Enjoy The Exotics
Turkey, Israel and Antarctica have been added to Abercrombie and Kent’s list of family travel destinations! Explore Turkey for 11-days with a variety of unique cultural experiences in Istanbul, Cappadocia and Izmir. 
Your family will attend a hands-on decorative arts class at a 16th-century school to learn marble papering and calligraphy; stay in a unique, boutique cave hotel adorned with antiques from the Seljuk, Ottoman, Roman and Hittite era; test your culinary skills during a cooking lesson at a family-run country restaurant and more. Your 10-day Israel trip includes stays in Tel Aviv, the Galilee and Jerusalem with a visit to the Dead Sea and the Negev desert. Your family will tour the underground tunnels and excavations in Jerusalem with a scholar; explore the desert by jeep with a bonfire dinner under the stars and sail the Sea of Galilee by private, guided boat. In Antarctica, sail on board Le Boreal which includes balcony accommodation; visit to an active research station to observe preservation efforts and go ashore in Zodiacs for a closer view of the land and wildlife and marvel at the remarkable biodiversity and stunning landscapes of the Southern Ocean. Save 10% on the Antarctica trip if booked by March 31.
Ski Banff
Through May 27, your family can ski and play for free at The Fairmont Banff Springs. 
Your package includes deluxe accommodations and tri-area ski passes for up to two adults and two children, per room, per night, valid at Sunshine Village, Lake Louise Mountain Resort and Ski Banff at Norquay or a $200 CAD in resort credit in place of each ski day. Shuttle service between the ski hill and The Fairmont Banff Springs, complimentary ski and snowboard storage, 15 percent off equipment rentals and milk and cookies in the room on arrival are also included. Plus kids five and under eat free and family pets are welcome. Rates start at only CAD $339 with a minimum three-night stay. This majestic castle in The Rockies is located in the heart of Banff National Park. Other winter activities abound include dog sledding, canyon ice walks, ice fishing, skating, snowmobiling, snowshoeing and curling! The resort also features bowling, spa, kids club (age 6-13), indoor and outdoor pool and more.
Volunteer Vacations
Considering a volunteer vacation for your next family trip? United Planet’s 1-12 week trips around the world are also suitable for families. Teen only programs are also available. 
Your trip not only includes volunteering, transfers, accommodations and meals, but excursions and cultural activities. Optional excursions can also be added. You also receive extensive pre-departure training, a full orientation on arrival with a local United Planet coordinator, language lessons in some destinations and travel insurance. Here is your chance to live and work in a local community and give back to those in need. Projects take place in Cambodia, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Ghana, Guatemala, India, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Mexico, Nepal, Peru, Romania, South Africa, Tanzania, Tibet as well as in the USA. For families with younger children, volunteer work in orphanages in Romania, Peru, Chile, and Nepal are ideal. Families can also teach English; contribute to environmental preservation; and more! Accommodations can be a homestay, hotel, hostel or guest house depending on the location and number of people traveling. Family discounts include a second parent and children 12 and over for 10 percent off while children under age 12 pay half. Travel with friends, extended family, religious groups, school groups, etc. can also be arranged. Program costs are also tax deductible. Your family can also apply for scholarships and grants to help offset your travel costs.
Special Israel Tours
From August 7-22, Arza World is offering Israel For Me, a unique tour for eight families with special needs children ages 6-13 that includes five days of day camp at the Shutaf Inclusion Program in Jerusalem. 
This exciting tour makes Israel accessible for the whole family with trained staff support at the hotels and tour bus. The trip includes 14 nights of accommodations, daily breakfast, 5 dinners, 10 days of touring, all entrance fees, rafting on the Jordan River, ziplining, the Sound and Light Show at David’s Citadel and participation in an archeological dig. Families will also appreciate Arza World’s specially priced air and land tour, Israel 360, that departs June 28-July 6 starting at only $2,572/person with air from New York. The tour includes four nights in Jerusalem, two nights in the Galilee and one night in Tel Aviv with breakfast daily. Your family will experience Kabbalat Shabbat services at the Western Wall, a walking tour through the Jewish Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem, a guided visit to the Jerusalem Archeological Park, Yad Vashem, jeep tour in the Golan Heights and Ceasarea. An optional trip to Masada and the Dead Sea can be added. Book early as spaces are limited!
Stieg Larsson’s Stockholm
Stockholm has always had its appeal, but the incredible success of Stieg Larsson’s Millennium trilogy has made the city more popular than ever. Selling more than 60 million copies in 40 countries (17 million in the U.S. alone), The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and its two sequels have endeared the Swedish capital to a new generation of readers. In addition to charismatic investigative journalist Mikael Blomkvist and computer hacker anti-hero Lisbeth Salander, the city of Stockholm itself could be considered a character in these suspenseful thrillers. The Stockholm City Museum now offers the Millennium tour, a walking tour of key locations found in the books. Visitors will also see places that Larsson himself frequented, such as the cafe downstairs from the magazine where he worked. The tour is in English and lasts approximately two hours and has been receiving rave reviews from journalists and tourists alike, as well as sparking renewed interest in Larsson’s books and personal life. The American film version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo will be released on December 21.
