Family Travel Network

Plan a family cruise to Alaska this year! Holland America Line's Ultimate Upgrade Event through March 31 offers $75 kids’ cruise rates on select 2022 Alaska itineraries, FREE stateroom upgrades and much more. Get details here: https://bit.ly/3t03lDV

The non-profit Family Travel Association now has three great prizes as part of their vacation raffle. The first prize winner will select the vacation of their choice from three great trips. The second winner will choose from the remaining two trips and the third winner will receive the other trip. Each prize is valued at over $3000.

The three prize winning trips are:

An amazing Dude Ranch Vacation for two people for four nights (the winner can choose from 5 different properties - see prize description).
A 7-day G Adventures Costa Rica: land Monteverde and La Fortuna tour for two people.
An All-inclusive Club Med trip for a family of 4 for a 3-night land only vacation at one of the following resorts in Club Med North America: Club Med Cancun / Mexico Club Med Punta Cana / Dominican Republic

A portion of the funds raised will go to the favorite non-profits of the organization that donated the trips. The balance will help fund, revamping the FTA website, up-dating the organization's CRM and general FTA back end operations.

Check out the vacation raffle details here: https://www.rafflecreator.com/pages/51490/family-travel-association-holiday-vacation-raffle.

Check out this great vacation raffle from the non-profit Family Travel Association - just in time for the holidays! These two fantastic trips are perfect for your next family vacation. Get the details here: https://www.facebook.com/familytravelassociation?fbclid=IwAR1XVDV6vqO0Hsg6lXXg3MOtSL25gM4oUJCu6l5P-cAbVaeTPibDdxiecSk

Planning a future cruise with family and friends? Check out this great "buy one - gift one" free stateroom deal from Holland America Line https://www.hollandamerica.com/en_US/deals/buy-one-gift-one.html

Want to put a little holiday sparkle in your day? Several of America's largest Christmas markets have gone virtual this year, so you and your family can enjoy the European Christmas markets experience from the comfort and safety of your own home. If you’re looking for ways to get in the holiday spirit, check out these three virtual U.S. Christmas markets:

Christkindlmarket Virtual Christmas Market Chicago - Chicago, IL
This large open-air Christmas market was launched in 1996 and has become a popular Chicago tradition. This year, the Chicago Christkindlmarket has gone completely virtual with its “Home for the Holidays” website featuring an online shopping marketplace, fun activities for kids and families, and interactive activities. Online visitors can shop for gift boxes, mugs, bath and body items, handmade ornaments, clothing and accessories, toys and games, home décor, beverages and other items from 47 Christkindlmarket vendors. Children can join the Kinder Club and have fun downloading coloring pages and going on scavenger hunts. Special events take place through December 20 as well. For more information, visit https://www.christkindlmarket.com.

St. Paul Virtual Christmas Market – St. Paul, MN
St. Paul’s European Christmas Market will not be taking place in person during the 2020 holiday season, but will be offered virtually instead. Visit the Market’s website to browse products from local crafters, artisans and vendors selling handmade gifts. A special beverage gift box is available as well. European holiday entertainment is offered via video through December 24. For more information on this year’s virtual market and to access shopping and events, visit https://stpaulchristmasmarket.org.

Texas Virtual Christkindl Market – Arlington, TX
This German-inspired holiday market is designed to be similar to the Christkindlesmarkt in Rothenberg ob der Tauber, Germany. While the market will not have a physical location this year, Christmas Market lovers can still find unique holiday gifts from vendors, find recipes for German holiday treats, enjoy live performances, and listen to holiday music on the Christkindl Market website. There’s a special KinderClub with activities for kids on the site, too. For more information on this year’s virtual market and to access shopping and performances, visit https://www.txchristkindlmarket.com.

The Christkindlmarket Enjoy the unique shopping experience at The Christkindlmarket.

This is a great year for families to get in the holiday spirit while enjoying a drive-through festive light show. These festive experiences feature millions of holiday lights, colorful displays, beautifully decorated Christmas trees, classic characters and special add-on activities.

