Travel Deals And Articles

Dreading Holiday Travel with the Kids? Author Says Take the Train

Berkeley, CA (PRWEB) November 16, 2007 -- Shelly Rivoli gets curious parents on board with a thorough section on rail travel in her new book, Travels with Baby: The Ultimate Guide for Planning Trips with Babies, Toddlers, and Preschool-Age Children.

"Once you've officially spent too many hours cramped in an airplane with your child, waiting for the drink cart to pass again before you can finally dodge to the lavatory aft (hopefully before the next round of turbulence) to change a diaper that needed attention well before take-off ... the prospect of traveling by train may become truly enticing," writes Shelly Rivoli in her new book Travels with Baby: The Ultimate Guide for Planning Trips with Babies, Toddlers, and Preschool-Age Children.

During the holidays, when traffic congestion peaks and airport lines are at their longest, train travel may be an especially refreshing option for families. Winter weather may also create delays or even cause flight cancellations, and driving during the holidays can present its own risks, delays, and challenges--especially for those traveling with little people stuck behind five-point harnesses.

Traveling by train is likely to be safer, more relaxing and more enjoyable for the whole family, plus no one has to get strapped in to a car seat. As Rivoli explains, "Even if you experience a delay on the train, which can and does happen at times, it feels like much less of an inconvenience. You can still stretch your legs, get refreshments or meals, and even use your cell phone to touch base with family and friends as you approach your destination."

After spending their first Christmas as parents in Oregon, the Rivolis boarded Amtrak's Coast Starlight for the journey back home to the San Francisco Bay Area. "As soon as we got onboard, we were shown to our roomette--where we had bottled water, fresh towels, and a newspaper waiting for us. Then our attendant invited us to a complimentary wine tasting underway in the parlor car. After flying in coach on an oversold flight on the earlier part of our journey, we had to pinch ourselves!" The couple enjoyed watching Christmas lights on passing houses as they ate dinner, then marveled at the full moon shining on snowy woods as they crossed the mountains through the night.

Last year, the Rivoli family skipped the notorious holiday traffic of the Bay Area's Interstate 80, and rode Amtrak's Capitol Corridor to Sacramento instead. "Taking the train on Thanksgiving was one of the best travel decisions we ever made," she says. "Instead of sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic, watching for accidents and worrying that we'd be one of them, we were exploring the train, reading books, eating hotdogs, and counting the egrets dotting the wetlands outside our window."

Another advantage of traveling by train with babies or toddlers--and all of their stuff--is Amtrak's very generous baggage allowance: two suitcases of 50 lbs. each for carry-on, plus three additional checked suitcases (or other items) of up to 50 lbs. each. If that's not enough, passengers may also bring onboard strollers, diaper bags, car seats, and laptops in addition to the two suitcases per passenger. Rivoli explains, "I'm not suggesting anyone actually bring that much baggage on a train trip, but it's nice to know you can bring what you'll need for a comfortable family vacation."

Rivoli hopes that Travels with Baby will help make rail travel more popular among U.S. families. "Traveling by train isn't always the best way to go in the U.S., and it's not always an option. But sometimes it is--and I hope I can help families recognize when that's the case, and to feel comfortable giving it a try." She has included thorough information on rail travel in her latest book. Among the details: Amtrak's major routes and highlights, onboard amenities for families, an explanation of overnight options, a list of train stations with airport connections, pricing policies and rail passes, and available discounts.

Travels with Baby also includes details for Twelve Scenic Day Trips by Train on private rail lines around the U.S. Also noted are rail lines offering special holiday-themed trains for children, which include the Grand Canyon Railway (AZ), the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway (GA), the Thunder Mountain Line (ID), Cape Cod Central Railroad (MA), Great Smokey Mountains Railroad (NC), and Pioneer Lines Scenic Railway (PA).

Shelly Rivoli has traveled extensively with her husband and young daughters, and in the process has changed diapers on four continents and a handful of islands. Her book Travels with Baby also helps parents plan air travel, road trips, beach vacations, cruises, urban adventures, and overseas travel with babies and young children. Ms. Rivoli lives in the San Francisco Bay Area and writes the syndicated blog: Travels with Baby Tips (http://www.travelswithbaby.blogspot.com).

Travels with Baby is available now at Amazon.com and major online book retailers. More information about the book and print-quality publicity photos can be found at http://www.travelswithbaby.com

###

Other Article Sites

findabook.com  moneycd.info  a-mortgage.info   about-lemon-laws.info  aboutstudentloans.info
all-about-publishing.info  auctions-articles.info  bestcollege-university.com  bestispconnection.com
biblefolder.com  blogger-website.com  books-used.info  brokers-guide.info  buywindows.info  cable-dsl.info
career-miner.com  carpel-tunnel.info  cashinaflash.info  cashloanreviews.info  casinobell.com  chat-house.info
clearmycredit.info  collegeloantips.info  crones.info  depression-articles.info   dirnic.net  dishguides.info
divers-below.com  expodog.info   financewizz.com  fire-insurance.info  getgood.info  handleit.net   it-idea.info
health-supplies.info  hosting-right.com  insidealert.com  insurance-facts.info  jobs-employment.info
justgood.info  lookgold.net   lowcost-travel.info  money-source.info  myhostzone.info  numisblog.com
peoplesearchfinder.info  pr-articles.info  realeas.com   refinancing-guides.info  spyware-remove.info
telelot.info  the-law.info   toppaid.info  travel-deals.info  travelcorrect.com  wedding-guide-site.com
your-blog.info  your-credit.info

MORE ARTICLES:

Travel Agency Offers Cruises and Villas for Nonprofit Fundraising
Nonprofits looking for new, upscale fundraising options can turn to Fundraisingcruises.org for travel packages including cruises and villas.

