We aren’t going anywhere this spring break, and it’s partly because my children’s breaks don’t overlap at all, partly because we’ve been so preoccupied with other things (extended house guests, a family reunion, planning summer camps and a big international trip this summer, plus all the activity around my book launch next month), and partly because I feel like we just drew a big blank when we were pondering where to go, and then life piled up, and we never came to a consensus. I know some of you keep a running spreadsheet of places you’d like to visit and itineraries that seem compelling and practical, and I need to get into this headspace. I am so organized about so much, and yet I often let travel plans slip right through my fingers. I’ve written about this before, but I have a hunch this is because my daily life is so logistics-dense that I shrink from any additional ticky-tacky undertakings, and the BATNA (business school acronym for Best Alternative To No Agreement, but we use the jargon all the time to talk through “what happens if we don’t make a decision / we don’t do anything” here) to not planning a trip is not exactly unpleasant (i.e., we just stay home and have a wonderful time doing all the quiet things we love — puzzles, games, elaborate meals eaten on our back porch, family walks!).
Anyhow, I’m determined to start copying down possibilities for us in the future. A couple of places I would love to experience as a family: Anguilla, Auberge Primland, Hawaii, Blackberry Farm, Pacific Northwest, San Sebastian, Tuscany, South of France, Portugal, Nantucket, Japan, Norway. (And the rest of the world. Ha.) We’ll cross Norway off the list this summer! We’ve not traveled extensively as a family but places I would definitely recommend and would love to revisit as a family: Aspen, CO (all of our recs here); New York City (yes, NYC! so magical to visit! — one of our best trips yet*); Disneyworld (magic, far exceeded my expectations; thoughts here).
Would you be willing to share your top recommendations for family-friendly a) hotels/resorts, b) destinations, or c) itineraries? Which trips have been stand-outs for you and why? Which destinations would you urge your friends to take their kids to visit? Please share!
*NYC Itinerary with Family.
I’ve gotten questions about this itinerary a lot via DM and email and never took the time to write this down, so I’m doing it now. We had the ABSOLUTE BEST and most magical trip to NYC last summer. It was fun to experience the city as guests versus inhabitants. Exactly what we did below:
Day 1
Early check-in to hotel — The Peninsula (we really wanted to be centrally located because we had plans uptown, downtown, and in Brooklyn, and this made it easy — also, rooms were very spacious and staff incredibly thoughtful and hospitable)
Cab to Central Park Zoo
Long walk to lunch at Pastrami Queen
Walk to ice cream (coffee for us) at San Ambroeus
Walk to the Met Museum (we had tickets to a John Singer Sargent exhibit — we lasted probably 30 minutes because kids were tired and it was so crowded, but I was pleased we got this cultural visit in)
Cab to and regroup at hotel, then we had our kids sleep over at our best friends’ apartment and the adults went out for dinner and drinks
Day 2
We picked up bagels from Brooklyn Bagel and coffee from Coffee Project (all close to our friends’ apartment in Chelsea, where our kids had slept)
Cab and then ferry to Governor’s Island (explored, had lunch, visited playgrounds — this is such a gem, and was so clean and empty!)
Ferry and cab back to hotel
Boba tea pitstop (can’t remember name, but close to our hotel)
Subway to Brooklyn to visit my sister and her family; kids spent the night there with their cousins while adults went out to dinner and drinks!
Day 3
New York Aquarium (in Brooklyn)
Lunch at L&B Spumoni Gardens (absolutely delicious and so authentic)
Coney Island!
Subway back to hotel
Cab to and early dinner at Virginia’s (East Village) — have the best memories of my daughter ordering a steak frites from here, and they still talk about this
Walk through East Village / Tompkins Square Park
Dessert at Ray’s Candy
Back to hotel — watched Disney movies in bed together
Day 4
Hotel breakfast
One Vanderbilt — my kids loved this and I was plastered to a wall, sweating through my clothes…don’t attempt if you’re afraid of heights (lol!)
Picked up sandwiches to go (can’t remember place!)
