standing around with an antsy baby but don’t want to go so far as to strap them into the carrier. We found the front-carry option particularly handy upon arrival at the airport in Mexico at 2:00am when baby was tired and fussy and just wanted to be held. It allowed us both to be hands-free so we could collect and carry/drag/push all our bags and gear.

While you can hardly call it “gear”, Sippin’ Spouts deserve a mention here as they turned out to be the most used items on our trip. They are a pair of different sized sippy cup-type nozzles that screw on to water bottles so your baby can stay hydrated on the go. Fantastic and inexpensive.

Even less expensive but equally handy were the plethora of large ziplock bags we brought. They held everything from snacks to wet bathing suits and they were especially handy for toting diapers, wipes, and bum cream around inside a sandy beach bag.

Now Amber, Puerto Vallarta – Courtesy AM Resorts

The Resort: The Now Amber, located 10-15 mins from the airport, was nothing short of excellent. Beautiful, modern, spotless and service-oriented. This place has it all.

When we arrived at 2:30am, check-in was quick and painless. No bracelets, no fuss, no muss.

There were a few hiccups when we got to our room, the biggest one being no crib. Of less immediate importance, the electronic safe wasn’t working and there was no remote for the TV. We called the front desk and within minutes there was someone there setting up the crib, someone else delivering the TV remote and a third person repairing the safe. We were in bed, lights out and snoring by 3:30am. Very impressed.

The only other hiccup, though not much of an issue for us, seemed to be the unpredictability of the housekeeping. Some guests said it was 5:00pm before their room was cleaned. On our first day they showed up at 2:00pm. We simply asked if our room could be cleaned earlier so that we could come back to the room with the baby to nap in the afternoon and they were very accommodating. Our room was cleaned before noon every day and only once did we need to prompt them.

Now Amber, Puerto Vallarta – Courtesy AM Resorts

Guest rooms were beautiful and very spacious, and offered free (thats right, free!) in-room calling to Canada and the U.S., no strings attached. The hotel even had its own app you could download where you could check out the day’s activities, review your room charges, and even transfer your room phone in order to place and receive calls from your mobile device for free. Very impressive.

Rooms were equipped with fully stocked mini-bars, including 4 bottles of water daily. We drink a lot of water and on more than one occasion called down to ask for 10 bottles to get us through the day. It was never an issue. Bottles of water were also readily available at all the resort’s bars.

The bathroom in our hotel room was huge and had a separate tub and large walk-in shower with a bench seat and an adjustable shower head that you could remove and hold to rinse off. We found this to be the easiest way to bathe the baby as she tries to drink the bath water at home and we were not willing to risk her getting a mouthful of water down there. It was a two-person job but it did the trick.

There is a buffet and several a la carte restaurants on the property, none of which require advance reservations. Some restaurants are adults only, but there are always multiple options for families for dinner. And we were always offered a high chair, although we usually just left baby in the stroller as she seemed content. Don’t mess with a good thing, right? And let’s not forget the 24 hour room service, which turned out to be our friend on more than one occasion. After a day of adventure off the resort it hardly seemed fair to ask a tired 8 month old to then sit through dinner. Room service has a 30 minute guarantee, which they actually adhere to (shocking, I know!) and which is so much appreciated when you need the food to get there in a jiffy so that you can get a tired baby to bed without interruptions.

Our munchkin was a bit young for the kids’ “Explorer Club” but it looked great. They had tons of activities and a fantastic looking, well shaded kids area with all the very best equipment. I noticed that they even had a program where you could drop your little ones off for dinner and a movie while you enjoy a Mommy/Daddy dinner date. Their teen area (the name escapes me) had rave reviews as well. It was basically a teenager’s hangout paradise, with all the latest gadgets.

The hotel grounds are beautiful and grand, yet the property is small enough that you are never too far from your room; much appreciated with baby in tow. There are 3 pools and a hot tub on the property. The kid’s pool is complete with a water slide, and the beach front pool has a swim up bar for thirsty mommies and daddies. Pool and beach-side drink/food service was great. The pools were kept very clean and we saw technicians there daily, both day and evening, checking to ensure optimal quality of the pool water.

