1. Snacks

There is nothing more fun and distracting to a 1 year old than snacks! Bring a variety of snacks, for the wait in the airport and the plane, so you can always have one handy for when the toddler starts to get bored and wiggly.

If you know you’ll be traveling in a few weeks, you can save 1 small snack pack from each type you buy over the next month, so that you have a good variety of options and all the snacks stay interesting and exciting.

2. Favorite Toys

It may seem obvious to bring their favorite toys, but if possible, begin to hide a few favorites 1-2 weeks before the flight. Then, not only will they have their favorite toys, but they will be twice as excited to see them again since they haven’t been played with in a couple weeks.

3. Interactive books

Choose books with texture, flaps and bright colors to keep your little one focused for as long as possible during the flight.

4. Finger Puppets

These are so fun for little ones to play with in their plane seat, they can use them like dolls for creative play, or you can take a turn and make fun stories for them to watch.

5. Stickers

Bring a small notebook and sheets of stickers and let them go wild! Just make sure stickers don’t get left behind on your seats. You can also try a fun sticker book like this pack of 3!

6. Water Coloring

These simple water coloring sets are perfect for planes because it’s a mess-free way to let their creativity shine!

7. Balloon

This is the best tip I can share from times traveling with my toddlers. Bring a deflated balloon through security and blow it up once you reach your gate. This is a great toy for your one year old to play with while waiting to get on the plane, and it’s easy to throw away before you get on the plane.

As we all know, the best thing you can bring is your own patience, and make sure you’re ready to switch gears any second that your toddler feels bored.

The post Airplane Toys & Activities for a One Year Old appeared first on Traveling Family Blog.

Using these tips you’ll be able to get more organic followers to your travel Instagram!

This post has affiliate links

How to get free followers to your travel Instagram account

Use good hashtags on Instagram 

Hashtags can be a great way to get your photos found on Instagram. Use a good combination between super-popular hashtags and very niche ones. For the smaller hashtags you have a higher chance of ranking in the “top” of the search for the most popular in that hashtag. Using the very popular hashtags gives you a chance to interact with people using it.

Aim for between 11-30 hashtags per post on Instagram.

Gorgeous photography

Posting amazing photos on Instagram may seem like a no brainer, but it’s worth mentioning. People look at your recent Instagram posts before deciding if they want to follow you, so make sure every shot is something you are proud to share with the world!

It’s also important to strike a good balance between photos of you traveling and people-free photos of your travels. Your followers will love getting to know the person behind the Instagram account when you are in the shot, but the ones where you stay behind the camera allow them to imagine what it would be like if THEY were on that trip too. Give them a good mix of both and they’ll want to stick around for more!

Tell stories with your photos 

A picture is worth a thousand words BUT people love hearing the words too. Your gorgeous photo sets the stage, but share the story behind the shot too. Adding a mini blog post to the image helps your followers engage with you on Instagram and feel like they are traveling right along with you.

Convert your readers into followers

One of the BEST ways to grow your travel Instagram account is to leverage the views you are already getting on your travel blog. We use this irreplaceable app called MiloTree to get this done. MiloTree is a google-compliant smart popup that encourages your readers to follow you on social media. You are able to customize which social media accounts appear first and even when the popup appears on your site. It is small so it doesn’t get in the way but does WONDERS to help you grow your Instagram account! It also won’t slow down your site so it’s a better option than trying to embed your Instagram feed in your side bar (which can really bog down your site load time).

You can try MiloTree for 30 days risk free here!

Have fun growing your travel Instagram followers with these tips!

The post How to grow your travel blog’s Instagram appeared first on Traveling Family Blog.

This post contains affiliate links.

Sign up for a free audible.com trial. You get your first TWO audio books for free. yay! That’s hours of non-fighting time in the car.

These are some of our favorite audiobooks for 5-7 year olds. The best part is, they are friendly for brothers and sisters so you can diminish fighting during deciding which book to listen to, too!

Get your free audiobooks

You could also rent books on CD from your local library, but I’m always scared I’ll lose the CDs on a trip, so I think Audible is a better option for travel.

