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Start your trip planning engines (courtesy fotologic)

You know, Moms and Dads, the days are over for just gallivanting off on a trip.

I mean, you could throw the baby or kid into the car and head out, and you might have a pretty good time, but I have to say, you need to do a little planning if you want some sanity in your family travels. You don't want to be a travel rookie forever.

Let me help. 

I've survived thousands of miles road-tripping across the American South, across France and through theme parks in Germany.  My daughter has flown to meet me in Hong Kong and Tokyo.

There is literally a method to my madness, and here it is:

1)  Learn everything you can about your destination.  Attack the library first; there's great stuff there, and it's free!  Then look through Web sites like TripAdvisor -- their Overview page for a destination has links to guidebooks like Frommers and Fodors.  Google the name of a destination and "tourist" or "cvb" for Convention and Visitor's Bureau for an official local government site.  

2)  Once you have a good sense of which destinations are covered well online and which ones might cause you to wish that you had some info in your back pocket, then head to the bookstore and lay out the cash for the most recent guidebook. 

Different guidebooks are, well, different.   Find a series that fits your style and your family. We like Frommers and some of the DK  guides.  I also like Time Out  for cities, if available.

3)  Involve the kids in trip planning by having them scroll through your guidebook, and ask them for their "must-sees."   Confirm whether there any days when the must-see is closed, closes early, stays open late, you'll get to it on a Sunday or holiday, or a day when the entrance fee is reduced or waived. That will be important in Step 5.

4)  Have a map laid out in front of you. Online options like MapQuest and GoogleMaps are great for finding addresses, but to get the big picture of a city layout or a road trip route, you really need a paper map. Buy one at the bookstore or go to AAA if you're a member.  I don't find their guidebooks all that useful anymore, but the map service is great. 

5)  Plan out each day.  I take one piece of blank paper for each day of our trip, and lay out arrival/departure times if flying or taking trains or proposed routes/destinations if it's a road trip.  Allow time for meals (I always forget to do this and then we all go psycho from hunger) and naps for very young children.  Suddenly you'll see that some options won't be available because you'll be there on a Sunday, or you've planned to do something during nap time, or you'll be at XYZ place on Tuesday, the one day it is closed. Adjust accordingly.

If you are laying out a road trip, know your family's limits. For us, an "easy" day is 3-6 hours of driving. A long day is 8 hours.  How much distance can you cover each day and where are you heading? Mountains, rush hour and speed-controlled Parkways like the Natchez Trace will slow you down. So will potty breaks and stops to handle "I'm thirsty/hungry!"

 6)  For the icing on the planning cake, see if there are any cool restaurants or hotels that might be worthy of a stop.  The Jane and Michael Stern book/Web site Roadfood is a classic.  The National Trust's Historic Hotels of America may have something interesting.  Check the National Park Service for outdoors discoveries.

If you want to get really snazzy, put together a road trip CD; this list can get you started.

Now you're an itinerary guru -- welcome to organizational Nirvana.