Families planning a trip to Italy often wonder if they should use trains or rental cars to travel between cities. We are definitely big fans of train travel in Europe and definitely prefer to travel by train between large metropolitan areas due to the convenience and cost. However, there are situations where train travel in Italy is impractical. During our July 2018 Italian family vacation, the Lamborghini Museum and Ferrari Museumwere high on our must-see list. Both museums are in the Modena area and very challenging to reach by train. The cost of long taxi rides to and from the Bologna train station and in between the two museums was pretty staggering, and with a family of five, we would need to hire two taxis. Additionally, we were skeptical that we would be able to store our luggage at the Bologna train station for this excursion. We decided that by renting a car in Italy for a day and a half, we could visit the Italian car museums with flexibility, spend a night in Pisa and then visit a few Tuscan towns before returning the car upon our arrival in Florence.
View of San Gimignano from the outskirts
Booking an Italian Rental Car
Manual transmission vehicles are significantly less expensive to rent in Italy, but we chose to stick with an automatic transmission and reserved our intermediate, five passenger car through Alamo/Enterprise. The daily charge for the rental was €43.47, but with taxes and the rental of a car seat for our daughter (€45), the grand total for our two day rental came to €245.39.
Renting a Car in Italy – Requirements
An international driving permit is required to rent a car in Italy. My husband obtained his permit from AAA before our departure, and the process was relatively painless and cost only $20 and required two passport sized photos. He was actually never asked for his driving permit in Italy, but we did not feel it was worth the risk to not get it in advance.
Renting a Car in Italy – Car Seats
One of the trickiest parts of renting cars is figuring out how to handle car seats. We chose to rent a car seat for our three year old daughter because she was less than 30 pounds and needed a convertible car seat. We were traveling very light and definitely did not want to lug around a heavy car seat throughout our 18-day European vacation when we only needed it for a day and a half. We considered purchasing the Ridesafer Travel Vest, but she had not yet reached the lower weight limit for use in the US, we were concerned that the vest would not be permitted in Italy. While the €45 rental fee seemed pretty exorbitant, we thought it was the best option, and the seat we received seemed satisfactory. We also carried two Bubble Bum booster seats with us to use for our eight and ten year old boys.
Renting a Car in Italy – Insurance
Worldwide car rental insurance up to $50,000 is a perk of our Costco Citi card for any car rental 31 days or less that is paid for with the card. This coverage means we can decline the additional collision loss/damage insurance that is always offered through the rental company. Because our rental included a car body package to limit liability to €1,800 in case of damage or theft at no extra fee, we verified with Costco that this included insurance would not negate our coverage in advance and did not have to pay extra for full rental car insurance.
Renting a Car in Italy – Pick Up
We were departing from Venice the day that we planned to pick up our car. However, picking up a rental car in a car-free city seemed unnecessarily complicated. We chose instead to take a train from Venice to Bologna and pick up our car there.
Picking up a rental car always seems to take longer than we expect, and our experience in Italy was no exception. It’s important to research the exact location of the rental car company as the descriptions online might not be reliable. “Train station” could mean near the train station, and “downtown” might near downtown. We thought that the Enterprise/Alamo desk was at the Bologna train station, but it was actually about a block away, and finding it was a bit of a challenge. After completing the registration with the clerk, we were directed to a garage several blocks away. We were offered a six passenger vehicle that was larger than we expected but manageable. As always, we made sure to thoroughly inspect the exterior of the car for any damage and make sure any dents were properly noted before leaving the garage. We then had to figure out how to install the car seats before setting off. Our grand plan included a lunch in Bologna, but we knew our time was tight, so we headed out of the city without seeing even the Towers of Bologna.
Renting a Car in Italy – Logistics
After spending 10 days driving the Ring Road in Iceland in June 2017, renting a car for a day and a half Italy seemed like it should be no big deal. However, it was significantly more challenging than our experience in Iceland. We used our GPS with international maps in both countries but found that we were constantly being directed into restricted zones (zona traffico limitato or ZLT) in Italy. Traffic, which is nonexistent in Iceland, was often heavy in Italy. Road rules were also confusing, speed limits were often hard to determine, and Italian drivers are particularly aggressive. As a result, I was really nervous that we would end up with a huge fine to pay at the end of the trip and generally nervous the entire time we were in the car. Dropping the car off in Florence was particularly a nightmare as we had to do several U-turns before determining that the rental car return was located within a limited traffic zone; however, it was a huge relief to drop it off.
Renting a Car in Italy – Benefits
By renting a car in Italy, we were able to visit the Lamborghini Museum and Ferrari Museum, Pisa and San Gimignano in a day in a half, all without worrying about luggage storage. The Lamborghini Museum, Ferrari Museum and San Gimignano are not easily reachable by train and were particularly enjoyable parts or our trip. We would have been able to visit other Tuscan towns between Pisa and Florence as we had originally planned if we hadn’t decided that we needed to climb the Leaning Tower of Pisa and tour the Pisa Cathedral. If we were traveling by train, we would have likely booked a mid-morning train journey and would have regretted not having enough time at the Field of Miracles. So, we did enjoy the flexibility to easily alter our plans.
Pisa Cathedral and the Leaning Tower of Pisa
Our Italian car rental also allowed us to have the most authentic, non-touristy experience in Italy, lunch at Glamour Caffe e Cucina near the Lamborghini Museum. After skipping lunch in Bologna, stopping for a meal before touring Italian car museums was non-negotiable, and we happened upon the Glamour Caffe. We were definitely the only tourists, and none of the servers spoke English. Our order for fixed price lunches was complicated, and we were not clear on how much the meal would cost. However, the food and authenticity of the meal was top-notch, and the price ended up being quite the bargain as well. Because our trip focused on large metropolitan areas, this was really our only opportunity to get off the beaten path and a huge benefit to renting a car.
Renting a Car in Italy – Recommendation
We recommend traveling by train in Italy unless there is something on your must-do list that is completely impractical to do via public transportation. However, it is possible for adventurous families to rent a car in Italy and truly explore the countryside.
The Lamborghini Museum and the Ferrari Museum each hosted our family’s visits. As always, all opinions are my own.
We are often asked for recommendations for great travel books for children. My kids truly love seeing new places and all enjoy reading fiction and nonfiction books about places we have visited or are on our never ending “list.” My kids have had a love of travel and books from a young age, so books about travel have always been popular at my house. We are regulars and our local libraries, and my children used to attend multiple story times each week before preschool. My four year old is an emerging reader and can sit for hours listening to stories. My eight and eleven year old boys spend hours cuddled up in their beds turning pages of their current book.
We have come across quite a few books that inspire us to visit new places or help us reminisce about recent trips. Our list of best travel books for kids includes a range of reading levels and interests.
13 Architects Children Should Know is part of the 13 Things Children Should Know book series, which has truly inspired our travel experiences. We were first introduced to these books when my middle child brought home 13 Architects Children Should Knowfrom his school’s library as a Kindergarten student. He closely examined every page and was excited to find Christopher Wren’s St. Paul’s Cathedral that we had visited in London the summer before. But, the two architects he was most interested in were Gustave Eiffel and Frank Lloyd Wright.
He was not at all familiar with Frank Lloyd Wright before reading 13 Architects Children Should Know but fascinated by pictures of Fallingwater. He had no idea where Fallingwater might be in proximity to our home, but asked me after I finished reading the description, “Mommy, will you take me there?” Fallingwater happens to be just a three hour drive from our home in Cleveland, and I readily promised him that we would plan a trip. Within six months, we toured Fallingwater with my college roommate and her daughter, and my six year old son had a permanent smile on his face the whole time. After checking Fallingwater off his bucket list, my son focused his efforts on the Eiffel Tower for two years until we took a family trip to Paris. – CMD
Maurice Sendak’s 1963 Where the Wild Things Are has inspire young travelers for more than 50 years. Young Max dreams he is visiting an island inhabited by enormous beasts. After playing with the “wild things”, Max decides to return home for dinner. This classic does not include an actual destination or weave in historical, cultural or artistic concepts. However, it embodies the desire explore new places and then head home to recharge. – CMD
Paddington Bear first appeared in Michael Bond’s 1958 A Bear Called Paddington. Paddington is a bear from Peru who is adopted by the Brown family after they meet him in London’s Paddington station. The book series includes over 20 books, and several television and film adaptations. Paddington, the 1998 reissue of the classic story, is a frequent bedtime story for my four year old daughter. She has a vague recollection of our 2015 visit to London, which included a train ride from Kings Cross station and double decker buses that are also featured in this children’s picture book.
All three of my children also enjoy watching the recent film adaptations, Paddingtonand Paddington 2. The films feature well-known London hot spots, including the National Museum of Natural History, Portobello Road, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Notting Hill and Paddington Station. The Paddington books and films remind my children of their time in London but can serve as inspiration for travel to London. – CMD
Before our family trip to Italy in July 2018, I requested Olivia Goes to Venice from our local library to introduce our daughter to Venice. Olivia is a young pig who is always ready for adventure, and this 2010 book features Olivia’s spring break trip to Venice. Author and illustrator Ian Falconer combines illustrations with photographs of the Church of the Most Holy Redeemer, Doge’s Palace, the Grand Canal, St. Mark’s Basilica, the Rialto Bridge and the Bridge of Sighs. Olivia enjoyed a gondola ride and chasing pigeons in St. Mark’s Square just like our daughter.
Olivia Goes to Venice introduced our daughter to the canals and buildings that we saw in Venice. Now, she enjoys reading the book and remembering our time in the City of Canals. – CMD
Andrea Lynn Beck’s Good Morning Canadais an excellent introduction to Canada for any child. Our copy was gifted to us by one of our children’s favorite nannies who left us and moved to Saskatchewan. This 2014 picture book features Canadian landscapes and national classics, including the Mounties, maple trees, hockey and common animals such as the beaver, moose and goose. Our copy is extra special because our former nanny annotated it with sticky notes. – CMD
James Mayhew’s Katie and the Mona Lisa features the story of Katie and her grandmother visiting the Louvre. Katie is entranced with Mona Lisa’s smile. In the 1998 picture book, Katie is walks right up to the Mona Lisa and while she is examining the painting, she notices her grandmother has fallen asleep on her comfortable chair at the end of the gallery and climbs into the frame and into the picture where she finds Mona Lisa seated in the corner of a grand room. Mona Lisa is sad because she is very lonely, so Katie takes her out of the picture and back into the museum. The pair climb inside several different paintings in the Louvre. Mona Lisa enjoys their adventure so much that she assures Katie she now has something to smile about inside her painting.
