The Truth About Travelling With Children

Travelling with children… the very thought strikes fear into parents around the world.  I suppose it depends on the type of travel.  Let’s face it, jumping into the car and heading off should be easy.

Flying, on the other hand, has stresses of its own, and the idea of working your way through the airport system (check-in, security, waiting in the departure lounge) is hard enough without children in tow.

This story, however, is about travelling by car.  As I've already mentioned; this should be easy. None of the children are babies (14, 13, 12, 8 and 8) and so are quite capable of “entertaining” themselves.  You’d think!

First, there’s loading the car - or in our case, a minibus.  There’s 9 of us.  Yep… 9!

We hire a large minibus for the duration, so that we have plenty of luggage space.

Who will sit next to who?  Arguments ensue…

“I don’t want to sit there”;

“I want to sit in the back”;

“Why can’t I sit next to him?”

Maybe we should draw lots, to see who sits where!

At least I know where I’m sitting - and that’s up front, with a job to do...

The vehicle loaded; more likely than not, I've put the wrong bag in the back, so need to ferret it out for use during the journey!

Finally, everyone is on board and seat belts fastened.  Doors shut; engine started.

“Mum, please can I have the iPad”,

“Where are my headphones?”... and we haven’t even left the drive.

I take a deep breath and engage first gear.

Expected journey time - 4 hours.

Time until first request for food? 30 minutes!

Then… silence.

Silence reigns for the next couple of hours, as films are consumed, games played and music listened to.  After that, the next phase of the journey - the “Are we there yet?” questions.




These begin innocently enough; just a quick calculation of how long to go; and more silence.
For about 20 minutes!

“How long to go now?”

“I told you 2 hours, just 20 minutes ago”

More silence.  Games, music, movies.  FIVE minutes later another voice pipes up
“Are we nearly there?”

Aggravation creeps into the reply

“Weren't you listening 5 minutes ago?  It’s about 90 minutes.”

The pattern continues for another 80 minutes; interspersed with more requests for snacks.
Then the magical moment, as I tell everyone that we’re almost there.

After just 2 minutes:
“I thought you said we’re nearly there!”

“I did; just 5 or so minutes.  Look out of the window and you’ll see where we are.”

Finally - we pull up outside the house and as I toot the horn to announce our arrival, the kids unbuckle their belts, slide open the door and run into the arms of their waiting grandparents.

Suddenly the stresses, aggravations and repetitions of the last few hours are swept away.

We’re here. Until the return journey....!!

Review - BlackBerry Travel app v TripIt

There are many great apps for the BlackBerry, and one I started using not long ago is TripIt.  A travel app that manages your plans and keeps them in one place.

The basic app is free, and does an admirable job; it will even search for travel related emails and create itineraries for you automatically.  Great for train journeys, flights and hotels; not so clever for big itineraries.  However, they're always working at improving the logarithms, so who know; maybe it'll get better over time.  One major advantage is that TripIt is also available on the web.

This week, BlackBerry released their own version of a travel app, in conjunction with Worldmate.  Now, I have to say, the integration with the core BlackBerry operating system is sublime.  It just fits, and works beautifully.  I have just one, quite major complaint.  It is very, very, light on functionality.

Where TripIt will cater for journeys, days out, theatre bookings and the like; the BlackBerry app is only suitable for hotels and flights.  Maybe that's what the typical BlackBerry user wants; but I'm willing to bet that since the market for the smartphone has increased, it won't be enough.

The app is only in beta stage; which means it hasn't been released publicly, and is in the final throes of user testing.  However,  unless more functionality is added, then it won't be a threat to TripIt.

If you've read other posts of mine, you'll know I'm a BlackBerry fan, and I jumped at the chance to give this a tryout.  Unfortunately, it doesnt cut the mustard, and whilst I'm not a frequent flyer (but use the train daily) I can't see this being adopted by the masses.

Of course, I'll keep my eyes open, and should more be added, then I will definitely give it another go.

For now, I will be staying with TripIt.

Do you have a favourite travel app for your smartphone?  Would you like to review it on My Blog and I?

Virgin On The Ridiculous

You don't need me to remind you that the price of petrol and diesel has gone through the roof; with additional duty, followed by the increase in VAT; a couple of weeks ago.  This didn't bode well when I accepted a new contract, in Crewe.

Now back in the world of mobile phone retailing (for a large supermarket chain, where every little helps!) I travel from Manchester to Crewe on a daily basis.  Once upon a time, I used to drive almost the same journey for nearly 7 years.  The M60, the M62 and the M6.

My oh my!! The volume of traffic has increased exponentially over the interim years, and the journey has become nightmarish.  You may already have seen comments to that effect, on Facebook!