Globus Family Tours
For 2012, Globus is adding three new vacations to its family-only tours, including a tour of the Canadian Rockies called Mounties, 
Maple Leaves & the Majestic Rockies; a tour of America’s Colonial with Patriots’ Passage; and a program focusing on wildlife, volcanoes and a cloud forest in Costa Rica: Pura Vida! Globus includes unique family activities on their Family Travel tours such as chocolate making at a Swiss chocolate confectionary in Lucerne (European Family Discovery); off-roading in an open-air vehicle in Custer State Park in search of herds of bison. (Wild, Wild West) and getting exclusive access to Independence Hall after hours on Patriot’s Passage. And with Globus, planning ahead pays off. Book your 2012 Globus vacation and pay in full 9 months or more prior to your departure and save 10% off the land-only portion of your tour. Young travelers ages 8-17 also receive a 10% discount.
Roman Luxury
Don’t miss out on the Hotel Hassler Roma new Family Escape Package, available through October 31, 2012. 
The package includes three nights’ accommodation in two Deluxe or Grand Deluxe rooms; private check-in for children with a special gift (a Bukowsky stuffed bunny); daily buffet breakfast; milk and cookies before bedtime; “Ice Cream Pleasure,” a selection of the Hassler’s home-made ice cream; in-room movie for the entire family; and an optional babysitter for four hours per day. Guests may also opt for additional family-friendly activities arranged by the Hassler’s concierge, including a private lunch or dinner in an ancient alley or piazza within the city, a trip to the Museo dei Bambini (Children’s Museum of Rome), or a carriage or helicopter ride.
Tauck Loves Families
Book by November 18 and get a $100 discount per person on any 2012 Tauck Bridges Family Adventure. For past Tauck clients, you also get two free nights at Tauck’s hotel before or after your trip when you take any 2012 Tauck Bridges journey! The trip and the hotel must be booked by December 30 and deposit must be paid upon booking. Tauck’s 86+ years of destination expertise brings Tauck Bridges guests exclusive access to memorable experiences and authentic cultural events. Children are actually welcome on all tours, but in 2012 Tauck is introducing Family Friendly Departures on three trips that come from their collection of Tauck land tours and cruises. While these trips are not Tauck Bridges trips, they include places and activities that will interest every member of the family. Check out their in-depth Civil War journey crafted with filmmaker Ken Burns – Most Hallowed Ground; a one-week Italy trip that includes the Tuscan and Umbrian countryside – A Week In… Rome, Umbria and Tuscany; and the popular France river cruise – French Waterways and Vineyards. Each trip has designated Family Friendly Departure dates. 
Family China Tour
Imperial Tours announced dates for their 2012 China Family Tour. This small group tour (5-16 people) with luxury hotel stays is available July 13-23 and covers Beijing, Xian, Guilin and Shanghai. 
The trip is terrific for families with kids between the ages of 6 to early teens. This trip is designed for parents who want their children to learn about the culture and China’s lightning speed development. There is no better way than to visit the country and have your children see, feel and taste it for themselves with an educational experience that is fun and engaging. There are countless opportunities for your children to mix and mingle with Chinese counterparts and compare & contrast backgrounds and points of view. The tour visits all the major highlights in each city and includes many unique experiences such as kite flying, a shadow puppet performance, opera face painting, dumpling making lessons, bamboo raft ride, acrobatics show and the Beijing Zoo.
New from Trafalgar
Trafalgar has introduced four new itineraries in its 2012 Family Experiences, activity-packed and designed specifically to meet your family travel needs. There are now 19 different itineraries available to amazing destinations around the world. 
The new itineraries are Sorrento & Sicily Surprise in Italy; Greek Island Hopper in Greece; Dude Ranchin’ Yellowstone & Glacier Roundup in the US; and Conquistadors, Sacred Valleys & Inca Mysteries in Peru. All of Trafalgar’s Family Experiences are designed with your family in mind, customized to captivate travelers of all ages, and feature special sightseeing selected to fit a family’s travel needs. For example, on their eight-day California Dreamin’ trip, families can enjoy a barbecue in Yosemite National Park, followed by eating s’mores around the campfire while listening to local folklore. Families on the 11-day Castles and Kilts trip can stay in a medieval-style castle for two nights and parents will revisit their Beatlemania youth on a day trip to Liverpool. Stays are in deluxe hotels, national park lodges and private game reserves while in Africa. For European Family Experiences, save up to $500 per person if you pay in full by December 1, for travel between April 1 and October 31, 2012. Passengers between the ages of 5 and 17 save 10 percent on any trip when traveling with an adult. Trafalgar also gives a reduction for triple- and quad-share rooms where available.
