EElizabeth Thorpe of Poshbrood shared her exciting plans to go to Dordogne over Spring Break with me last night; our conversation reminded me how much I adore this region of France. It’s not widely known as a tourist destination — surprising, as the Dordogne is brimming with wonderful attractions and scenic villages to explore.

Our last visit was with three boys under 11. In addition to our fantastic farmhouse dinners and zip-line adventure, we all adored …

My good friend and author of the Ciao Bambino! book series, Danna Leahy, visited us in Switzerland this summer with her 7 and 10-year-old kids in tow. As part of her itinerary, she planned a four-night stop in Paris.

When Danna explained what she planned to cover during her time in Paris, I laughed. I know the Type A mom personality — ahem — well, as I look in the mirror each morning. Our husbands tell us that we pack too many activities into short periods of time. True.

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 …

“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.

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 …

A recent trip to Versailles with our 5 and 8-year-old was a disaster. I had just finished reading “The Hidden Diary of Marie Antoinette” by Carolly Erickson and had visions of strolling in the gardens with the fountains on full display and playing with the kids in Marie Antoinette’s Hamlet.

This idyllic vision took a darker turn filled with tantrums and whining and felt more like a mini-French Revolution than the lovely family adventure I had planned.

We visited Saint-Tropez for the first time last month and I have to admit, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this iconic summer hotspot on the Côte d’Azur.

Much of the coastline in this part of France is heavily developed and old-world charm is in short supply. However, the center of Saint-Tropez has all the nooks and crannies you want and expect from a seaside village in Europe, in addition to the uber-glam port and promenade.

“I’m booking that scavenger hunt in the Louvre for the Paris trip” is the snippet of a conversation I overheard at my son’s elementary school a month ago.

That “scavenger hunt” turned out to be the Paris Muse Clues: A Louvre Tour for Young Treasure Hunters. It’s a private guided family tour of the Louvre.

The Louvre is the world’s largest museum and it can be overwhelming trying to figure out …

One of our readers on Best Family Travel Advice asked a question about where to eat with kids in Paris. One of my suggestions for kid-friendly dining is to stop by La Grand Epicerie de Paris. Talk about a wide selection of fixings for a picnic, the array of wonderful, foods is staggering … and fun to peruse.

I put together our now-annual list of family ski resorts where kids can ski free in the US and Canada a few weeks ago. Now, it’s time for Europe! The good news is a surprising number of resorts offer some kind of ‘kids ski free’ program. The list is so big that I’m breaking it up into two posts. France and Switzerland are the subject today and then I’ll cover Austria, Germany, Andorra, and Italy tomorrow.

In France, only Chamonix has a truly compelling program for older kids where the first child …

One of the things I love about traveling is discovering new things. When planning a trip, there’s always a strong urge to jam in as much vacation fun as possible. But packing your days too tight can be a recipe for disaster. When kids get tired, they get cranky and cranky kids take all of the fun out of even the best family adventures. I always plan trips with the thinking someday I’ll be back. It sets the tone for more relaxed, better vacations.

At Ciao Bambino, we all have long “must go back to” lists. The destinations that top our lists …