Travel with children · United States

Hi there,

I’m looking to rent a car when I arrive in Los Angeles for 18 days.

1) I was planning to bring the booster seat for my 5-year-old son and not rent one on-site. Am I still complying with the law?

2) Since there are only two of us in the car, my main goal is price. Which rental agency or website have you tried and recommend?

3) Is it true that for the same rental company, it’s cheaper to pick up the car a bit farther from LAX? For example, Hertz has several locations nearby. Apparently, there’s less selection, but I don’t care about that—I just want the cheapest option.

Thanks for your tips! !

Hi everyone, We’re planning a trip to Florida during Belgium’s Carnival break, from February 14 to March 1, 2025. I’d love your help putting together our itinerary and getting ideas for family-friendly places to stay 😊 We’ll likely book a multi-destination flight, arriving in Miami and departing from Orlando. Here’s what we’d really love to do: - Visit beaches like Sanibel Island—we’re huge shell collectors 🐚 - See alligators in the Everglades and take a tour there - Spend some downtime in the Keys to relax a bit - Head to the Kennedy Space Center since my son is obsessed with astronauts and rockets - Maybe hit one of Orlando’s theme parks (we were leaning toward Universal, but the prices are just outrageous 😬) - Explore some cool spots in Miami.

We’d also prefer not to switch hotels too often—maybe at least two nights in each place? And no more than a 3-hour drive between stops.

Here’s our rough plan so far: Day 1–3: Miami Day 3–5: Keys Day 5–7: Everglades, Naples, and Sanibel Island Day 7–11: ??? Day 11–14: Orlando and Kennedy Space Center

As you can see, I’m not sure whether to add more days to the places we’re already visiting or if we should swing by Clearwater or somewhere else? Thanks in advance for your tips and recommendations!

Hi there, I’m right in the middle of planning a trip to the American West—23 days from 07/30 to 08/23. Departure from Orly to Los Angeles with a layover in San Francisco, and return from Los Angeles to Orly. Day 1: Orly - San Francisco (1 night) Day 2 & 3: Los Angeles (2 nights) Day 4, 5 & 6: San Francisco (3 nights) Day 7: Lake Tahoe (1 night) Day 8 & 9: Portland (2 nights) Day 10, 11 & 12: Seattle (3 nights) Day 13 & 14: Yellowstone (2 nights) Day 15 & 16: Salt Lake City (2 nights) Day 17 & 18: Las Vegas (2 nights) Day 19 & 20: Grand Canyon (2 nights) Day 21 & 22: Los Angeles (2 nights) Day 23: Return flight (1 night in the air)

The flight’s already booked: 2250 € for 3 people. Car’s reserved—just finalized the last booking today: a Rav4 for 23 days from Sixt in Santa Monica, 715 € (all insurance included). Hotels are booked with free cancellation since I keep finding better options, and the itinerary isn’t 100% set yet.

Hi there, We’re heading to California at the end of July for a road trip with our two kids, aged 7 and 9. Here’s our planned two-week itinerary: Los Angeles - San Diego - Palm Springs - Yosemite - Carmel and Big Sur - Santa Barbara - Los Angeles. We don’t want to go to San Francisco. Does this itinerary sound good to you? Any recommendations for accommodations, especially in Yosemite and Carmel?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Hi everyone,

This summer, from June 29 to July 5, we’re heading to Florida for a week. We’ll start with Miami Beach on the first day. We have two older teens (22 and 17) and our 25-year-old daughter. It’s our first visit to Florida!

I’d love your thoughts on whether I should add or remove any stops. I put this together based on your travel journals...

