12 PLANNING TIPS TO AVOID DISASTER WHEN TRAVELING WITH FAMILY

Introduction

Traveling together can bring a family closer and create memories that will last a lifetime. Overlooking the wrong preparation detail can make it less enjoyable, or worse, wreck the entire trip. Ensuring a trip goes smoothly requires planning in advance. This article lists 12 planning tips to avoid disaster when traveling with your family.

Check Travel Documents Well in Advance:

You can’t travel without the right, current documents. Be sure everyone in the family has the required documentation, and everything is current. Passports must have at least 6 months remaining before expiry and can take up to 3 months to generate/renew. They should be renewed between 1 year and 6 months before expiry. Don’t wait until you have travel plans to do this!

Know the Rules of TSA PreCheck and Global Entry:

At the very least, TSA PreCheck and Global Entry can save you some time, even though sometimes the precheck lines are longer than the standard lines. More importantly, getting through the airport efficiently may mean the difference between making and missing a flight or a connection. When traveling with family, it’s important to know that there are different rules between TSA PreCheck and Global Entry for children. For example, children 12 and under can go through the PreCheck lane with you with no restrictions; however, children of any age can only enter the U.S. through Global Entry if they are enrolled in Global Entry. If the thought of enrolling your children in Global Entry seems expensive, think again. Enrollment for them is free, as long as a parent is enrolled. The forms can be completed online, but an interview is required, so do this at least a couple of months before you travel.

Pack in Accordance with the 3-1-1 Rule:

This rule is a regulation set by the TSA for carrying liquids in your carry-on luggage when traveling which will reduce hassle when going through security. It means:

· 3.4 ounces (100 milliliters) - Each liquid container must not exceed this size. Gels, creams and aerosols are considered liquids.

· 1 quart-sized bag – All liquid containers must fit comfortably into a single, clear, quart-sized bag.

· 1 bag per passenger – each traveler is allowed only one quart-sized bag of liquids, gels, and aerosols.

Buy a Passport/Credit Card Organizer:

Do you want to teach the kids responsibility?, or do you want to be sure you can get where you’re going without any lost documentation? I recommend opting for the latter, and finding other opportunities to teach responsibility. A lost travel document can wreck a vacation. I have a simple organizer that keeps all passports in one place, as well as credit and debit cards I’ll need, and access passes. I also use it for paper tickets, luggage claim tickets, VAT waiver receipts for goods I purchased, and more.

Take Photos of Your Passports:

If you do lose a passport(s) while traveling, you’ll need to contact the nearest embassy or consulate as soon as possible. The more information you have about your lost passport, the better. You may be able to get a temporary passport for your return trip.

Leverage the Travel Protection Provided by Your Credit Cards:

Travel protection is one of the most overlooked benefits of credit cards. If even a part of the trip is charged to a card, they may provide lost luggage reimbursement, baggage delay insurance, trip cancellation and interruption insurance, trip delay reimbursement, travel accident insurance, emergency evacuation and transport, emergency medical and dental, auto rental coverage, and more. The Chase Sapphire Reserve card provides the absolute best coverage. (See article: Premium Card Comparison – The Fine Print). Take the time to check into the protection details of each of your cards before you book your travel.

Know Airport Lounge Access Rules:

Having airport lounge access can serve as great stress relief when traveling. If you have lounge access based on flight status, airline status, credit card membership or other, keep in mind the lounges have become more and more crowded, often turning away travelers who should have access. Credit cards are beginning to restrict free guest access to enhance member experience. Many lounges accept reservations. It is worth the effort to search in advance not only to which lounges you should have access on your trip, but also where they are located, and to call them to reserve entry if possible. Otherwise, you may be stuck in a crowded airport with no place to sit and long lines for food.

Bring the Little Things That Make the Flight More Comfortable for the Kids:

Airlines do their best to serve good meals and snacks on long flights, but their offer may not align with your children’s tastes. Make sure you bring on board snacks you know your children will eat if they don’t like the airplane food.

Also, airlines make an effort to have a broad range of entertainment available for their passengers. This entertainment again may or may not align with your children’s interests. Before the flight, be sure to have downloaded the most current version of the airline app to take advantage of what they have to offer, and to have downloaded any series or movies you know your children are interested in watching.

Prepping for food and entertainment will keep that long flight from seeming even longer, and from bleeding over into the trip.

Involve the Kids in Planning the Vacation:

The best way to get kids engaged in what you’re doing on a trip is to involve them in planning it. If they choose the things you’re doing, they’ll look forward to doing those things. It may mean you’ll be doing some things that aren’t at the top of your list, but you’ll be doing them together with happy kids. On my last trip, I visited an anatomical museum and a Lamborghini dealership, and I loved them both!

Plan a Vacation Within a Vacation:

So, you’ve booked the trip of a lifetime, and you want to do and see as much as possible while you’re there…after all, you might never have the chance to visit this place again! Keep in mind that the rest of your family may have a different mindset. Sightseeing just might not be as interesting to them as it is to you. Know your family, and know their tolerance for days filled with activities they may or may not want to do. Plan a break during the trip where they don’t have anything scheduled to do, where they can recharge their batteries. As an example, on a recent two-week trip through Italy, we booked a three day stay in Sorrento. We stayed in a quaint hotel with a rooftop pool and bar. During these three days, the only thing we scheduled for our teenage kids was a day trip to Capri, where we took a boat tour around the island and they swam in the clear, blue Mediterranean waters. The other two days, the kids were left to sleep in as long as they wanted and lounge on the rooftop, taking dips in the pool and charging meals to the room. They also wandered out on their own to get snacks and gelato, but the important thing is they were free of 1) parenting, and 2) doing things that didn’t energize them those days. It made the rest of the trip flow much more smoothly.

Summary:

We want to look forward to family trips with anticipation and look back on them with fondness. Without careful planning, those fond memories can be overshadowed by a single event that affects the entire trip. We all focus on choosing the right place to visit and where to stay, but there are other details that can make or break a trip. I hope these tips bring you value in making your next trip memorable.

Please let me know your thoughts on this article, share any additional tips you may have learned, or let me know if there are any other credit card or travel topics you’d like me to write about on Max Your Plastic.

Check Children’s Boarding Passes for the TSA Precheck Mark:

As mentioned above, children 12 and under can go through the PreCheck line with you with no restrictions. Children 13-17 can only go through the PreCheck line if they are under your reservation, or if they are separately enrolled in TSA PreCheck. The TSA Precheck mark should be on their boarding passes in these cases. Check at the ticket counter or on your e-tickets to ensure the mark is there, while you still have time to have the situation rectified. Once you reach the precheck line, it may be too late.

Use Packing Cubes:

Packing cubes are a great way of dividing and sorting your travel clothes into manageable amounts aligned with your trip itinerary. They are also helpful in safeguarding against lost luggage. Put 2 days worth of packing cubes into one, unchecked bag. This ensures that everybody has something to wear while misplaced luggage catches up. As the trip progresses, use the packing cubes to keep dirty clothes separate from clean clothes.