In this tough economy, everyone is trying to save a few bucks wherever they can.  If you haven’t had to cut back yourself, then you are hearing about how everyone else is.  Which then makes you feel like you should cut back, too.  And, you know, allows you to join the cutting back conversation at the next dinner party. You get to save a few bucks and tell funny double coupon stories.  Win/win, right?

Now, of course, saving money when you can is never a bad thing.  And the one upside to a crappy economy is that there are tons of great deals out there.  And I think this is especially true within the travel realm. New York City hotels for $100/night.  Transatlantic flights for $250 round trip.  Your dream vacation package now at an all-time low, low, low price.  It’s a travel junkie’s dream come true.

But traveling with kids comes with some special challenges that can and do transcend a good deal – I strongly believe there are certain things one should NEVER skimp on when venturing about with kids.

My number one?  A good hotel.  Let me tell you a story.  A few weeks ago, my family decided on a spur of the moment trip.  While booking the flight, we were offered a centrally-located hotel for a very cheap sum.  So cheap that I didn’t even bother looking at the other nearby hotels.  So cheap that I didn’t look up a review of the property.  So cheap that I overlooked the fact that it had a totally hip nightclub on the first floor that was open EVERY NIGHT UNTIL 4 AM.

So I shouldn’t have been surprised when the uber-trendy desk clerk looked at me blankly when I requested a baby bed.  And I shouldn’t have been surprised that once she located one about five hours later, the hotel had no actual linens to put on it.  My kid went to bed each night wrapped in the complimentary bathrobe, rocked to sleep by the soothing sounds of 120-beats-per-minute techno music.

Lesson learned.  (And by the way, did you know Travel Savvy Mom has hotel reviews?  We only recommend places we know families will enjoy staying.  You should check them out).

I am willing to spend extra money on a great hotel.  I want family-friendly, centrally located, with room service, pay-per-view movies and an included breakfast – at a minimum.  Any extra I spend is worth it when traveling with my son – my sanity is at stake.

But don’t take just my word on it.  To get a well-rounded take, I asked around on Twitter and Facebook what traveling parents won’t skimp on when traveling with kids.  And here were the biggies:

1.  An extra seat on the plane
I’ll admit I cried a little when Chet turned two and could no longer fly on my lap.  But on a long haul flight, it’s just worth it to pay for an extra seat.  You are already going to be peeing with a kid on your lap.  Do you have to eat, watch a movie and not-sleep doing it, too?

2.  Snacks
I wouldn’t have thought of this one but it totally makes sense.  After all, Tahiti may not have your kid’s favorite SpongeBob Squarepants fruit snacks.  Bring enough to give them that little extra ooomph of energy while you are out exploring the town.

3.  Direct flights
This is, of course, assuming they are available.  But spending a little extra to not have a 4-hour layover in Denver can be a very good thing.  It’s likely you’ll only pay the difference in airport food and other random crap while you are stopped anyway.

4.  A DVD player
They were preaching to the recently converted here.  I never thought I’d be a Mom to travel with a DVD player until I actually did so.  One could argue that most long haul flights now offer personal in-flight entertainment systems.  But I cannot tell you how often they have not worked or have just offered the choice between “Yes, Man” and “Nights in Rodanthe” for 8 whole hours.  The DVD is a godsend.  Embrace it and worry about whether you are a Bad Mommy after you land.

5.  Something new
Go out and stock up on new books, activities and small toys before a trip.  The novelty will give you at least 10 minutes of whine-free time – with the right Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Activity Book, I even once was able to read an entire chapter of my book before Chet started whinging.  And that’s money well spent in my book.

Did we miss anything else?  We’d love to hear what you think you should never skimp on while traveling with kids.  It may save our next trip!

Baby on a plane photo courtesy of César Rincón.

June 15th, 2009 | by Kayt Sukel 15 comments