Check out of hotel
A little note on transit: We were judicious with taking cabs. Subway is the best way to get around everywhere, but with little feet and tired bodies, we sometimes leaned on the ease of taking a cab instead. But staying in the midtown area means it is a CINCH to get to all these places.
Post-Scripts.
+Magpies weigh in on how to plan a great family vacation.
+It’s just that — we have so little time with our lived ones!
Shopping Break.
+My new summer pool cover up. (All my favorite mom life bathing suits for the season ahead here.)
+Cutest pouches for travel, beach, Mahjong, etc!
+Love the neckline and details on this striped dress.
+Reminder that this is the best brush ever. Discovered via multiple passionate Magpies who insisted this brush belonged in “regrettably worth it” territory and they were 100% correct. Perfect at detangling and feels like a scalp massage — I look forward to using it every day! I also really like this as a tool when I’ve already styled my hair. It somehow doesn’t brush out curl/bend in the hair — just detangles. I’ve given this as a gift to several loved ones! THE BEST.
+While we’re talking hair, I am definitively hooked on the Crown Affair’s overnight serum. I apply it (heavily) the night before I’m going to exercise. Leaves hair unbelievably soft. Like you will notice an immediate difference in hand-feel. I also feel like it pays downstream dividends, i.e., makes hair healthy and happy for a long time. While you’re there: just noticed they released a travel size version/applicator of the best dry shampoo ever!
+Julia Berolzheimer partnered with Margaux on the most beautiful spring collection. SWOON. I want it all but especially these crochet sandals! These are a great wear-with-everything flat, too.
+Obsessed with this unique vase for spring blooms! So whimsical and charming. My go-to vase, however, is the Half Past Seven lettuce-edge style — it makes flowers so easy to arrange! The design helps them sort of fan out in this beautiful, easy way. A great wedding or housewarming gift, too. My other go-to for flowers: trim them very short and put them in little julep cups like this.
+Gorgeous coffee table book.
+Quince just released my daughter’s favorite swimsuit in a new pattern. I buy these in every pattern every summer — these are her favorite! While you’re there: new cotton rollnecks that look a LOT like La Ligne’s Marina.
+Forever drawn to SEA. Love this and this!
+This Marni bag is so pretty with that blossom embroidery.
+Two other pretty woven finds: these mules to wear with every spring outfit and this oversized knot bag. The brown variation has birds painted on the side!!!
+How CHIC are these marbleized and patterned paper trays?! I think I’m going to order a set to add to our coffee table vignette.
+Pretty mugs to welcome spring: these, these, these ($$$ — collector’s item), these.
+I use this sporty belt bag when walking / hiking / exploring and even running if it’s not too hot out (if it’s super hot I need something truly water proof for sweat). I thought it’d be a cute gift for a tween too.
+This snail chair for a toddler!
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Highly recommend the Montage properties – Deer Valley, Big Sky, and Palmetto Bluff have been beyond expectations with kids. There’s plenty to do as a family, but they have a ‘merit badge’ program where the kids can earn badges for doing activities that would you might otherwise skip (like fly fishing, snow shoeing, scavenger hunt on the trails).The property is luxurious but not pretentious, with impressive food options for adults and approachable healthy menus for the kids.
Love this rec! Had heard of these spots but never been. Thanks for the upvote/mention. Adding to list!
xx
I have a 3 year old and 5 year old. While we haven’t ventured to Europe yet, we are trying to take the kids to 3-4 states a year and eventually see all 50 states as a family. We are taking it slow – last fall we did a trip to Oregon and the Oregon coast. Even as a family living in Southern California it was fun! Other fun domestic trips – Lake Okoboji, Iowa. It’s the cutest lake town- midway between Minneapolis and Kansas City, full of small town Iowa charm and an Arnold’s Park amusement park. Where else can you boat around and park on a dock to ride a rollercoaster.
I saw your post on Aspen and that’s on my list for 2027!
This year we are doing Chicago (staying at the Langham, which I hear is incredible for kids), spring break in Santa Fe, New Mexico (staying right in the plaza with shopping, restaurants, history all walking distance with a pool for the kids of course), for Thanksgiving we are doing Pink Shell Resort in Fort Meyers, Florida. They have lots of activities families can partake in – kayak tours, naturalist tours, daily crafts and movie times for kids.
