How to get your family through Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport

Taking a family of four traveling is like trying to herd sheep. But imagine if these sheep got antsy at the slightest provocation or upset. Now imagine they were four year olds who refused to be herded because they wanted to go home and play Fortnite. NOW imagine that your wife sheep forgot everyone’s passports and you had to drive ALL THE WAY HOME, a 40-minute drive that made you 30 MINUTES LATE for your flight…

Sorry everyone, the writer of this article is just getting a few things off his chest.

Let’s ditch the sheep metaphor, because sheep are actually much easier to herd onto a plane than your family. Don’t deny it. You know it’s true.

But you’re going to have to take your kids to the airport sometime, so you’d better be prepared for the worst.

Holidaying abroad with children on a budget

Whilst I am a huge fan of staycations and have enjoyed many holidays in the UK and plan on exploring more of what our beautiful country has to offer, there is something special about holidaying abroad.

A family holiday abroad is very exciting. Jetting off in the sun for a dream holiday where you can make amazing memories with the kids and get away from the hussle and bussle of daily life can be an incredible experience for the whole family.

But a big downside to holidaying abroad with children especially school aged children is that family holidays abroad during the school holidays can be very expensive. The thought of tour operators, airlines and hotels hiking up their prices during school holidays can put off many families from holidaying abroad.

Thankfully whilst there is not a lot we can do about the atrocious price increases of holidays during school holidays there are ways that we can budget and save money to book that dream family holiday abroad in the sunshine.

My love of Orlando, Florida

There are many amazing places all across the globe. Places I’ve visited and loved, and places where I’ve never been to that are top of my travel bucket list and where I long to visit. Whilst naturally the places that I’ve yet to visit overtake the places I have been to as I want to see and experience new things and places, there is one location that I have been to that still takes top spot on my travel bucket list of where I want to visit in the future - Orlando, Florida.

My first visit to Orlando, Florida was 20 years ago when I was on the brink of entering the age of teenage. It was a wonderful and unforgettable experience. It was the spark that ignited my love of Orlando, Florida.

Here are just a handful of reasons why I love Orlando, Florida.

My favourite holiday photo

Being a maniac with a camera from a young age where I take a umpteen shots of the same moment and countless photographs per day my collection of photographs is colossal. Both printed photographs and digital ones are part of my immense collection of photographs.

To me the beauty of a photograph is capturing the moment and experience to treasure forever.

My photographs are very important to me. They evoke memories and emotions. Over the years my photographs have provided comfort and a light of happiness. Looking through my treasured collection of photographs is a way to remember loved ones and good times which was a huge help when I went through dark days of depression.

Travelodge Manchester Birch M62 Westbound review

When I was a child my mum would take my sister and I on short breaks to explore various locations across the UK. We’d often borrow my grandparents caravan, hitch it up to the car and off we went on adventures. When we could not or did not want to use the caravan she would book for us to stay at Travelodge. We were a Travelodge holidaying family. Staying at Travelodge was ideal for us as it was cheap, had the basic necessities we needed and was a comfortable place for us to lay our head and get a good night’s sleep after a day exploring whatever location we had rocked up at.

Now a parent myself and the other side of 30 I have not stayed at a Travelodge for about 15-20 years since my childhood. 

Chester Zoo memories & plans. Animals & PLAY! #letsplayatchesterzoo

When I was a child my mum would often take us on short breaks in the UK. One of our favourite locations was Chester. The shopping was always great at Chesire Oaks Designer Outlet and in Chester city centre where I loved seeing the picturesque buildings. When in the area of Chester we would also take a day to visit Chester Zoo. Both my sister and I loved spending time exploring and seeing all the beautiful animals. Our times at Chester Zoo are some of my fondest memories from my childhood.

When I became a parent I always wanted to take my children to favourite family attractions from my childhood, with Chester Zoo being a top choice.

Cruising with kids

When thinking about a family holiday, a cruise may not be the first type of holiday that springs to mind. As with all types of holidays there are pros and cons to a cruise holiday, but with cruise companies catering for families with a wide range of child-friendly facilities and entertainment a cruise holiday can be a great family holiday.

The benefits of a cruise holiday are vast.

A cruising holiday can be fantastic value for money with amenities on board such as meals and entertainment included in the price.

A magical summer holiday in Sicily with your kids - top things to do

Everyone knows that a trip to Italy is an unforgettable experience. However, this often comes with high expenses and swarms of tourists. What if you could get the charms of Italy without the price tag and the unconscionable amounts of people? Some people find that in a visit to Sicily, something that can be a truly once in a lifetime opportunity, especially if you have a family to think of.