The Ramona Quimby Collection

Meet Ramona. She lives on Klickitat Street with her mother, father and big sister, Beezus. She’s not afraid of anything and is always up to something. And that’s just the beginning…. In this audio collection, join Ramona, one of Beverly Cleary’s most beloved characters, on all her wacky adventures! Get the paperback books here. 

The Boxcar Children

Disney Children’s Favorites

Two story collections in one volume! From Bambi toAladdin, the best-loved stories of all time are now even better. In Disney Storybook Collection, over 20 stories recreate the movie magic of the most beloved Disney films. Perfect for bedtime, the second edition of the popular Bedtime Favorites storybook collection has 19 stories to choose from. Updated story selections feature characters from Finding Nemo, Cars 2, Toy Story 3, The Lion King, and more.

Hank the Cowdog

It’s a tough job, but somebody’s got to do it. Guts, glory, danger, and sacrifice are all in a day’s work for Hank the Cowdog, Head of Ranch Security. While investigating a murder on the ranch, Hank finds himself the number-one suspect. Get the paperback books. 

Frindle

He really just likes to liven things up at school — and he’s always had plenty of great ideas. When Nick learns some interesting information about how words are created, suddenly he’s got the inspiration for his best plan ever: the frindle. Who says a pen has to be called a pen? Why not call it a frindle? Things begin innocently enough as Nick gets his friends to use the new word. Then other people in town start saying frindle. Soon the school is in an uproar, and Nick has become a local hero. Get the paperback. 

Pippi Longstockings

The Magic Treehouse

This audio collection includes the first eight stories fromThe Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne;Dinosaurs Before Dark, The Knight at Dawn, Mummies in the Morning, Pirates Past Noon, Night of the Ninjas, Afternoon on the Amazon, Sunset of the Sabertooth, and Midnight on the Moon. Join Jack and Annie in adventures in time and space! Get the paperback books here. 

Do you have a favorite audiobook series to listen to with your kids? Don’t forget to Try Audible and Get Two Free Audiobooks and let us know what you download in the comments!

Want more car trip fun?  Check out our post on the best road trip activities for kids!

The post Best Audiobooks For Family Road Trips {Age 5-7} appeared first on Traveling Family Blog.

1. Don’t Fight for Your Rights.

If you are overseas, you have no rights. It doesn’t matter what the overall laws are in a country, it all comes down to Valkimir and what he feels like doing. He can make up some random law and fine you for something totally bogus if he wants to. Sure you can complain about it, but have you ever tried explaining a legal issue in the government office of a foreign nation?

Let’s put it this way. What is your favorite sports team, or America’s Got Talent act? You love them right? If you saw them at a restaurant you would half-secretly take pictures and live tweet them drinking soup through their eyeballs; or throwing footballs or something less interesting. N

ow imagine the competition, who you loath, comes to you and says they are cheaters and the soup isn’t even real, nor are their eyes. Even if they said it with sincere tears and begged you to listen, your immediate reaction would be to punch that person straight in the throat, right? Why? Because they aren’t one of your people, they are the enemy. It’s the same in the corruption scene. A government official is going to defend Valkimir if only to enjoy the fact that they finally have the power over the imperialist dog who is forced to interact with them.

2. Get Their Name, and Smile

Getting and officer’s name is an extremely powerful tool for a couple of reasons. One, when you speak to them using their name, it makes you more human to them. Officers of the law may wear a uniform but they are still human beings. It is a lot easier to blackmail someone you don’t know or don’t like. If you address them by their name and smile, the chances they will go through with the scam drop dramatically. Half the time they will be so disarmed they will literally say something like, “Your brake light was flickering, but it looks fine now. Make sure you get that checked out,” and walk away.

Showing any anger at all is the fastest way to get the biggest fine they can come up with. They already don’t like you because your are a foreigner, and if you are from a developed nations they see a giant dollar sign behind the wheel. Cursing them out does nothing but make it more satisfying for them when they buy that new Folex watch.

