Your Best Family Travel Activity, Guide, or Experience

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Reserving the King's Apartments tour at Versailles is an excellent way to avoid the long lines. This is a guided tour and it is excellent -- much better than the just the regular unguided tour in super-crowded rooms that are open to everyone. At only 10 Euros a person (and free for children), it is a must-do. You have to book this in advance online and report to a different entrance.

And my very favorite thing at Versailles is renting a golf cart to drive around the gardens! You can also drive it out to Marie Antoinette's hamlet at the Trianons. They give you a map and you have to stick to the paths (the cart will turn off automatically if you try to drive onto the grass). The golf cart plays classical music the whole time, and a GPS-controlled recorded guide "talks" to you about what you are seeing! It is so much fun, we have done it (and the King's Apartments) twice.

Marie Antoinette is rolling over in her grave.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Reserving the King's Apartments tour at Versailles is an excellent way to avoid the long lines. This is a guided tour and it is excellent -- much better than the just the regular unguided tour in super-crowded rooms that are open to everyone. At only 10 Euros a person (and free for children), it is a must-do. You have to book this in advance online and report to a different entrance.

And my very favorite thing at Versailles is renting a golf cart to drive around the gardens! You can also drive it out to Marie Antoinette's hamlet at the Trianons. They give you a map and you have to stick to the paths (the cart will turn off automatically if you try to drive onto the grass). The golf cart plays classical music the whole time, and a GPS-controlled recorded guide "talks" to you about what you are seeing! It is so much fun, we have done it (and the King's Apartments) twice.

Marie Antoinette is rolling over in her grave.

I am going to start using this line for general fun behavior

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Reserving the King's Apartments tour at Versailles is an excellent way to avoid the long lines. This is a guided tour and it is excellent -- much better than the just the regular unguided tour in super-crowded rooms that are open to everyone. At only 10 Euros a person (and free for children), it is a must-do. You have to book this in advance online and report to a different entrance.

And my very favorite thing at Versailles is renting a golf cart to drive around the gardens! You can also drive it out to Marie Antoinette's hamlet at the Trianons. They give you a map and you have to stick to the paths (the cart will turn off automatically if you try to drive onto the grass). The golf cart plays classical music the whole time, and a GPS-controlled recorded guide "talks" to you about what you are seeing! It is so much fun, we have done it (and the King's Apartments) twice.

Marie Antoinette is rolling over in her grave.

I feel like Marie Antionette would have been the kind of person to rent something to get her around faster. She almost certainly didn't walk to Le Petit Trianon herself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Reserving the King's Apartments tour at Versailles is an excellent way to avoid the long lines. This is a guided tour and it is excellent -- much better than the just the regular unguided tour in super-crowded rooms that are open to everyone. At only 10 Euros a person (and free for children), it is a must-do. You have to book this in advance online and report to a different entrance.

And my very favorite thing at Versailles is renting a golf cart to drive around the gardens! You can also drive it out to Marie Antoinette's hamlet at the Trianons. They give you a map and you have to stick to the paths (the cart will turn off automatically if you try to drive onto the grass). The golf cart plays classical music the whole time, and a GPS-controlled recorded guide "talks" to you about what you are seeing! It is so much fun, we have done it (and the King's Apartments) twice.

Marie Antoinette is rolling over in her grave.

I feel like Marie Antionette would have been the kind of person to rent something to get her around faster. She almost certainly didn't walk to Le Petit Trianon herself.

Golf cart is so déclassé.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Spent an afternoon and evening in the Agafay desert outside of Morocco. We did dune buggies, camel rides, a beautiful tent dinner and fire eater show with our two elementary aged boys. Also, the side car tour in Marrakech is wonderful.

Did you use a particular company?

It was all arranged through a local travel agency- Entourage Travel. They were great.

[Anonymous]

Rich people love Context Travel.

[Anonymous]

Yosemite NP— swimming in & playing on the beach of Tenaya Lake.

Peru (pre-kids)— staying with a family on an island in Lake Titicaca.

Istanbul— taking a boat on the Bosporus then hiking up to castle ruins.

[Anonymous]

Visit Lapland, Finland, in winter. Stay in Santa’s Igloos, which are cottage-style rooms with glass ceilings that allow you to view the Northern Lights from your bed.

Do the dog sled experience- we used Bearhill Huskies.

