Where we're headed next
Paris set a high bar. Here's how we're choosing our next family trip — the places on our shortlist, how we weigh them, and the checklist we run before anything gets booked. Photos and the full diary will land here once we go.
The shortlist
We keep a running list and revisit it every few months. Right now it's a mix of "big and iconic" and "slow and outdoorsy," because the trips we remember most tend to balance both:
A coastal slow-down — somewhere with water, markets, and short drives, where the days can stay loose. After a busy capital, we crave the opposite.
Mountains and trails — a base town with easy hikes for short legs, lakes for swimming, and cooler summer air.
One more great city — walkable, full of food, with a handful of museums the kids can actually enjoy in two-hour doses.
How we choose
Four questions settle most debates in our house. Can we get there without a brutal travel day? Is there a mix of "do something" and "do nothing"? Can we rent one place and stay put? And does it fit the budget without white-knuckling it? If a destination clears all four, it moves to the top.
Our pre-booking checklist
Before we commit, we run the same short list every time: check the season (crowds, heat, school holidays), price a single apartment against two hotel rooms, map the must-dos to see if the area actually works for walking, look up which attractions are free or discounted for kids, and build in at least one fully open day for every three or four scheduled ones.
What we'll share when we go
Same as Paris: the photos first, then an honest write-up with the route, the costs, and what we'd change. If there's a destination you think we'd love — or a question about how we plan — tell us. Half of our best ideas have come from other traveling families.
In the meantime, the full Paris trip is here: the photo diary and our 9-day itinerary & tips.