This book definitely takes some artistic license to teach children about Renaissance art. The depiction of the Louvre is completely unrealistic, and the other paintings included are not actually exhibited in the Louvre. The size and location of the Mona Lisa are completely wrong, and the painting is hidden behind bullet proof glass and protected by a handful of guards. Even with a bit of fantasy thrown in, this book is still a fabulous introduction to Italian Renaissance for even the youngest artists. – CMD
Rome Reconstructedis a gem we found in the gift shop of the Basilica of Saint Mary in Cosmedin in Rome. Our eight year old picked it up and asked if it could be his souvenir. This archeological guide uses cardboard flaps overlaid on top of pictures of existing structures to depict the original Roman buildings, most of which are at least 2,000 years old. These layered illustrations really help kids visualize what ancient Rome looked like.
After we visited Palatine Hill, the Roman Forum and the Colosseum, our children focused on the portions of the book featuring these sights. The short descriptions of each building are easy to read and provide informative historical information about each sight. We are heavy library users and typically only buy books that we think will be read again and again. However, we are glad that we added this book to our personal collection and know our kids will enjoy the pictures and explanations for years to come. – CMD
The Harry Potterseries is hands down one of the most delightful reading experiences I have ever shared with my children. When my older son was in second grade, I wanted to encourage him to read and so I urged him to start reading the Harry Potter series. To sweeten the pot, I agreed to read along with him and further agreed that we would watch the companion movie after he finished each book in the series AND that we would go to Universal Studios Orlando upon completion of the series. Much to my surprise, my son not took on the challenge, but he ended up voraciously reading through the Harry Potter series and we ended up having a fantastic weekend exploring the Wizarding World of Harry Potter the following October. – NKC
My boys also devoured the Harry Potter series last year while I followed along listening to the audio books. While we have not visited Universal Studios, the London locations specifically reminded us of our 2015 trip to London. Filming locations for the companion movies include St. Paul’s Cathedral, Millennium Bridge, Piccadilly Circus, and the iconic telephone booths are also featured. – CMD
Anyone who didn’t attend fourth grade in California probably has not heard of the Island of the Blue Dolphins, a sad yet beautiful story about a young Indian girl who ends up spending 18 years alone on an island before she is rescued by Spanish missionaries. I won’t spoil the details, but the girl-turned-woman ended up living her life at the Santa Barbara Mission. Having read and fallen in love with the book at a young girl, I not only made Santa Barbara Mission a point of interest to visit once I was older and could dictate my travel schedule, but I have now also introduced family and friends to the Santa Barbara Mission and shared with them the story of the Indian girl buried on the grounds. I’m thrilled that my son is in fourth grade and will be reading this book later this year. – NKC
My eight year old son recently discovered Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series, which features the adventures of a Percy Jackson, young demigod who lives in New York City. Percy discovers at age 12 that he is the son of Poseidon. He and his friends have an odyssey that takes them around the United States of their own that spans over the five Percy Jackson books and then extends into Riordan’s Heroes of Olympus series. The series intertwines the stories of Greek mythology with Percy’s quest to save modern civilization. Some cities featured in the series include New York, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. and Las Vegas. Not surprisingly, Athens is now on my son’s bucket list. – CMD
These are some of our to 10 travel inspiration books for our kids. What family favorite books have we missed?
There are so many great locations for family vacations in Canada. Canada is the world’s second largest country and boasts stunning national parks and large metropolitan areas that attract over 16 million tourists annually. There are great Canada trips for every type of traveler. Even though Canada is our neighbor just to the north, we have not explored it as much as we would like. We asked some of our favorite family travel bloggers to recommend their favorite Canada vacation ideas for families and came up with this amazing list of places to visit in Canada with kids.
British Columbia With Kids
#1: Vancouver With Kids
Breathtaking natural beauty, a super-cool cosmopolitan city, outdoor adventure, foodie paradise and world-class shopping – visit “VanGroovy.” Here’s our suggested three-day itinerary for visiting Vancouver with kids:
Day 1 – A Little Bit ofEverything: Head to Granville Island to explore galleries and quaint stores. For lunch delight in the local specialties at Granville Island Public Market. Visit spectacular Kitsilano Beach and let the kids run around the playground. Check out the Museum of Anthropology with First Nations’ art on the University of British Columbia campus. We loved FlyOver Canada, a thrilling virtual ride taking in Canada’s beauty!
Day 2 – Explore the North Shore: A must-see is the 450-foot Capilano Suspension Bridge and Park. Feel it sway! Explore the Cliffwalk – walkways hanging over the mountain’s edges! Kids will love the Treetops Adventures offering a walk high in the trees. Hop a Skyride to reach Grouse Mountain, a resort area full of adventure.
Day 3 – The City Center: Explore the Stanley Park 1,000-acre wilderness oasis! Enjoy colorful First Nations Totem Poles, stroll the Seawall and visit the Aquarium. End with an elevator-ride to the 50th floor for unforgettable views from the Vancouver Lookout.
As one of the most beautiful places on Earth, Vancouver is bursting with family-friendly sights and a laid-back vibe!
Recommended by Lisa Grabelle from Hilton Mom Voyage. Find out more from Lisa about a Vancouver vacation.
#2: Whistler With Kids
Whistler is the largest ski resort in North America, located on the west coast of Canada, a two hour drive along the Sea to Sky Highway from Vancouver. Whistler consistently ranks among the world’s best ski resorts and has developed into a year round destination for skiing, golfing, biking and other activities. Whistler makes the perfect destination for outdoor activities with its mountain setting, whether it’s skiing in the winter, or mountain biking and hiking during the warmer summer months.
The world class skiing is the obvious draw in the winter. Whistler Blackcomb has 200 marked runs, offering something for all ages and abilities. Whistler Kids (the Whistler kids’ ski school) is first class, offering every level of ski and snowboard instruction for children from 3-12 years old. There are even playgrounds on the mountainside to break up the skiing. Once in their teens, kids enter the Ride Tribe Program, up to age 18. Teaching throughout the programs is done in a fun and engaging way. For non-skiers opportunities abound, from ice-skating and snow-shoeing, to tubing and zip-lining. Whistler is a perfect winter destination for families who love to ski or snowboard.
Recommended by Nicky Williams from Go Live Young. Find out more from Nicky about Whistler with kids.
Alberta With Kids
#3: Banff National Park With Kids
Banff is one of the most popular places in Canada and for good reason. Set in the Canadian Rockies, the town of Banff is located in a National Park and is ridiculously gorgeous in any season. Located 90 minutes from Calgary, it makes a great weekend escape and is also a great base for a week-long vacation.
There are so many family-friendly activities to do in Banff in summer, although be warned, summer is the most popular time of year to visit. The main street is a great place to start with its cute shops and mountain views. Make sure to include a stop for beaver tails, Canada’s classic pastry and a kid favorite. The Banff Gondola is another fun activity and provides beautiful views over Banff and the surrounding mountains. There are lots of kid friendly hikes nearby including Johnson Canyon. All visitors to Banff need to visit nearby Lake Louise with its turquoise colored lake. For families who enjoy hiking, we recommend the Lake Agnes Tea House hike at Lake Louise. For families with older children, there is great white water rafting to be had, as well as safe climbing at the Norquay Via Ferrata. Families will also enjoy soaking in the Banff Hot Springs and visiting the historic Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel.
Winter in Banff is much less busy, but offers so many fun winter activities for active families. There is world-class skiing in the Valley, ice skating on frozen lakes, dog sledding, snow shoeing and even ice castles. After a day full of activity, we definitely felt like we deserved our hot chocolate, poutine and hot tub. No matter which season we visit, we fall in love with the charm of Banff. It’s easy to understand why it is one of Canada’s favorite towns.
Recommended by Dawn from 5 Lost Together. Find out more from Dawn about Banff with kids.
#4: Canmore With Kids
Canmore is one of Canada’s family gems. Often overlooked by its far more famous neighbor Banff, Canmore sits just outside of the National Park, only an hour from Calgary International Airport by car. It is a true natural playground without the same number of tourists. Summers are short but stunningly beautiful. We like to take advantage of the many cycling and hiking trails and pack a picnic to see the hidden waterfall at Heart Creek. Older kids will enjoy camping and kayaking at Kananaskis and Bow Creek.
Winter brings on frozen lakes, ice skating and sledding. The Nordic Centre, famous for hosting many events at the 1988 Winter Olympics, offers kids opportunities to experience snow shoeing, tobogganing, or the bravest can try fat tire winter biking. A real highlight for our kids’ first visit was taking a dog sled ride on the frozen waters of Spray Lakes. The eerie howling in the foot of the magical snow-capped mountains is something they will never forget.
The township of Canmore is small and flat, easy to navigate with a stroller and provides plenty of cafes to warm hands up before heading out for more outdoor fun! Families will enjoy Café Books with a dedicated kids’ corner – and who doesn’t love ice cream year around – pop into Scoopin’ Moose for a treat.
Located along the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains in western Alberta, Jasper National Park is known for its majestic peaks, glacier-fed lakes and vast wilderness. Jasper National Park is the perfect place for adventurous families looking for an unforgettable family vacation. The park is massive and the options for outdoor activities are endless! For the family that enjoys hiking, there are hundreds of miles of hiking trails from which to choose and hikes suitable for all ability levels. Some famous sights, like Sunwapta Falls and Athabasca Falls, can be reached via a short walk from the parking area or extended for families seeking a little more. Maligne Canyon is suitable for even the youngest hikers since several bridges along the trail allow families to customize the length of the hike.
Families who prefer being on the water can take a cruise on stunning Maligne Lake to visit Spirit Island or book a float trip on the Athabasca River. For panoramic views of Jasper and the Athabasca Valley, take the Jasper SkyTram to Whistlers Summit. There’s so much to see and do, we could easily spend a week in Jasper National Park and still not see it all! With its location just north of popular Banff National Park, Jasper is often overlooked. However, we highly recommend driving up the spectacular Icefields Parkway and adding Jasper to any Canadian Rockies visit!
Recommended by Amy Brahan from Just Go Travel Studios. Find out more from Amy about Jasper National Park.
Manitoba With Kids
#6: Churchill With Kids
Churchill, Manitoba is known both as the “Polar Bear Capital of the World” and the “Beluga Capital of the World.” Summer is Beluga Season and the bulbous critters swim up the Churchill River from the Hudson Bay to calve. In October and November, polar bears gather on the shores of Hudson Bay waiting for sea ice to form so they can hunt seals after a long fast. I’ve visited in August and October and seen both belugas and polar bears on the same trip.
In summer, my family likes walking around town, visiting a couple shops, exploring the Eskimo Museum and hiking on the tundra. In Bear Season, caution has to be taken, because bears wander through town. They just want to get out on the ice and eat, but until it forms, they occasionally satisfy that famous bear curiosity by seeing what’s going on in Churchill. Unfortunately, as the ice forms later in the season and melts earlier, due to climate change, the bears’ fasting period is extending.
