All right you just booked your flight, reserved the hotel, and found the perfect rental car.  You’re ready to go for your next family vacay. But there are some tips I’d like to share to help ensure you’ll have a pain-free traveling adventure and avoid some speedbumps.  Sorry, I just had to throw that in!

Let’s start with the credit card you just used to book your travel plans.  It can come with added benefits like travel insurance. The Amex Blue Cash Everyday card is one such gem.  It’s an excellent way to save money and not have to buy additional travel insurance, which can cost up to 10% of your prepaid travel expenses.

However, if you do pay for travel insurance, then I recommend InsureMyTrip.com. Their rates are much more reasonable than what will be offered to you by the cruise or resort. Just make sure to read the fine print to make sure it includes your specific family needs.

Now on to the car seat situation. If you’re like me, you’ve wondered how to haul that huge clunky and heavy car seat into the airport.  But wait – there’s a solution!   Let me tell you about AAA.  Many of their office locations have partnered with Hertz to provide car seats for free.  Just make sure to call the AAA office to verify participating locations.

If you’re heading out of the country, I definitely recommend the Mobile Passport app. Download this app to save time at the twenty-six participating airports (including Los Angeles and San Diego International Airports) and three cruise ports.  It lets you skip the long customs line by using a selfie and information from your passport

I hope these strategies help with your travel plans this summer. And if you know of any, please comment away.