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.

I wrote about my then-favorite fall travel leaf peeping spots in early October. At the time, Napa and Tuscany got the shout out.

I’ve been spending the fall in and around Lake Geneva with my mouth wide open. The colors came later than expected—mid to late October—but did not disappoint.

Thanksgiving is coming.

I know what you’re thinking. We haven’t even hit Halloween yet. (Are your kids’ costumes finished?) The calendar will turn to November first and Halloween will be a distant memory. There will be very little time to catch your breath before you’re packing a suitcase to head to Grandma’s house.

Traveling with kids is challenging enough. Throw the busiest travel days of the year …

Given that we’re announcing our Italy vacation contest winner tomorrow on the blog, I’m posting Photo Friday a bit early.

Although we love living in Europe, we are homesick this month for Halloween festivities and traditions. I went in search of pumpkin patches around where we live outside of Lausanne and found this …

Halloween was always an ‘American’ thing here in the UK. Just like you can always find a few hotels serving Thanksgiving dinners, you would occasionally find the odd restaurant or club going with the spooky theme. You might get a couple of kids knocking on your door covered in a white bed sheet with two holes cut out at eye level, but that was it.

Until about two years ago.

It’s officially fall at my house. This weekend the Halloween decorations went up, the “what should I be for Halloween?” discussion turned serious, and the kids added three pumpkins to the porch. (Before the month’s over, that number will double.)

You could call hunting for the perfect pumpkin a tradition with my family. Honestly, it’s a good excuse to take a break from busy weekends filled with swim meets and laundry and just play.

Many people are willing to drive great lengths to see leaves change in the fall. That’s me! Fall is my favorite time of year to travel.

This season, we’re participating in holiday travel blog caravan on Best Family Travel Advice. Our contributing experts as well as bloggers from around the world will share their best tips for traveling with kids by answering a weekly question. Given that fall has officially begun, we’re kicking things off with an important topic: What are some great locations to see fall foliage with kids?

Are you feeling like summer is coming to a fast close and you need more holiday time? I do! Fortunately, fall is a wonderful season to plan short getaways while the weather is still nice and in many cases, prices are lower than peak travel periods.

Here are 10 great fall travel ideas. I’ve included venues that are great for parents-only getaways as well as family breaks. Given all there is to do to prepare for back-to-school, we’re all exhausted and need some downtime.