    3. Have Local Police Contacts

No official wants to look bad, even in a totally corrupt nation. Why do you think some of the most evil dictators throughout history have gone through epic efforts to have propaganda created that makes them look amazing? Even in precincts where everyone knows everyone else is corrupt, they tend to act on a more don’t ask, don’t tell strategy. Before you go you should get the phone number to the local police, and names as well. If you are being busted on bogus claims, politely suggest that you are going to call Valkimir’s captain and do so if needed. An even stronger strategy would be to go straight to the police station as soon as you arrive in the country and meet the Captain personally, get his cell number. If you can do that corruption is unlikely to be an issue at all. Even if the captain is corrupt himself, he will almost certainly reprimand the officer ripping you off to make himself look good. Name dropping has great power!

4. Get Other Locals Involved.

This goes along with involving people at a higher rank. If you are in a public area, try involving a local or two if you can. They may not know what’s going on, but usually someone is willing to stand up for the foreigner being taken advantage of, and they can do it with far less risk than you. Also, locals, just like in the States, are more than happy to go to the news about it if they think they can get on TV. Officers know this and will usually change their tune and put away their wallet.

5. Don’t Pay the Bribes.

For many people this is a morally gray area. They don’t see any issues with paying bribes if it will get them out of the immediate predicament they find themselves in. There are huge problems with paying though. First, as you probably know it simply feeds into the corruption culture, making it more likely the guy behind you is going to get ripped off too. But beyond that, paying bribes often comes back to bite you. Once they know you will pay, they will often either make something else up to get more out of you, or they will call their buddy down the road and tip them off about you. There is also always the chance that they will get you to pay, and then arrest you for bribing an officer to show everyone how “anti-corruption” they are.

   6. Always Have Your Papers at Hand

I can’t stress this enough. When you are driving/walking around you need three things on the dashboard, or in a cup holder, or anywhere you can grab within two seconds. You need your passport (with a piece of tape on the page with your visa stamp so you can turn to it fast), driver’s license, and insurance papers for your vehicle. Those are the most common things you will be asked for.

Often you will get waved/pulled over by police simply because they are curious about what you are doing there. It is in the time they ask you for papers, and you are fumbling around in a panic that they start looking for ways to make money off of you. If you can immediately produce them with a smile like a pro, they lose that window and don’t have time to make up something to get you for without a creepy awkward silence. It isn’t full-proof, but it has been proven to work hundreds of times now. If you are driving and an officer at a check point is checking everyone, hold your license and passport out the window at them as you arrive, half the time Valkimir will just wave you on.

The post 6 Strategies for Dealing With Foreign Officials appeared first on Traveling Family Blog.

Camping vs Glamping

Thinking of camping for Christmas just drains the blood out of my face.  What a lot of work!  I love camping, but taking my house and moving outside provides enough work without adding all the holiday traditions, baking, presents, and the Christmas Tree. (Our Christmas is pretty low key; read about it here. How We de-stressed Christmas and You Can Too)

Just a side note: When camping for Christmas does one bring a tree? Or just decorate the surrounding available foliage with lights and ornaments?

Instead, what about Glamping for Christmas?  What is glamping?–glamour camping of course!  Made famous with the remodeling of 1950’s travel trailers into little luxurious suites.

Glamping ranges in style from Canvas African Style Safari Tents with colonial wood furniture inside, to space module minimalism with clean lines that even Hal might recognize (Hal is the computer in 2001: A Space Odyssey).

Glampinghub.com offers a way to plan these vacations around the world. With over 15,000 accommodations of 27 different types in 165 countries, they make glamping easy.

Want a tipi in South Africa, done! A tree house in Oregon, it’s ready for you, Christmas Camping in Australia find it here.  Recently I spoke with Jessica Armstrong, Head of Public Relations and Partnerships, at glampinghub.com,

Glamping hub started as a travel blog by founder David Troya, in 2011 while finishing his MBA.  Shortly after he invited two colleagues to partner with him creating a worldwide booking network of unusual luxury accommodations.

See pictures of Jessica’s personal stay in a treehouse in Julian, California, plus my dream destinations!

