Live chat with William Gray, award winning family travel journalist - Mon 7th July 1-2pm

[CatherineMumsnet]

Hello all,
Just to let you know that we'll be welcoming William Gray for a chat on all things family travel related on Monday July 7th between 1-2pm.

Will has been a travel journalist for over 15 years. He's travelled extensively with his children, Ellie & Joe - now 7, whilst researching his family travel guide Travel With Kids.

So if you're still undecided about your summer and are looking for something a bit different, or if you'd like to know the top 5 destinations at half term and if you'd take toddlers to South America/ india etc, then please come along.

If you can't make it on the day, please post your questions in advance here. Otherwise - see you on Monday.

MNHQ

I have no idea who you are: I have 3 kids and therefore no time to read journalism.

I mean anyone who travels extensively with their children is entirely to be admired obviously but ... who is William Gray?

I would love to know how exactly any family can afford to holiday abroad without taking out a bank loan?

We went to Majorca in May and the only reason we could go was because someone else came with us and we split the costs.
Had we gone on our own and at a better time in the summer, we couldn't have afforded it.

So have you got any tips on doing foreign holidays on a budget William?

Hi,
Question 1 I was wondering if you know of any ready set up tents (like Canvas et al do in the rest of Europe)in the UK. I have looked at Yurts and Featherdown Farms, but would like something a bit cheaper and am happy with basic!

Question 2 This is on behalf of a friend of mine. She would like to go away this summer with her dh and 6yr old ds. As ds is an only child who loves sports a kids club or similar would be ideal. Dh detests sitting on a beach, but loves snorkeling and history, oh and is also practically a vegan. All my friend wants to do is sit on a beach. The Maldives suited them last year. They've considered the Caribbean. but are concerned about hurricanes at this time of year. Egypt will be too hot. on a budget of £2000 where can they go?

There is only one salient question we all want the answer to:

Where can we possibly stay with many children that is quick to travel to, has a safe beach, lovely scenery, shops and family friendly restaurants within pushchair distance, with proper bedrooms for the kids, kids equipment so you don't have to take a trailer full of cots, with things to do when it is raining WHICH DOES NOT COST 20 MILLION QUID IN THE SCHOOL HOLIDAYS?

Not much to ask really is it?

Actually you can ski in Stoke. At the dry slope in Hanley .

And we have a wonderful new Premier Inn next to Trentham Gardens (surprisingly good fun for a day out) and close to Alton Towers.

But any sane and rational person would go to Widnes instead.

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Jeez cod am lucky if I get a bath every morning. Perhaps when the two under 3 are older I'll be able to return to a state of reasonable personal hygiene. As it is, I'm stuck with the dry shampoo and a rub down with a baby wipe.

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V. odd re no time reading papers.
Do yuo have time to watch shit television programmes.

Dear God this thread is tedious. Has noone any imagination or perhaps even an atlas?

god no moondog, where would I find the time to be on here if I did that?

Sorry to bore you Moondog and yes I have got an atlas. I have googled/asked friends and so on. my holiday hopes are not very exciting, but it's our money that we save hard and I find the idea of taking my little twins and their asd older bother away on holiday quite scary. I just wanted some advice from an expert and thought i'd ask for a friend whilst i was on too.
Taking a holiday feels like a leap in the dark for us and I was really pleased to see this thread.Iirc you have a what I would consider an exciting life abroad, I don't-it's not really the thread for you is it?
I wish you'd taken the piss out of another thread really, but that's the internet for you I suppose.

I'm sorry to have offended you Lucky.
My remarks are directed at the so called experts that are wheeled out on MN rather than MNers themselves. I feel the point of this site is for ordinary people to help each other, not to indulge inflated egos of people with products to sell.

I live in rural Wales and work with people with ASD. Perhaps I can help?

I didn't have chance to travel much pre my DC's and would love to visit India, China and South America to name a few. I'm not an independent traveller and have looked at tours with family adventure travel companies but my DC's are 6 and 1 and the minimum age to travel is often 8. What can I do in the meantime that can help to satisfy my lust for travel but is suitable for my children? Where would you recommend?

My sentiments exactly moondog.

Holidaying and travelling (both quite different things) with children isn't exactly rocket science and therefore really doesn't require 'professional' help.

I have nothing against William Gray though for writing a book on travelling with kids. Society has conditioned us to the point where we have to read it is a book or hear it from the professionals before we make any decisions that involve our kids.

And don't get me started on the ridiculous notion so many people seem to hold that everything that involvs their kids needs to be 'child friendly' . Life is child friendly for god's sake.

Anywhere in the world YellowBrickRoad. That's what I'd recommend.

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Hi Will,

If you had to pick somewhere longhaul and 'exotic" that's a) suitable for a family holiday and b) didn't involve taking malaria tablets and having numerous jabs, where would it be? (If such a thing exists?) I'

Following on from that, where can you go on safari that would suit KS2 age kids and not necessitate all those med's?

And following on from that... what are your thoughts on travelling to malarial areas with kids? Just get them to neck the tablets, smother them in bug spray, follow usual precautions and stop worrying?

test

HI!

I want the world comfiest camping chair.

Do you know where I can get one that won't leave me crooked and wonky after 2 week in a tent?

Hello

Another test!

and a test here!

I think its working