Parents are always the ones who are dishing out travel tips on how to travel with kids. I thought it would be fun to pass the microphone over to the other experts … kids!

Just “asking” kids for their tips may not be good enough to inspire the best thinking, so we asked our friends at Barefoot Books to provide a little motivation.

The result? Hello, great giveaway just for kids!

Barefoot Books is an award-winning publisher of children’s books; their mission is to get kids to think more about exploring our planet and the global community – a match made in heaven for families who prioritize travel and think of it as a means to educate their children.

Eight lucky kids will have an opportunity to shop in the Barefoot Books store for free and choose a book for their prize. Given that Barefoot produces books for all ages, everyone can find something they are excited about.

Here’s how it works:

1.  Ask your kids to give you their best tip and submit it as a comment on our blog. Please include the child’s first name and age at the end of the tip. Each of your children can make a comment for an entry. Make sure you go to the Rafflecopter widget and let us know you left a comment.

2. At Midnight EST on Tuesday, September 6th, all entries collected through the Rafflecopter widget will be sifted through Random.org and the eight winners will be selected. That’s a lot of winning possibilities!

3. In addition to the blog comment, you can get more entries by doing one or more of the following.  Each action is worth an additional entry!

Note:  All actions must be entered into the Rafflecopter widget in order to be counted as an entry.

*Follow Barefoot Books on Twitter @liveBarefoot

*Like Barefoot Books on Facebook

*Add your tips to Ciao Bambino’s wall on Facebook

Devon, my 8-year-old, will kick the thing off. Here are his 10 best family travel tips. What do these tips say about me? A hiking-crazy, luxury hotel fanatic who brings my dog everywhere? Yep, that pretty much sums it up.

1. Do not do many hikes

2. Stay at hotel with lots of stars

3. Look up a place before going

4. Bring a scooter or skateboard and find places with no rocks

5. Do not bring your dog to a place that does not allow dogs

6. In Switzerland, bring a dog

7. When on a trip, give kids a surprise

8. Get a souvenir from your destination

9. Look for hotels with a pool

10. Have fun

Enter the Giveaway

To enter, wait for the Rafflecopter widget to load below. Leave a comment on the blog and make sure you tell us you did so in the Rafflecopter entry form.

Each action in the Rafflecopter widget (below) earns you an entry. Actions will only be counted one time with the exception of the “Leave a blog comment” for families with multiple children -each child may have an entry.   Important Note for families with multiple children:  After you click “I did this” for the “Leave a blog comment” entry on the Rafflecopter widget, you will need to close and reopen the Ciao Bambino website to refresh the widget and repeat those same steps for each child’s entry.

Winners will be contacted with instructions on how to choose their book. Good luck!

Big thanks to CashNet Sweeptstakes, Online-Sweepstakes and  Contest for Moms for help spreading the word.

Read the rest of this entry »

It’s been a quiet summer for my family when it comes to travel. My girls’ schedules have dictated more stay-cation type summer adventures, but I live in the Northern California Wine Country, so I have no reason to complain.

The Napa and Sonoma Valleys has a reputation for being adult-only destinations.  ‘Leave the kids with the grandparents and go’ type places. Once upon a time that may have been true.

Reputations are Hard to Shake

The Francis Ford Coppola Winery got many families attention (and plenty of press) this summer, when it added inviting options like a pool and bocce ball courts to its winery tasting menu. It’s a long overdue option, but it’s not the only winery extending the welcome mat to families.

Wine Country Trail Rides

Wine Country Trail Rides is located about an hour north of the Golden Gate Bridge at world-class Chalk Hill Estate Vineyards & Winery. When you arrive at the winery you’ll head straight to the tasting room for some Sauvignon Blanc before being lead to the Estate Stables.

“One of the favorite parts of my job, I get a real kick out of watching people have fun,” says Rafael Hernandez, owner of Wine Country Trail Rides.

Hernandez loves what he does and it shows. Carrying a box under his arm when my daughter and I met him, he was quick to explain his new polo helmet had just arrived. And like a kid at Christmas he couldn’t wait to open it.

“Let’s check it out,” he said as he cut though shipping tape and proceeded to model it.

The flashy red helmet got my teen’s stamp of approval. He also showed her some of his polo mallets, explaining how they vary depending on players’ likes and abilities. Hernandez discovered his love for horses and polo as a teenager when he worked at the Santa Barbara Polo Club cleaning the stables.

