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Children can be fun to have around, but can become a nuisance in stressful situations while traveling. The best remedy is to arm yourself with knowledge and tips on how to keep your children occupied with activities. Use the tips from this article to keep the young and young at heart both happy during your travels!

Pack a spritz bottle for summertime traveling! This is a fun way to keep kids cool. Consider stepping outside and playing a game of tag with the spritz bottle or play a mind game and the winner gets a spritz from the bottle. Another cute way to keep kids cool and entertained is to buy a small battery operated fan. Some stores sell lollipops with a small fan that works when a button is being pressed.

The key to keeping young and older children silent and out of the way during trips is to keep them entertained. The number one way is to purchase a portable DVD player and pack all of their favorite DVDs. Everyone loves watching a movie and it can provide hours of pleasure. Consider purchasing MP3 players for the kids if they don’t already have one. Listening to music can help them forget their troubles and keep entertained while sitting still. Don’t forget to pack other activities such as games, puzzles and books to provide kids something to do. Your choices should reflect the age group while keeping them occupied. Remember, what an adult finds enjoyable, kids find boring!

Road trips can be fun, but they can also magnify each other’s bad habits. Being locked in a vehicle for hours can create some tension between family members and friends. Break this tension and even prevent it by putting together little “goodie bags” for the adults you are traveling with. Add some for treats such as candy, chocolate or granola bars and perhaps pack a sandwich in case hunger takes over. This helps people keep their cool, especially when they need to exercise patience with their children.

Kids love surprises and oftentimes forget their troubles or why they started whining when you provide them with a new game or toy. It doesn’t have to be over the top or expensive, just entertaining enough to quiet the kids. Keep in mind games or toys your children may have wanted or find something entertaining that other parents swear by online. Whatever your choice is, you are sure to get your moment of silence with a new gift.

Children enjoy talking a lot; you should strive to take advantage of that. Play a talking game such as I Spy or ten questions. Not only are these games entertaining, they keep your kids thinking and their minds off of causing mischief. You can even throw in a prize for them like a candy bar if they win.

Family trips can be fun and the memories you and your kids share will ultimately last a lifetime. Plan your trip properly and you will have a vacation everyone will be happy to remember. Keep kids and adults both entertained and use the tips from this article to evade stressful situations.

Are you planning on taking a family road trip? The very thought can be quite overwhelming, but it does not have to be. A road trip with the people you love the most can be an enjoyable experience. The following article offers tips that if followed, can help you have a great time on your next family road trip.

When taking any kind of trip, it is important that your car is ready for the voyage. You need to make sure that your tires are in good shape and that you have a spare tire should anything unfortunate happen. You also need to make sure your car has fresh oil and that your windshield wipers are working properly. Little things like this can make a world of difference should something unexpected happen.

It is also important to pack a first aid kit and keep it in the car. You never know what can happen and being prepared is the best way to make sure you have less stress during your trip. Pack a first aid kit with basics such as alcohol wipes, band-aids, antibiotic cream, hydrocortisone cream, chap stick, Tylenol or Advil and any medications that any family members take.

Research the weather for your trip’s course, as well as for your final destination. You may need additional or different clothing for the area or areas you plan on visiting. Weather can vary greatly in the different parts of the country and for your own comfort, you should have the proper clothing.

Packing a bag of snacks can be very helpful on a road trip. Everyone gets hungry at some point, and it seems a lot of people get more hungry when they are stuck in a car. Pack your favorite snacks for the journey. That will help you save both time and money. Gas station food is not always a good value, so if you have your own snacks, you can save money that way. You can save time because you won’t have to stop just for a snack. Also, having a satisfied child along for the ride can make a huge difference.

If you like to take pictures, you need to bring your camera. Who doesn’t love to look at pictures? Be sure you pack your camera and plenty of batteries, or the camera’s battery charger.

It is very important to find ways to keep your kids entertained while in the car. Happy kids means happy parents, and it will make the trip so much more enjoyable. Pack a special “car bag” and only let them use it when they are in the car. You can pack their favorite games, books or toys. Packing a special surprise for them will also help keep them entertained for some time.

As you can see, planning for a road trip can make or break your trip. Use the suggestions offered in this article and your family can have a road trip that is full of great memories.

When you are visiting Europe, you need to watch out for thieves and scammers. This isn’t to say that Europe is a dishonest continent, just that thieves are waiting to prey on tourist in every country. I’m sure you have heard of tourists visiting your country being robbed, on occasion. It is a good idea to know of common scams so you can avoid them.

Cashiers in many establishments such as stores, restaurants, and hotels may count out your change particularly slowly. They are hoping that you will become impatient and leave before collecting all your change. While this is annoying, it is not patently dishonest. Less honest cashiers may drop your money, and switch it for a smaller bill while picking it up. Then you are shortchanged, and there is not much you can do about it. When you hand over a bill, state what bill you are giving.

The “bump and grab” is a common pickpocket method, widely seen in the movies and on television shows. Someone jostles you in a crowd as someone spills fake bird poop or catsup on your shirt. The thief apologizes while seeming to try to clean your shirt, but is actually grabbing whatever valuables from your pocket as quickly as possible before disappearing into the crowd. The best way to deal with this is to avoid giving pickpockets anything to steal. Do not keep any valuables, including identification, in your pockets. If you must keep things in your pocket, back away from anyone who bumps you, and do not allow strangers to paw at your clothes. Also, be aware of your surroundings, as one person could be telling you how to get back to your hotel while someone is behind you, relieving you of your wallet while your attention is diverted.

