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Things to do in Brighton with teens. Visit Palace Pier

5 Things to do in Brighton on a family weekend with Teenagers

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often called London on Sea, Brighton in East Sussex on the south coast of England has also been voted one of the best city with beach destinations in the world. Whatever the weather there’s plenty to do on a family trip to Brighton from funfair games on the pier to beach and water sports, cycling, shopping or exploring its beautiful Regency squares and Pavilion. Brighton is a cool enough city to satisfy teenage visitors too. Read on for Tara’s tips for things to do in Brighton with teens. Read more

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Family Adventures

Top interrailing tips for teenagers planning a summer trip to Europe without parents

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When school exams are over many UK teens plan a summer trip with friends around Europe using an interrail train pass. It’s often their first holiday without family and is a great opportunity to explore before going to university or starting work. Here are our top tips for families whose teens will be interrailing this summer from how to plan your route, the pros and cons of interrail seat reservations and the best backpacks for interrail. Read more

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City Guides

6 essential things to do in Dubrovnik in June

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The historic walled seaside city of Dubrovnik in Croatia has been renowned for centuries for its beauty. Most recently, thanks to Game of Thrones, it has a new kind of fame as a TV star, making it even more busy in peak months and a favourite port of call for cruise ships. But we discoveredContinue

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  • London’s weather - and politics - may be a little unsettled today but the Queen was on the balcony at Buckingham Palace and there were Spitfires and Red Arrows in the sky above. The 100 aircraft flypast celebrated the history and centenary of the Royal Air Force whilst the breathtaking formation flying demonstrated their tremendous skill, nerve and dedication. Crowds applauded the little WW2 Spitfires and excited young air cadets in front of me helpfully identified the planes as they flew over. Tens of thousands of people gathered around the Palace and then dispersed again seemingly effortlessly (though undoubtedly a lot of effort had been made by the calm police presence). London doing pageantry brilliantly. #familytravel #RAF100 #visitlondon . . . . .
  • A stunning shot of the Szechenyi chain bridge spanning the river Danube in Budapest 📷 by Lucas Davies on Unsplash. Budapest is a well-loved stop on the European interrail trail - a rite of passage for many UK teens. Right now, in households all over the country, teenagers will be joyously saying farewell to school and looking forward to European adventures with an Interrail train pass and a bunch of friends. Understandably this can make parents a little apprehensive! Both my boys have been interrailing and on the blog this week, Ed has some top tips for teens - and their parents! - who are looking forward to their first big summer trip without the family in tow. For more on best bags to take, route planning and - super important! - seat reservations, the link is in the bio ⬆️ #familytravel #interrailing #Budapest #Hungary . . . . .
  • A fairytale world of towers and turrets, full of architectural surprises, Strawberry Hill House in Twickenham, south west London, is a Gothic Revival masterpiece. Created in the eighteenth century by man of letters Horace Walpole it was his summer villa, a two hour drive from London. It’s quicker to get there nowadays though, just 20 minutes by train from London Waterloo. Walpole created a fantasy ancestral castle at Strawberry Hill, and used it as inspiration for his gothic novel - the first of its kind - The Castle of Otranto. Today visitors can explore the wonderfully decorative rooms then settle outside the garden cafe for scones, clotted cream and, of course, strawberry jam. Check www.strawberryhillhouse.org.uk for info on the annual Music and Fun Day, 29 July. @strawbhillhouse #Twickenham #londonhouses #familytravel . . . . .
  • How about a day at the seaside! Brilliant Brighton on the south coast is just an hour from London and combines traditional beachfront fun with a sophisticated twist. In fact it’s been voted one of the top 10 cities with beaches in the world. It’s a treasure trove for teens with heaps of vintage shopping, Instagram opps, bikes to hire and zipwires on the prom as well as trad seaside rides and arcades on the pier. Lots of thanks to lovely Tara from @the_three_stuarts for this beautiful shot of Palace Pier. Tara kindly reported back after a weekend in Brighton plus teenagers. Her excellent tips on where to go and what to do are up on the blog, link in profile ⬆️. They include a great place for breakfast and an absolute gem of a hotel! Have you been to Brighton with family? If so what are your favourite places? #familytravel #travelwithteens #brightonpier #visitbrighton
  • Waves lash and boom against the cliffs at Boca do Inferno, the Mouth of Hell, seen here from the cycle path on the Atlantic coast road north of Cascais, Portugal. Collect a round of hotdogs from the vintage yellow van parked up nearby and take a few minutes to refuel and soak up the views before pedalling on to Guincho beach, a great place to spot pro surfers. Bikes for this expedition can be hired for free in Cascais and the round trip is approx 10k. Calmer sands for family swimming can also be found in Cascais which is just 30 minutes away from the vibrant seaside city of Lisbon. Read more about Lisbon as a great location for family holidays: on the blog, link in profile ⬆️ #familytravel #lisbon #cascais #visitportugal . . . . .
  • Here’s a leafy and unmistakably Italian view - of Rome from Gianicolo Hill. It isn’t actually one of the famous seven hills of Rome because it’s on the other side of the Tiber - but it does give spectacular views of the city. And they are free! No queuing, no entrance fees, you can even catch a bus to the top if you’d rather not walk up from the Vatican. And after absorbing the panorama and spotting every ancient landmark you can stroll downhill into Trastevere for lunch. I’ve been updating a post on the blog about our trip to Rome when the boys were a bit younger. It occurred to me that Gianicolo is under-publicised - it really is one of the best views of Rome. Oh and as a bonus a cannon is fired up there at noon each day! More on the blog, link in profile ⬆️ #familytravel #Rome #visititaly . . . . .
  • Isn’t this beautiful? A peaceful saltwater lake, surrounded by lush Mediterranean vegetation. There’s an islet in the middle of this lake with a Benedictine monastery that dates from the 12th century. It’s said that the monks could toss fishing lines out of their windows into the water! The lake is on the island of Mljet, just a ferry ride away from Dubrovnik. The Illyrians settled here first, followed by Greeks and Romans and, according to legend, Odysseus and the nymph Calypso. It’s a famously lovely place with wine, olives, goat’s cheese and honey as well as its clear waters and stunning views. June is a great time to visit Dubrovnik and the Dalmatian coastline of Croatia, we’ve a post on the blog with more info - link in profile. #familytravel #mljet #croatiafulloflife #lovedubrovnik . . . .

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