travel Archives - Page 25 of 68 - Have Sippy Will Travel

Switzerland – Fun Family Travel at an Affordable Price

August 21, 2013 by Samantha 6 Comments

Switzerland is a wonderful place to take the family on holiday. With majestic mountains that are constantly in view, lovely lakes, and train rides that are visually stunning as you tcrusie through the country en route to your destination, you and your family are in for a treat as soon as you set foot in this friendly and hospitable country.

Switzerland is also an affordable option for Americans wanting to travel in Europe, with family friendly options such as the Swiss Pass to make saving money easier as you traverse. It offers unlimited travel on the Swiss Travel System, which includes trains, boats, buses, local urban transportation systems, and free entry to over 450 museums. You also get free WiFi, and access to the Fast Baggage service, which provides same-day luggage delivery between 46 cities in Switzerland. (According to the Switzerland Tourism Department)

One must see spot in the country is Mt. Pilatus, a 7,000-foot mountaintop that you reach via train, aerial cable way, gondola, and the worlds steepest cogwheel rail. If you decide to take the “Golden Round Trip”, you and your family can see some of the best scenery in Switzerland all in one day. From the boat tour beginning in Lake Lucerne, which you ride in comfort either in the inside or outside of the boat on crystal clear waters with mountains surrounding you. Some passengers may choose to get off at one of several stops, such as restaurants or the Swiss Museum of Transport (the most popular museum in Switzerland). You will take the boat to Aspnachstad (which is the aforementioned steepest cog in the world) and then to Pilatus Klum’s peak, at nearly 7,000 feet above sea level, viewing amazing sights and scenery all along the way.

The cog up to the top is both exhilarating and a little frightening- it is very, very steep, and those lovely views will make some hold onto their seat a little tighter. From the top, one can view more then 70- peaks and five lakes. You can also visit several restaurants, spend some time at one of Mt. Piliatus’ adventure parks, go tobogganing or head over to the rope park. These are weather permitting. These are in operation from May to November.

If you head back to Lucerne, stop by Chapel Bridge. The most photographed place in Switzerland, and for good reason. This old bridge and tower spans the river, the ceiling and beams of which have paintings dating back to the 1300’s. Chapel Bridge has become somewhat of a symbol for Lucerne, and something you don’t want to miss. If you would like to indulge in a traditional Swiss meal while you are in the area, the Fondue House is just a few blocks away. You can enjoy traditional cheese fondue with a variety of foods to dip in it, as well as a chocolate fondue with fruit to dip for dessert. This was a cozy spot in a convenient location to experience a local favorite dish.
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How to Survive a Flight With Your Young Child

August 14, 2013 by Samantha 6 Comments

Flying with your baby or toddler can be hectic, especially during long flights. Not only do you have to make sure you and your child are comfortable, you have to make sure that everyone else around you is not disturbed by your child. It’s definitely hard work.

If you have small children and are planning to take them on a flight with you soon, here are a few tips that will help you survive a long flight with them.

Booking Seats Around Sleeping Schedules

It’s no surprise that kids get antsy during long flights. When they get antsy, there’s a higher risk they’ll cry or throw a tantrum. Instead of booking flights during the day, why not book your flight so that it synchronizes with their sleeping schedules? For example, if you know that your children usually take naps at 2 p.m., it may be best to book a flight at around that time in order to have them sleep throughout the flight. Overnight flights may also work.

What Should You Pack

If you’re traveling with a child, always be sure to bring toys or activities to keep your child occupied throughout the flight. Also, be sure to bring an ample amount of snacks just in case they get fussy and need a snack during the flight. Blake Zimmerman, veteran travel guru, advises parents to take their kids on a tour of the aircraft as well, which will help keep them stimulated and occupied.
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Filed Under: family, kids, travel Tagged With: flying with kids, how to keep kids quiet on planes, How to Survive a Flight With Your Young Child, kids and planes, kids on places, long flights with kids

Family Fun in Frankfurt, Germany

August 13, 2013 by Samantha 6 Comments

Frankfurt Zoo

Frankfurt Zoo is located in the middle of the Main area, and there you can visit with more than 4,500 animals in over 450 species. You and your children can also venture into a goat “petting zoo” area, where you kids can actually enter the pen and play with these gentle creatures who are very used to small children. (Note- please watch your kids carefully so that they are not poking the animals in some rough manner.) Open every day of the year from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm (summer) or to 5:00 pm (winter), the ticket booth and animal house both close a half hour prior to closing.

