Tuscan Getaway

Looking to explore and relax in the heart of Tuscany?  Castello di Casole, a luxury resort and one of the largest private estates in Italy, celebrates families with a special package available from
March 24-October 31.  The Family Package includes four nights in a luxury suite of your choice; welcome drink upon arrival; daily breakfast (buffet or a la carte); pizza demonstration; gelato tasting; visit to a local chocolate factory; one family activity (choose from a painting class, animal watching with gamekeeper or children’s face painting); bottle of estate wine; internet access; water and soft drinks from the minibar and valet parking.  Family room options include a selection of 41 suites, as well as independent self-catering farmhouses and villas.  The property also features an infinity pool, two restaurants, spa and gym along with hiking, biking, cooking and language classes.  Some black-out dates apply.

Chile Getaway

Chile boasts an amazing variety of diverse destinations for an exciting family getaway including the capital of Santiago, the amazing nature of Patagonia, a Lake District, the Andes Mountains, Atacama Desert and wine regions.   There is plenty of culture, outdoor adventures, wildlife and more.   Tierra Hotels, which offers luxury adventure lodging in Chile, is now offering an incentive for families.  With a purchase of a four-night all-inclusive stay at their Chile properties, one child or teen can stay, dine and go on excursions for free for every paying adult. Families can enjoy luxury accommodations at either Tierra Atacama in the Atacama Desert or view the stunning scenery in Torres del Paine at Tierra Patagonia. The promotion applies for stays at Tierra Acatama Hotel & Spa from July 1 to September 7 or Tierra Patagonia Hotel & Spa from April 1 to May 1.

New Wildland Adventures

Wildland Adventures is celebrating their 30th anniversary this year with a variety of new tours and destinations.  For family tours, they are adding Croatia and Guatemala to their
roster.  They currently have 90 different trips that are family-friendly to 32 destinations around the world! We also like that they have added several women-only active adventures including several with a wine theme.  Designed to cultivate connections with the people and places you visit, Wildland Adventures promises to transform your world and serve the communities you visit.  They also plan custom family trips to a few other destinations and can pretty much customize any of their trips and tailor them for your family’s needs.

Peru for Families

Peru has become one of our most popular destinations.  This fascinating country offers unique cultures, history, outdoor adventures and diverse topography. A visit to Machu Picchu is always a travel highlight.  Belmond Hotels (formerly Orient Express) is now offering a second room for half off for your children under 12 at their properties in Lima, Cusco and in the Sacred Valley.  Choose from the Belmond Miraflores Park renowned for its beautiful garden location beside the Pacific Ocean; Belmond Plaza Nazarenas in Cusco, a former palace and convent behind the city’s main plaza; Belmond Hotel Monasteri in Cusco, a former monastery and national monument dating from 1592 and Belmond Hotel Rio Sagrado set on the banks of the Urubamba River in the Sacred Valley.  In additional to half off a second room, Belmond’s Family Getaway package also includes daily breakfast, special welcome gift for children and special turn-down service for children.  At Rio Sagrado you will stay in a villa and also get a family BBQ in the hotel’s garden and a Sacred Valley bike tour.

A Week in London

Looking to spend some extended time in London to see all the sights, visit all the free museums, take in a few shows, shop and more?  The Athenaeum, an upscale and family friendly property in
Mayfair, is offering two free nights when you book seven.  Some blackout dates apply.    Your rate also includes a house cocktail, free upgrade to the next room category if available, 15% off at the hotel’s restaurant and internet access.   The hotel and residence also features a spa, gym and large family sized apartments.  It is located on Green Park and is a 5-minute walk to the Hyde Park tube station.  Their dedicated Children’s Concierge will make sure all your family needs are met.   The Athenaeum has been family-run since the 1990s and their independent spirit remains at the heart of the hotel.

Intrepid Additions

After an 85% increase in family travel bookings by U.S. and Canadian families this year, Intrepid Travel is is doubling the number of family-oriented tours around the world.   The company offers budget oriented trips and has created two travel styles geared towards families traveling together, Comfort Family and Active Family trips.  It has grown its portfolio of family-friendly trips to 48 itineraries in 20 countries starting next year.  Intrepid Travel also has reported growth in demand for its teen trips, designed for families traveling with kids ages 11 and up, which inspired the launch of teen trekking itineraries in Peru and Nepal among other destinations.  Intrepid’s family tours have an average group size of 12 people and include experiences such as using local transportation, eating at family-run restaurants and overnighting with a family in homestay accommodations. Families traveling together can include aunts, uncles, grandmothers and grandfathers, as long as there is at least one person under the age of 18 traveling with the group.  Depending on the trip, Intrepid’s family tours have a minimum age of between 5 and 11 years of age. Children often travel at a discounted rate.Some of Intrepid’s new family travel itineraries include “Thailand Family Holiday,” which features a visit to Chiang Mai’s Elephant Nature Park, recognized by World Animal Protection for its elephant care; “Namibia & Botswana Family Adventure,” which includes traveling by canoe along Botswana’s Okavango Delta; and “Malta and Gozo Family Holiday,” during which families will see what it’s like to be a local shepherd for the day, tending to animals, cutting corn, making cheese and preparing a meal with a host family.

