Ultimate Vacation Spots

posted by Travel Cat on Dec 21

It’s the gateway to Europe from the UK - and it has got everything you need for your vacation!

Whether the UK is the start of your journey, a hop along the way or your final destination - you need not worry about anything.  Ashford International in Kent is a hub of efficiency and international arrivals and departures - linking major European cities together by train or plane.

Getting to see the country you live in by rail is totally different to any other means of travel - giving you a glimpse of behind the scenes in cities, to large mansions or tiny villages along the way.  Especially if this is your last view of the UK for a long while!

Want To Leave The UK?
Leaving the UK to start your vacation couldn’t be easier.  First option would be to catch a train from your home town into St Pancras in London, which will then set you on the high speed train to Ebbsfleet, then on to Ashford Railway Station which takes you under the Channel Tunnel and into France.

Secondly, you could take a ride on any national coaches from wherever you are (including if you have just arrived at a major UK airport like Heathrow or Gatwick) and down to Kent.

Thirdly is the option of driving your own vehicle.  Ashford has over 2000 car parking spaces for your use - and it also has one of the largest shopping centers in Europe right on it’s doorstep - giving you a good reason to get there early!

And finally, you can fly to Ashford International Station from a regional airport!  There are also international flights available from here too - if you change your mind about the train! 

Planning That Journey:
Get yourself onto their informative website to see their departure times, prices, seating, connections, packages and hospitality!  They are not short on options!

It’s not just for departures either, Ashford can link you up on your way back from Europe adding that final country onto your ‘check’ list before heading home!

The more flexible you are with your travel dates will get you a better price, and if you can guarantee travel that day - you get huge savings.  Flexible tickets can be more than double the cost of choosing an exact train!

But, whatever suits your needs - this place has the solutions!

posted by Travel Cat on Dec 10

Welcome to this final Blog Carnival for 2009!

We have a few tips, followed by some inspiring learning and then a fun tale of animal antics!

So, lets start with Debbie Dragon who gives us her take on the top Tips for Car Travel With Children followed by a quick run-down from Winter who has 5 Tips to Take Your Child Skiing.

Pamela Jorrick is teaching her kids from home, giving her the chance to explore some of those great places that schools just don’t go: A Quick Few Days in Monterey, followed by Carmen Bolanos who shares a tale of travel with us with one part of her articles and interviews with Nomading Families Talk About Life and Education | NuNomad Blog.  A great read!

And finally, Katie lets us in on the comings and goings of her family day out - with some great tips and some lovely snaps with her OC Mom’s Activity Guide: The San Diego Zoo!

See you in the new year! 

posted by Travel Cat on Nov 10

Welcome to this Fall’s Traveling with Kids Carnival!

The weather out there is perfect for some great days out with the kids! Get those wellies on and your woolly hat and go see some great colors in the trees out there. Find fallen seeds, busy squirrels and plenty of leaves to throw about!

I must admit it has been a bit wet around here, but then more puddles to squelch in and more mini-beast to find in the undergrowth!

And I hope the kids all had a great Halloween last week, with fireworks to come for November the 5th if you are in the UK!

Anyway, lets see what we have in the form of ideas for days out and great vacations this month:

Phil Byrne starts the show with a day out in the UK for free: Top Ten Free Things To Do In Bristol, however if you are somewhere a lot warmer, how about 14 Juvenile Things to do with an Underwater Camera suggested by Katie Erica!

Staying silly - what’s wrong with doing all the obvious things when you arrive in a new city? Katie takes you through 12 Tacky but Terrific Things to do in London accompanied by a photo for every one! Exactly the same things from Lydie Thomas, but a different city: Top 10 fun things to do in Paris with your kids

Now take on some advice from a regular with OCMomActivities article about tips for you if you plan to visit Sea World - San Diego, CA. Great snaps too! Also a short story about a museum in Atlanta from a regular blogger, Amy @ The Q Family: Imagine It! Children Museum with Kids

And finally, Booby offers up a Top 10 US cities to visit if you are looking to keep it cheap! So, Top 10 cities to visit on a Budget is here!

See you in December……

posted by Travel Cat on Jul 6

Grab your bags and head off to the ocean next week!

