My Real Moms Who Travel series was always about sharing inspiring stories of mothers (and fathers) who travel with their kids. It’s for the families who don’t let life get in the way of taking their kids with them to explore the world. Quite often people choose not to travel with their kids because travelling with kids is hard, let’s not lie. However, the benefits of family travel almost always outweigh the difficulties. When I woke up to a guest post sitting in my inbox which completely gets this whole idea I knew I would be sharing it on my blog as soon as possible.
Meet Allison – a real life mom who loves to travel with her family
So, welcome to the Real Moms Who Travel series, Allison. We can’t wait to find out more about you. Allison is a family travel blogger at Allison Gygi Travels, and she has managed to turn her travel goals into a full-time job too.
Please share a bit about your family and life
My name is Allison. My blog, Allison Gygi Travels, details my experience in both family travel and travel without kids, tips for travelling with young children, and destination recommendations. I grew up in the beautiful Pacific Northwest but now live in the Chicago suburbs with my husband and best friend, David and our three children. On the blog, they are referred to as Ladybug, Buddy and Little Man.
We moved to the Chicago area over 8 years ago so David could attend law school and we just never left. Aside from running my blog and taking care of three very active children, I also run my own travel planning business where I specialize in planning Disney vacations. Our long term dream is to move overseas, hopefully, to somewhere in Europe. David and I are constantly looking for opportunities to make that dream a reality.
What was your best family holiday to date?
When I was pregnant with Little Man last year, David and I took our older two on a 9-day road trip around Ireland. It is hands down, our favourite family trip to date. We spent a couple days in Dublin; saw several castles, including but not limited to Kilkenny, Blarney, and Dublin; hiked around Killarney National Park; and were awed by the enormity and beauty of the Cliffs of Moher. Ireland is such a beautiful country and the people are some of the friendliest we’ve met. We would love to return to Ireland someday soon and explore even more of it.
Give us your top 3 bucket list destinations for future family travel.
Switzerland:
I just returned from a girls trip to Switzerland and I absolutely fell in love with the country. It quickly became my number one bucket list destination to return with my kids. I had so many amazing experiences there and it quickly jumped to the top of my list of favourite countries to visit. It was absolutely breathtaking. My daughter is really into fairy tales and princesses and so many of the little towns we visited seemed like they came straight out of a fairytale.
Northern Ireland
We have been to Ireland and loved it so much that we would love to make a trip up to Northern Ireland as well. In all honesty, I would just love to explore as much of Ireland/Northern Ireland as I can.
Scotland
My family heritage comes from Scotland. There is a road in the town where my ancestors came from that was named after my family. I would love to go to it and see if it is still there. With all the fascinating history, beautiful nature, and historical ruins, there is something for everyone in the family to love.
What is your number one piece of advice for travelling with kids based on your experience?
My number one piece of advice is to just go. Travelling with kids is not easy. There will be tantrums and stressful moments, times when your kids won’t eat the food or will complain constantly. But there will also be amazing experiences, unexpected treasures and you’ll make wonderful memories. Those are what you will remember and what makes travelling with kids completely worth it. You don’t have to start big and drag the kids across the globe if you’re not comfortable. Start small – go on a family day trip. Get away for the weekend to somewhere you’ve never been. Figure out what works for you but just go.
#RealMomsWhoTravel Community
I couldn’t agree more Allison. Thanks so much for sharing your story with us. We went to Scotland recently and I absolutely loved it, We even visited the town of our surname too. It was really fun. That was the trip that made me realise that the quest for the perfect InstaPerfect Picture is ruining my holidays. But I’ve figured out how to avoid that in the future. Check out my post on Top Destinations To Visit Off-Season!
Please do go and follow Allison on her social media – links are below:
- Twitter: @allisongtravels
- Facebook: @allisongygitravels
- Instagram: @allisongygitravels
- Pinterest: @allisongygitravels
There is also a Real Moms Who Travel Facebook Group
If you fancy joining our real moms who travel Facebook group to be a part of the #RealMomsWhoTravel community, please do. I share posts that are relevant to the parenting travel community.
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About the Author: Carly Crawford
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Thank you for letting me guest post!