Mexico City Walking through the streets of Mexico City, we knew we were being followed. There were three or four men, dressed only in black and white, staying a steady distance behind us. They followed us for over a mile. When we slowed down, they slowed down. When we sped… Read More
How to Pack for a Family Vacation
Note from Wendy Perrin: One of the biggest, saddest obstacles to international travel with kids is the perception that you’ll need to haul around a ton of luggage. It’s a misperception, as Eric Stoen, the founder of Travel Babbo, shows us. Eric is a frequent international traveler whom I met… Read More
My Worst Travel Experiences – The Beijing Taxi Scam
The Beijing Taxi Scam In traveling through more than seventy countries, I’ve had very few bad experiences. And I’ve become a better traveler because of each one. This is the first in a series of posts about the worst things that have happened to me on the road and how they changed my travel… Read More
Ethiopian Airlines: The Flexible Airline (or, why you shouldn’t combine multiple tickets on one itinerary)
Ethiopian Airlines – a flexible Star Alliance Carrier Africa – it’s not exactly a place where one can stick to a schedule or have firm plans. And that’s usually fine. As they say in Swahili, “pole, pole” – slow, slow, take it easy. Years ago some friends and I were… Read More
15 Kid-Friendly Highlights from Europe
Europe with Kids We’ve taken our three kids (at the time of writing this 4, 6 and 8) to Europe every year since they were born. Some years we stay in one place for several weeks and really get to know the area. Some years we do the opposite, moving… Read More
Vacation Henna: Keep it at Arm’s Length
Black Henna It’s fun to be a little reckless on vacation. Three weeks ago my kids were zip-lining through the Costa Rican rain forest, and we were eating fruit directly from roadside stands – no washing, no idea (in some cases) what it was. Water skiing or parasailing – why… Read More
Venice with Kids
Venice with Kids – Getting Away from the Crowds When we booked a Disney cruise departing in July from Venice, my immediate thought turned to how to give my young kids (4, 6 and 8) a great introduction to the city. The conventional wisdom is that July is a bad… Read More
Flying With Kids – Tips
Flying with Kids We’ve flown at least 500 flights with our three kids – ages 13, 15, and 17. Most have been family trips. Some have been one parent and any combination of 1, 2 or 3 kids. I’m frequently asked for tips on making flying with kids easier. Every… Read More
Easter Island with a 6-Year-Old
Easter Island with Kids Why Did We Travel to Easter Island? Easter Island! It’s one of those places that you see in National Geographic or the occasional Discover Channel show, or as a reference on the Simpsons, that never makes the news but that you grow up sort of knowing… Read More
25 Hours in Panama with Kids
Panama with Kids Hats. The Panama Canal. Noriega. The third track from Van Halen’s 1984. I didn’t know a lot about Panama. But flying from Los Angeles to Santiago with my 6-year-old son, our best Star Alliance option was to fly Copa Airlines via Panama City. We could have a… Read More