Family Travel Insurance - Be a Smart Buyer

I am a 'what-if' kind of person. I've used this phrase to describe myself for years, even before I had kids. When I was single, I always made sure I had enough life insurance so that my parents or sister wouldn't have to pay off the balance of my Toyota Tercel auto loan should I pass away.

My 'what-if' tendencies are even more pronounced now that I have kids. (The photo is of two of my kids watching planes at the airport in Boston, 2004.) Now, I worry about many more things; like about those drivers on the other side of the yellow line. You know the ones: they are motoring in the opposite direction, and at any moment could veer into my lane and cause all kinds of mayhem. Yep, I worry about them and am not embarrassed to tell you that whenever possible, I make a point of driving in the lane furthest away from that yellow line.

I have the uncanny (maybe troubling?) ability to foresee danger in detail. For example, most moms will admonish their kids not to run with scissors. I, however, will embellish the warning, adding "because if you fall the sharp points might go into your eye socket and be stuck in your brain." Egads! Does grossing out your kids by evoking images of horrible injuries count as child abuse?

So, it will surprise no one that I ponder about travel insurance. We've never bought any before, but thinking back on the three thousand dollars we spent (nearly a year ahead of our departure) on airfare to get our family of 5 to Germany last year - what if we couldn't go because one of us got sick, or the house fell in a sink hole? We can't afford to abandon that much money, and would certainly need it elsewhere.

You Can Get Protected
I recently came across an article on examiner.com by Jodi Jill, the LA Disneyland Examiner reporter, about making your Disneyland vacation error proof. Item Number One is to get some travelers insurance because you may pay for your vacation months in advance, yet "life situations may be out of your control". See what I mean?

Then, an online estimator showed that between $200 and $500 can cover the basics for a two week trip to Europe with a $10,000 budget for a family of 5 depending on the levels of coverage you buy, and stipulated you must purchase the insurance within 14 days of your first vacation payment. You can opt to cover only the things you're afraid of, like trip cancellation or emergency medical care. I wonder what kind of proof the insurance company would require?

But how does one know how an insurance company rates or how to compare costs?

Shopping with Smarts
I came across squaremouth.com, an online travel insurance broker that compares 250 insurance products, and was quoted in an April, 2009 Wall Street Journal article about covering Swine Flu cancellations. (No, there is no coverage for cancellation due to 'fear' of getting sick, unless you've purchased a policy and upgraded to a "cancel for any reason" level.) Squaremouth was also quoted in an April 2009 New York Times article about airline policies and practices about Swine Flu and insurance.

To learn more about travel insurance, see travelinsurancereview.net which has many helpful articles such as "How to buy travel insurance in 3 steps" and "How do I know my travel insurance company is reputable?" and "How to avoid using your travel insurance."

There is also a March 2009 article by Sophie Butler in the Telegraph.co.uk about being careful not to buy travel insurance from your tour operator or airline. Consumer Reports agrees, adding a warning to not buy through a travel agency, and advising use of a third party insurance company, and identifying coverage you may already have through credit cards, homeowner and medical insurance.

With the economy in shambles, Carol Pucci reports in a March 2009 Seattle Times article, that many travel insurance companies already do cover trip cancellations due to layoffs. She includes a caution to read the fine print on any policy.

Then again, the travel insurance industry may be laughing all the way to the bank. Here is a New York Times article by John Tierney about superstitions and people who are convinced that the insurance they buy will keep bad things from happening.

I don't know why I never looked into this before! It would relieve my worried mind quite a bit.

Sandy Nielsen
Sleeps5.com

Resources: See our web page about how we purchased airline tickets using mileage awards.

Family of 5 Shares Hotel Bathroom (WC)

That while on vacations we all manage to get ready for each travel day with one hotel bathroom is a wonder to me. (Don't worry, I'm not going to describe anything too personal!) The bathroom routine is made more difficult because three members of my family have a (probably unusually) high degree of modesty. I'll admit that one of those 3 is me. I have never flossed my teeth or blown my nose in front of anyone; never. As for the other two who each have an excessive sense of decorum, from a very early age, the twins insisted on complete privacy for even just changing clothes or brushing teeth. We could have saved money or claimed more storage space in the upstairs bathroom at our house by foregoing the installation of double sinks: there is never a time when both sinks are being utilized simultaneously. One of the boys waits for the empty bathroom, then closes and locks the door, each and every time.

With 3 of us determined to have private bathroom time, our family has developed a pattern for getting the 5 of us through our hygiene routines using a single hotel bathroom in a reasonable timeframe: ready for breakfast in the morning, and ready for bed at night.

