The 10 Best Travel Blogs for Planning Your Family's Summer Vacation

Summer is just two short months away - it's time to start planning your next great vacation! Whether you're looking for awesome places to visit in America, or are planning on finally traveling abroad - we've rounded up the best travel blogs to help you plan. From tips for saving money on hotels and traveling with kids, to sight-seeing abroad and packing light, these blogs will help you plan an unforgettable summer vacation!


Baby Loves to Travel1. Baby Loves to Travel
Though she's not kayaking and mountaineering, Wielgosz's travels with her two young children to destinations such as Thailand, Malaysia, Egypt, and Morocco are an adventure all their own. This blog is packed with guides on everything from shopping in Dubai with kids to the best things to see and do with your tots in Malta. It also offers recommendations on guidebooks for families (she likes LUXE City Guides) and shares practical tips for traveling with an infant with food allergies. In other words, it's a terrific resource for exotic family travel with very young children.
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Related: 11 homemade travel snacks for munching on the road



Ciao Bambino2. Ciao Bambino
Though originally focused on Europe - one recent post evaluates options for Tuscan farm stays - Ciao Bambino has been expanding its hotel reviews to cover mostly upscale and luxurious properties in the Caribbean and the U.S. And since what may be wonderful for your two-year-old might bore your 12-year-old to tears, Ciao Bambino also classifies their ratings for each property by specifying whether hotels are "baby ready," "toddler fun," "school age action," and/or "cool for teens." The blog's editors give great tips on everything from family-friendly safaris to volunteer travel and offer lists of kid-friendly European tour guides and region-specific travel books for children.
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Have Baby Will Travel3. Have Baby Will Travel
With tips on what to wear when traveling with a baby (clothes with built-in feet to avoid lost shoes for baby, multi-colored tops and layers to hide stains for mom), and sterilizing bottles in a hotel room (pack an electric travel kettle and dish soap), this site is full of smart information on how to prepare for all of those travel mishaps during your child's early years. Rounding the site out are trip reports mostly from the U.S., Mexico, and the Caribbean, which include resort and hotel reviews with an eye toward amenities for babies and toddlers.
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Related: 8 reasons family road trips kill your soul dead




Hip Travel Mama4. Hip Travel Mama
Savvy traveler Anne Hartzell and her contributors review luxury getaways and activities for families in popular destinations such as Disney or Hawaii. The blog also reviews travel gear and includes a fun style section that recommends hip overnight bags for moms and children, in addition to the most comfortable and fashionable boots to wear on a long day of sightseeing. Hartzell recommends using social media to secure the best travel deals ("like" your favorite hotel chains on Facebook or follow them on Twitter for insider promotions). Hip Travel Mama also sponsors a yearly "Mamacation" conference, arranging speakers, spa treatments, and great shopping opportunities at the Seattle Four Seasons for moms who could use a little alone time.
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Jenss Family Travel5. Jenss Family Travel
Jenss' blog is part of National Geographic's Intelligent Travel site and features a wealth of information on adventure travel, much from the family's trip around the world last year. Recent posts detail options for exploring Arizona's national parks (Jeep tour, hot air balloon, hiking, and kayaking). Jenss advises parents to take a "less is more" approach to travel and maximize family enjoyment by thoroughly exploring one place rather than rushing around trying to hit all the sites. He also includes ideas for deciding which destinations will enrich kids' lives most, such as finding out what your kids are learning in school (Greek mythology, volcanoes) for inspiration.
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Related: The 25 best travel apps for planning, dining, getting around, and more!






Kids Go Global6. Kids Go Global
Though they recently welcomed their third child into the world, this family of avid travelers won't let the new baby slow them down. (Their second-born had been to Mexico twice and Japan once by the time she was 19 months old!) While the family mostly subscribes to a "the kids eat what we eat" philosophy, they provide great suggestions on easily packable and nutritious foods, such as Clif bars, applesauce packs, raisin boxes, and Horizon organic UHT milk (which doesn't need to be refrigerated). They also offer wonderful ideas for kid-approved activities in big cities. During last summer's trip to Tokyo, for example, they took their kids swan boating in Inokashira Park and visited the local aquarium.
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My Little Swans7. My Little Swans
Australian-born Katrina Garnett was a successful Silicon Valley entrepreneur when she set her sights on the travel industry. Eager to create a one-stop travel-planning shop for families with kids, she founded My Little Swans as a resource for busy families who want to create luxurious and meaningful experiences for travel with their children. Garnett includes tips on the best items to pack to travel in style (Hermes shawl, Chanel aviator glasses), and how to keep kids entertained on the airplane (let them play with electronics during the flight, but put them away once you land). She also recommends a trusted network of partners who can arrange kid-friendly drivers, boat captains, and guides, as well as offer unique experiences such as private cooking lessons with Michelin-starred chefs and safaris appropriate for kids under 12.
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Related: Babble's Travel Guide - Tips for traveling abroad, flying with kids, and more




Posh Brood8. Posh Brood
A planning site for busy moms, Posh Brood is run by Elizabeth Thorp and her team of bloggers, who rate hotels based on their amenities and services for children. It's not enough for a property to have a beautiful space and excellent service; they must also cater to the littlest members of the family to earn Posh Brood's seal of approval. The site is divided into several vacation categories - Beach, Eco, New York City, High Roller and Pets are a few - and focuses on higher-end chains such as The Regency and The Four Seasons, along with standalone classics, like West Virginia's Greenbrier. Recent posts include a celebrity guest hotel review from actress Amy Brenneman.
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Travel Savvy Mom9. Travel Savvy Mom
Jamie Pearson and her network of bloggers rate hotels all over the world (with a heavy emphasis on hotels in the U.S.) and organize their reviews into fun categories, like "Hotels with Petting Zoos." The blog's "Sidetracked" series reviews detour daytrips that most people would never take without children, like the time Pearson took her kids dog-sledding in Colorado. Travel Savvy Mom also covers every aspect of flying with kids, including which carseat/ infant restraint system to use, what to do if you aren't seated together, and how to handle a peanut allergy in the air.
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Travels with Baby10. Travels with Baby
This site is exceptionally useful for planning trips with really little ones. Rivoli evaluates just how much stuff you need to bring, offering advice on the most travel-friendly gear in several categories (strollers, portable cribs, and lightweight-but-safe car seat alternatives, like safety vests for the plane and car), as well as a list of rental agencies in case you don't want to schlep around the bigger items. This year, Travels with Baby has added a new and indispensible resource for parents: a database of pre-screened babysitters and nannies based in various vacation destinations - complete with real parent reviews. In addition, Rivoli rates hotels and recommends destinations and hotels, offering inventive ideas for things to do on your stay.
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- By The Babble Editors

For our complete list of the top 25 travel blogs, visit Babble!

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