We have been using Zip Oyster Cards for several years and they are brilliant. Available for ages 5-10, 11-15 and 16-17 year olds, they offer free and discounted travel across London and beyond (including areas of Surrey, Essex and Kent).

Like all Oyster cards, Zip cards can be preloaded with credit for pay as you go and enable users to easily touch in and out anywhere where there’s an Oyster yellow card reader (you only have to touch in on buses and trams).

Applying for a Zip Oyster Photocard Online

A parent or guardian needs to apply for the Zip Oyster Photocard for under 18s and you do this by creating a free account in your own name on the TfL website here: Create an Oyster photocard account.

By entering your child’s date of birth, the system automatically recognises which card you’re applying for. You’ll need digital photos of each child you’re applying for and their passport details to verify their age.

It’s all very straight forward. Make sure you use a clear head and shoulders shot though as two out of three of my pics were rejected (possibly as they were too heavily cropped).

The communication, which is via texts and emails, about the progress of the application was great and the cards arrived 2-3 days after application.

Zip Oyster Photocards for 5-10 year olds

These cards cost £10 on application and with it your child gets free travel on all London transport services (under-11s can travel free at any time on London buses and trams without a ticket/Oyster Card).

Benefits

• Free travel on Tube, DLR, London Overground and TfL Rail
• Free travel on most National Rail services* that accept pay as you go
• 50% off adult rate tickets on the Thames Clippers River Bus services
• Pay as you go at a child rate on the IFS Cloud Cable Car (formerly Emirates Air Line Cable Car)

Zip Oyster Photocards for 11 -15 year olds

For children aged 11-15 the card costs £15 and offers free and discounted travel.

Benefits

• Free travel on buses and trams
• Child rate pay as you go fares on Tube, DLR, London Overground, TfL Rail and Emirates Air Line
• 50% off most fares on National Rail services *
• 50% off adult rate tickets on the Thames Clippers River Bus services.

Topping up you Zip Oyster Photocard

You can top up ad hoc easily from your account once you’ve logged in by clicking the link shown.

However, there’s also the option to auto top up. This Tech Advisor article provides a useful step-by-step guide: https://www.techadvisor.com/how-to/internet/top-up-zip-oyster-3803620/

Enjoy your travels!

* check website for exclusions

The post Zip Oyster Photocard: free & discount travel for 5-15 year olds appeared first on The Parent Social.

Getting the most out of a family holiday to Spain

While the idea of taking a family holiday to Spain sounds exciting, travelling as a family has its challenges. A recent Kayak survey revealed that nearly 27% of British respondents find family trips stressful due to the planning, booking and preparation required. During a Spanish holiday, where the sights, sounds and environment may be drastically different, it is important to make sure your child is comfortable and happy. This paves the way for a great holiday for everyone.

Here are some tips to ensure a fuss-free family trip to Spain:

Book family-friendly destinations ahead of time

Since Spain is a top holiday destination, establishments and tourist sights in popular areas can get crowded. This often leads to long queues and impatient children. It’s therefore important to book ahead and check the destination has family-friendly activities to enjoy. Don’t let common preconceptions about locations narrow your options. Ibiza holidays are a magnet for tourists. However, while the island is commonly associated with clubbing, many parts are a popular choice for family holidays. San Antonio Bay and Cala Llonga are home to beautiful beach shores with shallow and calm water that are great for paddling with children.

Similarly, a historical city like Seville might seem the choice for older visitors. However, a little research will reveal that it is actually family-friendly. It boasts adventure parks like Isla Mágica and wholesome art performances at Sala Cero.

Take note of the climate in Spain

According to Spain’s official tourism website, the country experiences around 3,000 hours of sunshine each year. The climate is generally mild all year round, but there are regional variations. Popular tourist destinations of Seville and Madrid experience maximum temperatures in the peak of summer, reaching an average of 35-37°C. A particular hotspot is Córdoba, which hit 50°C last summer, and holidaymakers in Mallorca were warned of “extreme risk” due the Charon heatwave. Make sure climate doesn’t adversely affect your family and trip and prep accordingly. Apart from avoiding particularly affected places, take clothes made from lightweight and breathable materials to help your children stay cool. Shirts made from cotton and linen are good summer choices. Ensure you pack the sunscreen, hats and sunglasses for your children. You could even invest in a rechargeable mini-fan to help them cool down on the go.