Check-out at the hotel was very simple. Nothing to sign, no towel cards to turn in or bracelets to cut off. Simply turn in your keys and away you go. Check out was at noon but our airport transfer was at 6:30pm and for $10/hour we were able to keep our room until we left. It was well worth it to have a place for baby to nap and to wash the sand and sunscreen off before the trek home.

Puerto Vallarta: A beautiful city that is very easy to get around both walking and by bus (which you catch on the main street outside the hotel). Taxis are also plentiful and inexpensive but we didn’t want to be bothered installing and then dragging around the car seat (and weren’t comfortable riding in a cab with the baby on our laps, although it seems to be commonly done down there) so we walked and took the bus everywhere. Hold on *tightly* if you’re trying out the bus. It’s quite a ride.

The downtown area and beautiful seaside “malecon” (boardwalk) is about a 20-25 minute walk from the hotel. Watch your step though! The roads and sidewalks tend to want to jump up and bite you. Walk all the way south along the Malecon until it ends (around Los Muertos Beach) and you’ll find yourself in the heart of Old Vallarta, with fabulous restaurants and artisan shops abound.

Just outside the hotel is a local department store called Coppel that is great in a pinch if you need clothing or baby gear. Prices are pretty well the same as North America. Down the street about a 5 minute walk is a WalMart-esque store called Mega that has a larger selection and brands that you’re more likely to recognize (e.g. Pampers), not to mention they sell groceries and alcohol.

All in all, our first trip with baby could not have gone better and as a result we’re already planning our next adventure. The key for us was learning to go with the flow, which I’ll admit was a bit of a struggle at times. But we kept reminding each other of the best two pieces of first-time baby travel advice that we received:

 1. Relax! Babies feel your stress. If you’re fretting about the flight, baby will know. Of course, do whatever you can to keep baby happy in the air, but if a meltdown ensues and the other passengers are giving you the stink-eye, remember that you paid for your ticket just the same as they did and try to roll with the punches. It wont last forever; and

2. This vacation will not be like your pre-baby vacations where you had the freedom to come and go as it pleased you. Go with baby’s flow, accept the slower pace and embrace it, because the moment you do it all gets easier.

Happy travels!

The post Travel Stories: Puerto Vallarta With Baby appeared first on Have Baby Will Travel.

NOW I Know What The Badlands Look Like…

Note the “u” in favourite – that’s a dead ringer right there that gives away the fact that I am a Canadian gal through and through. But up until a while ago, I’d seen much more of the rest of the world than of my home and native land. I’m delighted to say that since having kids, that’s starting to change.

My favourite Canadian destinations are pretty much every place we’ve been – some I can recommend more than others depending on the age of your children and the activity level your family prefers. But know this about Canada – it’s safe, it’s clean, and it’s a great place to visit.

Québec City, PQ

Wandering Vieux-Québec)

Québec City was our very first trip with Bub – at just 10 weeks we wanted to stay somewhat close to home and we felt given his age and our daughter’s love of castles, Québec City was a great choice! While it’s most famous for its Winter Carnival, our Canada Day weekend spent there was a wonderful mix of Canada and Europe. While the steep steps and cobblestone streets of Vieux Québec can give you and your stroller a workout, Québecois culture adores children and families – you are welcome everywhere with a baby or toddler in tow.

Drumheller, AB

Bub And His “Rock River” At The HooDoos…

I had no idea anything like the badlands existed in Canada. On our drive from Calgary to Drumheller, Alberta I kept wondering if I’d even recognize them – and my husband kept laughing! Once we crossed over from the prairie the change was unmistakable, and you could imagine you’re somewhere near Vegas or Utah – not in Northern Canada. The drive from Calgary is short – well under 2 hours – and there’s more than just the Royal Tyrrell Museum to check out. The real highlight of that trip for my kids was climbing the HooDoos, and the highlight for me from that stop was watching them climb the HooDoos (in between nail biting, of course!) While you could easily tote a baby along for the ride, older toddlers and preschoolers will get the most out of the museum and exploring the landscapes – not to mention the pool in the motel!

