Hoping for a hassle free holiday with the kids? Read this first!

March 22, 2018 by Mandy

We all know that travelling with the kids to get to our holiday destination is something we usually have to brace ourselves for every year. But sometimes even planning our annual holidays can seem like an impossible task. How do we keep the kids happy? Is a week too long? How can we keep their routine in check? How can we avoid temper tantrums?

Don’t worry, you’re not the only parent with these concerns! Why not check out the ideas below of how you can achieve a hassle free holiday with the kids, that everyone will enjoy?

Your travel insurance

Did you know that many people still don’t invest in travel insurance before they go away? It’s a pretty dangerous game to play, even more so if you’re travelling abroad with your children. Everyone should know why they should have travel insurance and why insurance is important if you lose your medication while abroad. Be smart and get you and your loved ones a policy before you travel.

Plan

You know what they say: fail to plan and you plan to fail! The same applies to planning your trip. There’s nothing worse then heading to a new destination and having no idea what to expect. So, do your homework. See what local attractions are around or see if your hotel has any child-friendly activities or entertainment. By planning ahead, you can easily fit these things into your holiday itinerary and your budget.

Only bring what you need and get the kids involved

If you’re travelling into Europe then chances are that you’ll be able to find a lot of your home comforts there, so don’t worry about packing everything your child likes. While packing their suitcase, get them involved. Which t-shirt don’t they want to take? Let them choose their beach towel, and then that way, if something is forgotten, they won’t make a huge fuss about it!

Take your time

When on holiday, it’s not unusual to want to cram in as many activities and sights as possible during the day, then head out for a slap-up meal on the evening. But this doesn’t always bode well with children. The key thing to remember, is that you’re on holiday, so it’s important that everyone takes time to relax and even time out from each other. Set the pace to what your youngest child can handle, and maybe even set aside a few hours of colouring, reading, napping or just relaxing by the pool or in your hotel room – then you can be ready for round two!

Time out

Leading on from this, it’s also important to remember that even though you might be a very close family unit, being in each other’s company for a straight one or two weeks can get a little intense for everyone. If you and your partner fancy a meal out one evening, then see what baby-sitting facilities the hotel provides. The kids will enjoy some time away from the same company too – for a little while anyway!

Plan An Unforgettable Family Trip To China With These Ideas

March 20, 2018 by Mandy

If you are worried your kids will be sulking and whining about things to do, you can breathe easy for China. Filled with fun attractions, sights and activities for adults and kids alike, your family will never be bored.

There are countless things for the curious. Plenty of new foods, markets, amusements, tours and more to explore. If you are looking to take some of the weight off your back, why not book China private tours now. They will take care of the details and bookings so you don’t have to. Plus, their travel experts and tour guides have insider, local knowledge of the places you’re visiting. Nothing could be simpler!

Fun Family Activities When Visiting China

Great Wall Ski Lift

If you are nervous your kids will spoil the epic trek to the top of the Great Wall of China, don’t risk it. They will be in awe and truly amazed by the lift that towers above the sea and goes on for 723 meters. You will get to see some amazing scenery whilst the kids are entertained and fully experiencing the ride. This is a must for anyone visiting China but doing the ski lift is a sure way to settle the kids and teens.

Chinese Princess Makeovers

What girl doesn’t love dressing up and posing for photos? If you are looking for something special for your little princess to do, why not take them to do a photoshoot! They can dress up as princesses, have their hair and makeup done and feel like a VIP for the day.

Watch Acrobatics

Book tickets to see Chinese acrobats that perform jaw-dropping stunts similar to those seen in superhero movies. No ropes and safety nets required, the amazing stunt men and women know how to wow the audiences and keep them on their feet.

Take Them To A Kung-Fu Class

Why not take the kids for a thrilling session of Kung-Fu with some real masters? Several hotels and tour agencies in China will book child-friendly lessons for a number of martial arts. Your kids can be kept entertained and learn something they may come to love later down the line! They also get introduced to an authentic part of Chinese culture.