There is plenty to do in Churchill for families with a couple days to spare. Our kids loved riding in the Tundra Buggies in search of bears. Since the floor is 12-feet above the ground, the bears can’t reach in, even when they stand on their back feet. Frontiers North guides are great with kids and might even let them drive. They also offer boat tours to see belugas in the summer, as well as guided hikes. To get to Churchill, it’s possible to fly from Winnipeg or take the train from Thompson Falls. There aren’t any roads to the 1,000-person town, so flying or taking the train are the only ways to get there.
Recommended by Mel Harrison from Traveling Mel. Find out more from Mel about Churchill with kids.
#7: Winnipeg With Kids
Winnipeg, a Canadian prairie city and capital of the province of Manitoba, was our hometown and home base for almost 25 years. From a local’s perspective, Winnipeg is a very family friendly city. Its size is very manageable, and the most important sights can easily be visited within a couple of days. However, families planning a longer stay will not run out of amazing and unique things to do.
Families can fly to Winnipeg from any Canadian city and from many US cities. And in the summer, there are direct flights from London available. We highly recommend staying in downtown Winnipeg. The number one, family focused place in the city, and located right downtown, is The Forks, which has been a trading place for First Nations people for over six thousand years.
At The Forks in the summer, families can eat some delicious food, listen to buskers singing, take a boat ride or dance salsa outdoors. In the winter, we love to skate on the frozen Assiniboine River – one of the longest skating trails in the world! For the youngest visitors, don’t miss the Manitoba Children’s Museum located right at The Forks. It’s a giant indoor playground filled with many educational opportunities. If your kids like theater, take them to the Manitoba Theatre for Young People.
And any time of the year, we enjoy visiting the Winnipeg Zoo or several of Winnipeg’s world class museums. Don’t miss the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. It’s never too early to learn about this important topic. Also visit the Manitoba Museum to learn about this province’s history, geography and its people. And for an amazing nature preserve right in the city, we recommend Fort Whyte Alive any time of the year.
But don’t just stop at Winnipeg. Manitoba boasts over 110,000 lakes, where families can fish or just relax on the beach. And northern Manitoba’s subarctic region is home to the largest polar bear population in the world.
Recommended by Bea from PackYourBags. Find out more from Bea about visiting Manitoba.
Ontario With Kids
#8: Niagara Falls With Kids
Niagara Falls is one of my all time favorite places to visit in Canada because it is so versatile. The falls themselves attract many tourists throughout the year, but the area itself is vibrant, fun and easy. Both sides of the falls offer amazing attractions. We loved walking under the falls in the Cave of the Winds experience and particularly enjoyed the Maid of the Mist or Hornblower boat that took us into the falls itself.
Families looking for a bit more adventure can book a jet boat and whizz along the rapids of the Niagara River. For a fun filled day, stay on the Canadian side and visit the family orientated museums such as Ripley’s Believe it Or Not or the hilariously BAD wax museum. For a quieter, more peaceful experience, we enjoyed strolling around the Niagara Falls State Park on the American side.
For evenings, we enjoyed the many bars and restaurants found on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls and for a special romantic splurge, we headed up to the top of the Skylon Tower. We also loved taking the evening boat into the falls to watch the fireworks and see the falls lit up – a nightly event that added something special to our trip.
Recommended by Katie from Creative Travel Guide. Find out more from Katie about Niagara Falls.
#9: Niagara-on-the-Lake With Kids
Niagara-on-the-Lake is not be confused with Niagara Falls, as it’s the Napa Valley of Canada and most vineyards are kid friendly. While in Niagara Falls, we decided to continue our drive to Niagara-on-the-Lake which is located approximately 12 miles from Horseshoe Falls. This picturesque town epitomizes old town charm and is a direct contrast to its much more commercial neighbor. The proximity to Niagara Falls means that it’s easy to go back and forth between the locations and truly enjoy everything that this town located on the shores of Lake Ontario and the mouth of the Niagara River has to offer. While the town is known for its wineries, it has many family friendly activities. We highly recommend the Whirlpool Jet Boat Tours, which combines a thrill ride with historical information regarding the Canadian Underground Railroad. Families can pack food and enjoy a picnic and views at Queen’s Royal Park, followed by Anne of Green Gables – PEI inspired soda and ice-cream at COWS Ice Cream Shop on Queens Street.
Recommended overnight accommodations: Oban Inn & Spa. Additional must do experiences in Niagara-on-the-lake include: Fort George National Historic Site, Walkers Country Market, explore the Prince of Wales Hotel and take strolls around Queen Street.
Recommended by Ruth Mendes from Have Kiddos Will Travel. Find out more from Ruth about the Whirlpool Jet Boat Tours.
#10: Toronto With Kids
Our family isn’t usually big on tourist hot spots when we travel, but the CN Tower in Toronto is hands-down our favorite thing to do in Ontario’s largest city. Glass elevators rocket up to the Look Out Level at 1,136 feet high and the panoramic views of the city of Toronto are simply unbeatable. On clear days, you can see all the way to Niagara Falls! One floor below is the Glass Floor, where those daring enough can walk out on the glass floor panels where it looks as if you’re walking on Toronto. Our boys are always brave enough to try it, but mom and dad have to really work up the courage! The grounds around the CN Tower are also a beautiful place to explore. The outdoor Toronto Railway Museum is right at the base of the CN Tower and is popular with young train lovers. Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada is also located right at the base of the CN Tower and you’re only a short walk from the beautiful waterfront- so it’s easy to spend an entire day exploring this part of Toronto!
As part of a summer road trip in Canada, I decided to spend a night in the town of La Malbaie with our family. Fortunately we had friends who own a house in La Malbaie and graciously offered to host us for the evening. I packed up our kids from our last night in Quebec, and we got in the car to make our two-hour drive to La Malbaie. La Malbaie is a town in the countryside of Charlevoix. It literally means “bad bay.” Charlevoix is a gorgeous provincial strip nestled between the Laurentian mountains and the St. Lawrence River.
I planned a stop at the Chutes Sainte-Anne along the way to visit the waterfalls. The entire circuit took 45 minutes consisting of pathways, stairs, and bridges above the falls. There were many areas to stop and snap a photo of the falls. About 20 minutes outside of the town of La Malbaei is the Maritime Museum, where we learned about the rich maritime history of the area. I took the family to explore schooners, tug boats and a sawmill as well as exploring the shores of the Saint Lawrence River.
In the morning I woke up everyone for a whale watching experience with Croisieres AML. They offer a zodiac boat or a boat cruise. We all wanted to do the zodiac, but there are age restrictions and our youngest was too young. He and my husband took the boat cruise and I went with the older two kids on the zodiac. We saw humpbacks and plenty of minke whales. The entire excursion lasted three and a half hours.
We spent the afternoon at Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park. We took a nice relaxing hike at The Pointe-Noire Interpretation and Observation Centre and spent an hour or so looking out at the Saint Laurence while relaxing and enjoying the views. I insisted on a visit to the Fairmont hotel in La Malbaie; A Chateau-styled hotel overlooking the Saint Lawrence River. We parked and walked in to check out this former Canadian National railroad palace. I took the kids into the Vergers Pedneault shop in the hotel, which makes some of the best artisanal cider in Quebec. We stocked up on apple jams, cider vinegar, and elegant (grownup) ciders, including an amazing dessert cider. Before leaving La Malbaie, we also picked up some terrific pastries and great coffee at Pains d’Exclamation for the ride home.
Recommended by Ali Netzer from Five Family Adventurers. Find out more from Ali about 24 hours in La Malbaie.
#12: Montreal With Kids
For families who want to be transported to another country and culture and want to give kids a European experience without the transatlantic flight, definitely visit Montreal for a weekend, week or longer! It is easily to fly to Montreal from all points in the United States or take the Amtrak from New York City (and connecting east coast cities) or, as we did, drive into Canada as Montreal is less than an hour from the NY-Canada crossing on I-87.
A visit to Montreal affords traveling families great sight-seeing – we recommend visiting Jardin Botanique or Insectarium, hiking on Mont Royal, taking the funicular to the top of the Tour Olympic, eating dinner in Vieux Montreal, cruising on the river from the Port of Montreal, touring the Notre Dame Basilica and exploring one of the many Montreal museums. A trip to Montreal made us feel like we had been transported to a quaint French city. Although everyone we met was bilingual, French language was definitely the default. The food, architecture, culture and life felt far more European than North American. For my kids, this was a great first trip abroad, a chance to practice some French and begin to learn that not everyone lives like them! We had so much fun exploring Montreal!
Families looking for a winter destination to visit with kids should look no further than Quebec City, Canada. With its European charm (without the jet lag), amazing French food and unique history as a walled city, there is plenty to visit and keep the kids engaged. Quebec City International Airport makes arrivals easy with its close location to the city.
We timed our visit to coincide with the German Christmas markets and snow fun, including a toboggan ride in front of the famous Fairmont Le Château Frontenac. Families looking for more snow adventure can head over to the Valcartier resort, only 30 minutes from the city for its indoor water park and over 20 snow tubing tracks. The historic walled city is easy to explore by foot and that adds to its charm with beautiful streets filled with shops and places to eat. Be sure to stroll along Rue du Petit Champlain and enjoy a nice meal at the kid-friendly restaurant Le Lapin Sauté. From there, head a couple blocks over to the Museum of Civilization where kids can let loose while exploring a mystical forest, testing out their STEM lab and exploring the exhibit OBSERVE, where not everything meets the eye!
Recommended by Chelsea Kelly-Sipe from Pack More Into Life. Find out more from Chelsea about Quebec City with kids.
Nova Scotia With Kids
#14: Bay of Fundy With Kids (New Brunswick and Nova Scotia)
The Bay of Fundy is home to the highest tides in the world, and its a perfect vacation destination for outdoor-loving families. It is located between the Canadian provinces of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, Canada. The world-famous tides can fluctuate between 29 and 52 feet. In some places, the tides recede more than three miles from shore during low tide, allowing visitors to explore the ocean floor. One of our favorite places to explore Fundy’s tides, as well as an abundance of recreational opportunities, is in Fundy National Park.
Fundy National Park encompasses 80 square miles (206 km) of rugged coastline and Acadian forest, where families can find more than 60 miles (100 km) of hiking trails, four front-country campgrounds, beautiful cascading waterfalls, freshwater lakes, and even a heated, saltwater swimming pool.
We stayed at the relatively quiet Point Wolf campground, which was a great base camp for exploring all that Fundy National Park has to offer. Highlights of a trip to Fundy National Park include hiking the Matthew’s Head Loop trail, which is a 2.8-mile coastal trail that is perfect for kids, eating super fresh seafood in the nearby town of Alma, and kayaking the bay with Fresh Air Adventure Tours. The nearest airport is in Halifax, which is a four-hour drive from Fundy National Park. The area surrounding the park is quite rural, so the best bet is to rent a car to have the freedom to explore.
