Help Me Travel Cheap

Travel Deals and Articles For The Week

Craig — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 07:56:50 +0000

Travel Articles

Get Rich Slowly has a fantastic vacation money saving tip Take Only Photographs: Frugal Souvenirs. Seriously, I bet 98% of souvenirs purchased are in the city dump within a year.

A Travel Around The World asks Frequent Flyer Programs, do they really pay off? I’ve asked myself that question before. The answer depends on the day. Sometimes it is yes, (usually when I’m enjoying a free trip) and sometimes it is no (when I’m dealing with the frustration of trying to book rewards travel).

USA today has some Tips for sending teens on a trip. Thanks to NoDebtWorldTravel for including this article in his roundup.

Travel Deals

Money Saving Travel Tip: Plan a vacation for your birthday. Each year Delta Sky Miles members get emails a few weeks before. Delta always offers a promo for traveling around your birthday. This year it’s 2,500 bonus miles for qualifying travel and a possible $100 off a Delta Vacations get away.

Switch to Reliant Energy, and American Airlines is willing to offer you 20,000 AAdvantage points as an incentive. Details here.

Best Western has a promotion that will give you bonus miles when you purchase a Best Western Travel Card® before August 31, 2010. Earn 500 bonus miles for every $100 Travel Card purchase. The Travel Card works just like cash and can be redeemed at over 4,000 Best Western® hotels worldwide.

I got an email this week from Priority Clubs. They are trying to encourage people to travel to Thailand saying, “Your amazing Thailand holiday awaits you. Enjoy special rates from USD45 with complimentary room upgrade and late check-out till 3pm.” I guess political turmoil is good news for anyone who wants to travel cheap – not that Thailand has ever been expensive.

Travel Deals and Articles For The Week is a post from: Help Me Travel Cheap

How to Get a Passport for Kids

Jeri — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 09:43:00 +0000

Applying for infant passports or a passport for kids is not uncommon with the number of families who travel now.

All passengers traveling by air internationally are required to carry their own passports – yes, even newborns and infants. Kids may be little, but they need their own passport.

All of our children have received passports as infants, and the process hasn’t been too painful. Here are the basic steps for getting a passport for kids.

How To Apply for a Passport for Kids

1. Fill out and submit the Application for a US Passport. Be sure you have other documentation required for the application. Also, be aware that the minor (under age 16) must apply in person with both parents/guardians.

2. Prove your US citizenship. This can be done with a passport, birth certificate, Consular Report of Birth Abroad, Naturalization Certificate, or Certificate of Citizenship.

3. Parents/Guardians have to submit evidence of their relationship to the minor. This can be done by presenting: a birth certificate or report of birth abroad with both parents’ names, or a court order proving custody/guardianship.

4. Parents must show ID. You must also have a photocopy of your proof of identification. This ID can be one of the following: a valid passport, valid driver’s license, or current government or military ID.

5. Both parents must provide consent for the minor to receive a passport. This requires parents/guardians to appear in person to an Acceptance Agent and to sign the Application for a US Passport there.

6. Pay the application fee. Check out this site for current fees.

7. Provide 2 identical passport photos. Be sure to read the photo guidelines carefully before submitting your photos with your application. If the photos aren’t acceptable, you will prolong the processing time.

8. Take the child, parents, application, photos, and other necessary documents to your nearest post office.

I recommend starting the application process well ahead of the time you plan to travel to alleviate the stress of waiting on a passport or incurring fees to change airline tickets.

This process will be a little bit different if you need your passport in a hurry. Contact your nearest passport agency if you need to expedite your passport process.

Another important thing to remember when submitting government applications is to read directions carefully and fill out the application legibly. You don’t want to be denied a passport simply because you carelessly wrote the application, or you forgot some important documentation.

Remember that a child’s US passport is only valid for 5 years. It is kind of funny traveling with my 3 year old whose passport shows him at 5 days old. Really, it looks like it could be any baby in that picture! I guess we’ll be renewing our passports for our kids every few years so we can keep doing the traveling we love to do.

How to Get a Passport for Kids is a post from: Help Me Travel Cheap

30,000 Bonus Starwood Points With American Express

Craig — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 07:44:53 +0000

I’ve never hid the fact that I love to get free travel. One of the best ways I’ve found to help build points account balances is credit card rewards. It’s not just about getting the credit cards, but about signing up when they have the most lucrative rewards.

