Portugal

Food easily makes Italy one of the most child friendly places to visit.  Amazing pizza and pasta, huge win for the kids!  Italy is one of our favorite places to visit, both with and without kids.  We spent two weeks in Italy when kids were 4 and 6 years old.  We visited in-between Christmas and New Years and the decorations truly made for a magical experience.  Highlights were settling into our little neighborhood in Rome and trying to feel like locals.  Gladiator Training next to the Colosseum.  Pasta making class in Tuscany.  Playing tag in the streets of Siena.  Visiting the market in Florence was super special, and the kids loved riding the carousel on repeat.  Montepulciano and Orvieto were also super special days.

Spain holds a special place in our hearts.  One of Roberto's (dad) first European loves, and where Roberto (son) says he wants to live one day.  We visited Barcelona during our first international family trip, the kids were 2 and 4 years old.  And returned last year between Christmas and New Years for a magical time in Andalucia.  Roberto and I also spent a week in Madrid during our college years.  Highlights of Barcelona were watching Roberto (a notoriously picky eater) fall in love with Jamon Iberico (which still continues to this day... 6 years later), late dinners, playing tag in Park Guell, visiting Camp Nou, and dipping our toes in the Mediterranean Sea.  Highlights in Andalucia (Southern Spain)... holiday magic, all streets in all towns are adorned with lights and decorations.  New Years Eve in Seville, eating 12 grapes at midnight.  A hike in the hill towns outside of Malaga.  Segway tour through the Sacromonte neighborhood.  Slow dinners with wine, jamon, and my new regional favorite, berenjenas con miel.  

Amsterdam.  One of my family's favorite cities.  It's where my kids learned to ride their bikes in a city - rules and all!  And don't be mistaken, the locals will let you know if you aren't following them, rightfully so!  Amsterdam is beautiful, charming, and extremely family friendly.  With easy access by train to other parts of Netherlands and Europe, it is such a worthwhile addition to a European adventure.

My son recently told me that our summer in Scandinavia was his favorite summer yet - and a huge part of that summer was spent in Norway.  We fell in love with Norway’s landscapes, but Norway's vibes and all the adventures it has in store are what made it so, so special.  I still think about the floating saunas on a very regular basis (no exaggeration!), jumping into the freezing fjord and then warming up while chatting with locals.  The train ride from Oslo to Bergen is stunning, with scenery that makes a travel day a highlight.  We had some of our biggest adventures in Voss, Norway’s adventure town, with epic hiking and rafting before slowing down in Bergen—embracing the rain, wandering the fish market, and exploring its charming waterfront.  Norway truly has the perfect mix of adventure, scenery, and experiences that create the best memories. 

For a family that doesn’t love repeating destinations, we dream about returning to Switzerland year after year for its magical winter adventures.  Zermatt is skiing at its best—spectacular Matterhorn views, charming streets, cozy mountain restaurants, and a village that feels straight out of a snow globe. Skiing beneath the Matterhorn, lingering over long lunches, warming up with hot chocolate, and wandering the village after a day on the mountain…it’s the kind of place that makes winter feel magical.  Geneva and Zurich bring a completely different vibe, with beautiful lakefronts, lively city centers, great shopping, and fantastic food.  Switzerland is the perfect mix of big mountain adventure, European charm, and a little indulgence—the kind of place that makes you start dreaming about your next winter there before you’ve even left.

Greece has a way of making you slow down -long lunches that turn into long afternoons, swimming in impossibly blue water, wandering through little villages, and sitting down for dinner when the sun was still setting.  Greece feels familiar in many ways, yet when you return home or visit a different destination, you realize how incredibly epic it is!  We’ve explored Greece in a few different ways, from the acropolis in Athens, island-hopping in the Cyclades, to spending time in the Peloponnese, where we traded the beach for some pretty epic adventures. Hiking, canyoning, horseback riding through the mountains…then back to a seaside taverna for Greek salad, grilled fish, and a cold drink.  And of course, the islands—Milos, Naxos, Crete—each with their own personality and their own version of that unmistakable Greek summer feeling.  It’s the combination I love most: adventure when you want it, beautiful water when you don’t, incredible food, and nowhere you really need to be in a hurry.

I love Türkiye. It’s one of those places that stays with you long after you leave. There’s a warmth to it - the kind that comes from lingering over a meal, sitting outside as the evening stretches on, and feeling like there’s always another street, another view, another moment worth stopping for.  Istanbul is completely intoxicating—the call to prayer drifting across the rooftops, ferries crossing the Bosphorus, fresh bread and spices in the markets. It feels wonderfully alive.  And then there’s Cappadocia, where hundreds of hot air balloons float over the valleys at sunrise. Add an epic horseback ride through that otherworldly landscape, and you have a place that feels almost impossible to describe until you’ve been there.  The Turkish coast has a slower rhythm - turquoise water, little seaside towns, long lunches, and where the plan for the day is to post up at a beautiful waterfront and jump into the water on repeat.  Türkiye is vibrant, warm, beautiful, a little chaotic, incredibly delicious—and completely unforgettable.

