Marbella is an iconic holiday destination in Spain filled with upscale beach resorts. We’ve added two luxury family hotels to the Ciao Bambino Hotel Collection over the past few weeks — both are wonderful options with children of all ages with extensive onsite amenities and rooms that accommodate families.

This was the first visit to Venice for our family. Rather than staying in the the center of Venice, we opted to stay on the Venice Lido, an island to the north of Venice that sits on the Adriatic Sea and is home to a 12 kilometer sandy beach. The value of being able to experience the city of Venice and explore its canals and history, and afterwards escape to the serenity and calm of a beach was ideal for us. This was a surprise to me as I anticipated wanting to be in the city full time and wondered if staying out at the beach would give us the true Venetian experience.

We discovered that staying on Lido Beach …

The children and sightseeing combo is a tricky one to get right. To enjoy a tourist attraction kids need to be impressed … and kids are hard to impress. What’s more, if they’re not enjoying the experience they will make sure that no one within ten feet is either.

As the children of a travel writer, my kids are experienced city breakers and by trial and error we’ve worked out a formula that keeps everyone happy ‘most’ of the time.

I recently participated in the TMS Family Travel Summit in Orlando, Florida, where top-notch travel writers and marketers discussed current family travel trends and needs. Per Peter Yesawich of MMGY Global, demand for luxury family travel products is growing. To meet the surge in interest for both independent and multi-generational family travel, leading luxury brands are rolling out all kinds of exciting programs.

I’m constantly reviewing incredible offers around the world and it’s difficult to narrow down a giant list of options to just a handful of amazing experiences …

Late April and May is Narcissus season around Lake Geneva (Lac Leman) in Switzerland. The Paper White varietal cover the fields in the mountains above the lake — they smell and look amazing. The best way to view these flowers is to go on a hike so you can get into the thick of them. I have a few favorites kid-friendly hikes around Lake Geneva that provide wonderful views of Narcissus blooms.

There are destinations well-suited for a trip where a multi-faceted itinerary is managed by a talented tour operator. Scotland is certainly one of them, particularly if you want to see and do as much as possible in a short amount of time. Adventures by Disney launched their new Scotland itinerary in 2013 and I gave a condensed five-night version a go on their inaugural media trip.

I now understand why Adventures by Disney escorted group travel makes a fantastic family vacation in Scotland for families with kids ages 8 and up.

When I shared with people that I was heading off to Scotland with Adventures By Disney to write about their new “Brave” Scotland Family Vacation, I got many blank stares. Word isn’t quite out that Disney offers much more in family travel than theme parks. Adventures by Disney started offering escorted group trips in 2004, and for those in the know, it’s the best thing going — evident by the 40% guest return rate for these global itineraries.

I must admit, as a passionate independent traveler, I had my doubts about experiencing an international destination as a group …

Introduction to Barcelona with kids

Barcelona, a cosmopolitan city facing the Mediterranean, it is considered a great destination for traveling with babies and toddlers. With mild temperatures all year long and its 4.5 km of sandy beaches this family-friendly city …

Barcelona offers many activities for all interests and ages. Walking around its famous promenade Las Ramblas …

With a name like Ciao Bambino, it’s no secret we log many hours sharing not-to-be-missed insider information on how to best travel to Italy with kids. Families from around the world have been relying on our portfolio of thoroughly vetted Italy family hotels, resorts, and villas for close to 10 years now! There are a few Italy family travel tips we share continually with those who use our booking service that help families plan the best trip possible.

Need summer travel inspiration? Look no further … I got together with fellow luxury travel experts Poshbrood and Luxury Travel Mom and put together a list of worldwide luxury family travel favorites for summer 2013.

From Africa to Hawaii to Paris to Cape Cod, our list offers something for every age and interest, and lets families be as laid back or as active as they want!