My 7 Links is a great idea dreamed up by our friends at Tripbase aimed at getting great posts the second read they deserve. Bloggers from all around the globe are linking back to oldies but goodies from their past. Amie dusted off some great reads a few weeks ago. Now it’s my turn. Thanks to Corinne McDermott from Have Baby Will Travel for inviting me to throw my pieces into the mix.

Earth Day is coming up this week on Friday, April 22nd. To help honor this important global event, I’ve put together a list of tips to help make family vacations more eco-friendly.

Admittedly, I’m bad about drinking tap water when I travel. Clearly, it’s not an option in some destinations, but amazingly, in places where the tap water …

The Amalfi Coast is one of Italy’s most popular tourist destinations. We get many requests from our readers requesting advice on exploring this breathtaking part of Southern Italy with young kids. This post is long overdue …

Everyone who regularly reads this blog knows I love Italy with children of all ages. Ironically, however, the Amalfi Coast …

Many families use Rome as the starting point for 10-14 day trips to Italy. Rome is my favorite big city in Europe with kids. The layers of history, the chaos, the loitering — it’s impossible to be an outsider here as you are always drawn into the action in some way, shape, or form.

I actually recommend spending at least 4 days in Rome (see my post on creating the best family-friendly Itinerary in Italy). However, I know how hard it is to allocate precious days on vacation and many people end up in Rome for just 72 hours.

Nothing gets you into the holiday spirit in Europe like a Christmas market. These markets, which originated in Germany, can now be found in many cities throughout European.

I’ve been to several over the years and here are my picks of the best Christmas markets for festive family fun.

Four days left to donate to Passports with Purpose and have a chance to win a 5-night-stay at the Riviera Palm Springs! This hip hotel works well for the entire family—even the kids thought they were movie stars striking a pose with the retro décor. Tweens and teens will be entertained with the gorgeous pool and enormous (and very popular) pool floats and the Liberace-inspired pool table.

Not sure what to do for five days in Palm Springs? Check out some ideas …

The season leading up to Christmas is a light-filled festive time in Rome that can provide an ideal backdrop for an enchanting vacation with kids. Beside its great museums, on-going exhibits, and the ancient Rome landmarks, there are several annual Christmas events that are not to be missed, particularly when visiting Rome with children.

I asked two Paris local travel experts for suggestions on the best holiday activities in the City of Lights. The first selection of ideas is from from Marlys and Michael Schuermann, the team behind @ParisBuff. Parisians by adoption, they offer budget tips to Paris and beyond. Michael is the author of the book Paris Movie Walks.

The second selection is from ParisKid, a family-focused tour company offering guided walks for non-French speaking children ages 6-12 and their families.

I’m not a big fan of mingling with camera-clicking tourists in the shadow of the blazing Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, but traditionally I like to get a quiet look at it before it’s gussied up and lit, which was my plan on the Monday after Thanksgiving.

But had I not been approaching the Rockefeller Plaza tree area from Sixth Avenue—rather than heading there directly from 5th Avenue, which thousands of visitors do every day—I would have missed entirely …

There is something so magical about being on holiday in a big city at Christmas time. And if you have kids with you London is particularly enchanting.

The streets are sparkling with fairy lights, the store windows are alive with mechanical elves, dancing dolls and miniature trains whizzing around tracks and Santa is waiting for you to visit him in his Grotto.

But where do you start?