Map & Family

A Family Travel Resource

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  • 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 . . . .
  • So is Spring here? Is it safe to go outside without the big coat? If last weekend has convinced you that you need to find some sun and soon - there are still one or two deals to be had. How about the Canary Islands? Here’s a shot from lovely La Gomera, one of the smaller and less commercialised of the Canaries, a 50 minute ferry journey from Tenerife. Its mountainous interior makes it a great candidate for biking 🚵‍♀️ and walking trips. For more ideas and inspo have a look at our recent post on where to go in April on a family holiday with teens. I’ve popped the link back up in the profile. Photo courtesy of Cachet Travel. #familytravel #lagomera #igersspain . . . . .
  • Whenever we visit a city we always seem drawn to the highest viewpoints - it’s become a bit of a family tradition. It might be a hilltop, a tower, a skyscraper or in this case in Vienna, the beautiful old wooden Reisenrad or Ferris wheel . At around 65 metres tall it doesn’t seem terribly big to contemporary eyes but it was the tallest in the world until 1985. Built in 1897 it’s survived two world wars and has added style and suspense to a couple of classic movies: The Third Man and 80s Bond thriller, The Living Daylights. A gentle turn on the Reisenrad gives a wide view over the city and surrounding countryside - it’s still an affordable must-do on a visit to Vienna. 🎡 Find it at the entrance to the Prater amusement park. More things to do on a trip with teens to Vienna on the blog, link in profile ⬆️ #familytravel #viennanow #ViennaGoForIt @visitAustria . . . . .

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