13 nights, March/April – Utah’s big 5, Monument Valley Navajo tribal park, Horseshoe Bend, Antelope Canyon, Las Vegas

We took the Kayenta trail down to the start of the lower and middle emerald pool trails. This trail has a lot of drop offs so it’s important to make sure the kids knew to keep to the side and stay close. It gains elevation but is not intense and is very manageable. It had some amazing views! 

At the junction for the emerald pools we opted to do the lower pool first. There are some steps down at this point which are steep in places, and again there are some drop offs to be aware of. The path around to the lower pool is spectacular and, once there, seeing the waterfalls coming down over the edges was beautiful. Especially with the light passing through it. The bridge at the grotto entrance of the trail is closed so you need to turn back after enjoying this and walk back on yourself. At the junction to return to the Kayenta trail or head down the middle emerald pool trail we opted for the latter. 

We then passed back the way we came to reach the beginning of the trails again. We chose to walk down to Zion lodge from here, arriving there around 3 hours after we started the trails. As we were coming off the trail there were a lot of people starting it. As such, I would recommend starting out as early as possible for the quietest trails experience. 

Day 4 – Zion to Bryce – a drive of dreams. The views were spectacular! The journey was around 2 hours and passed by quickly with the changing landscape. We stopped at a couple of lookouts on the way out of Zion as part of this timing. As we neared Bryce (at the beginning of April) we found ourselves driving among falling snowflakes with a moody looking sky ahead. This left use both excited and appt ways to what we would face when arriving at Bryce, with a plan to complete the Navajo/ Queen’s garden loop. 

We continued on to the Queen’s garden route. This portion was longer but flatter for a period of time followed by a gradient that was far less steep than ascending the two bridges. Those that we saw doing that section in reverse looked tired and were stopping regularly. Though the counterclockwise route ascends, it feels like a much more gradual gradient. The sun was coming out here and there and we felt less cold than we had at the start of the walk (it had been sub zero temperatures). Every glance forwards, backwards and sideways revealed a new vista that was snow covered. We arrived at sunrise point and then walked the flat, paved path back to sunset point. As we arrived, the snow started to fall again and got heavier the closer we got back to the visitors centre. We had been lucky to take the walk at the time we had. In total, we probably spent around 2 hours on the trail which encompassed plenty of stopping points to enjoy the view. My reflection – the snowy conditions left the walk feeling magical and wonderful for the children. But for myself, I would have enjoyed doing it a little later in the season with less peril and the option to walk the Wall Street path. The counterclockwise route was by far the best with the children. Had it have been just the two of us, I would have added in the Peekaboo trail as a figure of eight (it would have been a little too long to keep the girls on board). 

Day 5 – Bryce to Moab – The road from Bryce out to Capitol reef state park was what some might call adventure but what I would call perilous! As we drove the snow kicked up again. Following the curves of the road in icy condition, in a hire car, was nerve-wracking. The views that we could see were amazing. We were up in the clouds and at points everything appeared white. We crossed a portion of road that was covered in snow and we were sliding as we drove at a snails pace. At this point I was completely regretting all my road trip decisions! As we descended from the higher altitude the roads got better. We arrived at Capitol reef state park and there was light snow fall in the air. 

 

From here we drove up to the devils garden picnic stop and had an early lunch. We then took the devils garden trailhead to landscape arch. This is a 2 mile round trip. The plan was to return at this point but we saw the path onwards to Navajo and partition arch which involved some fun scrambling up rocks. The children had a second wind and were keen to go onwards. As such we probably completed around 3 miles round trip. The last part with the scrambling is not physically tiring but definitely a bit of stretching and caution as there were plenty of places you could slip or fall. However, it was a lot of fun and no-one regretted adding this section in. 

We then stopped at sand dune arch. There’s a 2 mile round trip walk at this stop that takes in some other arches. However, the wind had picked up and there was some on and off rain so we chose to finish up at this point. We drove back town to the visitors centre. 

My reflections from Arches – start early! As with all the parks I’ve noticed that by the time we have been leaving our first trail the number of hikers and cars have really picked up. I think we were there during spring break which probably added to the numbers, but there was definitely a change in the flow of people after 10am. You could definitely manage 3 shorter hikes in one day. You need to take lunch with you as there’s no lodge in the park. You also need plenty of water. There was a refill station at Devils garden parking but it was out of service. The weather seemed to be in a cold dip whilst we were there. Looking at the days either side of our trip it had been around 20 degrees centigrade. It was pretty chilly during our trip and the day prior to our arrival it had snowed! 

Day 8 – Canyonlands national park – we didn’t leave ourselves enough time to really take in Canyonlands. As such, we only got a brief glimpse of what the park had to offer. One full day or two days would have given ample exploration of the main areas of Canyonlands – such as Island in the sky. So we packed in a short 3.5 hour visit with the Upheaval dome hike to both lookout 1 and 2 (3.5km; 1h 15) and then the Mesa arch loop (1.2km 40mins). We took our time on both walks to enjoy the views and have a snack and drink. We weren’t short changed on the views! With more time there were some other short trails that could be done and a few lookouts. Canyonlands is a huge park and to see all the different areas would take a holiday in itself! 

Canyonlands to Monument Valley national park – 177 miles (3.5h). We took this journey in pretty much one whole drive. There are some sights to see along the route – Wilson’s arch, Mexican hat, Forrest Gump point. If you have time there is also the Valley of the gods as a scenic drive. This is fairly near to Monument Valley national park so wouldn’t be the ideal stopping point for a break. 

