Maman Voyage: all our family travel articles

Portugal with kids : the Algarve and the Lisbon area

We loved our holidays in Portugal with the kids! I wanted the children to be able to enjoy the sea, I was looking for affordable holidays and great weather. That’s why we opted for Portugal, a very family-friendly destination! Another idea I had in my mind was to travel in a campervan. I had looked at the rental offer all over Europe and it’s in Portugal that I found the best prices, so the first week we hired a vintage VW campervan from the 70’s. For the second week, we stayed in a B&B near Sintra, and then we took an apartment in the center of Lisbon for the end of our portuguese roadtrip.

Some friends told me that there would be too many tourists and too much heat in Algarve. Well, it was neither too hot nor too crowded. As for the weather, it was 26 degrees every day. Just perfect! Regarding tourists: yes, the south side of the Algarve is full of tourists but we avoided them by choosing to travel on the west coast, along the ocean. There, except for a few surfers, you’ll see it on my pictures, it’s really quiet! It is more difficult to avoid the crowd in Lisbon and Sintra at some tourist sites but it was ok. In short, the Algarve on the west coast is very good during the Summer Holidays!

General information about our roadtrip in Portugal:

Kids’ ages: 4 years old for my son and 1 and a half for my daughter.

Period: mid-August, at the height of the tourist season and the heat, but as I said, we had 26 degrees every day except our last two days in Lisbon: it was 32.

Duration: 2 weeks. One week in the Algarve and one week in Lisbon and its surroundings

Transport: we flew to Lisbon, then we went from Lisbon to Faro (capital of the Algarve) by train (3 hours). To get around, we had the Volkswagen combi the first week. For the second week, we looked at car rentals but it was too expensive for us. So, we decided to limit our trip around Lisbon and to visit only the surrounding areas easily accessible by train.

Itinerary of our family vacation in Portugal:

1 night in Lisbon : It was the occasion to see again this city that we like a lot.
1 night in Olhão : from Lisbon we travelled by train to Faro where we took our campervan. We stayed in Olhão near Faro in this nice fishing village before leaving for the west coast (night in a campsite in Olhão).
1 night in Sagrès : it is the south-western extremity of Europe! Now the wild coast begins… (wild camping)
1 night in Aljezur : further north on the west side… Lots of beautiful beaches nearby (overnight in a campsite)
1 night à Odeceixe : it is the most northern point of our journey, still on the west coast… (wild camping)
1 night at Amado Beach : magnificent beach! My favorite of our holidays! (wild camping)
1 night in Salema : we are back in the south but in a quiet part of the Algarve (night in a campsite)
1 night in Olhão : because we liked it and it’s just next to Faro where we have to return the VW campervan (night at the campsite)
1 night in Cascais : We take the train from Faro to Lisbon then we go to Cascais, a very pleasant seaside town at 40 minutes (by train) from Lisbon.
3 nights near Sintra : a very charming B&B with a huge swimming pool (La Quinta do Scoto) – visit of the beautiful castles in Sintra
2 nights in Lisbon : walks, museums and a great trip to the oceanarium!

Portugal with kids: a week in Algarve

During our week in the Algarve, we alternated nights in campsites and wild camping near beaches. I would like to point out, however, that officially, wild camping is forbidden – so I warned you…

Here are some pictures of the west coast of Algarve. We loved that coast! Not touristy and so wild! Amazing beaches all along!

Aljezur village:

Odeceixe village:

The most southwestern point of Europe in Sagres:

Our great vintage Volkswagen campervan, alias “Apple”… We hired our campervan from Siesta Campers. We totally recommend them!

So happy at the beach:…

To give you an idea of the beaches in the south, more crowded with tourists but very beautiful and without big waves…

The characteristic cliffs of the region:

Portugal with kids: in the Lisbon area

For our second week in Portugal we visited the Lisbon area.

