On our latest trip we stayed in Airbnbs, apartments we found on Booking.com, and in hotels. We stayed in 8 places in 14 days 😳😳. Today I’m sharing some things we take into account when picking a place to stay for our family of five: 1. Location. If we are in a city we like to be in walking distance of things we want to do, or close to public transportation. If we have a car we like to stay central to the places we want to visit in a particular area. It’s also nice if there is a grocery store and restaurants nearby. Also, look at the map before you book and make sure they aren’t exaggerating the location. 2. Cost. We assess our budget and try to pick places to stay that are within our range. For this trip our lodging ranged between $150 per night up to $500 😳 because we were traveling in the high season. Usually we stick to the lower end but for a few places we decided it was worth the splurge. 3. Reviews. I pour over reviews and pictures. I try to get a sense of space and layout and contact owners if I have questions. I even keep reading reviews after we book until we visit so I’m aware of potential problems and set our expectations. If reviewers mention problems with communication, noise, or unexpected cancellations I’m usually pretty wary. 4. Amenities and Sleeping Arrangement: We like to book places that are 2-3 bedrooms, usually 2 bathrooms, have a kitchen and separate family sitting area. We also monitor cleanliness and functionality. We like to make sure they have enough beds or a cot, futon, or sofa bed for everyone to sleep comfortably. We also need Wi-Fi and a hairdryer is nice 😀. My husband is allergic to pets so we usually have to avoid anything that is pet-friendly. 5. Laundry. We always like to have a washer, and a dryer if we can find it. Makes it so we can pack less and reuse clothes. This last trip we had a washer/dryer in almost every location!!! What do you look for when you are booking lodging for your family? Have you run into problems before with anything you’ve booked? Later today I’ll share links from the places we stayed in London, Scotland, and Ireland in my stories...so stay tuned!

Do you have questions about traveling with kids or how we do it? We have a Q&A in our stories today, so submit a question and we’ll try to get to as many as we can! Or feel free to ask any questions in comments 👇❤️ and we’ll answer there too! Thanks for following along on our travels!!

Spent a gorgeous evening in London before we headed back to the USA. This time we just wandered and grabbed dinner and played at the playground in St. James Park. And stopped to see if the Queen was at Buckingham Palace 😉. All good trips must come to an end, but we’re pretty sad to head home. Aside from a few hiccups (and a still missing iPad 😩) this trip has been dreamy ❤️❤️

Just posted our stories about visiting these cliffs...The whole drive out I was worried it had been a wasted trip because it was raining so hard and was so foggy — but then suddenly the fog lifted and the rain mostly stopped and the cliffs looked magical. You won’t want to miss the video 😍😍

Our last day in Ireland was wonderful! We spent the morning enjoying the farm, then fit in a visit to Bunratty Castle and Folk Park, and ended with a drive through the Burren and a visit to the Cliffs of Moher. I took so many photos and videos that my phone is barely working 😂😂 on our slow internet so hopefully I’ll get some stories posted later tonight 🤞🤞 Have you been watching our stories? Is there anything you want to hear more about from our trip?

We are seriously obsessed with our latest @airbnb find. A cottage on castle grounds! You can also stay in the castle, but we wanted the farm experience. There is a pony, cat, dogs, chickens, and lots of space to roam. Check out my stories for some videos. What’s the coolest place you’ve ever stayed? This is definitely in our top 5.

I woke up to a text this morning from a dear friend (who is currently traveling with her kids) telling me that she doesn’t think she is meant to travel with her kids. It’s too hard. There is a lot out of her control. When WE travel it is hard too (and amazing — but we are focusing on the hard today). Kids misbehave and fight. Husbands and wives throw mini tantrums or fight. Something always goes wrong, a few times. We put ourselves way out of our comfort zones...So, why do we keep traveling with our kids? Well, first, usually I forget all of the bad stuff once we come home and only remember the good 😂😂. Second, because life is messy whether or not you are traveling so you might as well be somewhere cool occasionally. And, third, [insert here] all of the reasons YOU travel with your kids. Family bonding, cultural experiences, trying new food, building resilience, expanding kids’ horizons, learning languages, etc. Why do you keep traveling even when it can be hard? What motivates you? I’d love to hear what you think 👇

We made it to Killarney! Also, Ireland is beautiful and we have lucked out with amazing weather so far 🤞🤞but we hear that might be changing. What do you do when weather gets in the way of your plans? We packed lots of rain gear and our kids haven’t even worn their new rain boots yet so I think they’ve been praying for a storm 😂😂 (highlights from today’s drive between Dublin and Killarney are in stories)

We made it to Ireland and we can’t wait to explore! We are staying in Dublin one night, the Killarney area two nights, and the Galway area two nights. It feels like we’ve already been on four trips in 8 days (London, Edinburgh, Highlands, Galway) and the fun continues! Do you prefer to stay in just a few places when you travel or hop around a lot? We are loving the quick pace of our trip this time, but definitely want to come back to a few places to visit them in more depth!

A day in Glasgow. It went by fast, but we managed to fit in a lot (we walked 10 miles!). Just finished sharing our highlights in stories. It’s always amazing to me how much boundless energy kids have — especially when it’s time to sit down and behave during a meal 😂 We’ve been playing “I spy” and “I’m thinking of...” at every meal. Any other games you suggest playing to keep kids entertained at dinner?