It really could be that simple if you are looking to book a last minute cruise from near your home town.  There is a great website that allows you to search for those short-notice cruises from all the main cruise lines such as Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises that you don’t often find in the same place.

Rather than searching website after website to find a cruise that leaves from your preferred port - you can just select your port and go from there.  I don’t think there is a better way to choose.

I mean, I wouldn’t normally want to specify an actual date - I just want to see what’s out there and what’s the best value.

What Sort Of Deals Do They Offer?
Well, I looked at some last minute cruise deals leaving from 4 popular ports and saw what they had leaving in the next few weeks - and you will be surprised at the deals I found - bearing in mind that they include your meals:

• A 3-Night Cruise from Miami to the Islands of the Bahamas - from just £209! that works out at less than $70 a day!  You could just nip away for the weekend!
• A 4-Night Cruise from New York to the amazing coastline of St Johns, Canada - from just $459.
• A 7-Night cruise in a suite from Los Angeles down the coast or Baja to Puerta Vallata - from just $1329 - that’s just $190 per night for a very special vacation.

Or an 8-Night cruise from Southampton, England in a balcony cabin all the way up to the amazing fjords of Norway from just $1299 - that’s only $160 a night.

Most of these prices are much less than a few nights in a romantic hotel - but with the meals and all day entertainment!  And a much better view!

Who Are They?
Well, Direct Line Cruises are based in New York and have been trading for nearly 15 years and currently book for thousands of passengers each year.  They have destinations all over the world and work with some of the best known cruise liners:

Royal Caribbean for example, has over 21 cruise ships in it’s fleet - offering some of the largest and most inclusive liners on the oceans today.  Climbing walls, pool, cabaret and stores are all on-board and their reputation is well earned.

Celebrity Cruises offers you the experience of being rich and famous - but without the big prices!  They offer an unrivaled first-class service and guarantee that there is at least 1 staff member for every 2 guests!

And the well known Norwegian Cruise Line is included in their service.  These liners offer the freedom of flexibility.  You choose your meal times for whenever you want to eat - and there are no formal dress codes for their events and restaurants. 

And, if you book online - they even throw in some freebies - including complimentary wine, onboard credits and even travel insurance. 

Have yourself a look and see if you can hop off for a few days of luxury or adventure!

posted by Travel Cat on Jun 10

Hello again, and welcome to the first summer Traveling With Kids Carnival in 2009 - and so far the weather has been great!

Me and my nephews have been charging around the countryside looking at the animals and the amazing butterflies that are filling the skies this year.

Its no wonder people are thinking about camping this year and traveling closer to home - it’s cheaper and can be just as fun as going miles away, and you know you are just a short drive from home should anything go wrong!

Savings Toolbox picks up on this with their post: Camping as the Perfect Money Saving Vacation as it hits home about not only the money you don’t spend on flights and eating out all the time - but the adventures you can have for virtually nothing! 

RV Journeys are on the mind of Bob Erwin in his Thoughts Before Going On a Family RV Travel Trip - which covers a few driving past-times but also some great little games to consider if traveling by road.

Joshua’s article has some tips on how to encourage kids to learn a new skill or improve an existing on during the long summer vacation - rather than just shipping them off to a club without researching what your kids actually want to do: Tips for Learning during Summertime

Billeater follows with some ingenious ways to keep your kids busy without breaking the bank - even if you don’t even go anywhere - take a peak at Summer Entertainment for Families on a Budget to find out what he has in store……

Nui Loa has a bit of fun after raiding her kids CD collection and finding quite a lot of things she likes!  What a great way to bond with your kids if you can actually listen to their tunes without thinking ‘what a racket!’  Try out some of her choices before stocking your kids collection with tunes you really like yourself at Our Five Favorite Kids’ CDs for Grownups

The last 2 articles are short vacation stories.  The first is about surviving a flight with kids and the other is a tiring but enjoyable family vacation to Orlando!

One Family tells the short tale of their personal experiences of using a certain airline that they enjoyed and which helped the kids relax and certainly passed the time better than just watching the TV screen in the backs of the chair! So enjoy their story in Southwest Airlines – An Experience

Then Amy @ The Q Family presents their vacation diary of Friends, Family, Food and Floating Tube with some great photos to add to the dramas!

Enjoy these - and I hope the weather stays good - and you send in more of your adventures……