Here is Cascais, a seaside town near Lisbon…

One of the magnificent estates to visit in Sintra: the Quinta da Regaleira…

Last stop: Lisbon…

Our tips to visit Portugal with kids or babies

Baby equipment :

We just took our baby carrier (Ergobaby) and a buggy. The buggy was not very useful and it was not very easy to drive in the streets of Lisbon (big cobblestones and big differences in level). The car seats were provided with the campervan. The cot for our daughter was also provided by our B&B and apartement. In the campervan, the children slept together on the back seat which became a large bed. We put our daughter in the back behind her brother so she wouldn’t fall out, and to be on the safe side, we put our (soft) suitcases at the foot of the bed in case…

Places to eat and places to stay in Portugal:

The restaurant called A Sagrès, in Sagrès: excellent fish restaurant at a real good price!
The fish market in Olhao to buy fish for your BBQ
Our B&B Quinta do Scoto in Meleças, near Sintra (you can book here)
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The restaurant Tala Adega Tipica near the B&B in Meleças near Sintra
The bakery Casa Brasileira for a breakfast in Lisbon (fresh fruit and the homemade pasteis de nata)
The roof top of the Bairro Alto Hotel for a drink with an incredible view over Lisbon.
The restaurant Ponto Final in Lisbon (you go there by boat. Beatiful place and excellent fish!)

Why we think it’s great to visit Portugal with a baby or young kids:

The west side of the Algarve is famous for surfing so yes there are waves but it is still very suitable for young children as on the beaches the waves have allowed the formation of “paddling pools” where children have maximum water up to their knees. In addition, at several beaches there are river arms which reach the sea and where it is therefore possible to swim without waves. Families usually land along the river while surfers are on the ocean side, but both are within a few meters of each other so it’s very convenient!
Our kids loved eating sardines 😉
The children’s favourite outing in Lisbon was to the oceanarium, not to be missed!
The town of Cascais near Lisbon is very pleasant with children: large park and seaside.
You can find nappies, milk and potties in the supermarket (note: there is little choice for salty potties).
Our son loved travelling in our VW campervan as for him, we travelled in Fillmore, one of the characters from the movie Cars!
Portuguese people were so welcoming!

The only negative point:

Walking the streets of Lisbon with children is exhausting! Cobblestones, sloping streets and crowded trams. Plus, it was too hot.

What about you? Are you tempted to spend some family holidays in Portugal?

Italian trip: our family visit of Puglia

Those who followed our adventures know it already, 10 days ago, we were in the South of Italy for a week-long trip with the children in the heel of the boot. We toured the Puglia Region, and we also made a detour to Basilicate, the neighbouring region. I was already in love with Italy, but now! This mezzogiorno region completely enchanted me! A real crush! I advise everyone to go there. For me, it’s one of the most beautiful trip one can do in South Europe with a wide variety of styles, between very old villages, trulli, baroque style, architecture that reminded me of Greece or Morocco in the coastal villages; the centenary olive trees in the background, a wonderful Adriatic Coast with turquoise shaded water and finally, a delicious cooking… A dream!

Age of Ticoeur : 3 years and a half
Age of Titpuce : 1 year

Season of the trip: mid-April to enjoy the nice spring temperatures. We had between 16 and 25 degrees with a first day that was grey, then bright sunshine. I could almost have bathed.

Duration: one week.

Transport: we had booked a flight Paris-Bari with Easyjet for about 100€ per person for a round-trip (free flight for Titpuce – you only have to pay for the airport taxes for children under 2 years old). The transport in the hold of two accessories per baby is free with Easyjet (strollers, baby bed, child car seat…): it’s very convenient! Then, on the spot, we rented a car (Fiat Punto) for 23 euros a day with Budget.

Itinerary:

2 nights in Matera: wonderful old city classified in the World Heritage of Humanity. A big crush for this stop in the Basilicate region! You must see it! [2019 Edit: Some of the scenes of the next James Bond movie will be shot in Matera!]

2 nights in Cisternino in a trullo, adorable little typical accommodation in Puglia. Visit of all the villages and towns around: Alberobello, Locorotondo, Marina Franca, Ostuni…

1 night in Lecce, the baroque city. Then, tour of the peninsula with its very beautiful coast until Gallipoli.

1 night in Polignano a Mare, adorable village flanked on a cliff on the South part of Bari. The following day: visit of Trani on our way to Gargano.

2 nights in the natural region of Gargano, in Vico del Gargano: fishermen villages, very beautiful beaches, forest… a wild environment…

This itinerary, we improvised it the day before we left. Now, if I had to do it again, I would choose between three options:

1/ the same itinerary but shortened by the Gargano because this very wild beautiful area alone deserves a whole week and requires that you take mountain roads that Ticoeur and Titpuce’s stomachs didn’t tolerate. Also, with all these bends, every trip takes more time so on a week, it’s too short to really enjoy the beauty of Gargano. So, I would add 1 night in Lecce and 1 night in Polignano to my initial itinerary.

2/ stay in a trullo in Cisternino or in another village of trulli and visit the whole Puglia region from only one drop point. You can do it because the distances are not too big.