What Kind of Camping Accommodations Can You Expect from Glampinghub.com?

Everything!  Yurts with outdoor kitchens, tents with luxury swimming pools, tiny homes surrounded by wilderness and some really cool tree houses and greenhouses in out of the way locations.  Almost all locations included a modern bathroom and kitchen with running water–a far cry from me trying to camp in our no bathroom little vintage travel trailer for the holidays.

Need to bring Fido for your Christmas Camping Trip.  The Glampinghub.com site offers extensive information about flying with dogs and cats, E.U. pet regulations, and even a public transportation guide for pets.  In Seattle for instance:

The post Reasons you should go glamping for Christmas appeared first on Traveling Family Blog.

Summer is almost here!  When you consider planning for the family “get away” keep the following thing in mind:

A Stress Free Vacation Requires a Budget

No one wants to come home from vacation overdrawn and sunburned.  Planning a budget for vacation can help soothe everyone’s nerves and stop the “back from vacation” hang overs.

4 Main Categories Stress Free Vacation Planning

Lodging- a lot of options here.

Check out National Park cabins, college dorms, YMCA, hostels also can be rented out for the summer, plus a family “airbnb” has some great rates.  Want some great memories at cheap prices pack the kids and a tent.

Food-where do I start?  No one wants to be stuck in the kitchen on vacation. Having  simple cooking facilities saves a bunch.

-divide up who does what meal and what meals are on your own– snack meals– e.g., breakfast on your own, when     you get up

– Lunching out is often cheaper than dinner out and can come with left overs!

-Planning to do meals in the rental space with a few special trips to the ice cream shop/bakery/candy store can save  on both frustration with picky eaters and dollars.

Travel-what are you willing to do for a  cheaper price or less hassle.

-leaving on a 6 am or 8 pm flight can help with flight cost, plus what about flying into a smaller airport (Dallas Love  Field instead of DWF)

-take the car–make the journey part of the vacation, plan this into the budget and enjoy the ride.  Down load family  podcasts, bring music just of the trip, play car games and plan special snacks just for the car ride.

-make the travel the vacation itself.  A train trip or a boat ride or even a ferry out to an island you have been wanting  to explore.   Make this the fun event and the way to get there.

Fun-Running wild or sitting at the beach we all want to Laugh

-this is why the beach and national forest are all kinds of fun for free.  Hours of riding the waves or exploring the woods are real fun and do not cost $89 per person to enter.

-campfires, cook-outs, picnics are just a few stress free vacation ideas that solve two problems for the price of a  bucket of chicken.

-start looking early for  coupons and deals.  If you are headed to a theme park or someplace with a high entrance fee, look for lodging and ticket combos. Join their email list in advance for special offers.  Read up on what you really want to do and find the dates that work for you.  Staying over night at the Georgia Aquarium is a breath taking experience and much cheaper than a hotel and meal.

Creating the time for a Stress Free Vacation

Summer sport leagues, spending time with family, work commitments and child care can slow down the stress free vacation planing process.  Not to mention trying to do a multi generational trip where several adult schedules are involved.  Uggh!  Sometimes this makes you just want to give up and stay home.  Which is not a bad idea!

-“staycations” are awesome!  Do all the things in your town that you normally only do with guests.  Visit the amusement park, take in an afternoon movie, go to lunch at the fancy restaurant, play a round of golf, enjoy a night at the theatre, take the kids to a restaurant for a big bunch meal.  You can visit the museum, park, lake, fishing hole you drive by everyday and wish you had time to stop.  Be sure you fold down the sheets and put chocolate on everyone’s pillow at night just to make it official that you are on vacation.

-Can you vacation at a time or place that is a little toward a”shoulder” season.  My family went to Dauphin Island, Alabama  for 3 weeks in August.  The kids in Alabama return to school in early August so we booked a wonderful house for 6 people for less than $140 a night.  The water was warm and the beaches contained only a few other families.

-try shorter weekend trips to close locations.  Paid vacation for many of us is as foreign as a duck billed platypus.  Plan frequent short trips that don’t require long travel times or extended time from work.