Halifax is the capital city of the province of Nova Scotia, located on the Atlantic coast of Canada. This second smallest Canadian province is often overlooked by visitors to the country, but traveling families should make it a priority to visit. It’s possible to fly direct to this province from several Canadian and US cities. And, it is easy to get here from Europe, especially from the UK. Nova Scotia (meaning New Scotland) has daily flights to and from Great Britain.
Halifax is great for families for several reasons. For one, it is a great place for those who like a perfect mix of city and nature. When hiking in the city, we feel like we’re in a forest. Here is our list of favorite things to see and do in Halifax with kids:
Walk along the Halifax Waterfront Boardwalk
Have a lobster chowder
Visit Halifax Seaport Farmers Market
Climb aboard HMSC Sackville, a naval ship from World War II
Visit the Citadel Historic Site
See the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic
Take a ferry from Halifax to Dartmouth
Visit the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21
Visit Peggy’s Cove (45 minute drive from Halifax) to see the iconic lighthouse
Visit the town of Lunenburg (1 hour, 15 minute drive from Halifax), a UNESCO World Heritage site
Go to the beach. Our favorite is Crystal Crescent Beach.
Halifax is a foodie’s paradise and wonderful vacation destination for families.
A few weeks ago, my husband and I found ourselves slightly glum as it has been raining pretty much nonstop for the past few weeks. The adults, the kids, and even the dog were getting a little house crazy and I decided it was time to really start thinking about where we wanted to spend the kids’ spring break this year. Last year, we went to Costa Rica and and stayed at the Andaz Papagayo entirely on points. This year, having just moved across country and purchased a home, we had no desire to spend beaucoup bucks (or really, any bucks) on an expensive vacation. Instead, I decided to take an inventory of our miles and points situation and quickly realized that it was possible to book a family trip to Hawaii on points!
Booking a Family Trip to Hawaii on Points
Our first order of business was to decide which island to visit. My husband and I honeymooned on Oahu and the Big Island, and we traveled to Maui with our oldest son in September 2013, when he was four. We had our eyes on Kauai and so with that in mind, I decided it would be the perfect opportunity to try and use one of our seven night Marriott stay certificates.
Last fall, prior to the merger of SPG and Marriott, I redeemed a bunch of Marriott points that I’d been sitting on for two Marriott Flight and Hotel Travel Packages. The goal at the time was to acquire as many Alaska Airlines miles as possible with our eyes towards a future redemption to Asia, and the seven night stay packages were just an added bonus to the redemption. We certainly did not plan to redeem them, as online travel experts had cautioned that the certificates were extremely hard to use in the United States due to availability, but I decided to call Marriott reservations and see if they had anything available on Kauai that we could use our certificate for.
Lo and behold, I was delighted to find that there were seven available nights at the Courtyard Kauai at Coconut Beach during our kids’ spring break week. I quickly confirmed that there was a room with two queen beds available and was thrilled when the booking agent asked if I would like an ocean view room with balcony — yes please! Total out of pocket cost for seven nights? $140. The resort fee of $20/day is not waived for award redemptions but it includes two daily cocktails and parking so I am happy to pay it!
The price without points? Over $4000 (and a garden view room to boot).
After confirming our hotel reservations, my next order of business was to book round trip flights for four from LAX to Kauai. After poking around a bit online, our preference was to fly American Airlines nonstop from LAX to LIH. However, tickets for four would have cost over $2000, so I wasn’t quite willing to pull the trigger, despite the major hotel coup.
The easiest option, of course, would’ve been to use Alaska Airlines or American Airlines points to book four round trip tickets. However, a quick search indicates that each round trip ticket in economy would cost 40,000 or 50,000 miles, depending on date/time availability. Luckily, I remember that British Airways is an American Airlines partner and that British Airways charges award redemptions based on miles traveled. Thus, a trip from the West Coast to Hawaii is only 25,000 British Airways Avios points. I don’t happen to have any Avios points, but I do have Chase Ultimate Rewards points in abundance and after confirming: 1) award availability on my desired dates/times of travel and 2) that points transfers happen instantly, I transferred 100,000 points from my Chase Ultimate Rewards account to my Avios account. 100,000 miles and $44.49 later in taxes and fees, I found myself with four confirmed, economy, round trip tickets from LAX to LIH.
Conclusion?
I’ve posted previously about how my family uses miles and points to travel around the world. Typically, we use our miles and points to help defray some of the cost of a large trip OR to travel business class or take a trip that we otherwise would not have been able to afford, such as our trip round-the-world. While I certainly did not plan to book a trip to Hawaii entirely on miles and points when I first started planning, that’s where we ended up and I am counting down the days until my family of four travels to Hawaii for a total out of pocket cost of $184.49 for airfare and accommodations which otherwise would have cost $6,105.46.
We Go With Kids is excited to announce that we have received a Liebster Award. We were nominated by Sydney from A World in Reach. We are honored that Sydney reached out and acknowledged our fledgling blog. It is definitely exciting to be nominated by one of our peers, especially as two hobby bloggers who work on this blog in our nonexistent free time.
Photo credit – The Global Aussee
What is the Liebster Award?
The Liebster Award is an award given to bloggers by other bloggers. In German, “liebster” means sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing, and welcome. So, the Liebster Award is given to bloggers who convey this meaning across their blog! If you want to learn more about the Liebster Award, check out the official rules.
We are two lawyers by trade by who met at a law firm in 2005 – well before either had kids. Thanks to the wonders of social networking, we have stayed in touch as each of our families have grown. With five kids and more than two dozen countries traveled between the two of us, we decided to launch this website in July 2017 after returning from trips to Iceland and Africa!
Our hope is to not only share our adventures and trips on traveling with kids, but also to inspire others to “go with kids” when traveling both near and far! As a side benefit, blog posts help us record and remember details of our family vacations. Our own kids enjoy reading and reminiscing. Some of them bemoan the fact that we regularly choose not to post pictures of their faces, but due to scary facial recognition technology and safety concerns, We Go With Kids noticeably includes countless photos showing the silhouettes of our wee ones.
Sydney’s Questions:
1. What is the most important lesson you’ve learned during your travels?
Catherine: Flexibility is key! There will inevitably be a few bumps along the way, so don’t let delays, increased costs or basic mistakes negatively effect the trip.
Nancy: As a young couple, traveling without kids, my husband and I made every effort to maximize every single minute of any vacation or trip. When traveling with kids, it’s important to adjust expectations and perhaps even spend an afternoon resting at the hotel instead of visiting yet another site. Remember: the important thing is that we’re traveling together as a family!
2. What’s your favorite part of traveling? Least favorite?
Catherine: I love seeing new places and eating amazing meals. I endure long flights and regular delays for that luxury.
Nancy: I love experiencing new foods and cultures and definitely make every effort to find something that is a “local gem” versus geared towards tourists. Travel delays and the logistics of hauling kids and baggage is my least favorite part of traveling, but a necessary evil.
3. Do you collect any souvenirs from your travels?
Catherine: I collect turtles. It’s totally random but all started when a small stone turtle caught my eye on Bavaro Beach in Punta Cana way back in 2005. There were hundreds of similar turtles at every souvenir shop, but I wanted only one. My husband haggled a bit and walked away when he was unsatisfied with the price. Ultimately, I did bring it home.
Nancy: Just photos and memories!
4. What is the most unique experience you’ve had with a local while traveling?
Catherine: I was an exchange student at the University of York in my junior year of college and lived as a local for six months. I was occasionally mistaken for a local myself.
Nancy: In July 2017, my husband and I visited a Ndebele homestead during a trip to Zimbabwe. We were able to tour the family home and have lunch, cooked on site.
5. If you could travel with one person you’ve never traveled with before, who would it be?
Catherine: It would be super fun to do a two family trip with Nancy and her crew.
Nancy: I would love to visit China with my grandmother, who was born in China, left in her teens, and has never been back!
6. How did you come up with your blog name?
Catherine: I’d have to pull up the insanely long Facebook messenger discussion, but it involved lots of online research and consultation with my favorite trademark attorney. Nancy secured gmail and social media accounts for a slightly different name before we settled on We Go With Kids. My husband takes full credit.
Nancy: Ditto what Catherine said! I definitely give Catherine and her husband full credit for the final name we chose!
7. What tip would you give to a new blogger?
Catherine and Nancy: Don’t wait 18 months to start learning SEO techniques.
8. Is there a book or a movie that has inspired your wanderlust?
Catherine: Not really, but I’d really do like watching movies set in cities I’ve visited and really want to re-watch Under the Tuscan Sun.
Nancy: Not really. Occasionally, a movie will inspire me to visit a particular destination, but my desire to travel has always been present.
9. What are the top 3 things on your bucket list?
Catherine: Currently, Thailand, Argentina and an African safari are the big three, but I’m also hoping to make it to my last eight states before I turn 50.
Nancy: I’d like to take my youngest to Hawaii for his first time, but I’d also like to visit Hong Kong and a country in the Middle East, where I’ve never been.
10. What is your biggest travel regret?
Catherine: I wish I took a year off before law school and traveled around the world. If only travel blogging was a thing a million years ago.
Nancy: Apropros Catherine, I didn’t spend enough time traveling in my younger days. I wish I had taken more time off and dedicated more resources to travel, but then again, I didn’t really have the resources until I grew up and got a real job so I’m not sure how far I would’ve gotten!
Our Liebster Award Nominations
We have been following a number of other family travel bloggers over the past year and a half. While we haven’t met any of these wonderful blogging parents personally, we are encouraged and inspired by them as we all strive to open doors for our children around the world. All of these bloggers have shared travel stories and tips on We Go With Kids, and we love following their journeys.
One of the top questions on every parent of a young child’s mind prior to travel is always: what should we do about carseats? Having traveled around the world with my two kids (ages 4 and 9), I can say without a doubt that one item we have loved having in our bag of travel tricks is the RideSafer Travel Vest.
Review of RideSafer Travel Vest
Crash tested down to 3 years old and 30+ pounds, the RideSafer Travel Vest does not take the place of a convertible car seat for kids who have outgrown their infant bucket seats, but who haven’t met the age and weight threshold for the RideSafer Travel Vest. However, once your child reaches the 3 and 30+ pounds threshold, definitely consider adding the RideSafer Travel Vest to your travel arsenal.
On a recent trip to/from the airport, I decided to strap my nearly four year old into the RideSafer Travel Vest for the ride from our home to the airport. Unlike most car seats which are designed to lift the child up so that the straps fall across their body at the appropriate spots (hence the term “booster”), the RideSafer Travel Vest brings the strap down to the child and secures it in the appropriate spots. Although the number of straps and clips may appear daunting at first, it is a very quick and easy process, having done it many times before.
