Additional documents you may need when you travel with children
You will need additional documentation when traveling with under age children, especially for international flights. Immigration officers, airlines, cruise lines and tour operators at your destination, or on your return to Canada, may require that you provide notarized documentation authorizing you to travel with the child or children, and full contact information for the person or persons providing the affidavit.
Children traveling with one of their parents. You will need a notarized statement from your spouse stating that your spouse is aware and consents to the children traveling with you.
Children traveling with neither parent (family, friends, etc.). You will need a notarized statement from both parents stating that they are aware and consent to the children traveling with you.
There are several firms that can provide this service, such as Red Seal Notary.
Make sure you have a passport!
Passports are required by a growing number of destinations.
You need a passport to enter the US at all border crossings, and you now need a passport to enter Mexico.
It is easy to get one and it is a great form of identification.
Click here to download passport applications.
Have cancellation and (especially) medical insurance.
Make sure you and your family are covered for unforeseen medical expenses.
We recommend this from our own experience: Our son developed a very high fever on a trip to Florida. We took him to the emergency room at the local hospital. They checked him over, gave him one dose of antibiotics, and sent us home with Motrin and Tylenol for children.
Total visit? 30 minutes. Cost? USD $1,600.00!!
Get the insurance, it can pay for itself in one hospital visit.
Actually, some destinations, such as Cuba, now make it mandatory for visitors to have medical insurance.
We’ll make sure you have the right coverage – even if you rely on Credit Card coverage, or are using your work provided or other benefits.
Make copies of your passport, insurance, and travel documents.
Keep a set in your room safe and make sure family or friends have a copy.
We once had our passports stolen in Spain. We were in the Costa Del Sol and had to go to Madrid to get new passports – non-machine readable at that. Lucky for us we were spending a week in Madrid as part of our trip. It would have been much easier to get new ones if we had copies of the originals.
Take your favourite OTC medicines with you if traveling outside of Canada and the US.
Pharmacies around the world will not carry products you are familiar with. Pack your favourites in a Ziploc bag and place them in your check in luggage.
I always travel with my favourite cold medicines, antihistamines and Advil. Once in Portugal I cought a cold and had to find a pharmacy, and then rely on the local cough remedy. Not pleasant. I also always take Fever medicine for our twins, Band-Aids, etc. I pack them in their own Ziploc bags.
Minimize your carry on luggage.
Pack only what you will need on board. There are new guidelines as to what you can actually carry on board: cameras, MP3 players, computers, child care items, winter coats, limited reading material, jewelry, change of clothing, your documents - no sharp objects and no power supplies for any electronic devises.
Click here for Canada’s official list.
Expect long delays at the airport.
With the enhanced security at airports, it will take you longer to get to your gate. Check in lines will also take longer, even if you have already printed your boarding passes.
On our last trip to the US it took us 3 hours from when we got to the airport until we got to the boarding gate.
The flight left an hour late. We were the last passengers to arrive at the cruise terminal, and almost missed the sailing.
Let your bank and credit card company know where and when you are traveling.
Let your bank and credit card company know you will be away. If they will know you are away, they will not flag transactions abroad as a problem. It also lets them know that any unusual local transactions may be fraudulent.
Consider getting a NEXUS card.
You can apply for a NEXUS enhanced boarder clearance card. It is inexpensive – $50.00 for a 5 year period per person – children under 18 can apply for free.
You will save time at immigration coming into Canada from anywhere, and it will save you time entering the US.
Click here for the Nexus site.
Pack a fleece jacket
You never know when the weather will change while on vacation, and a fleece takes little room, doesn’t weigh much and keeps you warm even when it gets wet.
A few years ago in New Orleans the weather changed from well over 30 C degrees and sunny to the low teens and raining in the 20 minutes it took me to go to our car and back to our room. Luckily with our fleece jackets, we were prepared for the weather!