[Anonymous]

Dogsledding and helicopter tour in Alaska.

In Caribbean or Hawaii or Mexico, basically anytime you charter a private catamaran to take you and family out snorkeling. So fun, and some of the ships also have slides that come off the deck, or rope swings, and some also will grill lunch or make fresh guac or sushi or things on board.

Jackson, WY -- the white water rafting of the river.

Grand Tetons -- horseback ride to chuck wagon dinner. Also the Grand Tetons Science School, but that was super pricey, and I feel like everything about Tetons was pretty memorable, so I'm not sure I would recommend this as a splurge with a ton of marginal value.

Grand Canyon -- getting the El Tovar Suite (or one of the other 3 owner's suite) so you can eat dinner on a patio overlooking the South Rim and watch the sunset.

London -- renting bikes to ride around Hyde Park (so cheap!)

I find sometimes these private tours are sort of random. Like we had a GREAT time at the Catacombs because our guide was so enthusiastic. But Pompeii was sort of a slog because we had this young guy for a guide and his English wasn't phenomenal -- he seemed nice but just wasn't born to be a guide. Years ago before kids my husband and I did a tour in York which was one of the best things we've ever done, just becuase the guy (a middle aged guy who'd grown up there) had such a passion for local history and also was just genuinely personable -- the kind of guy you'd want to hang out with over a beer for a few hours. It's a little luck of the draw, even if you use well-reviewed companies, about who you will get and for what.

[Anonymous]

In no particular order

Paris Muse Clues: Private kid oriented tour of the Louvre for my 12 year old daughter
https://parismuse.com/tours/paris-muse-clues-louvre-tour/
Private tour of the Louvre for my 12 year old daughter

Off the Eaten Path: Food tour of North Boston with my then middle school age daughter and 70-year-old father.
https://offtheeatenpathtours.com/

Universal Studios VIP tour: we were in Orlando for an athletic event and found ourselves with a Saturday during spring break to do something fun.
https://www.universalorlando.com/web/en/us/tickets-packages/vip-experience/vip-guided-tours

Taste of Quebec city, St Roch neighborhood food tour: did this with my high school, daughter and my father.
https://www.viator.com/en-PH/tours/Quebec-City/Taste-of-Quebec-City-St-Roch-Neighborhood-Food-Tour/d626-6565STROCH

Private catamaran rental in Mykonos: the captain took us to three separate private swimming/snorkeling areas. He also made a delicious lunch and provided snacks and drinks.
https://www.mykonosonboard.com/

[Anonymous]

We’ve had good luck with Tours by Locals.

In Lisbon
Ana M, Guide #: 18177

In Athens for the Acropolis Museum
Joan, Guide #: 27432

[Anonymous]

A private tour guide at El Alhambra in Malaga was well worth it if going there, vs the self guided tour.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Reserving the King's Apartments tour at Versailles is an excellent way to avoid the long lines. This is a guided tour and it is excellent -- much better than the just the regular unguided tour in super-crowded rooms that are open to everyone. At only 10 Euros a person (and free for children), it is a must-do. You have to book this in advance online and report to a different entrance.

And my very favorite thing at Versailles is renting a golf cart to drive around the gardens! You can also drive it out to Marie Antoinette's hamlet at the Trianons. They give you a map and you have to stick to the paths (the cart will turn off automatically if you try to drive onto the grass). The golf cart plays classical music the whole time, and a GPS-controlled recorded guide "talks" to you about what you are seeing! It is so much fun, we have done it (and the King's Apartments) twice.

Marie Antoinette is rolling over in her grave.

I feel like Marie Antionette would have been the kind of person to rent something to get her around faster. She almost certainly didn't walk to Le Petit Trianon herself.

Golf cart is so déclassé.

Haha, after I posted about that, I wondered if I might get flak for being overly nerdy and/or privileged for touring Versailles with kids on two separate trips to Paris (at their request). Instead, I got mocked for the tackiness of the golf cart. Never change, DCUM.

Truly, though, the golf cart was very posh, due to its playing of classical music.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A private tour guide at El Alhambra in Malaga was well worth it if going there, vs the self guided tour.

Huh, I thought it was in Granada.

[Anonymous]

This is OP and Alhambra is in Granada! Last minute ask but would love any recommendations for a guide in Granada for the Slhambra