- **Day 0** – Arrival Saturday, June 28, 2025, evening at Miami Airport + picking up the rental car - **Day 1 / Sun, June 29, 2025**: Morning bike ride to explore Miami Beach, and one night in Miami Beach - **Day 2 / Mon, June 30, 2025**: OCEAN DRIVE, afternoon at South Beach - **Day 3 / Tue, July 1, 2025**: Morning walk in LITTLE HAVANA/Cuban Quarter + afternoon at Crandon Beach - **Day 4 / Wed, July 2, 2025**: Depart for KEY WEST (3.5-hour drive) – stop in Islamorada. Afternoon visit to Old Town and Hemingway Home - **Day 5 / Thu, July 3, 2025**: Morning at Mallory Square – afternoon return toward Miami + one night in Homestead - **Day 6 / Fri, July 4, 2025**: Visit Everglades Alligator Farms and Flamingo - **Day 7 / Sat, July 5, 2025**: Return to Miami Airport

What do you think?

Thanks for your feedback! I’ll also check out your travel journals for more ideas. I’m all ears for great tips if you’ve booked through Booking or Airbnb!

Hi there, I’m heading to Los Angeles for 15 days in April with two 15-year-olds. We’ll spend one week in LA and then a week in Death Valley and Sequoia Park. Hotels and a car are already booked. I could use some advice on what clothes to pack and what activities to suggest. I’d love to show them the history of this state. Thanks!

Hi there, I’d like to plan a family road trip (2 adults, 2 kids aged 14 and 11) next summer, starting in New York and ending in Montreal. Here’s my rough itinerary: Arrival in New York: 4 nights Train to Boston: 2 nights Car rental, then off to Cape Cod: 2 nights Head to Acadia Park: 2 nights On to Quebec City: 2 nights Tadoussac: 2 nights Saguenay region/Lac Saint-Jean: 2 nights Montreal: 2 nights Departure from Montreal. Could you share some ideas for places to stay, eat, visit, whale watching, lobster feasts, etc.? Also, about the car rental: picking up in the US and dropping off in Canada—any tips? Would it be easier to fly round-trip from Lyon to Montreal and drive to NY instead? Thanks for your feedback!

Hi there, I’d love to get your thoughts on our West Coast USA itinerary for this summer. Day 1: Arrive in LA early evening. Check into hotel. Day 2: Full day in LA: Venice Beach, Santa Monica, Hollywood Blvd, etc. Day 3: Leave LA, overnight in Kingman (+ stops along Route 66 for breaks) Day 4: Drive to Sedona, arrive late afternoon. Overnight in Sedona. Day 5: Hike in Sedona, then depart in the afternoon for Grand Canyon / Overnight in Tusayan Day 6: GC (South Rim / hike to plan) and drive to Monument Valley. Arrive in Kayenta (hotel) Day 7: MV (guided Navajo jeep tour) Day 8: Drive to Page Day 9: Lake Powell + Horseshoe Bend Day 10: Drive to Bryce Canyon Day 11: Plan a hike in BC, then depart for Zion Park late afternoon Day 12: Plan a hike in ZP, then drive to Las Vegas. Arrive in LV late afternoon. Day 13: Full day in LV Day 14: Drive to Death Valley, overnight in DV inside the park Day 15: Cross DV (drive or "hike" depending on heat), overnight in Lee Vining. Day 16: Cross YOSEMITE via Tioga Road (plan viewpoints and hikes), arrive in Groveland late afternoon Day 17: Drive from Groveland to SF Day 18: Full day in SF Day 19: Drive from SF to Pacific Highway 1, stop near Hearst Castle for an overnight Day 20: Return to LA Day 21: Last day in LA (Universal Studios) Day 22: Fly back to Paris

All hotels are booked but most can be canceled if needed. I’d really appreciate your feedback! :) :) Are we trying to do too much with this schedule? I just read on the forums—maybe a bit late—that 2 days in MV is overkill. The hotel in Kayenta can’t be changed.

Thanks so much!