Helmets On, Ready to Go

Adults can choose, but all children are required to wear helmets. Once everyone’s helmets are fitted and secure it’s time to meet the horse that will be your best friend for the next 90 minutes. Hernandez has more than a dozen horses and matches riders to just the right horse.

My daughter was paired with mellow, dependable and sweet as can be 32-year-old JT. He’s easing into retirement and only goes into the vineyards a couple times a week, but as a parent, I couldn’t have asked for a better horse choice for my daughter. At 4-years-old, my horse Tiger didn’t have nearly as much experience as JT, but knew exactly what to do.

The Chalk Hill Estate Vineyards & Winery is a 1400 plus acre estate.  It doesn’t matter which direction you look, a view is waiting.  Don’t be surprised if your family learns a little bit about Sonoma County geography during your ride, and don’t be afraid to ask questions.

Hernandez makes a point to have his guides and himself spend time with Chalk Hill’s vineyard manager Mark Lingenfelder and winemaker Lisa Bishop Forbes. Trail guides know their horses and the grapes they ride through. If you’re really curious, you can ask at the hospitality center to see a map of the Estate and the 60 different small vineyards.

In addition to vineyards, the Chalk Hill Estate has many other features to watch out for during your trail ride. The winery and hospitality center are poised amidst meadows and native oaks along with guest houses, a chapel, ponds and lakes, sporting fields and wilderness preserves. The winery was founded in 1972 and though young, has a history all its own.

You don’t have to be an experienced rider to love this horseback tour. There’s nothing fancy like trotting and cantering, just simple walking.  Vacation riders young and old should find this ride easy and relaxing.

“Finally there was something to do for the children and adults as well. When I pioneered the concept (of vineyard trail riding ) that was definitely something that was at the forefront of my thoughts,” and Hernandez says touring the vineyards on horseback has made for happy kids and parents since he started in 1998.

Parents will also be happy to know Wine Country Trail Rides has a perfect safety record. My daughter’s horse, JT liked being out in front, and it never concerned me.  I figured he enjoys the views too.

Riding Requirements

Children must be 7 or older and accompanied by an adult. The maximum weight limit is 260 pounds. Shoes must have a closed toe and a heel is preferred, but it’s not unheard of for kids and adults to ride in a pair of sneakers.

If you are a serious rider Wine Country Trail Rides also offers sport horses and Hernandez will customize an adventure suited to your ability.

Don’t Rush to Leave

Included in the price of your trail ride is a tasting at the Chalk Hill hospitality center.  Kids are welcome, so don’t feel awkward about bringing the family.  Just like at the stables, pourers are known to have organic fruit juices on hand and kids are invited to make themselves at home.

The tasting room is flanked by a large, sunny deck that gives kids a good spot to hang out. Depending of the time of day of your ride, consider packing a picnic or at least some good snacks.

If your itinerary and kids will go for it, consider adding the culinary tour to your ride. After exploring on horseback, you get to explore Chalk Hill’s 1-acre organic culinary garden.

After being inspired to start planting the second you get home, you’ll head to the Pavilion, an almost all glass conservatory that sits at the end of one of the largest equestrian arenas in North America, and enjoy a selection of Chalk Hill’s award winning wines paired with several small plates from the kitchen of Chalk Hill’s executive chef Didier Ageorges. My advice, don’t eat lunch before you go.

The Sport of Kings

With 25 years of experience in the professional polo world, Hernandez personally trains world-class ponies to use when he hits the field and for private polo lessons. You couldn’t ask for a better place to learn. The state of the art, enclosed arena attracts some of the best players from around the world.  And polo games that are open to the public may be in the cards at Chalk Hill.

Sounds like another great way for a family to spend an afternoon in wine country and a great excuse to pick up a favorite bottle of red wine.

Ciao Bambino Reader Perk: Families that mention that they read about Wine Country Trail Rides on Ciao Bambino will receive a 10 % discount!

Editorial Note: Dana and her daughter had a complimentary ride from Wine Country Trail Rides. She was not asked to present any particular point of view in her coverage of the experience. Photo credit Dana Rebmann.