These animals are housed by social species specific groups, as they would in the wild, with habitats painstakingly created to make them as close to their natural, wild homes as possible, and to keep the animals comfortable. There are several animal houses, where you can meander through and find related species. My son loved the Grzimek House (the largest nocturnal animal house in Europe and darkened to keep the animals happy) and the rare finds there such as the Aye-Aye’s, Coendus, Kiwis, and bushbabies.
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Filed Under: travel Tagged With: family travel, frankfurt germany, Frankfurt river cruise, Frankfurt zoo, More Family Fun in Frankfurt Germany, primus river cruise, river cruise in Germany, travel

Fun Festivals in New York

August 12, 2013 by Samantha Leave a Comment

While traveling to or living in New York, you may be looking for some fun things to do. New York has a wide variety of sights to see and activities to take part in. On top of all of these things, New York also hosts a great number of fun festivals to go to.

Electric Zoo
This is a music festival that is quite popular. It is held in Randall’s Island Park in New York and has five stages going with great acts. Some of the live music and DJs that will be playing are Tiesto, Diplo, and David Guetta. This year it runs from August 30th through September 1st. A one-day pass costs between $139 and $159, and a three-day pass costs between $359 and $1,199. For some top New York accommodation during this festival checkout HostelBookers festival page here

BAM Next Wave Festival
The Next Wave Festival begins September 17th and runs through December 22nd. It is a great place to go to see theater, dance, music, and more. There are a wide variety of performers that will be participating in this festival, including Anna Nicole, David Dorfman Dance, The Forsythe Company, Reggie Wilson/Fist & Heel Performance Group, and so much more. The price for each depends on the performance, but the general price ranges from $20 to $235.

Columbus Day Parade
The Columbus Day Parade is held on October 14th. There are roughly 35,000 floats and marchers within this parade, and it often has roughly one million people that come out to watch. It is a great way to celebrate Christopher Columbus and the day he landed in the Americas. It is free for anyone that would like to watch it.
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Filed Under: travel Tagged With: BAM Next Wave Festival, Columbus day parade, Fun Festivals in New York, new years eve times square, radio city music hall Christmas, thanksgiving day parade

Land’s End, Maine: An idyllic drive through history

August 10, 2013 by Samantha 4 Comments

Maine has a lot of things going for it as a travel destination. There’s Acadia National Park, where you can climb Mt Cadillac and see the place where the rays of the sun first hit the United States, every morning. There’s sleepy fishing villages along the rugged Atlantic coast, where dour lobstermen haul in their traps in the eerie early morning light. And there’s Land’s End, the furthest point East on Bailey Island. I visited Maine as part of my 7-day road trip through new England and I was very happy to discover this little slice of heaven.

Land’s End has something for everyone, but it’s managed to remain more or less hidden from public view. Apart from the locals and a few intrepid travelers (most of whom extoll its virtues as a destination) very few people know it exists. Which is odd, because its an incredibly scenic drive. The best time to start on the road through Casco bay into Bailey Island is the early morning. Before the island’s few residents are up and driving to work or school. The road is narrow and winds a bit, which means there are chokepoints for traffic and that’s a sure ruiner of moods.

As I drove through the islands on my first trip there, what struck me the most was how firmly rooted in the past the whole place is. Every house, lawn, yard and turn in the road seemed to be pushing me further back in time. We went from modern looking designs to ancient porches and houses that seemed to spring out of the pages of a Stephen King book. There are many stops along the way that one should make. Some of these are for pictures at the various fishing villages, which are nestled in the coves you’ll pass along the road. Other stops need to be made to pick up supplies: fresh picked strawberries and clotted cream at the farmhouses along the way, saltwater candy at Cindy’s Candy Store (it seems like a childish thing to do, but trust me – it’s well worth it!) and the amazing wooden piling bridges that link Bailey Island to the mainland.