Be mindful of local customs

While it’s easier for adults to adapt, younger kids may experience a culture shock that can be confusing. For instance, the siesta – a time when most shops and restaurants close – has been a habit-based tradition in Spain for centuries. The break usually lasts from around two in the afternoon until early evening and can catch you unawares. Therefore make sure you get family essentials such as snacks and prescriptions before siesta time.

Another cultural difference is the dos besos greeting. Generally, most Spaniards greet with a kiss on each cheek. This can be surprising for little kids. Teach them about the custom and let them know it’s part of the Spanish identity to ensure they understand what’s going on!

There are plenty more tips and stories on the blog about family-friendly European trips.

The post 3 Tips to Ensure a Fuss-Free Family Trip to Spain appeared first on The Parent Social.

Check Passports

Check everyone’s passports. A year of passports being mothballed for many means lots could have expired unnoticed (or have less than the required minimum of six months validity). My husband needed his for ID purposes this week and discovered that it expires next month.

The good news is that HM Passport Office is extremely efficient at the moment. This is probably due to the fact that they’re a lot less busy than usual. That will almost certainly change as more people’s thoughts turn to travel, so get in now.

It’s £9.50 cheaper to apply for a passport online instead of by post and the renewal application took less than five minutes: https://www.gov.uk/apply-renew-passport

Transport That’s Protected

Make sure flights, ferry crossings, coach bookings, car hire etc are protected in the event of a forced change of plans; check T&Cs and book on credit card for extra protection.

I love a bargain. Last month I saw that I could get five return EasyJet flights to Nice in the peak summer period for a total of £320. It was far too tempting and I couldn’t resist. The carrier has introduced its ‘Protection Promise’ (which also includes its package holidays). If you book flights to a destination that goes into lockdown, you’ll be offered a refund. Crucially, this still applies even if the flight runs. You can also transfer your travel dates fee-free if your flight is impacted by new quarantine requirements.

Holiday accommodation

As with travel, book on your credit card and check, check and check again what the cancellation policy is before booking. Whilst this might be more straightforward for hotel chains, policies will vary wildly with private accommodation and even via a rental network giant like Airbnb where different hosts will have different cancellation policies.

The GHIC has Replaced the EHIC

Not a replacement for travel insurance, the old EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) would get you emergency/necessary medical care for the same cost as a resident in the country you were visiting. The good news is that EHICs are still valid until their expiry. However, these are becoming obsolete and have been superseded by the GHIC (Global Health Insurance Card). They both do the same thing so make sure you have one or the other. Apply for a free GHIC card here: https://www.ghic.org.uk/Internet/startApplication.do

Items You Can No Longer Take Into The EU

Following Brexit there are a number of things you now can’t take with you into the EU. These include:

• Meat or meat products (ie things containing meat)
• Milk or dairy products such as cheese (there are some exceptions such as powdered baby milk)
• Fresh fruit (excludes bananas, coconuts, dates, pineapples and durians)
• Vegetables
• Plants and plant products

I can’t wait to get travelling again… and whilst we are still grounded we can travel vicariously and get inspiration for future trips with a good read. Vitali Vitaliev’s The Bumper Book of Vitali’s Travels is just the ticket.

You might also like: Driving Holiday with the Kids.

The post 5 Things to Think About If You’re Planning a Post-Lockdown Holiday appeared first on The Parent Social.

The Disneyland Hotel is the flagship hotel and right at the gates of the park

Top tips for Disneyland Paris

1. Stay there instead of getting a day pass/es

If you can, try and stay for at least one night. You can get day passes, which include both parks (Disneyland Park and Walt Disney Studios Park). However, one day isn’t  enough and travelling in for two days would be absolutely exhausting. Staying also includes a number of benefits mentioned later on.

2. Book accommodation early

We can definitely vouch for the fact that there is no such thing as a last minute bargain when it comes to Disneyland.

3. Eurostar to Disneyland Paris 

If Disneyland Paris is your only destination – ie you’re not going to Paris – get the Eurostar directly there (Marne la Vallee Chessy station) as opposed to travelling to Gare du Nord Paris.

Catching a parade thanks to the app

4. Download the Disneyland Paris app

You can look up wait times for the rides and the meet and greets, be informed of any ride closures and see entertainment schedules so you can make the most of your time.