This is one of those times. American Express is offering 30,000 bonus points if you sign up for their Starwood card and charge $1,000 in the first three months.

I’ve been so excited about and happy with my 10,000 points that I’ve earned in the past through this credit card. I remember how exciting it was to know that I was going to get 3 nights in Los Angeles for those 10,000 points. That is huge value and incentive – 3 free nights hotel. The Starwood Starpoints program is one of the best ways to get free hotels.

But, until July 31st, 2010, American Express has made the offering just a little bit sweeter – well, actually a lot sweeter – 20,000 extra points sweeter. You can sign up for an American Express credit card and get 30,000 bonus Starwood points. As a side note, the landing page says the offer expires on 7/6/10, but is still appears to be active.

If you are a US resident and you’re in the market for a new credit card, (and even if you’re not) then I suggest you grab this card while it is available. Our family does our best to stockpile points when the offers are available so that when we vacation the free points will be waiting for us.

What can you do with 30,000 Starwood points?

Get 5 nights at a Category 3 hotel. Our family recently stayed at the Four Points Darling Harbour for five nights. Each room cost 28,000 points. We saved more than $1,500 per room for the stay. A $1,500 bonus value is not too shabby of an incentive to sign up for a credit card.

Get 7 nights at a Category 2 hotel. Actually, you could get up to 10 free nights, depending on your travel flexibility. Category 2 weekend nights cost 3,000 points and weekday points are 4,000 points.

Don’t want to use your points for a hotel? First of all, you’re crazy. Hotel points are much more valuable than flight points. Secondly, you can just transfer your points to some of your favorite airline points (Aeroplan, Alaska, American, British Airways, Continental, Delta, Hawaiian, United, and US Airways). The best part is that when you transfer 20,000 points, Starwood will give a bonus 5,000 points. Thus, 20,000 of your points can turn into 25,000 airline points. Be sure to check you specific program for their point to point redemption rate. I know that

And now, the caveat.

Since I also blog about personal finances, I feel like I need to preach about credit cards for a few moments.

If you need to choose between getting points and doing something that is better for your finances, then do what is better for your finances. A person who has a problem with credit card debt isn’t winning any games by playing the credit card rewards system. In our family, we typically spend what is needed to take advantages of the bonuses, and then we usually cancel the card or store it in a safe. If you have credit card debt problems and you’re trying to get out of credit card debt, you should be developing a debt snowball and getting out of debt, not accumulating more debt.

Now, use your fine judgment, and if you can control your spending with a credit card, this might be the right time to apply for this card (this is not a direct link, but instead a link to the site where I learned about the promo. This way they can get some benefits for providing good information).

30,000 Bonus Starwood Points With American Express is a post from: Help Me Travel Cheap

Travel Article Roundup

Craig — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 06:09:56 +0000

A weekend with nothing to do is a terrible thing. So I’ll give you a few great articles to read. The best thing is that reading these articles can help you save money, and you know I love to travel cheap.

Some Thoughts on Inexpensive Vacations

10 “beyond the basics” things to pack for a family road trip

15 Practical Tips for Families Traveling Abroad

How to Save Money While Traveling

Southwest tightens its unused ticket policy

Carnival

Carnival of Financial Planning

Travel Article Roundup is a post from: Help Me Travel Cheap

Best Travel Stroller for Airports

Jeri — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 00:57:19 +0000

Sometimes when I walk around airports, I can’t believe the size of some of the strollers parents are pushing around.

I don’t know if those SUV-sized strollers are more for the baby or for the parent. Either way, those are not a good idea for traveling by air – unless you like to have the extra space for extra stuff. When possible, I prefer to travel light.

After flying many times with infants and toddlers, I’ve developed some opinions about the kind of baby paraphernalia that is needed.

Hands down, the best kind of stroller to take when flying is a simple umbrella stroller. An umbrella stroller from a second hand shop will do just fine – as long as it has four wheels that roll well and a place for your child/baby to sit safely.

Advantages of an Umbrella Stroller

1. An umbrella stroller collapses smaller than anything else I’ve seen. When you already have more baggage than you need along with a couple of children to tote around the airport, the last thing you need is a huge stroller. An umbrella stroller scoots easily into most airport restaurants, is easy to maneuver through busy crowds, and collapses easily when you’re ready to gate check it.

2. With the exception of a very small infant, most babies and toddlers can ride in an umbrella stroller. Sure, they don’t look as cozy as they look in their luxurious big stroller, but we’re talking pragmatics here. My children have always managed to fall asleep in the umbrella stroller when they’re tired enough.

