Map & Family

A Family Travel Resource

What to pack for a family camping trip: your essential printable checklist

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Schools are back, the mornings are chillier but that needn’t mean holidays are over. Autumn can be a lovely time of year for a family camping trip.  Weekends away in the country, scrunching through leaves on woodland walks or catching a glowing sunset at the seaside are a brilliant antidote to term time stress. Here’s the ultimate family camping checklist to help you pack. Read more

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  • This is is the pretty and hardworking fishing harbour of lovely Monopoli. It’s an ancient coastal town in Puglia, set in the high heel of the ‘boot’ of southern Italy. Just a quick walk away from the harbour, through the paved and flower-hung alleyways of Monopoli’s old town is a beach beneath the castle walls. We stayed there in September to sunbathe on the rocks and swim in the warm, clear waters. Actually we ate a lot too! Monopoli’s speciality is fish, not surprisingly, and the restaurants are good. Choose from a chic, modern establishment or a trad trattoria - we had great meals everywhere. I love how Italy respects its old towns and protects the historic centres from modern intrusions whilst the cities can expand around them. I’ll be writing about our trip soon but I want to go back to explore some more! #monopoli #ilikeitaly #familytravel . . . . .
  • Just planning a little trip back to Greece this autumn and remembering the pretty bay of Lakka on Paxos. The Ionian sea 🌊 is so incredibly blue that in case you think I’m spending too much time in Photoshop I’ve just googled to find out why! A lack of sea algae is one explanation - or maybe it’s just that the sun shines a lot. Either way the range of blues from palest turquoise to inky indigo and violet is mesmerising. I could gaze at views like this for hours. Especially with an ice-cream. And a sunbed. Read more about our stay on Paxos, hosted by @ionianvillas, on the blog, link in profile. #familytravel #paxos #visitgreece . . . . .
  • I love these colourful buildings against a jungly mountainside, seen from the main street of Phong Nha in Vietnam. My son Ed is just back from a three week trip from north to south Vietnam. It’s a fabulous mix of colour, diverse culture - and a little bit of chaos - plus awe-inspiring scenery and wonderful food. And it’s affordable too. Southeast Asia is a magnet for students like Ed and his friends and I can see why. And Vietnam would be a great holiday destination for families with teens too - check out Ed’s new blog post. It includes vibrant Hanoi, a day trip by boat in Halong Bay, zipwiring into a cave in Phong Nha and jungle trekking on part of the Ho Chi Minh trail. And that was just the first part of their trip! Link in profile if you’re looking for some Vietnam travel tips. #phongnha #VietnamNOW @vietnamtourismboard
  • I’ve a soft spot for lighthouses - and stripes. So the Santa Marta lighthouse in Cascais is a pretty perfect view for me! Cascais is a little seaside town, full of character, just 30 minutes along the coast from Lisbon, Portugal. It was the summer holiday retreat for the royal family in the 19th century and has retained its glamorous villas and elegant vibe along with its seagoing heritage. The beautiful blue and white tiled lighthouse still signals along the coastline, though it’s fully automated these days and the lighthouse keeper’s quarters have become a fascinating contemporary museum. For 21 things to do in Cascais, including two different ways to view the lighthouse, see the latest post on the blog, link in profile ⬆️. @visit_cascais #visitcascais #lighthouse @visitportugal @shortcutstourismportugal . . . . .
  • A happy birthday to Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, who is 98 today. The King’s Troop, Royal Horse Artillery, unfazed by the rain, galloped across Hyde Park at noon to deliver a 41 gun salute in honour of the occasion. The bells of Westminster Abbey rang and a 61 gun salute followed at the Tower of London an hour later. The @KingsTroopRHA have been busy this week what with Beating Retreat, Trooping the Colour and several gun salutes. Today’s was one more wonderful display of tradition, skill and London pageantry 🇬🇧. #royalfamily #visitlondon #horsegunners
  • Big Ben and the Palace of Westminster may be partly under wraps at the moment for restoration work (swipe for a recent pic) but turn around on Westminster Bridge and you have a lovely view of the London Eye and County Hall instead. New on the blog is a post to help you plan a two day sightseeing itinerary in London. It’s a local’s guide - I’ve lived in London for years and my boys grew up here. It includes lots of tips: from how to tackle the super-popular Changing the Guard, to where to stop en route for lunch, shopping, or afternoon tea. The link’s in the profile ⬆️ if you’d like to have a look and please let me know if I’ve missed out any of your favourite London landmarks. #familytravel #visitLondon #visitEngland #loveGreatBritain . . . . .
  • This is Corricella, a fishing village on the island of Procida. It seems to be a hidden gem in the Bay of Naples because it was quiet and serene on a sunny weekday in September. Perhaps all the other visitors were on nearby Capri. Film crews know about it (see The Talented Mr Ripley and Il Postino). And so do the people of Naples who bring their boats or hop on the ferry for the short crossing. We hope it stays this way. Check our blog post ⬆️ link in profile, for where to go for a swim and lunch 🌊⛱ #familytravel #procida #visititaly #naplesitaly . . . . .

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