Toronto, ON

Centre Island Ferry, Toronto

Come on… we live here for a reason! I’m rare in that I was born and raised here in Toronto, but my husband as a transplanted Albertan is now officially (begrudgingly) a Torontonian raising two Torontonians here. This city is not only home for me, but it is our playground that we explore during all four seasons – Toronto with kids is awesome. We’ve had plenty of summer staycations here, and though we ARE the centre of the Universe when it comes to Canada, we’re also so close to so many beautiful resorts in Ontario for when you need to escape. Perhaps I’m lucky to be able to say that my favourite Canadian destination is the city that I live in, but that’s why after all our travels I’m always so happy to come home.

Happy to share the Canada love! I’m tagging Lisa Goodmurphy of Gone With The Family, Deborah Peniuk of Aya Life and Christine Duncan to tell you why they think Canada is amazing!

(And follow the series on Twitter: #MyCanada)

The post Favourite Canadian Destinations For Families – This Is My Canada appeared first on Have Baby Will Travel.

Our First Christmas In The Sand Instead Of Snow

Happy New Year to my wonderful Have Baby Will Travel Readers! 2012 started sadly for me with the loss of my father, and ended much the same way with the loss of my father-in-law. Thanks to him we have had many wonderful visits to see him in Florida, and his sudden passing presented us not only with grief and sadness but also with a new challenge – an unplanned and un-budgeted for family road trip to Florida. Flights were out of the question. We had to drive.

I may have mentioned it here before once or a dozen times, but we are not car people. My kids complain for the ten minutes we have to drive to activities or the grocery store. They did amazing on our family road trip across Alberta. But the longest leg on that trip was four hours, and the drive to Florida from Toronto takes anywhere from 20-24 hours depending on where you’re going and which route you take. I reached out to my wonderful family travel community for advice and got some great tips that served us well.

The general consensus was to break it up into at least two days – with at least one overnight stay. According to our various online map generators, the drive to Florida would take roughly 21 hours. And that’s not accounting for stops for gas, washroom breaks, food, etc. We needed to get to Tarpon Springs, which is just outside of Tampa. The drive to Tampa is a bit longer and not as direct as the one to Orlando, thus the additional couple of hours.

And we did it, and we survived! I will go into specifics in future posts, but here is the gist of our trip:

Getting There:

For the drive down we left at 9pm after my daughter’s Christmas concert. We packed up the car, (silently cursing at the size of the Christmas gifts that we had to bring with us) and I modified my road trip tips for a longer drive – the car was recently tuned up, I had a cooler bag and a snack bag within reach, as well as a bag of supplies close by with wipes, a stash of grocery bags to use for garbage and/or carsickness (we were blessedly vomit-free in both directions), and had all our documents and our map and directions info on my iPad.

A Gorgeous Savannah Morning

Bub fell asleep by 9:45pm, and my daughter was up a little later. But both of them mostly slept straight through until a rest stop around 8:30am in North Carolina. We stopped for breakfast in Statesville, NC for about an hour, where I also got the kids out of their pajamas and washed faces/brushed teeth, and then continued on to Savannah and got there around 3pm. Savannah was my choice to stop even though it was much further than halfway, but I always wanted to visit there and I’m glad we made the effort. We were pretty much write-offs after checking in to our hotel and getting dinner, but we had a great sleep (out by 8pm – unheard of for us grown-ups!) and had a wonderful morning exploring before continuing on. We headed for Florida at 1:30, and got to my brother-in-law’s by 7:30pm. Oddly the 2nd leg of the drive, at six hours, felt a lot longer than the first, which was 18 hours altogether.