3. An umbrella stroller is the way to go when it comes to security. Generally, I’m already wishing I had a few more hands while going through security – between getting everyone’s shoes, jackets, and backpacks off. Collapsing a simple stroller and plopping that lightweight thing with one hand up through the x-ray machine has got to be easier than unloading the cargo from a huge stroller, figuring out how to collapse it, then loading it all up again.

4. When it’s meal time, the stroller is a safe place for your toddler or baby to sit. If you can’t find a high chair at the airport Burger King, your little stroller may be safer than the big chairs.

5. A toddler can push the umbrella stroller when you are delayed and need to waste some time. There are lots of other ways to pass time in an airport terminal too.

6. An umbrella stroller helps you limit your carryon luggage so you don’t have to haul so much stuff.

Disadvantages of an Umbrella Stroller

1. An umbrella stroller is really not suitable for a newborn.

Side note: If you are flying with a newborn, I highly recommend carrying your baby in a Baby Bjorn (or something similar). I’ve used the Snugli and a Baby Bjorn in the past. I prefer the Baby Bjorn because it’s easier for me to take on and off without any help. The straps are also more comfortable to me. I know other mothers who are very happy with their Ergo.

Carrying an infant in a Bjorn is easier for me than a stroller at the airport. It feels like you have less stuff and your hands are free. A couple of disadvantages of not taking a stroller for your infant are: it’s hard to eat lunch in the airport with the baby attached to you, and if you’re not used to carrying your baby for longer time periods you might get tired.

2. You can’t carry as much stuff in the stroller. If you like taking lots of things carryon, it may be a disadvantage to have a small stroller since you don’t have a large basket in which to store things.

3. A simple umbrella stroller only carries one child. If you’re trying to push more than one child at a time, you will have to find a small, compactable stroller that works well for multiple children.

What kind of stroller do you recommend for air travel?

Best Travel Stroller for Airports is a post from: Help Me Travel Cheap

Vacationing With Extended Family: Rent Two Cars Or A Van?

Craig — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 10:14:16 +0000

It’s a little early, but we’re planning a family vacation that is about nine months out. We’ll be vacationing with my parents which is great because there are a lot of advantages to vacationing with extended family.

Since we are going to be staying in a condominium, we know that we’ll need our own transportation, but the question is – should we each rent a car (my family of five and my parents) or should we rent a van together?

Advantages of Renting a Van When Vacationing With Extended Family

Rental cost. Depending on your destination, you may be able to rent a van for less than the cost of two cars. In our case, the price is actually about the exact same. A van costs the same as two cars for a day.
Parking cost. If you plan to head to any theme parks or any destinations where you might have to pay for parking, you will be better off renting a van. It is not unusual to pay $10 – $15 to park a car for the day downtown, at the zoo, or at a theme park. Splitting the parking cost works to everyone’s advantage.
Reduces the ‘extra costs’. If you typically pay for extra vehicle insurance, you can dramatically reduce your cost by paying the excess insurance fees on only one vehicle. Also, if you plan to rent a GPS, you only need one if you share a vehicle.
Extra family time. Doing a lot of driving means you’ll be missing out on family time. Instead, if you share a vehicle, you can still spend time as you are driving from place to place.
Share the driving responsibilities. Again, the importance of shared driving responsibilities will depend on how much you plan to drive. However, it is always nice to have extra drivers to share the responsibility. Remember, most car rental locations will charge you extra for each additional driver you add to your rental.
Split the gas. While a van will take more gas than a car, a van will not take more gasoline than two rental cars. If you split the cost of the gasoline, both families will come away with more savings.

Disadvantages of Rending a Van When Vacationing With Extended Family

Loss of flexibility. If you each have your own vehicle you can make separate plans for a day or two. Unfortunately, both families cannot make separate plans if you share a van.
Loss of privacy. Some families might think it is too much to share an accommodation and also the vehicle. Some families simply prefer to have their own sacred space.
Airport arrival and departure times. Sharing a vehicle means both parties should be arriving and departing close to each other. Otherwise, someone may be forced to wait at the airport for a long time.

In our case, we will likely be renting a van together for our vacation. The advantages seem to outweigh the disadvantages.

Would you rather rent two cars or a van when traveling with extended family? Any advantages or disadvantages that I missed?