LOVE this plan to see all 50 states — what a great family initiative and experience! Langham in Chicago is amazing and you’re right in the heart of everything.
Have the best time!!
xx
Hi Jen! I am approaching this as a childless 40 year old but am instead offering hindsight as trips I loved as kid. Disneyworld is of course one, and dare I say more magical as an adult? We went a second time when my brother was going away to undergrad and I was moving to UVA for grad school and the youngest was in high school. So fun! I know you live near DC, but one spring break my mom took us to DC to tour some of the Smithsonians and I fondly remember that time! Others include more simple trips like to the beach (Ocean City, Outer Banks). We didn’t do super “big” trips as kids–one income, etc.–but we started to do more with our parents as “adult” kids and I think quite honestly we cherished it more? We did a cruise around Hawaii as our last big trip before my dad passed away–such happy memories! Other smaller things include going to NYC for a day to see a Broadway show, an overnight to Baltimore, etc. Just a reminder that it really is the small things that kids remember 🙂
Love this reminder, and you know what? I’m kind of living it right now. My daughter is home for the week and we’ve been taking her on little solo excursions — the driving range with her Dad (she just got her first set of clubs and is so enthusiastic!), lunch just the three of us, a trip to Target to use her gift card she got for her birthday, a visit to the local bookstore, a meal with just her grandparents. She’s been in the best mood and I think it’s actually been a really special “staycation” for her.
Anyway, such an important reminder – thank you. Great ideas here, too, about the overnight to Baltimore/NYC!
xx
We love traveling with our daughter, and she’s recently gotten to the age where it’s much more fun and less work (less gear, no naps, etc). Some of our favorite vacations have been Japan/Korea, London, Hawaii and Cape Cod.
Big cities tend to be great because public transportation is so easy and there are just so many family-friendly activities. We’re lucky to have family in Japan/Korea so we visit often, which allows us to do more leisurely sightseeing. If you’re on the type of vacation where you want to pack in as much as possible while you’re there, it might be better with slightly older kids– like 9-10ish?
Hawaii is our family happy place. I’ve gone regularly from my early 20s, so it’s nice to share my love for the islands with my husband and daughter now. We go to unplug and recharge, play in the water, and eat really well for a few days.
Cape Cod was a great vacation with extended family– we got to go clam digging, crabbing, and beach hopping with all the cousins and the grandparents. Core memories for everyone!
Love these recs! Where do you stay in Cape Cod? I am really determined to get up to those Northern watery escapes but don’t know what’s up and down / need some guidance. Any suggestions?
xx
While people flock to the Cape and Islands in the summer months, I really would encourage people to lean into the shoulder seasons (unfortunately, while school is still in session – either right after Memorial Day before June, or mid-September into Columbus Day weekend, before things shudder for the season).
Spring is nice because staff at restaurants are optimistic and eager and not burnt out yet – everyone is just happy the snow has melted! The summers have just gotten SO crowded, with tour buses full of day-trippers from NY or Boston, that unless you book a waterfront home or a cripplingly expensive resort, it can take 45 minutes to get to a beach a mile down the road, and then you’re paying $40 to park. No dining reservations available, sweaty lines for kid activities and events, etc.
Mid/Lower-Cape is great for families – Harwich and Chatham both have great downtown areas with boutique shopping and fun dining scenes often with live music. Both will offer the quintessential ‘Cape’ experience that you’re mood-boarding! If you’re coming from outside MA and driving, I’d stick to the Cape – the ferries to/from the Islands just add another logistical hurdle, and the fight for reservations with a car is a nightmare. If you’re flying, both the Vineyard and Nantucket are truly incredible in the fall with direct options from major East Coast hubs, and Cape Air is fun for kids (although if you’re scared of flying as it is, I would probably avoid).
“Shoulder seasons” — love! Never heard this phrase before but will be using.