5. Disney accessories

Buy the kids (and maybe the adults) items like Mickey Mouse/Minnie Mouse ears beforehand. A pair of Minnie Mouse ears costs €14.99 at the park. We picked ours up for £1.99 on Amazon. Similarly, if your kids like dressing up take costumes/outfits with you.

6. See the illuminations

They are pretty spectacular and are a must see. We visited in May half-term and they didn’t start until 11pm due to the very light evenings. Another reason to stay on site!

7. Half board

Half board is a really good idea as food is very costly in the parks. I’d recommend using half board for your dinner. You need to book dinner at least a day in advance at whichever of the designated restaurants you want. We assumed that if you had a meal included in your package you automatically had a reservation. This isn’t the case! The kids particularly liked the restaurants that had buffets instead of a menu.

8. Check out the hotel programmes

If you’re staying in one of the Disney hotels check out its programme. We happened upon a meet and greet photo opp at our hotel one morning and got a great family picture with Mickey Mouse. The queue was about a tenth of the size of the one in the main park.

The golden arches – cheapest meal we had

9. Cheaper lunches at Disneyland 

We found the McDonalds in Disney Village (slightly off the main drag) was the cheapest place to eat. Also in Disney Village, Planet Hollywood did a kids’ meal deal, which was relatively cost-effective. They also did some of the cheapest photography at the table.

10. Make the most of breakfast

Take advantage of an inclusive breakfast. We didn’t have a full buffet breakfast, just a continental one. However, it’s the best coffee you’ll get all day (if you can actually find it in the parks, it’s really not great) and you all get a soft drink included. The kids had orange juice and we chose bottles of water and squirrelled them away for later as a bottle of water in the park is €3 plus.

11. Take some fruit with you

Aside from a few fruit platters at the buffet-style meals at some of the restaurants, you won’t find anywhere to get a healthy snack.

Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show

Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show

12. Go to a show

If you’re staying for a few nights book a show. It’s a good focus for the evening and something a bit different. We went to Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show…with Mickey & Friends. A Tex-Mex meal is served whilst you watch the show and your drinks are filled up throughout. The girls loved it. I’d recommend sticking to the beer as Chateâu Disney wasn’t the best! The show was included in our accommodation package. If you’re booking separately it’s £57 per adult (12 years +) and £42 per child (3-11 years) for ‘category 2’ seats and £70 and £55 respectively for ‘category 1’ seats. The view was great with our category 2 seats.

13. Beware of Autopia

This car track ride looks – and is – pretty tame. However, there is a blind bend on the circuit so you are totally unaware that you’re approaching the end of the circuit. There are no signs telling you this and the cars were completely backed up past the bend. By the time Maria, Gabby and I came around the bend and saw the cars backed up it was too late to stop and we crashed straight into the car in front, which contained my husband Matt and eldest daughter. Maria hit her face hard into the steering wheel and there was A LOT of blood. Matt had an achy back and neck the rest of the day. BE CAREFUL!

14. Extra Magic Time

A bonus of staying there, you get an extra hour (8:30am to 9:30am) to go on the rides and do the meet and greets with Disney characters before the parks open to the general public. The queues are drastically reduced. We only managed this once however as after a very late illuminations and the need to have breakfast we struggled to get out and about for that time in order to take full advantage.

NB. not all the rides are accessible during ‘Extra Magic Time.’

Family favourite rides at Disneyland Paris

One of the tamer rides

Ready for a bit of parachuting

Pirates of the Caribbean and Peter Pan’s Flight were the all-round favourites in Disneyland Park and Ratatouille and Toy Soldiers Parachute Drop in the Walt Disney Studios Park.

Big Thunder Mountain

Pirates of the Caribbean

… and finally, Maria (age 6) says: “You MUST go on Big Thunder Mountain… It looks scary, but it isn’t!”

Hotels at Disneyland Paris

Here you can find info about all the Disneyland hotels.

The post Top tips for Disneyland Paris appeared first on The Parent Social.

Travelling with kids

Most parents are well versed in the usual things to chuck in the suitcase when travelling with their children… enough SPF 50, hydration sachets and mosquito repellent to last a decade; a snack supply that’d feed an army and enough baby wipes to clean a thousand bottoms.

While these items are staples when away as a family, there are a few more items you might have missed off the list of essentials. These can take the holiday from survivable to enjoyable!

