Tag Archives: family travel

Raja Ampat islands, Indonesia

Where to Travel in 2017, Before the Rest of the World Catches On

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Deciding where to travel can be overwhelming: There are so many amazing places—and so many factors to consider: the best timing for your trip, the optimal moment to book it, the stress of finding the right expert to plan it so you maximize your precious vacation time…. That’s where we come in: Our goal is to eliminate these uncertainties and cut to the chase about where to travel, why, and how to get the best experience for your dollar. We’ve already shared the most popular destinations of 2017—the places that our readers have submitted the most trip requests for. Now, we’re offering a list of places that might not be on your radar but should be.

Canada: British Columbia, Alberta, Newfoundland, the Arctic

Newfoundland scenery

Newfoundland scenery. Photo credit: Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism

This is the year when U.S. travelers will take a closer look at our neighbor to the north—and not just because there are no Canada travel alerts or Zika virus and the exchange rate is great. 2017 is also the 150th anniversary of Canada’s confederation—a reminder that this sweeping nation was once a lot more difficult to traverse than it is now. A solid train system and the possibility of low-cost domestic airlines finally joining the competition should make it even easier to hop around in the coming year. Not that you need to. Pick a spot, any spot—British Columbia for adventure activities, Alberta for the Rocky Mountains, Montreal for all that delicious food, Newfoundland for its dramatic coastline and unique lodges, the Artic region for polar bears and northern lights, or any of the country’s famous national parks (all free to visit this year).

If you’re seeking the right travel specialist to design the best Canada trip possible, Ask Wendy for her recommendation. Also read our Insider’s Guides to British Columbia, Newfoundland, and the Arctic.

China: Jiuzhaigou National Park

turquoise lake in China's Jiuzhaigou national park

China’s Jiuzhaigou national park has earned its stripes as a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its serene, crystalline turquoise pools. Photo: WildChina

After nearly 30 years on the brink of extinction, panda will be released back into the wild in China’s Jiuzhaigou national park and nature reserve next year. The chance to see these much-loved bears in their natural habitat is only half the draw, though. “Apart from panda tracking, Jiuzhaigou is by far one of the most beautiful landscapes in all of China,” says China travel specialist Mei Zhang. “Mandarin for ‘Nine Villages Valley,’ Jiuzhaigou has earned its stripes as a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its serene, crystalline turquoise pools surrounded by hills of crisp yellow flowers.” Hike primeval forests to the brilliant blue-and-green Five-Color Pond, then check in to the new Ritz-Carlton, propped right up against the mountains so that you won’t miss any views even when you’re inside.

Read Mei Zhang’s Insider’s Guides to China’s Big Cities and Small Villages, Yunnan Province, and Beijing, and reach out to her to plan the best possible trip.

Colombia: Bogotá

Historic colorful buildings in Bogota, Colombia

Historic colorful buildings in Bogotá, Colombia. Photo: Four Seasons/Thinkstock

This South American capital city has a lot going for it these days. Already cool in the books of culinary and cultural travelers for its thriving Nuevo Colombiana food scene, vibrant street art, and impressive art and architecture, Bogotá is adding big-name luxury hotels to its tourism offerings. At the end of 2015, Four Seasons took over the historic Hotel Casa Medina Bogotá, improving on the notable building’s old-world charm; and this year it unveiled a second property, the more modern Four Seasons Hotel Bogotá in Zona T, an area known for shopping and nightlife. Both boast destination restaurants (Spanish in the former, Japanese in the latter) and are likely to catch the eyes of trend-watching travelers. What’s more, thanks to its high altitude, Bogotá is not a friendly environment for Zika-carrying mosquitoes. Visit now before everyone else does.

Reach out to Eric Sheets to plan the best possible trip to Colombia, and read his Insider’s Guide to Cartagena for other ideas.

England’s Cotswolds

Buckland Manor, Cotswolds, England

Buckland Manor, Cotswolds, England. Photo: Jonathan Epstein/Celebrated Experiences

“For years the English countryside fell off many travelers’ radar screens, as it was not good value compared to other destinations,” says United Kingdom travel specialist Jonathan Epstein. Then along came Brexit. Now, “the British pound is the weakest it has been since the early ’80s” says Jonathan. “Hotels in the Cotswolds that were $500 per night five years ago can be had for 25% to 35% less.” What’s particularly interesting is that while country manor hotels are improving, they still attract a mostly British audience, so you’re not likely to find yourself running into a ton of Americans. Add to that the lure of gardens, castles, charming villages, woodland walks, and award-winning cuisine, and the Cotswolds get even more attractive.

Read Jonathan Epstein’s Insider’s Guide to The Cotswolds, and reach out to him to plan the best possible trip.

Japan’s Cuisine and Off-the-Beaten-Path Culture

Tsukiji market, Tokyo. Photo: Context Travel

Tsukiji market, Tokyo. Photo: Context Travel

Japan has grown increasingly popular with our readers over the past two years. Maybe it’s the cuisine: Japan has the second-highest number of Michelin stars in the world (second only to France). Maybe it’s the atmospheric ryokans, or the hiking routes, or both: Aman recently opened its Amanemu resort, inside Ise-Shima National Park on the Kii Peninsula, where guests can cap off a walking trip along the famed Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage Trail. Maybe it’s the diverse landscapes: the coastal scenery of the Noto Peninsula, the spiritual Buddhist mountain region of Koyasan, the fun art islands of the Seto Inland Sea, the hot-spring-rich areas and pottery villages of Kyushu, Matsumoto, and Takayama in the Japanese Alps. Whatever it is, go now while the number of flights to Tokyo are increasing and new hotels are going up (like 2016’s Four Seasons Kyoto) in preparation for the Summer Olympics of 2020.

Read Scott Gilman’s Insider’s Guides to Classic Japan and Off-the-Beaten-Path Japan, and reach out to him to plan the best possible trip.

Mexico: Mexico City, Merida, Loreto

Traditional dancers in Merida, Mexico. Photo: Jouney Mexico

Traditional dancers in Merida, Mexico. Photo: Jouney Mexico

Mexico City (The New York Times’ choice of #1 destination to visit in 2016), Merida (the capital of Yucatan state), and Loreto (on the Baja peninsula) are each having a moment. What makes Mexico City special is the sheer diversity of culture you can experience there—world-class museums, cutting-edge architecture, emerging fashion designers, up-and-coming artists, plus all that delicious food (from taco stands to Pujol)—and the juxtaposition of ancient and modern: You can sleep in buzzy new hotels designed by world-class architects and in the morning go hot-air ballooning over the pre-Columbian city of Teotihuacan. (Plus Mexico City sits at an altitude too high for mosquitoes, so it’s Zika-free.)

A similar old-new combo can be found in the charming city of Merida. “The narrow streets and shady plazas create a feeling of the old world, as horses traverse the cobblestone streets lined with centuries-old mansions,” says Zach Rabinor, one of Wendy’s recommended Mexico experts. Many of those old buildings have been turned into boutique hotels and gourmet restaurants, so travelers seeking luxury and culture will easily be able to find both. In fact, Merida has been designated the American Capital of Culture for 2017, which means lots of events and celebrations throughout the year.

As for Loreto, it’s the counterpoint to Baja’s bustling Cabo region. The laid-back, old-world charm and coastal location attract adventure seekers, history buffs, sun seekers, and golf aficionados. Next fall the 7,400-yard Danzante Bay Golf Course will open, and Alaska Airlines is set to increase flights to Loreto to six days per week from LAX. “While there are breathtaking new resorts in Loreto, the vibe is refreshingly relaxed,” says Baja travel specialist Julie Byrd. “It’s still so untouched.” (If you’re concerned about Zika virus, know that fewer cases of Zika have been reported in the state of Baja California Sur than in Florida.)

Read Zach Rabinor’s Insider’s Guides to Mexico City and the Riviera Maya, and reach out to him to plan the best possible trip.

For Cabo, read Julie Byrd’s Insider’s Guides to Los Cabos Beach Vacations and Los Cabos Villa Vacations, and reach out to her to plan the best possible trip.

Mongolia

Horse riders in Mongolia. Photo: Nomadic Expeditions

Horse riders in Mongolia. Photo: Nomadic Expeditions

The 2015 opening of a Shangri-La hotel in Ulaanbaatar put Mongolia’s fascinating capital into the travel spotlight—and it’s still there. This year, a new airport will expand the country’s tourism infrastructure, making trips from a number of international cities easier than ever before. “The city is a place where modern high-rises are lined up next to traditional nomadic gers,” says Mongolia travel specialist Jalsa Urubshurow. “Don’t let the bustling energy of UB fool you, though, since Mongolia remains largely untouched—a place where a horse-based nomadic culture continues to thrive.” That culture got a little bit of the spotlight itself recently, Hollywood style, when Star Wars’ Daisy Ridley narrated the film The Eagle Huntress, about a young Kazakh girl living in western Mongolia’s Altai Mountains who wins the Golden Eagle Festival, a prize historically awarded to men. ((The festival was actually created by Jalsa in 1999; you can read more about it here.) Now is the time to explore this country’s deep traditions, diverse landscapes, and burgeoning modernization, before the rest of the travel world catches on.

Read Jalsa Urubshurow’s Insider’s Guide to Mongolia, and reach out to him to plan the best possible trip.

Myanmar: Yangon, Rakhine, and More

Mt. Popa, Myanmar

Mt. Popa, Myanmar. Photo: Antonia Neubauer.

This jewel of Southeast Asia is expecting an influx of visitors in 2017 and thus is investing in infrastructure development under the government of Aung San Suu Kyi. In the capital city of Yangon, a new airport is being built and, by 2018, the capital city will even have a Peninsula hotel. For more intrepid travelers, Suu Kyi has pushed to open routes in Rakhine, Shan, Chin, and other tribal states, including areas where no foreign travelers were ever allowed in the past.

If you’re seeking the right travel specialist to design the best Myanmar trip possible, Ask Wendy for her recommendation. Also read our Insider’s Guide to Myanmar.

Nepal

Monk and flowers, Nepal.

A young monk in Nepal. Photo: Toni Neubauer

Tourism is still down after Nepal’s devastating earthquake in 2015, but that’s why Nepal travel specialist Toni Neubauer feels it’s so important for travelers to show their support for this magical country. “Without doubt, if you want to see a still-beautiful, less-touristed Nepal; appreciate the resilience of a people recovering from a disaster with little government aid; and appreciate some of the huge changes in the country, now is the time to go,” she says. For instance, roads that were previously only accessible to trekkers are now much more accessible to all travelers, and more comfortable resorts are opening such as the luxury-level Barahi Jungle Resort in the Chitwan. While it’s true that fewer tourists translates to better deals and more availability at top hotels and restaurants, the real reason to visit now is that it’s a boon to the locals and their economy—and gives travelers an insider’s glimpse into how its homes, monuments, and centuries-old art are being restored.

