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Kids Printable Travel Games

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Disclosure: This post may contain an affiliate link & I may have been compensated for my time writing this article.

Kids Printable Travel Games Collage

Keeping kids entertained during a long trip can be difficult.  Kids get bored fast and there is only so much space available in the car for activities.  They can only watch so many movies or play so many iPad games.

Hopefully, the following kids printable travel games will help keep your child from asking the inevitable “Are we there yet?” question every 5 minutes.

3 Kids Printable Travel Games:

Travel Bingo – This travel bingo printable includes 4 variations so multiple family members can play.  As you’re driving along, each child can mark a square when they see one of the objects listed.  The first person to get an entire line marked wins!

Download and print Travel Bingo 1 printable, Travel Bingo 2 printable, Travel Bingo 3 printable, and Travel Bingo 4 printable

travelbingo1

State License Plate Game – Kids (and adults) will love playing the state license plate game.  Mark through the state name when you see a car with a matching license plate.  Can you find them all?

Download and print the State License Plate Game printable

statelicenseplategame

Travel Word Search – Try to find each of the travel words in this fun word search.  You can search for words such as bus, sports car, and billboard.

Download and print the travel word search printable

travelwordsearchABC Game:
We love to play this game around town but it can easily be played on the highway during longer trips.  Simply find things on the road that start with each letter of the alphabet.  You can find letters on license plates, street signs, building signs, etc.  Start with the letter A and continue all the way to Z.  Speaking from experience, the letters Q, Y, and Z are HARD!

*Idea* Laminate after you print these kids printable travel games (preferably on card stock) and then use dry erase markers to reuse them!  If you just want to use them once, print on regular printer paper and use a pen, marker, or crayons to play the games.

Let us know what you think of these Kids Printable Travel Games!

You might also like 8 Simple Tips to Plan Road Trip & Pack Smart!

In the Clouds: Visiting Zermatt, Switzerland & the Matterhorn with Kids

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Disclosure: This post may contain an affiliate link & I may have been compensated for my time writing this article.

Visiting Zermatt, Switzerland & the Matterhorn

Gornergrat is part of the Pennine Alps, near the prestigious city of Zermatt in Switzerland.  It can be reached from Zermatt by the Gornergrat rack railway which is the highest cogwheel railway in Europe. The ride itself from Zermatt to Gornergrat is an experience that should not be missed when visiting the city.

As we ascended the mountain from Zermatt, I found myself yawning constantly – not from lack of sleep but from altitude.  As you creep into the clouds, the trees become more sparse and the lush landscape of the mountain gives way to something almost barren.  It’s fascinating to witness the changes of nature as you climb the mountain in the comfort of the train.  Just five stops along the line and we had reached our destination, Gornergrat, the final stop of the railway.

A quick picture of the train as we're running to jump on before it leaves the station in Gornergrat.

A quick picture of the train as we’re running to jump on before it leaves the station in Gornergrat.

Listen closely to the creaks of the train as it catches the tracks,  clink – clanking all the way to the top during the 30 minute ride.

Marvel at the heights you will attain (or view) on your journey:

  • Zermatt 1630 m (5348 ft)
  • Gornergrat 3089 m (10135 ft)
  • Matterhorn 4478 m (14692 ft) – view
Kids posing with Wolli at Gornergrat

Kids posing with Wolli at Gornergrat

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Mont St Michel Travel Tips – 10+ Things to Know Before Visiting Mont Saint Michel

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Mont Saint Michel is a bucket list destination located in the Normandy region of Northern France. The picturesque island rises majestically from the sea during high tide and is accessible to the mainland during low tide. The uniqueness of the island is one of the reasons the site has been occupied since 708. If you’re joining the more than 3 million people per year to visit, read our Mont St Michel travel tips before booking your vacation.

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8 Simple Tips to Plan a Road Trip, Stay On Budget & Create Lasting Memories

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Disclosure: This post may contain an affiliate link & I may have been compensated for my time writing this article.

Plan Road Trip

We’ve been taking more and more road trips both in the United States and in Europe.   They are great for week long trips and quick weekend getaways.   Road trips can also be a relatively inexpensive way to travel compared to purchasing plane or train tickets for a family.    But in order to squeeze every penny out of your travel budget, it’s best to plan ahead.   That way you can pack smart to save money, time and sanity.  Clean out the junk, pack snacks and don’t forget the map!

Road tripping is not only a fun way for families to travel, but it also allows us to see places that we might have otherwise only seen from the air.  Take advantage of interesting stops along the way,  play games with the kids and enjoy the extra time together as a family.  To help you plan for your next adventure on the road, we’ve put together 8 simple tips to get you started.

Plan Road Trip with 8 Simple Tips:

1.  Clean out the junk:  Before heading out on a road trip; clear out the trash, extra toys and junk from the trunk and backseat.  Not only will it make fitting in your travel gear easier, you’ll save money by not weighing down your vehicle with with unnecessary stuff!

2.  Give the car a check-up:  Make sure your tires have correct pressure, filters have been changed, and fluids are topped off.  A well maintained vehicle can help stretch a few more miles out of that tank of gas.  While you’re at it, grab a bucket of soap and water to start your trip off squeaky clean.

3.  Pack drinks and snacks:  Purchase bottled water, juice boxes, or sodas at the grocery store.   Keep a cooler handy for a few drinks during the trip and the rest can stay in the back to swap out later.

Bring snacks that are easy to munch on such as pretzels or carrot sticks to keep the driver and passengers happy.  Also, consider packing a few special treats for the kids if they start getting moody. My kids rarely get fruit snacks, so getting that special snack sure puts a smile on their faces!

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The Beginners Guide to Vacation Planning – 15 Step Travel Planning Guide

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Disclosure: This post may contain an affiliate link & I may have been compensated for my time writing this article.

The Beginners Guide to Vacation Planning

You’re ready to start planning your next vacation, but don’t know where to begin. We put together the beginners guide to vacation planning in answer to several emailed questions about this topic. This 15 step travel planning guide will hopefully put you on the path to traveling more frequently.

First, you need to decide WHERE you want to travel.  You need to give yourself a goal, something to make the trip real. Saying you want to travel more  is great, but you need to know where you want to travel to.  Deciding “I’m going to South America” or “I’m going to London” is going to get the ball rolling faster.

But deciding where to go isn’t always an easy task.  There are so many places in the world that deciding on just one destination can be tough.  It can be overwhelming and some of you may not even know how to begin picking a destination. Read on for my tips to get you headed in the right direction.

15 Step Travel Planning Guide:

1.  Deciding when to travel –  When to travel can be one of the most important travel factors.  If you are limited to traveling during certain times of the year due to school or work, you’re likely going to be traveling during peak season.  I recommend traveling during the off season, but that’s not always possible.  If your job only allows you to take vacation time during the summer, try to plan for early June before kids get out of school.  This will make travel cheaper and less crowded.

If you’re traveling around Christmas, the best days to fly are usually on Christmas or New Year’s Day or the days immediately preceding and following those dates.   Being even slightly flexible with your travel dates can save a ton of money on transportation and accommodation plus allow you to enjoy popular tourist attractions with shorter wait times and less crowds.

2.  What’s the weather? – Once you know when you can travel, you need to decide what type of climate you’re looking to enjoy on your vacation.  Is it hot and you’re looking to cool off at a Northern retreat?  Do you want to get away bfrom the snow and jet off to the beach?  Figure out what type of weather you’re looking forward to in order to help narrow down your travel destination choices.  This can go hand-in-hand with deciding when to travel as well.

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