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How many of you have heard you will no longer be a How many of you have heard you will no longer be able to travel once you have kids? I find most people who say these things don’t even have kids or if they do they have never traveled with their kids!

I’m not really into counting countries and we enjoy visiting places more than once, seeing the beauty all over the US and right in our state too. You don’t have to travel far to give your kids amazing experiences but you can also take them wherever you want. Y’all know my motto, if kids live there kids can visit!! 

Where have you been that people said you were crazy for taking your kids (or your parents for taking you) but you were so glad you didn’t listen to them and went anyway.

#travellingwithkids #familytravel
Everything you need to know about visiting Chichen Everything you need to know about visiting Chichen Itza, one of the 7 Wonders of the World (SAVE + SHARE this post).

Chichen Itza is 2.5 hours from Cancun, 2 hours from Playa del Carmen, and 90 minutes from both Tulum and Merida.

You can get here by renting a car, booking a private tour on Airbnb Experiences like we did, coming on a tour bus or for budget travelers taking the ADO bus. 

Most tours from Cancun are all day long, leaving as early as 7/8 am and as late as 9 pm drop off. This is because you’ll visit cenotes outside of Chichen Itza and the town of Valladolid. Since we only had 4 days in Cancun we didn’t want to spend a full day on the road but also really wanted to visit so booking private transportation allowed us to skip all the other stops and just go there and back. We were picked up at 9 and back at the hotel by 4 so we could have a relaxing evening.

Current admission is $533 Mexican pesos for adults, $80 for kids 3-12 and free for kids under 3. That’s about $30 US for adults and $5 for kids.

Once inside there is the main attraction that everyone comes to see but there are also other Mayan dwellings and a cenote. I recommend coming with a guide or hiring an official guide once on site so they can give you information on the history.

Have you been to any of the 7 Wonders? If so, which one(s)?

Hubby and I climbed the Great Wall of China together in 2007, Jordyn, James and I have been to the Colosseum in Rome, the girls and I have been to Petra and we all visited Machu Picchu, Christ the Redeemer, Chichen Itza and the Great Pyramids of Giza together!

#chichenitza #7wondersoftheworld
Today is the last day of school and I could not be Today is the last day of school and I could not be more proud of Jordyn! Look at all those awards she racked up at her end of the year ceremony. She’s reading 3 grade levels above hers, was only 9 points away from a perfect score on her state reading test and made the Honor Roll every quarter of the year. It’s time to celebrate, let summer begin!!!
We’ve been to 34 states and while we haven’t v We’ve been to 34 states and while we haven’t visited them all yet these are 4 states you should consider visiting this summer. (SAVE + SHARE this list for inspo)

📍Idaho- Last year we explored Southern Idaho and it blew us away. City of Rocks National Reserve, Kayak to Shoshone Falls, white water rafting, and walking behind Perrine Coulee Waterfall are musts!

📍Alaska- We visited the South East part of Alaska, Juneau, Sitka and Ketchikan and WOW talk about stunning. You’ll love exploring ice caves, walking on glaciers, canoeing through ice bergs, seeing the volcano and hopefully spotting some bears!

📍Utah- From the famous national parks like Zion and Bryce to the lesser known areas like Kanab, Utah is stunning. You can’t miss sand boarding through Coral Pink Sand Dunes and ATVing through the gorgeous landscape.

📍California- Where else can you surf and ski/snowboard in the same day? California has the most national parks in any state so you know the beauty is beyond amazing. Having lived there for 3 years I’ve explored so many cities and there is something for everyone!!

Would you like me to share my website link for our itineraries for each of these trips in stories? Have you been to any of these? Which state intrigues you the most from this list? What city/state would you like to see us cover?

#visittheusa #bucketlisttrip #travellingwithkids
We have been traveling with our girls since they w We have been traveling with our girls since they were 6 weeks old. Is traveling with kids always easy? Nope! Are there added costs to traveling with kids? Yes! But having status with World of Hyatt has helped elevate our travels, making things a little easier and saving us money, here’s how (SAVE + SHARE this post).

1. Being a family of 4 standard hotel rooms can be kind of cramped. Having status with World of Hyatt means we’re eligible for free upgrades when available including suites as a Globalist.

2. Eating out for breakfast everyday on a vacation starts to add up really quickly. As a Globalist we get free breakfast for 2 adults and 2 children.

3. At hotels with club access Globalists also get free access which includes drinks and snacks, the perfect way to hold kids over until dinner without spending money.

4. I don’t know who decided 9 or 10am was a good time for check-out, hello we’re on vacation, we want to sleep in! Having status with World of Hyatt means you qualify for late check out at 2pm or 4pm depending on your level of status. So whether you sleep in, hit the pool or use the other amenities at the hotel you can enjoy a little longer. It especially helps us when we have flights later in the day.

