About.com Family Vacations

Free WiFi in Airports for the Holidays

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:27:27 +0000

For travel through Jan. 15 2010, families braving the rigors of airport travel can console themselves with free WiFi in 47 airports across the US, from SeaTac (Seattle-Tacoma), to Miami International. This nice bonus is brought to you by Google: see Free WiFi for the Holidays, to find all the airports participating.

The catch? Google encourages you to donate to a charity (and will match your gift.)

And by the way, lots more airports -- big and small -- provide free WiFi all the time. Check this list of Free WiFi in Airports: Phoenix, Denver, Palm Springs, and dozens more.

Travelers can also get Free WiFi on all Virgin America flights through Jan. 15, too.

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Free WiFi in Airports for the Holidays originally appeared on About.com Family Vacations on Friday, November 20th, 2009 at 14:27:27.

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Christmas at Hershey PA

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:39:20 +0000

Three hours from NYC, 1.5 hours from Baltimore, "Chocolate Town USA" has several attractions, most notably Hersheypark amusement park which -- in November and December -- turns into Christmas Candylane.

Also at Hershey PA at Christmas time: Hershey Sweet Lights, two-mile drive through sparkling lights; "Chocolate Town - A Holiday Dinner Musical"; Breakfast With Santa and other holiday packages at Hotel Hershey and Hershey Lodge. And the year ends with a Family New Year's Eve bash at Hershey's Chocolate World. Read more...

Christmas at Hershey PA originally appeared on About.com Family Vacations on Wednesday, November 18th, 2009 at 15:39:20.

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Kauai Winter Specials

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 02:39:00 +0000

Kauai is Hawaii's "Garden Isle", with amazing natural beauty, and a slower pace. The beautiful Napali Coast (pictured at right) is just one of the highlights; you can explore the Napali Coast by hiking, or by boat tour (and dolphins may swim beside you); or be awed by the great views from a helicopter ride. Families visiting Kauai can also try ziplining, surfing, and a tube ride through tunnels that's very cool.

Have a look at a bunch of Winter Promotions on Kauai, for savings at a range of resorts and hotels. Hawaii's visitor volume took a big drop during 2009, so if you can swing a trip this winter, you may feel very welcome.

Top Things To Do on Kauai | More Family Travel Deals

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Kauai Winter Specials originally appeared on About.com Family Vacations on Tuesday, November 17th, 2009 at 02:39:00.

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What's Your Favorite Disney World Theme Park?

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:46:25 +0000

With 47 sq. miles and four giant theme parks, each very different, Disney World is bigger than some entire countries, and the clich� that "there's something at Disney World for everyone" is pretty much true.

(Not to mention two giant water parks, Downtown Disney entertainment zone with Cirque de Soleil, and 22 themed on-property resorts.)

If you've visited already, take a second to vote on your favorite Disney World theme park. (You can also take a peek at how others vote.)

Then have a look at current Disney World deals. 2009's been a banner year for promotions: Mickey's gone to great lengths to make sure his friends keep visiting (in the millions.)

We've also got lots of tips for visiting Disney World:

Disney World Vacations - Overview
Where to stay: Disney World Resorts
tips for Epcot
tips for Animal Kingdom
lots more tips for visiting Disney World

What's Your Favorite Disney World Theme Park? originally appeared on About.com Family Vacations on Thursday, November 12th, 2009 at 14:46:25.

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Choosing a Ski Resort: Airport-to-Slope Time

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 23:32:10 +0000

Skiing's expensive for a family, even if you're not flying to a ski resort; and if you are flying, and want to keep to a budget, the tendancy is to choose a destination with the cheapest airfares.

Which isn't always the wisest choice-- according to Guest Writer Paul Johnson, editor of Family Ski Hub.

Focusing on price alone ignores an important factor: how long will it take to get on the slopes? Most families have tight timing on their vacations.

Miss the crowds, at Snowbasin near Salt Lake City airport.

One suggestion is to fly to Salt Lake City: a major airline hub, where seven ski resorts are less than an hour away.

Johnson also recommends taking a direct flight to one of the more remote ski resorts. You may even save money, by not renting a car, and by simplifyng logistics. And a bonus: the more remote ski resorts often have less crowded slopes.

Read more about Choosing a Ski Resort: Airport-to-Slope Time.

