I am currently knee deep finalizing travel plans and getting so excited for our Fall trip in a few weeks. If you’ve been following me for awhile, you guys know we take a big trip every Fall to celebrate our birthdays (We are a family of Scorpios!) and simply just get away. Last year we went to the UK, Scotland, Iceland and Paris. And we loved it! John and I use to take multiple international trips every year, but since Jaxson came along, one big trip is all we can handle nowadays with our little guy.
Before I share with you guys where we decided to go, I thought I would share our considerations for choosing a destination in case some of you are thinking of traveling soon. Obviously there is a ton of additional things to think about when traveling with kids, but we’re in favor of the short term inconvenience for the long lasting memories and experiences. We still talk about driving out to the middle of nowhere to see the amazing Northern Lights in Iceland, or when we hiked to see the turquoise waters and wolf-shaped scenery of Peyto Lake in Banff. I love sharing those memories with my little family! We just make the necessary adjustments to make it a great trip for all of us. If are able to make it happen from a time and monetary perspective, I say go for it! There is so much beauty to see in this world!
John and I always talk often about what we want to see and do around around the world. Before baby, we had a bucket list for travel. Actually, we just used the Smithsonian’s Places to See Before You Die list, and just started crossing off each location year after year. We’ve since put that list on the back burner now that with our busier family and career lives. But the one thing that has remained was our resolve to travel each year in November to celebrate our birthdays. I think it really is just a good time to go out of town and take a break from the hustle of the holidays.
With our timing set, our other main considerations are as follows…
1. Best location for the season – November is a good time to travel for many reasons. It is a shoulder month for travel, which means rates across the board are lower and crowds have lighten. And its a great time to take advantage of the holidays to maximize vacation days. But…you have to choose between cold or hot. Going to Europe and anywhere in North America, you’re likely to run into winter weather. If you go to South America, South Pacific or anywhere below the equator, you are headed for summer sun! For us, since we get warm temps for much of the year, the colder areas are always on the top of my list.
2. Liesure & Relaxation vs. Sight-seeing Adventure – I love hanging by the pool with a drink, and John loves to see the culture and history. The thing we both love is seeing and experiencing EVERYTHING there is in the city we’re in. Our itineraries are usually pretty aggressive, but we strive for a good balance. An opportunity to see a Roman ruin and then sit back at a fancy hotel spa would be our ideal vacation. The absolute best of both worlds. But with Little J in tow, we’re now more of…”let’s make a plan and be prepared to change it up a few times based on baby’s mood” kind of people. ha! Jaxson is a pretty good traveler, but we learned that we need to be flexible and just go with the flow. I’m more of a planner and less easy going, so this was a hard one for me.
3. Family Atmosphere & Accessiblity – I always look for a destination with a variety of hotels and livelier areas. It just means there is more to do, more places to accommodate kids, and if ever there was an emergency, we are close to a hospital, airport and anything else we may need. Larger cities always have bigger hotels, and amenities are key to entertain a busy little boy. Whether its a hotel with an indoor pool (for winter travel) or tons of open space and outdoor activities, whatever it is, I like to be able to picture our days being comfortable as a family. I would love to stay in the countryside of Italy or deep within the Alps, but it probably wouldn’t be too comfortable for us at this point in our lives.
This year, we narrowed down our plans to a three places – Europe (again!), Australia and Indonesia. We originally planned on Indonesia because my cousin is getting married there and we could kill two birds with one stone. Bali is also an amazing destination for a relaxation beach trip. But we couldn’t make it work with John’s work schedule to be there at around the same time for the wedding. So we opted against it.
We loved Australia when we were there last (almost 10 years ago!). And I’ve always wanted to go back and spend more time in specific areas like Cairns and Melbourne. John travels there for work occasionally so he was on the fence about it, especially with the extra long flight. But I convinced him, and we were so very close to booking a flight to Sydney with visions of a super beachy trip around the Gold Coast when I read a horrific article about the extremely poisonous Box jellyfish, which reaches its peak in the Australian waters in November. My mom-paranoia kicked in and I started to worry about Jaxson, who would most likely want to be in the water 24/7. So we decided against it since it wouldn’t be fun to always have to worry about what’s lurking in the water.
Soo…we were left with Europe…again…but I’m totally OK with that because entire continent is full of beauty and basically amazing!! We’ve been to just about every country in Europe but I did find some areas of Italy, France and Switzerland that we’ve never been to….or at least been to together (John travels frequently Internationally so its hard to find a place he’s never been to!).