5. After paying for our hotel room we hate having added fees. Thankfully when you have Globalist status with World of Hyatt resort fees are waived on free night awards and/or eligible rates.

6. Free hotel nights! There is nothing like booking a hotel and not paying a penny! Having joined World of Hyatt we rack up points (on more than just stays) and the higher your status, the more points you earn to get free stays faster.

7. As World of Hyatt members we even earn American Airlines miles on our Hyatt stays, getting us free flights faster to save even more money!

From being more comfortable to finding more ways to earn, you’re missing out if you haven’t joined World of Hyatt!

@hyatt #HyattPartner
4 Ways to Redeem Points at Hyatt Hotels & 7 Ways t 4 Ways to Redeem Points at Hyatt Hotels & 7 Ways to Earn World of Hyatt Points & (SAVE + SHARE):

Ways to Redeem
1. Redeem points for rooms at Hyatt hotels. There’s nothing like experiencing luxury without the cost, so glad I could redeem Hyatt points for this stay with one of the best views of Tokyo.

2. Redeem points to cover your meal at participating restaurants at Hyatt hotels.

3. Redeem Hyatt points to cover your spa treatment at participating spas at Hyatt hotels. 

4. Redeem points through World of Hyatt FIND experiences. With over 200 experiences like cooking classes, tastings, & walking tours there are so many activities to choose from!

Ways to Earn
1. Are you an elite member with American Airlines? If so, you can earn 1 Hyatt point for every $1 spent on AA flights. These are in addition to the normal miles you’ll earn on American, just sign into your AA account & link your World of Hyatt account.

2. Rent a car through Avis & can earn 500 Hyatt points per rental. Just provide your Hyatt membership number when making the reservation & use AWD code K817700.

3. Book a FIND experience by World of Hyatt and earn 10 points per $1 spent. Hyatt offers over 200 experiences such as culinary classes with celebrity chefs, hot air balloon ride in Arizona, guided bike tour over the Golden Gate bridge and more.

4. Even if you aren’t staying at a Hyatt property, if you eat at the hotel restaurant or book a spa treatment you can earn 5 points per $1 spent. We actually ate at a Hyatt restaurant in Kyoto & even though we weren’t staying there I gave my World of Hyatt number & received points!

5. Earn points on everyday spending with a World of Hyatt credit card: 2 points per $1 spent on restaurants, airline tickets, local transit, rideshares, & gym memberships plus earn 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.

6. Transfer points earned on other credit cards who partner with Hyatt such like Chase Sapphire Preferred, Sapphire Reserve, Freedom Unlimited & Freedom Flex. 

7. Book a cruise with Lindblad Expeditions & earn 5 points per $1 spent.

Are you doing any of these?

📍Andaz Tokyo

@hyatt #HyattPartner
If you visit Lisbon or any mainland city in Portug If you visit Lisbon or any mainland city in Portugal I highly recommend adding a trip to Madeira! It’s an island off the coast of Portugal, actually closer to Africa than Portugal. Here’s how I spent 6 days in Madeira (Save + Share this post):

🇵🇹Day 1: Pool day at my hotel (NEXT Hotel) for most of the day and then I went running up the crazy hills of Madeira to see Funchal by foot.

🇵🇹Day 2: I explored the NW part of the island visiting Seixal Beach, Ponto Moniz, Fanal Forest and Ilheus da Ribeira da Janela.

🇵🇹Day 3: I went on a sidecar adventure where I explored Valley of the Nuns, the Cabo Girão Skywalk, and the fishing town of São Pedro with @madeirasidecartours.

🇵🇹Day 4: Whale and dolphin watching tour but we only saw dolphins. In the evening I did an Airbnb Experience at a locals farm house where he cooked a great dinner where 90% of the items were picked directly from his gardens that day. He also taught us how to make poncha, a favorite local drink. The tour should already be linked in my Maderia story highlights.

🇵🇹Day 5: I toured the SE part of the island visiting Ponta do Garajau, Monte Palace, and ended the day at the most beautiful views from Pico do Arieiro (the shots of me on the clouds).

🇵🇹Day 6: I watched the sunrise from Miradouro Ponto do Rosto and then did an 8 mile hike of Levado do Caldeirão Verde. After the hike I relaxed at the pool!

If you want photos taken in Madeira I recommend @robframing.

Honestly Madeira was everything and I don’t see it dropping out of my top 5 international destinations anytime soon.

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Paris in a Day: An Easy Day Trip from Amsterdam or London

September 16, 2017      Destinations, Europe, France

This post contains affiliate links. If you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small commission at no cost to you. Please see our disclosure policy for more information. All opinions are my own.

