If you have enough trouble getting your kids out of the house in the morning, dragging them thousands of miles away may seem like an insurmountable challenge. But family travel can be immensely rewarding, giving you new ways of seeing the world through smaller pairs of eyes.
When booking rooms, ask whether family suites are available. Accommodations in more rural areas sometimes have self-catering cottages or apartments, which might be an ideal solution for families trying to save some money and looking for a bit more space than a typical hotel room. Throughout this book, look for our kids icon, which indicates attractions, restaurants, or hotels and resorts that are especially family friendly. Note that some castles and more private luxury accommodations do not accept young children as guests. Such instances are noted in all reviews.
Recommended family travel websites include Family Travel Forum (www.familytravelforum.com), a comprehensive site that offers customized trip planning; Family Travel Network (www.familytravelnetwork.com), an award-winning site that offers travel features, deals, and tips; Travel with Your Kids (www.travelwithyourkids.com), a comprehensive site offering sound advice for long-distance and international travel with children; and Family Travel Files (www.thefamilytravelfiles.com), which offers an online magazine and a directory of off-the-beaten-path tours and tour operators for families.