Monument Valley Navajo tribal park – we planned to stay here one night and booked the sunset tour which starts from the lodge in the park at 5pm. As we arrived we wondered if we weren’t just better doing the self-drive. After the trip, we had no regrets! The tour is very much off road and you’d need a good 4WD to do it without damage to the car. So, particularly if you have a hire car, the guided tour is worth it. In addition, they can take you to some areas that you cannot drive out to in your own car. The tour was 2.5 hours and the guides knew good spots to stop, take photos, etc. they pointed out the different monuments and petroglyphs. 

We had then booked to stay at Gouldings lodge. This is about 10 minutes from the park entrance. It’s very handy and has good amenities- a diner, gift shop and an indoor pool. The rooms (if set up as 2 queens) are not large and they’re quite dated. However, for a night, whilst exploring Monument Valley, it was very functional.   

There are other activities around Page – water sports on Lake Powell, other canyon tours, horse riding, etc. However, I would say they are all pretty expensive when looking to do them for a family. I couldn’t find any boat trips that seemed a reasonable price point. Another word of warning if you haven’t travelled to this area before – they have pool seasons. We were there in early April and the hotel’s pool was not yet open. The weather had really improved as we arrived in Page and the girls would have been very happy to dip into a pool at that point in the trip! We had been due to spend 2 nights in Page but we realised the girls were ready to relax at this point so we made plans to leave for Las Vegas the next day.

Page – Las Vegas – After our canyon tour we drove back over to Las Vegas. There are plenty of options to break up the journey. Had we of left Page in the morning we would have done so.

Kanab: Sand Hollow state park; Quail creek state park 

St George: Pioneer park; St George dinosaur discover site; Red hills desert garden

Days 11 – 13 – Las Vegas. Time for some downtime (of sorts)! Waking up in Page with no accommodation booked for the first night in Las Vegas, we did some research and found that last minute weeknight rates at some of the hotels on the strip were great value. So that first night we stayed at Fontainbleau – This was up at the opposite end of the strip to where we stayed for the next two nights – Mandalay Bay. Both hotels were great for what we needed – pool time. They were both very different in style and Mandalay Bay has a huge fun pool complex with it’s lazy river, wave pool, ‘beach’ and various other pools. Fontainbleau, in contrast, has a very chic rooftop pool area which gives off glamour vibes. You feel you need your best swimsuit on at this pool to pose with a cocktail! Over the course of our days there we walked parts of the strip, ate at various places along the strip, watched O by Circque du Soleil, Popovich’s comedy pet theatre. I also met a friend for food and drinks in the arts district and went to the shops at Henderson

This was all very possible with two daughters aged 10 and 6 years who are reluctant hikers! We found that the trails had enough interest and thrills to keep them interested for the full walk. Ensuring we had the afternoons generally free also helped bring them on board with doing the longer walks we had planned!

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What do you do when a last minute catch up with friends is planned in London?

• Surprise the girls
• Let your friends book the hotel
• Drive because of the train strikes
• Be completely unplanned and go with the flow!

We hadn’t seen the ‘family’ (as we call them – they are complete unrelated but amazing friends) since much earlier in the year. The girls have been asking multiple times per week if we had organised when we were seeing them next. So when a plan was hatched I suggested we keep it a surprise for them. We kept mentioning a day trip to London and I hid an overnight bag in the car! The grumbled about how long the journey would be, hardly any charge on their tablets, getting car sick because they were watching the tablets, needing the toilet, etc!

We were staying in Docklands and hatched a plan…..as we drove…. to park at Canary Wharf and then take a boat over to the Docklands. Little did we know that the hotel had it’s own little (and even better – free) shuttle boat from Canary Wharf dock over to the hotel and back. We would leave the bag in the car, head into London and pick it up on the way to the boat.

I stayed at Canary Wharf earlier in the year and found that it’s actually a great base for getting into the centre of London – there’s the Jubilee line and the Elizabeth line that get you there easily, and quickly. There’s plenty of places to stay, eat and drink. After parking (£24 for 24 hours and there’s plenty of EV charging including Tesla superchargers) a 10 minute journey on the Jubilee line took us to Waterloo.

At Waterloo we met our friends and the girls were truly surprised (perhaps overwhelmingly so). I was informed that next time Mimi would rather not have a surprise and would have preferred to have been prepared! We picked up some food for a picnic from a local supermarket.

We sat next to the embankment for our picnic. It is great around the South Bank – there are plenty of spots to sit, there is a lovely play park for the children to run around. There was a carousel, food stalls and if you are looking for things to do the London Aquarium and the London Eye are right there to enjoy. We have never had a bad time at the aquarium!

From here we walked over the Thames and into Leicester Square. Here we happened upon free showings of parts of various operas and ballets on large screens. This had been put on by the Royal Opera House. They were showing shows such as La Traviata, Swan lake and the Nutcracker. There were deckchairs to sit in. It was another great place to stop and enjoy London and the company! We also visited the Lego store – which is most kids’ (and many adults) dream spot! After managing to spend no money here (a miracle) we moved on to Covent Garden.

We stayed at the DoubleTree by Hilton London – Docklands riverside where we had a room with two doubles (it also had a sofabed for larger parties). Our room overlooked the Thames and Canary Wharf. It had plentiful amounts of toiletries and space. We ordered room service as by this point it was beyond the usual bedtime of most of the children. The food came pretty quickly and was tasty and plentiful.