Ballenberg, a Unique Attraction in the Swiss Mountains

August 5, 2013 by Samantha 6 Comments

When you think of Switzerland, one of the first things you may think of is mountains. The views from them (and of them) are lovely, and your time spent amongst them will be firmly planted in your mind for the rest of your days. Photos do not do justice the lovely scenery and warm people you will encounter when traveling through Switzerland.

One of my favorite spots that I visited on a recent trip to Switzerland was Ballenburg, an open air museum in Brienz. There you can walk through the past, through history, as you tour the various buildings and gardens that represent over 100 years of Swiss history from all over the country.

You will find over one hundred buildings, ranging from century old to more recent, from all over Switzerland, as well as “250 farmyard animals, traditional, old-time gardens and fields, demonstrations of local crafts and many special events create a vivid impression of rural life in days gone by.” (says Ballenburg.ch) Your children will delight in exploring, as well as taking part in crafting, creating, and interacting with farm animals. There is also a house devoted to historical wooden toys- some of which some of us may remember playing with. No iPads here, but your 5 year old can play with a top or stilts for what may be their first time- watch their eyes light up at these simple treasures, and you will both be lost in time shortly.

Not only is it beautiful to just walk around Ballenburg, but the homes themselves are lovely and beautifully (and painstakingly) restored and preserved. Open since 1978 and after 10 years of hard work to open the doors and secure land, money, and security, the museum opened with only 16 buildings. Adding many more since, based on the preservation and education of Swiss heritage, science, and history for all generations, most of Switzerland is represented here.
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Filed Under: travel Tagged With: a Unique Attraction in the Swiss Mountains, Ballenberg, Ballenburg, Ballenburg open air museum, family travel, swiss mounitan travel, Switzerland museums, travel, travel in switzerland, unique swiss attrations

American Tourister – Great Travel Gear

August 4, 2013 by Samantha 4 Comments

Disclosure- I received the below in order to facilitate my post. All opinions are my own and honest. I am disclosing this in accordance to FTC Guidelines. Please see “Disclose” tab for more information.

The proper luggage can make or break a vacation. Not only do you want your belongings to come along with you to your destination, but you want them to get their safely and well organized. Check out these two pieces of wheeled luggage with two very different looks and styles. One built lightweight and tough, the other brightly colored from handle to wheels.

First up we will look at iLite Supreme Wheeled Boarding Bag. The iLite series of baggage is stylish, light weight, and tough. The handle is even padded on the and stylized to not only look like part of the pattern of the bag but are also futuristic and comfortable. The bag itself is easy to move around quickly. The wheels allow you to push, pull and turn in any direction. The interior of the bag has pockets, straps and zipper compartments. All of which make packing a breeze while keeping your belongings where you put them. An interesting characteristic is its big outer pocket which could fit a laptop. It is indeed big enough to fit a laptop and a few other gadgets and cables. In practice the compartments if quite big and in order to keep your laptop safe I would suggest jamming in a few pairs of socks to act as padding.– Update- this bag fell apart after 7 months, seams burst, and it did not hold up well long term.
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Filed Under: review, travel Tagged With: American Tourister - Great Travel Gear, American tourister luggage, carry on bags, family travel, laptop bags, sturdy carry on luggage, travel, travel gear, wheeled laptop bags, wheeled luggage bags

Have Sippy, I’m Traveling! In Virginia

August 3, 2013 by Samantha Leave a Comment

We are on our way to the great state of Virginia, so please make sure you are connected with me on Twitter, Foursquare, Instagram, and Facebook to see what we are doing this week. It’s always fun to see things as they happen, and goodness knows I am going to be sharing. Happy Trails!
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Filed Under: travel