13 Funny Travel Insurance Stories ? Lucky For Some, Less So For Others!
Cheap travel insurance has a reputation of being quite a dull area to work in While it does have its dull routine moments, just like any other job, these are made up for by the occasional inspired funny travel insurance stories you hear

Cargo Carriers Make the Difference in Road Travel
Vacation Travel is in full swing and many families are taking to the road Before stuffing those suitcases and duffel bags in the space between the passengers consider the use of outside the vehicle storage in order to make your trip more pleasant

The Easy Way To Find Cheap Backpacker Travel Insurance In The UK
If you plan on going on a backpacking trip outside of the country you are going to need backpacker?s travel insurance. It might feel like a pain to go through the rigmarole of obtaining the insurance, but if something happens to you while you are outside of the country?s borders, you will be very glad that you have it. Now, having insurance doesn?t mean that you need to pay an arm and a leg for it. There are plenty of ways to find cheap backpacker travel insurance in the UK.

Travel Alarms ? Be Punctual In Any Language
You forgot to remind the hotel receptionist to wake you up. After a night of mulling over what you are going to say in the meeting, you woke up to find out that you have overslept. Once again, you found yourself rushing to another meeting. You arrived twenty minutes late. You felt very uneasy as you entered the conference room. Nine pairs of eyes suddenly focused on you. And you could?ve sworn you heard one of them say sp?t wieder, in a soft disapproving voice. Late again! You winced, knowing the impact of this blunder to your negotiations and silently hoped the situation ahead wouldn?t be as grave as you thought it would be.

Romance and Travel Not Just For Kate and Cameron -- Home Exchange Members Tell Their Real Life Versions of 'The Holiday'
Have you ever house swapped? Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet have. In Sony's newly released, 'The Holiday' Kate and Cameron play two lovelorn women who agree to swap homes for the holidays, and in doing so, land themselves in new digs with new men. But this isn't just another sweetly crafted Hollywood confection. A growing number of intrepid travelers have taken to house swapping as a cozy alternative to the mini bar and room service tab. And more than one 'swapper' has landed herself in a true-life romance. Many of these travel related trysts began at the The Digsville Home Exchange Club and we have their stories.

Online Romantic Honeymoon Travel Planning Service for Guys Launches Beta Website
Busy engaged guys faced with planning the ultimate romantic honeymoon will be stoked. Honeymoon travel planning for guys just got a lot easier thanks to Blissport.com www.blissport.com, the experts in honeymoon travel. Blissport, the first company to offer online honeymoon planning tools and services exclusively to engaged guys, announces the beta launch of its new travel site.

Travel Channel Shines National Spotlight On Family Kingdom Amusement Park
Family Kingdom Featured During Show Profiling Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Planning a Road Trip on a Budget
Is there such a thing as a cheap vacation Nowadays it can cost you a fortune in gas to just drive to the post office

Find Your Heart In San Francisco - Travel Information
To some, San Francisco is the quintessential American city, and most first-time visitors discover a similar feeling upon leaving. The tumultuous rollercoaster of the city?s history, tied in closely with the history of the United States, has created a mecca of modernism and tradition, revolution and reaction, sassy style and sophistication. Find airfare to San Francisco now and don?t miss out on another minute of the action!

Light-Hearted Travel Writing in Feta Compli, a New Book About Things Greek, Available at Lulu.com
How meeting a half-Greek girl in a smoky bar in Bath, UK, eventually led to living in Rhodes, Greece.

Launch of First Price Comparison Engine for Business Class Travel -- BizClassTravelMarket.com
Meta-search engine, Global Travel Market announced the launch of the first price comparison platform dedicated to Business Class Flights. BizClassTravelMarket.com is targeting the global growth in flyers choosing to travel in premium cabins of business class services.

Adventure Travel in Bella Coola, British Columbia Goes Year Round with Bella Coola Heli Sports? Purchase of Historic Tweedsmuir Park Lodge
Since operating heliskiing for the past seven years, the adventure travel company, Bella Coola Heli Sports is now offering a year round base for experiencing all the activities Bella Coola Valley in British Columbia has to offer. The lodge is located in the west-central region of the province within Tweedsmuir Provincial Park, one of the largest of B.C.'s several hundred parks.

Travel Amazing South America goes Web 2.0
Travel Amazing South America, one of the leading websites about adventure travel in South America, goes Web 2.0. Travel aficionados can now share their stories, photographs and tips about their favorite travel places in South America.