Seek Your Trip

Travel bucket lists and other ideas for adventures of a lifetime

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6 Great Destinations for Family Holidays

Traveling with family, especially one that includes young children is very different from traveling solo. There may be some destinations that you would rather do on an adult only holiday, but there are some destinations that are perfect for a family holiday. With loads for the kids to do and discover, it just wouldn’t be the same without them. Here are six of the best destinations if you are traveling with children.

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Disneyland, Paris

This one had to be top of the list. Many adults long to go to Disneyland, but wait for children as an excuse to go. Everyone loves a Disneyland break. There is so much to do, from rides and site seeing, to meeting your favourite Disney Heroes. The kids will have a great time, too.

Devon, UK

If you don’t fancy taking them on a plane, there’s a wealth of beauty and fun to be found along our own south coast. Devon has gorgeous scenery, fantastic sandy beaches, and safe waters. There is something for everyone. With many holiday parks offering kids clubs and entertainment, a trip to Devon could be the ideal first family holiday.

Brittany, France

Brittany is a little further afield, but still a relatively short trip. With long stretches of golden sand, as well as plenty of culture to explore, and some fantastic places to eat, Brittany is the ideal family vacation.

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Florida, USA

Florida is one for older children. With theme parks and resorts a plenty, there’ll be no time to be bored. If you are thinking of a trip to Florida, you might want to go for two weeks to make sure you have time for everything. Just a few of the places you’ll want to visit include:

  • Universal Studios
  • Disneyworld
  • Everglades National Park
  • Kennedy Space Centre
  • SeaWorld

Kos, Greece

Kos is one of the smaller Greek islands, but it still has plenty to offer a family. Kos is a quieter destination than many on the list, so it gives you a great chance to relax and explore as a family. In recent years, more hotels have added family friendly facilities, with more for the kids to do. Then there are beach sports, and tours to try, as well as lots of culture and some amazing local cuisine.

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The Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

The Galapagos islands have featured on many a nature documentary, and there is a reason why. If you’re a family of explorers, this might be the one for you. With so many different kinds of wildlife to see first-hand, it’s a fantastic experience, and one the kids will relish telling their friends about when they return to school.

Traveling with children can be wonderful. They view everything with such an innocent curiosity you can’t help but be caught up in their excitement and wonder. To make traveling easier, be organised. Visit the London Travel Clinic for any travel vaccinations you might need. Apply for passports and visas well in advance. Make sure you change your currency, and write yourself a comprehensive packing list.

Lastly, remember to have fun!

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Everything You Need for a Successful Family Vacation

A family vacation should be cause for excitement. So it’s imperative to ensure you invest in some careful planning to endure a mishap-free journey and keep stress to a minimum, enabling you to relax and enjoy yourselves. Here is a list of everything you need for a successful family vacation:

  • Plan ahead. Last minute stress will get a family vacation off to a bad start. Vacations are all about relaxing, so do everything you can before you leave to make life easier for yourself. Booking flights well in advance will also save money, so you will have more spending money for fun activities.
  • Be flexible. However much you plan ahead, expect something different and embrace spontaneity.
  • Make sure to bring something for the kids to do on long journeys; they are likely to make spectacles of themselves if there’s nothing to hold their attention. Digitise your CD and DVD collection, sell the obsolete physical copies on http://www.musicmagpie.com, and invest in an MP3 player or tablet to keep the kids busy.
  • Consider travel insurance. Kids are great at throwing a spanner in the works so it might be worth the extra cost to get insurance. You may want to be covered in case anything gets lost or a member of your family injures themselves.
  • Take with you some family health records, identification and vaccination history, especially when visiting areas with high risk of tropical diseases. Should a member of your family get lost or fall ill, this information will help the local authorities to remedy the situation.
  • Make a note of important details like flight numbers, hotel confirmation, important contacts etc. Keep all your paperwork and passports in one place will make them easy to find when they are needed.
  • Bring a few home comforts. Whether it’s their favourite food or a special toy, take a few things to keep the kids comfortable. Holidays can be exciting but daunting experiences, especially for young children, so pack accordingly.
  • Prepare for the weather. Check the weather report before leaving and pack plenty of sun cream and waterproofs as appropriate.
  • Get a guidebook and a map of the local area. Getting lost and or bored in a strange place is bound to lead to familial disputes. Avoid arguments by bringing these essential items. But don’t stick religiously to the guidebook – seek out your own original experiences.
  • Have an open mind. Embrace spending time with the family and open yourself up to new experiences. Don’t be distracted by work issues, these will only detract from the overall experience. Give your family the attention they need, but don’t be afraid to take some time alone to unwind.

If you keep all these things in mind, there’s nothing stopping you from enjoying a successful family vacation this year.

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Amsterdam Family Holiday Itinerary

Telling your friends you’re taking your kids to Amsterdam doesn’t always garner the most enthusiastic responses. The scores of coffee shops and the red light district don’t necessarily give out a very child-friendly impression to parents. However, it’s a common misconception that Amsterdam is for adults only.

The truth is that there are plenty of family-friendly activities to do in Amsterdam – you just have to know where to look. After you’ve browsed through the Amsterdam hotels from Expedia, you should start thinking about what you’re going to treat your family to. For the sake of brevity, we’ve mentioned just a handful of the many things you can treat your family to in the city.

Vondelpark

Vondelpark seems to be Amsterdam’s reply to Central Park in New York. When the weather is good, it’s a great place to hang out with the little ones. It’s the largest park in the city, located just south of the Leidseplein. Over 110 acres, it’s absolutely huge, and you can spend the entire day exploring it on bike.

You’ll be genuinely surprised at how much stuff there is to do in the park. There’s an outdoor theatre that has live musical performances for free during the summer. Also, Amsterdam’s Film Museum is located at the centre of the park, which is an absolute must if you’re a film buff. It hosts over 35,000 films and all kinds of film memorabilia. If you’ve got time for a movie, check out their classic Dutch film screenings.

Pancake Boat Cruise

Yes, you read that right. This cruise takes you around Amsterdam while filling you up with all-you-can-eat pancakes. It’s very comfortable, and the pancakes are delicious. Keep filling your belly as you admire Amsterdam’s gorgeous skyline, as well as other great views of the city.

The Pancake Boat is docked in Amsterdam Noord, and the length of the trips is negotiable. You can choose to go for an hour or two and a half hours – depending on how hungry you are. If pancakes aren’t really your thing, there are other food-themed cruises, like the Mexican Wrap Dinner Cruise or the Brunch Cruise.

Nemo

Nemo is a science centre and museum that’s geared specifically towards kids and teenagers. The largest science centre in the Netherlands, it receives over 500,000 visitors a year, and is Amsterdam’s fourth most-visited museum. Its popularity is definitely warranted.

It packs in five floors of interactive exhibitions. Your kids won’t want to leave – it’ll be particularly difficult to tear them away from the giant domino contraptions and the DNA experiments. You’ll be glad you visited, and your kids are bound to thank you for it.

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Photo by bcnbits on Flickr

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About Seek Your Trip

Here at Seek Your Trip, we post twice-weekly articles that will get your travel juices flowing. The idea is to inspire you to get out there and explore far-flung places and unusual cultures.