Visit The Theme Parks In Shanghai

Shanghai is one of the most exciting cities in China. Full of trains, skyscrapers and more, your kids will have plenty of fun things to do. Take them to a theme park for the day and discover some of the fun-filled attractions China has to offer.

These are just a few of the many things you and your family could be getting up to on your trip to China. There are countless kid-friendly things to do that will make your trip to China completely unforgettable.

5 Ideas for NYC Family Vacations

March 13, 2018 by Mandy

When it’s just you, it’s a lot easier to pack up your bags and head out anywhere on a moment’s notice. But as a mom now, you have to think about how enjoyable a family vacation will be to your kids (and how enjoyable to you if it’s not enjoyable to your kids)!

Sixty million people tour NYC every single year, and many of them do it with families and children. In fact, New York offers a huge array of kid-centric tour stops, and besides, seeing The Big Apple is a veritable “rite of passage” that you want your kids to have growing up and remember for many years to come.

Here are some of the key ways you can make a trip to New York fun for kids and adults alike:

1. Book a Bus Tour

Bus tours are perfect for moms! It’s much safer (and cheaper) to tour the city from the top of a double decker tour bus than in virtually any other way. Bus tours have practically doubled in popularity in just the past 10 years, and it’s easy to see why.

You get a quick overview of a large number of NYC’s most impressive and iconic sites. You can hop on and hop off at different stops and stay as long as you like (with an all day pass). You get meal stops included, with authentic New York cuisine. And you can do it all cheaply and while on a relatively tight schedule.

Click the link to contact a top-tier bus tour agency in New York to learn more or to hurry up and book your tickets online for a discount!

2. Stop at Kids’ Museums

If you think kids can’t keep up a good attention span at a museum, that’s probably because you’ve never taken them to a museum designed specifically for kids.

Kids visiting NYC love the American Museum of Natural History for its IMAX films, Fossil Hall with real-life dead dinosaurs, and the 94-foot-long blue whale model in the Hall of Ocean Life. They also stay entertained at the Sea Space Air Museum with its ships, jets, and shuttles, and at the Madame Tussaud Wax Museum with its wax versions of Bieber, Gaga, and other celebrities.

Plus, don’t overlook the Children’s Museum of Manhattan and the one in Brooklyn, or the Lower East Side Tenement Museum where tour guides reenact the lives of immigrants from yesteryear.

3. Visit Kid-focused Stores

The Toys R Us in Times Square, the Lego Store, FAO Schwartz toy store, and American Girl Place are among the many places kids love to shop in New York. Giant Ferris wheels and huge playable pianos and other interactive features will let them have a great time even if you can’t afford to buy a lot.

And the perfect place to stop right after a hard day’s kid shopping is Dylan’s Candy Bar, where the stools sit on peppermint sticks and the fun and variety of ice cream treats is truly unforgettable.

4. Include Parks & Zoos for Kids

All kids love zoos, and New York offers several that are especially appropriate for kids. A well-timed visit to the Central Park Children’s Zoo will give your kids a chance to feed the sea lions. And Bronx Children’s Zoo’s gorilla forest, butterfly house, and petting zoo are all very popular. You might even want to stay for an overnight safari at the Bronx zoo to get the full experience.

Central Park has much to offer kids, including a puppet show at the Swedish Cottage Theater, a climb up the Alice in Wonderland statue, and a ride on an old-style horse carousel. But also see Bryant Park, which has its own French-style carousel for kids plus other “kid-tractions.”

5. See the Statue of Liberty

Adults and kids alike will love the ferry ride out to Liberty Island to see the Statue of Liberty up close. Sign up ahead for the Junior Ranger Program to make things even more interesting.

And many bus tours give you discounts on Liberty Cruise tickets, so you can save big by bundling.

How to See Barcelona the Best Way

October 26, 2017 by Mandy

Barcelona is one of the best cities in the world to discover and explore but how to you get the most out of your short stay in the city, and see the best things which interest you in Barcelona. A Barcelona Highlights tour by the hand of a professional guide will show you the very best of the city and will give you a background which only a local can give you. Many visitors rely on handbooks and websites but local knowledge gives you a much deeper insight into the rich history and culture that Barcelona has to offer. There are many things which you won’t find in textbooks within the oral history of the city.

