Family Travel Experts

Destinations International

Got a case of wanderlust that won’t quit? Your next international family holiday is a click away. Our moms have bounced around the globe testing out family vacation spots from campgrounds to African safaris and they’re dishing the dirt on what works, what doesn’t and what you need to know before you go. Get all the family travel information essentials you need (from a traveling mom's perspective, natch!) to dive into your next international family vacation adventure.

Here you'll find family holiday ideas for the world outside the United States, in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia.

First Ever Monster Jam in the Middle East

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1BlueThunderThe United Arab Emirates, is once again, part of a milestone.  On May 10th, Abu Dhabi hosted the first-ever Monster Jam in the Middle East.  Monster Jam is very well known in the United States.  My mother took me several times as a kid.  But what is lesser known is Monster Jam International.  You'll find them in Finland, Holland and Sweden...even down under in Australia!  And now, you'll find them returning to Abu Dhabi next year, opening their doors to the Middle East. 

I introduced my family to Monster Jam this year, at the May 10th spectacular, and even treated them to the packed pit party where we rubbed shoulders with all the truck drivers and gawked at the massive trucks.  My daughter was impressed with the driver of El Toro Loco, Becky, who happens to be a woman.  She cheered for her all night, and I must say, the crowd did too.  She was quite impressive handling that truck, and created a frenzy when she stole the temporary lead from Blue Thunder.  Perhaps the overall biggest thrill for my kids was seeing and cheering for the Hot Wheels Team; including Superman, Spider-Man, Captain America and Iron Man.  Even my husband, a newbie to the Monster Truck scene, found himself thoroughly enjoying himself.
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Family-Friendly Dan Panorama Hotel Tel Aviv, Israel

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dan-panorama1Dan Panorama Tel Aviv Hotel is a sophisticated luxury hotel that overlooks the Mediterranean Sea and is close to many of the city’s best attractions. It can be found on the southern side of Tel Aviv’s busy coastal promenade, within walking distance to Old Jaffa and UNESCO’s White City, Nachlat Binyamin pedestrian mall, and the bohemian neighborhood of Neve Tzedek.

The hotel is recommended for families since it is situated in a quieter area of the promenade, away from the bars but is still central to attractions like the Carmel Market and HaTahana, a renovated railroad turned modern cultural and commercial center with stores, restaurants, markets, arts, and activities for children.

The hotel also faces the Charles Clore Garden, a 29.6-acre beachfront public park (a great place for kids to run around), and one of the city’s more popular beaches, Banana beach.
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Take the Family to Beijing’s Botanical Gardens

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beijing-gardens-consertavoryA family visit to Beijing should include a visit to the Botanical Gardens in the Western Hills of the city and right next to Xiang Shang (Fragrant Hills). The garden is on a huge grounds, including some memorials, flower/blossom gardens and a giant sleeping Buddha at the north end.
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Rtiz Carlton Toronto: Why it's Worth the Splurge

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Ritz1Before you think, "Oh, the Ritz Carlton? We'd never take the kids to such a high-end hotel," hear me out.

No, the Ritz Carlton Toronto is not a budget hotel. It doesn’t have a game room or free continental breakfast. It's a luxury hotel where kids (and their parents) are treated very well.

We don’t normally stay in upscale hotels like this. Once in a while we’ll splurge. And since we only had one night in Toronto during spring break, we went for it. Best decision of the vacation.

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3 Fun Things to Do With the Kids in Toronto

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HockeyIn cities like Toronto, there’s never enough time.

With so many cool activities for families, we barely scratched the surface of things to do. Being there for less than 48 hours forced us to narrow our itinerary down to just three things. But those three things we did were awesome. So let me share:

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Make the Most of a 72-hour Visa Free Beijing Stay

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beijing-gardens-consertavoryThe new 72-hour visa-free visit in Beijing is not a long time for a family visit from places as far as the US. But summer travel is just around the bend, and if you have the occasion to bring the kids to Beijing for even a short time, here’s one suggested Beijing family friendly itinerary (more details at the links provided):
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