I am still finalizing your trip details, but you can look forward to seeing places like Milan, Verona, Annecy, the Swiss Alps and the Matter Horn on my Instagram feed soon. 🙂 I am looking forward to experiencing Fall and Winter in some gorgeous destinations.
If you guys have any recommendations of things to see, eat and do in any of those areas, definitely let me know!!
I can’t wait to share more! Here are a few snaps from last year’s trip (a mix of iPhone & DSLR photos :))….
xo, Lydia
You have such a beautiful family! The pictures are pretty cool too!
xo, Maryam
http://www.glamandposh.com
Great photos. Sounds like some great options. I went across Indonesia from Jakarta, Yogjakarta to Bali and loved it. I spent 2-3 weeks there and then continued travelling for another 2 months. I have been wanting to head down to South America for a few years now. My friend is headed to Himalayas to go all the way up the moutains, and that would be incredible.
How long are you going for? Can't wait to see the pics!
Xo,
Miki
http://mikialamode.com
Omg all of these shots are beautiful! You listed some great tips. I actually didn't know November was a hot month to travel! Definitely keeping that in mind for the future. I have a bucket list of places to go to too! I haven't had the opportunity to add any new crossouts yet but I'd love to travel to Europe once more! Hope you and your family had a wonderful time!
XO Jenn
http://www.jennsemble.com
Europe is a continent I can't wait to visit one day! There are so many vacation sites there that are just so beautiful. The U.K. is definitely at the top of my list to visit first there. I hope you enjoy your family trip 🙂
http://www.thebeautybeau.com
Loved all your photos, your family is really beautiful, and thanks for all the tips! I will actually travel to London in November, and I am really excited about it.
Beautiful travel photos and thanks for the helpful traveling tips! I had no idea that November had cheap vacation rates. Will definitely keep that in mind for my next trip. Happy travels!
Jo x
http://www.cutandchic.com
Your photos are stunning, and I hope you enjoy your trip wherever you may go next. As for me, I haven't gotten the chance to travel much, but Europe is definitely a dream. This post makes me wanna travel even more!
-Lily from With Love Lily Rose
Looks like an awesome family trip and your photos are BEAUTIFUL!
xx Aldora
http://www.AldoraMuses.com
Aw, you three are such a happy and beautiful family! Amazing thing to celebrate and travel each year. XO Charissa
What a perfect fall trip! I'm sure you'll have a blast with whatever your decide to do when in Europe!
Rachel / http://www.seashellsandsparkles.com
Wow all your photos are amazing !
http://www.aloveaffairblog.com
You have a gorgeous family! I always want to go to Europe so hopefully next summer! Thank you very much for great tips!
xo,
Jo
http://www.glamfashionbook.com
I love the fact that you get to travel so much and even if you now have a child to think of, you don't see that as an obstacle, it just needs some adjusting like you said. 🙂 It's a great selection you've made this year, but I have to be a bit patriotic and market Scandinavia a bit more. I know you've been to Iceland and that place really is something out of this world, but the fjords of Norway, the beauty of the Swedish north (and of course the capital Stockholm) and cute little Copenhagen should definitely be on your list some year! 🙂
xoxo
Thomas
http://www.thomasfalkenstedt.com/
I love fall travel plans as everywhere in the world is perfect to visit during the fall (and spring). I love that you travel so often and don't let having a child get in the way of these amazing international destinations. I can't wait to see where you go next! xoxo, Christine
http://dailykongfidence.com/
What an amazing fall trip! That will be an absolute blast – and I think it's so cool that you have prioritized traveling as a family.
Omg, I'm a Scorpio too!!! My birthday is next weekend! amazing photos!
http://www.queenhorsfall.com/
These picks are so great! We don't have kids but love to travel. It's nice to see that we aren't going to be able to compromise that once we do have kids!! And your trip sounds amazing xx
this post is so good! you have a beautiful family and it looked like you all had an amazing time! enjoy the next one!!
xo, samira
http://www.leathertolunch.com
Your snaps from last year look amazing babe! It's so cute how you travel with your family every Fall for your birthdays. I hope you enjoy your trip this year just as much as last year.
xoxo
http://www.atsunamatsui.com
Such a beautiful family! These pictures are amazing love!
What a beautiful family you have! And I'm also big on Fall trips because it's my birthday too which makes me a Scorpio as well! Enjoy your trip this year!
http://www.thenewgirl.me