Although this was my guy’s first time in the RideSafer vest, he took to it easily. About halfway through our journey, however, he did start to complain that he was hot. I should have known better and had him take off his hoodie before strapping him into the vest. Aside from that, the travel vest was comfortable enough that he even fell asleep in it on the way home (sans hoodie, which I did remember to take off before strapping him in).
One of my favorite things about the RideSafer Travel Vest is that it travels in its own little carry on pack and fits easily in your luggage or swung across your shoulder.
Our family ended up loving the RideSafer Travel Vest so much that we have it in both small (pictured above) and large, which is typically for children over 5 and 50+ pounds. Indeed, when my oldest son was in first grade but my youngest was still in a convertible, I used the RideSafer Travel Vest for when we needed to carpool and bring another child along with us. Three kids can easily fit in the backseat if using the RideSafer Travel Vest, even if one of those car seats is a convertible and the other is a high back booster! We have also used the RideSafer for any number of taxi rides in large cities where we otherwise would not need a car seat and it’s a convenient item to just keep in my trunk, in the event we want to safely transport another child.
A visit to the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill is a great way to step back in time and take a glimpse of ancient Rome. The Forum is a rectangular plaza in the valley between the Palatine and Capitoline Hills. The only remaining structures, which were constructed between 500 BC and AD 400, are all in ruins, but enough remains to really spark our imagination of what the governmental, cultural and civic center of Rome looked like thousands of years ago. The Roman Forum and Palatine Hill have separate entrances, but the two sights are interconnected. So, it’s possible to start at one and end in the other. For our family of five (including kids ages 3, 8 and 10), our visit to the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill was a complete history lesson, and we are glad we didn’t overlook these amazing sights during our visit to Rome.
Visiting Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum
Directions to the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill
The Colosseum is conveniently located near the Colosseum Metro station. We were staying near the Barberini station on the red A line and had to travel to Termini, the train station, and transfer to the blue B line and then travel two stops to reach the Colosseum. The entire journey was probably about 15 minutes, and we had a short walk to the Colosseum area once we left the station.
Palatine Hill and Roman Forum Tickets
We pre-booked a combination ticket to the Colosseum and the Roman Forum/Palatine Hill through Coop Culture. The combined ticket cost €17 for each adult, and children under 18 are free. Like the Louvre, which also cost our family €34 to visit, I found it pretty astounding how inexpensive admission was for these iconic sights. In contrast, most museums in the US cost at least $75 for admission for our family.
Our tickets permitted a single entry into each attraction on the same day or on two consecutive days. Our priority was the Colosseum, and we weren’t sure how long our visit would take, so we headed there first. We were inundated with tour guides offering us skip the line entry as soon as we arrived and were happy to have already sorted out tickets and not need to risk giving money to a con artist. We needed to stand in line to exchange our pre-booked vouchers for actual tickets from a small booth outside the Colosseum.
We loathe lines in general, but this one luckily took only about 15-20 minutes. Even though it was mid-morning, the sun was already pretty hot. So, we purchased water bottles for our entire family during the wait. I discovered in the line that the fine print on our voucher allowed entry to the Colosseum only after 2 p.m. during the summer months. But, we also found that we could book a 45 minute guided tour in English that cost €5 for adults (again, children were free). We went ahead and planned a 2:30 p.m. entry and a 3:00 p.m. tour and then headed to the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill.
Entering the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill
A funny thing really did happen on the way to the Forum…. After we collected our Colosseum tickets, we asked the ticket agent for directions to the Roman Forum entrance. She took one look at our stroller and suggested that we pass the Forum entrance and use the Palatine Hill entrance instead. We had read that the Forum entrance often has a long line, so we thought we were getting valuable intel. It turned out to be the worst stroller advice we have ever received.
We got through the Palatine Hill entrance quickly but found the uphill pebble pathway nearly impossible with a stroller. Palatine Hill is the center of the Seven Hills of Rome and sits about 130 feet above the Forum but really seemed like a trek. Our daughter reluctantly climbed out when it became obvious that we wouldn’t be able to push the stroller with her weight on the uneven surface, but it was hot, and the hard to find ruins were not exciting enough to captivate her attention and make her want to walk.
The boys had watched Ben-Hur before our trip, and we were excited to see Circus Maximus, the site of the chariot races. From Palatine Hill, we were able to see a panoramic view of the field where the stadium was located. We actually had a better view of the site a few days later when we were walking to the Mouth of Truth.
View of Circus Maximus from Via del Circo Massimo
The Palace of Domitian dominates Palatine Hill (which is also the origin of the word “palace”). But, it is largely in ruins and not as exciting as the Palace of Versailles or Doge’s Palace, both of which we had visited earlier in our trip.
Checking out the courtyard of the Palace of Domitian
As usual, we used Rick Steves as a guide, and I narrated our visit by reading the short blurbs in Rick Steves Italy. Although Steves’ nuggets of information were interesting, I have to admit that we were underwhelmed with Palatine Hill. Walking up the Hill was particularly brutal and really not overly exciting.
A Visit to the Roman Forum
We may not have been wowed by Palatine Hill, but the Roman Forum was pretty spectacular. It is an impressive archeological site. The population of ancient Rome reached a whopping 1 million, most of whom lived in tiny apartments or tents but spent their time in the Forum. While none of the ancient buildings are intact, there is enough remaining to provide an image of what it looked like. My son bought the book, Rome Reconstructed, at one of the gift shops that included amazing side by side comparisons of buildings then and now, and really helped the kids understand what ancient Rome was like.
Although there were stairs here and there, the stroller was actually generally easier to maneuver in the Forum due to some paved walkways. We weren’t fighting gravity on our descent, but there were some areas where cobble stones made it absolutely necessary for our daughter to jump out and walk a bit.
Large stones in the Forum that were not stroller friendly
Roman Forum Buildings
My favorite building in the Roman Forum is the Arch of Titus. The Arch, which was constructed about 82 AD, appears to be largely intact over 2035 years later; however, parts have been reconstructed. For example, the fluted columns are original, but smooth portions are reconstructions. The Arch was originally much more colorful, but the colored marble was unfortunately scavenged over the years.
It didn’t surprise me that this 50 foot arch was the inspiration for the much larger Arc de Triomphe in Paris because I immediately saw the resemblance.
Arch de Triomphe
I was also wowed by the three columns standing from the Temple of Castor and Pollux, which date back to 484 BC. The columns were constructed in the first century AD.
Three remaining pillars of the Temple of Castor and Pollux
The Temple of Saturn dates back to about 490 BC and is the oldest sacred monument in Rome. Its enormous eight columns framed the Forum’s oldest temple and continue to stand out in the Forum landscape.
The eight remaining pillars of the Temple of Saturn are pictured on the far left
Alternate Views of the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill
On our last day in Rome, we followed the periphery of Palatine Hill and the Forum when walking from the Mouth of Truth to the Colosseum Metro stop, and I enjoyed the panoramic views of the Hill almost as much as our walkabout inside earlier in our trip. We did not see the Forum illuminated at night, but I’ve heard that is a pretty spectacular sight. If admission to the Forum is combined with Colosseum tickets, it is definitely worthwhile to make a quick visit. However, for families pressed for time, the Colosseum is definitely the more impressive site. Just make sure to take a walk around the periphery to appreciate the glory of ancient Rome.
View of Palatine Hill from Via del Circo Massimo
Best Way to Visit the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill
If we were to do it again, I would definitely plan for no more than an hour visit to the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, enter at the Forum (even if the line was longer), focus on the Roman Forum and possibly just poke around the top of Palatine Hill before heading out.
To find out more about family travel to Italy, check out our other blog posts about Rome, Florence and Venice and our listing of all destinations in Italy.
The Louvre in Paris is the largest and most visited art museum in the world with 400,000 art works and a permanent collection of about 35,000 on display. It is housed in the Louvre Palace, a former royal palace that dates back to the 12th century. The Louvre became a museum in 1793 during the French Revolution and has been expanded and renovated many times over the past 800 years. The Louvre may not seem like a museum that welcomes children with open arms, but it is actually one of the most stroller-friendly museums we have ever visited. So, there is no reason to skip it when traveling with children. Here are our top 10 tips for visiting Musee du Louvre with kids:
A Visit to the Louvre For Kids
Tip #1: Buy Skip the Line Louvre Tickets Online in Advance
We booked a 9:30 am entry on our first morning in Paris directly through the Louvre’s website. Pre-booked adult tickets cost €17 each, which is just slightly more than the €15 entrance fee for tickets purchased at the museum. All visitors under age 18 are free. Considering admission for our family of five to almost any US museum seems to cost at least $75, €34 to visit the Louvre seemed like an absolute bargain, and we didn’t think twice about the extra €4 necessary for advanced booking.
Tip #2: Eat Before Arriving at the Louvre With Children
The Louvre requires a good bit of walking. It is important to arrive with children who are well rested and well fed. We stopped at Franprix for a delicious breakfast of freshly squeezed orange juice and amazing bread and pastries. We didn’t stop to eat at one of the Louvre’s cafes or restaurants during the three hours we spent there, choosing not to risk long lines and instead enjoyed lunch at a British pub during England’s Quarterfinal World Cup match afterwards.
Tip #3: Arrive at the Louvre Early or Late
Our flight arrived in Paris in the evening, and in hindsight, it may have been a bit ambitious to plan a 9:30 am museum arrival the next morning. But, we had a full night of sleep and arrived at the Louvre on time. We definitely noticed that the Louvre became much busier by late morning. The Louvre is also open until 9:45 p.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays, and it is typically less crowded during those evening hours. When planning a Paris itinerary, note that the Louvre is closed on Tuesdays, January 1, May 1 and December 25.
We entered through the Louvre Pyramid, the iconic glass and metal pyramid that was designed by the Chinese-American architect I.M. Pei and completed in 1989. The Pyramid and underground lobby were created so that the Louvre could better accommodate its increasing number of daily visitors. The Pyramid was designed for 4.5 million annual visitors, and the underground lobby had to be redesigned between 2014 and 2017 when the number of annual visitors rose from 4.5 million to over 8 million. We talked about how I.M. Pei also designed the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s pyramid in Cleveland as we entered.
View from inside the Louvre Pyramid
Tip #4: Bring the Stroller to the Louvre
Even though it was necessary at times to carry our stroller up or down a flight of stairs, it’s understandable considering the building dates back to the late 12th century. Nonetheless, the Louvre Museum gets high marks for being stroller friendly. When we arrived at the Pyramid, we noticed separate lines for pre-booked tickets and visitors needing to purchase tickets from the box office, but neither had much of a line when we arrived. It didn’t matter because as soon as the guard saw our stroller, he ushered us through the middle of the two entrances to wait for the next circular open air hydraulic elevator into the museum. Our kids thought this was the coolest elevator we have ever been inside of and thought it looked like it belonged on a futuristic spaceship.
