Family on the Loose: The Art of Traveling with Kids Paperback – November 12, 2012

This outstanding new travel book is brilliantly conceived and wonderfully written. It is a joyful (and quite amusing) romp through the museums and cafes of our astonishing planet--with children in tow! You'll discover marvelous (and often off-the-beaten path) gems from all over the world, from how to find local comfort food for the kids in Bangkok to enjoying fresh bread delivered to your campsite in Germany. Most authentic. Most delightful.Family on the Loose is chock full of vivid and practical tips for drawing youmg folk into the wondrous adventure of seeing new places, meeting new people, trying out new languages, tasting new foods... You will learn the best family-friendly modes of transportation in bustling cities and remote outposts; you'll learn when to stay in amonastery and when to consider a clown-themed hotel. You'll how to plan an itinerary, what to pack (and what not to pack), what to buy, how to share your experiences, and how to stay in touch with new friends all over the world. And mostly how to get the kids involved every step of the way.Having traveled a fairish amount (and having been at least daunted if not actually terrified of sharing the pleasure with my own young kids) I am for the first time truly inspired, and hugely looking forward to instilling in them a passion for exploration at an early age. The authors share (indeed ooze) a truly inspirational zest for life! Thanks Bill & Ashley!

I haven't had small children for a long time, but I do have young grandchildren. I love to travel. Many grandparents enjoy traveling with their grandchildren, because there is nothing so magical as seeing the world through the eyes of a child. Thus, I read my daughter's copy of this book to see if there were any travel tips that would apply to traveling in general--with or without children/grandchildren. I was pleasantly surprised to find that "Family on the Loose" covered every travel topic comprehensively, but also with an exceptional sense of "cultural respect." So often, Americans are faulted for having no sense of important values in a culture visited--too often they speak loudly, dress immodestly or forget basic manners. Each person--including children--should understand how to be good ambassadors for their home country. Furthermore, emphasizing how much everyone can learn from every travel experience and then giving excellent suggestions of how to "make the memories stick" goes a long way in making "citizens of the world." This book should find an important place on bookshelves of folks who love to travel.

All I can say is that I wish I had this book 10 years ago. I've got two kids, and we have traveled a fair bit with them, but it is always a challenge to keep them engaged and interested. This book covers guidelines and helpful tips for travelling with kids from the early stages of planning a trip to packing to airports to the plane to the trip itself. It doesn't tell you where you should go to appease the kids, it helps your kids enjoy the sites that the adults want to go to, including museums, cultural and historical sites. Every chapter is full of great suggestions - some of the sidebars are really helpful: "Fourteen Quiet Activities for the Plane" or "A Dozen Games While You are Waiting" (for food, or a bus, etc). There is so much to be gained from travelling with your kids and this book helps to prove that it doesn;t need to be so scary.

We love traveling with our kids, who are currently 9 & 10 years old. We are planning long term travel, international travel and will also begin homeschooling our kids soon. This book gave great ideas on everything from packing to preparing kids for travel and getting their involvement. The ideas can be modified for all ages of kids. We've already used some of the tips on preparation through the local library. We are preparing for a trip to the United Kingdom and have gotten the kids very involved in the research and planning (history & activities).I loved the section on how to keep the travel bug alive at home - before and after the trip. The "mini trip" ideas and tips on exploring your own town or city were great. I look forward to using this resource for homeschooling also. I read this book cover to cover, and bookmarked lots of pages for reference.

Our family is going on a year-long trip, and though we're excited, we've also been nervous about how to ensure that it becomes the trip of a lifetime that we're hoping for. This book is going to be our guideline for keeping it fun for the kids, which will inevitably make it more fun for us as parents. We're purposely waiting until our kids are old enough to appreciate what they're getting to see and experience, and the book helps by sorting suggestions by the child's age. There are so many great ideas, some of which are already family favorites to do at the dinner table, when out to eat, when traveling by car, etc. Thanks to "The Art of Traveling with Kids," I'm MUCH more confident now about our plans, and our anticipation grows daily.

I consider our family (including a 7-year-old girl and 5-year-old boy) well-travelled. We are about to become even more! I ordered the book from France because I had become addict to the authors' blog since I succeeded having my kids walk around Roma (Italy) 4 to 6 hours a day by just following their advice. Get prepared! Involve the whole family in planning the trip! We are currently preparing a trip to China and will definitely use the tips and packing lists from the book.Not so many families are willing to travel with kids, as it does take a lot of energy. However, Bill & Ashley make it sound fun, adventurous and easy! And more importantly, through their advice, do allow to make it a fun adventure for each of their readers.

Kleine Kinder auf Reisen bei Laune zu halten ist nicht einfach. In diesem Buch  Family on the Loose: The Art of Traveling with Kids  gibt es viele Anregungen, wie man ihnen das Reisen schmackhaft macht und wie man bleibende Erinnerungen schafft. Empfehlenswert! Family on the Loose: The Art of Traveling with Kids