There are a variety of “good Samaritan” scams. One will offer to help you with the ATM (while he helps himself to your pin number), another will “help” you pay way too much for subway tickets (you get the tickets, he gets a wad of cash surreptitiously moved into his wallet). If you need help, ask the ticket vendor or someone of your choosing. If someone offers to help, you can accept the help, as long as you pay attention to what he or she is doing. Not every helpful person is looking to scam you, but be aware of those who are.

If you enjoy the company of an attractive woman, choose carefully. It is common for male tourists to be approached by a beautiful woman who is begging for his company. A trip to the nightclub leads to a tab several hundred dollars more than you bargained for, and no way to avoid paying it. One way to avoid this is to skip the bar or nightclub she suggests, and go to one of your own choosing. This way you can enjoy her company without her bartender buddy fleecing you while you drink.

Now that you are armed with this information, you can avoid being an enterprising thief’s ATM machine. Most people in Europe are good, kind people, and most offers of help are genuine. Just be aware of your surroundings to avoid the dishonest few.

Traveling with a friend is much more fun than traveling alone, but what if none of your friends are willing or able to travel with you? It may be a good idea to find a travel partner who you can enjoy the trip with. Here are some ways that you can find a travel partner.

Talk to people who are already part of a group you belong to, or put up a notice that you are seeking a travel buddy. The notice can be shared with your church group, a pick-up basketball group, or even a sewing club. Checking with people who already have something in common with you is a good first step. There may be a woman at church who has always wanted to visit Greece, but didn’t want to go alone. Or maybe a guy from basketball would love to go to Oktoberfest in Germany, but wanted a buddy to go along.

For shorter trips, check out Craigslist. There is a rideshare board on Craigslist where people list places they are going or placed they would like to go. Dates of travel are usually listed, and sometimes the ad includes the amount of space available. If you find someone going to the same place you want to visit, make contact. Just make sure you spend some time talking before hitting the road. If the person claims to have a drivers license, check that they do. Ask about drug use also. The last thing you need is to be in the next state over and learn that the guy you and your child are riding with has several pounds of illegal drugs in the trunk, and makes his living smuggling drugs from state to state.

Search online for websites, forums, and messageboards that help people find travel partners or travel buddies. You can look for someone who has similar interests, is near your age, and is your gender. It is generally not a good idea for a woman to choose a strange man as a travel buddy. He may be a perfect gentleman, but it is a risk. You may find someone who wants to travel with you for a portion of your trip, and someone else to travel with you on another leg of your journey.

If you don’t find a travel buddy, you can still meet lots of new people while on your trip. Look into “couch surfing,” and you can find places to stay while on your trip that do not cost anything with the added benefit of meeting new people. Sometimes you can find people who are willing to show you the hottest nightclub, or the most magnificent museum that isn’t on any travel brochure. Use the Internet to find these great matching sites.

Use these tips to find a travel buddy for travel in your country or abroad. Make sure you and your new buddy mesh well by meeting prior to your travel dates. Enjoy your trip together, and maybe you will want to enjoy this experience again someday!

A common mistake that many travelers make is assuming that hotel rooms are safe. You can take a few moments to ensure that your belongings and family are safe in every motel that you visit during your vacation or business trip.

Your hotel room door has two locks for a reason, so be sure to use them! When you or any member of your family is in the room, make sure that all the locks are locked. You can take a simple door-stop with you that adds a bit of additional security. Another thing to consider is packing a portable door alarm. These alarms sound when the door opens, and the noise is loud enough to wake you and your neighbors, and will frighten any would-be thief away quickly. When you leave the room, lock the door. Most hotel room doors lock automatically when the door closes, but double check to make sure. Do not leave your door propped open while you bring in luggage or walk the dog. It only takes a minute to lock and unlock the door and your safety is worth at least that little bit of time.

If you are traveling with pets, either cage your pets when you leave the room or take them with you. If a hotel employee enters the room in your absence and you have a cat or dog loose in the room, there is a chance that the employee or your pet could get injured. Your pet could be mistakenly let out of the room, leading to potential disaster for your beloved cat, dog, or ferret.

If your hotel room has a safe available, use it to store important documents and other valuables. If there is not a safe in the room, ask if the hotel has a safe in the office to store guest’s valuables. If so, use it. Make sure you get an itemized, detailed receipt for anything you place in the hotel safe though.

When you leave your room to go out for supper or to meet with a friend, leave the television on at a reasonable volume. This suggests to potential thieves that you are still in your room. You should also leave the light nearest the door on while you are gone. There are two reasons for this. First, it suggests that you are in the room. The second reason is to allow you to re-enter your room safely. You will be able to see any obstacles in your path and make sure the room is as empty as you left it with a quick glance.

If your room has a closet, put your larger valuables in the closet. You can also store your luggage and pet carriers in the closet, leaving fewer thing visible to possible thieves.

Theft can occur at even the nicer hotels, so whether you are staying in a two-star or five-star hotel, make sure you follow the tips outlined above to keep yourself and your belongings safe. Safety is a priority!