Vacations Unpacked # 2

A few weeks ago, I did Vacations Unpacked #1 where I answered some of your travel questions and today, I’m doing part 2.  You guys have a lot of questions about traveling…so hopefully, I can give you a few answers.  Here is what you’ve been asking…

1. What are the best ways to save money when booking a vacation?
There are a lot of ways to make traveling affordable!  First, try and book during the off-season.  Off-season rates are significantly lower than regular rates.  Second, stay during the week and not over the weekend (weekend rates are much higher!).  It’s also much more affordable to fly during the week than over a weekend. Third, hire a travel agent :).  Seriously, we have the deals and the info, find a professional to help you.

2. What is my favorite day of the week to depart and return from a trip?
I really love Fridays for both departing and returning.  I love them because if you leave on a Friday, you have the weekend ahead of you for your trip and if you return on a Friday, you have the weekend to recuperate from your travels before heading back to work.  I don’t like getting home on Sundays because not only are airports really crowded on Sundays, but then you get home and immediately have to go back into the real world the next day…and that’s always tough after being on vacation.

3. How did you travel while pregnant?
After my post on pregnancy, I got this question a lot.  I was really sick during both of my pregnancies, so I had to learn to live life while being sick…I couldn’t just stay home and be miserable.

I went to Italy during both pregnancies (click here to see my trip with Kensington and here to see my trip with Smith).  I was 7 months pregnant with K and 6 months pregnant with Smith.  I wore comfy (non-binding) clothes, rested when I needed to and kept my tummy full to help with the morning sickness.  I had a great time on both trips…kind of just sucked it up and had fun.  I thought, “I could be sick and yucky feeling at home or I could be sick and yucky feeling in Italy”…and I chose Italy.  Make sure you get up and walk a lot on the flights!  I stood and walked quite a bit!

4. How early should you start planning a trip?
I think you should start deciding on your destination at least a year in advance.  Andrew and I know where we want to go at least two years in advance.  That being said, I wouldn’t start booking flights and/or hotel rooms until no more than six months out.  Six months out is the perfect window.  Know in your head where you want to go and start saving but don’t actually book things until you’re about six months out.

5. What are the best months to visit Walt Disney World?
I do more WDW vacations as a travel agent than any other destination.  I’m talking about/booking/planning/dealing with Disney every.single.day.  I know Disney.  Well.

Disney is great year around but the best months to visit for low crowds, great rates and mild weather are September, February and early May.  The busiest time for WDW is between Thanksgiving and New Years Day…the parks are decorated and so festive and fun for the holiday season…but it’s really crowded.  Spring Break runs March and April…so that’s really crowded and the summer…well, the summer is hot and very crowded.  I would avoid the summer.

6. What is the best age to begin taking your kids on a vacation?
I’m probably not the best person to ask this because I have always loved taking my kids on vacation.  I think you have to stop thinking of it as “how old will they be when they go on a trip and remember it forever” because honestly, my parents took me on vacations when I was a teenager and the details are fuzzy today…so, stop trying to make it about getting them to an age when they’ll remember forever…because that’s never really going to happen.

When you take your kids on vacation, the memories are for you to have, not them.  We took our kids to Disney when they were 2 and 3 and yes, they have forgotten most of it…but Andrew and I will never forget how precious they were, how excited they were, how sweet they were…those are my memories to cherish forever whether they remember or not.  When you travel with your kids, worry about your memories and not about them remembering every detail about how you took them.

If you think it would be fun to travel with your kids, then take them.  If it sounds like something you wouldn’t love, then don’t take them.  I will say though…nothing makes us closer as a family than traveling together.  There is a real sense of bonding when you’re away from home and traveling with your little family.

Okay…enough questions for one day :).  Don’t forget to hop on over to my foodie blog and check out my Peep Corn!  That’s right…

Peep Corn!

See you tomorrow!