Travel board games

A simple travel game can result in hours of simple family entertainment… a game by the side of the pool during the day, a family game in the evening to help the kids wind down or even something to entertain the adults after the children have gone to bed. It’s easy to overlook classic board games but you’ll be surprised by how much fun you’ll all have.

Cameras – disposable, Polaroid, underwater

It’s not all about those filtered digital images primed and perfected for Instagram. Taking a different kind of camera can result in a diverse and brilliant bank of memories. You can go old school and actually get them printed or even mount on the wall in a collage to look at every day. Having those off-the-cuff moments captured is something pretty special.

iPad, Kindle, smartphone, handheld games, chargers and other electronic devices 

There’s a strong argument to leaving them all at home; holidays are about family time after all: making memories, seeing actual faces and talking to each other. They are also about having ten minutes to put your feet up and drink a cocktail in peace and quiet… In moderation, devices provide a good downtime opportunity for everyone!

A comfy blanket or favourite cuddly toy from home

A lot of kids experience some element of home sickness while away, especially for the first time. If they’re a bit under the weather whilst you’re away or just feel a bit displaced, having a home comfort they can wrap themselves up in or snuggle with will be a godsend. They’ll be far more relaxed and more likely to drift off to sleep.

A night light

Packing light fittings isn’t usually part of the holiday checklist, but having a gentle glow in the hotel room will mean that your little ones can rest more easily and feel more relaxed. It also means you won’t have to sit in total darkness once the kids are asleep if the hotel room doesn’t feature low level lighting. You can get compact, portable night lights that won’t take up much room in your case.

Empty carrier/ziplock bags

Travelling with kids always results in a lot of washing. Having extra bags for any especially grubby items or shoes (muddy wellies, sandy flip flops etc) will make suitcases full of dirty laundry far more palatable when you get back home. You can even arrange the items into laundry loads, if you want to be especially organised!

You might also like: 

Car Games for Long Journeys 

A Family Break to Venice

Child-friendly City Break: Top Euro Locations

A Great British Family Holiday

The post Travelling with kids – the ultimate ticklist appeared first on The Parent Social.

Venice with the children

I knew that I wanted to take the girls to Venice one day so they could experience this amazing city. I’d held off booking a trip as I didn’t think the younger two would fully appreciate it and I thought the walking would be too much. Sofia being eight and Maria and Gabriella a few months short of their sixth birthday. It was a great time of year to go (more about that in the Venice top tips below) and they were definitely old enough as they’ve been raving about it ever since.

Venice isn’t actually geared up specifically for children in the way that some cities are (here are some that definitely are) with special child-centric activities and cookie cutter childrens’ menus. However, like in most parts of Italy, shops, restaurants, bars etc bend over backwards for their younger patrons.

Accommodation

I looked at hotels, but family suites for five were very expensive and to be honest I wanted the children in a separate bedroom (though not a separate room in a hotel) for a bit of peace We managed to find an ideal place on Airbnb, which was reasonably priced and literally a minute’s walk from the famous Rialto Fish Market and three minutes from the Rialto Bridge. It was right in the centre but tucked away down a little street so nice and quiet at night.

Where we went and what we did

We were staying in the San Polo district. It is one of the smallest districts of Venice and away from the busy Rialto there are plenty of quieter back streets to explore and many very nice squares. Of course we went to the Rialto Bridge – and visited souvenir shops there so the girls could get a Venetian mask – and visited the fish market. However, we also went to Campo Frari (Frari square) and saw the lovely Gothic church Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari and just generally wandered around taking in the sights.

San Marco 

This is probably the most well known district of Venice and famed for Saint Mark’s Square (Piazza San Marco) and the Basilica San Marco (the cathedral). It was pretty busy, but being May, not as busy as it can be. We went into the Basilica and the girls all loved it with its huge expanse of shiny gold and ornate decoration; they especially loved it when we climbed up to the balcony. We were unashamedly touristy and visited Cafe Florian on the square. It is far, far more expensive than going to a bar down a neighbouring street, but hey, we had a drink on St. Mark’s square and we were on holiday. Then we did that other ultimate tourist in Venice thing and took a lovely Gondola ride, which we all loved. OK, we had two Gondola rides by the end of the holiday.