The Reward For Spending 24hrs In The Car

We delighted the kids with a surprise visit to Walt Disney World after spending Christmas with family and attending my father-in-law’s memorial. More on that later, of course, but suffice to say a visit to “The Happiest Place On Earth”, no matter how busy, is wonderful during the Holiday Season and a great place to lift your spirits and close out a challenging year.

We figured we’d dawdle our way back North after Disney, but we all just wanted to get home.

Getting Home:

We’d decided to spend the night in St. Augustine, for pretty much the same reason we opted to visit Savannah on the way down. But my husband wasn’t feeling well, so instead of exploring America’s oldest town, we checked into a hotel near I95, had McDonalds for our New Year’s Eve dinner, and headed for home at around 11am on New Year’s Day. We were going to play it by ear, but ultimately we decided to “Give ‘Er” and go for the drive home straight. After a stop for gas and snacks in West Virginia where I changed the kids into their jammies (troupers after being in the car all day) we blasted into the night. We made it home shortly after 5am, carried the sleeping kids to their beds, unloaded the car as quickly as we could, and fell into bed ourselves. Luckily the kids slept until 9:45, so we actually managed a solid four hours’ sleep, which felt awesome.

Like I said, my family travel community was incredibly supportive and offered a wealth of tips, but probably the one that stuck out most came from Linda Kramer who hosts the blog Travels With Children. She said, “If the kids are happy, keep driving no matter how hungry YOU are or how much you need to use the bathroom. The kids will let you know when they’re restless, and that’s a good time for a break. If they’re quiet and content (or especially sleeping) do not interrupt it or you may not get the peace back again for quite some time.”

Although the reason for this trip was sad, I’m glad we did it. The drives were quite cathartic after a crazy year and my husband and I managed to have long conversations about important and unimportant things that we never seem to have or make time for. Also? This trip felt empowering. We would never have attempted this drive unless we had to, and now that we’ve done it, so many places that seemed out of reach since we could not justify the cost of flights are now totally doable. New York City, Chicago, Boston – eight to ten hour drives are no longer daunting. Look out Eastern Seaboard, in 2013 here we come!

The post Our Family Road Trip… We Did The Drive To Florida appeared first on Have Baby Will Travel.

Honeymoon Island, Florida

For the holidays this year we are taking an unexpected and not-budgeted-for trip to Florida. Sadly this is due to a death in the family, but we will try to make the most of our time there by spending time with family in the warm sun and will definitely make a few trips to the beach.

But flying to Florida is not as affordable as it used to be, and certainly not now during the Holiday season. Even our tried and true way to save (flying Southwest out of Buffalo) actually costs more than flying from Toronto for once. Airfares are getting out of control, and I often wish we had more of a system like in Europe or the UK, where budget airlines seem to be the rule rather than the exception, and escaping to somewhere warm usually means a cut price flight to Malaga or Tennerife barely cost more than a fancy meal out.

I am no stranger to traveling on a budget, but I have avoided road tripsI fear road trips not because my kids are restless in the car, but because I am. The 20+ hours we will spend on the road fills me with a lot of nervousness, but we are going to face this challenge the same way we did flying with a newborn or our first time traveling with a toddler – we’re going to make like a boy scout and be prepared.

I have tips from friends who have done this drive several times and actually prefer it to flying. I am part of an amazing family travel community who have showered me with advice which I’ll also share with you.

We figure at this time of year, with this amount of notice, flights for four people to Florida plus a rental car for just over a week would cost between $3500 – $4000. We anticipate that including gas, food, and lodging the road trips should cost less than $500 each way. That’s roughly a quarter the overall cost, and then we would also have the comfort of our own car and car seats to get around while we’re there.

Please share any road trip tips you may have, and if you’ve done the drive and can make any suggestions, even better! I’ll fill you in on our progress, and will most certainly share all we’ve learned along the way.

Many thanks to CheapFlights.co.uk for inspiring this post.

The post Drive Or Fly? Traveling On A Budget appeared first on Have Baby Will Travel.

