I’ve had a Capital One Venture card in my wallet for 6 years now, so it seemed like a good time to explain WHY I would not close this card, and how it’s served us over the past few years.

While we were there in July, many days in Budapest were close to 90 degrees, so in order to cope with the heat and entertain our 4-year-old, we found ourselves seeking water, the shade of trees, and a cool breeze. Margaret Island (Margitsziget), which sits in the middle of the Danube River, was the perfect oasis for our family trip to Budapest.

If you’ve ever seen a photo of Quebec City, chances are you have also seen a photo of Fairmont Le Château Frontenac. There is no doubt that the Frontenac is visually stunning from the outside, but we wanted to explore the hotel from the inside, too, and see if it lived up to the hype. Here’s our honest review of the Chateau Frontenac with our young kid.

On a chilly day in July, we took a few aerial cableways (very large and sturdy gondolas) from our hotel in Murren up to the Schilthorn.  On the way back down, we stopped at the Birg Thrill Walk. All in all, if you wanted to explore this part of the Bernese Oberland, you could spend an entire day working you way from top to bottom.

Come with us as we share our favorite, affordable road trip spots in the seacoast of New Hampshire and southern Maine.

Lucerne (Luzern) is a popular town in Switzerland, and for good reason. It sits on a beautiful lake, is halfway between the Bernese-Oberland and Zurich, and is a great starting point for family-friendly adventures on the way to Mount Pilatus.

You guys—Rick Steves was right! The Bernese Oberland is a must-see place in Switzerland. But I’m not sure he knew that the this area is also heavenly for children and families; we spent 5 weeks in Europe, and this was one of our favorite places.

When I think of the Bernese Oberland, I think of stunning views, epic adventures, and the best playgrounds for kids. We visited in June, and spent 4 wonderful days in this region with our 4-year-old.

If you loved hiking before you had kids, but can never motivate your little one to hike, then you need to spend a week or two in the Dolomites in summer.

In July of 2023, we spent a week in the Dolomites, exploring the towns of Ortisei (Urtijëi), Santa Cristina, and Selva di Val Gardena. On our last full day, we discovered what may be the perfect area for families with children to have a memorable adventure.

Our 4-year-old is a reluctant hiker, but on this day, she hiked over 1.5 miles without being carried. If you’re looking for a kid-friendly hike, then read on.

When you think of Amsterdam, you might think of “coffee” shops and stag parties. However, on our recent trip to Europe, we flew into Amsterdam and used this lovely city as a place to get over our jet-lag and entertain our 4-year-old.

We took a guided day trip to Landmannalaugar with Arctic Adventures and fell in love with the rambling F-roads, and the unspoiled beauty of this area.  If you are enjoying a road trip in Southern Iceland or even just taking day trips from Reykjavik, we highly recommend adding the highlands to your Iceland bucket list.

How much does 1 week in Iceland really cost?

Iceland is becoming quite popular, and this small island nation has adapted to serve more tourists each year.   But, it can still be quite pricy to visit, especially for Americans who may be used to low fuel prices and cheap fast food. We visited in the summer of 2017 when AirBnBs were available on family farms and hotels were hard to come by.  

We believe you can check off most of your Paris bucket list in just 3 days and 4 nights in the City of Lights. We spent part of our honeymoon in Paris and were able to see most of the city’s major attractions using the Paris pass in just 72 hours.

Is the Blue Lagoon a unique spa-like environment? Absolutely. 

Is it in a convenient location? Absolutely. 

Is it crowded? Absolutely.  

So, is the Blue Lagoon worth the money? 

Read more to see what we think.

We spent our first Thanksgiving as a family of three in Zion National Park.  All-in-all, even with some trails closed, we were able to see some beautiful views and keep our daughter warm and happy while we explored Zion each day. 

If you're considering visiting Zion National Park with an infant, read on to see how we managed!

We’re suckers for superlatives, so when I read that Crater Lake was America’s deepest lake, we knew we had to go.  This diverse National Park did not disappoint.

We were only at Crate Lake NP for 1.5 days, but we hiked through the forest, swam in the lake, and were able to completely unwind and disconnect.

Mountains, lochs, endless beaches, and lovely people.  By the time we finished our first week in Scotland, I felt so comfortable that I nearly forgot we were traveling on our daily trips to Tesco or the nearest CoOp. 

Below is an outline of our activities, accommodations, and what we wish we did differently.  We traveled during the end of July and beginning of August of 2018. We spent 15 days in Scotland, and it was so beautiful that we are already longing for a return trip.