Vacationing With Extended Family: Rent Two Cars Or A Van? is a post from: Help Me Travel Cheap

How to Get Your Kids to Fall Asleep in a Hotel Room

Jeri — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 10:00:00 +0000

When possible, our preference is to sleep in condos when we travel as a family. But, sometimes we end up in one hotel room. We don’t ever enjoy having to move around in stealth mode while we wait for the kids to fall asleep.

Most recently, we had adjoining rooms in a hotel in Sydney, Australia because our family of 5 was apparently too big to occupy one room. That was definitely a great way to stay in a hotel. We didn’t feel like we had a 7:30 bedtime, and the kids were able to fall asleep at a decent hour.

We’ve tried all kinds of things to get our kids to fall asleep in hotel rooms. Some have failed, but others have been a success.

Next time you try to sleep with the whole family in a hotel room, try some of these tricks to get your kids asleep.

Tricks for Getting Your Kids to Sleep (at a decent time) in a Hotel Room

1. Keep a regular schedule. If your kids usually go to bed at 8:00, shoot for 8 on vacation, too. There’s no reason to make things more complicated than they already are.

2. Give them a little slack. No, I’m not contradicting my Trick #1. I’m just reminding you (and myself) that vacations are exciting and sometimes it’s hard to settle down right away in a new place. Let the kids have a few minutes to get all of the ants out of their pants.

3. Keep your routine. If you generally bathe them, read a story, then sing to them, do the same thing in the hotel room. Sure, the tub will be different and they may not have their Thomas the Train bed sheets, but the routine can still be consistent.

4. Ignore them.* After you have all your little chicks in bed, pretend like you’re not in the room or that you can even see your children. Try to avoid talking to them so they get the message that it’s actually time to fall asleep. If you have a small reading light or flashlight, you could do some reading in bed. This one is hard, which is why we usually proceed to Trick #5.

*Obviously, if they are being boisterous or the baby is crying loudly, be considerate of your hotel neighbors and do something about it.

5. Leave the room. But don’t go too far! If there is a patio connected to your hotel room with a door that doesn’t sound like a freight train when it’s opened, enjoy some time there with your spouse. Though many hotels don’t have this luxury, most have a restroom. Admittedly, we have spent many evenings in the bathroom waiting patiently for our kids to fall asleep. It certainly seems like our kids start counting their zzzzzzzzzzz’’s sooner when we’re not in view. Might as well enjoy a hot bath or even take the laptop into the bathroom to watch a DVD.

6. Split the kids up. Our kids have so much fun together, but that can be problematic at bedtime. Sometimes we’ve had to put our kids in different beds so they’ll fall asleep. Warning: This decision makes for an uncomfortable night of sleep for mommy! How does a 2-year-old take up so much space anyway?

7. Be creative. One time, I had to play Uno in the bathroom with my two oldest (ages 4 and 2) while the baby was falling asleep. We just took some extra bed sheets and towels and made ourselves a comfortable seat on the floor. Then I made them tiptoe into the room so they could go to bed. They were less likely to talk because they knew they might wake the baby.

Another time I made a separate “room” by pulling the big curtain around the crib so my wee one wouldn’t be distracted by us during her naptime.

Look around the hotel room and see if there is a way you can rearrange the beds to make things easier for your family. (Just remember to put it back when you’re finished!)

8. Use the TV or don’t use it. Depending on your children, some may stay awake watching the evening news. Others may get bored and fall asleep.

9. Tell your kids what you expect. Say something like, “I realize that it’s so exciting to sleep in a new place, but it’s really important for you to go to sleep. Otherwise you might be too tired to enjoy Sea World tomorrow.” Give them a few minutes to talk, but enforce your rules just like you would at home.

10. Wear them out during the day. If all else fails, keep them as busy as bees during the day. Eventually they’ll have to sleep, right?

Sweet Dreams!

How do you get your kids to fall asleep when you’re in a single hotel room?

How to Get Your Kids to Fall Asleep in a Hotel Room is a post from: Help Me Travel Cheap

10 Tips For Maximizing Returns on Credit Card Rewards

Craig — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 20:23:09 +0000

1. If you don’t pay your balance in full every month then you are not getting any rewards.

Since the average interest rate on a credit card is 14.43%, there is no reward anywhere in the world that will offer you anything more than 14.43%. If you have credit card debt problems, you should focus on getting out of credit card debt instead of playing the rewards game. For you, rewards are nothing more than a costly distraction.

