Bangkok, Thailand is a popular place to visit for all walks of life. Surprisingly, the city has more to offer families with children then one would assume on first look.

An early afternoon arrival in the hot, humid air of Bangkok leaves one to wonder what to do first? Taking the Skytrain in search of shopping and dinner is not a bad idea. Large modern malls are seen throughout the city, including the Siam Paragon, which is close to the Ratchathewi and Siam Skytrain stations. The Paragon houses numerous international chains, with the Siam Ocean World in its basement.

The Siam Ocean World is a pleasant surprise for those with children. It is the largest aquarium in Southeast Asia and includes an impressive seven zones of wonder. An underwater walkway allows visitors to observe numerous fish, including sharks and rays, swimming around a huge tank. A glass bottom boat ride is just one of the activities available that everyone will enjoy. The boat ride is quick, however, it is entertaining as visitors are allowed to feed the fish as well. Entrance fees are not cheap at 850 Baht ($26 USD) for adults and 650 Baht ($20 USD) for children, but it is worth the price.

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When you hear the words “family vacation”, does the image of Clark Griswold, the family truxter station wagon, and a series of misfortunate events come to mind?

Of course, I am referring to the movie “Vacation” starring Chevy Chase from the 1980s.

Many of us have had family vacation experiences similar to the Griswold family: stuck in a car for days with that annoying brother or sister, coolers full of bologna sandwiches, and grandma complaining about your loud music from the backseat. The days of the Griswold vacation are long gone.

The new term is multigenerational travel, and it is one of the fastest growing segments in the travel industry.

Imagine grandparents, parents, children and grandchildren all traveling together and experiencing amazing destinations throughout the world.

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Families can explore the Tuscan countryside on horseback on a new holiday available through web-based Tour Dust.

Suitable for all riding abilities, the week-long trip includes four half-day rides along gentle forest trails, taking in the medieval hamlet of Castelfalfi, the castle at Tonda and the natural springs of Bagni di Mommialla.

Accommodation is on a farm near Montaione with swimming pool, tennis courts and mountain bike hire.

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Switzerland Family Travel is full of fun group attractions. Families and friends are sure to enjoy the activities that Switzerland has to offer.

Museum of Natural History

Geneva is home to the largest Museum of Natural History in Switzerland. This family attraction houses over 80 species of mammals and almost 200 exotic birds. Children will especially love the dinosaur exhibits in which actual skeletons are on display. Other exhibits include an exploration of the history of world, minerals and the geology of Switzerland. The dioramas of the Arctic and Antarctic are also quite interesting. A cafe is on-site, and be sure to stop by the gift shop for an unique souvenir. The Museum of Natural History is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Admission to the museum is free.

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You probably don’t need me to tell you that there’s a global recession at the moment. People all over the world are feeling the pinch and the travel industry is suffering because we all have less money to spend these days on luxuries like travel.

But not being able to afford it doesn’t stop people from wanting to travel. Apart from general happiness, I think dreaming of travel, visiting new places and seeing new things is probably one of the most universal life goals.

Travel is also one of the most popular search engine terms and the more we see of the world on TV and read about in books, or on the Internet, the more we want to explore planet earth ourselves.

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Once upon a time, planning travel meant booking overnight trains from Venice to Paris. My husband and I tramped through cathedrals. We hiked to desolate beaches. And if we got tired, we’d just hole up in a fancy hotel and run up a room-service tab. It was a grown-up world. It was good. And it never strayed from its first commandment: Thou Shalt Not Be Bored.

Then came kids.

When you’re traveling with people who are prone to weeping if the restaurant doesn’t have the right kind of chicken nuggets, it tends to knock a little of the charm off of those Parisian bistros.

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There is no dearth of campgrounds across America. The craze for camping out has only grown over the last two years with both fitness and New Age gurus speaking emphatically about the importance of spending time with Nature. Going from your workplace and home air-conditioning to hotel-room air-conditioning can never match the experience of spending your holidays beneath a star-studded sky.

If you are a first-time camper do look for a location near your home. This is more for security reasons as, in case of a problem, help will be more easily accessible. Even otherwise, whether you’re camping out alone, with family or friends, check on the security measures at a campground. This should be your first priority even before you decided on a camping holiday.

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Myrtle Beach has a reputation as a family beach — a workingman’s destination where a week of sun and fun with the kids won’t break the bank. In a time of layoffs, high unemployment and recession, that makes the Grand Strand — the 60 miles of shoreline from Georgetown, S.C. to the North Carolina state line — especially attractive.

The area offers a bit of everything: weathered beach bungalows at Pawleys Island and mom-and-pop hotels amid pricier high-rise condos in Myrtle Beach; amusement parks where you pay by the ride; and golf challenges ranging from tilting at mini-golf windmills to making the green on windswept layouts winding through stands of oak. But the main attraction is, and always has been, the beach.

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I meet with PR folks all the time in my office, in town to share their news and happenings. Rarely do I get as unabashedly excited as I did yesterday, talking to the team behind LuxuryLink.com about their latest site: FamilyGetaway.com.

Despite the obvious disconnect between Budget Travel and the name of the parent company, LuxuryLink is very much in our world. We covered the discount vacation auction site in our October 2009 issue; at a time when discounting came into vogue, LuxuryLink saw a 91 percent jump in its number of listings in second quarter ‘09, compared to the same period the year before. Clearly, the 13-year-old company is on to something.

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Increased airport security measures are good news for airline safety, however, some parents are concerned the tightened security will be an added inconvenience when traveling with kids.  To help anxious parents, Family Vacation Critic™ (http://www.familyvacationcritic.com)  – the family travel site featuring reviews of family-friendly hotels, resorts and destinations — has created an airport survival guide for those planning to brave the increased airport security and fly with kids in tow.

Included below are ten stress-reducing tips for navigating an airport with kids:

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