Here are twelve of the best holiday light shows located throughout the United States:

1. Austin Trail of Lights, Texas
The 56th annual Austin Trail of Lights in Zilker Park is designed to be a drive-through only event this year. The trail features more than 2 million holiday lights, 90 beautifully decorated holiday trees and 70 other holiday displays of various kinds. A variety of different ticket types are available and all can be purchased online. For more information about the Austin Trail of Lights event, visit https://austintrailoflights.org.

2. Bull Run Festival of Lights, Virginia
Guests can enjoy driving along this 2.5 mile route illuminated by festive holiday light displays. Tickets are sold per vehicle and can be purchased online in advance. Discounts are available for festival visits on Monday through Thursday. For more information about the Bull Run Festival of Lights in Manassas, visit https://www.novaparks.com/events/bull-run-festival-of-lights.
3. Bright Nights at Forest Park, Massachusetts

Bright Nights has welcomed more than 6 million visitors since its inception in 1995. This holiday event has been named as one of the “Top 100 Attractions in North America” by the American Bus Association and “One of the Top Ten Holiday Happenings in America” by People.com. Holiday light displays cover a wide variety of themes. For more information on Springfield's Bright Nights event in Forest Park, visit https://www.brightnights.org.

4. Celebration in the Oaks, Louisiana
New Orleans' Celebration in the Oaks has been named as one of America's top holiday light shows. This year’s driving tour features 2.25 miles of light displays and over 1 million twinkling lights. Tickets must be purchased in advance and are date specific for a set timeslot. Select add-on activities like train rides, marshmallow roasting and hot chocolate are available as well. For more information on New Orleans' Celebration in the Oaks, visit http://neworleanscitypark.com/celebration-in-the-oaks.

5. Glittering Lights at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Nevada
This popular drive-through Christmas light show is a Nevada holiday tradition for many. The spectacular displays decorating 2.5 miles of the Las Vegas Motor Speedway feature millions of twinkling lights and decorations. A portion of the ticket sales from this event benefit Speedway Children’s Charities. For more information, visit http://www.glitteringlightslasvegas.com.

6. Glow Holiday Festival, Minnesota
Navigate through this beautiful holiday lights display at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds in Falcon Heights, Minnesota. This mile-long drive-through experience with multiple stops takes about 40 minutes and features over a million twinkling holiday lights, decorated and illuminated holiday trees, a festive gingerbread house, a variety of art displays and much more. Guests are required to stay in their car throughout the experience. Tickets must be purchased in advance. For more information about the Glow Holiday Festival, visit https://www.glowholiday.com.

7. Hershey Sweet Lights, Pennsylvania
Located just a short drive from Hersheypark, Hershey Sweet Lights is a popular holiday drive-through attraction. It featuring two miles of trails decorated with close to 600 illuminated displays made up of about 2 million LED lights. The attraction has been nominated for a 2020 USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice travel award as one of the best holiday lights displays in America. For more information, visit https://www.hersheypark.com/explore-the.../christmas.php....

8. Holiday Festival of Lights, South Carolina
This year's Holiday Festival of Lights in Charleston's James Island County Park is a drive-through event, only. The holiday display, named as one of the best in the Southeast, features millions of twinkling lights adorning more than 700 displays set along the three-mile route. Guests have the opportunity to purchase scrumptious holiday treats from the event's drive-up concessions area as well. For more information about Charleston's Holiday Festival of Lights, visit https://ccprc.com/1975/Holiday-Festival-of-Lights.

9. Lights On The Lake, New York
Located in Onondaga Lake Park, Lights On The Lake is a 2-mile long drive-through light show featuring massive holiday displays including the Land of Oz, a twinkling fantasy forest, colorful arches and a magical finale. Tickets are available online and must be purchased in advance. For more information about Syracuse's Lights on the Lake holiday event, visit https://www.lightsonthelake.com.

