Travel Options for Military Families

Military families must adapt to much traveling so why not enjoy it? When being transferred Uncle Sam foots the bill but you can usually choose by which manner you’ll reach your destination. Many families opt to fly to their next transfer and that’s perfect for overseas stations but when being transferred from one state to another in America it can be a lot of fun to drive. Make a vacation out of the transfer by bringing along your family, if possible, and visiting some of the United States’ most impressive attractions.

Get out a map and plot the course of travel by marking famous tourist attractions along the way. Although the government won’t pay the expenses for entrance fees and souvenirs, they will pay for the gas and some other expenses. Call ahead or go online to find out prices and hours of business. Online map makers are very handy for giving you exact directions to each location and on to the next.

Some sites might be slightly out of the way so plan an itinerary that won’t take you too far off course. Keep in mind that some smaller attractions may not be listed on your map or atlas so you may want to consider online resources for finding these site-seeing delights. Try typing in “attractions” or “tourist” plus the name of the town into the search engine. Also try “most visited attractions”, “site-seeing” plus the town name, or “famous American tourist attractions”. Another suggestion is to use the road number in the search engine, such as “things to see on I-95”. Visit the Chambers of Commerce online for each town to find out what the city has to offer.

It’s a little difficult to figure how much time to allow for each attraction. Obviously, a large place, such as a theme park, will take more time than a quick-view type of attraction. Figure the hours for each day of travel depending upon how much time you’ve been allowed for the transfer. Allot plenty of time for kids to unwind at night and be sure and allow a day or two of rest before having to report for work.