2. Always be on the prowl for new cards.

Last week I signed up for a new credit card – a Starwood American Express card. Early in July of this year, they had a short sign up bonus of 30,000 points (instead of 10,000). The best way to keep up with credit card offers is to check out www.freefrequentflyermiles.com. I’ll also try and do a better job posting offers on this website.

3. Take advantage of sign up bonuses.

The real value of credit card rewards is in the sign up bonus. In fact, I’ll rarely get a card if they don’t offer a sign up bonus. For example, the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card has enhanced earnings and rewards targeted towards travelers with an annual fee of $85 waived the first year. Earn a free flight – that’s 25,000 bonus points after you spend $3,000 in the first 3 months!

Compare that to Chase’s Sapphire Card that has no annual fee with a 10,000 point bonus. If you’re going to spend $3,000 in 3 months, the Sapphire Preferred is the right card for you because you’d get an extra 15,000 bonus points.

4. Call to request extra benefits.

Typically, when I have a card that has a first year free offer, I’ll call around the time of renewal and ask if they can wave the annual fee for another year. They often say no, but they will offer some bonus points for me to stay on as a paid card member. But, to date, I’ve never paid for an annual fee for credit cards. The sign up bonuses on new cards are just too enticing.

5. Calculate the value of your rewards.

If you have a cash back card, the calculations are easy – what is the cash back %.

If you have an airlines rewards card, you need to calculate the actual cost of your air travel. From that total, subtract taxes and booking fees. Then take that number and divide it by the number of miles required.

Here’s an example: From LAX – JFK, it costs $275 or 25,000 miles. To use miles, you would pay $28 in taxes and fees plus a $25 booking charge. The value of your 25,000 points saves you $222 (275-28-25). 222/25000 = .008. Thus, each point is equal to just under 1% cash back.

If you have a hotel rewards card then you need to take the cost of the hotel divided by the number of points (because there are no extra fees for booking hotels with points). If a hotel costs $125 per night and uses 4,000 points, then your points are equal to 3.12%% cash back.

Now, just use the card (or get the one) that offers the most rewards for each dollar spent.

6. Consider carrying multiple cards.

This completely depends on your preferences. However, I’ve found that multiple cards can really lead to some serious savings. I have one card that I use overseas because it has a 0% foreign currency exchange rate. I have another that I use when I book travel because I get bonus points. I have another that I use for cash rewards when that is the best option. I actually only carry one card. I save the others in RoboForm and I only use them online.

7. Get and use cards based on your travel preferences.

One of the biggest mistakes people make is signing up for cards based on the promotions without seeing how that promotion fits with their travel plans. For example, Delta might be offering a 30,000 mile sign up bonus, but if they don’t fly out of your city, there is no point collecting Delta points. Others might collect hotel points for an upcoming vacation before confirming that the hotel chain has a location in their city of choice. You need to decide which points program is best for you.

8. Never underestimate the value of hotel points.

Recently, I’ve switched over to focusing on accumulating hotel points. I find that I get a much higher dollar return on hotel points than flight points.

9. Cancel the card before paying an annual fee.

I don’t pay annual fees. When I sign up for a new card, I open my computer’s calendar program and set a date about a month before the card’s annual fee renewal and remind myself to call and cancel the card. Even if they do charge for the next year, you can still call and ask if they will cancel the card and return the money.

10. Plan rewards travel early.

Collecting rewards is only half of the game. The other half is finding the best way to redeem points. One of the disadvantages of airlines points is how early you need to book travel (typically at least 10 months before international travel) to get the lowest redemption rates. When you think about accumulating rewards, be sure to consider the frequency with which you can actually redeem those rewards. For that reason, I usually give added value to cash back cards, hotel points, then airline points.

10 Tips For Maximizing Returns on Credit Card Rewards is a post from: Help Me Travel Cheap

AAdvantage 1000 Point Sign Up Bonus + Roundup

Craig — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 12:00:00 +0000

If you are not yet a member of the American Airlines Aadvantage points program, you can earn 1,000 bonus points for signing up (if you fulfill some American requirements), if you allow me to refer you.

You only get the bonus if (1) you are referred to the promotion, and (2) you complete a participating activity:

Eligible participating activity includes one of the following between May 25, 2010 and August 31, 2010: travel on American Airlines, American Eagle, or the AmericanConnection® carrier, get approved for a select Citi® / AAdvantage® credit card, or transact and earn at least 750 miles with any AAdvantage program participants.

