Susan Van Allen writes about Italian travel and interviewed me for her book, 100 Places in Italy Every Woman Should Go. I finally had time to sit down with her book on vacation this summer. Wow, what an inspirational resource for all of us who have a love affair with all that is Italian!

Susan writes about Italy’s feminine spirit and describes the places and experiences that transform travelers. Her description of Italy as a place that “brings peace and comfort, a place that stirs that soul” is applicable to both sexes and all ages.

One of the big reasons we love to travel internationally is the opportunity to experience how people around the world live differently than we do.

Many families don’t have the resources to travel abroad with kids yet still want to expose kids to different people, places, and cultures in an impactful way. Textbooks are a start but multimedia is a far richer way to share information.

Have a family travel-related question? Ask an expert!

I’m thrilled to announce our participation in an exciting new project, Best Family Travel Advice. We’re collaborating with the top family travel bloggers to offer families an invaluable resource. You can ask any question you want and one or more of us will answer it!

The beauty of Best Family Travel Advice is you can ask questions relevant to an upcoming trip and get a customized response.

Picking the venue for a family vacation can be difficult. Although the end result is fun, weighing all the needs, wants and constraints can be tedious. Every other year we plan an extensive family vacation with my father and all of my siblings. There are 17 of us in all with 9 children, 6 parents and 2 grandparents. It can be complicated! Here’s how I get started:

Trip Needs: Check-in and get and idea about what everyone needs—meaning, are you all burnt out and you just need to lie on a beach?

Ciao Bambino is one of the old-timers in the Internet family travel world. When I started the company in 2004 as a planning service for families traveling to Italy, there were few online resources offering advice to people traveling with kids.

The family travel space has exploded over the last year alone with new websites and blogs popping up every day. We recently announced a partnership with the Nile Guide where we developed family-focused activity guides …

Ready for a refreshing travel resource? Let me introduce Shermans Travel. Not only does this publisher offer a beautiful travel magazine and informative website, but they are now featuring content around family travel.

What I appreciate about Sherman’s Travel is that they realized the need for value as part of luxury travel long ago.

Looking for a little armchair travel or for a way to get kids engaged and excited about a new destination?

National Geographic Kids: Beautiful website and easy to navigate. Countries around the world are listed with facts, maps, and photos.

Time for Kids: Useful information includes a History Timeline and Sightseeing Guide for a wide variety of destinations.

Urban destinations are more enjoyable when cooler fall weather arrives and you can walk around comfortably for hours. One of our favorite autumn trips for kids at any age and stage is to visit Washington DC. With wide sidewalks and excellent public transportation, the city is easy to get around, clean, and there is always something interesting to do and learn for everyone.

We love to enrich our kid’s education by visiting the various museums around the city.

One of the “must have” pieces of information when you are traveling abroad is a list of local emergency numbers. GSM cell phones may have pre-programmed numbers available, but given …

I recently read Wanderlust and Lipstick: Traveling with Kids by Leslie Forsberg and Michelle Duffy. I have to admit that while I’m a big fan of travel guidebooks, I never read books about traveling…