Map & Family

A Family Travel Resource

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  • London really suits all the blue sky we’ve had this summer so it’s the perfect time to be checking out its best viewpoints. Up on the blog is a new Save or Splurge guide to the best sky high city views. Which is your favourite? Is it the London Eye, the bird’s eye view at The Shard or the free and leafy terrace in the Sky Garden? Or maybe it’s world famous Tower Bridge, with it’s Thames river views and aerial glass floor bonus? We’ve tried most of them over the years and - as you’ll see on the blog - in very variable weather ☀️☁️ 🙄. Read on for our top picks and don’t forget your trainers 👟 - a couple of London’s properly old viewpoints don’t have lifts. Link in profile ⬆️ #towerbridge #visitLondon #familytravel . . . . .
  • Is it time for tea? This is Abinger Hammer, a little Surrey village set beside a stream. Idyllically, on sunny summer weekends, village cricket is played on the green whilst picnickers watch and children paddle in the shallows, searching for trout. Jack the Blacksmith strikes the hour on the village clock - if I’d been doing my job properly I’d have posted that moment on Stories but I went for a cuppa with the cricketers instead. Anyway, less than an hour by car from London this is just one of a string of ridiculously pretty Surrey villages, resplendent with picturesque cottages and tea rooms, cosy pubs, woodland walks and local museums. Worth an outing on a slow summer’s day even if your son isn’t playing cricket. 🏏 #familytravel #Surreyhills #visitBritain . . . . .
  • There’s some amazing architecture in railway stations. Will our teens ponder this as they catch trains from platforms across Europe on their interrail adventures this summer? I guess they might as a last resort if they’ve run out of charge. But to avoid such an awful eventuality we’ve drawn up the ultimate interrail packing list. It includes our tried and trusted power packs, travel speakers, chargers and other 21st century essentials for every teen traveller who’s left their parents at home and hopped on a train. It’s a pretty handy checklist for all family holiday packers too. Link is in the profile ⬆️ #familytravel #interrailing #packinglist . . . . .
  • 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

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