We didn’t go up the bell tower in St. Mark’s as the queues were too long. However, we visited the island of San Giorgio Maggiore (a short boat ride from St. Mark’s Square) and went up the bell tower of the church. We didn’t have to queue and the views were stunning though my photos aren’t the best!

Cannaregio

We visited the Cannaregio district to see the Venetian Ghetto (the first ghetto), the area of Venice where all Jews were once forced to live. This was a completely different side to Venice, but even away from the ghetto area itself and the tourist area near the train statin, Cannaregio had a very different vibe with many more locals. Here we encountered the wonderful Vino Vero one of my favourite bacari (bars). More details later on!

Walk at dusk along the Cannaregio canal; away from the crowds

Venetian Arsenal (quay Arsenale)

Nowadays it’s a naval base, but founded in 1104 it was once the largest shipyard in the world. There are armouries and maritime museums to visit, but time got the better of us. It’s a much quieter part of Venice and very nice for a stroll. Arsenale is also the epicentre of the Venice Biennale, a very large international art exhibition that is held every two years. We managed to visit one exhibition. However, if we weren’t with the children we’d have visited more.

Murano and Burano

The island of Murano is famous for its glass blowing workshops and is a great excursion to go on. It’s really easy to get to with lots of water buses from various stops; travel time is between 10 and 30 minutes depending on which you take. We had a lovely wander around and a look in at some of the enticing shops. When I asked, one of the shops was happy to recommended a family-run glass blowing factory. It was brilliant, not expensive at all (children were free) and the girls were fascinated. We saw the whole process – explained in English – of making a vase and then the very skilful demonstrator made a child-pleasing horse.

After lunch in Murano, we headed to the island of Burano, which was quite a bit further out, but still very easy to do in a day combined with Murano. Burano is a very quaint fishing village, famed for its lace production. It is cited as one of the most colourful towns in the world with each house painted in a contrasting vivid hue. It is very different to the rest of Venice and really pretty.

Beach day

After a lot of sightseeing, we had a beach day. We got a water bus (vaporetto) from the main island to the Venice Lido (where the Venice Film Festival takes place), which took less than 30 minutes. The Lido is a long skinny, sandy island that sits between the lagoon and the Adriatic sea. It had good facilities and umbrella and lounger hire wasn’t extortionate. It was quite strange to encounter roads, cars and buses again and was a lot more like mainland Italy than Venice. A beach day really broke up our trip nicely.

Food & Drink in Venice

Even if there isn’t a specific childrens’ menu there are lots of eating options. Although Venice is famed for its fish and seafood and has a number of fantastic regional specialities, you’re never too far away from pizza and more familiar pasta dishes. Calamari and spaghetti with clams (other favourites of the kids) are in plentiful supply.

Even in more upmarket places, meat and poultry can be simply cooked and they don’t mind making an off menu pasta with a simple sauce.

We found Trattoria Alla Madonna in San Polo district great for the family. It’s a traditional fish restaurant. However, there was plenty on the menu for the kids and familiar favourites as well as many authentic Venetian dishes; things such as baccala’ mantecato con polenta (puree of dried code with polenta), cuttle fish in black squid ink and raw prawns.

We avoided the Michelin-starred places that we’d hit as a couple. However, for a real culinary and wine treat in an elegant but approachable venue Chat Qui Rit is fantastic. Despite the name this place is 100% Italian. Really high end food and a wine list that made me practically weep with joy. We asked for spaghetti with a plain tomato sauce for the kids and they very happily obliged.

Then there were the cicchetti: traditional little delicacies of the area which can be described as Venetian tapas; lovely picky bits that are served with a small glass of wine in a bacaro (small bar).

The girls acquired a love of anchovies, octopus carpaccio and soft shell crabs! My husband and I filled our boots with Venetian speciality Sarde in saor (sweet and sour sardines).

Bars in Venice 

Our two favourite bacari were completely contrasting. Vino Vero in the Cannaregio district, just by the Jewish Ghetto, is modern and far from the madding crowd. It serves really varied wines and has a very extensive list. It also serves wonderful cicchtetti and unusually for a bacaro has outside seating next to a very peaceful part of the Cannaregio canal. Cantina do Mori in the San Polo district dates back to 1462 and claims to be the oldest bacaro in Venice. It is very traditional in style, charismatic and has just five seats; bacari are not places for lounging too long – think bar crawl with lovely eats. Both are popular with locals.