Thanks for all the intel!!
xx
Grand Cayman is our absolute favorite! Incredible as a couple and just as fun with kids! We love the Ritz Carlton property but have also enjoyed Seven Mile beach condo rentals!
Oo thanks, Sarah! xx
We have been very un-ambitious with travel with kids, but we did just pull off a fun spring break trip I wanted to share. For those of you looking for a more affordable Colorado trip than Aspen, we enjoyed YMCA of the Rockies Snow Mountain Ranch near Winter Park! There are two locations and we’ve been to them both (we drive from our home in Northern Colorado). Estes Park’s location provides super close access to Rocky Mountain National Park, and then Snow Mountain Ranch is near great skiing in Winter Park. I highly recommend a cabin (the lodge is way too loud) and though they’re rustic (no TV), they’re spacious and nice enough for us. 🙂 And the cabin where we just stayed for spring break had BEAUTIFUL mountain views. Both properties have game rooms (fooseball, pool, etc), gymnasiums with roller skating, a craft hall, mini golf, climbing walls, playgrounds, dining halls, etc. Note: This is not a luxury vacation!!! It’s like a step up from camping, ha. But for me, I like that with kids. It takes pressure off. And we plan to keep going back! Excited to read everyone else’s recs — keep them coming 🙂
LOVE, Joyce! This is a great kind of vacation, and I love the way it just fits with the lifestage, you know? I’m thinking about some childhood camping trips with my Dad that were JUST THE BEST. Easy and low stakes…this is how I approach a lot of things in my life, especially writing!, so it resonates.
xx
We have taken a few fun trips with our Southern (raised) kiddos to cold places in the winter: Idaho, Iceland and Switzerland. My kids loved these snowy adventures in some incredibly beautiful corners of the planet. All three have super nice people too.
I have traveled extensively for work- the Caribbean, Asia and especially Africa. I cannot wait for my kids to get a bit older and I will take them to Tanzania and/or South Africa. Both are incredible countries that I have so many fond memories of from over the years- especially Zanzibar, Ngorogoro Crater, Cape Town, and Stellenbosch. Each magical in their own right.
Love these recs! The idea of going somewhere with an “opposite” topography/weather is really interesting to me. As an adult, I visited my brother in Arizona, and the Sonoran Desert absolutely blew my mind. I felt like I’d landed on the moon? Really powerful to see another kind of physical landscape. I think it really broadened my worldview!
xx
My two thoughts, prefaced by adding that I am likely older than the average Magpie reader as my children are in/recently graduated from college – first, as a family we loved short, easy to reach (train, car or short direct flight) city trips when my kids were young – from DC, we enjoyed places like NYC, Philly, Boston, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Richmond, Williamsburg (not a city but my kids loved it so much we went twice). Public transportion was enjoyable to them, all the playgrounds, short visits to museums (and we’d often go to less popular, smaller museums), a swim in an indoor hotel pool, spontaneous ice cream or hot chocolate stops. My second thought is that while we traveled out of the country more as they aged (favorite family trips were Japan, Paris/Normandy, and London/Edinburgh), but my kids will tell you that their top vacation memories are from our annual extended family vacations to the Outer Banks to an unfancy house with bunk beds for the cousins, sea, sand, sun, bike rides, bbq’s at the house, board games at night. My friends report that their now adult children say the same, whether that frequent trip was to the Outer Banks, Jersey Shore, Michigan lake, NC mountains, so on. It is a good reminder that simple can be best and while I highly value travel, fun and lifelong memories can be had in the simplest of experiences. Loved reading all of the replies as I keep an eye toward how to continue family vacations with my adult children and hopefully future grandchildren ❤️.
This is so beautiful, Dena, and such a great reminder that sometimes it’s about creating a ritual of visiting a place over and over again. Just having that “other place” with warm memories that felt familiar and relaxing. This is Colorado for me. I can’t wait to take my kids back…
xx
Acknowledging that I come to this conversation childless, I put in a vote for Copenhagen from April to October. I’ve visited three times and have recommended it to a lot of friends with children. It’s a very child friendly place that really does have fun for the whole family, as they say. Tons of parks, playgrounds, fun little museums that aren’t huge commitments, good public transit, excellent food. The quality of food at even the most casual places is top notch, and a lot of the city’s signature foods are inherently kid-friendly (cinnamon and cardamom buns, long hot dogs).
