Where to Wednesday: Getting Ready for Summer Travel

With May right around the corner, it feels like a good time to start talking about summer travel. Personally, I have a bunch of fun ideas & no plans made yet.

Last week I had the pleasure of attending the 3rd annual Momtrends Trendy Travel Time Event. It was a fun night out, full of great travel insight.

I had the chance to meet the team behind HomeAway. If you haven’t used HomeAway before, they specialize in vacation rentals. It’s a great site, because you can rent right from home owners. They have rentals anywhere from a local cabin to international destinations. We rented a big beach house last year with my husbands whole family. It was awesome to be in a house vs. a hotel because we really got to spend a lot of time with everyone. We had 10 kids between us, so having a refrigerator, washer & dryer was key. There was a giant kitchen table that sat everyone for meals. At night, when the kids went to bed (my kid swere sound asleep at 6:30pm every night of the trip), we could enjoy time with the adults. If we weren’t in a house rental, one of us would have had to be in the hotel room with the kids every night at 6:30pm. We were also able to find a house with certain amenities we were looking for like an outdoor shower & a fenced in pool. We had such a great trip & the house played a huge part in making everyone happy & comfortable. I love browsing the HomeAway site. There are great rentals on our favorite North Carolina beach, Holden Beach (where we went last summer). In addition to having houses to rent all over the world, there are some pretty unique ones too. How cool does Columbia Falls rental look? Once you find a rental you think you like, you can read other families reviews before booking & even get in touch with the renter.

We also heard from TravelSort. If you are looking to fly somewhere this summer, check this site out! TravelSort can help you figure out how to earn more miles, how to best use your miles & even the best ways to get those coveted seats in business or first class. We always try to fly using credit card miles & I learned I am pretty much “doing it all wrong” & could be using less miles to fly in better seats. Momtrends did a great job breaking down some of their tips on their blog.

I was also introduced to two clothing brands while at the event: London Times for Moms & Polarn O. Pyret for the little ones. Both make packing easier & are perfect for summer travel. Polarn O. Pyret is a Swedish brand that has been here in the US for 3 years. The clothes are high quality, bright & beautiful. Their swim line is wonderful. There are adorable, classic suits for girls (which I have had trouble finding this year). Also, they have a line of UV protective swim gear that includes long & short sleeve shirts & even pants! I bought a few things for the girls & i’m really impressed with the fit & how well they wash. Everything is bright, fun & great for mixing & matching. When we travel I try to pack as much as I can that can be mixed & matched. So when we are at breakfast & one kid spills on their shirt & the other on their pants, we don’t have to change the whole outfit! It’s a good way to pack less.

London Times is an online women’s line. They have some vibrant colors & there are many styles to choose from. They are all under $100. Some of the styles can be rolled in a tiny ball in the suitcase & come out wrinkle free. My kids end up taking up most of the suitcase. So, anytime I can finding a dress that doesn’t take up much room, doesn’t need to be ironed & can be worn at the beach & also out at night = i’m sold.

Now I’m ready to plan a summer vacation! Any suggestions? Any summer travel tips to share?