Hi everyone,

We’re heading to Florida as a family from April 6 to 19, 2025, with our two daughters, aged 5 and almost 8. I’ve been working on our itinerary for a while now and would love to get your thoughts and/or recommendations on this road trip. Just to let you know, we’re traveling with our kids and have tried to adapt the activities so everyone can enjoy themselves. Thanks so much for your help!

Day 1 - Sunday, April 6: Miami - Arrival in Miami at 8:55 PM local time - Pick up the rental car and night in Miami Beach

Day 2 - Monday, April 7: Miami Beach - Rent bikes and ride around Miami Beach in the morning - Beach at South Beach in the afternoon - Night in Miami Beach

Day 3 - Tuesday, April 8: Miami - Marathon (2.5-hour drive) - Stroll through the Wynwood neighborhood in the morning - Walk around Little Havana or downtown, or hit the beach in the afternoon, depending on the kids - Drive to Marathon for the night

Day 4 - Wednesday, April 9: Day trip to Key West (2-hour round trip from Marathon) - Fort Zachary Taylor State Park - Stroll through Old Town in the late afternoon and sunset at Mallory Square - Night in Marathon

Day 5 - Thursday, April 10: Marathon - Florida City (1.75-hour drive) - Bahia Honda State Park - If we’re up for it: Turtle Hospital or kayaking - Night in Florida City

Day 6 - Friday, April 11: Everglades - Fort Myers Beach - Start with the Anhinga Trail, then an airboat tour in the area—but where? Any recommendations? - Morning: Shark Valley? Loop Road in Big Cypress National Preserve? I’d love your input here. My youngest is too small to handle biking in Shark Valley on her own (unless there are cargo bikes available?). On foot, it seems tricky, and the shuttles don’t really appeal to us. Is it better to skip Shark Valley and focus on Loop Road? Is the day too ambitious with the drive back to Fort Myers Beach? I wanted to avoid Naples because I’d prefer to stay two nights in each place to avoid changing hotels every day. But if it’s too tight, we’ll do one night in Naples and one in Fort Myers Beach. - Night in Fort Myers Beach

Day 7 - Saturday, April 12: Sanibel Island - Day on the island with bike rentals to reach J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge, then beach time (Bowman’s Beach?) - Night in Fort Myers Beach

Day 8 - Sunday, April 13: Fort Myers Beach - Crystal River (3.5-hour drive) - Beach at Siesta Key, then drive to Crystal River - If time and energy allow, Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park upon arrival - Night in Crystal River

Day 9 - Monday, April 14: Crystal River - Weeki Wachee Springs for kayaking to see manatees if we’re lucky, plus the mermaid show (mostly for the kids ) Any other spots for manatees or kayaking? I know it’s not the best month to see them, but you never know! Anything else to do or see in this area? - Night in Crystal River

Day 10 - Tuesday, April 15: Crystal River - Orlando (1.75-hour drive) - A bit of a transition day—maybe Disney Springs and/or an outlet mall - Night in Orlando

Day 11 - Wednesday, April 16: Disney World - Day at Animal Kingdom - Night in Orlando

Day 12 - Thursday, April 17: Disney World - Day at Magic Kingdom - Night in Orlando

Day 13 - Friday, April 18: Cape Canaveral - Visit to the Kennedy Space Center - Night in Orlando

Day 14 - Saturday, April 19: Return - Flight departs Orlando at 1:05 PM

It was tough making choices for the Orlando parks. As a huge Harry Potter fan, I was leaning toward Universal, but the girls have never been to Disney in Paris and are huge Disney fans, so skipping Magic Kingdom seemed tricky.

And that’s my long post! Thanks so much for reading and for your invaluable help.

Carole

Hello,

I’m Bruno, and I need some advice for planning a long, amazing trip (at least 1 month) to the United States. I want to show my kids the incredible places I visited nearly 30 years ago! 🤪

How do I travel with 3 teens, who should I call, and what do you recommend?

Things have changed so much since then, and it’s way easier to travel at 20 with just a backpack! ^^

Thanks in advance! 😏