LOVE – thank you! Cardamom buns — speaking my love language.
xx
Two of my favorite summer vacations growing up were to Blowing Rock, NC, and Charleston, SC.
Blowing Rock – we usually stayed at Chetola Resort. Check out Tweetsie Railroad – it’s like 10 minutes from Blowing Rock and is a fun amusement park for kids.
Charleston – We stayed on the Isle of Palms at the Wild Dunes Resort. In my memory, it was very child friendly and offered lots of excursions/activities (e.g., kayaking, dolphin-viewing on boats). And it’s right on the beach! I remember it being easy enough to drive into town and explore Charleston and try restaurants there.
Love these memories! I think Landon has a strong memory of Blowing Rock, too — is that where the snow falls upward or something? I remember him talking about this with the greatest memories.
Thank you for these!
xx
We’ve taken two big trips with the kids (twins at ages 5 and 6) to Japan and then Copenhagen/Stockholm/London. Being in places with easy public transit has been terrific and they are great museum kids! (with an assortment of parks and playgrounds thrown in).
Japan has a surprisingly affordable group of family-friend hotels with kitchenettes and the AirBnb we got in Kyoto — a traditional townhouse right on the river, was perfect!
Copenhagen and Stockholm were probably our other favorites – gorgeous cities with plenty of sites for the kids, but not as positively packed with people as London felt.
This year we’re trying something a bit different – heading to Vancouver and Tofino (and staying at the Wickanninish Inn, which looks spectacular!) and trying a more outdoorsy trip than our usual city-hopping time. Traveling with them is so different, but also so wonderful to see things from their point of view.
Thank you for these recs!! Where did you stay in Copenhagen? We are probably stopping there en route to Norway this summer. Curious if you liked your hotel / accommodations!
xx
We stayed at the. Copenhagen Strand. Very basic hotel – but a lovely little breakfast buffet and a fantastic location to walk to everything (including the outdoor food court down the river and across the bridge). One of the most fun things were the two built-in-the-ground trampolines outside the front of the hotel along the waterfront.
We saved our splurge for the mews house we rented in London from Onefinestay.
Love!! Great intel — thanks! x
Another fun topic, and I’m sure will convert to a wealth of highly curated tidbits and expert guidance – thank you for the conversation starter!
We are very much in the ‘younger kid’ mode of travel planning (we have an 8-month old and a 4-year old), and have found that resort-style vacations suit us very well for the time-being. In a former, less-encumbered life, we were more oriented towards city-centric escapes, primarily in Europe. Our must-haves now include pool, beach, kids club, and several dining options on-property.
Given the resort route, we tend to favor higher end travel (the Reddit-sphere refers to it as ‘Chubby Travel’) for shorter periods of time – typically 3-nights, 4-days fits the bill, and almost always direct flights or within a 3-hour drive from Boston. We have tried mid-range resorts for a week, but felt that the kids (and us) got itchy towards day 5, and we would have preferred to allocate the budget towards a higher caliber experience for a shorter stay.
Four Seasons, Ritz Carlton, and Rosewood properties have been incredibly family-friendly, and we tend to favor those, not least of all for the consistency of service. All-inclusive never fit for us, but I think a lot of families prefer this route to remove another hurdle.
At the very top of the heap would be Little Dix Bay in the BVI’s – our favorite family vacation yet – pricey, yes, but we really felt that the value was reflected in the experience. Would 11/10 return, despite the connecting flight in San Juan. This is one where we used a travel agent, who secured competitive rates, arranged boat transfers, arranged dining reservations, etc. Well worth it, even for someone who loves to control the details! We did 8 days, and it felt like a risk at the time, but we wished we had stayed for more!