10. Oglebay Winter Festival of Lights, West Virginia
Oglebay Resort’s Winter Festival of Lights began in 1985 and has grown into one of America’s largest holiday light displays, attracting over 1 million visitors yearly. The 6-mile drive-through attraction features 300 acres of twinkling lights and more than 90 lighted displays. A life-sized nativity display, guided trolley tours, Snowflake Express Train rides and other attractions are also available. For more information about the Oglebay Winter Festival of Lights at Oglebay Resort, visit https://oglebay.com/lights.

11. Portland International Raceway’s Winter Wonderland, Oregon
Portland International Raceway’s Winter Wonderland is known as the “Largest Holiday Light Show West of the Mississippi.” Guests can view over 250 colorful lighted displays and animated scenes while driving along the raceway. Over 2 million visitors have enjoyed this attraction since its inception. Tickets must be purchased online. For more information on Portland International Raceway’s Winter Wonderland holiday lights event, visit http://winterwonderlandportland.com.

12. Winter Fest OC’s Night of Lights OC, California
Guests can enjoy an interactive 1-mile drive through a winter wonderland of lights at this holiday event featuring over one million lights animated to music, plus snow flurries, Santa and more. Seasonal foods and beverages are also available as well. For more information on Costa Mesa’s Night of Lights OC, visit https://winterfestoc.com.

Make sure to check out today’s premiere of “Magic of Disney’s Animal Kingdom” from National Geographic streaming now on Disney+. The program offers an exclusive look at the more than 5000 animals who live at Walt Disney World Resort and how they’re cared for in their special home. This adorable female Masai giraffe was born at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park on Tuesday. So cute! Learn more on the Disney Parks Blog: bit.ly/36a2QfM

“Magic of Disney’s Animal Kingdom” Premiere Day Sees Special Giraffe Delivery To say we’re excited at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park is putting it lightly – we are over the moon ecstatic about the premiere of “Magic of Disney’s Animal Kingdom” from National Geographic, streaming today on Disney+. I know you

Take the family on a weeklong virtual voyage to Norway this week with Holland America Line. This virtual voyage sails roundtrip from Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and will "call" at some of Norway's most beautiful ports. Highlights of this virtual cruise will include shore excursion activities, live events, stunning videos of waterfalls and scenic fjords, and even a reading of a Norwegian children's story. Visit Holland America's page this week and join in the fun! https://www.facebook.com/HALCruises

Holland America Line Welcome to Holland America Line Facebook! We've been sailing for 150 years. Travel is our tradition.

Want to get away? Escape with your family to some of the world’s most unspoiled places on a Virtual Expedition with Lindblad Expeditions. This small ship adventure travel company’s Virtual Expedition will include educational activities for kids led by Lindblad’s certified field educators, live musical performances, naturalist lectures, cooking demonstrations, photography tips and more. A Daily Program will be posted to Lindblad’s Virtual Expedition each day with new discoveries and live activities. Check out this page and plan to go! https://www.expeditions.com/destinations/virtual/

Check out these Virtual Adventures for Kids from Austin Adventures. There were well over 1,000 registrations for the company's first Yellowstone National Park Virtual Adventures. These are designed primarily for kids ages 6-12, but anyone can join in the fun. Austin Adventures' next Virtual Adventure focuses on Alaska. Sign up now!

Virtual Adventures for Kids | Austin Adventures In an effort to help alleviate stress with Covid-19, Austin Adventures will be hosting a series of virtual adventures for kids. Click here to learn more!

Looking for great options for a memorable family vacation? Luxury river cruise company Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection is offering travelers their best savings of the year for 2020 river cruises. Uniworld's river cruises are a wonderful choice for multigenerational vacations as well. Guests will save up to 30% off on select sailings across most itineraries and room categories through January 3rd. Uniworld's family-friendly Generations Collection cruises are included in this deal. These cruises offer exclusive programs and excursions for young travelers. For more information, visit www.uniworld.com.

Global Family Travels is offering Black Friday Deals thru December on bucket-list family vacations by that address some of the big issues of our day, such as climate change, endangered wildlife, gender equality, and more. These family-focused vacations take place in destinations that span the beautiful island of Bali, grasslands of Africa, Andean peaks of Peru, ancient cities of Northern India, to the rain-forests of Costa Rica and beyond. For more information, check out this great blog post on the Global Family Travel website: https://www.globalfamilytravels.com/post/family-vacations-that-tackle-global-issues-and-turn-kids-into-world-citizens.

