How To Volunteer On Vacation
Choosing a volunteer vacation when so many have entered mainstream travel options can be a daunting task, especially for families and teens. It's truly an opportunity to see the world, enrich lives, serve others and, for students, even give their college resumes a boost. Here are some tips to help families select an appropriate volunteer vacation, then make the most of...
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Sponsor Allianz Global Assistance Helps Student Travelers Every Day
We want to thank Allianz Global Assistance for their sponsorship of the annual FTF Teen Travel Writing Scholarship for 2019. Did you know they assist student travels every day, in many other ways? Operating in 34 countries, Allianz Global Assistance is a leading insurance and assistance company that provides...
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Peak Moments from Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro
“I’m going to climb Mount Kilimanjaro and plant trees with Jane Goodall!” “A bucket list trip?” people would ask. For the record I hate the word bucket list about as much as I despise the phrase 24/7. So pedestrian. No, my husband and I were invited by a guy who use to babysit our kids on Christmas Eve so we could go to church. Jeff Bonaldi grew up and told me he left Citi Bank...
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9 Lessons Learned: Michelle Obama on Becoming a Family Traveler
I recently learned some family travel lessons from Michelle Obama, one of the most traveled women in the world. Anyone who’s had the pleasure of reading Becoming, the new...
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Required Documents For Travel With Minors
Solo Parents, Grandparents and Guardians can satisfy legal requirements before crossing international borders with minor children by using these Permission to Travel Letter and Children's Consent forms. The Family Travel Forum community has learned the hard way that you need this paperwork: in the special FTF report “
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8 Ways Travel Alerts Should Impact Your Vacation
Frightening travel alerts, amplified by the 24-hour news cycle and lots of genuinely bad news, have become a daily occurrence… and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Although terror incidents, strikes, swarms of refugees, Zika and extreme politics have affected travelers the past few years, these crises usually don’t deter young parents from traveling the world with their children. But...
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Permission To Travel and Travel Consent Letters And Why You Need Them
Adults traveling outside the U.S. with children under 18, other than their own, must have a Permission or minor travel consent letter from both of the minors' guardians. The travel consent letter also covers a child traveling internationally with only one birth parent, one guardian, grandparents or other adults. This written and notarized Permission to Travel Letter from both birth...
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Family-Friendly River Cruises
With 17 ships in its fleet, Uniworld is considered a first-class river cruising company. The company has been recognized by both the 2018 Travel + Leisure "World’s Best River Cruise Line" and the Globe Travel Awards "Best River Cruise Company" awards, as well as several recognitions from Conde Nast Traveler...
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Travel Insurance For Families
We love travel insurance and won't leave home without it. Since the very first holiday spent battling storms and re-booking missed flights (at great expense), our family has found it essential. It should be for every smart vacation planner, too, particularly when traveling with kids. Hopefully, none of you will ever need it, but I urge you to consider purchasing family travel insurance...
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Trends: Halal Tourism, By and For Muslims
Travel by Muslims, whether or not they are actively religious or following Islamic social laws, is a market segment known as Halal Tourism. (Halal means a code of dietary laws, similar to the kosher dietary rules followed by some Jews.) The travel industry, particularly in the Middle East and Arab world, has long recognized that even non-religious travelers have cultural preferences that can be...
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