Like other families with three kids or more, we sometimes use AirBnB for both the value and space. That said, we have recently found that AirBnBs are quite expensive in higher tourist areas. And, in fact, we have found traditional hotels and B&Bs can offer the same value with greater convenience. It’s worth a little research…

Our family just returned from a lovely holiday in Cornwall, England at Heath Farm Cottages. The farm is located near Coverack, a charming fishing village on the southeast side of the Lizard.   Heath Farm Cottages Amenities Some of the cottages can accommodate 5 guests with two bedrooms for a family of four plus a…

Quick Post: The cheerful bed and breakfast, Rennie Rose Guesthouse, has been brought to our attention. With two family rooms that can accommodate families of five, it is conveniently located on the edge of the charming village of Belper, England. Belper is within the Derwent Valley World Heritage site. Historic Belper was one of the…

Photo above is a view of Tuileries Garden in Paris. Trying to assess which cities are popular for family travel tourists, we rely on news media accounts and travel industry figures. But there are so many factors, like things-to-do, kid-friendly places to eat, open space parks, or family-friendly hotels, and so on. And so many…

Llandudno, Wales is a quintessential seaside town on the west coast of Great Britain. I have written about it in the past (Llandudno, Wales) as the vacation place of the real Alice who inspired Alice in Wonderland. The website www.visitllandudno.org.uk has more information about Alice, as well as about the many sites and attractions around…

Our family of five took a lovely foray into Bath one summer. In fact, it was possibly the highlight of our trip to the United Kingdom.  So many serendipitous moments, kindness extended by local folks and beautiful weather made for special memories all around. Places to See: Among the various places to visit was a…

European Discount Airlines: A lot of non-Europeans are unfamiliar with the discount European airlines. Our family found them to be an easy and inexpensive alternative to the train and the big name carriers. Buyer beware however, a number of the bigger budget airlines start with low teaser rates but then tack on fees and surcharges…

Holly’s family of 5, with 2 girls and 1 boy, ages 9-10, went to the UK in the summer of 2004. Conwy Castle This was the penultimate castle ruin of our visit in the U.K. It greeted us directly as we arrived by train in the walled village on Conwy. The children insisted on climbing…

Alice in Wonderland Museum  (Update:  This attraction closed in 2008 but some local business developers have purchased the little museum which they plan to reopen soon. Other Alice features in Llandudno are pending. Here is a related local news article in the Daily Post. Also see: Visit Llandudno for info about the Alice in Wonderland Trail.…

Tagging on to my last post, I have a late addition to the Cornwall cornucopia (thank goodness for spell check). The Hotel Victoria located in Newquay has a standard room with a view of the sea that will accommodate a family of five. There is a set of bunk beds and an extra bed for…

Here in Seattle we are celebrating Cinco de Mayo–not sure why, but we love an excuse to celebrate. Nonetheless, I have romantic yearnings for windswept seascapes and charming villages. Cornwall it is . . . in England of course. For the intrepid family of five, I have found the following Cornwall locations that can house…

Here are 4 links to help you find places to eat in London.  As I mentioned in a previous post, next time my family travels, I plan to use Google maps to plot the restaurants that sound great and are in close proximity to the things-to-do my family plans to visit. View London Restaurants Sort by…

Readers have inquired: How much to budget for a trip to Europe with kids? One big factor is the age of your family members. If you have toddlers, the total will be much less because they won’t need a regular meal, and you’ll probably not be able to visit as many tourist spots because little…

That while on vacations we all manage to get ready for each travel day with one hotel bathroom is a wonder to me. (Don’t worry, I’m not going to describe anything too personal!) The bathroom routine is made more difficult because three members of my family have a (probably unusually) high degree of modesty. I’ll…

How to Save Money on Family Vacations Whatever your reasons for taking your kids to Europe, there are ways to be there within a budget. Taking the kids costs more – in airfare, food, hotels, and activities – than if it was just me and my hubby as my sole globe-hopping partner. (I’ll save my…

Notice the logo used for this blog and our website, sleeps5.com. The image is of a family of ducks on their way. Even before Holly and I constructed our website we consistently utilized a duckling analogy to describe the image of traversing busy sidewalks in big cities with 3 children. You know – the mama…