No trip to Venice would be complete without Prosecco and Spritz (Spritz by the way can be made with Campari and Select as well as Aperol, which both hail from the area). Pinot Grigio also comes from the area, but you can get really nice ones, not the insipid ones that we often get in the UK. I also rekindled my love of Soave another Veneto product.

Childrens’ highlights

I asked the girls what their favourite bit of the trip was. Here are some of their responses: Walking around the ‘secret’ passageways, riding on a Gondola, food and eating, the big church with gold (Saint Mark’s Basilica), the lovely buildings, the water buses, the water taxi, the bell tower, buying masks, the beach…

Venice top tips

• • Visit in April, May, early June, September, early October – This isn’t because the canals smell (they don’t), it’s just because it gets very hot and crowded

• • Wear in shoes you’ll be doing a lot of walking

• • Take a cover up – There’re so many beautiful churches to visit. However, bare shoulders can’t be on show and shorts can’t be short, short

• • Travel cards – Buy a tourist travel card. Anyone over the age of six has to pay full price (with the exception of wheelchair users and their carers). We made the mistake of buying daily for a six night stay – costly! TripAdvisor has a very good piece on tourist pass options

• • Check opening days/times – attractions, restaurants and shops often close on random days of the week. Check venues beforehand to avoid disappointment

• • Water taxi – it was €120 for the five of us to get a water taxi from Marco Polo airport to the Rialto Bridge. It was expensive, but took a fraction of the time and meant we didn’t have to struggle on public transport with our luggage. Also it’s a fantastic experience – you feel like you’re on the set of a Bond film

• • Views over Venice – Instead of queueing for the bell tower in busy St. Mark’s Square, avoid the crowds and go to the island of San Giorgio Maggiore. The panoramic views from the top of the bell tower of San Giorgio Maggiore church are spectacular

• • Take insect repellent for the evenings – Mosquitos are out in spring and summer

• • Murano –  You’ll be greeted by people selling visits to various glass factories as soon as you step off the boat. Don’t go to these as they can be tourist traps. There are plenty of authentic family run ones so just do a little research

The post A Family Break to Venice appeared first on The Parent Social.

Introducing children to different histories, cultures, languages and gastronomies is easier than ever. The growing number of self-catered apartments, like Staycity properties, across Europe means cities are more accessible to families.

City break top picks

Here, Staycity Aparthotels picks seven European cities that families looking to broaden their travel horizons should consider for their next mini-break away with the kids.

Paris

Whilst perhaps best known as a city for lovers, the French capital has a lot to offer families on a city break. The ‘Hop-On, Hop-Off’ buses are ideal. There are four routes (Paris Grand Tour, Bastille-Bercy, Montmartre-Grands Boulevards, and Montparnasse-Saint-Germain) which all last 1-2 hours. They are a great way to see the city from the comfort of your own seat!

For a slightly more unconventional trip, children are sure to adore the ‘Chocolate and Pastry Tasting’ tour in Saint-Germain-des-Prés. During the tour, which lasts around 3 hours, families are taken on a journey through the history of chocolate and pastry making. You get to try out a wide variety of delicacies whilst you learn!

Dublin

Just a short flight from any UK airport and families can find themselves in Dublin. At the popular Dublin Zoo, known for its great ‘Children’s Corner,’ little ones can safely feed and interact with a large cross-section of animals.

If your children are confident enough cyclists, head towards Phoenix Park. Here you can hire bikes to explore all its 1,752 acres (it’s the largest enclosed park in Europe). For a rainy Dublin day, a great option for kids – aged 10 and under – is the interactive children’s museum Imaginosity. This promotes a ‘hands-on, mind-on’ philosophy that encourages children to have fun and create long-lasting memories whilst they learn.

Amsterdam

Despite what many might think, the Dutch capital is a fantastic location for a mini-break away with kids. For parents of avid readers aged 12+, a trip to Anne Frank’s house can be an educational and emotional experience. Those seeking a thrill can head to the Amsterdam Dungeon. Here families can learn all about the 500 years of the city’s dark history through live theatrical actors who encourage audience participation!