Photo Courtesy: visitlondonimages/ britainonview/ Pawel Libera

I am a first generation Canadian. With a Glaswegian mum and Mancunian dad, growing up in Canada always meant trips “home” to the UK. But London is one of those places that is largely unexplored for me. Outside of a few brief visits when I was a child, and a glorious couple of days there in my twenties, London remains, for me, one of those places I just HAVE to go back to – if only to show my royalty-obsessed daughter Buckingham Palace.

I am fortunate in that when we do get over for a visit, I won’t have to navigate tube stations with a stroller, nor juggle a car seat in the back of a black cab. But I am fascinated with the idea of going back in time to seeing the real “Big Smoke” with a cooing baby instead of rambunctious kids.

London With Baby…

To start, even some of London’s luxury hotels are very family friendly. Besides offering specials for families during British school holidays, babies and infants (0-2 years) stay free of charge at the luxury boutique Grange Hotels, and high chairs and cots are available on request. Grange has hotels at Covent Garden, as well as within walking distance from most popular attractions, tube stations, and other transport links.

Most advice for getting around on the tube with a baby suggests avoiding rush hour if at all possible, especially with a buggy or stroller. I do recall those escalators being very narrow and super steep, so this may be one instance where a carrier is strongly recommended – or perhaps just fold up your umbrella stroller while riding the tube. Most tube stations are now fully-accessible, so if those in a wheelchair can manage, you certainly could in a stroller, but there are also a number of completely step-free tube stations to more easily glide on and off.

But perhaps even trickier is the idea of a black cab with or without a car seat. Legally in most cities, children do not need to be restrained in a car seat while riding in the back of a taxi. But this did not sit right with me when mine were tiny, we always traveled with our car seats and continue to bring along their boosters. You can certainly install your car seat into most taxis and these days most modern black cabs have a central arm rest that converts to a booster seat that can be used for older children (in the 22-36kg/48-79lbs weight range). Mini cabs might be the way to go, as many cab companies can provide a child seat if you ask for one.

London is such a magical city, and I love just thinking of strolling the marvelous (and many!) parks and museums with a little one content to be strolled or carried. But I have no doubt that London with my kids will be amazing, just probably a little louder and busier

Many thanks to Grange Hotels for supporting this article.

The post London Calling – Dreaming of London With Baby appeared first on Have Baby Will Travel.

The Elves Also Make These!

One day when my kids no longer believe in Santa Claus, I’ll be sad. But I’ll also be excited because we’ll be able to start choosing more experiential gifts for one another during the Holidays, like travel. Right now if we go away during the Holiday Season, the usual Santa-load is expected. Yes, this is a monster that I created, but I’m willing to eat that so long as they believe in the magic of Christmas.

But thanks to the amount of travel they have done, my children understand how much they have by seeing others who live with much less. One of my favourite conversations with my daughter was about how families live in Cuba. We chatted about how the Cuban families we’ve met live in much smaller homes with much fewer possessions. I asked her if they seemed unhappy, and she said no. Through the gift of travel my children are understanding that there is no one “perfect” way to live, but so long as your needs are met and you have a loving family you have every reason to be happy.

Travel expands all five of your senses, and being able to share this gift with my children makes me so grateful for the privilege. You see new things, hear new sounds, smell new smells, taste new foods and feel new things – like sand between your toes or the ancient stone of a centuries-old fort. Travel is a gift, and I delight in sharing it with my kids.

But the Holiday Season is not all about them, and they know that. Every year we donate to a family in need. Though my daughter’s school we also donate to a family. But we are well aware that our health is probably our most precious gift of all. For every share on Facebook of this video, KINDER® will donate $1.00 (up to $5000) to the Children’s Miracle Network – the non-profit organization dedicated to saving and improving the lives of children by raising funds for children’s hospitals.

KINDER® Eggs are a staple for us as a travel treat, and also inhabit our children’s stockings every year. They are a wonderful combination of treat and toy, and something they enjoy as a special treat just for them.

Disclosure: I’m part of the Kinder® Mom program and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.

The post A Joy To Share – The Gift Of Travel appeared first on Have Baby Will Travel.

