Fire on the Road: An Alaska Trip to Remember
It was before dawn on Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula’s only highway when an official flagged down our rental car. “There is fire on both sides of the road,” she said. “It’s smoky. Be careful. And don’t stop to take pictures.” We didn’t. And it was scary. We were in the middle of a two-week trip to Alaska, on our way to go fishing on the iconic Kenai River, having left...
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9 Questions About the Global Nomad Life You Are Too Shy to Ask
We recently corresponded with Sarah and Gavin Steiner of @AwaywiththeSteiners to learn more about traveling the world full time with kids. Sarah describes their clan as a typical Kiwi family, having taken a year out from a busy lifestyle in New Zealand to travel fulltime with two boys, now 4 and 6. Their passion is for travel that gets them off the beaten track and out adventuring, experiencing...
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Summer: The Season for Fireflies, Fun and Fractures
It’s not a coincidence that the season for extended daylight and outdoor activity is also the season for broken bones. Increased physical activity leads to increased likelihood of bone fractures. Summer vacation means many children are heading outdoors to participate in their favorite sport. The football field, baseball diamond and soccer pitch all see extensive action during this time of...
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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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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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Packing Light: The Ultimate Checklist for Traveling with Your Family
Many people believe that it isn’t possible to pack light with kids without sacrificing your sanity, however, they are wrong. Now I’m not talking about "I'm a backpacker and I wear the same clothes for a month" light, I’m referring to reasonably light.
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China Trip Planner Itinerary for First Time Visitors
Preparing for your grand tour of China, including creating an itinerary to meet your family's interests and managing your time, may be a little easier with these useful tips. When I began planning our family's summer trip to China, it seemed overwhelming, and hard to discern where we would need a tour guide and where we could be totally independent. When I look back on our family vacation, I realize...
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Car Trip Survival Kit
We polled staff and site visitors to compile a list of the top 30 health, safety, and entertainment items guaranteed to keep road trip travelers -- from infants to adolescents -- in their seats. So, without breaking the bank or loading down parents with a lot of excess gear, here's a Car Trip Survival Kit any parent can assemble, probably from gear you already own. For Parents To Carry and...
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How To Get Your Own US Passport To Adventure
Getting a U. S. passport (or replacing or renewing an old one) is a travel essential for any age traveler, since a U.S. citizen's birth certificate will no longer suffice to cross borders. It's a great souvenir of your family travels, too. So whether your family has planned an exotic getaway, or has a new baby on board, whether your passport's about to expire or just needs...
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Favorite Car Games For The Backseat
It is an unfortunate fact of family car trips: kids, despite most efforts, can become pretty restless while cooped up in the backseat. In the past, Family Travel Forum has recommended numerous handy travel games, electronic devices and books to keep traveling children content during a road trip. And while most of these have been effective in keeping the peace, sometimes they cause a severe...
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