3/ Consider a 2 week stay in Puglia because there really is a lot to do!

Baby equipment:

We had taken our foldable baby bed for Titpuce because we didn’t focus our researches on accommodations that were equipped for babies. For the rides, we used the Ergobaby for Titpuce and Ticoeur walked without a problem. This way, we managed not to be too heavily loaded, with only one suitcase per adult (as a cabin baggage) and Ticoeur brought his little “Woodours” bag to tidy his toys 😉

Good addresses:

A lot! Including:

the B&B i setti coni : we settled in a real trullo. It’s so cute! The landlady is lovely.

**** When you book a hotel on Booking by following a link on my articles, it allows me to receive a small commission: it does not change the price for you and it helps me maintain the blog. So thank you very much to those who book the hotels we recommend! ****

la trattoria di Nonna Tetti in Lecce (Piazetta Regina Maria): an authentic and local cooking in a typical setting, with a very reasonnable price.
the Osteria dei Mulini in Polignano a Mare: very delicate! Don’t hesitate to taste the carpaccio of octopus.
il Terrazzino in Matera: a restaurant that is touristic for sure, but we ate very well for a very affordable price: 4 euros for a pizza and 6 euros the delicious dish of pastas shaped like olive tree leaves! Very beautiful location in the old town.

The “baby pros”:

Ticoeur tested and approved all the playgrounds of Puglia 😉
He walked without a problem because the old villages gave him the impression of an adventure: stairs, passages, tunnels, little bridges…
Ticoeur loved the visit of a cave (Castellana) which I’ll tell you about again later
The historic city centres are only for pedestrians or with very limited traffic so it’s really appreciable for a family stroll.
The children liked the breaks on the beaches of the coast: play in the sand and soak the feet in the sea.
Ticoeur and Titpuce loved the Italian cooking!
We often had a baby chair in the restaurants
The car steps are short: between ¼ of an hour and about 2h top. We put the 2 hour trips during nap time.

The “baby cons” :

As I mentioned above, the only damper of our trip was the road in the Gargano area: the children were car-sick because there were only mountain roads in the wild part of Puglia…
I had already mentioned it: in Italy, I don’t like the offer of baby food-jar (too much meat and not enough vegetables). So, for Titpuce, we had brought a couple of baby dishes from France and we also gave her what we ate (she loves pastas!). Otherwise, concerning yoghurt, cheese, compote, baby formula, we find the same products as in France.

What about you? Are you tempted by the Puglia region with your family?

Also in Italy:

Aosta ValleyNature & hiking

5 family hikes in the Aosta ValleyItaly : our week in the Aosta Valley with the kids

SardiniaNature & hiking

Our 2 weeks in northern Sardinia: beach paradiseFamily holidays: our "best of" beaches in northern Sardinia from Bosa to Posada

TuscanyCulture

3 days in Florence as a familyA relaxed three-day Florence itinerary with kids: the Duomo, Uffizi, Palazzo Pitti, Boboli Gardens, family-friendly food and February travel tips.

CampaniaCulture

4 days in Naples as a familyOur trip to Naples with the kids during the February half-term: 4 amazing days!

Road trip in Scotland with a baby

For our very first summer with baby, we chose to spend 10 days in Scotland, to avoid extreme heat, crowded destinations and also to go hiking in the Highlands while baby still wasn’t too heavy! In Scotland, even in August, temperatures were mild and the landscapes were green. For this first family trip to Scotland, we focused on the Highlands, especially Isle of Skye, and, on the city side, we visited Edinburgh and Glasgow. We loved visiting Scotland with baby, and our Ticoeur was an angel throughout this travelling holiday (as always, to be fair!). I hope to show you just how pleasant and easy this destination is, even for new parents. In this article, you’ll discover our itinerary, our favourites and our hikes.

Ticoeur’s age: 11 months Time of year: August (it was about 18 degrees and we only had one rainy day! Phew!) Duration: 10 days

Our 10-day itinerary in Scotland with baby:

We did a travelling circuit in the Highlands, moving from B&B to B&B with our travel cot. The distances between two stops are not long. At most, we drove 3 hours in a day, and Ticoeur used the time to have his nap. Once there, we did short hikes of one or two hours, carrying Ticoeur in the sling. Here are our stops:

Arrival in Glasgow –> heading to Edinburgh
Edinburgh (2 nights)
Glencoe, for the hikes (3 nights)
Isle of Skye (2 nights)
Plockton (1 night)
Crianlarich in Trossachs National Park (1 night)
Glasgow (1 night)
Return to Paris

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Step by step, it looked like this…

Edinburgh: 2 days discovering the Scottish capital

Two days is a little short for discovering Edinburgh, but it gave us a good overview of the atmosphere and beauty of the Scottish capital.

