Twiniversity

Featured in Spring 2013 issue of Multiplicty Magazine

Spring gently creeping upon us and holiday vacations scheduled for everyone, safety is a number one factor for all families. For moms traveling alone or with your little ones, here are ten things that should be considered while making your travel plans. Let’s start with some at-home planning, before leaving for your vacation.

1. Whether you are a mom traveling alone or with your family, make sure that you do the most research that you can on the location where you will be staying, and it’s surrounding areas. It is always best to stay in a highly populated tourist area close to the city, especially when traveling out of the country. The best places to stay for boarding are usually on popular travel websites, such as Trip Advisor and Travelocity, where you can find other customers’ comments and ratings. If you are traveling alone, leave all forwarding information regarding the name of your hotel, your check in and check-out time, and keep in touch with friends and family back home on a predetermined schedule.
2. Always pack your necessities in your carry-on luggage or an easy to access bag if traveling by car (i.e. passports, driver’s license, itinerary, credit cards, favorite snacks, items for the kids, chargers, and means of communication, etc.). Also, make sure that you begin your journey with a fully charged phone or laptop, and at least $200 in cash.
3. Instead of copying your passport and photo ID, scan and email all passports to yourself.
4. If traveling with your own car, have your mechanic check your oil, make sure your wipers are working, along with all major lights. Most importantly, fill up your tank with gas. Always pay attention to your gas tank along with speedometer on roads with heavy traffic. When your tank is a quarter full, begin to look for a popular, well-lit area to get gas. Don’t wait until the last minute and take the chance of having to drive into a dark, unfamiliar area looking for gas.
5. When traveling with children that are still using a carseat, always bring their own. You are familiar with the history of your child’s carseat, but not that of a borrowed one that may have possibly been in an accident. This safety precaution applies to cribs, as well. You are better off bringing a pack-and-play with you. If you plan to fly,the safety precaution is to make sure that the crib that the hotel is providing is in great condition, is not broken, is a popular brand, and has not been recalled….

…Read tips 6-10 on page 40 & 41 of the Spring 2013 issue of Multiplicity Magazine. Also check out our Great Family Getaways on page 26 for planning a great family vacation!