-camp in your own yard.  I love camping and can’t wait for it to stop snowing so we can dust off the camper and take her down the road–even just 20 miles or so, build a fire, roast marshmallows and talk about what we enjoy about summer.

Setting Expectations With Spouses and Kids

Make a list of all the things you really, really want to do this summer.  Hang it up in the kitchen in the spring.  Just the act of writing things down changes things.  After a little mulling over and a few parent to parent conversations, take the the top five suggestions and discuss what might really be possible.

-teach even young kids about budgets

-look on a map about distance–how long it would take to get there.  (We went to the Georgia Aquarium because the  one in Okinawa, Japan was a little out of our reach, for now!)

-what will give everyone the most satisfaction with the least hassle.  Camping for 3 weeks may give 3 out of the 4 of your family hives just thinking of it.  While a tour of 14 cities in 10 days may create a claustrophobic feeling for 2 of you.  Is sitting on the beach the right ticket for the workaholic in your family while the runner needs a lot more action in their days?

Fun Family Dinner Game For a Stress Free Vacation

Describe in detail your perfect stress free vacation experience. What would you do, where would you stay, what would you eat.

What is the best vacation you have taken ever?

If you were to vacation with these groups of people–immediate family, friends, just your kids, extended family, just your spouse, just you–what would you do?

Start with the family game.  It will give you an idea of where every one is in their lives right now without commitment.  Just fun thoughts?

The post How to Plan a Stress Free Vacation appeared first on Traveling Family Blog.

When You Can’t Remember Why You Had Kids in the First Place

When the boys were little just leaving the house was an adventure.  Going to town needed to happen between naps, meals, playtime and after a fresh diaper.  Getting all the gear in the car left me exhausted and a few times driving way without the kids. (Boys, if you ever read this, I never did lose you at that age, that came later). Before you start your holiday travel do a few things to remember why you had kids in the first place!

• Go in and watch them sleeping.  (Why this should restore our faith in the little darlings I am not sure but the internet says it does.)
• Watch Old Family Movies.  (Like the Facebook/Instagram/Youtube clips from last year) We only put the good stuff on social media so fall in love with your kid’s avatar again.
• Call the Grandparents have them recite all the wonderful items you have now to help you parent. (Ipads, podcasts, DVD players, iPhone apps, sippy cups.)

Can you really believe people took children on long trips before portable DVD players?

*** If you are traveling soon, take advantage of this deal from our partners at Disney – you can get 4 Disney DVDs of your choice for just $1***

• Only fix the kids favorite meals for a week. (For 6 weeks on a road my kids ate pizza, hot dogs, and pasta) I might have pickled them from the inside with all the preservatives but dinner time was blissful!
• Old school it with the TV and watch crazy stuff like I Love Lucy, The Adams Family, and The Sound of Music.  Use this as a generation connector and constantly remind them how difficult life was without a cell phone.

Remeber How Dull It would Be to Fly Without Kids

Remember flying with babies?  The total stare down of the other passengers as you boarded the plane.  Their inner thoughts were audible.

• Please, please please don’t sit here!
• I bet he cries the whole flight.
• Why do they always sit next to me?
• Is she really going to change the diaper on the tray table?
• What was that? Is that food on my ear?
• Do you really need to turn around and look me the whole flight?
• No, I will not move you should have booked your seats earlier.

Without Children to Travel with You Would Have Missed

The toddler fascination with airplane bathroom

“I need to go Mommy!”

“You just went.”

” I can feel the pee!”

I think my kids wore diapers on the plane until they were 5 years old.  One trip to the bathroom on a two-hour flight no more! And please, please don’t touch everything.

Hide and Seek in the Cavernous Airport Bathroom

And what about the monstrous airport bathrooms where you could lose your child in the vast sea of stalls. I appreciate the convenience of multiple lanes of stalls but when your three-year-old crawls under the stall and then can’t find you it becomes a frantic game of hiding and seek.

Just think, those of you who travel without kids missed running up and down the bathroom stall isles hissing your child’s name and looking for their little legs under the stall doors.