Lyon

Lyon is a beautiful city with awe-inspiring views, parks and monuments. It is ideal for a trip away with the entire family. If travelling during the spring or summer months, a great (and cost-effective) option is to pack up a picnic basket, take a walk to a picturesque spot and tuck into a fresh baguette filled with some famous Lyon cheese. The 117 hectare Parc de la Tete d’or is a perfect place to head.

Lyon is also home to a great cycling system consisting of more than 4,000 rental bikes. These can be found at 348 stations in and around the city. Not only is this an amazing way for children to experience the wonders of the French city with its many monuments and beautiful architecture, but the first half hour using one of the bikes is completely free!

Barcelona

The Spanish city boasts a beautiful golden stretch of sand and the crystal blue waters of the Balearic sea. It also has a wealth of sights to discover. It makes it a great spot for families looking for a cultural city/beach break in the sun.

As well as providing the opportunity to relax on the sand, Barcelona is home to nine UNESCO world heritage sites that are perfect for a family trip. These include: Parque Guell, La Sagrada Familia and Casa Batllo. The Barcelona Aquarium is also a must-see for any marine-loving kids. It’s home to Europe’s largest sea tunnel. Here all manner of ocean-dwellers swim around and over your heads in a large perspex walkway.

Copenhagen

The Danish capital has a lot more to offer than just the best pastries in the world. It can make for a magical destination for children and a perfect city break. The unique Tivoli Gardens will transport families to an atmosphere straight out of a fairy tale. There are more than 25 rides to experience within the picturesque natural surroundings of the gardens.

If you’re less keen on the thrill of rollercoasters and ferris wheels, you can visit The National Museum of Denmark absolutely free. Whilst there, children of all ages will be able to explore pirate ships, Viking boats and medieval walls. Try on suits of armour and play with (safe) swords!

Reykjavik

Perhaps not the first place that springs to mind when you think of a city break. However, more and more parents are opting to take their families to Iceland in order to experience something rather different. The world-famous Blue Lagoon geothermal spa is open to all children over the age of two. It offers bathing and swimming areas for those wanting to test out the mineral-rich water.

Another unique activity to indulge in with the children is a trip out to sea for a spot of whale watching. An advantage of taking a trip to the city during winter months is that the city has around 5-7 hours of daylight. This means you won’t need to keep the kids awake too late in order to try and see the world famous Northern Lights.

Written on behalf of Staycity Aparthotels – a leading independent operator of aparthotels across Europe.

The post Child-friendly City Break: Top Euro Locations appeared first on The Parent Social.

From May 20th to May 24th, schools across the UK will celebrate Walk to School Week – an event organised by Living Streets (The Pedestrians’ Association) that encourages students, parents, and communities to experience the benefits of walking to school. One such benefit is a reduction on fuel spend.

In England, the average school commute spans approximately two and a half miles. Despite various transport options, 47% of students currently walk to school, revealing a strong preference for pedestrian travel already. However, road safety concerns continue to be a significant barrier for increasing this number, with many parents calling for improved traffic conditions to facilitate safer walking routes.

Walk to School Week is all about highlighting the benefits of ditching the morning drive. Opting for a walk not only supports physical health but also offers considerable financial savings. 

Focusing on the example of a “round trip” of two and a half miles, with the driver returning home after each trip to school and with a fuel cost of £1.50, this equates to costs of £2.18 per day.

So, when you consider how much you could save during Walk To School Week, the answer is “not much”. However, if we look at the whole year, it’s worth bearing in mind that the UK school year runs for at least 190 days.

Add to that additional costs of maintaining a car that sees daily use, and in this example, then, the annual cost of taking the school run by car reaches, at the very least, £414.20 – that’s the equivalent of 37 months (three years) of a standard Netflix subscription, paid on a monthly basis.

By walking to school, families can reduce expenses significantly while promoting a healthier, more active lifestyle. What’s more, frequent car use for short trips can actually have a negative impact on a vehicle’s lifespan, whilst also contributing to increased maintenance costs.

Reducing car journeys during the school run can alleviate local traffic congestion and decrease vehicle emissions, enhancing air quality and public health. Walking fosters a sense of community, providing opportunities for social interactions and reducing the likelihood of accidents associated with heavy traffic conditions.