On Black Friday, family-friendly Trafalgar is offering up to 20% off on more than 40 trips worldwide. From cowboys and buffalos in America's wild west to spotting exotic monkeys and making chocolate with locals in Costa Rica, this global guided vacation company makes it easy for families to visit all corners of the globe. Prices include cherry-picked accommodations, locally-hosted meals, in-destination transport and expert Travel Directors and local guides to lead the way. This offer is valid on bookings made between November 29 through December 2, 2019 for select 2020 Trafalgar departures. For more information and to book, visit www.trafalgar.com.

Shopping for a warm weather getaway for your family? From November 29-December 2, 2019, you can book a stay at the Wyndham Grand Clearwater Beach in Clearwater, Florida and receive up to 35% off best available rates plus $100 in Food & Beverage credit. This offer is valid on stays between January 1 - May 28, 2020. For more information on this family-friendly resort, visit https://www.wyndhamhotels.com/wyndham-grand/clearwater-florida/wyndham-grand-clearwater-beach/overview.

Get ready to shop for great travel deals from Black Friday through Cyber Monday this year. We'll be posting some of the best ones here. Located on Paradise Island in The Bahamas, Atlantis is offering Five Days of Savings from November 28 to December 2, 2019. Families can view the website each day to uncover different offers including air/hotel savings, 35% room savings, up to $600 resort credit, a complimentary night, 5th night free and more. Atlantis can be reached via flights into Nassau, Bahamas. For more information on this family-friendly resort, visit https://www.atlantisbahamas.com.

Iceland is a wonderful choice for a family vacation, either on its own or as part of a free Icelandair stopover. Check out these seven great reasons to start planning your family's Iceland adventure now.

http://www.familytravelnetwork.com/articles/Plan_An_Iceland_Family_Escape_2019.asp

Iceland is a fantastic choice for a family vacation. Here's why Iceland is such a great family travel destination, along with some tips on planning your family's adventure in Iceland.

Plan An Iceland Family Escape Iceland is a wonderful choice for a family vacation, either on its own or as part of a free stopover that’s available when flying on Icelandair across the Atlantic. Icelandair can be a good choice for low–cost flights to Europe, so take advantage of their free benefit by adding Iceland to your f...

An AmaWaterways Mekong River cruise is an enriching adventure for families and multigenerational groups. Check out these seven reasons to put this unforgettable experience on your family travel bucket list.

Take Your Family On An AmaWaterways Mekong River Cruise Families and multigenerational groups are seeking enriching family vacations that allow their children to learn about the world in a memorable way. Exploring Vietnam and Cambodia together is certainly that kind of trip. Family vacations here provide an incredible combination of learning, adventure a...

Sail Away! Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line is offering special Kids Sail Free deals for bookings made between July 2-7. Supervised free kids programs for children ages 3-17, too. Book soon to take advantage of this offer.

Best Cruise Deals 2019| Last Minutes Cruise Deals |Limited Period Discount Cruise Offers -Bahamas Paradise Cruise Get the best bahamas cruise deals of 2019 with Bahamas Paradise Cruise.Check out our Upcoming and Limited Period Cruise offers and Last minute cruise deals available at a cheaper and discounted price

Planning a family vacation in Washington, DC? In addition to visiting Washington's monuments and museums, plan to take the kids to Great Falls National Park. This fantastic 800-acre national park is located just 15 miles from the Nation’s Capital in Virginia. Here, the Potomac River flows through narrow Mather Gorge, creating a series of stunning beautiful falls. In addition to the falls, there are lots of hiking trails to explore. There’s a great Junior Ranger Program for children ages 5 and older as well, allowing kids to earn a Junior Ranger Badge for completing age-specific activities. Junior Ranger booklets can be picked up at the Visitor Center or downloaded online from Great Falls National Park’s website.