Read Toni Neubauer’s Insider’s Guide to Nepal, and reach out to her to plan the best possible trip.

New Zealand: Before It’s Overrun

Mount Nicholas Station, Queenstown, New Zealand

Mount Nicholas Station, Queenstown, New Zealand

New Zealand has been a popular adventure spot for years, but we’re including it on our 2017 must-visit list for two reasons. First, it has grown so popular, and many of its most atmospheric inns and lodges are so intimate, that you’d be smart to book a year in advance, so if you’re thinking about it at all, start planning asap. Second, the busy season used to be limited to December 15 through January 15, but now it stretches all the way from November to March. “The country is literally full,” says New Zealand travel specialist Jean-Michel Jefferson. “Even locals are having trouble finding hotel rooms.” That’s not to say you should cross New Zealand off your list—rather, you should go as soon as possible, before it gets thoroughly overrun. A savvy and well-connected travel specialist like Jean-Michel, who is based in New Zealand, can ensure that you don’t get caught in the crowds and that you uncover unique experiences such as spending a day with a top orca researcher, helicoptering into undiscovered southern Fiordland, meeting a Maori chief, and dining on freshly caught wild seafood on the beach.

Read Jean-Michel Jefferson’s Insider’s Guides to New Zealand and Queenstown, and reach out to him to plan the best possible trip.

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka's Cinnamon Country

Sri Lanka’s Cinnamon Country. Photo: Sri Lanka In Style

If it seems like everyone is talking about Sri Lanka, it’s because they are. It’s one of the buzziest destinations of 2017—which is why Wendy’s headed there herself later this month. With its civil-war troubles behind it, Sri Lanka can now show off its 2,000-year-old history and eight UNESCO heritage sites, its national parks (packed with wildlife including leopards, elephants, and sloth bears), and its hotel boom that includes several new exquisite coastal resorts. “While this sharp rise in tourism may signal an end for the simple untouched beauty of the country,” says Sri Lanka travel specialist Miguel Cunat, who has lived there for more than a decade, “there are still plenty of off-the-beaten-track places to explore and myriad opportunities to experience authentic Lankan culture. The previously off-limits North and East Coast are now safe and open to travelers, and the Southern Coast has been benefiting from the opening of many new charming hotels and restaurants.” What’s more, 2017 is the 150th anniversary of Sri Lanka’s tea industry, and the celebrations will include an expo, seminars, workshops, and a convention.

Read Miguel Cunat’s Insider’s Guide to Sri Lanka, and reach out to him to plan the best possible trip.

Zambia

Amanzi Camp on the Zambezi River, Zambia

Amanzi Camp on the Zambezi River, Zambia. Photo: Amanzi Camp

If all you know about Zambia is Victoria Falls, you’re missing out. The country’s wildlife-viewing opportunities are top-notch: elephant, hippo, zebra, wildebeest, buffalo, lions, leopards…. Zambia offers remote luxe camps in off-the-beaten-path parks often overlooked by mainstream travelers. The exclusive Amanzi Camp opened in the Lower Zambezi in 2016, and another high-end property is slated for 2017: The five-star Mambeti Camp will make Zambia’s Liuwa Plains more accessible (and more comfortable) for safari lovers eager to spot the area famed for its lions, the second largest wildebeest migration in Africa (in November), a recovering cheetah population, and more.

Read Cherri Briggs’s Insider’s Guide to Zambia, and reach out to her to plan the best possible trip.

Be a smarter traveler: Use Wendy’s WOW List to plan your next trip. You can also follow her on Facebook and Twitter @wendyperrin, and sign up for her weekly newsletter to stay in the know.

Gros Morne Western Brook Pond fjord, Newfoundland

8 Gorgeous Canadian National Parks For Your To Do List

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Canada is one of the smartest summer vacation ideas for U.S. travelers. It’s close, it’s affordable, it’s not too hot, it’s blissfully uncrowded … and it’s got more than 40 beautiful national parks and reserves. Which are the best ones to focus a trip on?  We asked that very question of our Trusted Travel Experts for Canada. Here are eight parks for your To Do list.

By Land and Sea: Pacific Rim National Park Reserve

Pacific Rim National Park Reserve british columbia

Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, British Columbia. Photo courtesy Destination BC.

Encompassing forest, beach, ocean, and more than 100 islets along British Columbia’s Vancouver Island, it’s the miles-long stretches of sand and the numerous hikes through the lush rainforest that make Pacific Rim a favorite of Trusted Travel Expert Sheri Doyle. You can get a taste of both environments on short loop hikes from the main parking lot; Sheri also recommends the Nuu-chah-nulth Trail from the Visitors’ Center to Florencia Beach, which gives you some insight into local history as well.

Peaks Aplenty: Jasper National Park

Jasper National Park, Canadian Rockies

Jasper National Park, Canadian Rockies. Photo: Travel Alberta

Snuggled in the Canadian Rockies, Jasper isn’t undiscovered, but to Sheri it always feels far less busy than the adjacent—and more widely known—Banff National Park. Hiking and wildlife are the draws here; Sheri’s favorite short jaunt is the Path of the Glacier trail to a gorgeous glacial lake in the Mount Edith Cavell area of Jasper.

The Hidden Gem: Kootenay National Park

Kootenay National Park, Canada. Photo: Parks Canada/C. Siddal

Kootenay National Park, British Columbia. Photo: Parks Canada/C. Siddal

Even less crowded than Jasper, but with mountains no less majestic, is nearby Kootenay. The park’s Radium Hot Springs provide a secondary attraction, and the same-named town, just outside Kootenay’s border, has more affordable hotels than you’ll find in Banff.

The Big Kahuna: Banff National Park

sunshine mountain lake banff national park alberta canada

Hiking on Sunshine Mountain in Banff National Park, Alberta. Photo: Billie Cohen

This is the country’s original national park, set in the dazzlingly picturesque Rocky Mountains. Sure, it can be busy—but Trusted Travel Expert Marc Telio recommends veering off the beaten path and taking the gondola up Sunshine Mountain for a hike far from the crowds. For Mount Norquay’s via ferrata—a series of cables, ladders, and suspension bridges bolted into the side of the mountain—you don’t need any technical know-how, but you will need a healthy dose of confidence.

Picture-Postcard Vistas: Yoho National Park

Emerald Lake in Yoho National Park.

Emerald Lake, Yoho National Park. British Columbia. Photo: Parks Canada/Karin Smith

This British Columbia park’s name comes from the Cree word for awe and wonder. The impression it leaves on contemporary visitors is no less impressive, particularly in late spring at Takakkaw Falls, ones of Canada’s highest and most dramatic waterfalls. Here, Marc loves going for a peaceful paddle on startlingly crystal-clear Emerald Lake.

The World’s Highest Tide: Fundy National Park

beach at low tide in Fundy National Park Canada

Fundy National Park, New Brunswick. Photo: Parks Canada/Dale Wilson

When the tide goes out in New Brunswick’s Fundy National Park, it does so decisively: The difference between high and low tide can be as much as 50 feet—the height of a four-story building. Time it right, and you’ll literally be walking on the ocean floor, among crabs, sea snails, and other crustaceans (plus the shorebirds that stop by for a quick bite to eat).

A River Runs Through It: Nahanni National Park Reserve

Virginia Falls, Nahanni National Park, Canada

Virginia Falls, Nahanni National Park, Northern Territories. Parks Canada/Charles Blyth

Little known to the general populace, this vast and remote reserve in the Northern Territories is world-famous among whitewater rafters and kayakers, who come to paddle the Naha Dehé (the South Nahanni River). It was named among the first class of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the Nahanni called “one of the most spectacular wild rivers in North America.” Rapids aren’t the only water feature here: Virginia Falls is almost twice the height of Niagara, and Nahanni’s hot springs provide a natural antidote to the sore muscles you’re sure to acquire while hiking and paddling.

The Geological Wonder: Gros Morne National Park

Fjord Boat Tour on Western Brook Pond, Gros Morne National Park Western, Canada. Photo: Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism

Fjord boat tour on Western Brook Pond, Gros Morne National Park, Newfoundland. Photo: Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism

It’s taken Mother Nature millions of years to create the mountains and fjords that have earned Newfoundland’s Gros Morne its UNESCO World Heritage stripes; what you see on the surface today is actually deep ocean crust and the earth’s mantle, pushed up by the geologic process of continental drift. Western Brook Pond was clearly named with characteristic Canadian understatement: This “pond” is actually a spectacular, glacier-carved fjord that occupies an area of nearly nine square miles, with waterfalls cascading 2,000 feet down its cliffs. If you go to Gros Morne, Trusted Travel Expert Jill Curran recommends getting a taste of Newfoundland humor at Anchors Aweigh, a music-and-comedy show in the town of Rocky Harbour.

bear in Banff national park canada

Bear spottings are not uncommon in parts of Banff National Park. Photo: Travel Alberta

Be a smarter traveler: Follow Wendy Perrin on Facebook and Twitter @wendyperrin, and sign up for her weekly newsletter to stay in the know.

three sisters formation Goblin Valley State Park Utah

The American West You Don’t Know About, But Should

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Year after year, families flock to the American West to show their kids the region’s knockout scenery and rugged-cowboy lifestyle. And so every summer, the Grand Canyon’s viewpoints are choked with visitors, Yellowstone’s roads are jammed by wildlife-induced rubbernecking, and the guest ranches are sold out months in advance.

We’re here with a solution: Six key strategies that will help you avoid the crowds out west. I recently employed these tactics on a 900-mile drive around Utah, discovering breathtaking parts of the state that I hadn’t seen on numerous past trips through it, and having them largely to myself.

Wake up early.

Morning in Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah

Morning in Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah. Photo: Brook Wilkinson

The general wisdom is that the national parks are least crowded at sunrise and sunset. But when I stopped at Sunset Point in Bryce Canyon National Park at 6:00 p.m. on a Thursday in September, there were hundreds of people swarming the overlooks. By comparison, at 8:30 the following morning I had Inspiration Point almost to myself. The earlier you get up and out the door, the fewer people you’ll see on the roads and the trails. If you follow the typical flow of traffic in a park (most people drive through Bryce from north to south, for example) but start earlier, you’ll stay ahead of the crowds the entire day.

Sunset in Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah

Sunset in Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah. Photo: Brook Wilkinson

Seek out state parks.