The decision as to which person gets to use the bathroom first has more to do with behavior than urgency to you-know-what. Well, we do take care of any urgency situations, but the next priority in determining order of bathroom usage is whether one has the ability to quietly converse, read, or watch tv. That means no shouting, no jumping, no hitting, no kicking, no throwing of any object. The youngest are the most unable to refrain from these activities, and are thus typically forced to get their bathroom needs over with so that the first available parent can then remove those youngsters from the hotel room to the breakfast room in the morning or tuck those youngsters firmly in bed at night.

Since I am the best at being quiet (the best!), and since I'm a girl with special bathroom needs involving long hair and a dab of makeup, and since I'm the one with highly developed skills in herding children through getting-ready routines and managing their complaints about bathroom usage, and since I'm the family organizer and I need to itemize travel items to pack for the day or I need to categorize clothing that is dirty or re-wearable at the end of the day, I use the bathroom last.

Thankfully, my hubby is willing to get up extra early each morning while on vacation in order to finish his shower before anyone else wakes up. Then we both awaken the kids and shuffle them through their morning grumpies, enticing them to hurry with descriptions of the Nutella that awaits them in the breakfast room. Once they are escorted out the door by their dad, I finish readying myself, glad for the momentary peace, but trying to hurry in case my DH needs help in the breakfast room, and in case the breakfast buffet is nearly over and I'll miss my chance for food and coffee.

At the end of a travel day, we prod each kid to take his individual turn in the bathroom and one by one say goodnight. Those of us awaiting a turn pass the time reading or watching CNN. When the kids are done, and then their dad, it is my turn in the bathroom. When I come out, and all is quiet in a room full of drowsy kids, then I get to read a bit. And in about 8 hours it starts over again.

Do you have a good system for 5 in a room?

Sandy Nielsen
Sleeps5.com

Best Deal NYC Hotel for a Family of Five for the Fourth

Here is a quick deal I found on Expedia at least for the dates we were interested in (around the Fourth of July). The Hilton Garden Inn in Tribeca which is near China Town and Soho has rooms that sleep 5 for $184/night. The hotel is new and fresh. Some reviews comment that it is in a noisy location, but this is a hard deal to beat in NYC especially for a family of five. Hilton considers 17 and under a child.

Resources:
New York City hotels on Sleeps5.com
Things to Do in New York City

Holly Jacobsen
Sleeps5.com

Barcelona - Family Travel Dining Tips

We are dreaming of traveling to Europe again - maybe in 2011 we'll get across the Atlantic Ocean once more. (We are saving those airline miles!) The kids have let me know that Spain is on their wish list. Our family of 5 loves big cities, so Barcelona will certainly be a top priority.

Here are a couple of starting resources for planning our trip:

First, one from eurocheapo called Barcelona Restaurant Tips: How to keep your eats cheap by Bill Sinclair. This article describes how to decipher common menu puzzlers such as - Is the water and bread included in the price? And is sitting at that lovely patio table a special privilege that costs extra? It also imparts information about typical restaurant practices regarding smoking, busy hours, and tipping.

Another eurocheapo article is Barcelona food: Five cheap eats under €6, by Regina W. Bryan. Most of the 5 places identified offer foods that any kid would like to eat: Asian rice or noodles, sandwiches, and pizza. One though, is also a bookshop so I'd rather order takeout there and not attempt to keep my kids quiet while other customers try to peacefully read.

Check out this fantastic website, www.kidsinbarcelona.com. It is in English and has pages and pages of Barcelona information for families. One page is called Cafes and Restaurants with Kids. The page is listed under the Kids' Directory tab, and offers 6 category choices including 'eating outdoors', 'tapas', and 'easy meals'. Each of those headings provides a list of restaurants, each with a link to a detailed description, address, and a web link or phone number. The website also lists current events, park and play areas, and more. The Useful Numbers page, with contact information for police and medical assistance, and pharmacy locations, makes this website a valuable resource to remember even while a family is in Barcelona.

I'll start learning some Spanish now.