Breakfast the next morning was busy but the buffet breakfast had something for everyone and plenty of healthy options. The staff were friendly and there was a great family atmosphere across the hotel. We took our time over breakfast – there was colouring in sheets and pencil crayons for the children and a plentiful supply of tea/coffee to chat over for the adults!

A whirlwind of a trip that was very ‘see where the day takes us’ but that is what I love most about London. You can turn up and find a multitude of things to see and do. You can get around the centre of the city by foot and if you take food and snacks with you it is easy to have a very inexpensive day with the amount of free entertainment on offer. Even if you do have a plan it often goes off course!

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• Southwest USA road trip with children
• An unplanned trip to London
• Virgin Atlantic – our thoughts!
• New York City with children
• Disneyland Paris

We have used Virgin Atlantic many times now for our flights to the USA and Caribbean. This has been our favourite airline by far. We have had hardly any negative experiences with them and anything that came close to being a grumble was always readily resolved.

Booking

From the moment we consider booking a trip and looking through the website for inspiration to arriving back to the airport we have found it a pleasant experience. We both use Virgin Atlantic credit cards for day to day spending and use this to earn flying club points and companion tickets. It is, in our opinion, really straightforward to see how you are earning points and using them towards bookings. If we have ever struggled to find the right flight the booking line operators have always been amazing (and patient) in trying to help us get the most out of our points and companion tickets.

The Virgin Atlantic app

The pre-flight process is straightforward and the app is really easy to navigate. It’s easy to see flight details, changes, make seat reservations and select meal options. Checking in online is also a really straightforward process.

On the ground

At the airport the ground staff are pleasant and ready to help. They interact with the children and put us all at ease before a long flight. We have never had any issues with our luggage to date. It’s always turned up in the right place at the right time and undamaged! I also think they are really accommodating with what they allow you to travel with when taking children (when you need to take everything but the kitchen sink)!

In the air

On the flight the seat spaces are a good size. Neil is over 6 foot and though the economy seats are not his ideal distance apart he can comfortably fit into them for a long flight. We have travelled in all classes and all the cabins are great. The cabin crew are on the whole very kind and friendly.

I recall our first overnight flight with a 1 year old Fifi who was desperate to not fall asleep (quite the opposite of her sister on a night flight at that age)! She got into a real state and was crying a lot. The cabin crew kindly allowed myself and Fifi to go and sit in the upper class bar area. I managed to settle her to sleep and they brought us a blanket and left us there until it was time to land. Compared to some other airlines where I feel they have lacked understanding in how to improve the experience for parents flying with small children. I have seen the cabin crew take babies up and down the aisles to give a struggling parent a rest. I have seen them interact with our girls and make the experience enjoyable for families.

Emma

The food, drink and entertainment on the flights is plentiful and hours pass by quickly. There is internet access at a charge. It’s perfectly good enough to use social media, send messages and emails, etc. if you needed access during the flight.

Added benefits

I would recommend Virgin Atlantic for flying to the USA and Caribbean. They have recently joined SkyTeam which is a partnership between around 20 different airlines. From what I understand you can earn and use your points when booking trips that use the member airlines. This is something I am sure we will explore before too long! I will report back when I have more experience of it!

We have done this trip as a group of friends, a couple and many times with children of varying ages and, apart from the one episode of poor AirBnB research, we haven’t had a bad experience!

Why go

There is a wealth of things to do and experiences to be had in NYC. It is full of familiar sights and sounds, diverse cuisine and a vast range of museums and activities. Whilst the USA as a whole is not as cheap to travel to as it used to be, and shopping doesn’t have quite the same bargains to be had, it still has the same fun and we were certainly not priced out of the market.

When to go

We are biased because almost all our trips have taken place in Late November/December. This is not to say that it’s the best time to visit but that’s what has worked for us in terms of leave, other holidays and my general love of Christmas. For me, New York is synonymous with Christmas and Home alone! (Though at some point I’d like to be at the top of the Empire State building on Valentine’s day recreating Sleepless in Seattle vibes!)

To go in Winter you need to be prepared for it to be cold and wet. When it’s cold it is really cold -the wind chill is real when you’re down near the waterfront. Again, when it rains it can be really wet. So please ensure you take the right layers. Footwear – consider boots and wellies for the children. We got really wet one time and our trainers were soaked through! However, seeing the snow fall in Central Park and around the Rockefeller tree is magical!

Late Spring and early Autumn are probably the best months to visit as the weather is warmer and the rain minimal. We have visited in May and that was lovely for being outdoors. We visited in July one year and I recall it being hot. The summer months can be hot and humid so perhaps a bit harder to enjoy the outdoors as much.

Whenever you choose to visit there are plenty of indoor and outdoor options for visits so you can get the most out of the city whatever the weather. However, if you want to be out walking everywhere and seeing the sights and views then you probably want dry days, be it cold or warm!

How to get there

We fly from Heathrow as our nearest airport but plenty of UK airports fly directly to New York airports. The widest variety of routes fly into JFK airport. We have flown at different times of the day and with so many flights daily it is easy to find a time that fits around your family’s optimal sleep/nap requirements! Out of all the flights I would suggest one earlier in the day. This leaves you getting into New York in the afternoon which leaves time to get through the airport, to your hotel and have some dinner. Then you can start readjusting bedtime at whatever time you plan for it to be whilst away.

See these other posts on jet lag and flying with children.

