I must admit, packing is my least favorite part of travel. The fact is that packing the right items makes all the difference in world when traveling with kids. Condé Nast Traveler asked me to be on a panel of family travel experts offering tips and advice on various topics, starting with the all-important and unavoidable art of packing.

I’m in great company on this panel — all of the contributors selected have logged miles and miles with children of all ages. Check out our family travel packing tips.

The children and sightseeing combo is a tricky one to get right. To enjoy a tourist attraction kids need to be impressed … and kids are hard to impress. What’s more, if they’re not enjoying the experience they will make sure that no one within ten feet is either.

As the children of a travel writer, my kids are experienced city breakers and by trial and error we’ve worked out a formula that keeps everyone happy ‘most’ of the time.

At Ciao Bambino, we’re always on the lookout for travel gifts for children, especially those that introduce them to new places and cultures. We’re big fans of using kids’ travel books to prepare kids for their next travel adventure and that’s why the newly released My Very Own World Adventure by I See Me! personalized books is so interesting.

Need summer travel inspiration? Look no further … I got together with fellow luxury travel experts Poshbrood and Luxury Travel Mom and put together a list of worldwide luxury family travel favorites for summer 2013.

From Africa to Hawaii to Paris to Cape Cod, our list offers something for every age and interest, and lets families be as laid back or as active as they want!

Spring break is around the corner and some of us, including me, don’t have plans in place yet. It’s an interesting period for travel in North America as a beach holiday and a family ski vacation are both still possibilities. Meanwhile, airfares to Europe can be less than during the packed summer season making that international journey more affordable. You give up weather …

Preferred Hotel Group, a premier marketing association of independent hotels, has proven that they understand that families need customized information when planning vacations. Gone are the days when stating a hotel is family-friendly and not explaining why or how is enough online.

In response to a call for more and better information, Preferred Hotel Group launched PreferredFamily.com, a dedicated site for families where they can discover Preferred Family Certified Hotels in a single, robust website full of invaluable tips and information.

I have a love-hate relationship with kitchens on vacation. Although access can dramatically reduce trip costs, not to mention is more relaxing than restaurants with young kids, figuring out what you are able to cook in an unfamiliar place can be a real chore.

Good news, there’s a new family-friendly cookbook out by Bay Area-based chef Amanda Haas, Cooking Light Real Family Food, that takes the sting out the entire family vacation meal planning process.

Have baby will travel.

Why does this statement sound controversial? Most of the new parents I meet put their more adventurous travel plans on hold as soon as they start a family. I don’t get it.

Okay, I wouldn’t take my kids in to a Malaria zone or somewhere that required them to have extra immunizations, but I want my little people to see the world and learn from it as early as possible.

Is your family thinking about traveling to Europe? As an industry insider, there are several things it would be helpful for you to know. Here are things that all families should be aware of when renting a car in Europe.

One Way Fees

Watch out for “one way” fees. When you pick up your car in one country and drop it off in another, you will pay a one way fee. Sometimes the fees are charged within the same country, but not always.

Rick Seaney is the CEO of the airfare news, research, and tracking resource FareCompare. This website is always my first stop before booking tickets as it provides instant price and route information through multiple channels at once to easily compare and contrast options.

Rick is an incredible source of industry information and insight. I interviewed him earlier this week for his take on the important airline industry happenings that will impact family travel in 2012.