For a visitor to a city, a tour is one of the best ways to get your bearings for the city and learn more about what you would like to explore more. A tour guide will be able to give you a tailored experience, that no guidebook or website printout could ever give you. Having a local show you around the city is your way to experience Barcelona like a local, you will see things from a perspective you otherwise would have missed.

Camp Noup is the home of football but it’s not something which would immediately interest a non-football fan, one of the great benefits of having a guide is that they bring history to life and make the surroundings amazingly interesting. A tour anywhere in the city will be lively and enjoyable, you will be immersed in the rich history Barcelona has to offer, and it has a lot of history to offer. A tour guide will whisk you around the greatest sites within the city and one of the biggest advantages is that you often are able to skip the queues for the biggest attractions.

When you go to Barcelona, book a tour to experience the hidden side of Barcelona. While there are world class attractions, only a tour-guide can show you the hidden side to the city which is only seen by the locals. Discover shops and winding streets which are normally only used by locals and get bargains in hidden markets. Only a tour guide can show you this side of Barcelona which a website can help you find. A tour guide is a resource which you really need to take advantage of when you visit Barcelona to get the most out of your visit to the city.

A Visual History Lesson: Top U.S Cities to Visit With Your Kids

October 5, 2017 by Mandy

Kids are very visual creatures who love learning about things they can see. You could tell your kids about a historical place or explain another culture to them, but it’s a lot more fun if they can take a look for themselves.

Culture-filled and historical cities to visit with kids

If you think we’re going to start this list with Orlando, think again. Disney theme parks are delightful, but there are certainly more historical cities to see with your kids. New Orleans, for example. Here you can start your day with fresh beignet fritters washed down with hot chocolate or cafe au lait, then spend the morning exploring above-ground graveyards. Take a two-hour paddlewheel boat trip on the mighty Mississippi and be back in The Big Easy in time for a delicious dinner of gumbo and crawfish etouffee, advise travel pros at Travelocity.

For a hands-on historical experience, few American cities compare to Washington D.C. Older kids will willingly tour must-see educational sites like the Lincoln Memorial, Capitol Building, and White House if you tell them they can visit the International Spy Museum afterward. Located fewer than three miles from The Mayflower Hotel By Marriott, the Spy Museum is the place to explore the thrilling history of espionage and learn a lot about James Bond, too. Interactive spy games are available to kids 12 and older.

Be sure to save part of your D.C. day to visit the Tidal Basin with the kids. Rent a couple of foot-powered paddle boats, and race across the shallow basin to the Jefferson Memorial, suggest family travel gurus at Escape Here magazine.

Sunshine, beaches, and robot dinosaurs

Kids of all ages find plenty to learn about while having fun in San Diego. Sitting in the southwest just a few miles north of the U.S. – Mexico border, San Diego boasts beautiful beaches, inspiring scenery, and near perfect weather year ‘round. Plan to spend at least two days exploring Balboa Park. Home to the world-renowned San Diego Zoo, the 1,200-acre urban cultural center comprises art galleries, playgrounds, an old-fashioned carousel, a miniature train ride, and museums galore.

Drop into the Natural History Museum to interact with animated dinosaurs, and don’t forget to catch a thrilling IMAX movie at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center. For the best San Diego vacation value, buy an Explorer Multi-Day pass to gain access to park attractions for a week, recommends Parents magazine.

Disney with a dash of outer space

Big theme parks are wonderfully entertaining, but that’s not all there is to do in Orlando. Make a morning jaunt to the John F. Kennedy Space Center to learn about the history of space exploration, then spend the afternoon marveling at movies at Universal Studios.

Rev your kids engines for education as you plan your family vacation. Visit tourism websites, and invite your youngsters to help plan an itinerary that includes visits to places they want to learn about.