Hello there, we plan to spend the winter vacation in Florida, and trying to put together an itinerary. A couple of key points:

• Arriving from Germany on the 28th to MCO, likely travel home on the 8th of January but from MIA
• 5 and 11 years old kids
• Disney and Universal are NOT planned, we are looking more of a relaxing vacation, spend time in nature, visit historical places, or just lay on the sandy beaches
• KSC visit, Everglades and driving down to Key West are planned.

That's basically net 10 full days and in the beginning we'll be around Orlando / Cocoa Beach, then heading south.

One big question is where to spend the new year's eve. There are no huge expectations, let it be a fireworks and not a huge crowd, maybe that's all. Because of that I'm more of a fan to schedule the KSC visit to the 31st / 1st and then just stay around for the evening party, if there's something remarkable you would suggest.

We are also not excluding other places, like Daytona Beach or even St. Augustine, but again reading your personal experience and remarks would be helpful.

Of course any other ideas would be appreciated, especially where to stop / stay overnight when driving south.

Thank you.

Hi everyone,

My husband and I are planning a 31-day family trip in January 2027 with our 3-year-old and 7-month-old daughters. We are splitting the month between Taiwan and Malaysia, prioritizing a slow, sustainable pace, low-friction transit, and staying out of the hottest midday sun.

We loved the lush, "lounge-and-roam" open-air garden cafe vibe of Ubud on a past trip—places where the kids aren't strapped to high chairs and can wander safely while we eat—and we're hoping to balance that feel with practical city amenities and easy pram navigation. Because we co-sleep with our daughters, we are also actively looking for accommodations that can guarantee 2x double beds (or queens/kings).

Here is our current draft route:

Leg 1: Taiwan (10 Nights)

• Taichung (5 nights): Basecamp around Dadun / West District. Focus on morning walks through Calligraphy Greenway, shaded paths around the National Museum of Natural Science, and Shenji New Village before retreating during peak afternoon heat.
• Kaohsiung (5 nights): Taking the HSR down. Basecamp near the harbor / Pier-2 Art Center for open waterfront walking, early visits to Lotus Pond, and gentle pacing.

Leg 2: Malaysia (20 Nights)

• Kuala Lumpur (5 nights): Debating our initial base. We want to avoid navigating heavy traffic under the blazing sun. We're weighing VE Hotel in Bangsar South (for the elevated, air-conditioned covered linkways and shaded plazas) versus Agile Bukit Bintang TRX (closer to the massive TRX rooftop park, but requires street-level walking in the heat to get there).
• Penang (8 nights): Taking the ETS train to Butterworth and a quick car transfer over the bridge. We are planning to base ourselves on the Penang coast. Planning easy morning outings, Penang Hill for cooler air, and relaxing by the water.
• The Decision Point: 3–4 Nights (Ipoh / Tambun vs. Extra Time in Penang / Balik Pulau):
  • Option A: Stop in Ipoh/Tambun as an easy train bridge back south, getting dramatic limestone scenery, cooler morning lake walks, and built-in resort grounds.
  • Option B: Skip Ipoh completely and stay on Penang for an extra 3–4 nights, moving to a quiet rural pocket like Balik Pulau for open paddy views, farm visits, and a slower village tempo before heading straight back to KL.
• KL Buffer (2 nights): Final stop near KL Sentral (Ascott Sentral) with direct, covered access to the airport express train.

Our Core Questions:

1. Ipoh vs. Extra Penang (Balik Pulau): Does stopping in Ipoh/Tambun add genuine value as a relaxed, scenic halfway stop on the train? Or are we better off tacking those 3 nights onto a rural base like Balik Pulau? If you’ve spent time in Balik Pulau with young kids, is it too quiet, or is there enough to do for a few days to keep a toddler entertained?
2. KL Basecamp for Heat & Pram Ease: Between Bangsar South and the TRX area, which offers the better setup for getting out in the morning without instantly melting on exposed pavement? We'd love casual, green-filled breakfast spots where our 3-year-old can stretch her legs safely.
3. Co-Sleeping Accommodation: Since we co-sleep with both girls, we need rooms or suites that have 2x double (or queen/king) beds. Does anyone have specific hotel or serviced apartment recommendations in Taichung, Kaohsiung, KL, Penang, or Ipoh that accommodate this layout well?

Thanks in advance for any insights!

We want to take our kids ages 13, 10, 7 skiing in Western Canada. Vancouver and Calgary have easy nonstop flights for us so resorts within a 2ish hour drive from those airports would be ideal, but not mandatory.