We take twice-annual trips to Chappaquiddick on the Vineyard, but that is less a ‘vacation’ and definitely more a ‘trip’ – we are washing dishes and doing laundry and sweeping sand and packing coolers every day. For us, it’s worth it, and the beach really feels accessible for families when you can load up a truck bed with essentials and drive it onto the sand for a full 10-hour day. It’s not for the faint of heart, but it is one of those things where we find the juice is worth the squeeze! Otherwise, beach days feel incredibly burdensome at this point in parenting.
London with kids is AMAZING, probably similar to the experience you had in New York! We prefer international destinations that have easy to navigate public transit, free museum entry, and are super walkable (Copenhagen being our next pick!). International kind of demands a minimum of a week for jetlag adjustment for little ones, so we try to do the city first, and then a fun 2-3 nights somewhere more relaxing – FS Hampshire in the UK is the BEST family-friendly property we have ever stayed at, highly recommend. We’ve found Europe is great because the kids stay up later naturally with the jetlag, so we can dine at a normal hour for the city we’re in, and then use the mornings to have a lie in before getting the ball rolling around 9 or 10am locally.
Looking forward to using this as a resource when the kiddos get a little older – will bookmark for sure!
Love these recs and the thoughtful details/insights behind them! I’m especially intrigued by the options you’ve outlined where “the juice was worth the squeeze.” I’m with you, BTW, in preferring shorter trips with higher end experiences. This has been our M.O. since day 1. Plus I am at heart a homebody, and always ready to get home when the vacation is over, no matter how short!
I put down the Little Dix Bay rec in my iPhone note with a big (encouraging) asterisk thanks to you!!
xx
Like Emily, I make my annual pilgrimage to the same vacation spot in northern Michigan with my extended family. I have good intentions of exploring elsewhere (even just other areas of Michigan!) every other year, but like you I’m overwhelmed by travel planning! We have also really enjoyed WDW, which was a once in a lifetime trip for us as we went with Make-A-Wish for my oldest daughter. We do plan to try to go again before the kids are too old, but it won’t be as special. Otherwise the only other trip we took was a few days at the Greenbrier with a 1yo and 3yo. We stayed in one of the cottages and enjoyed the playground and indoor pool (it was spring so the outdoor pool and kid programs weren’t available). Dining was a bit challenging but no more so than dining out anywhere with kids of that age! It made for a nice getaway that was within reasonable driving distance for us.
Love this and also — just so *with you* on the good intentions of exploring but feeling overwhelmed when the kids are at younger ages. Until my daughter was three, my parents had a house in Naples, FL and we’d go down there every chance we had just because it was so easy / required absolutely zero effort besides booking airfare. I didn’t have to research hotels, figure out new airfare/car situations, etc, etc.
I think I have a faint feeling of guilt for not ponying up the energy to do more over the past few years, since they sold the house, but need to quiet that and see the positive side of not traveling too much: just being practical, giving myself grace, letting myself breathe, enjoying our home life, etc. That said, I feel now that my kids are older and I know they can do well with travel — I do need to find the bandwidth to plan more…
2027 is going to be the year I shift into family vacation planner!
Onward!
xx
Highly recommend Brush Creek Ranch!
Oooo this looks dreamy —
While I have ambitions to travel the world, my absolute favorite vacations are to Maine and Michigan. My family jointly owns a summer cottage in Maine (on an island off the coast of Boothbay Harbor) and my husband’s family jointly owns one in Michigan (near Glen Arbor). These vacations are so far from fancy, but they are incredibly precious to me, and now to our children. We know we are forgoing opportunities to travel more broadly by returning to these places every year (Maine) or every other year (Michigan), but the gift of having time with extended family and feeling seen, known, needed, and loved in tight community is so worth it for us.
This is so beautiful and absolutely what I’d be doing as well! Meaningful travel can take so many shapes and patterns and rhythms, you know?! Your kids are going to have that idyllic “other place” they associate with summer freedom and bare feet and sunscreen and summer friendships and all that jazz! (Why am I writing a Carley Fortune novel for them, lol?!).
Thanks for sharing this —
xx
Upvote for Glen Arbor! I call it “boy heaven.” Cold, crystal clear lakes to boat/swim, dunes to climb, rivers to raft. Love.