Where to stay?

We have tended to use holiday rentals for our stays, or a relative’s spare room so I will speak more from location than particular hotels. We have stayed in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Jersey City.

Manhattan allows you to have everything right on the doorstep but is likely to cost more in accommodation. If staying in Manhattan do consider the location. This is where we had our AirBnB mishap – the apartment was just above a bar! Jet lag or no jet lag, we weren’t getting the best sleep there! There are many hotels in Manhattan so look at the best deals out there and consider the facilities you might wish to have to help narrow things down. I would advise that you are likely to be out and about a lot so the room itself might not be a priority regarding how spacious it is. However, if you have younger children, that you plan to return to the hotel room for naps with, then a larger room might be a better investment.

Eating in New York City

This is city where you can find all types of international cuisine and varying levels of culinary quality! From fast food galore to fine dining, there is something for everyone. I would spend some time looking at the day ahead and thinking about what time you want to eat and where you want to be in the city. From our trips I have found that in the more tourist heavy areas such as around the Rockefeller and Empire state building it’s a little harder to find more local and good value versus quality cuisine. There’s more of a premium on the cost and the venues are far busier. So perhaps consider eating somewhere else along the route that day.

Top tip – If you plan to visit Eataly then go earlier and aim for an early lunch. For example, La Pizza and La Pasta opens at 11.30. You can book ahead or you can get in the queue. But at this time it was easy to get a table. By the time we left the restaurant it was full and Eataly itself had become far busier. Also to note is that there is a Lego store and the Harry potter store within a minutes walk of Eataly downtown.

I personally love to find great Mexican food whilst in the USA as it’s not something I have found as easy to get in the UK. For me, a highlight was Orale in Jersey city. Amazing food! When it says it’s spicy it really is so be careful!

Do note that portion sizes do vary. In Eataly they were just the right size for one meal but in some places the portions are huge and taking away leftovers is a common occurrence so do consider how much food you are ordering and consider taking the leftovers to have as lunch or dinner the next day. This helps with budgets/costs.

We came across a lovely café – Maman (800 Washington Street, 10014) – on our way from the subway to the southern end of The High Line. We had a hot drink and some cake from here but the menu looked great and the food that people was ordering looked tasty!

What to do?

This list could go on forever and it it’s fair to say we haven’t explored everything that the city has to offer! So lets look at some of the things we have enjoed most with the children:

The High Line – This is a great walking path along a disused freight rail line that ran above the city. It has been turned into an amazing above street level park that allows you the opportunity to see New York City form above and let the children run free without the worry of traffic. It is just under a mile and a half long so it’s just the right distance. There is elevator access should you be with a pushchair/stroller. There is seating, art, and many varieties of plants. There are a number of entry and exit points and along the route you can access Chelsea market (a food hall and retail space) and Hudson Yards (shops, eating and The Edge viewing platform) amongst much more.

Viewing Platforms

There are a number of different viewing platforms across the city. We have visited four of them. I have listed them with a highlight for each:

• The Empire State Building – Iconic and the original viewing deck. Seen in many movies you get a whole experience alongside the view.

• Edge NYC – This platform is based at 30 Hudson yards on the west side of Manhattan. It has the highest outdoor viewing deckin in the western hemisphere. The views are simply breathtaking – across Jersey City, the Hudson river and down towards the Statue of Liberty and of the iconic sights of Manhattan. Then there’s the triangular section of glass flooring where you can literally see Manhattan below you!

• One World Observatory – For us this gave a wonderful view from the southern end of Manhattan across the iconic NYC skyline. It is the highest point in the city with 360 degree views. It is well located for visiting the Oculus centre and the 9/11 memorial.

• SUMMIT One Vanderbilt – We visited this attraction on a rainy day where the views were obscured by low lying clouds. However, the trip itself was not affected by the impaired view. This was a multisensory experience for the whole family. We spent longer here than any other viewing decks and the interactive elements were perfect for entertaining the children (and the adults!) whilst the views could be enjoyed. My only criticism was the plentiful number of instagrammers looking for the perfect shot which sometimes meant you didn’t get that close to the windows.

• The Top of the Rock – Based at the Rockefellar centre this is another viewing deck. We haven’t visited this viewing deck but I didn’t want to miss it off the list as it’s one of the other iconic viewing decks.

In summary – The best for children who want to be entertained is SUMMIT. The best for a breathtaking experience is Edge. The best for an iconic experience and feeling like you’re in the movies is The Empire State Building. For history and impact then it has to be the One world observation deck.

Museums and galleries are in abundance in New York. I’m going to draw your attention to two particular places that are great for children. Neither are in Manhattan and one isn’s in NYC. However, both are work the trip if you are visiting with children:

Brooklyn childrens museum – We took one of our daughters here when she was was just over a year and a half. She loved it! There was exhibit after exhibit of multi-sensory experiences. Her favourite had to be the World Brooklyn where she spent quite some time working and shopping in the supermarket!

Hopefully after reading this you will feel empowered to take a trip to New York with the children. You could fill 1-2 weeks (or more) of holiday exploring NYC and it’s local area.

We took a three-night trip to Disneyland Paris at the end of March. We took the Eurostar from St Pancras and changed at Gare Du Nord in Paris. The train station at Disneyland drops you right outside the entrances to the parks and next to the Disney village.