“Wishes” Fireworks Over Cinderella’s Castle, Walt Disney World

We all have fond memories of childhood vacations, whether it was a weekend at a national monument or a trip to see family in another state. But as much fun as those childhood trips were, many destinations aren’t as exciting to visit as an adult. Waterparks and roller coasters lose their appeal as we get older, but there are a few childhood vacation sites that are worth revisiting as an adult. Some are mainly nostalgic, while others have just as much to offer adults as they do kids.

Here are four childhood vacation destinations that are worth a return visit.

1. Disneyland and Walt Disney World – A lot of kids visited Disneyland or Walt Disney World at least once during their childhoods. The theme parks are distinctly aimed at children, but each offers a great time for adults as well. Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Fla, has spas, golf courses, luxury suites and shows that make it a great vacation no matter how old you are. And while Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., is also aimed at a younger demographic, floating along the Pirates of the Caribbean ride or seeing the fireworks at dusk is an enjoyable way to relive old memories.
2. Myrtle Beach – A popular childhood vacation destination on the East Coast is Myrtle Beach, S.C. Many families in surrounding states make a ritual of visiting the beach every summer, and the best thing about beaches is that anyone can enjoy them. If Myrtle Beach used to be a favorite vacation of yours, go back and check it out; the sand is still as warm and the water is still inviting.
3. Washington, D.C. – Most kids visit Washington, D.C., at some time in their lives, whether it’s a middle school field trip or a family road trip. And while exploring the reconstructed dinosaurs in the Smithsonian Museum as a child is exhilarating, Washington, D.C., is much more enjoyable as an adult. Not only will you get more out of the monuments, museums and historic government buildings than you did when your attention span was shorter, but the downtown area is a place filled with cultural sites. There are excellent restaurants, gorgeous parks and art galleries that make D.C. well worth a return visit.
4. Redwood National Park – Everything seems bigger when you’re a kid, but Redwood National Park is one place where that feeling doesn’t go away when you get older. Head back to California to drive under a hollowed-out trunk, but this time bring your camping gear. Rather than driving through and taking a few pictures like you probably did when you were a kid, pitch a tent in a camping-approved area and enjoy a couple days with the tallest trees in the world.

There are a lot of places that you visited as a kid that are just as fun as an adult. Just remember that if you’re road-tripping to any of these destinations, things like car maintenance and your auto insurance policy should be up to date. If not, have a local mechanic check out your vehicle to make sure it’s road worthy, and go online to quickly compare automobile insurance quotes.

Note: Sponsored content was created and provided by Nationwide Insurance.

The post 4 Childhood Vacation Spots You Should Revisit | Family Road Trip Ideas appeared first on Have Baby Will Travel.

I Got This…

Flying with toddlers – the very thought of it is probably the single biggest stress that families cope with when they’re considering a family vacation. And as even the most-traveled families will tell you, once a kid hits two, all bets are off. Although for us *three was the new two* in a lot of cases, I’m actually quite proud to say that we have not once been kicked off a flight, that in spite of a mid-flight barf-o-rama and the odd airplane toilet drama, we’ve made it through our years of flying with toddlers relatively unscathed. I say relatively, since on our last flight when Bub was just-turned-three (so technically a preschooler, not matter how much that hurts to say!) he threw a full-on, screaming red-faced tantrum. Dun dun dun.

Flying With Toddlers or Preschoolers…

I am pleased to say that we flew a fair amount with both our daughter and Bub during this age range, and for us (aforementioned whopper tantrum aside) it has been pretty painless. Now my kids have flown a lot, and that means they know what kind of behavior is expected on an airplane, and they know they’re on their way somewhere fun so they can manage to sit for a few hours. They also know they will be plied with treats and technology not usually forked over with such abandon. Needless to say, my kids actually like flying.

But my nephews didn’t go on their first trip until they were four and two. And the eldest was actually quite scared and the two-year-old was very two. That was a tough flight.