Strollers are welcome throughout the museum, and we rarely felt crowded. Elevators in the Louvre are reserved for the disabled (including children in strollers) and their accompanying parties. This is in stark contrast to Versailleswhere we had to check our stroller at left luggage before entering the Palace and the Vatican where wall to wall visitors in many galleries made it extremely hard to maneuver the stroller and where we were not permitted to use the elevators, which were reserved for those in wheelchairs only.
Tip #5: Don’t Forget the Louvre Map
The Louvre exhibits are seemingly endless. It’s absolutely massive and not possible to explore every exhibit in a single day. It is essential to bring a map and formulate a game plan. We should have downloaded and printed the Louvre interactive floorplan in advance, but we picked up a map underneath the Pyramid first thing.
Tip #6: Use Rick Steves as a Tour Guide at the Louvre
We traveled with Rick Steves’ Paris guide, which includes a 30 page annotated tour of the Louvre. This guide was perfect for us. I read Steves’ descriptive overviews about an exhibit or selected major works for my husband and kids and found that it provided the perfect nugget of information to help enhance the experience for our whole family. We otherwise would not have noticed the S-curve in Venus de Milo‘s back and the seam at her hips. We also made sure to examine the glass case next to Winged Victory of Samothrace with her outstretched thumb and finger, which was discovered in the 1950s.
Tip #7: Prioritize the Big Three at the Louvre
I vividly remember visiting the Louvre on my college backpacking trip and following pictures directing me to Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo and Winged Victory of Samothrace. These seem to be on everyone’s Louvre must see list. Because the Louvre is enormous, it takes some time to just navigate to each, but make sure not to rush through the amazing galleries along the way.
We started in the Sully Wing and first visited the Near Eastern Antiquities, which was impressive and not very crowded at all. My favorite was the Frieze of Archers from the fifth or sixth century B.C.
We then visited the Egyptian galleries before reaching the Gallery of Statues with perfect anatomic Greek sculptures in natural poses. Athena of Velletri stands at one side and Venus de Milo at the other. Athena of Velletri is a Roman replica of a Greek statue that dates from the 5th century B.C. Venus de Milo is an ancient Green sculpture created between 130 and 100 B.C. I love the juxtaposition of the goddesses of wisdom and beauty.
Athena of Velletri
Venus de Milo
We then headed into the Denon Wing to Winged Victory of Samothrace, which dates back to about 190 BC. This winged-woman standing on a ship commemorated a naval victory. I love that this massive statue is exhibited in a large open area with high ceilings rather than crammed into a gallery. We had a discussion about how fragile arms are on ancient statues and how they were often broken and lost.
Winged Victory of Samothrace
The Louvre statues were particularly impressive due to their age and preservation.
Of the “Big Three”, we visited the Mona Lisa last and realized when we saw the crowd that we should have made a b-line for this gallery as soon as we arrived.
Tip #8: Be Prepared for Mona Lisa‘s Paparazzi at the Louvre
Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa is virtually synonymous with the Louvre. This early 16th century Italian Renaissance painting has been on display in the Louvre since 1797. While the Louvre generally did not seem crowded on our Saturday morning visit, visitors line up to see the Mona Lisa, protected by bullet proof glass and guarded by guards. It took us several minutes to work our way up to the front of the crowd to get a picture of her famous smirk.
The word “paparazzi” comes to mind, and yes, Mona Lisa is much smaller than anyone expects (only about 21 inches by 30 inches!).
It doesn’t help that the Louvre’s largest painting, Paolo Veronese’s The Wedding Feast at Cana, is displayed on the opposite wall. I was drawn to Veronese’s massive canvas and surprised at how little attention it received as the visitors focused solely on Mona Lisa. The unexpected Venetian setting made me more excited about our upcoming trip to Venice a few days later. The juxtaposition of these two paintings definitely was one of the most interesting parts of the Louvre.
Even though I saw Mona Lisa 21 years ago, it was simultaneously exhilarating and slightly underwhelming to visit her on this trip. Nevertheless, Mona Lisa was the most memorable part of our Louvre visit for our kids. They remember the crowd, her auspicious smile and The Wedding Feast at Cana on the opposite wall. My son is convinced she’s planning something evil.
Tip #9: Don’t Forget to Look Up While Visiting the Louvre
Some of the most memorable art is located on the gallery ceilings. It’s easy to be so mesmerized by the art on the wall and not fully appreciate the architecture and ceiling art.
Tip #10:Take Forced Perspective Pictures in front of the Pyramid at the Louvre
The Louvre’s Pyramid is not only a world-renowned architectural icon but also a great place to take a forced perspective picture. There are a number of strategically placed pedestals in front of the Pyramid to make it easier to capture the perfect shot, which we most certainly used.
Thank you to Scott’s Cheap Flights for providing complimentary premium membership. All opinions are my own.
I have had a Scott’s Cheap Flights premium membership for about three months. While I was admittedly hesitant that the premium membership would be worth the cost of its $39 annual fee, I am already convinced that Scott’s Cheap Flights premium membership is well worth its annual fee for any traveler who makes at least one trip abroad each year. With three kids, our family needs to purchase five flights anytime we travel. We are constantly in search of discounted airfare to make international travel affordable. We use Google flights and monitor several fare deal websites and have taken advantage of several good deals that we have stumbled upon over the years, including round trip airfare to San Francisco for $130, to New Orleans for $80 and to Reykjavik for $370. However, it’s so time consuming to wade through all the offers that aren’t available from our local airports that I have to admit that I often don’t even open the automated fare deal emails I received. Now that I regularly receive Scott’s Cheap Flights’ ad free and filtered emails about amazing flight deals from only my desired airports, I have unsubscribed from the free services that used to send me automated emails and am certain that we will find better airfares through Scott’s than searching on our own as we’ve done over the past few years.
Review of Scott’s Cheap Flights
Scott’s Cheap Flights History
After Scott Keyes took advantage of a $130 round trip flight deal from New York City to Milan in 2013, he built an email list to let friends and colleagues know about other deals he found. Keyes partnered with co-founder Brian Kidwell in 2015. Now, Scott’s team monitors airfares and notifies its 1.6 million members when they find abnormally low fares on a specific route.
Scott Keyes and Brian Kidwell – Photo credit Scott’s Cheap Flights
Scott’s Cheap Flights Limited Membership Review
Scott’s Cheap Flights offers free limited memberships with impressive benefits. I tried out a limited membership before upgrading and found that limited members receive occasional cheap flight notifications from their geographic area but not filtered to include only the closest airports. When Scott’s Cheap Flights send limited members deal notifications, they delay them about 30+ minutes from the premium members’ notification. The deal alerts include ads, and Scott’s Cheap Flights makes sure to notify limited members of the amazing premium deals that they missed out on due to their limited membership. These alerts could definitely be useful but reminded me of many of the other free flight deal notifications. The emails and a few Scott’s Cheap Flights reviews definitely made me want the premium membership.
Is Scott’s Cheap Flights Premium Worth It?
Scott’s Cheap Flights Premium Review
I upgraded to a premium membership about 10 days after starting my limited membership. The welcome message indicated that premium subscribers receive three times as many deals and are “wayyyy” more likely to book a flight deal than limited members. After becoming a premium members and setting my airport selections, every fare deal I receive includes routes from the airports our family would consider using. Premium members also receive notification on fare deals to Hawaii and Alaska, peak season flights and mistake fares.
Each deal alert includes an introduction, discounted routes, lowest fares available, time frame, airlines, baggage costs, normal costs, special notes, estimate on how long the deal will last and a link to a sample Google search. Scott’s Cheap Flights does not earn a referral fee on flights booked.
Scott Keyes is always searching for low airfare – Photo credit Scott’s Cheap Flights
Scott’s Cheap Flight Deals I Wanted to Book
Due to our kids’ school schedule, our family does not plan to travel internationally until this Summer or Winter, and we don’t have a location nailed down. Most of the flight deals I’ve received through Scott’s Cheap Flights have been for travel through May 2019, so we haven’t been able to take advantage of anything yet. Nonetheless, when I an appealing fare deal shows up in my inbox, I often click on the Google Flights link just to test some dates around my kids’ Spring break. Sometimes, I am not able to find flights as low as advertised, which could mean that they already sold out. Other times, I find deals that are so good that I’ve had to restrain myself from booking trips.
My absolute favorite deal was a $276 round trip flight from Cleveland to Rome on Delta basic economy that included a full size carry-on and was available over our kids’ Spring break. Even though we just spent five days in Rome last July, this deal seemed too good to pass up. Similar flights were well over $1,000 each when I was looking last summer. Rome was such an phenomenal city, and I was desperate to find someone who could take advantage of this amazing fare deal. I didn’t have any luck, but pulling up one of my Scott’s Cheap Flights emails has been a cool party trick on several occasions when discussing bargain airfare. One friend who was booking insanely expensive holiday travel between Memphis and Cleveland was actually annoyed to learn that the Cleveland-Rome flight was a fraction of the cost of her Memphis-Cleveland flights.
The Colosseum in Rome
Here are some other sample fare deals that made me want to book flights:
$396 flight from Cleveland to Beijing on Air Canada, Delta or United with no baggage fees
$314 flight from Cleveland to Honolulu on American with carry on
$372 mistake fare flight from Cleveland to Zagreb on American, British Airways or Croatia Airlines
Is Scott’s Cheap Flights Premium Membership Worth the $39 Annual Fee?
Definitely! Even though we have not booked a Scott’s Cheap flight yet, we hope to travel to Southeast Asia or South America this year. I am certain that we are going to find a flight to Bangkok, Buenos Aires or somewhere else amazing through one of Scott’s Cheap Flights’ alerts at a savings of significantly more than $39. Also, the alert messages make me happy knowing that it is possible to travel internationally without blowing the budget on flights. I may have thousands of unread emails in my inbox, but I open every message from Scott’s. I just wish Scott’s Cheap Flights included more domestic travel. I’m itching to travel to Seattle or Portland and can never find any fare deals on my own.
We love taking family getaways in California! With a handful of major metropolitan areas, the Pacific Ocean, national parks, wine country and plenty of sun, there are endless destination options. We have spent many weekends traveling around California but are always looking for new places to explore. We asked fellow family travel bloggers to share their favorite California family weekend getaways and came up with this amazing list:
#1: Death Valley National Park
Death Valley National Park is an amazing destination to visit with kids of all ages. From the lunar looking landscapes to the massive sand dunes and expansive salt flats, kids of all ages will be mesmerized!