Accommodation in Sicily is exceptionally suitable for families. One of the best options for staying in Sicily with your kids, and your friends too, is usually renting a villa. The benefits of doing this are enormous. Your view and location is often better than any other place you should decide to stay in. The space is also incomparable and you often save money on activities if you have a pool and food since most villas are self-catered. This means you can even afford to stay longer on your holiday. Let’s not even mention the privacy, and restriction-free playing for your kids, which will allow you to be more relaxed and not worry about disturbing other people, and therefore reprimand your children every minute of the day.

For the love of nature - UK's rarest wildlife

As you may already know from previous blog posts and the photographs we share here and on our social media we are a family who loves the great outdoors and the wonderful things that good old mother nature has to offer. We are in our element when outdoors having adventures and love exploring. We also love seeing wondrous wildlife when we are out and about enjoying the fresh air of the great outdoors.

Living in picturesque Pembrokeshire in Wales and only a short drive to stunning Cardigan bay, we are very fortunate to have lots of breathtaking countryside and marvellous shores to explore and see.

Ideal family days out for us are days such as enjoying and exploring the beach with a spot of rock pooling, trekking along coastal paths where we can enjoy breathtaking views and be fortunate to see a variety of creatures and birds on our travels, and delving into and walking through woodlands that are filled with magnificent trees and a host of wildlife.

Being a family who loves nature and wildlife, not only are our family days out planned to satisfy our enjoyment of the great outdoors but our family holidays are also planned with what the area has to offer nature wise as well. Thanks to Haven Holidays who have created a naturetastic PDF guide all about where to spot some of the UK’s rarest wildlife, we have lots of ideas about where to holiday next so that we can experience some of the rarest wildlife that this beautiful isle has to offer.

Disney parks - memories and dreams

When I was 12 I was very fortunate to go on a truly memorable, once in a lifetime family holiday to Orlando, Florida in USA. During our stay in Orlando we enjoyed a couple of magical days at Walt Disney World Resort Florida. When we visited the magical resort it was celebrating its 25th Anniversary.

As it was such a memorable and amazing holiday - even to this day I vividly remember the park and meeting Mickey Mouse! - I would love to take my boys on a similar holiday.

Holiday hopes of European travel

As we get closer to our first holiday as a family of four I have found myself thinking about the holidays of my childhood and hopes for future holidays with my little family.

Growing up many of the holidays we went on were camping and caravanning type holidays. Over the years we explored and experienced many parts of the UK as we camped and stayed in caravans across the country.

As I loved our camping and caravan holidays I hope to take my children on similar holidays. As well as taking them to camp and stay in caravans all across the UK as my mum did with my sister and I, we hope to expand our travel and explore further afield by travelling across Europe.

The ultimate Mallorca road trip.

It has been a few years now since I have been abroad. Whilst I love holidaying in the UK I must admit I wish we were jetting off on a plane to visit a country abroad this year and having our first family holiday abroad. As I love visiting new and foreign countries and exploring the culture and experiences there I have many countries on my travel bucket list.

After seeing an infographic on The Ultimate Mallorca Road Trip by Autoclick with interesting, must-see places to visit in Mallorca such as the Coves De Campanet and Forestal Park Mallorca having a family holiday to Mallorca is now top of my travel bucket list.

Have you ever been to Mallorca?

Holiday planning made easy with Amadeus.net

I love holidays. There is something very special and exciting about spending time in a new place.  I love soaking up the culture and history of a place along with having fun and adventures sightseeing and exploring.  I also love the excitement and thrill of visiting adventure and amusement parks, and love the enjoyment of action filled days on holiday as I try activities such as water-sports. Equally I love relaxing and taking it easy, enjoying tranquil days spent lazing on the beach with a good book.

Whilst the highlight of a holiday is the holiday itself, I also love planning the holiday. I find it exciting and a great build up to a holiday to peruse the internet and holiday catalogues to find the perfect destination and the best deal. I also find that the exciting reality of being about to go on holiday comes alive when buying holiday essentials and packing suitcases.

Whilst we often have little holidays across the UK and love holidaying in the UK as Lee and Bug have yet to have a holiday abroad and it has been well over 10 years since I ventured past the shores of the UK  we are hoping that our next family holiday will be one abroad.

We have family living in France who we rarely get to see so we plan on having a little holiday in France, staying with them in their guest house which will allow us to be close to them so we spend lots of quality family time together. We hope on doing a lot of sightseeing, having magical days at Disneyland Paris and I hope for a touch of romance with Lee.....hopefully he will get all romantic for my birthday with a surprise re-proposal and a new engagement ring to replace my broken one. Another bonus of staying with family is that we will be saving money as we won’t have to pay for accommodation.