Relevant Links:

Kid-friendly Napa Valley and Sonoma hotels recommended by Ciao Bambino

Francis Ford Coppola Winery swimming pool

Five kid-friendly activities in Napa Valley

Napa Valley with kids, exploring the Oxbow Market

Ziplining with Sonoma Canopy Tours

Every month a group of expert, independent travel bloggers converge on a single topic in a Travel Blog Mob. Our topic for this month? Wine!

Austria for Wine Lovers by WanderingEducators.com

Touring Wineries in Willamette Valley by TheVacationGals.com

Europa Village: Old World Wines SoCAL Style by WanderlustandLipstick.com

Destinations Worth Visiting for the Drinks Alone by SharingTravelExperiences.com

When our good friends suggested a trip to the Loire Valley with kids, I have to admit that I was not without reservations. Lots of castles and lots of wine — that’s all I really remembered from our last trip to this region 10 years ago. Sure, the former is kid-friendly in small doses. The latter? Not so much.

As it turns out, we loved exploring the Loire Valley with our children! We planned our days with care and always combined sightseeing with pool time before dinner (weather permitting).

Chenonceau perched over the Cher River

Château de Chenonceau

This 16th century castle built over the River Cher was the hands-down favorite attraction of the trip for me. The castle is not as awe-inspiring on the outside as others in this area like Chambord, but the interior is to die for. The inside of Chenonceau is meticulously restored, immaculate, decadent, yet authentic. Minus the people inside with modern-day attire and electronics, visitors truly step back in time.

We were so impressed by the elaborate fresh flowers everywhere — it made the castle feel lived in! The kids enjoyed this too as it was easy for them to visualize royal life here (vs. some attractions that are more museum-like). The castle is small enough that you can tour all the rooms in 45 minutes.

Chenonceau maze is a crowd-pleaser

You can also rent boats and take a trip down the River Cher which we opted not to do. The kids loved the maze in the gorgeous gardens; the path to the center is just challenging enough to create some giggles.

Tip: We decided not to use an audio guide here and regretted it. They have a version for children. Even if the content on these guides is not fabulous, they successfully engage kids more in the experience and information.

In addition, it’s worth noting that the adjacent town of Chenonceau is adorable and a good place for a lunch stop or to buy supplies for a area picnic.

Looking back at Château de Villandry from the garden

Château de Villandry

Château de Villandry is best known for it’s magnificent gardens which have been admired for over 500 years.

We’ve visited gardens all over Europe and these gardens are indeed something very special. Elaborate and perfectly maintained, the sheer scale and complexity of the design is extraordinary.

Garden of Love

The gardens are vast but divided into distinct, symmetrical sections so they are easy to explore. The best view of them is from the higher vantage points inside and outside the castle where you can look down and appreciate the complete designs and their meaning.

There is a small children’s play area integrated into the gardens and also a maze (although the one at Chenonceau is more interesting).

Tip: We used the audio guide here. This is an example of one where the content was just fair with no version just for kids (they have a French kids version), but using it kept them engaged.

The inside of Château de Villandry is interesting but not memorable. If you are short for time or attention, I’d skip the castle interior and just visit the gardens (ensuring you go high in the gardens for a view from above).

Leonardo da Vinci’s last residence

Château du Clos Lucé

Château du Clos Lucé was Leonardo da Vinci’s last home. Located in the picturesque town of Amboise in the heart of the Loire Valley, this is a not-to-be-missed attraction for school-age and up kids visiting the area.

Inventions galore in the basement of Château du Clos Lucé

You start the visit with a tour of the castle interior and see where and how he lived. The fun, however, begins in the basement where models of many of his inventions are on display. His far-reaching visions include an early airplane, bicycle, tank — it seems there is little he didn’t think about.

Life-size models for exploring

When you enter the garden after the castle tour, an array of da Vinci’s models are full-size and “working.” Kids can step inside the tank he designed and turn it in circles, walk across his drawbridge, and “shoot” a cannon.  In short, they can spin, touch, and explore many of his fascinating inventions. There’s a playground and picnic grounds too. Kid heaven!

You can visit castles in the Loire Valley all day every day and never run out of places to see. Other area activities include visiting Troglodyte caves where people used to live and work. Canoeing, biking, and hiking are all plentiful for active families. As are an innumerable amount of interesting, historic villages.