Goblin Valley State Park Utah

Goblin Valley State Park, Utah. Photo: Brook WIlkinson

I uncovered plenty of spots that would easily earn national park status for their natural beauty—if only they didn’t face such stiff competition (Utah already has five national parks: Zion, Bryce Canyon, Arches, Capitol Reef, and Canyonlands). Goblin Valley State Park is just such a spot: It has a landscape like nowhere else on earth, with spooky hoodoos shaped like toadstools and witches and alien invaders. These hoodoos (thin spires of rock with curvaceous profiles) are quite different from the ones that have made Bryce Canyon famous: The former have rounded edges, as if they’ve melted into shape, while the latter are more rigidly striated. But even my well-traveled, adventurous Utahn relatives have never been to Goblin Valley. When I visited a few weeks ago to go canyoneering, I ran into fewer than a dozen other people in the park. This part of southern Utah is so remote that the Henry Mountains I could see in the distance were the last mountain range to be mapped in the lower 48 states, back in 1872.

Take the road less traveled.

The Castle, Capitol Reef National Park, Utah. Photo: National Park Service

The Castle, Capitol Reef National Park, Utah. Photo: NPS Photo

Google Maps will tell you that the fastest route from Arches National Park to Bryce Canyon or Zion is via I-70 and Highway 89. What it won’t tell you is that an alternate route, Scenic Byway 12, is one of just 31 designated “All-American Roads” in the United States. The detour adds less than an hour to your route—though we’d campaign for spending a lot more time enjoying the sights along the way. The most spectacular section runs from Tropic to Torrey, with several miles of pavement that cling to the knife-edge of a mountain ridge with gorgeous canyons spilling down on either side dotted with scrubby pines, earning it the moniker “the Hogsback.”

This route will also take you through Capitol Reef National Park (one of the country’s few national parks that you can visit for free, since the highway runs right through it).  There are a number of hikes you can do inside the park, and orchards of peach, apple, cherry, and apricot trees where you can eat your fill for free (or take a to-go bag for a nominal fee left in an honor box). Capitol Reef has a bit more foliage than other parts of this dry desert, and I found the contrast of deep green growth and rose-colored rock to be particularly striking.

Stay a while in smaller towns.

Burr Trail Outpost Boulder Utah

Burr Trail Outpost, Boulder, Utah. Photo: Brook Wilkinson

It’s tempting to make a trip out west all about the driving—the distances are vast, the small towns dotted between the geologic wonders seemingly unremarkable. At least, that’s what you’ll think if you arrive in the evening, check into a motel for a night’s sleep, and hit the road again the next morning. But if you make these communities a destination in their own right, spending enough time to scratch beneath the surface, you’ll find they’re as rich in character as the parks are in natural beauty.

Take the tiny town of Boulder, Utah, for example. Blink and you’ll miss it—literally—with just a smattering of commerce along Highway 12 indicating that you’ve reached, and then quickly passed, Boulder. The local population is so small that the elementary school has an enrollment of seven kids (and four teachers, making this parent of a kindergartener envious of all that undivided attention). But if you stop in to the Burr Trail Outpost, you’ll start to understand what makes this town tick: The work of dozens of local artists—pottery, textiles, metalwork, photography, and much more—fills the shelves, indicating the many creative types who have found the area’s beauty a reliable muse, and who now live side-by-side with the Mormon ranchers who settled Boulder. (As for that drip coffee and stale muffin you were expecting out here in nowheresville? Try a butternut squash mango smoothie, a fresh cinnamon roll, or a macchiato instead.) A few doors down is Hell’s Backbone Grill, a nationally acclaimed restaurant run by two female chefs and based on Buddhist values. Most importantly, the food is fresh (from the restaurant’s own farm a few miles away) and darn good, and that is a rarity in these parts. Also in Boulder is the Anasazi State Park Museum, on the grounds of an 11th-century Ancestral Puebloan village, reminding visitors that human history is as vital a marker on the surroundings as the effects of wind and water are on the landscape.

Create your own ranch experience.

Cougar Ridge Lodge, Utah

Cougar Ridge Lodge, Utah. Photo: Brook Wilkinson

If you’re yearning to get your kids comfortable in a saddle but the guest ranches are booked solid during school vacations—or you want a bit more privacy than the typical guest ranches offer, with their group activities and meals—consider the Cougar Ridge Lodge. Though it’s more cowboy estate than working ranch, the property has horse stables and a riding arena for lessons, and the owner can arrange guided horseback trips through the red rock country, as well as ATV tours, winemaking lessons, photography classes, and boating on Lake Powell. Rather than conforming to a dude ranch’s timetable, here the schedule is all your own. Cougar Ridge is enough of a secret that if you book one of the lodge’s four master suites, you’re likely to have the accompanying kitchen, great room, exercise area, and spa area all to yourself; it’s both grand and homey, as if a wealthy aunt who fancied herself a cowgirl had thrown you the keys to her country spread.

Go in fall or spring.

Chances are that you’ll want to hit a few of the west’s iconic spots as well, so we recommend traveling during the shoulder seasons to avoid the height-of-summer masses of tourists. In Utah, that’s October, November, February, and March, when temperatures are mild enough that you can spend the whole day outside (though nights are quite chilly in the high desert, so bring layers), but the crowds have thinned to a trickle in those most famous of places. In places farther north, the season starts later and ends earlier.

Ready to make your way out west? Ask Wendy who the right travel specialist is to plan your trip.

Goblin Valley State Park Utah

Goblin Valley State Park, Utah. Photo: Brook WIlkinson

*Disclosure: Utah’s Department of Tourism provided me with a five-day trip through Utah, free of charge. In keeping with WendyPerrin.com standard practice, coverage was not guaranteed and remains at our editorial discretion. You can read the signed agreement between WendyPerrin.com and the Department of Tourism here.

Be a smarter traveler: Use Wendy’s WOW List to plan your next trip. You can also follow her on Facebook and Twitter @wendyperrin, and sign up for her weekly newsletter to stay in the know.

The Milestone Hotel, London

WOW Moment: A Surprise Pastry Class and Picnic in London

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The best trips are packed with unique, memorable experiences that you couldn’t have anticipated or that turned out even better than what they sounded like in your itinerary. That’s the magic we all hope for when we travel, and it’s the magic that Wendy’s recommended travel specialists have up their sleeves—it’s part of the reason she names them to her list of the world’s best trip designers in the first place.

To thank all of you loyal users of Wendy’s WOW trip-planning system, we launched a reward program a while back: Wendy’s WOW Moments. Readers who’ve used our trip-request forms to contact one of our Trusted Travel Experts, and who have contributed reviews of those trips afterward, receive a complimentary gift from Wendy herself on their third trip. And we’re not talking fruit baskets or late checkouts. We’re talking about a personalized insider-access experience, hand-picked to suit your itinerary and arranged by the Trusted Travel Expert. Read eligibility requirements and program details here.

This loyalty program is now in full swing, and the first WendyPerrin.com traveler to earn a WOW Moment got to experience it on a trip to London. We wanted to find out from the traveler how this first-ever WOW Moment went, so we spoke to her by telephone to get the scoop.

family picnic in Hyde Park London

Paula da Rosa and her family enjoyed a picnic in Hyde Park. Photo: Celebrated Experiences

The travelers:

Paula da Rosa, her husband John, and her three children live in Vancouver, and as Paula told us over the phone, they are not big travelers. “We keep things pretty tight between Vancouver and Whistler. We ski,” she said. But this summer, her husband had a sabbatical and the family wanted to plan a special trip for their eight weeks off. They started with time in Hawaii (planned by Jay Johnson), followed by a villa rental in France (planned by Annie Flogaus) and then London, where they used to live. The London portion is where we provided their WOW Moment, working with Jonathan Epstein, one of Wendy’s Trusted Travel Experts for England.

The WOW Moment:

For the WOW Moment, Jonathan arranged a special afternoon at London’s Milestone Hotel, where the grown-ups would try their hands at the art of Sabrage and sip Champagne, and the kids would dive into the art of pastry decoration. The family of five was then whisked away to a luxurious picnic in Hyde Park, with the Champagne they had sabered, the macarons and cupcakes they had adorned, and a cornucopia of other treats.

kids pastry class London

The kids got to decorate pastries while the grown-ups got to sip Champagne. Photo: Celebrated Experiences

The traveler’s review:

“Did the experience meet my expectations? It was expertly executed, it was super smooth,” Paula reported back to us over the phone. “It was definitely more than I thought it was going to be. I guess I was hoping it wasn’t going to be super cheesy, you know what I mean? We just don’t do cheesy. We’re not the family in Disneyland with the ears—that’s just not us.”

“When we arrived and there was a whole line of staff to greet us—the hotel manager through the pastry chef through the young woman who led it all, and she was quite exceptional—I did have what I like to call a ‘Canadian moment’, where I thought, ‘Really? All this fuss just for us?’ We sort of looked at each other thinking we should be sharing some of this bounty.’ [Paula laughs] It was very, very memorable, that’s for sure.”

“We go into a conservatory within the hotel and they were giving us history about the hotel and location, which was interesting, and they had John sabre a bottle of Champagne. That was pretty funny. [Laughs] He put on this cape and hat, and we both looked at each other and thought we were stepping into cheesy, but it was for the fun of it.”

The Conservatory restaurant at the Milestone Hotel, London

The Conservatory restaurant at the Milestone Hotel, London

Afterward, Paula and John enjoyed some of the Champagne they’d opened while the kids were taken to the Oratory dining room to decorate macarons and cupcakes. “That was very nice, because the five of us had been traveling together for weeks at that point, so it was lovely for mom and dad to have a minute to be husband and wife,” she says. “And it was nice for the kids to meet the pastry chef, and have the lady who was organizing it snap pictures.”

When tea was announced a short while later, Paula says she expected to be walked right into the next room. “But they said, ‘Oh no, we’ll do it outside.’” Packing up baskets of tea treats plus the kids’ macarons and John’s Champagne, the staff led the family across the street to Hyde Park, where they’d already set up a picnic site. “We sat back and enjoyed the afternoon,” Paula recalls. “When we finished, we called over, and they came over and packed it all up, and then as parting gifts they gave us gift bags of teddy bears and things from the hotel and had made a framed photo of our family, and then we were driven back to our hotel.”

“This was nowhere near what we were expecting. But I had been thinking in the back of my mind, Wouldn’t it be neat to have a picnic? So this wasn’t that far off from something we would do—but it felt very posh.” Then she adds with a laugh, “But I think I might start doing that.”