Japan feels a little like stepping into a dream. There is so much beauty in the smallest details - the quiet of a temple early in the morning, the glow of Tokyo after dark, the ritual of a perfectly prepared meal, the sound of a train gliding through the countryside.

Tokyo is wonderfully overwhelming, in the best possible way. Bright lights, tiny restaurants, peaceful gardens, ancient temples, and neighborhoods that seem to reveal something new around every corner.  But some of my favorite memories came farther off the typical path. Kurokawa Onsen was pure magic - wooded mountains, traditional ryokans, and hot springs tucked into the forest. Yakushima felt almost mythical, with ancient forests and wild landscapes that seemed worlds away.  Having been to Japan twice now, a total of 5 weeks in the past 2 years, hitting the highlights, and a bit deeper, I feel like I am just beginning to scratch the surface of understanding this beautiful country.  What stayed with me most was the feeling of Japan - the quiet thoughtfulness, incredible hospitality, beautiful food, and the way old and new seem to exist effortlessly side by side.

Japan is mesmerizing, unexpected, and the kind of place that keeps revealing itself long after you’ve come home.

We only had four days in Seoul, but it didn’t take long to fall in love with South Korea. There’s something about Korea that feels so vibrant and alive—modern and creative, but still deeply connected to its traditions.  We loved the night markets, wandering through the hanok villages, and spending an afternoon at a local amusement park. And then there was bingsu—our delicious introduction to one of Korea’s greatest inventions and something we still talk about.

Seoul is the kind of city that makes you want to keep exploring. We barely scratched the surface in four days, but we left already dreaming about coming back to see more of South Korea.

We visited London on our first international family vacation, when the kids were 2 and 4 years old.  We stayed at a hotel at the entrance of Kensington Gardens, which turned out to be a highlight itself.  The kids played at Princess Diana Memorial Playground at least daily.  Wandering through the gardens and walking through the park with locals was super special.  Of course, the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, riding the tube, and watching the kids scarf down the most delicious Tikka Masala made for an awesome first international experience with the kids.

Morocco feels like a place you experience with all your senses. The colors, the sounds, the spices, the architecture, the food - it’s vibrant and beautiful and completely different from anywhere else.

Oh, the beautiful riads.  That is a full sentence.  Getting lost in the medinas, experiencing the ritual of a traditional hammam, being welcomed with mint tea in virtually every interaction.  Hiking through the Atlas mountains, sharing a meal with a nomadic family, it is all so so epic.  And then there was glamping in the desert - watching the sun rise over the dunes, dancing around the fire to the beat of drums, and falling asleep under a sky full of stars. It was SO special.

Morocco is colorful, soulful, adventurous, and full of experiences that stay with you long after you leave.

Peru is one of my favorite trips ever.  Yes, the food. Yes, the scenery. Yes, the culture, the people, and their beautiful connection to Pacha Mama - Mother Earth. But Peru also pushed me in a way I didn’t know I could do.  We trekked through the mountains for three days, cared for along the way by incredible local guides and porters who hiked the same trails like it was nothing. They cooked us five-course meals at the end of each day, somehow creating something incredible in the middle of the mountains.  And then we entered through Sun Gate and were rewarded with that first breathtaking view of Machu Picchu. After three days of trekking, seeing it appear through the mountains felt almost surreal.  I loved all of it—the challenge, the people, the food, the scenery, the culture, and that feeling of accomplishing something I wasn’t sure I could do.

Peru didn’t just give me an incredible trip. It gave me a story I’ll never forget.

We visited the South of France on our first international family vacation, when the kids were 2 and 4 years old.  We absolutely fell in love with Nice.  I could imagine spending a few months there.  We also took a day trip to Antibes.  The food in Nice has an Italian influence, since it is very close to the coast of Italy.  The food was super easy for the kids, with the most amazing pizza and pasta every day.  The kids quickly found their favorite spots.  Eating croissants while sitting on the boulders at the beach in the mornings was magical.  Climbing Castel Hill daily, lending to an amazing view and equally awesome playground at the top.  Roberto and Katie have also visited Paris and dream of taking the kids here sometime soon.

The Enchanted Island.  Roberto's family hails from PR.  In fact, Roberto was born in Mayaguez, PR.  When we visit, it's all about family, local food, local beaches.  But we also love surfing in Rincon with our favorite surf instructor, visiting El Yunque (rainforest), La Parguera (mangroves and bioluminescent bay), Old San Juan, and El Moro (fortress in San Juan).  We eat all of the rice and beans, tostones and amarillos, fish, and guava pastries that we can fit in our bellies.

What initially felt like an obligatory day trip turned into one of our favorite day trip memories.  We visited Monaco when the kids were 2 and 4.  There was plenty to see in a day and turned out to be a fun and kid friendly visit.  The kids climbed on cannons as we waited to watch the changing of the guards, we wandered through the Palace gardens, took a taxi on the what would become the F1 race track, placed a winning bet at the Monte Carlo Casino (wahoo!), and ended the day viewing the prince's personal antique car collection.  Just a short train ride from Nice, we were so glad we went!