The top thing to do on any family itinerary at Death Valley is to spend some time at Mesquite Flats Sand Dunes. The furthest, tallest dune is about two miles out; however, families will have fun exploring the different dunes no matter how far they go. While visiting on this side of the park, take a detour to the only interpretive trail in Death Valley, the Saltwater Creek Trail. This is home to the elusive pupfish that families will enjoy searching for along the boardwalk trail. The best bet for pupfish sightings is during the spring. Heading deeper into the park, Badwater Basin is another must visit on any trip to Death Valley. This expansive salt flat sits 200+ feet below sea level and is considered the lowest point in North America. There is so much to do in the park, but no visit is complete without a stop (or two) at Zabriskie Point, which offers the most iconic views in Death Valley. View it from the top before heading out the Badlands Trail to see it from within as well!
Recommended by Karilyn Owen from No Back Home. Find out more from Karilyn about Death Valley with kids.
#2: Disneyland
Disneyland is just 40 minutes from Los Angeles International Airport and is a must-do family two-night getaway. Sure, there are plenty of crowds and high-priced expenditures that come with this particular holiday. But, a visit to the dreamland that Walt originally built also brings with it a sort of magic. Here’s our recommended itinerary:
Disneyland: Day One
Book the Character Dining Breakfast at Plaza Inn. It gets you inside before the crowds, and kids can bust a move with beloved characters while enjoying a decent buffet.
Visit original attractions from opening day (1955) like Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, Disneyland Railroad, Jungle Cruise and Mad Tea Party.
Meet Mickey & Minnie in Toontown before or after a home tour.
Book lunch at Blue Bayou inside the world of the Pirates of the Caribbean and dinner at Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen for live music, adult drinks and NOLA cuisine in Downtown Disney. (Note: Until the Star Wars Bar opens summer 2019, the general public can’t buy alcohol on property.)
Disney California Adventure (DCA): Day Two –
Casually stroll the boardwalk-themed waterside. Explore Cars Land.
Grab a cocktail. Enjoy rides as you come upon them. The feel is completely different here and can be done at a slower pace.
We recommend staying at Sheraton Park Hotel, an off-property hotel that is a short 15-minute walk from the entrance. Guests get a break from the hustle and bustle and get more bang for their buck. Families who book a Fireworks View Room on the Concierge Floor won’t regret it.
Hollywood is an amazing city to visit with kids. We spent an afternoon to exploring Hollywood after visiting Warner Brothers Studios. We parked on Hollywood Boulevard and walked the hall of fame listing all the Hollywood stars and took great delight in pointing out any Australians that made the cut. We briefly stopped at the Chinese Theater for a few photos. Next up was the famous Hollywood sign. We choose to view it from the Hollywood Bowl. The gates were open and we walked around and took some photos from the very rear seating area.
Warner Brothers Studios is a great tour, visitors see behind the scenes of many different sitcoms we have come to know and love. We did a quick skit on the Friends set sitting on the couch in the Central Peaks Cafe. Kids thought that was brilliant. Universal Studios was also a big hit with the kids. Especially popular was the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and all the new 4D thrill rides. The Back Stage tram ride took us around many of the sets for different films that we recognized from some of Hollywood’s blockbuster movies. Last but not least, we took a drive through Beverly Hills and down Rodeo Drive. Would have been nice to kick back in a convertible Mustang but our trusty Ford Mondeo hire car was more than fine!
Recommended by Sally Lucas from Our 3 Kids v the World. Find out more from Sally about Universal Studios with kids.
#4: Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park
Visiting the world’s tallest trees in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park with our family was like stepping into another planet. In fact, our kids often found themselves looking for Ewoks hiding among the massive tree trunks and head-high ferns during our visit. We later learned that George Lucas filmed his Endor scenes from Return of the Jedi right here in the Redwoods. Coastal redwood trees, which can grow up to 360 feet tall, are only found on the California coast, from Big Sur up to the Oregon border. There are plenty of redwood forests in California, but in our opinion, the best place to explore with children is Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park.
The trails in Redwoods are very accessible for kids, and there are interpretive programs that provide a closer look at the area’s wildlife and ecosystems. During our three-day visit, we camped under the canopy of massive trees and were able to explore many of the trails without ever getting in our car. We spent our mornings hiking through the fog, and our afternoons swimming in the gloriously cold and clean Smith River — seriously one of our top five swimming spots in the whole USA. The park is also just a short drive from the ocean in Crescent City, where we witnessed some of the most beautiful sunsets we’ve ever seen. Our weekend in the Redwoods is a trip we still talk about, and we can’t wait to go back.
Recommended by Tara Schatz from Back Road Ramblers. Find out more from Tara about Redwoods with kids.
#5: Joshua Tree National Park
Joshua Tree National Park is often described as ‘otherworldly’ and indeed, its peculiar landscape makes it one of the most unique and distinctive places in California.
Located about 3 hours by car from LA, Joshua Tree National Park lies where two different desert systems meet: the Colorado and the Mojave. The park is famous for the ‘Joshua trees’, big yucca plants stretching their arms to the sky, and giant boulders that erosion has carved into elaborate shapes that act as refuge for desert wildlife.
Despite the inhospitable climate, Joshua tree is fantastic to visit with kids. Several hikes such as Skull Rock discovery trail and Cholla cactus garden are suitable even for the youngest explorers and the rangers organise excellent kids activities such as the Dr Seuss inspired ‘I speak for the tree’ events about conservation.
The best way to visit Joshua tree is to drive to the area and spend a couple of days exploring different trails. Make sure not to miss the junior ranger program.
Recommended by Marta Correale from Learning Escapes. Find out more from Marta about visiting Joshua Tree with kids.
#6: Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe‘s laid-back vibe and abundance of outdoor activities make it my favorite place to visit with kids during any season. With stunning views of blue water and snow-capped mountains, the area is purposely underdeveloped to protect and maintain a pristine lake. In the winter, Tahoe is a wonderland. There are several ski resorts around the lake. For families, I recommend Northstar, Heavenly, or Squaw Valley. All have excellent ski schools, plus activities such as ice skating, sledding, snow tubing, bungee trampolining, shopping, dining, and even crafts like candle- and pottery-making.
The resorts are also popular spots in the summer, offering zip-lining, ropes courses, climbing walls, and gondola rides. But there’s so much more Tahoe offers in the summer. Every time we visit, we try to hike a new trail – and there are tons to explore! Tahoe also has beautiful beaches and every water sport imaginable. We have camped, kayaked, hiked, and biked. And Kings Beach on the north shore of Lake Tahoe has one of the best mini golf courses we’ve ever played!
We also love exploring by car. Driving around the lake, with its winding roads and incredible vistas, is quite an experience! Driving non-stop takes about three hours, but we stopped at all the beaches and scenic viewpoints we could find. At each stop, we took pictures and collected cool rocks or some of Tahoe‘s gigantic pine cones!
Recommended by Shannon Entin from the TV Traveler. Check out more of herCalifornia adventures.
#7: Los Angeles
Visitors could easily spend a week or more in Los Angeles with kids, however, it’s still a worthwhile trip for families who only have a few days. Weekend visitors will just have to be selective as to what they do. International visitors will most likely fly into LAX, and it may even be their first stop before moving on to explore other parts of the USA. LA is also the official end of the famous Route 66, so this a good place to start or end a road trip as well.
As to family friendly attractions in LA, they are endless! Some of the more popular attractions include Universal Studios and the Warner Bros Studio Tour. Other places I recommend for families are the Grammy Museum (great for music fans), Broad Museum (great for creative kids) and the Natural History Museum of LA County (great for little dinosaur fans).
For free activities, spend some time on Santa Monica beach and stroll down to Venice Beach to watch the buskers. For families who love to shop, check out the Grove a lovely outdoor mall and the Farmers Markets next door is great for lunch.
Recommended by Melissa Delaware from of Thrifty Family Travels. Find out more from Melissa about Los Angeles with kids.
#8: Malibu
Looking for an escape from the hustle and bustle of LA? Look no further than, Malibu, LA’s closest neighbor to the north. Stretching 21 scenic miles along the Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu is the stuff California dreams are made of. Malibu’s Mediterranean climate means warm dry summers and moderate winters. There are gorgeous beaches, world famous surf spots, fishing, hiking and plenty of dining, shopping, and museums to keep families occupied no matter the time of year. The best way to experience Malibu is in a car.
Experienced fisherman and first timers will both find the pier to be a great place to enjoy a day of fishing. We’ve been a few different times and have had great luck even enjoying an evening meal with our catch of the day. The Malibu Sport Fishing Pier is located at 23000 Pacific Coast Highway and is open daily from 6:30 am to sunset. Fishing permits are not required, and fishing rods, bait and tackle are available for rental on the Pier.
Zuma Beach, located at the northern end of Malibu, is one of LA’s most popular beaches. The drive to Zuma is spectacular in itself, and there are almost two miles of soft clean sand, a wide variety of beach activities, restaurants, public restrooms and plentiful parking.
An entire glorious day could be spent at Leo Carrillo State Park where activities at the park are many and include, exploring the tide pools, swimming, surfing, windsurfing, surf fishing, and beach combing. There are also caves and reefs for exploring, hiking trails, picnic tables and camping. Leo Carrillo is located at 35000 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu and is open from 8:00 am to 10:00 pm. The entrance to the park is on the East side of the Pacific Coast Highway. There are bathrooms and pay showers on site.
I love the beach, but I don’t love eating in the sand, which makes Neptune’s Net, located just a few miles north of Leo Carrillo State Park, a great place to grab a bite to eat prior to hitting the beach. Since 1956 it’s been a favorite of motorcyclists, surfers, locals and anyone else looking for a delicious basket of golden fish and chips. Expect a crowd, especially on weekends.
Recommended by Hilary from Hilary Style. Find out more from Hilary about Malibu with kids.
#9: Marin County
Marin County is a wonderful location for a family weekend. It is separated from San Francisco by the world-famous Golden Gate Bridge but offers many great kid-friendly activities. Our favorite is definitely Muir Woods National Monument. This magical redwood forest features the Sequoia sempervirens, the Earth’s tallest living things. These trees are around 250 feet tall and hundreds of years old. A walk through these woods is nothing short of awe-inspiring. We also enjoy visiting Point Reyes. Point Reyes is the windiest place on the Pacific Coast and the second foggiest place on the North American continent, so it’s no surprise that its famous lighthouse had to work overtime and is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Another great place to visit during a weekend in Marin County is the Marin County Civic Center, which was designed by one of our favorite architects, Frank Lloyd Wright. Marin County is a great destination for a weekend trip.