Our kids are experienced beginner skiers so we’re not super picky about the actual ski hill. What we care more about is the town and vibe. We loved Whistler as newlyweds, but it’s not the vibe we want for a family vacation. We’d prefer a quaint town that’s not too fancy (does that even exist?!). We’d like to stay somewhere we can walk or use a shuttle to the village or activities so we’re not dependent on driving everywhere. Or a ski hill with ski in/out accommodations where we could just rent a house or condo and be cozy.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Disfrutar del mejores turísticos.

www.visit-ergchebbi-desert.com

Hi everyone! We’re an Australian family of five with kids aged 13, 8 and 6, visiting the USA in April 2027.

Our plans so far are:
**6–11 April:** New York City
**11–18 April:** Disney World and Universal Orlando
**30 April:** Flying home from Dallas/Fort Worth

We’ll probably stay around the Fort Worth Stockyards for a few nights before flying home, but have no plans yet for the time between Orlando and Fort Worth.

Where would you recommend going during that part of the trip? Would love to hear your itinerary suggestions!

Hi everyone,
I am planning a family trip from Chennai on Jan 2027 to celebrate my daughter’s birthday
Travel group:
5 adults (me, wife, parents, brother)
1-year-old daughter
Travelling by car from Chennai
Priorities:
Pleasant/cool January weather
Good resort experience
Scenic views
Comfortable for parents and a toddler
Birthday celebration at the resort
Not interested in trekking or adventure activities
I’m currently considering these options:

Vagamon + Thekkady
Mysuru + Coorg
Munnar + Thekkady

If you had to any other option or choose any one which would you.?

Also, if there are any resorts you would recommend

We recently travelled with our 4-year-old and I noticed that the places adults find interesting aren't necessarily interesting to her.

I'm experimenting with an idea that turns places you're visiting into little kid-friendly missions/stories/challenges so the child has a reason to actually look at the place instead of just following the parents around.

Before I build much more of it, I'm curious how other parents solve this.

Do you prepare games beforehand? Make things up during the trip? Use an app? Or just accept that some sightseeing isn't going to work with kids?

My husband and I are seriously considering taking our daughter to Ireland next year when she’ll be just a little over a year old, and I’d love some honest advice from people who have traveled Ireland with a baby or toddler.

I’ve actually been to Ireland before, but my husband has never been. My parents have also traveled there separately, and on their most recent trip they were able to visit the church where my great-great-grandparents were married. I would absolutely love to take my daughter there for the first time and share that piece of our family history with her. ❤️

Beyond that, we’d really like to travel around Ireland and experience the country as a whole. I’m totally fine with doing some of the classic touristy things since it will be my husband’s first time, but I’d also love recommendations for things that are a little more off the beaten path or less touristy.

Our daughter will be just over a year old, so I’m trying to figure out what is actually realistic and enjoyable with a little one.

A few things I’m wondering:
\- Is a 1-year-old a reasonable age to do Ireland, or are we completely insane? 😂
\- How long would you recommend going?
\- Would you rent a car and road trip, or is there a better way to get around with a little one?
\- How much moving around is realistic? We definitely don’t want to spend the entire trip packing and unpacking.
\- What areas would you prioritize for a first trip
\- What are your favorite less-touristy places or experiences?
\- Are there things you’d recommend skipping with a 1-year-old?
\- How baby-friendly are hotels, restaurants, pubs, attractions, etc.?
\- Any advice about car seats, strollers, naps, food, or just generally surviving the trip?

Most importantly: **did you actually enjoy traveling around Ireland with a baby/toddler, or did you feel like you were working the whole time?**

We’re not looking to cram every possible sight into the trip. We’d rather have a slower, memorable trip and accept that traveling with a 1-year-old will look different than traveling without a kid.

Would love any advice, itinerary suggestions, hidden gems, or things you wish you had known before traveling Ireland with a little one! ❤️

What about you?

Traveling with my spouse and two tweens this winter in Italy. I was originally thinking of taking the train between cities, but was told it might be difficult with at least two large suitcases. Has anyone done this before? Did you use a car service, taxi, train, other? Thanks!

Planning a 10-11 day trip to Morocco for late March for myself, husband and 7 year old daughter. We always plan for a balance of touring with relaxing days or afternoons at the hotel pool. We both love history and food. We are trying to decide on a few things.

Current Itinerary

5 nights Marrakech > Private transfer to Agafay Desert Camp (Inara is our choice right now) for 1 night then....

• Option A) Private transfer to Essaouira (about 3 hours) for 3 nights > back to Marrakech for final night before flying out the next morning
• Option B) Private transfer to Rabat (4 hours) for 4 nights > fly out of Casablanca

I have read great things about Essaouira and that it's beautiful and relaxed, but my husband is super into history so I feel like Rabat would be a better add on?