As we were taking the train we made the decision to stay at one of the Disneyland hotels – the Newport Bay hotel We booked our package via the Disney website. We didn’t include the meal package but we did include the Disney express hotel check-in and luggage service. This was great. We arrived at around 2pm and were in the park by around 3pm. On the last day we packed up and checked out in time for magic hour (more about this later) and collected out luggage at the station. We felt this was a worthwhile add-on to the booking. It gave us some extra time to enjoy the parks.

The Newport Bay hotel was large, clean and had plenty of amenities. The rooms were a good size. They are not particularly fancy but then we hardly spent any time in the room! We used the pool a couple of times. Due to the time of year we only used the indoor pool. It is heated but still quite cool. Though it is huge and there are plenty of flotation aid and arm bands to use on a complimentary basis. There was a small, shallow pool for toddlers and a large jacuzzi pool which was perfect for lounging in after having fun in the main pool. This, for us, was the benefit of staying so close to the parks. We were able to go back to the hotel for a period in the afternoon to use the pool and relax a little. For the evening where we returned for the fireworks it was particularly well-received! We only ate in the hotel restaurant one evening. We ate in the Cape cod buffet restaurant. It was expensive but the selection was amazing and it was tasty food with plenty of seafood options.

Also to note that in the evenings there were character meet and greet opportunities in the hotel. So we were able to meet Daisy duck and Pluto there.

A note on restaurant bookings – including the hotel restaurants – they get booked up really quickly! When I went on the Disneyland Paris app to book some restaurants I only managed a booking for one restaurant for dinner. The hotel restaurant we managed to get a booking on the day but there was either a very early option or a really late one. Bookings can be made up to 2 months in advance (or some are up to 12 months in advance if you are a hotel guest). So if you are keen to eat in a particular restaurant or experience the character dining options then you need to be organised!

Extra magic time – For those who stay in one of the Disney hotels you are able to make use of the extra magic time. Whilst we were there both parks opened an hour early for those staying at the hotels. Once in the park you will find that a selection of the rides are open and you can see the park with smaller crowds. We did this on each of the mornings we had a Disney. With each day we became more savvy about how to approach this! Morning one we were disorganised and late. As such we stumbled into the park not really knowing where to head or what to do! We did manage to walk straight into Buzz Lightyear laser blast and Orbitron. By then it was coming up to general opening so Mimi and Neil headed into the Hyperspace mountain queue which was still fairly short whilst Fifi and I rode Autopia twice.

For the next morning we sat and did some research and created a plan for the extra hour in the Walt Disney studios park. And the same again for the last morning in the Disneyland Park. Below is how we mastered extra magic time:

Make sure you have a backpack with a drink and some snacks so you can aim for breakfast a little later in the morning or a brunch. That way you can be up and out quickly!

Disneyland Park:

Arrive in time for the gates opening at 8.30 (we were let in right on time)

Head to Fantasyland. We were amazed to find that there were so few people that we got unobstructed view of the whole area! The castle, we got a picture with the sword in the stone and we were able to walk right into Peter Pan’s flight which normally has one of the longest queues. We then rode Dumbo the flying elephant and the carousel. As we had done a number of rides on the previous days we chose to then get in the (really long) queue to meet Mickey. However, you could easily do the Mad Hatters tea cups and then head over to Discoveryland for Buzz Lightyear’s laser blast.

Walt Disney Studios Park:

To make the most of this extra magic hour you really need to be up and near to the parks entrance by around 8.15. The queue builds up much quicker for this park. Most people are going to head for Crush’s coaster and this is by far the best place to aim for but be warned that everyone has a similar plan! That being said we walked straight onto the ride. We then went toy story land where Mimi and myself rode the RC racer whilst Fifi and Neil rode Slinkydog. We then went on the Toy soldiers parachute drop and Slinkydog (a favourite) again. Mimi and Neil then headed over to Spider-man W.E.B. adventure (single riders) and  Avengers Assemble. Fifi and I went and rode Cars Quatre Roues Rallye (twice), Aladdin’s flying carpet (twice) and then went into the animation academy. We then joined the queue to meet Olaf. We had done the Ratatouille ride the day before so we didn’t do it as a family that morning but Neil and Mimi rode it as single riders. This was all by 10.30am. We then got back together at the Olaf meet and greet.

We found that using the Extra magic hour in a planned way allowed us to have a busy couple of hours on the rides and then a relaxed breakfast and afternoon. On the two full days we also hopped between the parks. We managed to ride all of the rides that were open during our time there. We didn’t buy any Premier access tickets for rides and the longest queues we encountered were for the meet and greets. However, the meet and greets were great experiences. They didn’t feel rushed and the characters really engaged with us.

Eating at Disneyland Paris:

I know a lot of people book the meal plans but we chose not to. I travelled with a selection of snacks for the children and picked up fruit for them to eat as we went around the parks.

As mentioned – we would not eat breakfast but would buy a pastry to eat as we walked about.

We then tended to had a larger brunch.

We ate at:

Annette’s diner, Disney village – We arrived around 11am and ate from the breakfast menu. Perfect sized portions and drink is included.

Stark factory: pizza and pasta, Walt Disney Studios Park – This was a fast-food style place. It was mid-priced. The pizza was tasty but the pasta pretty bland.

Colonel Hathi’s pizza outpost, Disneyland Park – good sized portions, mid-priced. Ok tasting.

The Lucky nugget, Disneyland park – Quick service. You pay as you enter. The food was tasty. The girls shared an adults meal (the fish and chips) here.

