If your mother -- or father -- is older and not an experienced traveler, you might want to:

• Book a direct flight for her. The flight we booked was originally a direct flight, then we got a notice it was not. I called the airline, explained the situation, and the agent readily re-booked her on a different flight, which left an hour earlier but would not have any plane changes.

• Plan to meet your parent at the destination airport. Finding ground transportation (not to mention luggage) can be a bit intimidating to someone who doesn't travel much. Staff at our hotel was happy to arrange for its van to take us to the airport to meet Mom.

• Consider the parent's physical abilities before planning day trips. My mom can rake leaves in the yard all day, but a full day of hopping off and on a bus and walking around historic sites was a bit too much for her. She and my sister booked some shore excursions that were less strenuous than the ones my husband and I took. You don't have to spend every minute together -- and it gives you something new to talk about at dinner.

• Plan your mother's return flight home so that you can go to the airport together, get her to her gate (if not actually on her flight), then catch your own flight home. That way, you won't get a midnight call from a sibling asking, ``Where's Mom? She wasn't on her flight!''