Vicki Lansky shares her own personal ideas, and the experiences of other parents, on how to best plan for and enjoy a trip. She covers travel by car (car seat blues), plane, train — for home and abroad — from newborn to school age. There are tips for food to bring along, games enroute, airplane planning, camping and more.

excerpted from the book:

Handling Airport Security

• Be sure to allow the extra time needed at airports to get through today's strict security.

• Check your luggage curbside so you have less to handle once in the airport. You can also send luggage ahead by special handling services, Fed Ex or the like.

• Discuss this process with your children, so they know what to expect. Their backpacks and favorite plush toy will go into a machine but it WILL come out the other end. Explain that the guards are there to help them and make sure they have a safe trip.

• Leave toys at home that may be mistaken for weapons. Check to see what your 9-12 year old packs. For example, craft scissors with pointed ends will be confiscated.

• Collapse any child-related equipment (strollers, backpacks, carriers) to go through the X-ray machine. Keep in mind that if it doesn't fold, it wll be manually examined. Regardless, the child must be removed from any carrier, even a sling.