Mendocino is a fantastic city for families to visit in California. It is located just off the Pacific Coast Highway, three hours north of San Francisco. As a coastal small town, Mendocino boasts access to beautiful beaches, state parks and outdoor fun. Families can kayak through sea caves, bike or swim in Mendocino State Park, visit a museum downtown or hike Russian Gulch State Park. Those with smaller children may just enjoy wading in the Pacific Ocean. The dramatic cliffs make for a spectacular backdrop and one of the unique features here is that there are two rivers that meet the ocean – the Little River and Big River. Walking along the river bank and watching how the freshwater interacts with the salt water is fascinating.
For those who prefer a more wooded area, Jackson State Park and Mendocino National Park are within 30 min to an hour away. Here families can enjoy camping, boating, and walking among the redwoods. Families looking for a continued adventure further north than Mendocino can check out the Pacific Northwest.
Recommended by Margie from DQ Family Travel. Find out more from Margie about visiting the Pacific Northwest with kids.
#11: Monterey
Monterey is one of California’s most unsung treasures. Located just two hours south of San Francisco, Monterey is the perfect getaway for families traveling with children. On a recent trip, my family of four was blown away by the breadth of activities in Monterey – everything from California history, amazing marine life, hiking, and wine tasting is available! Every trip to Monterey should be anchored by the world-famous Monterey Bay Aquarium. Located on the bay, the aquarium is the perfect place to spend hours discovering and exploring marine life. We enjoyed, in particular, the amazing jellyfish exhibits, the beautiful views of Monterey Bay, and, the abundant marine themed play spaces for children, which came in particularly handy on a rainy morning.
In addition to Monterey Bay Aquarium, families should absolutely take advantage of California’s beautiful outdoors. Visit the Dennis the Menace Playground and take a paddle boat ride on Lake El Centro. Take a walk alongside the Asilomar State Beach, where the boardwalk meanders along 25 acres of restored sand dunes. And if you’re feeling particularly adventurous, Jacks Peak Park is an ideal location for families looking to hike with young children as it is perfectly manageable for little legs and the heavy forestry provides abundant shade and cool on warm days.
If time permits, be sure to check out an integral part of California history – the Carmel Mission. Built in 1770, the Mission provides a quick primer of California’s rich Spanish missionary history and is also the final resting place of Juniper Serra, the priest who founded the first missions in California.
When we planned a family vacation to Northern California, my husband and I did not want to miss an opportunity to visit some of the country’s best wineries just because we were traveling with our two young sons. We regularly visited Grand River Valley wine country in Ohio with them, and the rare treat of drinking grape juice even more when it was served in wine glasses. While none of the wineries served grape juice in wine glasses and only one offered them Capri Sun, they enjoyed taking winery tours and riding an aerial tram at Sterling Vineyards, watching grape stomping at Grgich Hills Estates, frolicking in the vineyards at Andretti Winery, picnicking at V. Sattui and even taking a nap during a tasting at Beaulieu Vineyard. But, their highlight was really our suite at the Meritage Resort and Spa. Napa Valley may not be welcoming, but we would definitely plan a repeat trip next time we are in the area. The scenery itself is breathtaking.
Recommended by We Go With Kids. Find out more about Napa with kids.
#13: San Diego
San Diego might be one of the best family-friendly destinations in the U.S. It’s great for a weekend stay – or longer. There are both unique activities and attractions as well as beautiful scenery and beaches. For animal loving families, it’s an ideal location with the world-famous San Diego Zoo, San Diego Safari Park, and whale watching boats.
One of our family’s favorite things to do in San Diego was spying on seals and sea lions and inspecting the tidal pools at La Jolla Cove. Legoland California is a must-do for theme park junkies and is perfect for kids under 12. A trip via ferry (or by car) to Coronado Island offers a beautiful beach, but I’d also check out the grand old Hotel del Coronado and the cute seaside restaurants and shops. Gaslamp Quarter offers some great restaurants, and don’t forget to eat some fish tacos!
San Francisco is an amazing family destination because there are endless things to do – literally. Our list of things to experience in San Francisco keeps growing because new places are popping up all the time! We live here, but if anyone wants to get here, families can fly into San Francisco or Oakland airport, or there are trains from all over the country into Emeryville, right across the Bay Bridge. It is about a 7-hour drive from Los Angeles area.
In San Francisco, families can visit kids museums, aquariums, see sea lions at Fisherman’s’ Wharf, visit Alcatraz, eat the best dim sum in Chinatown, roam around the Golden Gate Park and spot bison. There are special events happening all year round – holidays are big here in San Francisco. Also, traveling families may not consider San Francisco as a budget-friendly city, but there are over 200 free things to do with kids in San Francisco! So don’t let the average hotel price is $397 per night scare you from coming. That’s not all – there are national parks and kid-friendly wineries in every direction within an hour of a drive!
Recommended by Emily Jenks from Henry and Andrew’s Guide. Find out more from Emily about San Francisco with kids.
#15: Santa Barbara
With it’s beautiful coastline, perfect Mediterranean climate and gleaming white mission style buildings Santa Barbara is one of the most beautiful, if not the most beautiful, coast city in California. Throw in great shopping, its many fascinating sights, including the Mission, botanic gardens, a renowned natural history museum and an adorable zoo with ocean views, it’s pretty much the perfect place for a relaxing family weekend. Just two hours from Los Angeles, Santa Barbara can also make a great day trip.
My boys really love Santa Barbara’s many playgrounds. Many of them have fun interactive statues, great climbing trees, and there is even a beachside carousel.
The Santa Barbara Missionis located within acres of beautiful gardens overlooking the city of Santa Barbara and the Pacific Ocean. Guided or self guided tours are available we enjoyed exploring the grounds on our own. I was most excited about visiting the final resting place of the heroine from one of my favorite childhood books, theIsland of the Blue Dolphins.
The city’s Natural History Museum may be small, but it packs a lot of punch. surprised to learn that 150,000 people visit the Museum every year. We really enjoyed our afternoon here.
The Santa Barbara Zoo is an absolutely lovely little zoo with a fabulous ocean view. The gardens are beautiful and finding your way around is relatively easy. There are many unique animals and if you’re interested you can even feed the giraffe.
Santa Barbara is relatively compact and many activities are within easy walking distance of one another, including the zoo. However, the Santa Barbara Mission, Natural History Museum and Botanical Gardens are a bit further out and require transportation
Recommended by Hilary from Hilary Style. Find out more from Hilary about Santa Barbara with kids.
#16: Santa Cruz
“Keep Santa Cruz Weird” is a bumper sticker or t-shirt slogan often seen in the Central Coastal California region advertising this quirky Monterey Bay beach town. But is Santa Cruz really that… strange? Bring your kids for a weekend and find out!
A family weekend in Santa Cruz is probably going to start out with a trip to the famous Boardwalk. Here there is a small amusement park, arcades and every fried food imaginable and its right on the beach! Be sure to try the Giant Dipper coaster, which has been in operation since 1924.
After riding the rides, head north along West Cliff Drive (Beautiful homes and stunning views) to my favorite Santa Cruz beach, Natural Bridges State Park. Relax in the sand, or take a dip in the {probably very cold} Pacific.
After a beautiful sunset at Natural Bridges, head into town to browse the funky shops, eat at one of the cafes (I love the Saturn Café for all things vegetarian) or grab a treat or ice cream on Pacific Avenue. My kids also loved eating at Pizza My Heart, not just for the pizza, but to look at all the surf memorabilia and to score a $10 t-shirt! For families spending more time in Santa Cruz, take a surf lesson (or watch the surfers at Cowell Beach), head to the Lighthouse at Seabright Beach, tour the campus at UCSC or hit up the famous Mystery Spot, which is a silly tourist destination, that well, I guess is a little weird!
Recommended by Harmony Skillman from Momma to Go. Find out more from Harmony about Santa Cruz with kids.
#17: Ventura County
One of my family’s favorite places to visit in California is Ventura County. We get to play in the ocean, hike in the mountains, visit islands, and learn about California history.
Weekend visitors to Ventura County should make sure to visit Channel Islands National Park on one day. The boat leaves from Channel Island Harbor, and it takes about one hour to get to Anacapa Island. During the journey, it is possible to see whales, seals, and other marine wildlife. Once there, families can explore this tiny island on foot, easily covering the two miles of trails before the boat ride back.
On the other day, we recommend visiting the San Buenaventura Mission and learning about the Spanish influence in this state. Ride your bike (or rent one) along the bike path next to the beach, or stroll through Ventura Harbor Village and enjoy the shops, restaurants, pedal boat rentals, and Channel Islands National Park Visitor Center. Make sure to get ice cream, too!
#18: Yosemite National Park and Sequoia National Park
Our family loves U. S. National Parks and decided to take a detour to two of California’s most visited parks during a recent family road trip. These parks are massive, and visitors could easily spend a week at each. With proper planning and research, it’s possible to enjoy many of the amazing views while bringing little ones along. Our family of six embarked on a family trip along the California coast and decided to maximize our cross-country flights by starting our adventure by visiting both Sequoia and Yosemite National Parks. We were not disappointed. A key to successfully taking on these national parks in one weekend is extensive advance planning. Key accommodation decisions are whether to stay onsite or offsite in a nearby town and at a hotel or camping. Advance lodging reservations are a must, especially during peak season.
Our itinerary: We arrived in LA on an early morning cross-country flight from Boston and drove to Sequoia, making a pit stop at Salty’s BBQ for lunch). At Sequoia, we visited the Giant Forest and hiked the family-friendly Big Trees Trail. We left Sequoia after sunset and drove to Fresno for the night. The next day, we spent a full day at Yosemite with an early start (a must to secure parking in the park) and visited Yosemite Falls and Half Dome. Lastly, we drove to San Francisco for the night. Pro tip: pack water, snacks, sunblock and insect repellent and arrive early or late as mid-day is crowded and can be particularly frustrating with cranky children.
Recommended by Ruth Mendes from Have Kiddos Will Travel. Find out more from Ruth about Yosemite or Sequoia.
Ready to plan a weekend trip in California? Check out all of our posts on the Golden State.
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Although this was my guy’s first time in the RideSafer vest, he took to it easily. About halfway through our journey, however, he did start to complain that he was hot. I should have known better and had him take off his hoodie before strapping him into the vest. Aside from that, the travel vest was comfortable enough that he even fell asleep in it on the way home (sans hoodie, which I did remember to take off before strapping him in).
It doesn’t help that the Louvre’s largest painting, Paolo Veronese’s 
Even though I saw Mona Lisa 21 years ago, it was simultaneously exhilarating and slightly underwhelming to visit her on this trip. Nevertheless, Mona Lisa was the most memorable part of our Louvre visit for our kids. They remember the crowd, her auspicious smile and The Wedding Feast at Cana on the opposite wall. My son is convinced she’s planning something evil.
Recommended by Karilyn Owen from No Back Home. Find out more from Karilyn about 
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