The Steakhouse, Disney village – We booked this for our first evening for dinner. We arrived a little early but they were able to accommodate us. We waited a while for the food to be served but it was tasty when it got to us! We had the set menu. It was one of the more expensive meals.

Cape Cod restaurant, Newport Bay resort – as mentioned above.

I would advise that if you are planning to have three meals per day and aim to make bookings for each of these then the meal plan would work out to be a good deal. However, I am glad we didn’t add the meal plan as we would have struggled to make full use of it without having been able to book many dinner options.

Parades and fireworks:

We used our third evening there to watch the parades and fireworks. We returned to the hotel just after 1pm and then made our way back to the parks later in the afternoon. We arrived in time to watch the parade from a spot just between Main street USA and the castle. The parade was fun and full of characters and magic.

We then went on a couple of rides and walked around the park and then landed on a spot right in front of the castle with around 45 minutes to go. We sat down and ate popcorn and played some games. The light show started 10 minutes prior to the fireworks. The timings vary (and were a little earlier on the weekdays). We had an amazing view and the show was spectacular. The light show particularly.

Having been fortunate enough to visit Disneyland, California and Disneyworld in Florida it is fair to say that this met our expectations. The park is smaller and more on a size par with California. This makes it very easy to do in a shorter space of time. If needed you could manage both parks in 2 days but spreading it longer allowed for more rest periods, which I think is useful with smaller children. At the end of March the weather wasn’t consistent – the evenings were cool enough that the gloves and hats we had brought were helpful and our coats were needed in the day and there were some light rain showers. However, compared to the heat at Disneyworld it did make walking around the parks much less tiring!

For a short trip from Europe, or as part of a longer trip this was an amazing experience full of fun and memories. The girls loved their experience.

We visited Paris at the end of March. At this time the weather was pretty variable. The temperature itself wasn’t cold but there was a cold breeze at times and some occasional rain. The decision of Paris was made by our 8 year old who was keen to go on the Eurostar and see the Mona Lisa (more about this later).

We took the Eurostar from London St Pancras. The journey itself was quick and easy, and with only an hour time difference it took no-one any time to adjust!

Though I had done a fair bit of research prior to the trip we threw a lot of it out of the window and planned as we went along. I had tried to book tickets for the Eiffel tower and the Louvre in advance but for the Eiffel tower (online booking up to 60 days in advance for lift tickets) the tickets were not available for our dates and the Louvre’s online ticketing was down. So in the end we bought these tickets via third party agents. This cost us more but allowed us to see the sights. If you can get the tickets directly I would recommend it! But all is not lost if, like us, you hadn’t got in there quite quickly enough.

Our hotel – Hôtel Opéra Liège was a perfect base for the 5 nights we were there. It is just over a mile from Gare Du Nord station and was small and boutique style. They offered a fantastic laid-back breakfast buffet with only around 15 tables. The selection varied day to day. There was an honesty bar with a selection of drinks and snacks and room service could be ordered. We stayed in duplex suite which was perfect for the four of us.

Our itinerary:

Day 1 – We arrived at our hotel mid-afternoon. We stayed in the Opera district (9^th arrondissement) at the recommendation of a relative. This was a perfect location to explore from. We wandered down to a local café to get a drink and eat crepes!

We then walked over to Montmartre where we wandered around the shops, visited the Sacré-Cœur and the wall of love. The view from the Sacré-Cœur was amazing!

We then ate in a restaurant close to the wall of love – Le Relais Gascon (6, rue des Abbesses). This restaurant was perfect with the girls. There was a children’s menu with a good number of options for them. They were using one of my pens to draw on napkins and the waitress noticed and kindly brought over a second pen so they could both draw at the same time. It was friendly and good value. The food was tasty.

Day 2 – We had a relaxed morning in the hotel room after several early mornings (we had been to Disneyland Paris prior to spending time in the city). We walked down to the Seine via place de la Concorde.

We crossed over to the south of the river and bought tickets for the Batobus. This boat service has 9 stops and you can buy a pass that lasts 24 hours. It allows you to hop on and hop off. We took it Notre-Dame. Whilst the cathedral is still undergoing renovation it was amazing to see the work being done and take in the atmosphere of the area.

From here we walked over towards the Jardin des Plantes. We arrived at lunchtime and ate at Les Belles Plantes which was a beautiful setting and a perfect family-friendly venue. The children’s menu offered a tasty selection of food (perfect portion sizes) and doubled up as a colouring in activity, complete with pencil crayons. For the adults the food was the perfect portion and really tasty. It was difficult to choose what to eat.

Following lunch we went into the gardens. We wandered around the greenhouses and the garden and then into the Grande Galerie de L’Évolution. This huge space is full of models of various animal and the huge skeletons of two whales. There are a number of levels full of information about species and diversity and evolution. We all enjoyed our time here and could have spent much longer. We also visited the limited exhibition on Felines which was fantastic.

You could spend a whole day at the Jardin des Plantes. We managed only a portion of all the things to see here. We walked back down through the gardens to the north side of the Seine and took the Batobus to the Eiffel tower.

We had booked a tour which took us up at night time. As such we had chosen to eat a larger meal at lunch and then visited a café near to the tower for a lighter evening meal. We came across Boulangerie brasserie de la tour Eiffel. The café had a view of the tower and a good selection on the menu. The waiters were friendly and even offered to take a family photo for us! The food was not gourmet but it was perfect for what we needed and reasonable value considering the view.

