Family Traveller Magazine: Taking the easy route

Happy New Year everyone! Now that Christmas seems like a hazy memory of over-excited kids, family get-togethers, and perhaps for some of you, a gorgeous winter getaway, I expect that many of you are looking to pastures new and dreaming, or possibly booking, your family holidays for the year ahead?

My own kids are now aged 14 and 12, and instead of venturing afar, I’m planning some very do-able trips. First up is a weekend in Paris for my daughter’s 15^th birthday in pursuit of art galleries to inspire and inform her GSCE art studies. Top of our list is a street art tour of Le Marais with polaroid cameras supplied. Such a simple idea, but so cool.

Easy travel has been on my mind for some time now. With so much emphasis far flung adventures, I wanted to bring the first issue of the year back down to earth, whilst maintaining the magic of family travel, uncovering tried and tested short-haul destinations, but giving them a fresh spin. Hence our deep dive into Cornwall’s gardens and best family-friendly places to stay, plus an interview with the inspiring Roo Cross, mother of three and founder of Roo’s Beach lifestyle store in Porth.

We also look at very achievable holidays to Europe including Ile de Ré (a long-time favourite of in-the-know Parisian families), a three-generation trip to Denmark, and a fresh look at the Costa Brava. DJ and Camp Bestival founders Josie and Rob da Bank head to Turkey with their four boys and writer Mark Hodson, connects with his teenage daughter on a yoga and surf holiday in Morocco. And if you’re looking for a city break with a difference, check out our 72 Hours in Abu Dhabi feature.

And I’m very happy to say we have an all-important article investigating disabled-friendly holidays compiled by travel writer Antonia Windsor whose husband has a spinal injury. She tracks down some genuinely accessible travel companies and destinations and presents two heartfelt case studies. After all, everyone should have the right to travel and its therapeutic effects.

If you were in any doubt where to look for your next family holiday, we present the best of the best in our Family Traveller Awards 2018 report. Hosted by singer Ronan Keating and TV and radio presenter Charlotte Hawkins last November, you can read about the glamorous evening and all the nominees and winners.

And as usual, we have our winning mix of fashion and beauty. Fashion editor, Michelle Duguid brings you all the new kid’s fashion trends for spring/summer 2019 in our ‘Leaders of the Pack’ story from coloured leopard prints to monochrome, plus a behind-the-scenes look at our shoot, whilst our beauty pages go sustainable. We’re saying no to single use packaging and polluting ingredients.

And of course, it wouldn’t be the winter issue without some fabulous snowy holiday inspiration. We sent six-year-old Sonny (and his mum Amanda) to Finnish Lapland to get his verdict on his top 10 Arctic activities. We also take an insider look at Ischgl in Austria and its lesser-known smaller sister village of Galtur, along with our favourite things to delight kids in Iceland.

And if there’s one page you read in the magazine, it’s Mariella Frostrup’s column, which spells out why travel is the best teacher wherever you choose to tread.

Happy reading!

Jane

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