Day 1: We discovered the Old Town around the Royal Mile, the main street, with the charm of its cobbled streets, cathedral and medieval buildings. The whole centre was very lively because the Fringe theatre festival was on.

Day 2: We visited New Town, the part of Edinburgh dating from the 18th and 19th centuries. In Princes Street Gardens, we didn’t miss a stop in front of the Ross Fountain, where there is a playground! Then we went for a bucolic walk in the picturesque Dean Village area along the Water of Leith. After lunch, we climbed Arthur’s Seat, an old volcano overlooking the city. The views are very beautiful! Then we visited Rosslyn Chapel, an iconic location in the book The Da Vinci Code.

2026 edit: I went back to the Scottish capital, so you can find my full article for spending 3 days in Edinburgh. Indeed, if you can, 3 days seems to me the ideal length!

Scotland road trip — Edinburgh, Old Town

Good addresses in Edinburgh:

Globetrotter Inn (youth hostel): tiny but inexpensive room, backpacker style, very beautiful building, very green setting, free shuttle to the city centre.
Café Marlayne: restaurant mixing French and Scottish cuisine. Very good and inventive.
Howies: an institution for trying Scottish cuisine.

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Leaving Edinburgh, we stopped in Stirling, a small historic town nicknamed “the gateway to the Highlands”. Then we drove through Queen Elizabeth Forest Park, stopping to walk up to the Rob Roy viewpoint in Aberfoyle, to stretch our legs. The rest of the route towards Glencoe offers superb panoramas over many “bens”!

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Glencoe: 3 days of short hikes with baby

The climb up the Pap of Glencoe ❤:

It took us two hours to climb to the top of the Pap of Glencoe, carrying Ticoeur in a sling. At the top, we had our picnic break (with a cold baby food jar for Ticoeur), then went back down. Papa Voyage carried baby on the way up and I carried him on the way down. We loved the magnificent landscapes over the mountains and lochs… We went back to the B&B to let baby have his nap!

The next day, we did two short hikes around Glencoe:

Lost Valley:

The climb to the “lost valley” took us 1 hr 30 and, perhaps because of its name, we did get a little lost! The light mist didn’t help. Let’s just say it put us in a lovely mysterious Scottish atmosphere! The trail is 4 km return, with about 300 m of elevation gain (allow around 3 hours for the return trip).

Lochan Trail:

This is a very short, easy walk around Lochan lake, through the forest. 1.6 km – about 45 minutes.

Good addresses in Glencoe:

Kate and Alan Ward – Saint Brides Old Rectory (B&B): very warm welcome, well located near the loch and not far from the hike starting points / North Ballachulish

Lochleven Seafood Café: by far the best restaurant we ate at in Scotland (we ate there 3 evenings in a row!). Delicious seafood at affordable prices and with inventive recipes.

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On the way between Glencoe and the Isle of Skye, we stopped in Fort William to do a few baby-related purchases.

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Isle of Skye with baby: 2 days on our favourite island!

Isle of Skye was the favourite stop of our Scotland road trip! Everything is beautiful on this island! You want to photograph every stone, every cliff, every sea view! Warning: the roads are winding! But fortunately, Scots are very polite and drive very courteously!

Just before Isle of Skye, you first come across the famous Eilean Donan Castle ❤ , one of the most photogenic castles in Scotland! We visited it, but our favourite part was more the exterior.

During our two days on the island, we visited the most beautiful places on Isle of Skye:

Neist Point

This is where the film Breaking the Waves was shot. We walked to the lighthouse.

Quiraing hike ❤

Superb 1 hr 30 hike! Breathtaking scenery! It was our favourite hike!

Kilt Rock

Then we stopped at Kilt Rock, a waterfall that drops into the sea.

Old Man of Storr ❤

This is truly the island’s unmissable hike, to admire the Old Man of Storr, which is a kind of giant menhir. It took us 1 hr 30 for the 5 km (with 340 m of elevation gain).

After this hike, we stopped at Café Arriba in Portree, the island’s pretty little capital. It was good and friendly.