Mommy Can I Have

The airport offers a plethora of worldly goods all at you figure tips.  Toothbrushes reside right next $12 dollar bacon filled chocolate bars that are only a stone’s throw from exciting animal shaped luggage.

I tell you what is a child to do?

Without children, you might have sat quietly scrolling through Facebook.  With kids, you now need to get up a look at everything while repeating the word no a 100 zilloin times.

Practical Tips for Holiday Travel with Children

1. Put the children and yourself to bed early the night before travel
2. Cuddle, snuggle and talk about all the fun you will have the next day
3. Set expectations of time if they are old enough ( we will leave at 10 am and be at Grammy’s by 6pm)
4. Pack plenty of snacks
5. Explain airport rules– age appropriate about how important it is to listen to mom while traveling.
6. Make sure you have packed the lovey, toys and new games on the electronic and to hold their hands
7. Podcasts are awesome family driving entertainment
8. Pray

Finally to Get a Little Perspective

Watch this over and over until you can quote it by heart!  Then the lines at the airport won’t seem so long.

If you are going to Grandma’s house take a look at the 5 Tips for Extended family Travel

The post How to Get Jazzed Up About Holiday Travel with Your Kids appeared first on Traveling Family Blog.

10. American Airlines

In terms of price American Airlines is great. I know there are some shoe-string airlines out there that are cheaper, but American is a nicer, more experienced airline with low prices if you know where to look. I spend most of my time in Central America and my family is in Texas. I can get round trip flights from San Jose, Costa Rica to Houston on American for $350, which is the same as the other cheap airlines where you have to pay to breath.

American is at the bottom of my list because their staff have been pretty rude to me on several occasions and in general have not been very friendly. They usually smile and do their job, but they don’t seem to be enjoying themselves or actually like being around the passengers as some of the other airlines on this list. For me customer service is king.

About twelve years ago when I was newly married and working on my residence visa in Panama (where my wife is from) I had to return to Texas for papers and come back over the course of four days. When I was at the AA counter checking in for my return flight the woman at the counter asked to see my visa to Panama because I didn’t have a return ticket, which is a requirement to fly there. I explained that I was married to a Panamanian and was working on my residence visa, and showed her my paperwork as well as the dozen or so Panamanian immigration stamps in my passport to prove it. You can arrive in Panama and get a three month tourist visa without applying beforehand. She called the manager who was unnecessarily irate with me, and after having me explain the situation again he told me, “We will let you on board, but if you get stuck in immigration don’t come back to us for help.” 

I still fly American often, but I think the whole airline needs and attitude overhaul.

9. Frontier Airlines

Frontier Airlines is one of those hidden gems. They are mostly a U.S. regional airline based out of Colorado. Since most of my flights are international I don’t get to fly with them often, but when I get a chance I do. They don’t have the highest reviews if you check them out on Google, I don’t understand why personally. When I have flown with them the staff are always very nice, the planes are clean, and my flights have always been pleasant. Plus their prices are usually great!

8. Lufthansa

Lufthansa, the German Air Prince. Internationally I don’t fly with anyone as much as with them. They have great prices, really professional stewards and stewardesses who are always on top of their game. It may sound strange but I actually get pretty nervous when I fly, and no matter how much I do turbulence still freaks me out. Lufthansa is one of the airlines where they are so solid in their training that I feel very safe with the captains. Anyone who has flown a lot knows you can definitely tell the difference between experienced and non-experienced captains and crews. One of my most recent flights from two weeks ago, with an airline not on this list, I could swear the pilot was a drunk three year old. I have never felt that way with Lufthansa.

So why aren’t they at the top of my list? Because of a few people at the check-in counter, specifically at the Frankfurt airport. For whatever reason the Lufthansa staff at their own airport are some of the most high strung airline staff I’ve ever seen. Twice now I have been a witness to, though not involved in, shouting matches between the staff and passengers. I don’t know what they were about or who was the instigator, but the manager’s face was pretty red last time, which was on my layover two weeks ago. The passenger was yelling too so I can’t cut the counter staff down too much, but it still seemed overboard to me.