If You Go

We stayed at Le Fleuray near Amboise. This hotel is in an absolutely ideal central location for exploring the Loire Valley. The owners go out of their way to create a family-friendly atmosphere. Rooms are spacious, comfortable, and spotless and there is plenty of room for kids to run and play. Pricing for rooms and meals is quite reasonable for the quality.

For more Photo Friday posts, visit Delicious Baby.

Photo credit Amie O’Shaughnessy

Relevant Links:

Ciao Bambino recommended kid-friendly hotels in France

A kid-friendly tour of St. Tropez

Farmhouse dining in France with kids

Zip-line adventure in France

Red Tricycle is a go-to website for parents when they are looking for ideas on things to do with kids, what to eat or just what’s going on in Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. They recently launched Red Tricycle San Diego and to celebrate they are giving away a family fun pack filled with tickets to the most popular family-friendly activities in San Diego.

We’re huge San Diego fans at Ciao Bambino. Nancy grew up in this area and returns at least once a year; we’ve covered many of the attractions in the prize package including a recent article on the behind-the-scenes tour at Safari Park and Legoland’s New Water Park.

Red Tricycle San Diego Family Fun Pack Giveaway

The prize

A family 4-pack of tickets to:

- San  Diego Zoo and Safari Park

- Seaworld San Diego

- Legoland California and Sealife Aquarium

- Birch Aquarium

- Balboa Park pass which includes your choice to 5 of the 14 museums in Balboa Park

- The New Children’s Museum (we’ve heard great things about this!)

How to enter

Visit the Red Tricycle San Diego page for all the details on how to enter.  Hurry though – the promotion ends September 12, 2011.

Good Luck!

VHS circa the 1970s

“What in the world is that Mom?”

“That, believe it or not, is how we played movies in the old days when I was a child.”

Seriously?! I can’t believe we’re having conversations like this already with our kids. It’s crazy.

iPod circa the early 2000s

Even the original version of the iPod looks impossibly dated and led to a discussion about how fast technology has changed.

This banter was all inspired by our visit to the Musée des Arts et Métiers in Paris. Founded in 1794, this museum of “arts and crafts” displays scientific instruments and discoveries, while telling the story behind the evolution of many of our most important inventions.

Display about building the Statue of Liberty

Our 8-year-old loved it so much he asked to go back for a second visit!  What makes it compelling for kids is the display format which relies on real objects to tell the story. Without reading much text at all, you can marvel at the progress behind everything from communication (telegraphs, phonographs, telephones, typewriters) to transportation (bikes, trains, cars, planes) to construction, medicine, even robots!

Foucault’s Pendulum

Many things are hands-on like the gear displays which never fail to engage active kids. The star of the show for many is the working Foucault’s Pendulum demonstrating the rotation of the earth (the original was here before it suffered irreparable damage in 2010).

This is a terrific museum for school age kids and up. Plan on spending 1-2 hours here. It’s near the heart of the Marais which is great for strolling and lunch before or after your visit.

If You Go

The Musée des Arts et Métiers is located in the 3rd arrondissement at 60 Rue Réaumur.  The nearest Metro stations are Arts et Métiers and Réaumur-Sébastopol.

Opening times are from Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 6pm.  It is open at night on Thursdays until 9:30pm. It is closed on Mondays, as well as May 1st and December 25th.

Relevant Links:

Ciao Bambino recommended Paris family hotels

Paris Muse family tour of the Louvre Museum

How not to visit Versailles with kids

Off-the-beaten-path things to do in Paris with kids

Favorite online resources for Paris with children

Savoring the simple pleasures of Paris with children

Last winter my 7^th grade daughter brought home information about the school trip to Washington, DC.  She wanted to go, but said she’d rather do DC with the family instead of her friends. Once the shock wore off, I started planning almost instantly. Being organized is the key to exploring DC with the kids.

Plan Ahead & Reserve, Reserve, Reserve

Unless your kids are fans of waiting in long lines, do your homework.  Have a family discussion, decide what you’d like to do and get busy making reservations.  Nancy’s said it before, “Exploring Washington DC with kids is simply better with a plan,” and I couldn’t agree more.

But putting together that plan was a little trickier than I anticipated.  Once your family agrees on what to do, you need to figure who to contact to make it happen.  For example, tours of the White House must be requested via your Member of Congress, but making reservation to see the Declaration of Independence at the National Archives is something you can book on your own online.