Hike at Talisker

We walked in Talisker Bay, along the cliffs. It is magnificent! After this walk, we tried to visit the famous Talisker whisky distillery, but they don’t accept children.

Accommodation on Isle of Skye:

On Isle of Skye, we spent one night in Dunvegan and one night in Flodigarry.

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Plockton: 1 day

We continued our road trip towards Plockton, located just after leaving the Isle of Skye. It is less spectacular than Isle of Skye, but the seaside landscape is very restful, very beautiful. In short, we really liked the little town of Plockton.

Good addresses in Plockton:

Seafood Shore Restaurant: very good seafood dishes.

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The Trossachs National Park: 1 day

Then we drove back down into Trossachs National Park, passing through Crianlarich. There, we walked along the shores of Loch Lomond and admired Ben Lomond.

Very good dinner at the pub The Village Inn in Arrochar, right next to Loch Lomond. We tried their famous haggis, that slightly unusual Scottish speciality. The fish & chips is very good too.

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Glasgow: 1 day

Our stay in Glasgow was too quick: we only spent one night and one day there, with the programme including: a walk in the West End (a very nice neighbourhood) and a visit to the Burrell Collection in Pollok Park (8,000 works of art from all periods).

On the road between Loch Lomond and Glasgow, don’t miss a detour to this superb natural site, The Devil’s Pulpit but be careful because the descent is not secured and the path could be slippery after rain.

Good addresses in Glasgow:

The Kelvin Hotel West End : very warm family welcome in this small hotel located in a beautiful old house, in a pleasant neighbourhood.
Kember & Jones: for a quality snack in a lovely deli.

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Scotland with baby: practical information

The “baby pros” in Scotland:

a pleasant climate, neither too hot nor too cold in August. Do bring a small rain jacket, cardigan and hat for baby.
a very calm environment, as nature is everywhere and the region is not densely populated
perfect for hikes with baby because you can still carry them (it’s practical when baby is not walking yet)
Ticoeur had no trouble sleeping through the night; he fell asleep in less than a minute as soon as we put him in his bed. The time difference of only one hour was easy to manage.
in all the restaurants, we found high chairs, changing tables… And we often saw a children’s play corner in pubs!

The “baby cons” in Scotland:

you need to protect baby against midges bites (small harmless but unpleasant mosquitoes… use mosquito repellent or products against midges sold locally). We came across a cloud of midges once after a hike. We quickly got back in the car. Also watch out for ticks!
the risk of rain 🙂

Other practical information:

Budget: similar to France
Flight: we took a return Paris-Glasgow flight. Ticoeur slept the whole way, which earned him compliments from the other passengers, so happy not to endure children crying for an hour! We had brought the car seat and the travel cot because with EasyJet (and many airlines), any baby accessory can travel free of charge in the hold.
Car hire: we picked up our hire car at Glasgow airport. Then we had to drive on the left!
ETA: travel authorisation required, in addition to a passport, to enter the United Kingdom. Apply about 3 days before. Cost: £20 per person from 8 April 2026 – valid for 2 years.
Hikes: to find hikes suitable for a trip to Scotland with children (so hikes that are neither too difficult nor too long), I used a very well-designed site -> https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/
Baby equipment: baby sling, car seat and travel cot. Baby food jars and nappies bought locally. Don’t forget sun cream because you are very exposed in the mountains. For hiking, we really found that carrying baby in a sling was very practical and not too tiring.

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On our list for a future trip to Scotland with children:

More islands!: Arran, Jura and Mull really appeal to us for their end-of-the-world feel.
Visit more castles (especially haunted ones!): particularly in the eastern part of Scotland: Ballindalloch Castle, Castle Fraser…
Follow in Harry Potter’s footsteps: after visiting the Harry Potter Studios in London, we also want to see some of the filming locations from the films, such as the Glenfinnan Viaduct and Loch Arkaig.
Edit: we took a second trip to Scotland, one week as a family in the southern Highlands, discovering Oban, the Isle of Kerrera, Kilchurn Castle and Inveraray. That way, you can mix our two trips to Scotland to build the ideal stay that matches your wishes!

And you? Fancy discovering Scotland as a family?

Also in Scotland:

City of EdinburghCulture

Edinburgh & Harry Potter: 10 places not to miss!Discovering Edinburgh on the trail of Harry Potter during our mother-daughter weekend!

City of EdinburghWith teens

3 days in Edinburgh with my teenagerA long mother-daughter weekend in Edinburgh: Harry Potter, art, history and shopping in the Scottish capital