Winter in Gstaad

Looking for an amazing ski destination in Europe?  Check out Gstaad with its 136 miles of slopes and a stay at the grand Gstaad Palace.  The 100-room luxury hotel, perched above the village like a fairy-tale castle, offers a spa with indoor and outdoor pools, five restaurants, a legendary bar, nightclub, and the new and recently revamped suites.  The Palace also offers a Ski Butler service to attend to your skis, transport and any other arrangements. The best areas for families are the Wispile and Eggli, which are connected by blue and red slopes and are about a two-minute shuttle ride from the Palace. There’s a fun, new Family Terrain park on Hornberg in Saanenmöser with jumps, tubes and ice bridges.  The Palace has a Family Winter Package, which includes connecting rooms, ice skating and skates, breakfast and dinner daily and an excursion to Cailler, the oldest chocolate brand in Switzerland.  You get a tour of the factory and a lesson in tempering chocolate and the chance to make your own chocolate bar. Maison Cailler chocolate is divine (loads of samples) and the tour includes the history of the company as well as how Swiss chocolate is sourced and produced today.  The package is available from January 8-February 2 and again from March 5-11.

New With A&K

Abercrombie and Kent is introducing two new family tours for 2017: Family Japan and Family Peru.  These 9-day Luxury Small Group Journeys travel with no more than 18 guests with stays in luxury lodging.  The Japan trip allows your family to immerse in the diverse charms of Japan, from the youth-driven culture of Tokyo to the traditional hospitality of Gôra Kadan (one of the country’s most exclusive ryokans).  The trip will also introduce your children to kimonos, Taiko drumming lessons and origami with your A&K Young Explorers guide and includes a ride on a bullet train.  Stops also include Hakone, Osaka and Kyoto.  In Peru, your family will share in the mystery and wonder of Machu Picchu with a varied tour that includes kayaking on a lake high in the Andes, feeding alpacas and llamas, playing a traditional game with local children and swimming with sea lions.  Stops include Lima, Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu.  The Japan trip is available through the summer months while Peru is offered during the spring and summer.  Note that children under 12 sharing with an adult save $800.  Let us know if you are interested in receiving A&K’s latest family brochure and we can have one sent to you.

Peugeot Open Europe

Considering an extended stay in Europe to have more time to relax and explore?  Auto Europe’s Peugeot Open Europe program brings you the best available prices and unparalleled savings on a car rental of 3 weeks or more.  Peugeot offers you the unique opportunity to lease a car for a low daily rate with unlimited miles plus roadside assistance. The short term lease program provides you with a new Peugeot brand vehicle direct from the factory. Advantages of this program include a tax free lease contract, full insurances (including 3rd party liability and theft) with no excess fees for travel in 40 countries, and a brand new vehicle that is registered and insured in the your name.  All Peugeot vehicles are left hand drive and equipped with air-conditioning, anti-lock braking system, central locking & auto lock, cruise control, electronic anti-theft device, electronic front windows, electronic stability programming, front air-bags, power steering, radio, MP3 compatible, Bluetooth & USB port and safety jacket & triangle.  All wagon models have luggage covers. The program is available to residents outside of the European Union who are at least 18 years old with a driver’s license in good standing.  We need at least four weeks to organize the lease.  Book by the end of this year for 21 or more days for 2017 and get up to 15 additional days free in France or 5 additional days outside France.  Traveling for less time?  You can also save up to 25 percent with Auto Europe on manual cars booked for 20 days or less.

Low Cost Air to Europe

Low Cost Air to Europe

Norwegian announced it will operate new flights from four cities – Fort Lauderdale, Los Angeles, Newark and Oakland to Barcelona, Spain, starting in June 2017. Launch fares in economy to
Barcelona from both Fort Lauderdale and Newark start as low as $189 one-way, including taxes; fares from both Los Angeles and Oakland start from $199 one-way, including taxes. The lowest fares in Norwegian’s Premium Cabin to Barcelona from Newark start at $649 one-way including taxes; Premium fares from both Los Angeles and Oakland start at $849 one-way including taxes. Premium service includes a dedicated check-in counter, additional luggage allowance, fast track security, lounge access, priority boarding, sleeper seats, all meals and drinks.  Barcelona is the seventh European city with nonstop service to the U.S. in Norwegian’s ever-growing route network. The carrier offers a total 44 routes from the U.S., 37 of which are to Europe and seven are to the French Caribbean. Upcoming routes from the U.S. include Las Vegas to London launching on October 31; Las Vegas to Oslo launching on November 1; and Fort Lauderdale to Guadeloupe launching on December 17.  Norwegian operates one of the world’s youngest fleets comprised of brand new Boeing 787 Dreamliners.  All long-haul flights include both a Premium and an Economy cabin.