See also: Kids Ski Free | more about Family Ski Vacations

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Choosing a Ski Resort: Airport-to-Slope Time originally appeared on About.com Family Vacations on Wednesday, November 11th, 2009 at 23:32:10.

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Thanksgiving Weekend Packages

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:41:07 +0000

Thanksgiving's on the horizon, in the US: Thursday November 26th starts the four-day long weekend.

Families love to gather round the table for a turkey feast -- but that table doesn't have to be at home (with major clean-up afterwards.) Check out ten family-friendly resorts, where Thanksgiving Weekend includes the feast plus special activities, from turkey trots to elf tuck-ins.

*Photo of giant gingerbread house, courtesy of Nemacolin Woodlands Resort & Spa.

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Thanksgiving Weekend Packages originally appeared on About.com Family Vacations on Monday, November 9th, 2009 at 14:41:07.

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Christmas Markets

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 04:40:02 +0000

The tradition of Christmas markets began in German and Austria, but nowadays cities in many other countries in Europe -- from Spain to Scandinavia, England to Eastern Europe -- also stage these markets, often in a charming setting.

The ambiance is picture-perfect: twinkling lights, the smell of gingerbread and roasted chestnuts, Christmas music playing...

Christmas markets make great outings with kids, and the shopping ops are huge of course, especially for items such as traditional foods and hand-made toys.

Our Guide for UK Travel has rounded up Christmas Markets All Over Europe, in the latest "blog carnival" in our Travel Channel.

*Photo: Bernhard Lang/Getty Images.

More Holiday Season festivities: Christmas trains, holiday lights, Christmas windows...

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Christmas Markets originally appeared on About.com Family Vacations on Friday, November 6th, 2009 at 04:40:02.

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Polar Express Train Rides

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 22:12:27 +0000

Kids love train rides, and every Christmas dozens of decorated trains pull out of the station with kids, hot cocoa, and Santa on board. Some are “Santa Specials” or "North Pole Express" trains, with Santa and elves along; some are special "Polar Express" trains, that re-create the experience of the classic children’s story.

Book early for these train rides! Some are so popular that the trains start running long before Christmas: the Grand Canyon Railway's Polar Express, for instance, makes its first run to the North Pole in early November.

Polar Express train rides | more Christmas Train Rides | Polar Express Photos - Grand Canyon Railway

*Photo courtesy of the Grand Canyon Railway

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Polar Express Train Rides originally appeared on About.com Family Vacations on Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009 at 22:12:27.

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Cheaper Thanksgiving Travel Flights

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 19:41:04 +0000

Travelocity, the giant travel-booking site, has been crunching numbers about airfares for Thanksgiving travel, and has this advice: if you can be flexible with dates, you can save big bucks.

The costliest flight itineraries ($459 on average) are for departure on Nov. 22 and return Nov. 29, or for departure on Nov. 25 and return on Nov. 29. If you can shift your dates to depart Nov. 26 and return Dec. 1, that figure for average fare drops to $280.

At Travelocity.com, when you're searching for airfares, use the online "Flexible Dates" tool to help the system find cheaper alternative dates.

Of course, families are generally limited in their dates by schooldays and work constraints. Still it's good to be aware of how dramatically a fare can change if the date shifts a day or two.

Other farefinders offer some kind of flexible date function too: be sure that whatever site you're using has this feature!

Also be aware that not every airlines shows up in searches at farefinder sites. For Southwest Airlines, for instance, go to Southwest.com for their fares. Check out some other tips for finding airfares.

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Cheaper Thanksgiving Travel Flights originally appeared on About.com Family Vacations on Sunday, November 1st, 2009 at 19:41:04.

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Family Travel Deals

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 09:40:15 +0000

Speaking of deals... check out a new format for Family Travel Deals. The current bunch includes Club Med's Seven Days for the Price of Three, Kids Stay, Play, and Eat Free at Dreams Resorts, Orlando deals, a promotion in Curacao, a Jamaica all-inclusive with your own vacation nanny...

There's also a new page for Disney Deals.

Check out other ways to save money, too, like Affordable Getaway Ideas, and Free Things To Do.

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Family Travel Deals originally appeared on About.com Family Vacations on Saturday, October 31st, 2009 at 09:40:15.

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