To be honest, I’m not a huge fan of American Airlines, but their program does allow you to redeem flights on other One World partners. Within the One World network, Qantas and Japanese Airlines have fantastic service. If you think you’ll be using American some time this summer, email me at htcheap [at] gmail [dot] com, and I’ll send you a referral link.

Roundup:

Beginners Guide to Travel Hacking – a great starter resource if you’re wanting to travel cheap.

Thirteen Other Great Travel Websites – unfortunately Help Me Travel Cheap didn’t make the list .

Dumb ideas in baggage transport: UPS’ new luggage boxes – perhaps UPS has not found the solution to excess baggage fees.

Travel and Money: Using Your Credit Card on the Road

How to Save Money On Your Summer Vacation

Travel Insurance – What’s Necessary?

AAdvantage 1000 Point Sign Up Bonus + Roundup is a post from: Help Me Travel Cheap

10 Tips for Traveling as a Single Mother With Kids

Jeri — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 12:00:34 +0000

I always wonder how single moms manage to do everything alone. Traveling is no exception. Thankfully, I am not a single mom, and I am blessed to have a wonderful husband. However, I have traveled as a single mom and have learned a few things. Traveling as a single mom can be easier if you remember these tips.

How to Travel as a Single Mother With Kids

1. Get your travel documents in order. There’s nothing worse than standing at the check-in counter with a crying baby and a busy two-year-old while you dig through all the places you were sure you put your passport. Have important travel documents easily accessible in your carry-on before you arrive at the airport. (I must admit that the crying baby can be advantageous sometimes, however.)

2. Book tickets on a kid-friendly airline. It’s hard to predict which airlines are kid-friendly, but it’s at least worth asking friends who have traveled with children if they have any recommendations. I’ve always enjoyed the laid back nature of many Southwest Airlines flight attendants, and they are quite helpful. However, they don’t have pre-boarding for families anymore. I recently flew on Virgin Airlines and was quite impressed by how helpful they were with getting my kiddos and carry-ons on board. (They were a little less obliging after my daughter vomited twice on the flight though.)

3. Be prepared to tip more often. When you make your travel budget, add a little extra for tips. When I flew alone with my three small children, I knew that I wouldn’t be able to do everything alone. So I was prepared and more than happy to tip a few people along the way for their services.

4. Be the first one on and the last one off. If you’re flying, hopefully you’ll get to pre-board. Be at the gate early enough to take advantage of the pre-boarding (on some airlines). Also, once the plane lands, sit back and relax. Let everyone else leave before you try to get your kids and cargo down the aisle. It’s not as stressful when you know there is nobody behind you waiting impatiently for you.

5. Leave lots of extra time. Take your time and don’t get in a hurry. Being rushed just makes things more stressful. Arrive at the airport early so you’re not racing through the airport to your gate or worrying about getting through airport security with your children. If you have connecting flights, give yourself plenty of buffer time. There are lots of ways to entertain kids in airports during a layover, so don’t worry about that.

6. Use the single mom trump card when necessary. It may just be worth asking the person at the check-in counter if you can get an earlier flight, get extra help, or other such things. Don’t complain, but simply state that it’s hard since you’re alone with your children, and see if there is anything they’ll do to help. You’ll be surprised how helpful people can be when you’re traveling as a single mother.

7. Consider the schedule. If you have more than one flight option, choose the one that would be best for your child(ren)’s schedule. Your road trip may be just the right thing to take during naptime, but the flight over lunch time might not. Think about what works best for your family when you book your travel.

8. Be willing to accept and ask for help. If a kind gentleman offers to lift your heavy suitcase from the baggage carousel, let him. If you’re feeling stressed or overwhelmed, ask someone to give you a hand. From my experience, people were more than happy to help me when they realized I was alone with small children.

9. Convenience may be worth the cost. I am frugal to my very core, but when it came to traveling as a single mother, I was willing to pay more than I otherwise would. It may be easier to order a pizza or room service than to find a restaurant for dinner. Think ahead about these conveniences, and budget accordingly.

10. Minimize your luggage. My dream vacation is one in which I travel simply with a carry-on. But, until that happens, I am traveling as light as possible – especially when I’m traveling as a single mom. As a general rule, if you can live without something for a week, leave it at home. Your arms, back, and wallet will thank you.

Not a single mother traveling with kids? There are lots of great ways to help a single traveling mother.

10 Tips for Traveling as a Single Mother With Kids is a post from: Help Me Travel Cheap