When planning our trip to Amsterdam we knew we wanted do some day trips from Amsterdam. Since traveling Europe by train is so easy we looked at places within a 3 hour train ride. We chose London and Paris. But is one day in Paris really enough time? Judge for yourself, here’s how we spent one day in Paris. If you have two days, check out our itinerary for 48 hours in Paris with kids.

father and daughter in front of the Eiffel Tower

How to Get From to Paris from Amsterdam

The distance between Amsterdam and Paris is 3 hours on the train. The best part is you arrive sin the city center, making it very easy to start exploring. We booked our train tickets to Paris in advanced through NS International. The further out you book, the cheaper the tickets. We paid 35 Euros each adult ticket as kids under 4 ride free. Kids 12 and up pay the same price as adults but kids 4-11, are as low as 15 Euros. If you want to visit Paris from London you will take the Eurostar.

​Where to Stay in Paris

Since we only had one day in Paris we decided to stay near Gare Du Nord, the train station our train arrived. We booked the Holiday Inn Paris-Gare De Lest because it is walking distance to Gare Du Nord.  If walking isn’t your thing it is a short bus ride from the station. We booked our room via Priceline the same day and just booked a standard room for 72 Euros. Admittedly I didn’t read the details and learned the room capacity was for two people. I’ve never entered the amount of guests for a hotel room and have never had a problem with all 4 of us staying in a room together. Apparently in Europe, standard rooms are only for 2 people and they mean it. I explained we had our own baby crib and my 3 year old would sleep in the bed with us but the check-in agent said it didn’t matter. We would need a family room but they were sold so we would need 2 rooms. This is not what I wanted to hear and I’m sure my face said it. He was so kind and realizing we were only staying for one night he upgraded us to a suite free of charge so we could sleep together. We could have easily not have been so lucky so don’t be like me and read!​

The Best Way to Get Around Paris in A Day

We are usually all about public transportation when visiting countries that have great systems. However, given our short time we didn’t want to run the risk of getting lost. A hop-on, hop-off bus tour was the perfect solution for this!

We chose L’Open Tours, which in the summer operates from 9:30AM with the last departure from the first stop at each route leaving at 7PM. They have 4 different routes that take you to everything you’d want to see in Paris and we took the Green Line. It drops you right in front of the Lourve, Notre Dame, Champs –Elyseee, Arc de Triomphe, Trocadero, and the Eiffel Tower. We never waited more than 10mins for a bus and typically we waited less than 5.

family smiling in front of bus

Pros of L’Open Tours Hop On Hop Off Bus

  • If you purchase a one day pass and don’t start using it until 4PM you also get to use it for the entire following day.
  • You can buy the pass directly on the bus at any stop.
  • Kids under 4 are free and kids 4-15 are 50% off.
  • Each guest received headphones and there is complimentary commentary throughout the route giving you the history of what you’re passing.

Cons of L’Open Tours Hop On Hop Off Bus

  • The advertised free wifi did not work on all the buses we got on.
  • There is really no space to store a stroller, we didn’t bring ours but saw plenty of parents blocking the walking path or struggling to hold it on their laps.

How to Spend One Day in Paris

The Best Way to Visit the Lourve

Our first stop was to the infamous Lourve. When we got there they had everything blocked off due to a security issue so we were unable to go inside. We weren’t sure how long it was going to last, but after we finished our photo session outside things still showed no signs of opening so we left. I have been inside the Lourve before but my husband and the kids haven’t. It was a bummer but next time.

The Lourve is not open on Tuesdays so if you are only spending one day in Paris and going inside is a must for you be sure to come on any other day. To avoid the long lines purchase your ticket in advance online but be advised you’ll have a 30 minute window to arrive as you will have to select a time slot. Admission is free for those under 18.

family in front of the pyramid at The Lourve

​Visit the Notre Dame

Our next stop was to visit one of the most famous Cathedrals in the world. Construction started in 1163 but it wasn’t complete until 1345. The Cathedral is open every day from 7:45AM to 6:45PM. Admission is free but lines are extremely long so try getting there as early as possible. If you want to avoid the long lines you can also book a guided tour like this one from Viator. Bags are not allowed inside the cathedral so be prepared to check them.