As we do not need accommodation for our holiday to France and only need flights a package deal is not suitable for us. Being a savvy-money-saving kind of girl who loves planning holidays and getting the best deal for our money I am thrilled to have a little help from Amadeus.net to help us find the cheapest and most convenient flight for our first family holiday abroad.

The Best Places to Holiday in Wales.

If you’re looking for a getaway in the UK then Wales has some fantastic places to choose from and has something for pretty much everyone. Here are some of the best places in Wales to go on holiday…

Tenby

Tenby is without a doubt one of the most popular and picturesque holiday destinations in the whole of the UK. It has some amazing beaches and a beautiful little seaside town to wander around and relax. It also has a lovely little harbour and you can take a trip out to nearby Caldey Island. A great little holiday destination that’s perfect for couples and families. Find out more about Tenby at their visitor guide website.

Brecon Beacons

For those taking a trip to South Wales who want to spend some time outdoors with nature then the Brecon Beacons is ideal. The National Park is brimming with places to visit, such as Roman villages, waterfalls and churches & monasteries. For those who like outdoor activities then you can try your hand at mountain biking, rock climbing, white water rafting, hang-gliding and much more.

Llandudno

Llandudno has been a family favourite holiday destination for years and it’s still just as popular as it ever was. Situated along the North Wales coastline, there’s plenty to do for the whole family, not just in Llandudno itself but in the surrounding towns and countryside too. From watersports to walking along the promenade to a trip to the theatre, there’s lots to keep everyone happy. Just spend a weekend in Llandudno and you’ll no doubt want to go back.

A family holiday to create amazing memories.

When I as a child we were lucky enough to experience a number of holidays over the years. Until I was a teenager when I experienced my first ever holiday abroad, all of our holidays were holidays within the UK. We visited an array of places all across the UK and enjoyed a number of different holidays including camping, staying at B&B’s, caravanning, staying at hotels and holidaying at holiday parks.

As I have amazing memories of our family holidays in the UK I hope to take Bug on holidays all across the UK over the years and introduce him to all the fun ways to holiday and all the amazing places to visit and explore here in the UK.

Once of my most treasured holidays where lots of fun adventures were had and amazing memories were created was when we stayed at a family friendly holiday park. As I loved our holiday at the holiday park and Lee too had a number of memorable and enjoyable holidays at a holiday park when he was a child, we plan on taking Bug on holidays at family friendly holiday parks across the UK.

As we are overdue a visit to see Lee’s family and Bug’s Nana could do with a holiday after a difficult year we are going to whisk her away with the rest of the family for a special family holiday near the coast at a Park Resorts holiday park.

Win £500 Canvas Holidays vouchers with Canvas Holidays’ character competition.

Holidays can be a wonderful time for families, where lots of fun and adventures are had as families make memories that can be treasured for years to come.

I look forward to the family holidays we will have over the years and cannot wait to experience fun and adventures with Bug (and hopefully his siblings if we are blessed in the future) on holidays in the UK and all across the globe, experiencing a range of cultures and attractions as well as experiencing a variety of different types of holidays including camping, beach, self-catering, winter and safari.

One of our dream holiday destinations is Disneyland Paris.

As I have amazing memories of a family holiday we had as a child to Disney World in Florida I would love to take Bug there one day to create more amazing memories with my own little family. Not only would I love to go to Disney World in Florida but I would also love to go to Disneyland in Paris too.

Having never been to France I would love to have a family holiday to France where we could combine our want of a camping holiday and our desire to visit Disneyland Paris by camping near Disneyland Paris. It would be dream holiday for us to explore France, camp in a rural setting where we could experience the beauty of the French countryside and visit Disneyland Paris where we could be enchanted by the magic of Disney.

As the costly expense of taking family on holiday can be a hard hit to the bank balance, especially when it is a dream magical family holiday, it always comes in handy if a family holiday can be snapped up on offer to save money or even better still when holiday vouchers are won that can be put towards buying your dream family holiday.

If like me you would love a dream holiday to Disneyland Paris then Canvas Holidays may well be able to help make your dream holiday come true with their latest competition which has an impressive prize of £500 Canvas Holidays vouchers.

Know the UK? Tell ukbreakaways about your favourite UK destination and you could win £250 cash!!

With the last term of school flying by and the summer holiday fast approaching I am sure many parents across the UK are already thinking and planning on what to do over the school holiday to keep their children busy and entertained.  Thankfully there are many lovely places within the UK to visit on days out or on a holiday where lots of fun can be had and happy memories made. 