7. Pegasus Airlines

“We Didn’t Start Aviation In Turkey, But We Transformed It.” That is Pegasus’s company slogan, and boy are they right. If I made a list of my top favorite countries, which I might one day, Turkey would be in the top three hands down. I have spent a lot of time there, and have flown all over. Pegasus Airlines is a regional Turkish airline, so you aren’t likely to fly with them outside of Turkey unless they have added international flights by the time you read this. I have flown with a variety of domestic Turkish airlines, and the others have a tendency to be late and not give timely information in my experience. But Pegasus has always been great from the check in counter ’til landing. Like Frontier Airlines, their biggest negative is simply that they don’t have more routes.

6. Air Canada

O Canada. If you are from the States, especially the South, you may have laughed at the thought of what a Canadian gang fight must look like, or thought about ways to fake a Canadian heritage for citizenship there so you can adopt a baby seal. They are known for being the nicest nation on earth, that translates right into their flight crews. They are super friendly, seem to be happy that they get to travel for work, and genuinely like people. On my last flight with them from Toronto to Frankfurt there were three people vomiting on the plane and the crew was right there helping out, standing by the sickly ones, checking on them frequently and making sure they had everything they needed, and they seemed to really care. I was very impressed.

My negative with them is that their website is confusing for me, and when I called and asked questions about Global Entry, the person I spoke with didn’t know what Global Entry was and said they can’t help with anything that isn’t directly related to ticketing, and also couldn’t forward me to anyone who could help.

5. Copa

Copa Airlines is the Panamanian airline and goes to multiple locations throughout the Americas. They have great planes and the staff are usually pretty friendly. If you are flying around Panama it is hard to beat them. With international flights I have never had issues, but their domestic flights have been delayed without warning or explanation several times for me. But they are still the best for flights in this area!

4. Turkish Airlines

Turkish Airlines is surprisingly unknown in my circle of friends. I never hear anyone talk about them, but they are actually the third largest airline in the world by the amount of destinations they travel to. They are this sort of wonderful undercurrent. I have flown a lot with them, and will continue to do so. They always have very nice staff, they have a great system for check in where the lines are separated all the way down to whether or not you have check in bags or not. I know others do this too, but often times there are only lines for web-check in, first class, and economy, but many International flights don’t allow you to check in online, so even if you have no bags to check in you have to go through the huge economy line. They bypass that by allowing both, which is awesome!

3. Avianca

This Colombian airline is my absolute favorite for Latin America. They have such great service, clean planes, nice crews, and solid captains. My family flew from Panama to Chile and the flight was so smooth my three year old son slept through most of it, which is saying something. They don’t always have the cheapest prices, but sometimes you can snag a deal with some searching, when you do I highly recommend them.

2. United Airlines

This is my preferred airline. Yes yes, I know they’ve had some nasty scandals lately, as have several other airlines, but I have never seen that side of them personally and they have always been great to me. They are the only airline that has ever bumped me up for free, not first class, but economy plus which gave my long legs some wonderful extra room. They also go to pretty much all the locations I want to visit and they are friendly and professional.

1. Thai Smile

And finally my absolute favorite airline ever. Thai Smile is an airline based out of Thailand that pretty much just travels to the nations in that area like Cambodia, India, etc…. Wow are they impressive. When I have flown with them they give me a full on welcome box once we are in the air. I’m talking a sort of shoebox filled with goodies for the flight, and they still give snacks and drinks! The stewardesses have the most awesome looking uniforms as well, and are some of the friendliest staff you will ever see. They bowed to every row, were constantly attentive to us, and we a real joy to travel with. Whenever I am in that part of Asia they will always be my number one choice.

Honorable Mention: Southwest Airlines – I haven’t flown with Southwest personally, but I have consistently heard very positive things about them, and I know that they have incredible policies to benefit their staff in order to get the happiest flight experience for their passengers.

Do you have a favorite airline? Share in the comments!

The post My Top 10 Favorite Airlines appeared first on Traveling Family Blog.