If you want to go to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing during what they call peak season, or in other words all school holidays, I’d recommend you go through your Member of Congress as well.  Free, same day tickets are available, but you may have to be up before the sun to get in line to get them.

Travel Light

I know it’s hard, but pack early and then take out half of what you packed.  I’m a big fan of packing smart and light (see my travel packing tips for advice on how to make this reality). That doesn’t just apply to your suitcase.  It’s a must for the backpack you’ll be lugging around DC all day as well. And it’s not just because I want you to save your weary back.

Security is everywhere in DC.  Pretty much every monument and museum has a security checkpoint. We went through security to get in to a food court one day. You go through three security checks before you make it through the doors of the White House.  It’s like being at the airport over and over again.  Everyone’s rules about what’s allowed and what’s not are different, so less is best.  The less you have, the less time you’ll stand in line at security checkpoints.

Be Realistic

You can schedule tours every hour on the hour, but that doesn’t mean you or the kids will enjoy three tours a day, four days in a row. Leave plenty of breathing room in your itinerary.  It’s really easy to overschedule yourself in DC because there’s so much to do and that feeling of not wanting to miss out. But DC is no different than anywhere else, in the sense that you can’t do it all in one trip. Visit, get a good taste and plan on going back.

Breathing Room = Flexibility

DC is a great walking city.  Whether it’s an adult only kickball game or a sculpture that requires you to climb it and rub its nose, expect fun filled surprises as you move from one stop to the next.  Surprises take time, so make sure to have plenty of breathing room built into your day. Good surprises are worth the time, and time allows for recovery, which can make bad surprises not so bad.

The Metro

My family had more than one sprint through the city after getting stuck on not one, not two, but three broken Metro trains. Don’t misunderstand me, I’m not knocking the transportation system.  Moving that many people from point A to point B is bound to have some kinks, but I think we had more than our fair share during our visit. Nothing earth shattering, but very frustrating. In each instance, we made it everywhere we needed to be in just the nick of time, but there was definitely some running involved.

If my girls were toddlers instead of tweens and teens, we would have missed our time slot for the Washington Monument.  After the second day of our Metro mayhem, we built in more pad time.  It also greatly weighed in on our decision to drive into DC on the last day of our visit. Since it was Sunday, it was a piece of cake to find parking.

Get a Good Map Before You Go

A quick google search and you have plenty of DC maps to choose from.  A map is such a simple thing to get online, but yet something I bet most folks don’t think of or use to their advantage. Having a good idea of DC’s layout helped immensely when planning daily itineraries.  For example, I made sure to plan on visiting the National Portrait Gallery on the same day as the Spy Museum because they are right across the street from each other.

Less walking, equals happy families. And happy families make for great trips.

Relevant Links:

Ciao Bambino recommended kid-friendly hotels in Washington DC

10 new ways to experience Washington DC with kids

Washington DC with kids, top planning resources

Washington DC attractions, favorite family activities

Things to do in Washington DC on Uptake.com

Last week for Photo Friday I covered glorious Mürren in the Jungfrau Region of Switzerland. Our itinerary included a stop at Trümmelbach Falls.

The Michelin Guide gives the falls one of their coveted 3 star ratings. We discovered the reason for this — Trümmelbach Falls is quite simply astounding as visitors witness up to 20,000 liters of water per second drain from the Eiger (3970 m), Mönch (4099 m) and Jungfrau (4158 m) peaks from inside the mountain.

The photos really don’t do this attraction justice. Part of the experience is hearing the water. Let’s just say it’s deafening. I’ve gone twice now and on each visit that first interaction with the falls produces a rash of giggles from all ages — you just can’t believe what you are seeing and hearing!

Here’s a taste … but truly, this is something that has to be experienced in person to be fully appreciated.

Trümmelbach Falls is comprised of ten glacial waterfalls. Seeing them involves some serious stairs, inside and outside of the mountain. I recommend taking the tunnel-lift (dark and disconcerting, but short) to take the edge off the climb. You will still get a mini-workout climbing up at the departure point, and then you can walk down to the valley floor at a leisurely pace.

Please trust me when I say that this is NOT a good place for toddlers. Think dark, steep, slippery, and loud. I felt the need to be in arm’s length of the school-age kids in our group.