The Eiffel tower was busy as you would expect. There was a lot of security to pass through. We had tickets to ride the lift to the second floor. As we were going up late we didn’t plan to visit any of the restaurants at the tower. Instead we took the time to take in the view. The wait for a lift back down was long and as it was late we ended up taking the stairs. Both girls managed this just fine.

Day 3 – Again we took a relaxed start to the day after having a late night the day before. We had booked tickets for the Louvre on this day so we walked from the hotel. We walked past The Palais Garnier which was magnificent from the outside. I’m sure a visit inside would be spectacular. Instead, our girls decided a bit of retail therapy was needed. There are a number of shops in this area and in the end they both walked away with a new item of clothing from Zara!

We used the Carrousel du Louvre entrance which was a little quieter than the main entrance but possibly not as quiet as the Passage Richelieu (Porte de Richelieu) entrance. The queues were long and the museum was busy. I am sure there are quieter times to visit (we arrived for 1pm). I also think this is not the most child friendly museum – it’s large and busy and our 4 year old was just not that interested. We sat for a while whilst the big girl drew one of the paintings and the little one worked on her sticker book. We also grabbed a drink and snack from the café – this was hectic and felt rushed. We finally found the Mona Lisa and our eldest enjoyed seeing the painting it was overwhelming with the crowds.

Having had a late night the previous day we took the opportunity to return earlier to the hotel for some relaxation. We decided to order in to the hotel for dinner so that the girls could get their PJ’s on.

Day 4 – We made plans to visit the Arc de Triomphe at around lunchtime. We walked over earlier and had a brunch at Café de Paris. Again, for somewhere so close to a large attraction (and with a view if you sat outside) it was reasonably priced and the staff again were very friendly and gave us the opportunity to practice our French! Though there was no specific children’s menu the were happy to split an omelette for the girls and serve it up separately and well-presented. The onion soup was particularly tasty!

On to the top of the Arc de Triomphe at around 1pm we went. It was a windy day – and it was exceptionally windy at the top. Yet it didn’t spoil our enjoyment about learning about it’s history and seeing the amazing views from the top. Again, we had heard that sunset was a particularly good time to visit but we had decided not to have too many late nights as all the walking was leaving the girls tired!

From here we walked along the Champs Élysées and meandered through the streets back towards the hotel.

Day 5 – Our last day – and the longest walks of all! We walked down to the Musée D’Orsay. We had booked tickets two days prior to our visit. There was a queue as we entered but this moved quickly and smoothly. The museum has free leaflets with a selection of some of the most famous pieces in the museum. The girls picked one up and took it upon themselves to look out for each of the pieces of work and tick them off as they spotted them. There are two restaurants in the museum. We sat and ate lunch at Café Campana. It was busy, and there was a queue but once say the staff were attentive and the food and drink tasty. Again, they have a designated children’s menu. In total we spent 3 hours exploring and saw most of the exhibits. Compared to the Louvre it was much more relaxed and the children enjoyed this far more. The artwork appealed to them and they enjoyed walking about to seek out the works on their leaflet.

From here we walked along the Seine and then down into the 6^th Arrondissement. We stopped at a café for a drink before walking into the Jardin d’Luxembourg. Here we spent time seeing the beautiful flowers that were in bloom, watching the model sailboats being pushed around the Grand Bassin and children having fencing lessons. We then walked up towards Notre Dame, stopping at an Italian restaurant – SoHo Trattoria. This was an Instagram lovers paradise with the décor and swing chairs! The names of the various menu options were ‘interesting’ but the food was tasty. There was no children’s menu but the girls shared a pizza. I wouldn’t stop here for an amazing toilet experience though!

We then walked all the way back to the hotel via the 2^nd and 9^th Arrondissements. We realised we had missed a whole area to truly explore and enjoy the food options. These pedestrianised streets were full of restaurants and bars. When we next visit this will definitely be top of the list to explore.

Five nights really allowed us to see plenty of Paris without it feeling rushed and exhausting. By the time we were leaving we still hadn’t seen everything we could have. Also recommended via my research was the Jardin D’Acclimitation and Bois de Vincennes which are further afield. We had been keen to stay central on this occasion and walk as much as we could. We managed our time in Paris without using public transport. There are also a number of experiences and tours that can be done – such as the chocolate museum, tours of Montmatre and bakery tours. We found that most weren’t accommodating of Fifi our 4 year old.

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We took a trip to Tuscany at the end of August. This trip was not the trip it started out as! We didn’t know where we were going to start with. In fact we had been looking at Spain originally. We were looking for somewhere with reasonable flight costs. In the end we found great priced flights to Milan. We were travelling with our friends who are a family of seven. So were started looking for accommodation around Lake Como or Lake Garda. We just couldn’t find anything that was still available that suited what we were looking for. We then stumbled on an amazing villa in Barga, Tuscany.

If I was going to book this again I would travel to Pisa which is far closer. However, the drive was around 4 hours and it was not the worst! There is a lot of pretty scenery and we stopped in Pontremoli on our way down to Barga. This was a lovely town where we picked up lunch and took some time to stroll through the town. There were lots of little shops, market stalls and bars, and our first taste of Gelato!

Another note is that our flight into Milan Malpensa airport arrived at night. So we stayed at the airport hotel overnight and picked up the hire car the following morning. We stayed at the Sheraton airport hotel which was very convenient and comfortable. It is directly accessible from the airport so if you have a very late or early flight it is convenient. We wouldn’t have been able to pick up the hire car and drive all the way to Barga that night without risking having two very grumpy children for the next couple of days! In addition, it has some great facilities such as a gym, indoor pool and plenty of dining options. If you were flying in from further afield this would be a really nice place to just rest for a night and day before your onward travel.

