Single Parents CAN Travel!

Single Mama, Will Travel is a website for ALL single parents who want to experience adventurous, fulfilling, and memorable trips and vacations that are FUN for kids and parents.  Financial, time, and (sometimes) visitation schedule constraints can often make vacations intimidating and stressful when you are the sole adult chaperone.  The contributors to Single Mama, Will Travel are all single parents who want to share their tips, advice, and experience to help others plan amazing vacations.  There truly is nothing better than experiencing the world through your child’s eyes, so pack your bags and let’s go!

As this website grows, we will add all of the resources you need to plan and execute dream vacations of all lengths and types.  The site will feature links to helpful websites, logistical information, sample itineraries, trip reports, and more, all geared toward optimizing travel experiences for the single-parent family.  Since contributors are sharing their personal experiences, rest assured that every suggestion is kid-tested and single-parent approved!  Hopefully, you will be inspired to take your kids to places that so far you’ve only dreamed of!

Central Florida – Universal Orlando Resort and Kennedy Space Center

Arrival/Departure City:  Orlando (MCO)/Orlando (MCO)

Know Before You Go:  If staying at a Universal Orlando Resort hotel, a car is not at all necessary to explore the resort.  Both Universal Studios Florida® and Universal’s Islands of Adventure®, as well as Universal CityWalk®, are within a 5-10 minute walk of the resort hotels.  A vehicle is necessary to travel to Kennedy Space Center, which is about a one-hour drive from Orlando.  The good news is, several of the resort hotels have Hertz Car Rental locations in the lobby, so it’s super easy and convenient to rent a car for the day.  Renting a car for the entire trip is not advised, as the resorts do charge a significant daily fee for parking.

Arizona Itinerary – Rivers and Canyons

Arrival/Departure City:  Phoenix (PHX)/Phoenix (PHX)

Know Before You Go:  After arrival in Phoenix, this trip will require access to a car.  If arriving by air, the most convenient location to pick-up/drop-off a rental car will be the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport.  Many of the attractions and activities in this itinerary have seasonal hours and/or days of operation.  Be sure to check your exact travels dates to determine availability and scheduling.  Lodging in the Grand Canyon fills quickly; reservations should be made well in advance of your trip (recommended 6 months or more).  All of the information in this itinerary pertains to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, as the South Rim is much more accessible, has more amenities, and is open year-round.

Grand Canyon June 2014

Last year (June 2014) Junior Adventurer and I took a trip to the Grand Canyon.  Disclaimer:  My sister lives in Phoenix, so we had lodging in Phoenix and a car available to us.  However, since we embarked on a Grand Canyon road trip that included a few other sites and activities, we did have to plan lodging accordingly.  My sister did travel with us, but I handled all of the planning and booking.  Had she not been able to join us, I would have rented a car for myself and JA.  See the trip itinerary here.

I started planning the trip in mid-February, about 4 months out from our travel dates.  The first thing I did was check the Grand Canyon lodging website for availability only to find that the choices were quite limited.  I wanted to stay in the park, and the only on-site hotel with any availability was Yavapai Lodge.  At the time, I booked the room through the GrandCanyonLodges.com website, which is the website for Xanterra Parks and Resorts.  Xanterra is an L.L.C. that operates multiple resorts at the Grand Canyon as well as many other U.S. National Parks.  However, according to the GrandCanyonLodges.com website, Xanterra no longer operates Yavapai Lodge.  You can still book other Grand Canyon resorts, including El Tovar, Bright Angel Lodge, and Phantom Ranch through GrandCanyonLodges.com.  Yavapai Lodge can be booked through Delaware North Companies Parks and Resorts.

Required Travel Documents

Before you can travel anywhere, you need to make sure you have the proper travel documentation for yourself and your kids.  For single parents, this can be a little tricky.

For US domestic travel via car or air, no special documentation beyond the parent’s drivers license should be necessary.  As many times as I’ve flown with my son, we’ve never been asked for any proof of identification or age for him.  However, if you are traveling to a destination (such as a theme park) where you are expecting to pay a reduced “child’s rate” for tickets or service, you may want to bring a copy of the birth certificate (B.C.).  My son looks much older than he actually is, and while his age has never been questioned, I do sometimes travel with a copy of his B.C. or his passport just in case.