The traveler’s review of the WOW trip-planning system:

Paula had heard about Wendy Perrin through a friend and checked out our website. “I thought it looked straightforward and easy to deal with,” she says. “And the people I chatted with—it all seemed pretty tight. And someone else does the planning.” That appealed to her greatly, she says: “I don’t have that expertise, and I don’t want to spend the time building that expertise. I’d rather just hand it over to someone else who does know—and that worked well because it’s not just booking a flight, it’s booking different places.” Thinking back to before she found WendyPerrin.com, Paula laughs and says, “We were trying to plan what to do with eight weeks, and almost needed a divorce lawyer, because we had to work though a lot of stuff, prioritizing people’s wants and needs, and working through a lot of logistics, with three children.”

“People asked me why didn’t you just use VRBO. I don’t want to land and be surprised, and if there is a surprise, I want someone else to deal with it. This wasn’t meant to be cost-effective. We don’t get sabbaticals often, so I didn’t want to get into a situation of I took a less expensive route and then I’m paying for it on my holiday.”

 

Wendy Wants To Amp Up Your Trip!

On every third qualifying trip, Wendy will add to your itinerary a surprise WOW Moment. A WOW Moment is an exclusive insider experience that helps make a trip extraordinary. Each WOW Moment is totally different. They vary depending on a huge range of factors, including the country you’re headed to, the timing of your trip, logistics, availability, and more. You can read a sampling of the more over-the-top WOW Moments (those most conducive to editorial coverage) here. Learn which trips qualify, and how the process works, here: Wendy Wants To Amp Up Your Trip!

Philadelphia's Headhouse Farmers Market

Authentic Food Markets Worth Traveling the World For

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For me, travel is best when I engage all of my senses. Wherever you are, step into a food market and this simply happens naturally. When you can recall a taste or an aroma, you’re also more likely to hold onto the memory. That’s why I remember blindly choosing a handful of French cheeses for an afternoon picnic in the Alps, knowing each would be delicious, and ogling the enormous fish caught that very morning at a pungent stall in Singapore. Each time I’ve strolled into a food market abroad, I’ve gotten to talk to (or, in circumstances of language barriers, gesture at) local people going about their daily life, generally welcoming of but not kowtowing to tourists. And then, of course, there are the photo-worthy visuals: careful rows of flamboyant dragon fruits, racks of glistening pastries and just-baked breads, and salamis and ham hocks hung on butcher’s twine to dry.

Here are markets where you can see, touch, and smell the ingredients necessary for life in that corner of the world, and hear how the transactions between buyer and seller differ from place to place. Arrive hungry, of course, because there will be plenty to taste, too. Want to go even deeper? Our Trusted Travel Experts can arrange a market tour with a culinary expert or local chef.

Headhouse Square Farmers’ Market—Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The Place: First established in 1745 (though under a different name), the Headhouse Farmers’ Market in Philly is a cook’s delight, with the city’s largest selection of locally made and grown produce, baked goods, meats, cheeses, and other specialty items.

Best Time to Go: The market is open 8am to 3pm every Sunday from May through December. Go before 11am for the best offerings (though sometimes there are events, such as cookbook signings with local chefs, later in the day).

Tastiest Treat: Pick up a box of handmade chocolates from John & Kira’s, or locally produced maple syrup from Spring Hills Farm.

—Paul Bennett, Trusted Travel Expert for Cultural City Tours

 

Mercado de San Ramon—San Ramon, Costa Rica

The Place: The town of San Ramon has a charming, laid-back atmosphere; older generations use the park and market (which sells tropical fruits, vegetables, and flowers) as a meeting spot to go over the coming week’s events. San Ramon is located between San Jose and the famous Arenal Volcano, so stopping here breaks up the drive between these two popular destinations quite nicely.

Best Time to Go: The market is open daily year-round, but is best on Fridays (12pm–6pm) and Saturdays (7am­­–12pm).

Tastiest Treat: Make sure to try the queso arollado (rolled cheese) or cajetas (a sweet coconut milk-flavored spread).

—Irene Edwards, Trusted Travel Expert for Costa Rica

 

Borough Market—London, England

London's Borough Market

London’s Borough Market. Photo: Michael HeffernanLondon and Partners

The Place: With tons of vegetables, fish, craft foods, and incredible cheeses—all sold by lively stallholders eager to tell you all about the provenance of what they’re selling—Borough Market is a great place to learn about Britain’s organic food movement. Located in a Victorian glass-and-ironwork building, it is also very photogenic.

Best Time to Go: The market is open Wednesday and Thursday from 10am to 5pm, Friday from 10am to 6pm, and Saturday from 8am to 5pm; it’s closed on many holidays. Get there early; the later you arrive, the larger the crowds you’ll find.

Tastiest Treat: Cheese or terrific preserves and jams.

 —Jonathan Epstein, Trusted Travel Expert for England, Ireland, and Scotland

 

The English Market—Cork, Ireland

The English Market, Cork, Ireland

The English Market, Cork, Ireland. Photo: William Murphy/Flickr

The Place: The resurgence of the Irish food movement started in Cork, first with farmhouse cheeses in the 1970s, and a slew of restaurants spotlighting local produce in the 1980s; there is no better way to learn about the country’s culinary scene than in this covered market, which sells everything from fish and meat to locally made chocolate and cheese.  (Wondering about the name? The market dates to the 18th century, when Ireland was still English.) When the Queen recently came to Ireland, this was one of her few stops.

Best Time to Go: The market is open from 8am to 6pm, Monday through Saturday. I like to go around lunchtime, either picking up a picnic of bread, cheese, and other things to snack on, or sitting down for a meal of the best Irish food you’ll find at the Farmgate Cafe. (The restaurant is not open for dinner.)

Tastiest Treat: I love the incredible selection of Irish chocolate. And make sure to learn about “buttered eggs.”

—Jonathan Epstein, Trusted Travel Expert for England, Ireland, and Scotland

 

Marché Notre Dame—Versailles, France

Cheese at the Notre Dame Market in Versailles, France

Notre Dame Market, Versailles, France. Photo: Paris Perfect

The Place: There’s more to Versailles than the royal palace and gardens. This market is one of the best in the entire region, and one of the largest too. Dozens of stalls sell their specialties, from local and exotic produce to artisan cheese, marinated olives, and colorful spices. The best part is, it’s not far from the palace and gardens, making it the perfect warm-up to a wonderful day of exploring.

Best Time to Go: The market is open on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday morning, from 7am to 2pm. The absolute best time to go is between April and October, when the weather is warm and the palace gardens are lush and green. Grab an assortment of fresh foods from the market in the morning, then after you’ve explored the palace, find a spot in the grass along the Grand Canal for a picnic.

Tastiest Treat: Make sure to try the crepes from the stand inside the southwestern corner section of the covered halls—they’re the best crepes I’ve ever tasted, and for mere pocket change! The owner coats her delectable, crispy-on-the-edges crepes and galettes in a generous helping of salted butter, making for a mouth-watering memory you won’t forget.

 

Montesanto-Pignasecca Market—Naples, Italy

The Place: Montesanto-Pignasecca market, located right in the heart of the city on Via della Pignasecca, is Naples‘ most ancient market, offering local produce from mozzarella to juicy tomatoes and fresh bread. It’s the biggest and best-supplied food market in the city center, and a very lively place, bustling with people and popular with locals since the prices are so low. You might hear the market before you see it: The voices of the barrow boys urging you to buy their goods echo down this very narrow street.

Best Time to Go: The market is open Monday through Saturday from 7am to around 2pm; I prefer to go in the morning, when it buzzes with locals doing their daily shopping and the produce is at its most fresh. The best fish comes in on Fridays, when many Italians adhere to Catholic doctrine and avoid eating meat.

Tastiest Treat: Suffice it to say, you’ll satisfy your taste buds on the spot. Naples is famous for its mozzarella made from water- buffalo milk. Another local cheese to try is Provola, produced in the area around Mt. Vesuvius from non-skimmed cow’s milk.

—Paul Bennett, Trusted Travel Expert for Cultural City Tours

 

Ortigia Food Market—Siracusa, Sicily

The Place: This open-air market is located in Ortigia, a small island connected to the mainland of Siracusa. It is the city’s historical center, filled with ancient ruins of Greek temples, Baroque churches, and Jewish ritual baths, with wide-open piazzas and breathtaking views of the sea. The market sells locally produced cheeses, fruits, vegetables, fish, herbs and spices, wine from all over the island—pretty much anything you might need to make the freshest Sicilian meal can be found here. Walking along, you will hear local fishmongers sing out the day’s offerings in Sicilian dialect, accompanied by an assistant wielding a guitar.

Best Time to Go: The market is open Monday through Saturday from 7am to 11am, year-round. We like to send travelers with our local culinary guide, collecting fresh ingredients and then preparing a lunch together.

Tastiest Treat: Pick up sun-dried tomatoes, capers, cheeses, and other local items to have vacuum packed and brought home to share with their friends and family.

—Marcello Baglioni, Trusted Travel Expert for Sicily

 

Olhão Market—Olhão, Portugal

The Place: Olhão’s two original market buildings sit side-by-side along the waterfront—the perfect location for the enormous variety of fish and seafood sold here, all straight off the boat. There is also fresh produce for sale. I love the ambiance and the authenticity here; at few other markets on the Iberian peninsula are you able to buy seafood straight from the people who caught it.

Best Time to Go: The market is open every day but Sunday. Go first thing in the morning, before it gets too crowded. If you can, visit in late fall, winter, or early spring, when there are far fewer tourists.

Tastiest Treat: Buy some Manna fish preserves from Conservera Do Sur; canned fresh tuna, scallops, mackerel, and anchovies are easy to carry and a treat once back home.

—Virginia Irurita, Trusted Travel Expert for Spain and Portugal

 

Nishiki Market—Kyoto, Japan

Nishiki Food Market Kyoto Japan CR Flickr-Jan

Nishiki Market, Kyoto, Japan. Photo: Jan/Flickr

The Place: Strolling through this market’s more than 100 shops, all packed into five blocks, is a truly immersive experience, and the best way to understand Kyoto’s culinary offerings and the city’s traditions. You’ll find pickled vegetables, Japanese tea sweets, miso, tofu, knives, cookware, sushi, freshwater fish, truffles, chestnuts, rice cakes, and sake. The market is a regular spot for both locals and tourists; some of the stores have been in the same family for centuries.

Best Time to Go: The market is open from 10am to 4pm everyday except Sunday (and is smaller on Wednesdays). Avoid 12pm to 2pm, when the lunch crowd rolls in.

Tastiest Treat: Take away some soy-milk donuts, which are cooked on the spot and served piping hot; they are slightly sweet and deliciously natural tasting—a far cry from most American donuts. For a more lasting souvenir, buy a handmade knife from one of the oldest knife shops in Japan; one of the docents who lead our Nishiki tours is a knife maker, who can advise you on your purchase.