Now on to the best part of this trip – the wonderful accommodation. We stayed at Tuscan Skye in Barga. This a 5 bedroom villa which is everything you would imagine of an Italian home. The rooms were impressive, spacious and comfortable. The kitchen was well equipped and there was an amazing pool area with loungers, chairs and an outdoor eating area. There was table tennis. The children (all seven of them) were in holiday heaven. Mairi, who hosts Tuscan Skye, is amazing. She left treats, brought up pancakes one morning, offered babysitting should we wish and really cared about making the experience perfect for us. It was a perfect base to explore the surrounding area.

Barga itself is a beautiful town nestled in the province of Lucca. Apparently many Scottish Italians can trace their ancestors back to the town! It is small and can be explored within a day, but it made a good base to visit some other cities. In addition, we had some lovely meals in Barga that were good value and child friendly.

Where did we visit?

Pisa – We arrived here around 11am and made our first stop the world famous leaning tower of Pisa. As you would expect – there were crowds of people bustling around to take pictures of themselves holding it up – as did we! We spent around half an hour around here before hiring two quadricycles to take ourselves on a self-guided tour. This was great fun and the children had the best time sat on the front of the bikes, particularly as we caught up with, and took over, the other bike! We hired the bikes for an hour and this was enough time to enjoy the adventure, the sights and for the children to not get bored (or our legs tired).

We then sat and ate lunch outdoors along one of the streets. There are many options for eating in Pisa and plenty of great value options. We found that the price we paid for meals was pretty consistent everywhere we went. We were not on a trip looking for gourmet food on this occasion but I can’t say that we ate anything that didn’t taste good! The girls were in food heaven – Pizza and pasta is their ideal meals so we couldn’t go wrong! Pasta or pizza and a cold glass of Italian white wine went down a treat in the heat of the Italian summer.

After lunch we took a horse and carriage tour where we had a more sedate tour of Pisa with the benefit of some additional information about the city. From this we topped up with ice-cream and headed home. We spent around 4 hours in Pisa which gave us enough to explore without having hot and tired children on our hands. It meant that we reached home in time for them to enjoy playing in the pool and a home cooked dinner.

Florence – another day trip taken. Florence was beautiful – everything you imagine when thinking of a traditional Italian city. We parked up and then walked towards the river. We walked along the river to Ponte Vecchio. Again, it was a busy city full of tourists but it didn’t take away from the experience of seeing a city that is steeped in history and amazing architecture. We essentially took ourselves on a walking tour of the sights of the city, landing on a restaurant and bar on the edge of Piazza della Signoria where we had views of the Palazzo Vecchio whilst enjoying a drink and light snack.

We wandered along the shopping streets and bought some amazing chocolate from Venchi Gelato and Chocolate at Piazza Del Mercato Nuovo. We then arrived at the Piazza Del Duomo with Florence’s cathedral. A sight to behold – the gothic architecture of the cathedral is ornate and a masterpiece. You can climb to the top of the dome for 360 degree views of Florence or you can visit the interior of the cathedral for free. Bear in mind there are long queues to enter.

We then visited the Magnum pleasure store where the children got to create their own magnums with toppings of their choice. It’s definitely over-priced but if you have kids like ours who love a Magnum it was an ideal sweetener for them to continue exploring. As was the Lego store!

We rounded up our day with an early dinner at Il Bottegoni which was on one of the corners of the Piazza Del Duomo. The food was good and very well-priced for the location.

Livorno – This was about an hour and a half from Barga. It is a port city and thus there was an amazing market full of fresh fish. We stopped here and enjoyed some of the produce on sale and then took a walk around the town. I think when we happened to visit it was a quiet period and a number of restaurants appeared to be close. We found Osteria Dagli Amici which squeezed us in to their outdoor seating area. From here we drove north of the town to the beach around Spiaggia La Siesta. This wasn’t a planned stop and we were completely unprepared with no bathing suits! However it was so amazing that it didn’t stop the girls from stripping to their underwear to splash in the sea and Neil having to chase them in wearing his shorts! On reflection we could have spent a whole day here and had a wonderful time. If we had a do over of the trip then this would definitely be on the agenda!

Lucca – We chose to do this as an evening trip – heading out with the first plan being dinner. It was busy and a challenge to find a spot to eat for all 11 of us. But we found a table at a restaurant on the corner of Piazza Napoleone – Caffe Silvia. We then walked along the bustling streets to Piazza San Michele where there was live music in the square and the children danced as the sun set. From here there was only one thing missing – Gelato! We sat and ate ice-cream and then as we continued to walk we found another square with a large stage with locals dancing in formation and a carousel which we enjoyed. We drove home after this. Our friends went on to a fairground from here (as unfair as it seemed on the girls a good sleep was what was needed for them with our flight home the following evening).

It was an amazing trip where I think we managed to strike a good balance of getting out and seeing the nearby places, without being so hectic that the girls were exhausted. I think if the girls were a little older we could revisit this trip and enjoy more of the museums and indoor exhibits. It has also shown what we could get out of a weekend trip to some fo the cities visited. Though our accommodation was out of the way and a ‘one road in and out’ it was a beautiful setting and perfect for our group size. The host made it even more perfect with the added touches mentioned earlier.

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