If You Go

The falls are open daily from April through November. Entrance fees are 11 CHF per adult and 4 CHF per child. They do not accept credit cars so bring cash! Parking is easy but the Lauterbrunnen Valley bus system is amazing efficient. We also stopped in the little cafe near the entrance and they have delightful snacks, cakes, and coffee.

For more Photo Friday posts, visit Delicious Baby.

Photos courtesy of Amie O’Shaughnessy

Relevant Links:

Ciao Bambino recommended Switzerland family hotels

Kid-friendly hiking in Mürren, Switzerland

Lake Geneva, Switzerland boat tours

Switzerland tourist attraction resources

Photos of sunrise in Mürren, Switzerland

Photos of the Matterhorn in Zermatt, Switzerland

Photos of Lake Geneva, Switzerland

Photos of Fields of Narcissus in Switzerland

Photos of the full moon setting over Lake Geneva

The Boston’s Children’s Museum generates enthusiasm and creativity in kids of all ages. This museum has been a popular stop for Boston’s parents for years. A recent update has lightened the facility, breathing new life into this excellent museum.

As you enter the museum, there’s a new glass facade with sweeping views and an airy feel. My kids immediately noticed the climbing structure that now spans three stories. Previously, the structure was enclosed and had rambled, so you weren’t always sure where your kids were. For kids like mine who thought it was funny to hide from me, that was less than an enjoyable experience.  The new, modern design is wrapped in mesh netting, allowing for clear and easy views of your children.

Often what I find difficult with children’s museums is making sure that the exhibits interest both younger and older children.  Given that my kids range from age 3 to 12, that’s a huge engagement span to cover.  This museum, however, accomplishes this with ease.  They have exhibits that appeal to all children — bubbles, climbing structures, water tables, car racing station — paired with entertainment for older children like the small rock wall and an outstanding exhibit showcasing a traditional Japanese house.

When you come to the museum, there is plenty of parking nearby, but be sure not to miss the very family friendly bakery, Flour.  Joanne Chang-Myers is one of Boston’s best new chef’s. This small, outstanding bakery and restaurant has developed a cult following.

They serve fresh, organic local food like salads, and sandwiches, but really kick it up a notch when it comes to her fabulous baking.  Homemade oreos, sticky buns, meringues, croissants, crème brulee are artistic and insanely delicious!  It certainly blows the onsite McDonald’s away.

Relevant Links:

Ciao Bambino recommended Boston family hotels

Tips for visiting museums with kids

Fun things to do in Boston with kids

Top 5 family attractions in Boston

Most of us have just a few short weeks before school starts again. After all the non-stop, unstructured family time over these past few months, a bit of routine is welcome again.

September and October are terrific travel months in terms of weather and crowds. Given that days off work and school — at least in early fall — are limited, a 2-3 night getaway is your best chance to work in a back-to-school vacation.

To help with inspiration, we went through the Ciao Bambino hotel portfolio in search of options that are easy-to-access, have great autumn weather and/or scenery, and provide big bang entertainment for all ages. Clearly, what’s convenient for someone living in Europe, is different from someone living in say, San Francisco, so we separated US and Europe options. Here’s the list:

United States Family Getaways

The Gant Aspen | Aspen, Colorado

I’m a fall foliage fanatic and can think of few more spectacular visions than a grove of Aspen trees at their golden peak in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. The Gant Aspen is a condo-style hotel in their namesake town with plenty to do on and off-site to keep families happy for days outside of ski season. Stay at The Gant from September 1 – November 22, 2011 and save 20% off your stay (offer expires October 31, 2011). Click here to get best pricing and availability.

Rancho Las Palmas Resort and Spa | Palm Springs, California

Room rates drop during the fall months in Palm Springs, California. It’s still plenty warm, however, for serious pool time. Families give the water play area at the Rancho Las Palmas Resort and Spa rave reviews. You can fly into the Palm Springs airport, or drive in from the LA area; if you choose the latter, a popular fall family activity includes a stop at Oak Glen for apple picking. Their Family Fun package includes connecting rooms, a $50 breakfast voucher, Splashtopia inner tubes and the $25 resort fee. Click here to check best pricing and availability.

