Tips for Families

If you have enough trouble simply getting your kids out of the house in the morning, dragging them thousands of miles away may seem like an insurmountable challenge. But family travel can be immensely rewarding, giving you new ways of seeing the world through smaller pairs of eyes.

Families traveling in Washington should be sure to take note of family admission fees at many museums and other attractions. These admission prices are often less than what it would cost for individual tickets for the whole family. At hotels and motels, children usually stay free if they share their parent's room and no extra bed or crib is required, and sometimes they also get to eat for free in the hotel dining room. Be sure to ask.

Recommended family travel websites include Family Travel Forum (www.familytravelforum.com), a site that offers customized trip planning; Family Travel Network (www.familytravelnetwork.com), an online magazine providing travel tips; TravelWithYourKids.com (www.travelwithyourkids.com), a comprehensive site written by parents for parents offering sound advice for long-distance and international travel with children.

Frommer's National Parks with Kids (John Wiley & Sons, Inc.) has tips for enjoying your trip to Olympic National Park.

Note: If you plan to travel on to Canada during your Seattle vacation, be sure to bring your children's passports.