Planning your next family vacation? Check out these ten reasons to book a Carnival Horizon cruise.

10 Reasons To Book A Carnival Horizon Family Cruise 10 Reasons To Book A Carnival Horizon Family Cruise

Looking for a wonderful European family cruise experience? CroisiEurope offers kid-friendly CroisiFamily itineraries with free cruises for children under 16 in Portugal, Spain and Italy. Check out these great itineraries and the many additional benefits available on these cruises as well.

Family cruises | CroisiEurope Cruises Enjoy the benefits of the CroisiFamily itineraries for an unforgettable family cruise for young and old: Free cruise for children under 16 Free cabin supplement Entertainment for children with BAFA certified animator A cabin next to the parents (from 5 years old) or accommodation in the same cabin (...

Ireland is a popular destination for family vacations. If you’re thinking about planning a family trip to Ireland, check out these ten reasons to visit the Emerald Isle with Vagabond Tours of Ireland. Their multi-sport trips are a great choice for families who want to dive deep into Ireland and discover the treasures the remarkable destination has to offer.

10 Reasons To Take A Vagabond Tour of Ireland Ireland ranks high on the list of dream vacations for many travelers. In fact, a recent Virtuoso report ranked Ireland as one of the top ten most popular destinations for vacations this year. Ireland is as appealing to first-time visitors as it is to return guests. Once vacationers have experienced....

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Beautiful beaches, spectacular sunsets, wild horses, historic places and awesome adventures. It's easy to see why North Carolina's Outer Banks was named the #1 family beach vacation in the USA by U.S. News & World Report. Lots of great family-friendly and pet-friendly places to stay, including Corolla Light rental homes and villas and The Inn at Corolla Light.

Be surrounded by amazing wildlife, explore remote beaches and hike through rainforest jungles on an UnCruise Adventures voyage in Costa Rica and Panama. So many great reasons to go!

Explore Costa Rica And Panama With UnCruise Adventures Outdoor activities and adventures are an important part of today’s top family vacations. Families enjoy hiking, kayaking and numerous water sports together on multi–sport adventures around the globe. Small ship cruises offer these same activities in some of the world’s most unspoiled destinati...

Looking for a luxury all-inclusive resort for your next tropical beach vacation? Here are twelve reasons why families choose Beaches Turks & Caicos.

Beaches Delivers Great Family Vacations Parents and multigenerational travelers planning family vacations know that choosing the right destination resort is the key to any great family vacation. Family travel agents and travel experts continually stress the importance of making a good match. For families seeking a beachfront resort with l...

Looking for a great family spring break deal in the Florida Keys? Hawks Cay Resort will be welcoming families to stay in select villas starting March 16, 2018, with a special rate that offers a savings of 30 percent. The resort is currently undergoing a renovation, which is scheduled to be complete this summer. In the meantime, Hawks Cay's partial opening includes select villas, the Coral Cay kids activity center, Angler & Ale (for breakfast, lunch and dinner), as well as the Sunset Pool and boat ramp. This family-friendly resort has released a Can’t Wait Rate for stays starting March 16 through the grand reopening. Hawks Cay Resort's large two-bedroom villas at the Can’t Wait Rate start at $339 per night.

Hawks Cay Resort Reopening Update The Hawks Cay Resort team appreciates the patience of the entire Hawks Cay Resort community for your support while we work to reopen our island paradise.

Family Travel Network Founder and Managing Editor Nancy Schretter will be talking about multigenerational family vacations, providing travel tips and answering questions at the New York Times Travel Show on Saturday, January 27. If you are attending, please stop by the Meet The Experts area (Booth #933) on Saturday from 12 noon to 12:45 p.m. Looking forward to seeing you there!

The New York Times Travel Show The New York Times Travel Show January 26 - 28, 2018 | Jacob Javits Center, NYC

Does your family like to return to the same place year after year? You're not alone! Discover ten reasons why people return to the same places again and again in this article from Huffington Post.

Travel Experts Explain Why People Return To The Same Places Again And Again Even the most adventurous travelers have their favorite repeat destinations.