—Paul Bennett, Trusted Travel Expert for Cultural City Tours

 

Mindil Beach Sunset Market—Darwin, Australia

The Place: The Mindil Beach Sunset Market gives visitors a taste of the uniquely Australian, relaxed, multicultural lifestyle enjoyed by Darwin locals. Among the nearly 200 stalls, food is the main attraction (from savory to sweet, the flavors of Thailand, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia, India, China, Turkey, Italy, Portugal, France, and Greece are there for the sampling, along with Northern Territory crocodile steaks and Aussie burgers) but you can also buy local crafts, from didgeridoos to barramundi-skin belts.

Best Time to Go: The market is open Thursdays (5pm–10pm) and Sundays (4pm–9pm) during the “dry season,” which runs from the last Thursday in April to the last Thursday in October. Come early enough to purchase the makings of a picnic and secure a great spot on the lawn, overlooking the beach, to watch the sun set over Darwin Harbor (B.Y.O. wine); sunset is usually around 6:30pm.

Tastiest Treat: Of the exotic options, I like the Indonesian satay, barbecued pork balls in a banh mi, or laksa. For Aussie fare, try the burger made of kangaroo, buffalo, or emu.

—Stuart Rigg, Trusted Travel Expert for Australia

 

Machane Yehudah Market—Jerusalem, Israel

spice bags at Mahane Yehuda Market, Jerusalem

Mahane Yehuda Market, Jerusalem. Photo: Julien Menichini/Flickr

The Place: The Machane Yehudah Market (known locally as “The Shuk”) sells farm-fresh local produce, spices, Middle Eastern fare, and traditional Jewish food. Here you’ll find the best challah, chocolate rugelach, and cheese-and-spinach burekas right out of the oven, and tahini made right in front of you using a 500-year-old giant basalt-stone sesame crusher. Though the market has been a place to buy foodstuffs for decades, it’s recently been revitalized and now includes trendy bars and restaurants as well.

Best Time to Go: Arrive soon after 9:30am, when the delivery trucks have just departed. You’ll find the freshest food and fewest crowds on Monday; Friday is a half day and at its busiest and most colorful; on Sunday, most of the stalls get taken over by the most famous granola maker in all Israel, who dries his ingredients there.

Tastiest Treat: Kurdish-style red kube soup—a chicken soup with beets and either deep-fried breaded meatballs or Middle Eastern dumplings—is a market favorite.

 —Joe Yudin, Trusted Travel Expert for Israel

 

 

 

Dining Pergola Ca di Pesa Italy villa

Rent A Villa In Italy For the Whole Family

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Poolside and deck view.
Poolside and deck view. Photo: Homebase Abroad
countryside view
Countryside view. Photo: Homebase Abroad
outdoor side view
Outdoor side view. Photo: Homebase Abroad
dining room
Dining room. Photo: Homebase Abroad
Master suite sitting area
Master suite sitting area. Photo: Homebase Abroad
outdoor cooking
outdoor dining
Outdoor dining. Photo: Homebase Abroad
Dining Pergola
Dining pergola. Photo: Homebase Abroad
Cantina detail
Cantina detail. Photo: Homebase Abroad
Cinema night
Cinema night. Photo: Homebase Abroad
cinema seating
Cinema seating. Photo: Homebase Abroad
Bellavista suite detail
Bellavista suite detail. Photo: Homebase Abroad
Brunello suite sitting room
Brunello suite sitting room. Photo: Homebase Abroad
Brunello suite sitting room
Brunello suite sitting room. Photo: Homebase Abroad
Living room view
Living room view. Photo: Homebase Abroad
interior view Ca di Pesa Italy villa
Interior view. Photo: Homebase Abroad
breakfast nook Ca di Pesa Italy villa
Breakfast nook. Photo: Homebase Abroad
children's TV room Ca di Pesa Italy villa
Children's TV room. Photo: Homebase Abroad
Italy villa ca di pesa jungle room
Jungle room. Photo: Homebase Abroad
countryside view
Countryside view. Photo: Homebase Abroad

Question:

Hi Wendy,

I’m looking for a really special villa in Tuscany for a family reunion for my mom and dad’s 40th wedding anniversary. There will be 18 of us, ranging in age from three years old to 82. We want a great setting with fabulous views, and also a good base for making day trips to the hill towns. Can you suggest a village or villa for us—or a good resource for securing a rental?
Thanks for any help you can offer,

—Margaret

Answer:

You’ve got a challenge, Margaret: The dreamiest villas in Tuscany tend to be restored farmhouses or castles filled with things that can be treacherous to toddlers or grandmas or both: slippery centuries-old stone steps, open-hearth fireplaces, wobbly antique furniture, spiky medieval-style door latches, etc. I know this from personal experience, having rented an ancient Italian farmhouse with my own mom and kids. I went to sleep every night worried my two-year-old was going to trip over an antique, go flying into a door latch, catapult down the stairs, and end up in the fireplace.

But I do, in fact, have a place in mind for you. Several years ago, when I was in Tuscany I was shown a rambling property called Ca di Pesa that is actually an historic borgo (medieval village). I’ve remembered it since because it struck that unusual note of being sophisticated enough for adults (it’s got a wine cellar where you can dine by candelight, for instance, not to mention a cinema and a bocce court), while also kid-friendly enough for tots (it’s got plenty of flat lawn and a freshwater pool with a child-friendly gate). It’s in an ideal central location amid the vineyards and olive groves of Chianti, near the charming town of Panzano, halfway between Florence and Siena. And it fits 18.

Two caveats: First, a lot of people who rent homes in Tuscany like to be able to walk into town, and while it’s only a five-minute drive to town, it’s a 3.6-mile walk—and not on a charming country path but just on the regular road. Second, the price tag is high, so it helps if you can fill the house. (Maybe you can scrounge up two more family members to make your group 20?) The price in May is $22,500 for the week—which sounds exorbitant until you do the math and realize it translates to $161 per person per night and includes a concierge and a welcome dinner.

So it’s a splurge, for sure, but then again, you did ask for “really special.” And, to this day, whenever I fantasize about the Tuscan villa vacation I desperately need, I think back to Ca di Pesa and look through the photos above. My favorite touch in the house? The jungle fresco in one of the bedrooms.

 

 

A rib ride on the Thames River is a fun way to see waterfront sights such as the London Eye.

Ask a Teenager: Do’s and Don’ts for Your Trip to London

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Note from Wendy:  I’m just back from a trip to London with teen and tween boys, and out of 12 days’ worth of family-friendly activities—including a cricket match, the Science Museum, the H.M.S. Belfast, and Kensington Gardens—these are the experiences that my 14-year-old son, Charlie, enjoyed most, as well as those he feels are overrated.  Here, Charlie tells it in his words:

My mom took me to London over the summer and it ended up being an amazing experience. However, there were some times when I just wanted to leave whatever it was that we were doing. So, in this article, I will be sharing do’s and don’ts for London: where to go right away, and what to hold off on.

 

DO take a rib ride on the Thames.

This ride was both simply thrilling and thrillingly simple, as all it is is a high-speed boat ride. Your kids will love it, and you will probably love it too. It’s basically a tour of London, just much faster. With James Bond music playing, you feel like you’re in a movie. In addition, it isn’t too much of a bumpy ride, and I highly doubt that someone would feel sick after. I recommend getting there early so you can grab one of the front-row seats.

Thames Rib

I recommend sitting in the front row on the London rib ride.

 

DON’T prioritize the London Eye.

Everyone traveling to London has this on their agenda. But this really wouldn’t be too bad a thing to miss. The views aren’t as great as you’d think, and it’s sometimes hard to see because you’re packed in a cell with 25 others. There is also a very long line to get tickets; however, there is a big playground for the kids right next to it. You should still go here, but don’t overhype it or make it a priority to the other sights you’d like to see. If you have time, go for it.

The views from the London Eye are good, but you get better views from other places in London.

The views from the London Eye are good, but you get better views from other places in London.

 

DO pay a visit to the Churchill War Rooms.

This place surely exceeded my expectations. It is an exhibit about how Britain was run during the war and Winston Churchill’s life. They had a humongous interactive computer that had a timeline of world history during Churchill’s life. I spent a long time there. They only take groups of 5 or 7 at a time, so try to come when it first opens in the morning.

At the Churchill War Rooms you see the World War 2 bunker that shows how Britain was run during the war.

At the Churchill War Rooms you see the World War 2 bunker that shows how Britain was run during the war.

They have a humongous interactive computer that displays a visual timeline of world history during Churchill’s life.

They have a humongous interactive computer that displays a visual timeline of world history during Churchill’s life.

 

DON’T randomly visit the inside of Tower Bridge.

You should only go to the exhibition inside Tower Bridge if the drawbridge is scheduled to go up. We got lucky and got there 15 minutes before the drawbridge lift. We watched the bridge draw from the glass bottom floors at the top, when it really might have been better to watch from the wings at bridge level. But I only did one, so I can’t tell you which is best. Besides that, there isn’t really too much to see inside the bridge. It’s a worthy destination, but only if you get to see it in action.

Tower Bridge as seen from the H.M.S. Belfast.

Tower Bridge as seen from the H.M.S. Belfast.

From one of the bridge’s glass-bottomed floors we watched the drawbridge lift.

From one of the bridge’s glass-bottomed floors we watched the drawbridge lift.

 

DO climb St. Paul’s Cathedral.

The view from the top of St. Paul’s is phenomenal, undoubtedly better than that from the London Eye. But instead of a line to get there, there was a climb. And some climb it was. To get just to the second floor, there is what seems like a never-ending spiral to the top. But when you get to the fourth floor, you get the great payoff of going outside and feeling the breeze on your hair, the entire city of London in front of you. This is why I feel that St. Paul’s does the London Eye’s job better. There are even a lot of seniors making the climb for the top, which I thought was great. If you truly can’t make it, I would recommend just going up to the third floor, as the view isn’t that different and you aren’t forced to keep moving like you are at the top.

The view from the top of St. Paul’s Cathedral.

The view from the top of St. Paul’s Cathedral.

These are the stairs you climb to get to the top of the dome of St Paul’s Cathedral.

These are the stairs you climb to get to the top of the dome of St Paul’s Cathedral.

 

DO take some time at the British Museum.

The name is misleading because nothing in this museum is British. Kept here are all of the artifacts and spoils of war that the British have won, stolen, or recovered. You will find things in this museum from every country, including mainly ancient Rome, China, Greece, and Egypt, as well as Mesopotamia, Babylonia, and Assyria. You can also find things from the Americas, Japan, and Southeast Asia. Your kids would have very likely learned about some of this stuff in school, so they can tie what they’ve learned to what they’re seeing in person. No one will come out of this museum unsatisfied or unimpressed.