Addressing some of the most common reasons one might avoid walking to school, Regtransfers CEO Mark Trimbee offers the following advice: 

“If the walk to school is too much for younger children – or simply too far in general – consider driving part-way and walking the rest. If you feel like you don’t have enough time in the morning, consider starting your day and setting off a little earlier if you can. And, if you’re worried about road safety, consider that if everyone jumps on the “trend” of walking to school, the roads will be naturally less congested. This Walk To School Week, let’s not ask ‘Why should we?’, but rather ‘What’s stopping us?’”.

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Here are our top seven car games for long journeys.

Our Top Car Games

Car snooker

There are several variations of this game and I doubt ours is one of the ‘official’ ones. The idea behind it is that you have to find all the coloured balls you’d find on a snooker table, but as car colours instead. We start by spotting a red. Then we have to find a yellow then another red followed by a green, back to red then brown etc, etc. It always goes pretty well until we get to the ‘pink ball’, which takes quite some time.

Some people play where you have to spot 10 reds first then the colours in sequence, or with a time limit and miss a go/penalty points if you don’t get your colour. We keep it simple though. This is a particularly good game for including younger children as they love just spotting different coloured cars.

Top Trumps 

Top Trumps is a classic game that’s brilliant for the car. Each card in the deck has a list of attributes, powers etc and a score beside it. The aim of the game is to compare the values and try to ‘trump’ and win the cards of  opponent/s. There are literally 1000s of different decks available across all age groups (starting from age 3 – see some here) and interest groups from Trolls, Minions and Star Wars to Dinosaurs, farmyard animals and cars.

Cluedo card game 

We love traditional Cluedo, so really enjoy the Cluedo card game. It’s fun, fast and perfect for travelling. By asking fellow players questions, you still have to work out whodunnit, with what weapon and in which room, but there no playing pieces, pencils or notepad is required. 

i-SPY books

I remember these books from my childhood. They’re great and we’ve got quite a few, but for the car it can only be i-SPY on a Car Journey. They’re really good value so if you have more than one child, you can get each one their own to save arguments. Different things to spy are each worth different points according to how difficult they are to spot. This can be played competitively – as in count up who has the most at the end of the journey – or individually.

Are we there yet? 

Are we there yet? (for ages six and above) is a great game as it can be played on the motorway, A roads and local roads. Each player is dealt five cards, which incorporate the categories of objects, people, signs, vehicles, and animals.

The object of the game is to score points by spotting the items on your cards in the allotted time or distance (whatever you decide). Each time you get one of your cards, you get a new one so that you always have a hand of five. You might get something that’s impossible to spot if you’re on the motorway (for example a T-Junction). In this scenario you can swap this card for another, but you have to forfeit one of your scoring cards.

The person with the most points at the end of the time/mileage is the winner. We have this Are we there yet? in a case with quite a lot of cards, but you can buy a one pack version.

Pub cricket, sign game or the pub legs game

One of the old school car games. This isn’t playable on the motorway but is great for those country roads.

Again, there are numerous versions, but in ours each child or team (however you want to do it) chooses the left or right hand side of the road. Each time you pass a pub, the person or team whose side it is scores the number of legs in the pub’s name (if any). For example, The Red Lion would score four as a lion has four legs. The Fox and Hounds scores 12 (as in our version plurals – unless specified – count as two) as does The Three Greyhounds.

According to Wiki, the highest-scoring pub known in Britain was ‘Million Hare’, in Woolwich. That would score four million points. Sadly, according to my research, it looks like this pub has changed its name to something non pedi. Please let me know your highest scoring pub!!

The car plate game

A very simple yet entertaining car game, which works on both motorways and local roads. Starting with ‘A’, the idea is you find all the letters of the alphabet on car plates, in sequence. Apart from the exceptions mentioned in a sec, the letters have to appear on different plates ie you can’t tick off A and B if they’re on the same car plate.

The letters ‘I’ and ‘Q’ are not used on British car plates, so for ‘I’ we look for the adjacent letters H and J on the same plate (a bit trickier, but not as difficult as you’d think) and for Q we look for P and R on the same plate.

We play both as one team and competitively. If you are playing head-to-head, you have to spot your letters on different cars to each other.

The French car plate game

When I was a child, we often drove through France on our way to visit family in Italy. Some of the car games worked, but we had a specific one for France: spot the department. France has 95 departments (regions) and each car has a specific number on its plate to identify which it’s from. We had maps of the departments, which we coloured each time we spotted one. We never completed it!

Car games French style

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