EXPLORE THE WORLD

destinations we loved (and exactly how we planned them)

Family travel is one of the best ways to open your kids’ world — new places, cultures, food and experiences that broaden horizons and create shared memories. Every school holiday is a chance to go somewhere different, whether that’s the UK, short‑haul, medium‑haul, or long‑haul travel, depending on your budget and time.

We share our real itineraries and exactly how we put them together — including booking internal flights, trains and tours in other countries. You’ll also find the real numbers for what we spent, the best season to travel, and the weather we actually experienced, so you can plan with confidence (not guesswork).

We’re not an “outdoorsy” family — we like a nice hotel and comfort. Our trips aren’t always the cheapest, but they’re chosen for the best overall value: the right location, space for families, breakfast, parking (where it matters), and the practical details that make travelling easier. Every trip is researched to within an inch of its life — and we share the details to make family travel feel more doable for everyone.

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LONG HAUL > 7 HOURS

Ideal for longer school holidays, long‑haul trips are best suited to 2 - 3 week itineraries, they take more planning but deliver the biggest rewards. These journeys offer deeper cultural experiences, iconic sights, and moments that genuinely widen children’s world view.

We share detailed, comfort‑first itineraries — how we structured travel days, booked internal flights and trains, chose hotels with space and location in mind, and what the trips really cost.

INDIA

Experience the magic of the Taj Mahal, wonder of India's forts and culture, plus some unique family hotels

COSTA RICA

Explore jungles, beaches, and hot spring hotels whilst balancing adventure with rest.

THAILAND

Combine jungle, beaches and unique cultural destinations, whilst balancing adventure with rest.

ORLANDO & SOUTH FLORIDA

A Florida road trip itinerary blends theme parks, wildlife, beaches, and island‑hopping into one easy, family‑friendly adventure.

COLORADO & SOUTH DAKOTA

Experience epic road trips, wide‑open landscapes, and national monuments.

NEW YORK CITY

The perfect add on to a wider US itinerary - explore sky scrapers, interactive museums and the best of US food.

medium haul 4 - 6 hours

Best suited to Easter and Summer holidays (7 - 10 day itineraries), or half term with a tighter itinerary, medium‑haul trips (around 4–6 hours flying) strike the balance between adventure and manageability. They offer history, wildlife, and landscapes that feel truly different — without going fully long‑haul.

We show how to pace these trips with kids, including routes, transfers and tours, alongside real budgets, seasons, and weather so families know exactly what they’re signing up for.

TENERIFE

Kayaking, Siam Park, cave exploration, and warm May or October sunshine make Tenerife a fab half term choice

JORDAN

This incredible road trip World Wonder Petra, float dead sea, desserts nights of wadi rum and beaches of aqaba

TURKEY

Rich history, unique experiences, and beach time — all without ultra‑long flights.

SHORT HAUL < 4 HOURS

Perfect for half‑term breaks and short holidays, short‑haul trips are the easiest way to travel with kids. Our focus is mainly Europe and winter ski breaks, where travel is simple, distances are short, and itineraries stay relaxed.

These trips deliver culture, great food, and memorable experiences — without long travel days. We share family‑friendly itineraries, where to stay for the best locations and value, and how to make the most of limited time.

GIBRALTER

Search out the apes on the Rock of Gibraltar, experiencing the history and mystery of the St Michaels Cave

ITALY

Ancient ruins, pizza‑making, and gelato breaks make Rome and its surroundings an ideal half‑term escape..

MAINLAND SPAIN

From segwaying around the city to meeting the monkeys of Gibraltar and walking the stunning Caminito del Rey.

RUKA, FINLAND

Close to Lapland, Ruka offers the full winter‑wonderland experience — reindeer rides, snowmobiling, meeting Santa — while being an excellent beginner‑friendly ski resort.

PASSO TONALE, ITALY

A compact, family‑friendly resort, set high in the mountains and known for its easy beginner slopes and convenient catered accommodation.

LA THUILE, ITALY

A fantastic choice for first‑time skiers looking for a quiet, practical resort right by the slopes — we’ve loved it so much we’ve been back multiple times.

pLANNING TIPS

When to Book

We usually aim to book our trips around a year in advance, as soon as flights are released. This gives the best choice on flight times and routes, and often better value on family‑friendly hotels. In general, the earlier you can book long‑haul summer travel, the more options you’ll have — especially for school holiday dates.

Booking Tools

Start with comparison websites like Trip.com to review the latest flight, hotel, and route options. For long‑haul travel, it’s worth considering a short connection, which can significantly reduce costs. If your itinerary allows, a multi‑city flight can also make sense — for example, flying into one city and out of another, as we did in the USA (into Denver and out of New York), then booking internal flights to travel between destinations.

Trip.com is also a useful place to look for car rentals, hotels, and pre‑booked airport transfers in one place. That said, for accommodation we personally tend to favour Hotels.com and Expedia, mainly because their loyalty schemes have consistently worked well for us on longer trips.

Finding Thing to Do

Start with our country‑specific blog posts, where we share activities we recommend based on our own research and personal experience travelling as a family. We focus on things that genuinely work well with kids, not just the headline attractions.

You can also browse platforms like Get Your Guide and Viator to explore tours and activities — they’re a great way to see what’s available, compare options, and build an itinerary that suits your family’s interests and pace.

Setting a Budget

We always start with a realistic budget for each destination and build the trip from there. For every major trip on the site, you’ll find a full budget breakdown showing exactly what we spent and where — flights, accommodation, activities, transport, and extras — to help families plan future trips with fewer surprises. Find them on the destination pages.

What to pack?

Over the years, we’ve learned a lot about what’s worth packing — and what never leaves the suitcase. That’s why for every big trip we share a practical, family‑tested packing list, designed to help you pack smarter, lighter, and with confidence for the destination you’re heading to. Find them on the destination pages.

A quick note on links: some of the links in this post are affiliate links. If you choose to book through them, we may earn a small commission — at no extra cost to you.

We only ever share places, tours, and experiences we’ve personally used and genuinely enjoyed. If you’re planning your own family summer trip, feel free to use these links as a starting point — they’re the same ones that helped us plan efficiently, avoid unnecessary expense, and cut down hours of searching.