This sounds like Carley Fortune summer heaven 🙂
Contrary to Kelly (ha!), Hawaii is one of our favorite travel spots – particularly Maui. I have been 5+ times, which is a little crazy for an east coaster. I find it to be the perfect balance of adventure, culture, safety and just incredible food. So many beaches are calm/kid friendly.
Aside from Hawaii, I’ve traveled a bunch with kids both US-based (Charleston, Denver, Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, LA, Cali wine country) and internationally (Dublin, London, Amsterdam, Morocco, Puglia). European cities are incredible for families – always fun to explore playgrounds and toy stores and experience family life elsewhere. Outside of cities, I find wine country also surprisingly family-friendly; you can usually find tasting rooms with outdoor space, live music, events, etc.
Love this European city insight – you’re the second Magpie to comment on this, and it’s given new life/light to my shortlist of potential vacation destinations in the coming years. I’ve always wanted to go to Portugal and now I’m thinking more seriously about it while the kids are young…
Thank you!
xx
Jen, if you come to the south of France you guys are very welcome to visit!! We will show you Monaco and Eze. Menton is a little gem as well, and Tour de Frances on Substack has all the best Nice recs. Blackberry Farm is on my list as a couple or for a girls’ trip but not sure about with kids just given it’s $$$$. Portugal and Tuscany are high on our lists! I’d like to try Castiglion del Bosco. Love the Pacific Northwest, especially anywhere with redwoods. I would say Hawaii is one of the biggest letdown vacations all around if you ask my family, and there’s definitely some questions about the ethics of it as well. “Wasn’t worth the long travel” was the feeling.
Our best vacations: Monterosso in Cinque Terre, Killarney, Lapland in Finland (your side is Finnish, no?), Switzerland. We want to go to Ireland every year and Killarney every couple years because I do think it’s nice to return somewhere regularly in terms of forming memories, and because everyone on that trip from 1.5 to 70s loved it. Incredible for large family groups.
On my list are Corsica, Saint Malo, Austria, Lisbon, San Sebastián, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Barcelona, Dordogne, Chiavenna in Lombardy, all the little towns of Italy and France. I’m a big fan of the “second cities” approach and picking the stuff less traveled, like Treviso in place of Venice, or going at unpopular times. Monterosso from Monday to Thursday at the edge of off season was incredible. Crowded by American tour groups on the weekend, not so much.
I hadn’t heard of auberge primland but what a stunner!!
Hi fellow Magpie reader! I just booked a 10-day trip to France (split between Nice and Lyon). Eze and Menton are on our list but I would love any insider recs on your favorite local bars/restaurants/shops etc.! Will check out the Substack you mentioned as well.
All the locals go to La Taverne in the old town, Marinella is a treasure and her place is an institution. My FIL’s favorite place is called Deli’. Petit Loup for coffee if you’re lucky and Gabriel is open. Chateau Eza is the fancy spot for lunch, but frankly I prefer the food and vibe at Chèvre d’Or, unless you’re trying to spot celebrities. The Exotic Garden is a must, and a ticket there also gets you into my favorite, Villa Rothschild in the nearby-ish town of Cap Ferrat. I will say parking near the village isn’t for the faint hearted, your best bet during the season is to book lunch at Chèvre d’Or and use their valet.
Menton is lovely but I don’t know if I’d squeeze both in one trip! My aunts say their old town is the highlight from their last big south of France trip, personally I go for all the great playgrounds and parks so maybe a bit different as a tourist.
Thank you Kelly! This was so incredibly helpful and I really appreciate it.
Love the “second city” / off-season insight and mentality. We went to Italy in October and I can’t imagine — literally can’t — why it’s not more visited at that time of year. The weather was dreamy and perfect, from Tuscany up to Como, and a lot of the venues were quiet and crowdless, or at least crowd-lite. (The Ufizzi, even in October, was harrowing…would not probably go back to see that again unless I could somehow arrange an off-hour tour…)
Thanks for all these recs!
San Sebastian is one of my favorite places I’ve ever been in my life. The food….!!!!!!
xx