Oliver the black Labrador, must have the best job in the canine world. He is the hotel dog at the Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire. That’s Hampshire in the UK, about an hour southwest of London.

Oliver’s job description involves being stroked and cuddled all day long, breaking only to be walked or jogged around the hotel’s beautiful grounds or to take the occasional nap amidst the cosy luxury of the hotel’s interior. Only the hotel’s guests are more spoilt …

I finally made it to Burano on our last family trip to Venice. This colorful fishing village is an island in the Venetian archipelago. There’s not much to do there other than stroll, shop, and eat a fresh seafood lunch, but it’s unique and fun to pair with a trip to a glassblowing factory in Murano. Burano also is famous for traditional lacemaking and there’s a lacemaking museum, Museo del Merletto, to visit as well. Although, that was a tough sell for my boys so we didn’t go.

When I say colorful village, I mean colorful …

Over the Easter break we went to Florence and met up with Monica and Elena of Context Travel who took us on their “symbols and legends” walk. It’s a tour for families where you walk around and learn about interesting stuff.

We started at the Palazzo Vecchio in Piazza della Signoria where Monica gave us pictures of different symbols that are hidden all over the city. The Palazzo Vecchio was a government building, made over 700 years ago. It looks like a castle and it was built to show how important Florence was in the world.

In a jet set resort town like Zermatt, finding luxury hotels is not an issue. Uncovering the very select few properties that cater to families in a meaningful way, however, is much more challenging. After experiencing the 165-room Hotel Mont Cervin Palace this winter, I’ll be adding it to our Ciao Bambino’s Switzerland kid-friendly accommodations portfolio in the next few weeks. This old-school hotel icon is an exceptional place for families.

Part of the prestigious Seiler Hotels Group, the Mont Cervin Palace has been hosting guests for over 150 years …

If you’re looking for a memorable kid-friendly activity in Rome, Gladiator School is an event your children will never forgot. Nancy has raved about her experience for years and my 9-year-old Devon was thrilled to finally give it a go over our spring family vacation in Italy.

Although the swords are fake, the skills learned in class are real. Scantily clad men of yesteryear lead the troops through vigorous training.

St. Moritz is one of the world’s iconic ski destinations for glitz and luxury. Although it can be entertaining check out all the glam shops, hotels, and restaurants for a stroll or dinner, with young kids, it can be more relaxing to be in a lower key atmosphere where you aren’t consistently aware of how everyone is behaving.

I actually found St. Moritz, the destination, …

I think if I didn’t live in England. I’d assume that outside of the cities, it was just a very green and pleasant land, with a picturesque fairytale castle on every hill. But, I do live here and there isn’t.

Although that illusion need not be shattered completely; I live on the outskirts of London, looking out over a patchwork of rolling countryside. And, an Englishman’s home is said to be his castle and some of my neighbours have taken this rather literally and added Romanesque porticos …

Poggio Al Casone is visually amazing. The setting is exactly how I think of Tuscany with rolling hills of grapes. It’s beautiful and completely gated, so it feels really safe for kids to run around and play outside.

The guest experience is very relaxing. We stayed 10 days and our apartment (La Torre) was very large, comfortable and deluxe! The apartments have views of the hills and the rooms are furnished with fantastic Italian furniture and amazing linens. Our apartment had a full kitchen so we could go grocery shopping …

If you’re looking for a “new” region to explore in France this summer beyond the big name destinations like the Loire Valley, Provence, and the French Riviera, the Dordogne region is a blast to visit with kids of all ages.

One of the reasons I like it so much for families is that the list of things to do is so varied within a small geographic area. Cultural and historic touring can easily be combined with active days out biking, hiking, swimming, and canoeing.

Families are always looking for ways to engage their kids while sightseeing in Europe. Sometimes the attraction is so compelling that kids are naturally interested, while at other times they could care less and do the child’s equivalent of thinking about their “to do” list – they tune out completely.

Interestingly, sometimes the least expected things excite them. While in London last spring, my then 8-year-old Devon could care less about viewing the cities’ most iconic landmarks …