{"id":17597,"date":"2018-01-26T21:26:29","date_gmt":"2018-01-26T21:26:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thesojournseries.com\/bavaria\/?p=17597"},"modified":"2018-02-28T11:19:54","modified_gmt":"2018-02-28T11:19:54","slug":"family-travel-inspiration-2018","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.thesojournseries.com\/bavaria\/family-travel-inspiration-2018\/","title":{"rendered":"Family Travel Inspiration 2018"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"venice<\/a><\/p>\n

Once everything Christmas has been packed away for another year, and along with it all the fun and frivolity of the festive season, the lights have been taken down from the outside of the house (probably to the utter joy of the neighbours as I think the switch got rain in it, and they quite literally went on the blink), the first part of any New Year can seem like a particularly dark and dreary time.\u00a0 Especially the start of this New Year it seems.\u00a0 \u00a0England, I am not being funny, but this weather thing is supposed to be a stereotype.\u00a0 You really don’t need to live up to it…<\/p>\n

Weather and the ghosts of past festivities aside, in other respects I think January can get a bit of a bad rap…\u00a0 I LOVE having a big empty calendar to fill with things, especially when it comes to one of my favourite things – travel…<\/p>\n

Of course with the search for a new house and another move on the horizon, it’s meant we can’t book too much up front, but we have a few days in London to look forward to soon (the Small People have a lot of London that they need to catch up on) and I have just booked a few days in Milan shortly afterwards (looking forward to turfing the older two out of bed super early to go on another “first light photo mission” there as we did in Venice<\/a>.\u00a0 There’s something nice about the three of us heading out and discovering a city before anyone else gets up, leaving Mr R and the Toddler slumbering away.\u00a0 I get to take plenty of photos like the one at the top, which is one of my favourites, plus we always bring back breakfast too!)!<\/p>\n

But apart from that, we seriously have nothing planned.\u00a0 Which feels a bit odd.\u00a0 \u00a0 That’s not to say I am not constantly thinking and planning about where we could<\/em> go – even if we do end up booking something last-minute…<\/p>\n

In the meantime I love to scan fellow travel bloggers sites for inspiration for places we haven’t yet been…\u00a0 \u00a0Here are five of my regular reads for those of you also in need of a little inspiration: –<\/p>\n

POD Travels<\/b><\/p>\n

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Charly is an ex-agency Marketing Director with 20 years experience.\u00a0 In that time she’s worked with numerous travel brands having initially cut her teeth at Virgin.\u00a0 Charly is well-travelled, not just in the UK and Europe, but in long haul destinations such as New Zealand, the Pacific Islands, the Caribbean, South America and Australia (where she lived for two years).\u00a0 \u00a0Charly launched her first blog (Multi-Award Nominated parent and lifestyle blog PODcast<\/a>) in 2012, and family travel blog POD Travels<\/a> followed 3 years later.\u00a0 \u00a0I love Charly’s photography, and you can find plenty of it on both blogs.\u00a0 \u00a0With the Doves travels focused on discovery, adventure and exploration<\/a> they relish unusual<\/a> and off the beaten track<\/a> destinations.\u00a0 Charly lives in Surrey with her husband, and seven-year old daughter.\u00a0 You can follow\u00a0<\/span>POD Travels<\/span><\/a> on <\/span>Twitter<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>Facebook<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>Instagram<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>YouTube<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

One Tiny Leap<\/b><\/p>\n

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One Tiny Leap is an award-winning family travel blog charting the world adventures of Maria, her partner Rob, and their son.\u00a0 Maria, a marketing manager in the travel industry, has been blogging since 2013 when the family decided to pack up their bags,\u00a0\u00a0live in <\/span>Lisbon<\/span><\/a> for a year, and then embark on a year-long <\/span>round-the-world trip<\/span><\/a>. Now based back in Brighton in the UK, One Tiny Leap continues to share tips, stories and <\/span>reviews<\/span><\/a> of their travels and adventures, both close to home in Europe, and further afield.\u00a0 I found Maria’s blog through her gorgeous photography and the fact that we were both expats!\u00a0 <\/span>You can follow <\/span>One Tiny Leap<\/span><\/a> on <\/span>Facebook<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>Instagram<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>Twitter<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Wander Mum<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Not wanting to halt her\u00a0<\/span>globetrotting adventures when she became a mum, Elizabeth has travelled with her two daughters (now 5 and 1) since they were a few weeks old. As a journalist, she wanted to combine her love of writing and travel to inspire others and help them travel the world with kids in tow.\u00a0 \u00a0The family love seeking out luxury escapes and some of their recent travels have taken them to Sri Lanka<\/a>, Hong Kong<\/a> and Singapore. Skiing is another passion and they do love a road trip, embarking on jaunts to Sweden, France and Italy.\u00a0 Elizabeth is also a London<\/a> local, so you can find plenty of\u00a0inspiration for days out and tips for exploring the capital.\u00a0 2018 sees them gearing up for a tour of Mexico as well as trips to Tuscany and France’s Dordogne region. You can follow<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Wander Mum<\/span><\/a> of <\/span>Facebook<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>Instagram<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>Twitter<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>YouTube<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>Pinterest<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Have Kids, Can Travel<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Laura (of award-winning parent blog LittleStuff) talks about everything family travel on Have Kids, Can Travel<\/a>; from wild camping Wales, a sunshine stop in an Italian Villa, or playing with orphaned elephants in the jungle – anything goes.\u00a0 I love her blog as she’s always on the hunt for the best places to stay, ways to travel, and bargains to be had for families on the search for their perfect holiday.\u00a0 Laura is the writer of the family, while her husband Courtenay is a professional photographer.\u00a0 Their four home-educatedkids (aged 19, 16, 15 and 11) are simply up for any adventure.\u00a0 \u00a0Examples of Laura’s popular posts include:\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>How Easy Is It to Take Your Dog to France<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>Perfectly Remote and Perfectly Relaxed in the Highlands<\/span><\/a>, and <\/span>Meeting My Roman Dog in Pompeii (yes. He\u2019s all mine).\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/a>You can follow Have Kids, Can Travel on <\/span>Twitter<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>Instagram<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>Facebook<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>You Tube.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Practically Perfect Mums<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Jane is a video professional, vlogger, writer and mother of three boys, aged 9, 11 and 13.\u00a0<\/span>On her websites <\/span>Practically Perfect Mums<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>Taking 5<\/span><\/a>, she looks at the highs and lows of travelling as a family of five with school aged children, and offers useful tips about getting the best holiday deals without sacrificing the certain level of luxury she has become accustomed to!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Jane also writes about what\u2019s going on in her local communities of Bristol and North Somerset. She co-founded and co-runs Bristol Travel Massive Chapter, and is actively involved in the Bristol Bloggers and Influencers Group.\u00a0 She\u2019s regularly invited to write and review on behalf of hotels, PR Agencies and leading travel brands, and her reviews are always honest and fun to read – Jane and her family are always up for new travel adventures.\u00a0 \u00a0 Some of her popular posts\u00a0 include\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>How to plan the best family trip to Normandy<\/span><\/a>, find out <\/span>Everything you need to know about Valleyfest<\/span><\/a> music festival, or discover <\/span>fun things to do in Bristol<\/span><\/a>, Jane\u2019s hometown.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>You can find <\/span>Practically Perfect Mums<\/span><\/a> on <\/span>twitter<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>Facebook<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>Instagram<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>YouTube<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

I hope you find them a source of inspiration, and as much of a good family travel read as I do…<\/p>\n

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