Maman Voyage: all our family travel articles

12 train trips from London within 1 to 1½ hours

Here are 12 ideas for day trips by train from London to beautiful English destinations roughly one to one and a half hours from the capital. I’m addressing this article mostly to readers from the continent because I know many of you are nervous about driving on the left. Honestly, it is not as difficult as it looks, but I understand the concern. Travelling by train is less stressful — all you have to do is decide where to go!
A big welcome too, to my local readers 🙂 I chose destinations with easy rail connections from London, including university cities, historic towns, seaside resorts, castles and places surrounded by nature, such as the famous New Forest and the Seven Sisters cliffs.

For each destination, I have listed the London station and train company for the quickest journey. Other, slower routes or journeys involving a change are often available from different London stations too (see my train-booking advice at the end of the article).

Oxford

Oxford is a beautiful little university city that feels like a journey back in time. The architecture in the centre and across its university colleges is full of charm. It is a wonderful example of an attractive, historic English city. Oxford is also associated with Lewis Carroll and therefore Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. More recently, scenes from the Harry Potter films were shot at several Oxford locations.

Essential things to see in Oxford:

Explore the historic centre and old libraries such as the Bodleian Old Library (book a tour well ahead) and the Radcliffe Camera, whose interior is accessible to the public only on certain guided tours. For museums, I recommend the Oxford University Museum of Natural History and the Ashmolean Museum. The best-known university colleges include Christ Church and Magdalen College.

Train from London to Oxford: about 50 minutes from Paddington station with Great Western Railway. Say hello to the little bear on platform 1 while you are there!
How long to stay: one day gives you a good overview. Allow two days if you want to visit several museums or university buildings.

Where to eat in Kraków: our favourite places

During our latest stay in Kraków, we had the chance to try several restaurants and foodie spots. We ate extremely well, and for less than in many other European cities! The children really enjoyed Polish cuisine. So here are all the places we tried and that the whole family approved of!

Our favourite restaurants and cafés in Kraków

In the Old Town:

Pierogarnia Góralska ❤

For our first lunch in Kraków, we really wanted to have pierogi (small Polish dumplings), as the children had loved this dish during our very first stay in Poland a few years ago. It is one of those specialities that almost everyone enjoys, and children love it! They come with all kinds of fillings: potato, cabbage, mushrooms, meat and more. The pierogi at Pierogarnia Góralska were absolutely excellent! The texture of the dough was just how we like it: fresh and al dente. The terrace of this little restaurant is also very pleasant, right in the heart of the Old Town. The only slight drawback was the wait. They do warn you that the pierogi are freshly prepared, but it felt as though they had gone out to pick the mushrooms themselves! Still, they were so good that we recommend this place if you are not in a hurry.

Pierogarnia Góralska: Plac Dominikański, Kraków

4 days in Barcelona with our teenagers

For the Easter long weekend, we spent 4 days in Barcelona as a family. Ticoeur and Titpuce are now teenagers, so the programme was different from the last time when they were young children. I’m going to tell you about our visits and walks day by day, to inspire you, and I’ll also tell you what our teenagers liked most in Barcelona! I can already tell you that we still love this city just as much!

Children’s ages: Titpuce 14 and Ticoeur 16
Time of year: Early April. We had dream weather!

Barcelona as a family: 4 days and 3 nights

You’ll notice that we zigzagged around the city a lot. Our journeys in Barcelona were not optimised because we had booked certain visits at specific times that didn’t follow on from one another. In fact, to make the most of all Barcelona’s bargains and free museums, you have to juggle the days and times. Read my article: Visiting Barcelona without breaking the bank.

As usual, I’ve added little ❤ symbols for our favourites!

Day 1: the Gothic Quarter, Sant Pau and Montjuïc

We arrived in Barcelona just before midday. We dropped our bags at our accommodation, in the Les Corts district, and started with tapas on a terrace in a very pretty square in the neighbourhood (see good addresses below).

After lunch, we got straight into things by taking the metro to the Gothic Quarter. The Gothic Quarter is the historic heart of Barcelona. Starting from La Rambla (the main central artery), we passed the famous Boqueria market, then headed towards the lovely Plaça Reial ❤ with its arcades and palm trees. I’m attached to this square, where we took lots of photos of the children when they were little. We recreated the series now that they’re bigger! Then we wandered through the little streets around the Cathedral. As it was Good Friday, there was a mass taking place right outside! It was unusual to have the service in the square rather than inside!

Hampstead in London: 5 places to discover

Shall I take you to explore Hampstead in north London? This elegant neighbourhood is known for its village atmosphere and vast, wild green spaces. It is not an area I would recommend for a first visit to London, but it is a very pleasant residential neighbourhood off the usual tourist trail and offers a completely different view of the city once you know the main sights. See my list of 10 London walks in the complete guide. On a bright, sunny day, visiting Hampstead is a wonderful experience, with a village atmosphere, several museums and parks with views. Here are 5 places to discover in Hampstead.