The Charles Hotel | Cambridge, Massachusetts

Boston has a long list of year-round fun things to do with kids, although a favorite for time to visit for many families is over the fall months when the scenery is particularly stunning and seasonal activities like apple picking come into play. Kids are warmly welcomed at the Charles Hotel in Cambridge with pint-sized amenities and seasonal programs. The Smarty Pants package includes kids’ kid with books and toys, free kids’ breakfast, milk and cookies at bedtime, and a discount off connecting rooms. Click here to check best pricing and availability.

The Raleigh Hotel | Miami, Florida

Get that last beach vacation in before winter (and peak pricing) arrives with a fall trip to Florida. Miami is easy to reach from most US cities; families in Europe benefitting from the weak Dollar may find pricing even more attractive. We haven’t seen The Raleigh yet but our community gives it a glowing review. I must say, the photos alone communicate a fun vibe.  If you can squeeze in a trip between now and September 30th, the 4th night is on them! Click here to check best pricing and availability.

Basin Harbor Club | Vergennes, Vermont

No fall getaway list is complete without including Vermont for the ultimate in leaf-peeping. The Basin Harbor Club is an old-school family resort with a long, long list of kid and adult-friendly activities. It’s perfect suited for multigenerational weekends that include grandparents. Although summer is the most popular period at this American-plan all-inclusive resort, scheduled events continue through their closing date at the end of October. Click here to check best pricing and availability.

Europe Family Getaways

Le Fleuray Hotel | Loire Valley, France

I just spent 4 nights at Le Fleuray in the Loire Valley. Everything about this hotel is family-friendly, from the spacious rooms opening up to flat grass, to the fenced and heated pool, to the kids’ menu, to the central location for regional exploration. We spent the first part of each day sightseeing and the late afternoons by the pool. Perfect! Stay tuned for my summary of the best attractions for kids in the area on the CB blog. Best of all, pricing here if value-oriented with rates starting at just 78€ per night (meals excluded). Click here to check best pricing and availability.

Angleterre & Residence | Lausanne, Switzerland

The fall colors in and around Lausanne do not disappoint. In fact, the vision of the grape vines changing colors in the Lavaux vineyards over Lac Léman (Lake Geneva) is one that will stay with you forever. Although temperatures become quite crisp in November and may include snow, September and October are spectacular. The Angleterre & Residence is modern, comfortable, and best of all, located right on the Ouchy (Lausanne) waterfront near a fantastic playground and park. Like all things in Switzerland, this hotel is not inexpensive, but they do offer specials, including 50% off connecting children’s rooms. Click here to check pricing and availability.

Hotel Belvedere | Lake Como, Italy

One amazing tidbit about Lake Como is that it’s located just an hour North of Milan (via car or train), i.e. if you live in Europe or have just a few extra days to add onto an itinerary, Lake Como is a good candidate for a getaway and the weather in the fall is still pleasant. Once you are on the lake, the driving is slow and so is the ferry system depending on where you are going, but if you’re happy staying in one place, a short stay is doable. Hotel Belvedere is one of the early hotels in our portfolio and one of the few properties in this area with room for kids to roam (grass-covered space is in very short supply around Lake Como). Rooms are simple with pricing to match (hooray!), and they have a few configurations that support families. Click here to check pricing and availability.

Woolley Grange | Bradford-on-Avon, England

Woolley Grange, part of the Luxury Family Hotels brand, has been on my “list” for months now. Located outside Bath just a few-hours drive from London, this area qualifies as getaway-able. Anna Tobin wrote an additional post on the Ciao Bambino blog about her stay at this hotel … luxurious but not stuffy, 14 acres of grounds, adult and kid meal times? Sign me up! One never travels to the UK for weather so the fall is as good as any time. Click here to check pricing and availability.

Villa La Massa | Florence, Italy

Family-friendly and top notch luxury don’t always go hand-in-hand in Italy. That is, however, not the case at Villa La Massa outside of Florence. I was reminded just how stunning this property is during a recent visit to this award-winning family favorite. The expansive grounds means every age has a place to go for entertainment, the food is phenomenal, and the rooms are extremely spacious. Although Florence is still crowded in the fall, it’s less so than over the crazy and hot summer months. Plus the location outside of the city center means that the roads into Chianti for vine-peeping and wine tasting are within easy reach. Click here to check pricing and availability.

