Family Travel

Planning a Summer vacation? It's the perfect time to get your kids excited about their upcoming travels. Pick up a book (or two) that focuses on your family's destination, and they'll know exactly what to expect before you hit the road, rail, or air!

Planning a family trip to an amusement or theme park this Summer? You've come to the right place! These 10 parks earned high marks from us for their diversity, family-friendliness, cleanliness, and ability to accommodate the needs of you and your kiddos. Hitting up an amusement park with kids in tow might not be the most low-stress form of travel, but your little ones will love you (even more) for it! Without further adieu, our top 10 . . .

Pack for a picnic and head to the park; it's time for an adventure. The quintessential Summer activity (at least according to the movies), we found everything you need to make a picnic with the kids fun and memorable. Leaving nothing out, we've included it all, from easy recipes to outdoor toys the little ones are sure to love. Click through and start planning — this is the ultimate picnic checklist!

"We're going to Disney World!" As soon as my kids heard the Super Bowl MVP utter that post-Super Bowl phrase, they couldn't wait to board the plane for Orlando, FL. Little did they know that we had booked our trip six months earlier, planning to stay at an apartment off-property (thanks, Nanna!), a few miles from the park. I loved Disney World as a kid, but back then, it was just two parks, and I wasn't the one planning the trip or paying for it! Today it is five parks, and we were planning on meeting friends there the week of Presidents' Day — the kids would be off from school, but so would thousands of other kids all with the same destination in mind.

To say I was nervous about the trip is an understatement. I envisioned waiting in long lines everywhere, being inundated with kids whining for Mickey Mouse ears and other souvenirs every three minutes, and feeling overwhelmed by the size of the parks. My vision couldn't have been further from reality. Sure, those things existed, but despite all of that, we experienced the Happiest Place on Earth. Here are my tips on how you can do that, too!

A staple of Summer for most every family, a beach vacation is the perfect time for parents and kids alike to kick back, enjoy the outdoors, and relax! While the list of great destinations could go on forever, we've narrowed it down to just 10 of the country's top beaches for families. Did your favorite spot make the cut? We'd love to hear where your family vacations and why it works for you.

When all goes according to plan, traveling with kids can be as thrilling an experience for parents as it is for the tots who are exploring new territory for the first time. But when you're surprised with an unexpected flight delay or lengthy layover, skipped naps, fast-food snacks, and general crankiness can send your plans (and moods) into a tailspin.

While we can't control air traffic control, we can provide a bit of guidance when it comes to the most desirable destinations to fly in and out of. Here, six of the country's best airports for families on the fly!

If you have a family trip on the horizon and are bringing baby along, then you may be feeling just a tad bit apprehensive. There's a lot that goes into organizing for any trip, but when a little one's involved, there's a whole new slew of things to consider. Here are five insider tips and tricks to make your journey just a little less stressful. Be sure to check out our guide to surviving your baby's first flight and how to pack your carry-on, as well!

There are hotel rooms, and then there are hotel experiences, the kinds that both grown-ups and kids dream about. Sometimes the hotel experience can be even more exciting than the destination. With that in mind, we're looking at a dozen hotel rooms truly designed with kids in mind. These themed hotel suites are nothing less than little slices of heaven for pint-size travelers and their grown-up chaperones. Case in point: the new Legoland Hotel that just opened in California. It features a full-blown pirate ship, bubble-blowing dragons, and three million Lego bricks! Sure, most of these hotels will cost you a pretty penny, but their ability to transport guests to fantasy worlds makes dreams come true. Click through for 12 of the most amazing hotel rooms for kids!

The days of a young traveler getting a set of wings and a tour of the cockpit may be a thing of the past, but that doesn't mean that travel can't be fun for tots. Armed with seatback entertainment systems, backpacks filled with goodies, and crew members prepared for pint-size flyers, several airlines are going out of their way to make travel fun for kids (and enjoyable for their parents) these days. From those that supply baby food to those that will have a birthday cake ready for your tot's big day, here are 10 airlines for families on the fly!