An Egyptian mummy in the British Museum.

An Egyptian mummy in the British Museum.

 

DO hire a Blue Badge guide for a day or two.

Without our guide, Sean, there would be many more things I would’ve wanted to skip. Our guide had insight on nearly everything in the city, he made the Tower of London come alive, and in Stonehenge we would have been lost without him. If you asked him a random question about London, his answer would never be “I don’t know.” We only had him for two days in London, but the amount of things we were able to see with him in that span was exceptional. I recommend hiring one, even if just for a day, as you won’t need one for an entire week. Try making it on the first day because your guide will have insight on what to do for the remainder of your stay. [Note from Wendy: We hired an exceptionally kid-friendly guide—one who can’t be hired via the Blue Badge site—through Jonathan Epstein, an England specialist on my WOW List of local fixers.) 

In the Tower of London our guide, Sean Moran, showed us “graffiti” carved by prisoners centuries ago.

In the Tower of London, Sean showed us “graffiti” carved by prisoners centuries ago.

 

DON’T wait in a crowd to see the changing of the guard.

Some people will get to Buckingham Palace two hours before the changing of the guard starts to get a prime spot. If this is truly something you want to do, I won’t stop you. However, our guide knew where to go and got us a spot just outside the gate to the Wellington Barracks about 10 minutes before the change started. What’s more is that here, the guards walk right by your face, maybe three feet away. You also get to see the band playing before they start. Make sure you snag a spot in time on the sidewalk and hold your ground. Some people will go onto the cobblestones that they force you off of when the guards start and try to stand in front of you. Kindly ask them to move.

Here’s the band marching out of Wellington Barracks toward Buckingham Palace. My mom and brother and I all videotaped it.

Here’s the band marching out of Wellington Barracks toward Buckingham Palace. My mom and brother and I all videotaped it.

 

DO spend some time at Borough Market.

Borough Market has been in business for more than 1,000 years. Schedule lunch there for one day, whether you have a bite in one of the restaurants or sample the many booths. There is some very interesting food there. The closest stand to where we ate sold ice cream from goats. Saturday is rush hour there, so if you want something less hectic, aim for a weekday.

Our guide Sean taught me the geography of London during Roman times over lunch at Borough Market.

Our guide Sean taught me the geography of London during Roman times over lunch at Borough Market.

 

DON’T bring your wallet to Harrods.

Harrods was probably one of the most overrated places we visited. There’s not a lot to really see that you can’t see anywhere else. If you can drop in for a visit, go for it, but don’t prioritize it over something else. On top of that, the prices are marked up way too far. There was a toy there that in Hamley’s—which is definitely a place not to miss if you have kids—cost £3 for 2. In Harrods, the same exact toy cost £15 for 1, which is a 900% markup from Hamley’s. As for the food halls, there are 2 places within 10 minutes of our house that have better sushi than what we tried. However, if you buy anything at Harrods, the food is the way to go.

My mom and brother ordering sushi in the food halls at Harrods.

My mom and brother ordering sushi in the food halls at Harrods.

At Hamley’s, testing out the toy that ends up grossly overpriced at Harrods.

At Hamley’s, testing out the toy that ends up grossly overpriced at Harrods.

 

DO spend an evening at Covent Garden.

Come here with no plans but maybe a dinner reservation, and you’ll leave happy. There are lots of shops and restaurants to spend your time in, but the best part was the performances in the square. I saw this pantomime starting his act while I was waiting for my brother and mom to get out of a shop, and we all ended up watching his show until the end, laughing the whole time. Spend an evening here and it won’t go wrong.

A Charlie Chaplin impersonator at Covent Garden.

A Charlie Chaplin impersonator at Covent Garden.

At the end of the show he gave a hug to his sidekick plucked from the audience.

At the end of the show he gave a hug to his sidekick plucked from the audience.

 

Photos by Timothy Baker

Be a smarter traveler: Use Wendy’s WOW List to plan your next trip. You can also follow her on Facebook and Twitter @wendyperrin, and sign up for her weekly newsletter to stay in the know.

car with person using phone gps app

10 Apps That Will Improve Any Road Trip

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Old-school as it may be, we still say that a paper map is an essential on any road trip packing list, and that putting down your phone might just be the smartest thing you can do with it on a vacation. But we’re not exactly Luddites here either: A smart digital toolkit can lower stress, ease planning, and even enhance a road trip, and these days you’ll benefit greatly from stocking up on a small collection of apps before you hit the highway. The following apps were all tested by Wendy and her family on recent road trips. Add your own favorite road trip apps in the comments below—and see Wendy’s full list of recommended apps over at TripAdvisor.

Waze

This one is a no-brainer and many of you probably already have it on your phones: Waze. The real-time traffic app will clue you into the least congested routes, collisions or road blocks, even police speed traps.

Around Me

Driving through unfamiliar territory can get very stressful very quickly if someone has to use the bathroom, the gas tank is hovering on empty, or worse, one of the kids is sick. Wendy uses Around Me to discover nearby hospitals, pharmacies, ATMs, even grocery stores.

Gas Buddy

She recommends GasBuddy for info on fill-up stations and their gas prices.

Sit or Squat

For the other kind of emergency, download Sit or Squat (by Charmin) and you’ll always know where to find a clean public restroom.

Roadside America and Along the Way

The best road trips have nothing to do with your final destination. The journey is the point, and the stops you make, make the journey. In addition to Wendy’s advice on the three things you should always stop for on a road trip, she recommends the Roadside America and Along the Way apps to ensure that you don’t miss quirky fun attractions, interesting parks and landmarks, or the world’s biggest anything.

The Yellow Pages

Yup, this old standby has been updated for the mobile age. The YP app will help you find automotive repair shops, health and wellness facilities, and more—all with contact info, address, and websites—but what Wendy’s family uses it for is to punch in the type of food they’re in the mood for—say, Southern fried catfish, or peach pie—and find out the closest restaurant that’s serving it.

TVFoodMaps and LocalEats

Ever seen some delicious dish on a travel TV show and wish you could try it yourself? With TVFoodMaps, you can search for restaurants featured on food shows. You can either search by show title (Adam Richman’s Man vs. Food or Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations, for example) or even search by route: Type in your starting point and your destination and it’ll serve up a list of interesting eateries various hosts have visited. LocalEats has a similar mission: to help travelers discover insider favorites. Search by city, browse a calendar of state-by-state food events, or scour appetite-inducing lists like Best Breakfast Places in America.

Urgent.ly 

Urgent.ly is an on-demand roadside assistance service. No AAA? No problem. Download the app, and if you ever get a flat, need a jump, or—d’oh!—locked your keys in the car, contact the service and they’ll send help. They’re on call 24-7, every day of the year, and you only pay for the services you use.

For more road trip intel, see Wendy’s series at TripAdvisor: How to Plan the Ultimate Road Trip Itinerary, Packing List: Essential Gear for a Road Trip, How to Make Family Road Trips Fun and Stress-Free;  and 15 Simple Hacks to Make Any Road Trip Better.

 

Be a smarter traveler: Use Wendy’s WOW List to plan your next trip. You can also follow her on Facebook and Twitter @wendyperrin, and sign up for her weekly newsletter to stay in the know.

pokemon go in London, Stonehenge and San Diego

Pokemon Go Is Coming on Your Trip: Here’s How to Keep Kids Safe

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Note from Wendy: When the augmented reality game Pokémon Go was released this summer, my 14-year-old, Charlie, was (like a gazillion other kids) instantly enthralled. I let him play the game during our travels—in small doses only, and in safe areas. As he used his smartphone to hunt and catch digital creatures in real-life locations everywhere from California’s Hearst Castle to England’s Stonehenge, I saw first-hand how Pokémon Go can be a double-edged sword for traveling families: On the one hand, it leads kids to explore places and discover sights that otherwise might not interest them. On the other hand, your kid could stumble into a dicey neighborhood, wander into traffic, or walk off a cliff in pursuit of a Pokémonster. So I asked Charlie if he would share a few suggestions, from a teen’s perspective, for how to achieve that balancing act of giving your kids the freedom to play the game while minimizing its drawbacks and keeping them safe. Here’s his advice:

Hi. I’m Charlie and I’m 14 years old. You might trust your kids to play Pokémon Go in the town you live in, but playing in an unfamiliar place could put them at risk. The app contains warnings not to trespass or enter dangerous areas, the loading screen warns players to be alert at all times and stay aware of their surroundings, and there is even an alert when you go too fast, noting that the game should not be played while driving (though it is easily bypassed by pressing the “I’m a passenger” button). Unsurprisingly, these have done little to make the game safer. People have fallen off cliffs while playing, have wandered too close to military bases, and have even been stabbed. Some kids have ended up in places where they shouldn’t be, and some have been lured into being robbed. And with the recent release of the game in South America, there are now even more foreign countries where your kids could be at risk.

So how can you keep your kids safe while they try to catch that elusive Pikachu at the Eiffel Tower? Here are my three tips.

1. Play it with them.

Obviously this is a lot to ask, but it’s your best bet for keeping your kid safe.

You can’t have your head in your phone, though, since you need to watch your child. What you can do is put your phone in battery saver mode. That turns the app into a black screen when it is held top down, and it rumbles when you find a Pokémon. Let your kid be the one to track down the Pokémon; then, when he finds one, catch it with him. This will make your kid want to wait up for you, so you can catch them together. If you need a break, you can pretend to take a long time to catch one, so you don’t tire out too quickly.

2. Set a curfew.

The later at night it gets, the more dangerous a place can be, especially in an unfamiliar country. Nighttime is a more likely time for drunk drivers and illegal activity. So giving your kid a time to be in by is a surefire way to be safer. A good curfew might be about 9 or 9:30 pm, but it will depend on how old your child is and what country you’re in.

3. Limit how far they can go.

To make sure that kids don’t get lost or take too long to get back, set boundaries on how far they can travel. This could be a hard rule for your kids to follow. If you tell them not to go past 7th Street but the Pokémon that they’re after is on 8th street, they’re without a doubt going to stretch the boundaries. The best way to enforce this, if you have an iOS device, is to make sure that the “Find my iPhone” app is on your child’s phone. That way you can enter your child’s iCloud information on your device and track their location. Another great way to limit their range of play is to let them play in a park that they’re not allowed to leave. Parks have little to no cars and are often great places to play, boasting frequent sightings of rare Pokémon.

Be a smarter traveler: Use Wendy’s WOW List to plan your next trip. You can also follow her on Facebook and Twitter @wendyperrin, and sign up for her weekly newsletter to stay in the know.

