Browsing Category

Cottage & villa holidays

Cottage & villa holidays, Europe, Italy

Where to stay in the Italian Lakes

Thinking of taking a trip to the Italian Lakes but not sure where to stay? We’ve partnered with Bookings For You, who specialise in self-catering properties in the Lake Maggiore and Lake Como regions, to provide you with some travel inspiration. Based in the UK, Bookings For You provides an excellent level of service (we say that based on our own personal experience) paired with an abundance of local knowledge. They have a huge variety of properties on offer and can assist in finding villas and apartments that best suit needs, taste and budget. Plus they know the lakes well which is useful when it comes to making the most of a trip!

Continue Reading…
Cottage & villa holidays, Europe, Family, Food & drink, Italy

Tuscany: Villa Le Capanne with Bookings For You

I’ve recently returned from the most brilliant long weekend in Tuscany with 12 of my fellow family travel bloggers. We’d travelled there to review Country Relais and Spa Le Capanne (Villa Le Capanne) which is a magnificent property from Bookings For You set in the Tuscan countryside. We knew we’d have an incredible weekend but I don’t think any of us anticipated quite how great a trip it would be. The Giovannini family made us feel relaxed from the off, their hospitality and kindness exceptional, their Tuscan cuisine exquisite and their attention to detail impeccable. If that wasn’t enough, we laughed until our sides ached and our cheeks hurt, we danced and we sang. We packed a lot in too, exploring the likes of Volterra, Siena and Florence during our four-day stay. We had a truly memorable trip to Tuscany which was pretty much perfect from beginning to the end.

Continue Reading…

Cottage & villa holidays, Europe, Family, Spain

A rustic cottage in the Sierra del Sueve

The Sierra del Sueve is a limestone massif located in the Central Eastern area of Asturias. A Northern foothill of the Cantabrian mountains, the range is situated between Colunga and Caravia in the North West and Ribadesella, Piloña and Parres in the East and South. Our base for two weeks was a rustic cottage surrounded by a private meadow and offering views of the Ponga National Park.

Continue Reading…

Cottage & villa holidays, Europe, Family, Spain

Lanzarote with James Villa Holidays

Before we became parents we’d often book holidays at the last minute. It doesn’t happen so much these days with POD being at school but we do relish an impromptu break. As well as pre-planning the bigger holidays of course! That said this February we had an overwhelming desire to escape to the sunshine. While long haul destinations were certainly in the mix, in the end we opted for the Canaries over the half term period as it’s only a four hour flight. The ‘POD Father’ and I visited Lanzarote some 8 years ago so it was exciting to be heading back to the island as a family. Plus we only had to wait three weeks before jetting off!

Continue Reading…

Adventure, Cottage & villa holidays, Europe, Family, Off the beaten track, Spain

A rustic gem with views of the Picos

We’ve always gone out of our way to avoid the peak holiday season so now POD’s at school we’ve had to be a little more creative. Our road trip in Northern Spain is a great example of having a tourist free holiday. It’s certainly one of the favourites as we got to go on so many adventures. We took Brittany Ferries from Portsmouth to Bilbao, driving a couple of hours to the Liebana region from there. Our destination was the small village of Trillayo which is situated in the Bedoya Valley.

Continue Reading…

Cottage & villa holidays, Family, Self catering

The benefits of a baby friendly holiday

The Doves travelled far and wide before POD came along, some 35 countries at the last count. We told ourselves nothing would change when she arrived – well not as far as travel was concerned anyway! Some five years on, it really is the best travelling as a family and seeing more of the world through POD’s eyes. Her excitement is so infectious and I just love that. Looking back, there’s so much more flexibility when children are smaller. Picking a family holiday is easy enough but it can be a challenge finding baby friendly accommodation that really does tick all the boxes.

Continue Reading…

Find us on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/podtravels/