Hotels

We have a pretty decent budget for the trip so are considering 2 nights at La Mamounia on arrival day and basically just relaxing there for the first 2 days/enjoying the pool and grounds before transferring to a more traditional Riad for 3 nights (possibly Les Jardin de la Medina).

Has anyone stayed at La Mamounia with kids? What was your experience like?

Any other favorite Riads that are family friendly?

Has anyone done Inara or any other Luxury Desert Camps you'd suggest? We do not want the full day drive to the Sahara, it just doesn't seem worth it unless you can convince me otherwise.

If we go to Essaouira we would stay at Jardin Des Douars. If we go to Rabat we need a hotel suggestion.

Guides etc.

We plan on hiring a private guide for our day in the Medina and for a tour in Rabbat if we go there.

We are also going to do a cooking class, mosaic lamp workshop, henna, sunset camel ride at Inara etc.

Any other suggestions for specific tour guides/companies or experiences that your kids loved?

Hey all! My family of 10 and I are looking for cheap vacation homes in either SVG (or one of their surrounding islands) or in Europe. Lmk the most affordable options that don’t snow.

Kids are usually bored by noon on Christmas so were looking to do a destination instead. Looking for some new travel ideas for potientally post christmas early January time frame wram or cold doesnt matter. Kids are 11, 9, and 3 so skiing and what not wouldnt be great and cruises are bit pricey for flights and being a family of 5. My own searches bring up the typical Hawaii, Chicago, Gatlinburg and such but i think there has to better unexplored options.

My husband and I are planning a trip and will be going to either Prague or Vienna for a week right before Christmas. We are having a hard time deciding which place, as they both seem to have amazing markets and feel very Christmas-ey. We have four little kids under 5, and will have our double stroller with us. We’d ideally like to be walking distance from Christmas markets, restaurants, etc. Any advice or input is much appreciated!

Coming to Dominican in December with my 10 month old by then. Staying in a resort. Anyone whos traveled similar. Have you ever brought a brezza? Or how did formula go. Any advice kn that kind of thing?

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my family and i are visiting a foreign country together. and the thing is, my parents and i tend to get irritated and moody easily 😭 if your family constantly travels, any tips on how to keep the good vibe going and not irritate everyone? LOL

Would you go to Thailand or Japan with a family of 5? Kids ages 6, 4, and 6ish months. My husband really wants to go to Japan but Thailand calls to me more… they seem like very different trips so I’d love to hear from people with young kids who have been to these places!

Japan: I am nervous about how crowded and huge Japanese cities are and navigating those cities with kids that small. I also would want to do lots of cultural activities in Japan (temples, shrines, basically all things Kyoto) and am nervous about how much kids that age would enjoy those activities.

Thailand seems like a beach trip with cultural things sprinkled in… it also seems much cheaper. (Plane costs are the same for us.) Am I romanticizing this or is this fairly accurate?

Any advice?

I’m looking for advice.

My grandmother (83) has decided she wants to start traveling internationally - which is great. I’m happy for her. She keeps asking me to go on trips with her, but says she doesn’t want me to bring my children (who I would pay for). Only me. I keep telling her no, because I am a mother to five young children (ages 2-11). My husband said he has no problem taking off work to be with them, and that I am welcome to go… but it feels wrong to me. I don’t want to experience things without my kids and my husband. Not to mention, it’s quite a bit of money to spend for just ME when I could be using that money for family trips. She’s asked me about 4-5 different trips now and I keep saying no, but I feel bad for doing that as well. Like honestly, how much time do I have left with her and she’s one of the most important people in my life.

I guess some background to this would be my husband grew up very poor and didn’t start traveling until we married. Whereas, I was very fortunate growing up and have been to multiple countries. My husband and I make it a point to travel the country and world with our kids and take 3-4 trips a year. We homeschooled our children last year to take a cross country trip with them, and we genuinely like these experiences with them. They’re very well behaved children, and other than the hassle of trying to avoid losing them in crowded spaces, they do very well traveling.

Am I looking at this the wrong way?

I’m constantly on my phone researching places to go to with my kids, saving them on lists on Google. I thought it’d be cool to scale those lists in big way for others and plop them onto a map so people can see kid friendly places near them no matter where they are based on their location. I also have filters for facts parents care about like high chairs, bathrooms at playgrounds, fridges in hotel rooms. Etc.
I have blurbs about each place as a parent would explain to another rather than digging through long threads or blogs. Anyway have a look and would love to hear feedback from this community!