Ferrari 458, a modded Range Rover

How and Where to Spot Supercars in London

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Ferrari 458, a modded Range Rover
Spotted on Sloane Street: A Mercedes Gullwing in front of a Ferrari 458 and a modded Range Rover
The Dorchester hotel's parking lot
The Dorchester hotel's parking lot on a Monday morning in August
The Dorchester parking lot
The Dorchester parking lot
Lamborghini, a Mercedes, a Porsche, a Rolls-Royce
Right to left: a Lamborghini, a Mercedes, a Porsche, a Rolls-Royce....
Ferrari 458 wrapped in chrome blue
A Ferrari 458 wrapped in chrome blue, at the Dorchester
concierge at The Dorchester
Me and Stuart, the extremely nice and knowledgeable concierge at The Dorchester
The Dorchester
Me and more new friends at The Dorchester
carbon-fiber Pagani Huayra, Lamborghini Aventador
A carbon-fiber Pagani Huayra (right) and a Lamborghini Aventador (left) outside 45 Park Lane, next to The Dorchester
modded Mercedes G-Wagens
3 modded Mercedes G-Wagens outside 45 Park Lane
Lamborghinis and three Rolls-Royces
Two Lamborghinis and three Rolls-Royces at The Dorchester
Rolls-Royce
A Rolls-Royce with a stainless steel hood and modded headlights, at The Dorchester
Lamborghini Aventador
A Lamborghini Aventador on Piccadilly Circus
Lamborghinis, Buckingham Palace
Two Lamborghinis in front of Buckingham Palace
crystal-encrusted Mercedes
A crystal-encrusted Mercedes in Sloane Square
McLaren P1 in Notting Hill
A McLaren P1 in Notting Hill. I was speechless.
Ferrari F12 Berlinetta Coupe
Here's a Ferrari F12 Berlinetta Coupe with the coolest wrap job I have ever seen in real life.
Ferrari F12
That same Ferrari F12 as viewed from the front
rare Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat
A rare Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat with a KSA license plate
Aston Martin, Piccadilly Street
A DB9 Aston Martin on Piccadilly Street
Maybach 62 Zeppelin just off Sloane Street.
A Maybach 62 Zeppelin just off Sloane Street
Brabus Mercedes
A crazy-nice Brabus Mercedes
Ferrari F12 Berlinetta Coupe
A Ferrari F12 Berlinetta Coupe with a modded hood
Lamborghini Gallardo
A Lamborghini Gallardo with a rare type of back window
McLaren 750LT
A McLaren 750LT at the McLaren dealership on Knightsbridge Road
BMW M6
A modded BMW M6
Pagani Zonda
A Pagani Zonda, extremely rare and fast
Porsche 918 Spyder
A Porsche 918 Spyder, the only electric supercar
Rolls-Royce Wraith
A rare Rolls-Royce Wraith
Ford GT in Notting Hill
A very loud Ford GT in Notting Hill
British-made TVR sportscar
British-made TVR sportscar, with super-interesting exhaust pipes
Lamborghini Aventador interior
Lamborghini Aventador interior
Pagani Huayra interior
Pagani Huayra interior

 

Photos by Doug Baker and Timothy Baker

Hi. I’m Doug and I’m 12 years old. My mom just took me to London, and one of my favorite activities was spotting supercars. The craziest car I saw was a rainbow-diamond-encrusted Mini Cooper inside Ripley’s Believe It Or Not, but there were other rare supercars driving around London all the time. I saw a Mercedes plated with gold and black Swarovski crystals on Sloane Street, and a gray W Motors Lykan HyperSport in Knightsbridge. It was one of four ever made! If you want to see cars like this too when you go to London, here’s my advice:

  • Go in summertime. That’s when all the wealthy Middle Easterners come to town for cooler weather and they ship their supercars from home.
  • Go to The Dorchester hotel’s parking lot. Stuart, a concierge at the Dorchester, told me that if I wanted to see the most and best cars, I should come in the morning before 11 a.m. That’s when the cars’ owners are sleeping, so their cars are parked. Don’t go after noon because that’s when they’re driving the cars. If you have questions about the cars, the concierge can answer them. (The concierges were super-nice even though we weren’t staying at the hotel.) The streets and other fancy hotels near The Dorchester can have nice cars too.
  • The best time to see the cars driving around is after 5 p.m. and late at night. The best places to see them are Knightsbridge, Mayfair, and Notting Hill, and especially on Sloane Street and Brompton Road. They are on the streets around fancy department stores like Harrods and Fortnum & Mason because many of the car owners shop there so you can see their cars.
  • Go to supercar dealerships like Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren, and Lotus. The Lotus dealership in Piccadilly Circus actually has no Lotuses in it, but you’ll see Lotuses driving past it. The McLaren dealership is near the Mandarin Oriental Hotel at the Knightsbridge Tube stop. The employees were friendly and nice both times I went in.
  • When you photograph the cars, don’t forget to photograph their license plates. You’ll see license plates from Abu Dhabi, Dubai, KSA (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia), Kuwait, Qatar, and the UAE. Some have both English and Arabic numbers.

Tips for photographing cars

  1. Always have your camera ready.
  2. Take the bus. Sit at the front row of the top of the double-decker bus.
  3. Listen for the cars. Sometimes we heard them coming before we saw them.
  4. Look inside to see what the interior looks like.
  5. Never spend too much time on one car. A cooler car might come by.

Be a smarter traveler: Use Wendy’s WOW List to plan your next trip. You can also follow her on Facebook and Twitter @wendyperrin, and sign up for her weekly newsletter to stay in the know.

Watch: How to Protect Yourself From Zika Virus and Mosquito Bites

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Recently, health officials confirmed that the Zika virus is being actively transmitted by mosquitoes in Miami Beach, Florida. That’s the latest destination in a list of popular U.S. vacation spots—greater South Florida, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands—that have recently reported transmissions of the virus.

Experts are learning new information about the Zika virus every day, and the CDC is sharing that information online at cdc.gov/zika. There you can find up-to-date details on transmission, risk factors, mosquito control, as well as geographic listings and a map of where cases have been reported.

As we’ve stated here before at WendyPerrin.com, travelers who are thinking about pregnancy (along with those who are already pregnant) should not visit destinations where the virus is spreading. The illness has been reported in both men and women, and is known to be transmitted by mosquito bites, sex, blood transfusions, and from a pregnant woman to her fetus.

But as I’ve also stated, the rest of us should not let panic determine our travel decisions. The truth is that mosquitoes have been carrying nasty diseases for centuries: dengue fever, malaria, yellow fever. And nearly every country has mosquitoes. If we were to stop traveling to places with disease-carrying mosquitoes, we’d have to stop seeing most of the world and build a bubble around our own backyards. What’s more, as I explained to journalist Scott Mayerowitz in his recent article for AP News, “the rest of us should be careful not to focus so much on avoiding Zika that we choose a destination that puts our health at greater risk, whether from mosquitoes carrying other diseases or from another cause such as tainted water.”

It’s always important—not just in Zika-affected countries, but everywhere there are mosquitoes—to protect yourself. Here’s how my family and I did it in the rainforest along the Panama Canal. (While Panama is a Zika-affected country, we did not see or feel any mosquitoes during our time there.)

Wendy and her family, in mosquito-resistant clothing, in the rainforest of Panama last month.

Wendy and her family, in mosquito-resistant clothing, in the rainforest of Panama in April 2016.


Transparency disclosure: Our sponsor, MedjetAssist, provided the financial support that made it possible to bring you these travel tips.

Be a smarter traveler: Use Wendy’s WOW List to plan your next trip. You can also follow her on Facebook and Twitter @wendyperrin, and sign up for her weekly newsletter to stay in the know.

 

volkswagen van driving on a road trip

Road Trip Hacks: 5 Things That Will Come in Surprisingly Handy

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We all know the no-brainers to pack for a road trip: Snacks, maps, phone chargers…. But there are other items you’d never think to bring along that will save you a lot of hassle. Here are a few of Wendy’s problem-solving road-trip essentials. Don’t miss her full list of 15 ingenious road-trip hacks over on TripAdvisor:

What would you add to Wendy’s list of surprising road-trip must-haves?

Small overnight bag

Pack it only with what you’ll need for one night: toiletries, pajamas, and the next day’s clothes. By keeping those essentials separate from the rest of your luggage, you won’t have to unpack the entire trunk every time you stop for the night.

Cheap beach towels

If you’re flying to your road trip, don’t take up precious space in your luggage with a towel. Buy one when you get to your destination; you can usually find them for five bucks or less. They’ll serve as picnic blankets, a cover for your valuables when you leave the car, seat protectors for messy activities or on-the-go eating, makeshift pillows and, of course, as towels if you make a pit stop at a lake or a pool.

Permanent marker

No matter how organized you start out, the car is going to get messy, and everyone’s stuff is going to get mixed up. Bring a marker to label things, especially if they look alike (say, when four passengers with iPhones have brought identical white power cords and charging blocks).

A roll of quarters

Even in this age of credit cards and pre-purchased toll passes, you still need an old-fashioned handful of change on a road trip. Throw a roll of quarters in your glove compartment for parking meters, vending machines, and laundromats.

Garbage bags

They have endless uses in addition to the usual one: storing wet bathing suits, serving as emergency rain gear, protecting cameras in the rain. You can even twist one into a rope and use it to tie things together.

For more road trip intel, see Wendy’s series at TripAdvisor: Packing List: Essential Gear for a Road Trip, How to Make Family Road Trips Fun and Stress-Free, How to Plan the Ultimate Road Trip Itinerary, and 15 Simple Hacks to Make Any Road Trip Better.

 

Be a smarter traveler: Use Wendy’s WOW List to plan your next trip. You can also follow her on Facebook and Twitter @wendyperrin, and sign up for her weekly newsletter to stay in the know.

young boys in backseat of car family road trip

Family Road Trips: How to Eliminate Stress and Bickering

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Mom, he’s on my side! She won’t stop touching my stuff! I have to go to the bathroom! I’m hungry! Are we there yet? If you think family road trips are all sing-alongs and car games, you’ve never been on a road trip. Maybe it’s the cramped car, the sitting still for hours on end, the long stretches between meal stops. Whatever the reason, road trips seem like the vacation most likely to inspire bickering and stress—but all those other moments in between are golden. Luckily, it’s easy to ensure more of those memorable family bonding times with a few simple strategies. Based on her own family’s experiences, Wendy has put together a surefire list of methods for making a road trip stress-free. Here’s a preview, but don’t miss the full list over at TripAdvisor.

And, for more road trip intel, click to Wendy’s essential packing list, and her Keys to Planning the Perfect Road Trip.

Let each kid play navigator.