I love holidaying in the UK and have lots of treasured memories from fun holidays and days out I have had in the UK.  When thinking of holidaying in the UK lots of personal memories spring to mind – enjoying ice cream on Blackpool pier, caravanning in Hereford and picking fresh strawberries from the strawberry fields, shopping in the beautiful streets of Chester, playing amongst the natural beauty of the beaches in Pembrokeshire where sandcastles were built and we splashed in the sea, and exploring the wonders of London from the shops to the museums to the distinctive landmarks.

Do you have a favourite place to visit in the UK?  Do you have a favourite UK destination that holds special memories to you?

If you do have a favourite UK destination whether it is a seaside spot that you visited as a child or a town that holds fond memories for you, then ukbreakaways’ current competition ‘So you think you know the UK?’ might be the perfect competition for you to enter in the hope of winning one of the fab prizes on offer.

www.ukbreakaways.com are challenging bloggers to write a travel related blog post of up to 600 words on a UK destination of their own choice as entry into the ‘So you think you know the UK?’ competition where one lucky winner will win £250 cash.

How to enter

Write a travel related blog post of up to 600 words on the UK destination of your choice.  The post could be a personal guide to the destination itself or a ‘Top 10 Things To See or Do’ type post.  All you have to do is use your personal insight and experiences as you share your passion for your favourite UK destination which will hopefully make them want to visit your favourite UK hotspot.

The post must be original and not have been published elsewhere.

Somewhere within the blog post you need to mention ukbreakaways and also include a link to a relevant page on their site or the competition page.

Entrants also need to tweet two friends to invite them to take part.

To get entry into the competition, once the post is live you need to confirm entry by tweeting @UK_Breakaways with the link to your post.

Prizes

*  1st Prize – £250 cash!

*  2nd Prize – £100 in ukbreakaways Holiday Vouchers

*  3 x Runners up Prizes – £50 in ukbreakaways Holiday Vouchers

Judging and Terms

Competition closes on 31st August 2014

The entries will be judged based on the content of their blog post and its engagement and appeal in making ukbreakaways want to visit the chosen destination

The winners will be notified no later than Friday 6th September 2014

Entrants must be over the age of 18

One entry permitted per person

For more information on the judging and terms of this competition, please visit http://www.ukbreakaways.com/competition

Let us know if you enter as I would love to read your post and hopefully discover some new UK destinations.

Good luck!!

Edinburgh with the Family: What’s in Store.

The Scottish capital isn’t all about whisky, shopping and festivals, you know. Far from it, actually. Edinburgh is full of interesting attractions and sights that aren’t just suitable for adults, but for children, too, making it an excellent spot for a family mini-break this summer. 

Take a look at the family rooms available in the local Edinburgh Travelodge hotel and book yourself and the kids a well-deserved treat. There’s plenty to explore and discover that will keep you entertained for hours!

From museums and historic sites to weird and wonderful attractions, Edinburgh and the surrounding Lothians have something for everyone. Here are a few of the standout attractions that would look perfect at the top of your family’s to-do list.

National Museum of Scotland

This one is well worth a gander if you have an interest in local history. The exhibits on display delve into the history of Scotland, while also showcasing artefacts from around the world.

Edinburgh Castle

If there’s one sight you need to see as part of a trip to the city, it’s the iconic castle that looms, majestically, over the city from atop its own tor. Not only does it provide sensational views of the Edinburgh skyline, but you and the kids will also be able to explore within the castle walls, catch a glance of the Scottish crown jewels and also listen out for the eardrum-shattering one o’clock gun.

Real Mary King’s Close

Head to the Royal Mile and you’ll find a real piece of Scotland, hidden away underground. This unique attraction is as interesting as it is spooky and, while smaller children may not appreciate it because of the fear factor, older children will love it.

Edinburgh Dungeon

Sticking with the bloodthirsty macabre, the Edinburgh Dungeon is as adrenaline-pumped and scary as it is fascinating. It is here where you’ll meet some of the city’s most sordid characters of the past, including Sawney Bean and the grave robbers, Burke and Hare.

Camera Obscura & World of Illusions

It may not be as well-known as some of the other attractions in the city, but Camera Obscura has entertained visitors for years. Its optical illusions are awesome, and the kids will adore it.

Edinburgh Zoo

If you’d prefer to stick with animals rather than illusions and horrible histories, Edinburgh Zoo is the place to go. It’s even got pandas!

Our Dynamic Earth

This fascinating attraction takes you on a journey through time and space, giving you the chance to appreciate everything from a tropical rainstorm in the jungle to the arid deserts and freezing polar icecaps. It’s definitely an attraction that’s designed for the children, but adults will enjoy seeing their kids learn as they walk around the various zones.

Step away from the city of Edinburgh and you will be met by the glorious great outdoors. The Lothians are simply beautiful, and hold many a country park, forest walk and outdoor pursuit for you and the family to enjoy if the weather holds up!  

*  Guest post *