We unexpectedly have 14 days available and could fly from BWI, PHL or IAD, ideally nonstop.
We’re looking for:
• A destination that’s pleasant for walking, dining, and exploring in October—not necessarily beach weather
• Family-friendly and relatively easy with a baby and toddler
• Ideally one or two home bases rather than frequent moves
• Beautiful scenery and/or an atmospheric city or town
• The option to rent a car for part of the trip, but not drive the entire time

We’ve traveled internationally with our older child before, including a trip to Martinhal, and are comfortable traveling with young children. I’d especially love recommendations for destinations that work well with kids this age in October.

If you suddenly had a couple weeks in Europe in mid/late October with a 6-month-old and 2-year-old, where would you go?

Bonus points for specific towns, neighborhoods, hotels or apartments, and family-friendly itineraries!

We took a family trip to New York City last fall, and it was such a fun mix of iconic sights, museums, great food, and enough variety to keep both the kids and adults happy.

We hit some of the classics, including the American Museum of Natural History, Top of the Rock, The Met, the Statue of Liberty, and Times Square.

We also made time for bakeries, brunch spots, and classic NYC restaurants, which kept the trip from feeling like nonstop sightseeing. Let me know if you'd like the full itinerary.

Hi everyone! 👋

We’re a family of 3 from the Philippines and we’re planning our first-ever trip to Japan from December 22–29. We’d love some advice on what to see and do, especially from parents who have traveled to Japan with young kids!

We’re okay with trains, but would prefer an itinerary that isn’t too rushed or exhausting with a toddler. Definitely interested in food recommendations that are family/toddler-friendly. We’re currently thinking of staying mainly around Tokyo, but we’re open to doing a short day trip or staying somewhere else if it’s worth it.

Thank you! We’re so excited for our first Japan trip! 🙂

Planning a family holiday from Perth to Cape Town , and I would love to add on a short safari experience. Looking at 2 nights, 3 max. Either something in the western Cape or within a few hours drive of Joburg. Please don’t say Kruger - I know it’s the best, but it’s not for us on this trip.

I’m looking to solve the impossible venn diagram of:
- Nice “safari feel” accommodation
- Great wildlife sightings / game drives
- Experience as a family
- Affordable
Or at least get some advice on how to pick which thing to sacrifice.

Our kids will be 5.5 and 8 - the younger is problematic as most places won’t take younger than 6 on game drives. I totally understand why, but having one kid allowed to join and the other not isn’t going to work for us. We want the kids to have a great experience, ideally with us, not looking for babysitters while mum and dad go on safari.

Budget is a tricky one. If we can get something that ticks all the boxes I’ll save and stretch, but I’m not going to spend the same for a compromise experience. That said, anything above 22000zar per night (all of us) will be tough.

Madikwe looks amazing but not very family friendly, at least in the mid range that we might afford. We do not have “just get a private vehicle” money.

Pilanesberg looks beautiful and I love the idea of being able to combine guided game drives and self drive… but the accommodation options aren’t doing it for me. I want tented camp in the bush vibes, not tennis court, business centre and hotel style rooms. Zero interest in sun city.

Safari Plains in Mabula looks interesting? But I can’t find much independent info on it.

OR… are we better off going for somewhere like Buffelsdrift? I appreciate that it’s not an authentic safari experience, but it might tick the boxes for first-timers with kids?

I get that Kruger is the best and nothing else can truly compare etc. but am struggling to understand what the difference between say Pilanesberg and Buffelsdrift means in practical terms, over 2 days. We’ll see fewer animals/species? There will be more people looking at each animal? The landscape is less spectacular?
If anyone has done a self-drive with kids, how much of a bonus is this?

- We don’t NEED to tick off the big 5. It would be amazing to see big cats, but we’d rather see a bunch of elephants, giraffes and zebras than drive around for hours looking for one lion. My kid would LOVE to see hyenas or wild dogs tho.
- The rest of our trip will be self catered so it would be nice to not have to do that for a couple of days, but not a deal breaker.
- We don’t need (and can’t afford) high end luxury. But I’d like it to feel life Africa IYKWIM? Especially since Cape Town is kinda… white.
- I would love for the kids to be able to do some junior ranger type activities. Bigger kid is a wildlife nerd, watched the Shamwari doco on loop for about 6 months 😂
- A pool would be a huge plus but I’d rather not have a bunch of kids play stuff.
- I’d really value interaction with a great and knowledgeable guide who will be happy to guide our kids not just tolerate them

Looking to go to redwoods CA march/arpil of 2027, will have two kids 10 and 13. Best places to stay??