1 – Freud’s house

I’ll begin with a favourite. I loved visiting Freud’s house in the south of Hampstead and found the Freud family’s story fascinating. The audio guide is excellent. Freud settled in London in 1938 after fleeing Austria following its annexation by Nazi Germany. The beautiful house contains personal belongings and even his famous psychoanalytic couch. I recommend the visit if you are interested in Freud and this period of history. We went without the children, as it would not really have interested them. The museum is open from Wednesday to Sunday; check official opening times and admission prices on the Freud Museum website.

Underground: Finchley Road on the Jubilee line, followed by an 8-minute walk; Hampstead on the Northern line, followed by a 15-minute walk; or Swiss Cottage on the Jubilee line.

Façade of the Freud Museum house in Hampstead — Sigmund Freud’s house museum

7 tips for visiting Barcelona as a family without breaking the bank!

When I booked our long weekend in Barcelona as a family, I wasn’t expecting to discover that Barcelona had become such an expensive city! We’d been there several times in the past and it used to be a pretty budget-friendly city. The last time we were there was for my Titpuce’s 5th birthday, so that was a while ago! Inflation has clearly happened since then, but not only that! Barcelona is a victim of its own success and tourists pay the price! Luckily, I found several ways to save money on our spending. So I’m going to share my finds with you, so that you too can visit Barcelona as a family without breaking the bank!

Children’s ages: Titpuce 14 and Ticoeur 16 Time of year: Easter, in bright sunshine and 21 degrees! And that dream weather is… free 🙂

1- Visit Barcelona on the first Sunday of the month:

Because good news! There are some great free museums!

We were in Barcelona during the first weekend of April and we were able to take advantage of free entry to several Barcelona museums, including one of Gaudí’s houses! But watch out! Even if the tickets are free, you still have to book them in advance online, and make sure you don’t get the booking timing wrong because these free tickets go very fast!

Palau Güell: free on the first Sunday of the month – to book the previous Thursday at 10am

Visiting a Gaudí work for free—believe me, it’s a miracle! Among all the things to do in Barcelona, the biggest budget item is getting into the famous Gaudí houses: Casa Batlló, Casa Milà (or La Pedrera) and Casa Vicens. Each costs €20–25 per person. Luckily, one Gaudí building offers free entry on the first Sunday of the month: Palau Güell. Thank you! This palace, located in central Barcelona just a stone’s throw from La Rambla, is one of the architect’s first commissions, made at the request of his patron, the wealthy Eusebi Güell. Palau Güell is therefore a pure example of Catalan Art Nouveau style. It’s the famous movement known as Modernism. You’ll see many characteristic details such as wrought iron and noble materials. You can already see all of Gaudí’s creativity and originality—especially his rooftop chimney style.

Our 10 family hikes in Aragon

Last summer, we drove down in our van to northern Spain and explored Aragon as a family. Our goal? Beautiful mountains for hiking and good food: Aragon offered us all that and even more! We were delighted by the varied landscapes, from mountains to plains, with pretty rivers. We even enhanced our family hiking experience with a canyoning outing! A first for the children! Great memories! I’m going to break down our 6-day road trip through Aragon, from the Pyrenees border down to Zaragoza, and share our 10 family hikes in Aragon!

Time of year: the 3rd week of July

Children’s ages: 13 and 15.

To keep it simple, among our 10 hikes there are 5 short and easy hikes and 5 moderate-to-challenging hikes, including one canyoning hike! So there’s something for every level! You can therefore imagine a less sporty version of our Aragon road trip by choosing the easy walks and easier variants. On top of the hiking programme, there’s plenty to enjoy between swims in rivers and waterfalls (the children loved it!) and visiting villages. Below, I’ve listed our hikes in chronological order of our 6-night road trip in Aragon.

Here are all the details of our 10 hikes in Aragon!

1 – The Hunter’s Trail hike (Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park)

Sporty hike, medium difficulty – 20 km loop – 750 m elevation gain – 6 hrs with a picnic break (7 hrs advertised)

After a quick breakfast, we park at the large car park in Torla, where you have to take a bus to the start of the hikes (the bus runs every 15 minutes from 7am). It’s a bit frustrating to start a hike by taking a bus, but apparently, in high season, there isn’t enough parking at Ordesa (the start of the hikes). It’s also to avoid too much traffic on winding roads.

We start the Hunter’s Trail hike (senda de los cazadores) at 8.30am and walk anti-clockwise. That way, we begin with the hardest part: a steep climb that lasts 1 hour 30 minutes. There are very few hikers on this trail because most visitors choose the waterfalls hike (see the shorter version below).

After our big ascent, we reach Faja de Pelay, a balcony path, fairly narrow but easy, offering magnificent views of the mountains. We catch sight of the Breach of Roland, which we’d already seen in France on a hike at the Cirque de Gavarnie.

Visiting the Bardenas Reales with kids in one day

Last summer, during our road trip through northern Spain, we spent a family day in the Bardenas Reales, in Navarre. This extraordinary semi-desert landscape feels like the set of a Western, and we had wanted to visit for a very long time!

The Bardenas Reales Natural Park covers 41,845 hectares and was designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 2000. The Bardenas offer an arid, lunar landscape dotted with geological formations sculpted by the elements. We loved our family day in the Bardenas, with a good mix of the scenic driving circuit in the morning and a proper afternoon hike in a quieter part of the park. Even better, visiting the Bardenas is free!