Biggest concerns:

Toddlers are busy. Bub was and is busy. He doesn’t sit still. He doesn’t like hearing no for an answer.  And though he’d flown well for all of our trips, I am not smug enough to think his unpredictability would not bite me in the behind. I didn’t want to be a Negative Nellie so I hoped for the best, and prepared for the worst – my typical parenting mantra, actually.

The reality:

So. The tantrum. THE tantrum. After an amazing week driving across Alberta and then attending a family wedding, Bub was tired – we all were. And as we boarded our 7am flight from Edmonton to Toronto, we took advantage of Air Canada’s family pre-board and headed on back to get settled. On the way out, Bub had the window seat, so the flight home meant it was his sister’s turn. But he wasn’t having it, nosiree! This was a screaming-hitting-kicking-knock the coffee out of my hand-frothing at the mouth-trying to pull my hair- kinda tantrum. And I was paralyzed. The flight attendant’s clipped and perfunctory, “Can I do anything?” didn’t help. In between trying to restrain him in his seat belt while avoiding getting knocked out by baby Balboa, I turned on the seat-back entertainment (thank you, Air Canada!!) And it was truly like a switch had been flipped – he immediately calmed down, put on his headphones, and watched The Wiggles. And thanks to the pre-board, none of our now boarding fellow passengers was the wiser, except maybe the other families on board who were thanking their lucky stars it wasn’t them! Bub slept for most of the flight. It was glorious.

I know *the tantrum* happened not really because he wanted the window seat, but because he was exhausted and the seat was the last straw.  Whether your toddler or preschooler has their own frequent flier account, or it’s their first flight, you have to approach flying in almost the same way you do with a younger baby. Follow the five Ts. Have an arsenal of snacks and treats and don’t be afraid to use them. Make sure they have something to eat or drink during take off and landing, and try to book flights for “sleepy” times. If you’re considering trying to dose your child with Benadryl or Gravol to make them drowsy, please consider some other options, or at least test it to know they won’t get hyper instead – it happens!  Embrace technology, but save it for last. Once the tech is out it’s hard to top.

He Was Born A Travelin’ Man…

Extra consideration:

If they’re inexperienced fliers, they will likely be very excited. But they might also be scared. Toddlers and preschoolers at this age understand enough to know that flying in a plane is not a natural state of affairs, and it might freak them out. And if they’re too excited, you run the risk of them being too excited – and impossible to reason with or sit still which will make an unpleasant first flight for both of you. Some advocate letting them run around at the gate to let them blow off steam before boarding. We have seven stitches in a (then) preschooler’s eyelid that tells us that’s not the right choice for our kids. Plus they’re tough to wind down. Keeping calm with stories and eye spy and watching the hustle and bustle on the jetway works better for our family.

You may consider buying some children’s books about flying – there are a couple of great ones out there and they offer the added bonus of also showing your child how they are expected to behave while en route. With both kids we did a lot of “Well, mommy and daddy and everyone else is wearing their seat belt, so you have to as well.” And also, “Please sit down and be quiet or you’re going to be in big trouble with the lady over there.” (Sorry, Flight Attendants – I know I am not the only parent who feels the pang of knowing my kids listen better to other people than they do to me. I take advantage of that at your expense )

And if you’re potty training? Trips to the bathroom take up a nice amount of time, and allow you to get up and stretch your legs. Make sure you have a change of clothes (or two) in case of accidents, and if you’re not that far into it – don’t be a martyr. Being in a pull-up for a travel day will help save your sanity, and won’t cause any appreciable regression towards your hard-fought toilet teachings. It WILL happen. Just try not to stress over any setbacks.

Toddlers and Preschoolers of this age are actually a lot of fun to travel with. They look ever-so cute pulling their own little carry-ons. And you know this kid now – inside and out. Make sure your bag is packed with enough to keep them fed, busy, and engaged, and you might actually enjoy your flights. Promise!

The post Flying With Baby… Travel Tips For Flying With Toddlers and Preschoolers appeared first on Have Baby Will Travel.