La Jolla Cove seals in California

Let each kid pick an attraction or two during your trip. Wendy’s son chose La Jolla Cove as a pit stop, to see the seals.

Give your kids a map of your route before you leave and let each one pick a stop or an activity each day. You’ll give them a sense of ownership over that day’s events that will keep them energized and interested all day.

Make the trip a treasure hunt.

do not disturb sign

Create a fun trip challenge or goal to make stops more interesting. Wendy’s kids collect Do Not Disturb signs.

On Wendy’s trips, the family picks something to search for at each stop, creating an easy scavenger hunt: maps, magnets, Do Not Disturb signs from hotels…. Or try giving the kids a camera (nothing fancy needed) and turn the game into a photo-taking mission.

Give each kid his/her own space.

If you are able to set up each kid in a separate row of the vehicle, great. If not, try crafting a divider between them (even if it’s just out of colorful tape).

Agree on how long you’ll drive between stops.

family road trip California

To prevent kids (and adults) from going stir crazy, put a time limit on how long you’ll drive between rest stops.

It’s nearly impossible to make sure everyone is on the same schedule during a road trip. Someone is going to get tired before everyone else; someone else will get hungry; someone else will get restless. And if the driver is feeling good, he or she may want to push through…stretching everyone else’s patience. To avoid arguments and meltdowns from stir-crazy kids, set a limit for how long each leg can be.

Whenever there’s a world’s biggest, longest, or quirkiest something on your route, stop and check it out.

Nighttime minigolf at Chuckster's, home of the world's longest mini-golf hole. Vestal, NY

Wendy’s family seeks out quirky roadside attractions, like Chuckster’s in Vestal, NY, home of the world’s longest mini-golf hole.

Rest stops are more than just a chance to stretch legs and burn off energy. They can be the source of fun memories and even funnier pictures.

Wendy’s family seeks out quirky roadside attractions, like the world’s biggest ball of twine in Cawker City, Kansas, or the world’s biggest yo-yo, in Chico, California—or the world’s biggest anything, really. School playgrounds and children’s museums not far from the Interstate are other kid-friendly pit stops. That said, even “boring” rest stops can be amped up: bring a tennis ball, inflatable beach ball, or a Frisbee for games. Keep a few picnic basics in the car too so that you can make a rest stop double as a food stop. (For more info on what picnic essentials to stow, see Wendy’s road trip packing list.)

Prioritize pools.

When choosing where to bed down each night, Wendy recommends finding motels with pools. The end-of-day swim will help kids work out any pent-up energy and can even serve as a reward after a long day of driving. A reinvigorating dip can be just as rewarding for tired parents.

Be a smarter traveler: Use Wendy’s WOW List to plan your next trip. You can also follow her on Facebook and Twitter @wendyperrin, and sign up for her weekly newsletter to stay in the know.

road trip on a winding desert road

Don’t Take a Road Trip Without Packing These

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Some road-trip packing essentials are no-brainers: rocking music, tasty snacks, and a whole lot of patience. But there are plenty of additional items that you might not realize you need…until you need them. Luckily, we’ve got your essential road-trip packing list right here. These items will help you save money, stay healthy, and stay sane during those long hours on the road. (You can also click over to TripAdvisor to see Wendy’s full list.)

Save money with a cooler

Pack your own water and snacks to save money and calories. The cooler (either the old-school kind that you fill with ice from the hotel, or the electric kind that you plug into your cigarette lighter) will also come in handy for picnic lunches. Which reminds us: Toss a picnic blanket in the back seat.

Save your skin with sun protection

For you and for your car. For you and the kids, we’re talking about the SPF kind, and not only for the times when you get out to stretch your legs. If you’re riding with the windows open, slather some on arms and faces—especially the driver’s left arm. Wendy also recommends bringing a windshield sun blocker; the steering wheel and seats can get very hot after a few hours in the sun while you’re all off hiking or seeing the country’s largest peach pit. A blocker will keep the car cooler and cut down on how much you need to blast the A/C once you pile back in.

Save your sanity with emergency kits

You’ll need three kinds to be prepared for just about anything: a first-aid kit, a roadside emergency kit, and a roadside assistance plan, either through an automotive club or an insurance company.

Save your back

In addition to regular stops to stretch your legs, Wendy likes to take along a lumbar support pillow to help prevent back pain from long stretches of driving. (Pro tip: a rolled up towel works in a pinch too.) Then each night at the hotel she likes to use rubber massage balls called T Spheres to roll out cramps and kinks.

Stay on track

Getting lost can be maddening, especially if everyone is tired or hungry and ready to get out of the car. If you’re using the GPS on your phone, be sure to bring a USB car charger so that you always have power (better yet, get a charger with multiple ports so other passengers can charge their devices too). Don’t forget a smartphone mount for your dashboard either, as they make looking at the phone for directions and playlist changes much easier—remember both of these tasks are for your copilot, not the driver! Wendy also recommends a paper map for road trips. Not only are they handy if your devices do run out of juice, but they provide a big-picture overview of the trip and can be used as a roadside-stop journal and kept as a memento of your adventures.

Stay connected

Whether you have to work during your road trip or just want to post pictures of your trip on Facebook, you’ll need to bring a few pieces of tech gear if you want to get online on the road. A portable Wi-Fi hot spot can be invaluable; or you can talk to your cell phone carrier about turning your phone into a hot spot (sometimes this incurs fees, so be sure to check). Finally, pack a voltage inverter; these are special chargers that plug into the car’s cigarette lighter one end and have a three-prong A/C outlet and USB ports on the other.

See Wendy’s full list of road-trip essentials and her tips for how to plan the ultimate road trip itinerary on TripAdvisor, where she’s TripAdvisor’s Travel Advocate, and follow her on Instagram for postcards from the California road trip she’s on right now.

Be a smarter traveler: Use Wendy’s WOW List to plan your next trip. You can also follow her on Facebook and Twitter @wendyperrin, and sign up for her weekly newsletter to stay in the know.

how to plan a road trip

The Keys to Planning the Perfect Road Trip

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Road trips are the great American summer vacation: wind in your hair, rocking tunes on the radio, kids/friends smiling in the back seat. But the magic doesn’t happen, well, magically. All road trips roll a lot smoother if they’re planned well: No one wants to be driving endlessly at 3 a.m. still looking for somewhere to eat or sleep. And no one wants to be bored in the back seat.

With some easy pre-trip thinking, you can ensure that everyone in your car stays happy and even has a meaningful, memorable trip. This summer Wendy’s sharing her hard-earned road-trip wisdom, culled from countless drives across America, in a series of articles on TripAdvisor. First up: How to plan the ultimate itinerary. I’ve summarized a few of the tips, but click here to read the full article on TripAdvisor, and we’ll see you on the road!

Get everyone on the same page before you ever step foot in the car.

What are your fellow road-trippers expecting from this vacation? Ask everyone to share their trip goals—and likes and dislikes—early in the planning stages. If one person is expecting mountains and outdoor activities but another was planning on stuffing their pie hole with a different pie in every state, you could end up with some road-trip rage. If you can all agree on a few things ahead of time, you’re going to be a lot happier when you’re on Hour 15 of Day 6.

Throw a map-planning party.

Grab an old-school map and plot out where you want to go and how you want to get there. Be sure to think about how far you really want to drive each day, and how long you want to stay in various stops. College towns can be fun and affordable overnight stops, with plenty going on whether you arrive early or late.

Give everyone a day to own.

If every person in the car gets to choose one part of the trip to be in charge of, then everyone’s wish list is more likely to get met. You can set this up so that each road tripper picks something to do, see, or eat each day—or you can give over a whole day to each passenger.

Consider whether you want to go back the same way you came.

A round-trip route could be boring at the end: The home stretch could feel like your vacation has already ended. Or it could give you the opportunity to see things you couldn’t fit in on the first leg. If you’re flying to a destination and renting a car, you might want to opt for a loop route so that you can save money by flying into and out of the same airport..

If your route is one-way, decide which direction is best.

At first glance, driving from here to there might seem the same as driving from there to here—but direction can affect a lot on a road trip. One way might mean amazing sunsets every night, or better weather, or views that don’t require you gazing across a lane of oncoming traffic in order to see the ocean. Bonus tip from science: Studies show that it’s the end of the trip that leaves the most lasting impression, so pick a route that ends with a memorable grand finale.

Seek out the small stuff—and leave time for kismet.

Small towns are packed with fun events during the summer: state fairs are full of quirky competitions and food on sticks; parades and festivals pop up all season; and off-the-beaten-path spots sometimes have surprising or quirky attractions. When you do stop, be sure to ask the locals for recommendations—they may help you discover a gem that’s not on your map.

See Wendy’s Guide to Planning the Ultimate Road Trip on TripAdvisor, where she’s TripAdvisor’s Travel Advocate, and follow her on Instagram for postcards from the California road trip she’s on right now.

 

Be a smarter traveler: Use Wendy’s WOW List to plan your next trip. You can also follow her on Facebook and Twitter @wendyperrin, and sign up for her weekly newsletter to stay in the know.

Watch: How to Make Family Trips Fun

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Dear fellow parents: I feel your pain. Traveling with kids is one of the biggest challenges of parenthood. My kids have been to 30 countries, and if I had a nickel for every meltdown in an airport line, every toy left in a hotel room, every time Charlie took a permanent marker and made a mural out of Doug in the back seat, every time a jet-lagged child woke me up at 2 a.m. announcing “I’m tired of sleeping now!”… I’d be rich enough to hire a nanny to watch the kids while I travel alone.

But that’s not the answer. Because even though taking the kids can mean inviting chaos, it also means carving out the time and space to reconnect as a family and create priceless memories. And it’s a great way to raise global citizens.

Plus, it can be fun. Honest. In this video, I show you how. Charlie and Doug even have cameos, as they were plane-spotting in the Caribbean with me when we shot this.

doug sint maarten airplane landing

For more hard-earned family travel tips, check out my 10 Keys to a Peaceful Family Vacation. And here’s advice from children themselves—because sometimes they come up with the most kid-friendly travel solutions:

What to Know Before Booking Your Family Cruise

How to Get Your Child to Try New Foods When Traveling

How to Save Time and Tantrums in Amusement Parks

How to Keep Your Kids Happy on a Cruise

Why You Should Sleep In a Museum

How to Have a Kid-Friendly River Cruise

doug charlie sint maarten airplane landing

 

Transparency disclosure: Our sponsor, MedjetAssist, provided the financial support that made it possible to bring you these travel tips.

Be a smarter traveler: Use Wendy’s WOW List to plan your next trip. You can also follow her on Facebook and Twitter @wendyperrin, and sign up for her weekly newsletter to stay in the know.