Alone, With Kids

When you're the only adult on a trip, here's how to make the experience easier on everyone

My summer-vacation nightmare: I'm seven months pregnant, trapped on a long-distance train with my two little girls and too little air-conditioning. My husband can't join us, so I'm the girls' sole protector and supplier of food, drinks and entertainment. For eight hours straight, I'm too worried about a kidnapping at one of the train's many stops even to go to the bathroom by myself or doze off for a bit.

This really happened to me a few years ago, but since then I've learned that there are smarter ways to travel solo with children.

1. Forget spontaneity. Had I planned ahead,...

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