Campervan beside the Castildetierra rock formation in the Bardenas — Castildetierra hoodoo

Morning: the classic driving circuit through Blanca Baja

25 km driving circuit.

This is the essential circuit for a first visit to the Bardenas Reales, followed by almost every visitor. Many people complete only this circuit without exploring other areas of the park. In short, it is the must-see route!

3 days in Edinburgh with my teenager

We’ve just spent a long mother-daughter weekend in Edinburgh. As I already knew the Scottish capital, I tried to put together a 3-day programme tailored to my young teenager’s tastes, with references to Harry Potter, history and fascinating anecdotes, art and shopping! In 3 days in Edinburgh, I was able to delight her around her interests while also showing her the city’s must-sees. In the end, at the grand age of 14, my girl loved this three-day weekend in Edinburgh. It really is an easy city break to manage for a solo mum, with guaranteed success with the kids! On the programme: Old Town, New Town, Dean Village and other lesser-known Edinburgh neighbourhoods. So, shall I take you along for the tour?

Edinburgh with my young teenager: visiting the Old Town

To visit the Old Town, allow between 1 and 2 days.

Victoria Street ❤

We started with this famous colourful, curved, cobbled street in the medieval centre of Edinburgh. It’s one of the prettiest in the city, in the Victorian style. What’s more, it is said to have inspired Diagon Alley for the Harry Potter films, so it was a good way to ease my girl in! Above the row of multicoloured houses is a balcony-terrace (Victoria Terrace), which we climbed up to for another view of the street. Several shops and cafés on Victoria Street are popular, including the Elephant House café, where J.K. Rowling began writing Harry Potter (it isn’t the original premises).

For more details on the places linked to the Harry Potter saga, read my article on the trail of Harry Potter in Edinburgh.

Edinburgh & Harry Potter: 10 places not to miss!

If you’re planning to visit Edinburgh with teenagers or children who are Harry Potter fans, I hope this little guide will help you plan your walk yourselves. By the way, perhaps you’re Harry Potter fans too? But just so you know, that’s not my case! This detail is important because it means I can assure you that setting off on the trail of Harry Potter in Edinburgh didn’t bother me in the slightest, because it lets you see the city’s must-sees! Even though I’m a kind mum, I wouldn’t have played along so much if that hadn’t been the case. For these 3 days in Edinburgh with my young teenager, I happily researched places, anecdotes and information linked to Harry Potter to enrich a walk we would have done anyway to visit the city. My girl loved discovering these places – she who has read the Harry Potter saga four times! And I was happy to make her happy!

Some of the places below are reminiscent of the Harry Potter books, others of the films, and others again are more linked to J.K. Rowling herself. So here are these 10 Harry Potter places we saw in Edinburgh!

Victoria Street or Diagon Alley?

Victoria Street is a very beautiful historic street that links George IV Bridge diagonally with Grassmarket. A diagonal, then, like… Diagon Alley.

Even if our imagination can’t help seeing a connection with Harry Potter, that doesn’t mean J.K. Rowling had Victoria Street in mind when writing her books. However, she lived in Edinburgh, and both the atmosphere and the architecture of the city may have inspired her indirectly. Between the small colourful façades and the cobblestones, Victoria Street really does call to mind the visual world of the film.

Bonus info: you can wander through the “fake Victoria Street”, the film set, if you visit the Harry Potter Studios. We have been there 3 times, so find all our tips for visiting the Harry Potter Studios as a family.

Visiting Brighton with the family

After visiting Brighton with the family several times, it was high time I wrote a little article about it! Brighton is probably the English seaside resort most visited by tourists. I wouldn’t say it is my favourite, but this coastal city in East Sussex clearly has plenty going for it: a magnificent palace, a seafront location and a slightly bohemian atmosphere. It also has the advantage of being only an hour from London. What can you see in Brighton on a day trip from London? Or what can you see in Brighton in two days? You can explore Brighton’s main sights entirely on foot. Here is a summary of what we saw in Brighton.

As for the photos, you will see a mixture from our different visits to Brighton, so don’t be surprised by the changing seasons and the children’s different ages!

Visiting Brighton: the Royal Pavilion

I’ll start with the place I recommend most highly. It was a real favourite of ours! In my opinion, the Royal Pavilion ❤ is Brighton’s most interesting attraction. It was once the home of the Prince Regent, who later became George IV. The Prince was known for his excesses, but also for his good taste in architecture, interior design and art. He had the Royal Pavilion built to escape the pressures of family life and London. It was a bit like his bachelor pad, only in a super-luxurious version! The exterior was inspired by India, with its lovely domes—it really transports you elsewhere. You can walk all the way around the palace to admire it from every angle, both from the street and from the gardens.

The interiors are absolutely fabulous, so I recommend booking a visit (book on the Royal Pavilion website). The audio guide is very interesting and there is a special children’s tour. Every room has its own character and style, but they are all spectacular. In short, we loved it!

Here are a few photos: