Cheapflights.com's Top Family Destinations

BOSTON, MA--(Marketwire - May 11, 2011) - As families flock to Walt Disney World in droves this summer, Cheapflights.com, the online leader in finding and publishing travel deals, suggests skipping the long lines and Mickey Mouse ears and opt instead for a less exhausting, and less expensive, family retreat. To help with planning your summer holidays, Cheapflights.com has put together a list of Top 10 Family Destinations spanning the globe. To ease some of the stress of traveling with kids, Cheapflights.com has enlisted family travel guru Eileen Ogintz to offer some insider Tips On Smarter and Saner Summer Travel.

"Traveling with kids is just like raising them -- messy, aggravating, expensive, and far more wonderful than you could ever have imagined," says Eileen Ogintz, syndicated columnist and creator of takingthekids.com. "Believe me, I know. I've been traveling with my three kids and gaggles of others for the past two decades. From the Grand Canyon to cruises; from Rome to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania to sailing in Tahiti, I've talked to other traveling families along the way, even as we hiked up Kilimanjaro."

Here are some of the key tips Ogintz recommends when traveling with kids:

1. Make sure to check the kids' backpacks before going through security.
2. Purchase a seat for your baby so that you can use your car safety seat on board, as the FAA recommends. Young children are far safer restrained in turbulent skies.
3. Invest in travel insurance.
4. Be prepared for long flights with everything from Band-Aids, snacks, batteries and reusable water bottles.
5. And, wherever you are going, let the kids lead the way. When each child has a say in the itinerary, they'll not only be more cooperative but are guaranteed to lead you to places and experiences you would otherwise have missed.

To read further details on Eileen Ogintz's Tips On How To Travel Smarter and Saner This Summer, visit http://news.cheapflights.com/2011/05/traveling-with-kids-tips-for-smarter-and-saner-summer-travel/. Additional tips on traveling with kids are also available in Cheapflights.com's How To Travel with Kids guide.

Now that you have the tools to plan a stress-free holiday with kids, consider one of Cheapflights.com's Top 10 Family Destinations. Here are five closer to home child-friendly hotspots worth checking out with the kids this summer:

• Lake Powell, Utah, USA - Straddling Utah and Arizona, Lake Powell is the second largest man-made lake in North America. If you're traveling with a larger bunch, consider chartering a houseboat to tour the massive body of water and the surrounding, awe-inspiring Glen Canyon. Houseboats sleep up to 12 -- a fine option if you want to include grandparents or friends in your family adventures. Search and compare cheap flights to Las Vegas (closest airport).

• Whistler, British Columbia, Canada - Even when the snow has melted and slopes turned green, Whistler is an absolute blast for families. The outdoor activities are endless at this Pacific Northwest tourist down during June, July and August. Fly into Vancouver for a day of downtown sights before driving two hours north to mountain climb, horseback ride, zip line and hike. Search and compare cheap flights to Vancouver.

• Washington, D.C., USA - Bring your walking shoes to America's capital for an inexpensive trip this summer. Channel the Yankee in you at the National Mall, a two-mile stretch of memorials and monuments in the heart of D.C. Before it's too hot, take your kids and camera to outdoor must-sees like the White House, Washington Monument, and the Lincoln Memorial and Reflecting Pool. Then head indoors to the Natural History Museum, Air and Space Museum, and Smithsonian -- admission is free to them all. Search and compare cheap flights to Washington.

• Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, USA - Williamsburg is like a real-life history class for your kids -- only fun. The entire town is themed in 18th Century garb, from red jacketed townspeople to colonial courthouses. Lose yourself in the revolution as men fly by on horseback and Virginian women tend to their gardens. Then bring yourself back to the future at Busch Gardens, where riding roller coasters is trumped only by Jack Hanna's wildlife reserve. Search and compare cheap flights to Williamsburg.

• Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada - Finally see what all the fuss is about this summer at Niagara Falls. Ensure everyone in the family has their sea legs on before boarding the Maid of the Mist, a boat that takes visitors to the foot of the falls for an all-but-too-close perspective of the North American water wonder. Once the kids tire of the overflow, head to Clifton Hill amusement park or the butterfly conservatory in the Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens for hands-on entertainment. Search and compare cheap flights to Niagara Falls or cheap flights to Toronto.

Looking to take the kids on an overseas adventure? Then check out the next five destinations to make Cheapflights.com's list of Top 10 Family Destinations, which include: Ireland; Cinque Terre, Italy; Sydney, Australia; Barcelona, Spain; and Interlaken, Switzerland. To read the complete list, visit http://news.cheapflights.com/2011/05/top-10-family-destinations/. Or, for more inspiration on where to go with the family, visit http://www.cheapflights.com/inspiration/.

About Cheapflights Media
Cheapflights Media is an international media network providing users with different ways to find low cost travel. Since 1996, Cheapflights Media has been helping consumers research, compare and save on domestic and international travel. Our flagship brand, Cheapflights, is one of the largest flight deals publishers, delivering over 4 million deals daily. With brand-name deals on airline tickets from more than 300 partners and 600 airlines and a team of travel experts hand picking the best offerings, Cheapflights offers visitors a mix of deals they can't find anywhere else. There are currently Cheapflights sites in the U.K., U.S., Canada, Germany, Australia & New Zealand, France, Italy and Spain. For more information, visit www.cheapflights.com/.