Relevant Links:

Favorite kid-friendly hotels from family travel bloggers around the web

Hiking in Mürren, Switzerland

One of the best summer activities in Switzerland is hiking through the Alps. You see people of all ages and abilities enjoying the endless jaw-dropping mountain scenery on foot.

It’s easy to set off with babies and toddlers in carriers or backpacks — more challenging is motivating school-age kids to go for any consequential distance. Fortunately, our Swiss friends have thought through this and have taken the time to add kid-friendly treats on the trail.

The Jungfrau Region tourist board recently hosted Ciao Bambino on a visit through a some of the most coveted tourist attractions in the Bernese Oberland; during this trip, I was able to give a few of these treats a test drive with three kids ages 8, 11, and 13.

We kicked off our trip with an overnight in Mürren, a car-free village at 1,650 meters (5,413+ feet), perched on a mountain with uninterrupted views of three of the most famous mountains in the Alps: Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau. If you want the ultimate Swiss Alps scenery, this is it (Zermatt is another favorite).

Allmendhubel Funicular Train

The are several kid-friendly hikes in Mürren, but the one that is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser is the Children’s Adventure Trail. It starts at the top of the Allmendhubel funicular train.

One benefit of hiking in the Swiss Alps with kids is that the extensive gondola and funicular train networks are open all summer long — enabling families to skip terrain that is too rigorous, yet still access high altitude hiking.

Playground at Allmendhubel

Children’s Adventure Trail

A “we’re going to have a blast” tone is set when you arrive at the top of the Allmendhubel Funicular and are greeted by a playground with a fantastic slide and panoramic views. If you didn’t pack a lunch, there is an aptly-named restaurant located here called the Panorama Restaurant Allmendhubel. We stopped here for a bite — friendly service, kid options, and good food make this an excellent pre-hike meal choice.

Lookout on the Children’s Adventure Trail

The Children’s Adventure Trail combines lovely scenery with kid-focused entertainment. It’s ideal for school-age kids (although the tween in our group loved it too).

Little monkeys will fully appreciate the climbing, crawling, and jumping opportunities on a wooden obstacle course of sorts including lookouts, see-saws, and balance beams. The trail hands-down winner for fun, however, is the zipline-style swing.

Zipline-style swing on the Children’s Adventure Trail

The swing has just enough speed and bounce for school-age kids to think its cool, but not so much to scare more timid travelers (best for ages 6 and up).

Once you are able to wrangle your kids off the swing, there’s a long slide connected to a picnic area and yet another playground before you are back in town. The full trail takes about an hour to complete — if you combine the hike with lunch it is a perfect 1/2 day excursion.

Car-free village of Mürren

Need to Know Facts

Mürren’s unique mountainside position makes it a thrilling home-base; in addition, the car-free set up means it is perfect with kids and is small enough that you can get everywhere without hassle.

You can only access Mürren via the Schilthorn Cable Car or to take the Cable Car and then panoramic train from Lauterbrunnen. Fee-based parking is available in both places.

Regardless, purchasing a Junior Card for every child in the group ages 6 to 16 is a must! This pass allows children to travel with one or both of their parents for free for a year and costs 30 CHF.  It includes trains, boats, and many of the cable cars throughout the country. Trust me, it pays for itself it no time! Get more information on the SBB website.

A finite number of accommodation rooms means that overnight crowds are limited in Mürren — hooray! — and that booking a hotel ahead of time is a must. We stayed at Hotel Eiger this past winter and enjoyed all the onsite amenities.

A less expensive option with huge family rooms is Hotel Jungfrau. We stayed here on this last trip and fell in love with the charming owners. Rooms and public areas are simple, but the “will do anything to help our guests” attitude makes this hotel an absolute pleasure. Stay tuned for a complete review this fall.

This is the first in a series of posts on things to do in the wondrous Jungfrau Region with kids. Stay tuned!

For more this week’s Photo Friday posts, visit Delicious Baby.

Relevant Links:

Ciao Bambino recommended Switzerland family hotels

Tips for hiking with kids

Lake Geneva, Switzerland boat tours

Switzerland tourist attraction resources

Photos of sunrise in Mürren, Switzerland

Photos of the Matterhorn in Zermatt, Switzerland

Photos of Lake Geneva, Switzerland

Photos of Fields of Narcissus in Switzerland

Photos of the full moon setting over Lake Geneva