Resources:
How We Used Our Airline Mileage Awards
Spain Hotels with a Family Room that Sleeps 5

Sandy Nielsen
Sleeps5.com

Grocery Shopping in Tuscany

Grocery stores in Italy carry beautiful produce and other products. It is truly a treat to shop there, much like shopping in a high end gourmet grocer in the United States. While we were staying in the more rural region surrounding Florence, we encountered a few different types of stores.
In each little hill top town no matter how small, there will be at least one tiny grocery store (negozio de alimentari). It will carry basic items including high quality meat and cheeses that the store clerk will slice for you, vegetables and bread. We found these stores to be pricier but more friendly than the bigger stores. The grocery store most similar to a North American Super Market would be the PAM. These work just like the ones in the U.S. except for the fruit and vegetable section. After you have chosen and bagged your fruits and vegetables proceed to a little weighing kiosk in that section. Weigh your bag of fruit then push the corresponding button on the screen that correlates with your item as in apples to apples. There will be a picture of the item for those illiterate in Italian. Thank goodness! It does help however to brush up on a few basic food related words in Italian. A sticker or tag will print. Adhere this to your bag and you are ready to proceed through the check out line. Another type of grocery store we often encountered was the Co-op. First of all before you enter you must fetch a cart by inserting a one euro coin into the cart handle which will allow it to release from a cart rack. When you return the cart you get your one euro back. Also the Co-ops charge for bags, so bring one with you or ask to pay for one before the checker is finished totalling your bill. And bag your own groceries. Our family really got a kick out of figuring out these stores and looking at all the different items sold in them. Buona Fortuna!

Resources:
Hotels in Italy on Sleeps5.com
Things to Do in Florence, Italy
Parks and Dining in Rome


Holly Jacobsen
Sleeps5.com

Before Your Family Travels - Teach Geography with a Game!

My working knowledge of geography is limited -- in school I'd memorize enough to get an 'A' on the test, then let it go. Having 3 boys who seem to soak up country, city, mountain, and water body names like sponges, though, has increased my interest in the subject. And now, searching for hotel family rooms in foreign locales for Sleeps5.com has doubled my newfound geography enthusiasm.

A while back, wanting to buy a game that fit my kids' fascination with factoids on lands and peoples, I bought a used Take Off board game. It has airplane pieces you move from one destination to another, hopefully faster than your opponents, by rolling the dice and answering questions from info cards. Though it's a winner of parent awards, it didn't really 'take off' as a favorite pastime at our house. Perhaps it is more suitable for younger kids. 2-6 players, not available through Amazon.co.uk.



Kept looking -- Still attracted to the idea of the 5 of us regularly playing a board game, however, I want one that has an educational component about places where we may travel, and that is well designed and challenging enough for my middle and high school aged kids. So I researched a bit and found three games reportedly enjoyed by some as young as 8, but that have logic and strategy aspects that keep grown-ups playing frequently, even without kids. Here they are, and you can click Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk to read more about them:


10 Days in Europe -- With luck and planning, outpace your opponents in traveling to multiple cities in Europe via modes of transportation. Amazon reviewers said it teaches modern geography and includes country facts. Families report playing it repeatedly and other editions such as Asia and Africa can be attached or played as stand alone games. Of the three, it sounds like it has the most 'luck' involved and thereby less strategy. 2-4 players



Ticket to Ride: Europe -- Visit great cities of turn-of-the-century Europe with a map, cards and game pieces. Amazon reviewers said it helps everyone learn European geography. Most concurred that it's a great family game but 'gamers' like it too. They warned that the instructions sound complicated but the game is actually easy to undertake. There is also a Marklin Edition that narrows the focus to Germany and incorporates a variety of Marklin model trains. And, there is a Nordic Countries edition, and a Switzerland expansion which requires possession of one of the full editions, USA or Europe. 2-5 players



Catan Geographies, Germany -- Modeled after the hugely popular Settlers of Catan (over 15 million games in the Catan series have been sold in thirty languages), this version provides a setting including German landmarks, history, and resources. Players roll dice and trade to gain items to build cities and roads. Reviewers say the instruction booklet is lengthy but that the game is easy to understand once played through. 3-4 players



Note: Catan, from the original Settlers of Catan game, is an invented place, but in addition to the Germany edition, there are other versions based on actual regions and historical periods. Two are expansion packs requiring possession of the original game -- Historical Scenarios I: Alexander and Cheops, about ancient Greece and Egypt, and Historical Scenarios II: Troy and Great Wall, about China and the Trojan war. In The Catan Histories series are three stand alone versions of the game set in ancient lands -- one about Israel, one about the Stone Age, and one called Struggle for Rome, about the Roman Empire.

A fascinating article by Andrew Curry on Wired.com describes German-style board games, and the designing of the Catan series in particular, where "players win without having to destroy" an opponent, and play is balanced, meaning that each player can maintain chances for a good outcome to the end. The author reports that all players, both kids and adults, remain interested and involved in these "intellectually rewarding" games.

Now to choose...I will have to weigh the benefits of trying the highly acclaimed Catan Geographies game where only up to 4 in our family can play at once, against the pleasure of our entire family of 5 being able to play the Ticket to Ride game.

Resources:
Travel Games with Toddlers and Kids - Keep Them Entertained

Sandy Nielsen
Sleeps5.com