Essential Items to pack for Long Car Journeys After four long family road trips, each totaling between 2500 and 3300 miles, we put together this list of essential items that we now never leave home without…
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The Ultimate Family Nature Trail, BC
The Ultimate Family Nature Trail, British Columbia British Columbia is a great place to track down all the kids’ favourite animals By JW Patrick Like most children, our three-year-old has the entire animal kingdom ranked in order of preference – with his premier league comprising mostly the scary ones with really big pointy teeth. Current title-holder is the Grizzly Bear, ever since he heard about one rudely interrupting his uncle’s fishing trip in British Columbia. The arrival of Wuncle David’s baby provided the perfect opportunity to combine a family visit…
Read MoreFlying Cheap with Kids
Pack the kids enough food, water and a couple of plastic bags and they’ll be just fine. This method of inexpensive family travel is only suitable for children under 20kg obviously. After that you’ll have to pay baggage surcharges.
Read MoreTop 10 Tips for Long Car Journeys with Kids.
Are we nearly there yet? In the last 5 years my family has undertaken three epic family road trips around Europe (from Scotland to Portugal, and from Scotland to Croatia twice). 1) Treat the car journey as the start of your holiday. The key to a successful long car journey with kids is to think of it as the start of your holiday and make sure you all enjoy it. This is a chance to spend family time together, to talk, to share each other’s time, ideas, music etc. (Our book, the Family…
Read MoreCornish Pasties vs. Bridies
When my Scottish grandparents spent a weekend in Cornwall they naturally had to sample the local specialty. But when the waitress turned up with the Cornish Pasties my grandfather said, “Ooh, they look like Bridies.” “They are not!” snapped the angry waitress, “they were made fresh today!” [Bridies are a Scottish Meat-filled pastry!] and they look a bit like Pasties.
Read MoreA Weekend Break in Belfast
A favourite family weekend in Belfast Belfast may not be the first destination on your list of potential family breaks but it’s well worth consideration. Despite a cold wet January weekend, our family had a fantastic time and one of our favourite ever family weekends away.
Read MoreA Canadian Guilt Trip
Travelling to Canada? Don’t forget to pack your hair shirt and handy travel whip. Because no matter how low-impact you intend your visit to be you’ll still be made to feel guilty. “Take nothing but photos and leave nothing but footprints” isn’t enough for Canadians who would prefer their signs to read: “Take nothing but photos, leave nothing but footprints and flail yourself in penance for the damage wrought by the footpath you are standing on and the road that brought you here.”
Read MoreThinking of driving in Italy?
Here are a few helpful pointers to improve your driving experience in Italy: 1. If you are a man, never drive in the slow lane. It is demeaning. No Italian man willingly remains in the slow lane. Any Italian man forced to drive in the slow lane, such as a truck driver, will keep two of his wheels at all times touching the white line of the fast lane and will veer across the white line at regular intervals, particularly if they think you are about to overtake them.
Read MoreHilton Coylumbridge, Aviemore
Hilton Coylumbridge, Aviemore Our Family Opinion Aviemore has a long-held reputation as a family-friendly destination. My own family used to visit regularly but it has been nearly thirty years since I last stayed at Coylumbridge Hotel. Returning with our own young kids brought back a flood of happy memories. (Though I was a little disappointed to discover that they no longer had one of those original table-top space invader games in the bar). There’s just something special about Aviemore surrounded by snow-capped mountains that combines a wonderful feeling of getting…
Read MoreTaychreggan, Oban
Stunning lochside country hotel on the banks of Loch Awe Perhaps best visited without the kids…..but children are very welcome! This hotel is a former winner of “Most Romantic Hotel”, Taychreggan Hotel is a stunning haven of peace nestling in its own bay on the shores of glorious Loch Awe. The hotel lies at the end of a seven mile single track lane where you find yourself pausing to give way to fearless Red Deer in no hurry to get where they’re going. Then, as you order your glass of wine…
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