AN INTERVIEW WITH GLOBALBRENDA ABOUT SINGLE PARENT TRAVEL

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1. How is single parent travel different from family travel?

Single parents, by necessity, are working parents. As such, when they vacation with their child or children, they want to spend quality time and fun time with them, not escape from them. Single parents are not part of a couple nor are they "swinging singles." They are looking for family activities that both parent and child can enjoy doing together.

2. What are the Biggest Complaints that single parents have when traveling?

Three things:

The dreaded single supplement and the fact that tour operators and hotels often insist on two adults in a room before the children's rates apply.

Activities are geared toward traditional two parent families. The kids have fun but the single parent often is the "odd man out," not having a partner for golf or tennis or not being part of a romantic couple for the "hot tub" events.

The lack of other single parent famillies. Single parent families don't want to feel different and they are not. They now represent one-fourth to one-third of all households in the U.S.

3. How do you ease the responsibility of traveling as a single parent?

Type up an itinerary. Have the kids involved in the planning and research. Respect their opinions. This maximizes your fun time and, in our case, completely eliminated arguments about what we were going to do that day.

Assign age-appropriate responsibilities to the kids. Teenagers make great map readers and navigators, but you must start the process at a pre-teen level. The Single Parent Travel Handbook discusses how. At age five my son was the official 'luggage counter.' By age 13 he had taken over complete responsibility for the luggage. He always watched our luggage go to and from curbside to inside the terminal. During our Amazon trip he climbed to the top of the bus, made sure that the luggage was properly secured and then assisted the other young men tying up other bags, making new local friends along the way.

4. How do you handle the safety issues involved with single parent travel?

A whole section of my book is devoted to this topic. In brief, a few points:
- Walk with confidence. Know where you are going and how to get there before you leave your hotel room. People assumed we were residents by the way we walked.

- When traveling in third world countries, wear no jewelry except a cheap plastic watch.

- Do not openly display your expensive camera. Keep it in a backpack or camera bag.

- Trust your instincts. If you feel unsafe, duck into a restaurant and have them call you a cab.

- Learn the local customs and dress codes in advance. You may look like a tourist but at least you won't look like a dumb tourist.

- Before you go out at night, ask where it is safe to walk. What is safe during the day is not necessarily safe at night.

5. What destinations do you recommend for single parents?

In my book, "The Single Parent Travel Handbook," I devoted a chapter to a dozen single-parent-family- friendly destinations ranging from USA driving trips to Niagara Falls or a national park to exotic overseas destinations such as Egypt. One of my favorite places for single parent families is the Riviera Maya, about 50 miles south of Cancun and anchored by the delightful, rapidly growing town of Playa del Carmen. Rates are reasonable, the area is safe, there is something for everyone from tots to teens to adults and the clientele is very mixed - singles, couples, all types of families.

6. I have heard there are a number of problems leaving the country with minors and only one parent. What sort of things can parents do ahead of time to avoid any hassle?

When you travel overseas, there is often extra required documentation for famillies traveling with only one parent. My Web site, SingleParentTravel.net has a documentation section that is updated on a regular basis. Each country has different requirements but often one of the requirements, in addition to valid passports, is a letter from the non-traveling parent granting permission to take his or her child out of the country. There are cases where that letter is difficult or impossible to obtain. This is discussed on my Web site as well.

7. Are there any travel suppliers that specialize in single parents?

There is only a handful of tour operators and hotels that occasionally offer a single parent special. Sometimes it really is a Single Parent Special with single parent pricing and/or single parent family activities. Other times it may be smoke and mirrors marketing. Whenever we come across any travel specials that are designed for single parents, we post them on our newsletter. Parents can sign up at SingleParentTravel.net.

At the request of my readers, I have started hosting a national program of weeklong tours and weekend getaways. Our first group tour to Beaches Boscobel during August 2003 was a screaming success, 42 single parent families attended. Our first weekend getaway during November 2003 to the Rocking Horse Ranch was also well attended. I hosted 13 single parent families. Future weekends to Monterey, CA in January `03; Solvang, CA in February `03; Estes Park, CO; Philadelphia, PA; Boston, MA; Annapolis, MD all in Spring `03. Our summer program will include Playa Del Carmen, Mexico; Arizona and another trip to Beaches.

The program is appropriately called, appropriately, - Single Parent Tours. More information can be found at SingleParentTours.com or by calling 877-GOGO-SPT.

8. Tell us about your book, "The Single Parent Travel Handbook".

The book is a road map of how to budget and plan a single parent family vacation and enjoy an exciting, adventurous trip that is fun for both adult and child. The book is informative and entertaining and includes a chapter of heartwarming and funny stories from Single Parent Dads and their adventures. It also includes a listing of travel agencies that specialize in single parent travel - the only listing of its kind in the world. Parent Without Partners has hailed the book as a "Must-read" for any family traveler. The book has also received recommendations from Publisher's Weekly, BookSense, Midwest Reviews, Heartland Reviews, Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel Magazine, San Jose Mecury News, The Boston Globe ...and many more!

9. Can you offer single parents any travel tips?

Yes, traveling as a single parent with kids is an awesome responsibility. It can also be great fun and very rewarding. You need to get your kids involved in the process both before and during the trip. Kids old enough to read can help with research, especially on the Internet. Little kids can help during the trip by counting luggage and checking out fire exits. In no time at all they become very good at it. Older kids, 12 and up can become excellent navigators and map readers. If the trip becomes a team effort everyone is involved in the process, it takes some of the burden off the single parent, and the kids quickly develop some very useful life skills at an early age.

You often see TV ads with the traditional two parent family in the SUV taking a road trip with their kids. The adults are in front and the teen-agers and pre-teens sit in back isolating themselves with their CD players. In a single parent family travel situation the teen-ager or the 12-year old is seated up front reading road signs or helping the parent navigate through the city or search for an upcoming exit. When the child is helpful, the parent should compliment the child. "You did a great job reading the signs and helping me get through the city!" This builds self-esteem in the child and it gets you both to the hotel pool faster.

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