Family standing in front of the Notre Dame in Paris

See the ​Arch De Triomphe

At the end of the Champs Elysse is the Arch de Triomphe. Admission is free for anyone under 18 years but those over 18 must pay. You can buy tickets online here. The top is open 10:00AM-10:30PM and until 11:00PM during the summer.
​family in front of Arch De Triomphe

The Best Place to Take Pictures of the Eiffel Tower is at the Trocadero

After the Arch De Triomphe we headed to the Trocadero which has the best views of the Eiffel Tower. It’s an open public space and there is no admission. You can even walk straight to the Eiffel Tower from here, it’s about a 5-10 minute walk. If you are traveling with kids their are two carousels on the way which might interest you. They are both cash only so be sure to have some Euros on hand if you plan to do this.

father and daughter in front of the Eiffel Tower

The ​Eiffel Tower, Need We Say More

Is it possible to visit Paris without seeing the Eiffel Tower? The bus dropped us off in front of the green space that precedes the Eiffel Tower. This is where you see pictures and videos of people having picnics with the tower in the back. Unfortunately it was closed for renovations, but either way when we arrived it started to rain again so sitting down to enjoy some ice cream or other treats wouldn’t have been possible.Even in the rain the line to purchase tickets was crazy. If you have limited time I highly recommend buying your tickets in advance online. The only downfall is you have to select a time slot and if you are more than 30 minutes past your time you could be denied entrance. You can buy a ticket all the way to the top or to the 2nd floor and the prices varies based on your selection. Children under 4 are free and kids 4-11 are 50% off. The tower is open from 9:30AM-12AM but allows its last visitors in at 11PM.

mom and daughters eating ice cream in front of the Eiffel Tower

Paris by Water, Sienne River Cruise

We took the 9PM Sienne River Cruise from Beautex Parisians. It is a 1 hour cruise with indoor seats downstairs and outdoor seats upstairs. Downstairs was all glass so if you want to sit indoors like we did due to weather you will still be able to see.If you do the the 9PM Cruise like we did you will arrive back to the pier as the first Eiffel Tower Light Show starts at 10PM. It takes a while to dock and the show is only 5 minutes so be sure to be on the top deck outside to get the perfect view of the show.While the river cruise was nice and relaxing it just passed by things we mostly already saw on the hop-on hop-off bus tour so to me it wasn’t worth it and if I could redo the day I would have skipped it and used the time to visit Sacre D Ocre’ instead. They do however offer a dinner cruise which would have been time better spent in my opinion.

Unfortunately there were thunderstorms the first 4 hours during our day so we got a much later start than expected. Had we not had this time delay we would have went to Jardin de Luxemburg and Sacre D Ocre’.

Money in Paris

While US Credit Cards are widely accepted I’d recommend having a few Euros, especially coins. You will use this to pay for public restrooms as well as if you want to go on the carousel in front of the Eiffel Tower as it’s cash only.

Paris with Kids: What Kid Gear to Bring 

We didn’t get into a car while on our trip; we took the metro, public bus and hop-on hop-off bus during our stay so there was no need for a car seat. Since we used the hop-on hop-off bus we didn’t use the stroller, however if we were staying for a longer time I would have definitely brought it. Paris is very walkable and if you plan on walking through a lot of museums or walking through the Luxemburg Gardens a stroller could be very necessary.I’m a huge fan of carriers and I never leave home without mine. The carrier was great for Kennedy and allowed us to easily navigate through the crowds.

We had a great time spending one day in Paris. Next we were off to spend some time in Brussels!

Viator

​

Thank you to L’Open Tours for sponsoring our bus tour and to Bateaux Parisiens for sponsoring our Sienne River Cruise. Some links in this post are affiliate links. If you click through one of these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We are committed to only ever recommending products and services that we personally use and like.

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Comments

  1. Caroline says

    September 21, 2017 at 1:41 pm

    I love reading your Blog. I am a single mother and love to travel with my 3 year old daughter.
    I feel you on the occupancy limit in Europe it sucks, I tend to stay away from hotels and chose Airbnb when in Europe.

    • Monet says

      September 21, 2017 at 2:02 pm

      Thanks so much Caroline! I thought the hotel would be easier since we were limited on time and could leave our bags at the hotel lobbey before check in time but I won’t make that mistake again.
      I love my solo trips with the girls, I’m sure you and your daughter have so much fun!

  2. Jewel Walwyn says

    June 12, 2018 at 4:46 am

    This blog was extremely helpful and right on point! I travelled there with my daughters this weekend and the tips about paying onine to avoid lines kept from wearing out my girls. The hop on hop off was great for our short trip! Thank you!

    • Monet says

      June 12, 2018 at 4:32 pm

      Hi Jewel,
      Thank you so much for commenting with your experience. I am so happy to hear this post helped you on your short trip to Paris!! Safe travels!
      Monet

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Hi! We’re The Hambricks

Hi! We’re The Hambricks

If kids live there, kids can visit! That's our motto and you'll often find us exploring destinations most don't find "kid friendly". We've traveled to 35 countries on 6 continents with our children since they were 10 weeks old and share tips to make it easier and affordable. But mom and dad are people too so we also write about solo travel, baecations and girlfriend getaways.

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