So, I decided to try the train.  This is as simple as a tram from my local station, to Piccadilly; then a lovely Virgin train, to Crewe; followed by a not-too-bad perambulate for the final 10 minutes.

The overall journey time is no quicker; but it means I don't get all stressed about sitting in traffic; I can read a book, or even doze for a few minutes!

With the price of fuel ever rising; it's also cheaper than driving; especially as there's no wear and tear on the car (or me!)  The walk is also proving to be quite beneficial; from a health perspective

As they say - everyone's a winner!!

Cityscapes - Sydney

Like sunshine? 

Like living by the water? 

Like a relaxing outdoors lifestyle?  

Sydney has it all.  This isn't a sales pitch.  I'm just telling you how I experienced it.

Cosmopolitan living, great shops, good food and, if I'm honest, friendly people too.

From the first settlers (those rogues shipped to the colony!) to the £10 Poms, and everyone else, most Australians have a European heritage; and that is reflected in the building style, and the art.

Due to it's climate, Australia in general is very much an outdoor way of life.  This is highlighted in Sydney, as workers cross the huge harbour on their daily commute.  The vistas are fantastic.


There are many boats; of all shapes and sizes, bobbing about; from the ferries, to the tourist sightseeing trips and the personal yachts to the small dinghies.


Not forgetting the famous Bondi beach, the small suburb of Manly and the surrounding 'bush'.

A little way outside of the city, and you can visit the Blue Mountains, so called because of the haze given off by the eucalyptus trees.

Sydney is one of my favourite cities in the world. The famous bridge spanning north to south; the Opera House, with its distinctive roof, Centrepoint; the tallest building, offering fantastic, 360 degree, views across the city.


At the risk of repeating myself, this is another city that has everything; but the weather makes sure that's is great all year round.

Cityscapes - New York

As Paris is romantic, ornate and picturesque, New York is big, loud and "in your face".  

Indeed, let's be a little more specific here.  When I talk about New York, I refer to the island of Manhattan. OK, it's not a real island, but it's the part you think of when someone mentions New York.

The suburbs, Harlem, The Bronx, Queens, to name a few, have been immortalised on film, and if you haven't visited them, then I suppose that is the real New York - the place where the locals live.

Of course, they live in Manhattan too. Upper East Side, Lower West Side, Greenwich Village, SoHo, all contain apartment blocks. 

It's a fast-paced life, people walking quickly, getting from A to B and not stopping to look along the way.

The towering skyscrapers, the old mingling with the new.  I'll never forget the view down Wall Street - tall buildings framing Trinity church at the other end.

There are many iconic images, the Empire State Building, Grand Central Station, The Statue of Liberty  not forgetting the famous yellow taxi cabs.  

Ellis Island, in the bay, is now a museum to remind us of the journey the many thousands of immigrants made, to start a new life in this land of opportunity.

Central Park in the summer, is a tranquil escape from the madness of city life.  In the winter it is transformed, when it snows, and becomes a winter wonderland.  I'm sure you've seen images of people skating in the park.

As a tourist, New York is fascinating and exciting.  The shops, the food, the noise, the art and history; plus the realisation that you've seen this many times before, captured on celluloid, means it is as familiar as it is strange.

Whatever time of year you visit, there is plenty to see.

Cityscape - Paris

The Eiffel Tower

Paris.  The City of Romance. It's the city, apart from London, that I've been to the most.  It's certainly true that it holds that romantic mysticism.

There is something about Paris that gets the juices flowing.  Whether it's the Seine meandering through the city, the madness that is the Etoile, or the vistas from the heights of the Eiffel Tower.

Everywhere you turn, there is something to look at. 

The Louvre
Modern mixed with the old

The old buildings, steeped in history, the tightly packed streets, the smells of the fresh bread at the boulangerie.

The smoke from the tabac, the hustle and bustle of the traffic, stopping and starting, horns constantly beeping; the throngs of tourists, the beautifully dressed French women (and men) in their boutique fashion designs.

The restaurants with their awnings over the pavement; their menus tempting you with succulent dishes.  The bars, with their tables and chairs outside, so you can sit and watch the world go by; either with a strong cafe au lait, or maybe something else!

Bateaux Mouches are a popular
way to see Paris

Down at the river, the Bateaux Mouches glide along the Seine; the tourists snapping photos of the Jardin des Tuileries, the Notre Dame and the ornate French architecture glistening in the sun (don't places always look better in the sun?)

The Place de la Concorde, with it's obelisk, standing resolute at the end of the Champs Elysees, the Arc de Triomphe standing proud at the other end; the tomb of the unknown soldier lying below the main arch.

Paris, for sightseers, is a feast for the senses.  The scenery, the sound, the smells.  It's a fantastic place to wander, and absorb the atmosphere.

The Champs Elysees
view from the Arc de Triomphe