(To read Part I of this Travel Tips series, click on this link; to read Part II, click here; for Part III, go here)

For our final set of Travel Tips for Traveling with Pets, we’ll look at how to handle some emergencies that may arise while you’re away from home.

1. Your Dog/Cat Becomes Ill

Just as humans can get sick while traveling, so can pets. If your dog or cat seems particularly ill, a call to your veterinarian at home is in order. He or she can advise you whether you should contact a local vet at your family vacation destination.

2. Your Dog Bites Someone

This is every pooch owner’s nightmare, but it can and does happen.

Should your dog bite a person or other animal during your family vacation getaway, you may be the target of legal action. Therefore, it will behoove you to write down as much information about the incident [...]

(To read Part I of this Travel Tips series, click on this link; to read Part II, click here)

Okay – you and your fur buddy have arrived at your family vacation spot! Hurrah! Now is when the real fun (with pet in tow!) begins… as long as you keep these reminders in the back of your mind at all times.

1. You Must Take Your Pet Along Most of the Time

You didn’t take Fido on vacation to sit in your Canadian lodging place while you toured solo. This means that practically whatever you choose to do during your family vacation will need to be pet-friendly.

Now, obviously you can go out for dinner, lunch, touring alone. But only if you’ve spent a good amount of time entertaining your pet. Remember that this family vacation getaway should be as thrilling for your kitty or pooch as it is for you.

2. Not Everyone Loves [...]

(To read Part I of this Travel Tips series, click on this link)

Now that you and your four-legged buddy are ready and rarin’ to go to your family vacation destination, it’s time to think about the actual travel part of the trip. Here are some areas to consider for maximum comfort and ease:

1. Planes Can Be Miserable for Pets

Many pet owners would like to believe that their dogs or cats are as comfy as they are while journeying to their family vacation destinations. However, plane travel can be tough on pets.

Ask your veterinarian for medicines to help make air travel a little calmer for your feline or canine companion. Though you may hate the thought of medicating him or her, it could be the travel tip that saves your buddy from a frantic flight.

2. Car Rides Should Include Plenty of Breaks

Are you planning to travel by car to your [...]

Do you love your four-footed friend? Then you might want to take Spot, Bear, Fuzzers or Fluffy with you to your next family vacation destination. However, bringing your fur-baby to a family vacation getaway requires more planning and forethought than you might think.

In part I of our 4-part Travel Tips: Taking Pets on Vacation series, we’ll look at how to plan for Fido’s Big Adventure.

1. Pick a Pet-Friendly Family Vacation Spot

Seems obvious, right? But many people forget that dogs, cats and exotic animals (e.g. snakes, pot-bellied pigs) aren’t going to necessarily have tons of fun if you pick a family vacation destination that’s boring for them.

For instance, most dogs want to walk and run; therefore, a high rise condominium that allows pets but is located in an area with very little grassy space won’t be the best choice. Remember that you have to think everything through from your little four-legged friend’s [...]

It’s like a dream. You’re relaxing on the beach at your family vacation destination and THERE HE IS! The superstar you love! The Hollywood glam queen whose show you never miss! You’re stunned… then you realize that if you want to do something, now is the time to take action.

Hold on there, partner.

Before your “diva” makes a getaway, remind yourself that there are several rules regarding how to deal with celebs you see while you’re on a trip. Follow them, and you’ll have a much better chance of taking home a great story from your best family vacation!

1. If the Star is Filming, Stand Back

Unless you’ve been asked to be part of a “crowd scene”, stay away from the star. You may have an opportunity later to ask him or her to sign your travel magazine (hey, what else do you have handy while at the beach or boardwalk?), but you’ll [...]

If you’re a packrat, you know it. You’ve come to terms with it. But that doesn’t mean your traveling companions will like it when you lug everything under the sun to… and from… your family vacation spot.

Here are some ways that you, as a card-carrying member of the sometimes-irritating (but ultimately lovable) packrat community, can curb your appetite for clutter while at some of the best family vacation spots on the planet.

1. Have someone else pack for you

Now, don’t freak out. Seriously consider this as a viable travel tip. After all, you know very well that if you’re packing your duds for a week at one of those wonderful Delaware condominiums, you’re likely to throw too much together. So why not allow someone else to pack on your behalf?

Just make sure that you let him or her know of things that you absolutely need, like medications. But don’t dictate how many [...]

1. Over-packing

Do you really need five pairs of jeans? Does your trip to one of the most beautiful Alabama resorts truly require you to bring along fifteen necklaces and a dozen bracelets?

We’re all guilty of overpacking from time to time; don’t let a too-heavy suitcase weigh down your family vacation getaway. Instead, pack mix-and-match apparel that will be versatile, but not in the way.

2. Over-planning

It’s easy to want to see everything at the best family vacation spots around the country; however, it’s not possible and will only exhaust you if you try.

Choose a maximum of two places to go each day of your family vacation getaway. And if you have kids, you may want to just stick with one tourist attraction; they tend to become restless and cranky otherwise.

3. Over-exerting

You never go to the gym, but you’re dying to scuba dive, parasail, water ski and snorkel during your [...]

1. Business Cards

You might think you’ll never need a business card while enjoying one of those best family vacation spots. This is limited thinking, though!

Bring a few business cards to exchange wherever you go during your next family vacation getaway. Hey, you never know who will be sitting next to you in that fancy restaurant… or lying beside you at the beach!

2. Your Resume and/or CV (Curriculum Vitae)

Like business cards, you might assume that a family vacation getaway could never be a place to drop your resume or CV… but you might want to guess again. Plenty of people have traveled to a spot, fallen in love with it, and then decided to move there permanently.

Make sure your credentials are updated and polished. Oh, and keep them in a manila envelope or folder so they aren’t crunched up between bottles of shampoo and baby wipes!

3. A List of Friends’ [...]