Wanderlust Print – You can print this and choose your favorite print to put it in. I love everything about it and the coloring is subtle enough that it can fit in any room!

To Travel Is To Live – Wooden Quote Block with the quote “to travel is to live”, with a very subtle world map in the background. I love the way the wood grain is interwoven through the map.

Personalized Travel Map – They make this map unique to you! Each family member can track their own travels on it. I love how beautiful and colorful it ends up being and a great way to record memories.

Antique London Map Pillar Candle – I love the vintage look of these candles but they show off the complex street system in London. Gorgeous!

Personalized Globe – Not only can this globe be personalized with your names but it also allows for pushpins to display where you’ve been and where you plan to go. On my wish list for sure!

Love Travel Heart Garland – Show off your love for the places of the earth, with this gorgeous heart garland made from maps!

Blue Travel Pillow – Tiny blue airplanes and flight routes adorn this beautiful throw pillow. Wouldn’t this be gorgeous on your couch?

Fabric Kite Map – This would look gorgeous on a wall or shelf in the home. There is nothing like a fabric map and turning it into a kite is just genius!

Compass Rock – Sweetly painted rock to look like a compass. This would look pretty, several in a jar or just one or two set on a ledge.

Shower Curtain Map – Get that rustic wanderlust look in your bathroom with this gorgeous shower curtain!

Do you have a favorite room that displays your wanderlust? Which of these will you add to it?

The post Decorating Ideas That Will Feed Your Wanderlust appeared first on Traveling Family Blog.

I have been blogging for over 12 years and have over 10 million pageviews under my belt (and that’s just on one site). While this particular URL is new for me, blogging professionally is something I’ve been doing for a long time.

Pinterest is one of the TOP ways you can get traffic to your travel blog. And yet, I constantly see many travel bloggers under-using pinterest or not using it correctly.

Here are some tips to help you get more pageviews from Pinterest.

This post has affiliate links to resources I personally use and love. I will make a commission if you choose to join a free trial or make a purchase through my links. 

Images 

Photography is everything, but certain types of photos do better than others for Pinterest.

Start with a nice vertical image. In general, longer the image the better (up to a length of around 2000). You can use a free photo editor like picmonkey to create a collage of images if your best ones are horizontal or square. Long images take up the most room int he pin feed, so you have a much higher chance of your pins being repinned or clicked, simple because they are on the screen for a long time.

Text 

Adding text to your images can help a lot. You do not have to simply restate your blog post’s title. Find a fun “how to” type phrase that will catch a readers eye. Think “5 best things to do in Atlanta” instead of “What we did in Atlanta”. Make it all about the reader and get them to click!!!

TIP – Make sure the font you choose is easy to read! When in doubt choose simple fonts and keep the font colors simple as well. You want this text to be able to be read at a glance!

Creating your boards 

When you create Pinterest boards, think through your idea reader and problems that they might be facing. Create your boards

Descriptions 

At it’s core, Pinterest is a visual search engine. The descriptions you put on your pins is important!!! Fill those descriptions with keywords people would type in a search bar when looking for information about your topic.

EXTRA TIP – To be sure that all your pins have great descriptions, you can set them when you upload your image to the blog. In the box that says “alternative text” type in your Pin description. This will then auto-populate as the description when some one tries to pin that image from your blog.

Tailwind

If you feel overwhelmed at the thought of pinning enough content to keep your pin boards active, use a scheduler like Tailwind. (Get a free month here)

Tailwind will allow you to schedule out your posts to various boards at intervals so you don’t send a new post to all your boards at once. This will maximize the reach of each post on Pinterest by spacing out those shares.

Another way Tailwind helps you to get more traffic on Pinterest is through Tailwind Tribes. These are used by bloggers to share one another’s posts. Check out the video below and I’ll walk you through exactly how it works.

Pinterest is one of the BEST tools to help you grow your travel blog. These tips will help you get started on the right track to grow your travel blog!

Looking for more blogging tips? Check out my list of must-have resources for serious bloggers.

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The post How to get more traffic to your travel blog using pinterest appeared first on Traveling Family Blog.