Despite my love of travel – and travel-planning – organizing a stellar family vacation is a quagmire for me.
Our brood includes Bella, an 18-year-old rising first-year college athlete (go Wisconsin Badgers!); Sophie, a 16-year-old almost high school junior whose bent for art and style runs deep; and Anderson (his first name is my last name), an eight-year-old soccer (and all sports) fanatic who is always up for an adventure (except when it comes to trying new foods). And then there’s John and me, who have been to enough places and done enough things that our personal checklist on family getaways usually includes one crucial item: a super-special meal just for us.
To celebrate Bella’s high-school graduation and all of our back-to-back spring birthdays, we chose Spain, where we knew we had a great shot at meeting the needs of all our mixy-matchy family members. The smartest thing I did was enlist help from genius local expert Laura Guillen Olavide from Elsewhere by Lonely Planet to help me plan and make it happen. Our June trip more than met everyone’s expectations.
We stayed in three different cities: Madrid , Málaga and Barcelona . The three hotels Laura found had both of my essential family vacation amenities: a pool for post-activity chill-out time and room service for when one (or more) of us might be too pooped to pop out. We had a family-style room for three and a double for the teenagers at each spot.
In Madrid, we slept at super centrally located Catalonia Gran Via on the main shopping drag and a short walk from the art triangle. The girls loved the city-boutique feel, and we appreciated the extra proper bed in our room instead of the usual pull-out.
The palatial building at Gran Hotel Miramar in Málaga has over its 100-year history been a hospital and a municipal building. A recent top-to-bottom renovation has brought it back to its original purpose as an upscale seaside haven. With the luxurious almost-entirely white decor dotted with glittery mirrors and sparkling Moorish touches, we all felt a little like movie stars. With its two pools, multiple dining options, spa and seaside views for days, we might never have checked out had the pull of Barcelona not been so strong.
Located steps from two Gaudí must-sees on window-shopping mecca Passeig de Gracia , Hotel Condes de Barcelona is teeming with so many helpful staff members it felt like we had private butlers every time we entered the fully modernized 19th -century former mansion.
John and I left all three kids behind for Michelin-starred Restaurante Jose Carlos Garcia in Málaga. It’s a strictly multiple-course malagueño-inspired tasting menu (70% of the ingredients are sourced locally) served up in a super stylish contemporary
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I have been made in these rocks. Here have I shaped my personality,” Salvador Dalí said of the landscape around his home of Portlligat, plus neighbouring Cadaqués and Cap de Creus. Dalí lived in this village for most of his life, setting up home in a fishing hut from 1930. It was, for him, a place of “geological peacefulness”.
You wouldn’t know it from the sea of skyscrapers hemmed in by traffic-clogged freeways. Or from the flashy Hollywood studios, the multi-million-dollar celebrity homes or the Dior parading down Rodeo Drive. But a little over 200 years ago, Los Angeles was a wilderness, just sea and mountains and big sky. Back then, what’s now considered the quintessential US city wasn’t even in America, but in Mexico.
It’s become increasingly common for professional tennis players to align with resorts for special clinics in a specific promotion but most often the players are ones that have retired from the circuit. One&Only Palmilla in Mexico’s Los Cabos is offering something completely different in December: the option of a group clinic or private lesson with Carlos Alcaraz, 2022 US Open and 2023 Wimbledon champion and a meteor in the tennis world.
Adventures by Disney and National Geographic Expeditions provided an update on the two tour brands this fall, showcasing some of their most popular trips and providing an insight into their new offerings.
The city of Córdoba, in southern Spain, has some tough competition when it comes to grabbing the attention of travelers to Andalusia. Seville has the energy of a regional capital; Malaga combines cultural highlights and a seaside location; Granada has the incomparable Alhambra; and the list could go on. For many, Córdoba has often been relegated to a brief stop en route to another destination. Those who stop and linger, however, will discover a city of countless charms and a fascinating history.
American Airlines is making changes to its corporate travel loyalty program for small businesses – the airline said Monday the newly launched AAdvantage Business would replace Business Extra.
Dublin restaurants have long been overshadowed by the city's thriving nightlife scene. Millions of tourists descend on the Republic of Ireland's capital each year—and the trend is set to continue, thanks to a sweep of fabulous new hotels in Dublin catering to every type of traveler alongside lots of exciting things to do. Many arrive in search of the perfectly-pulled pint of Guinness, and visits to Temple Bar are, more often than not, obligatory. However, those in search of a tastebud-tickling weekend break are being increasingly rewarded by the new flavors on offer here—contemporary Indian restaurants, fragrant tapas places, and Neapolitan havens now sit alongside the ever-popular Dublin pubs. To help you plan your trip, we pulled our favorite Dublin restaurants across the city right now to grab an indulgent bite to eat.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Nicole Cueto, a 40-year-old who has traveled to 47 countries. The following has been edited for length and clarity.
A Copa Airlines flight bound for Tampa, Florida, was diverted after a diaper on board was mistaken for a bomb, Panama's national police said on X on Friday. Flight CM393 departed Panama City on Friday at 9:44 a.m. and turned back when cabin crew was alerted to the suspected bomb.