Family Vacation: DIY Or Booking With A Tour Operator

It's been seven years since my husband and I chose to relocate our family from Maryland to Florida. It's a decision I've never regretted once, but living in the Sunshine State is very different from life in the Northeast.

Keep heading west from Snowdonia, and North Wales eventually trickles out into this thin, stubby peninsula below Anglesey. While Welsh destinations such as Portmeirion and Pembrokeshire are firmly on visitors’ radars, the Llŷn Peninsula remains a low-key retreat for families, with interactive museums, non-motorised water sports, castles and plenty of beaches to keep kids entertained. 

In our A Total Trip series, writers document what they spent on a recent getaway. In this edition, Lonely Planet guidebook writer, Kerry Walker, shows us how much a coastal family break costs in Pembrokeshire, Wales.

Already valued at an estimated $185 billion, the worldwide ecotourism segment is expected to exceed $374 billion in global impact within the decade.

Using miles and points for your next vacation can represent a great travel deal. But, what if you could travel completely free without having to use cash, miles or points? These travel sweepstakes could be your ticket to complimentary travel to exciting destinations around the world. From wellness getaways to cruise vacations, a few minutes is all it would take to be eligible for these free travel giveaways.

Although vacation home sales are down since their pandemic surge, they’re still a great way to get away with the family. In many ways, for parents of babies, they offer the easiest travel option because once you’ve stocked the house, you can travel so much lighter and will be more apt to actually go.

Bolivia’s tourism reputation is generally as a rugged backpacker destination with a few otherworldly gems for more sophisticated travelers—namely the Uyuni Salt Flats and La Paz’s buzzy culinary scene. But as my kids and I recently discovered on a multi-city road trip in the western part of the country, Bolivia has a diversity of landscapes (caves, deserts, and meteor-crash sites), distinct urban centers (silver mining towns and white-washed World Heritage cities), and colorful boutique hotels. 

Backroads has long been a leader and an innovator in the world of adventure travel. They’ve also been at the forefront of change, keeping tabs on fluctuating demographics and traveler demands. Back in 2020, during the heart of the pandemic, they first offered softer adventure trips called Dolce Tempo, or “sweet time,” as in “take your sweet time.” These were walking, E-bike, and multi-adventure trips designed for first-time adventure travelers and those looking for an easier option than regular Backroads trips. Call them easygoing active vacations designed with more downtime built-in. They were active adventures but at a more relaxed pace. They were clearly on to something because all the trips quickly sold out. They continued to do so even as the offerings expanded to include Active Ocean & River Cruises.

As a travel planner at Marvelous Mouse Travels, I'm often asked if Epcot is a must-do, especially for families with kids.

Last year, we hired a lovely property sleeping eight two miles from Lake Garda. It was in a hamlet with two gorgeous Italian restaurants and a shop selling seemingly everything. We drove from Lincolnshire with our two dogs, in our motorhome. Our three grown-up children and their partners joined us there. The property owner arranged a pasta cooking day with local wine, meat and cheeses. We barely left the villa and the time spent just talking and playing games was priceless. Having nothing but time to chill and talk proved to be our best holiday.Cath Delsignore

Actors Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard said they spent $600 on pillows, blankets, and sheets so their family could sleep in the Boston airport after their flight was delayed — then, they were kicked out of the airport.

If you’ve never heard of Iceland-based booking website Dohop, you should check them out. The company has been nominated for two World Travel Awards—World’s Leading Flight Comparison Website and World’s Leading Travel Technology Partner—and recently launched an amazing tool called FLYR Fare Protection, in partnership with FLYR.