Map & Family

A Family Travel Resource

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

Antipaxos Beach Days on a Paxos villa holiday with family and friends

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If you’re staying on the Ionian island of Paxos in Greece then a day trip to Antipaxos is a must.  This tiny and secluded island has sheltered bays with crystalline turquoise waters and lovely tavernas for lunch too.  We caught a shuttle boat from Gaios to Antipaxos with friends to check out the beautiful Antipaxos beaches. Read more

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  • This is lovely Turin in northern Italy. A friend spent a few days there with her family on a road trip to the Italian lakes and says it was a bit of a revelation. Elegant architecture, beautiful wide streets, grand arcades of shops, historic cafes and airy piazzas. The landmark here is the Mole Antonelliana, now home to a cinema museum, restaurant and a viewing platform (with a glass lift!). There’s a post about this family summer trip with teens around the Lakes, including Turin, up on the blog, link in profile ⬆️ #familytravel #travelwithteens #turinitaly #moleantonelliana . . . . .
  • When the volcano Vesuvius obliterated the Roman town of Pompeii, Italy in 79 AD under dense layers of ash it became frozen in time. Now 2000 years later visitors can see the roads, shops, bakeries, bath houses and the interior decor trends of the poshest establishments. There’s graffiti on street walls, astonishing mosaics plus some unexpectedly explicit art! Check out the blog, link in profile⬆️, for tips on whether or not to take a guided tour and our own highlights of a half day visit in September. #familytravel #travelwithteens #pompeii #visitnaples #campania . . . . .
  • An unexpected warning to find in Central London, but these immaculate turned out mounted sentries traditionally stand guard at the entrance to Horse Guards on Whitehall. Look out for them in my latest blog post too, it has 105 ideas and inspiration for things to do and see in London with teens. My boys have grown up here, embedded in London life, from posing as toddlers with grandma and a guardsman on Whitehall to football matches at Wembley. They’ve made some great suggestions for the post and it’s been a lot of fun to put together. Give it a read and let me know if I’ve missed out any of your favourites? Link in profile ⬆️. The sentry in the picture is a mounted trooper of the Household Cavalry. They’re all active infantry soldiers who also take on these ceremonial duties, ultra patient too given the constant stream of onlookers. By the way, you can watch the Changing the Life Guard ceremony at Horse Guards Parade - it’s less busy than the Buckingham Palace guard change! 🇬🇧 #familytravel #travelwithteens #horseguardsparade #londonbylondoners . . . . .
  • Happy New Year everyone 🎉! I’m playing the best 9 game today to see which locations were most popular in this feed in 2018. From the top left to right it is: pretty Procida; white sands in Belize; a turquoise sea view on Antipaxos; the Roman market beneath the streets of Naples, Italy; a classic canal view in Amsterdam; London Bridge on a blue sky day; a lovely perch to catch the sun in Sorrento; peaceful La Gomera in the Canaries and Florence - Italy once again! I hope it’s helped with some inspo and ideas and wish you all lots of fun and travels in 2019. Huge thanks for all your likes, comments and support! 😀😘💐 #familytravel #happynewyear2019 #familytravelblog . . . . .
  • Merry Christmas everyone, Santa’s already on his way, revving across the oceans on his annual 510,000,000km round the world sleigh ride🎅🏼. You can follow his progress on the NORAD tracker at www.noradsanta.org. And perhaps get some inspo for next year’s family travel? 🎄🎉🎁. #christmaseve #familytravel #christmasholidays . . . . .
  • We’re celebrating Winter in London up on the blog this week with ideas for family outings, with and without teens. So ignore the grey, damp weather and think of scheduling yourselves a cosy night at the theatre (which needn’t cost a fortune) or a riverside walk with a pub lunch. A museum visit with a side of ice-skating - and hot choc - is a school hols treat and you can skate at the Natural History Museum (in the pic here) til January 20. We’ve been gift hunting too in luxe and traditional Piccadilly where the twinkly Christmas decorations are as good as the treats on offer. Link in profile ⬆️ to read more ideas. What’s your favourite place to go in London in winter? #familytravel #nhmicerink @NHM_IceRink #londonbylondoners . . . . .
  • Dreaming of a Christmas tree like this beauty at Kew Gardens 😉. There might still be a few tickets left for this year’s colour-drenched Christmas at Kew light trail - swipe for more pics. A twinkling pathway winds through the woods and gardens between light displays and laser beams - all set to music. Plenty of opportunities to stop for snacks, toast marshmallows in a brazier or warm your fingers on a cup of hot choc or spiced cider. Father Christmas makes an appearance and there’s an old fashioned fairground too. It’s a magical time of year! #ChristmasatKew @kewgardens #daysoutinLondon #familytravel . . . . .

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