Showing posts with label Switzerland. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Switzerland. Show all posts

Tuesday 2 January 2018

Looking Back at 2017 - Our Travel Favourites

Whilst we are looking forward to all our planned adventures for 2018, it is also great to look back and reflect on the travel opportunities we had last year. I therefore wanted to share with you, some of our travel favourites from 2017.

January - Our year began with a trip to the fabulous Bluestone National Park Resort, in South Wales. Although we live in North Wales, we had never actually ventured to the South before and after a very scenic four hour journey to Narberth, we enjoyed a lovely few days in a beautiful lodge and enjoyed the wonderful Blue Lagoon and some other local attractions. Bluestone is a stunning holiday resort, set within the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. It has 345 luxury lodges set amongst 500 acres of spectacular countryside. It is marketed as an all year round short break holiday destination, where fun can be enjoyed in all weather conditions and offering guests the chance to enjoy a relaxing break, or an adventure fun-packed holiday. As Bluestone offers so much, it is suitable for families, couples, or groups of adults and caters for all ages, with over 100 activities to enjoy. You can read all about our visit to Bluestone in our review here.


February - This month saw our first overseas trip of the year, where my family travelled to Silvaplana in Switzerland to attend the World Ski Championships being held in St Moritz. This trip actually came about as a result of a competition that my husband had entered on Twitter and we couldn't believe that he had won the family such an amazing opportunity. During the trip my family travelled on the Glacier Express taking in some wonderful sights, enjoyed the fabulous opening ceremony, watched some skilled skiers taking part in the championships and also had the opportunity for a skiing lesson and some sledging fun. You can read more about Silvaplana here.


March - In March my husband and I enjoyed a weekend break at the Shibden Mill Inn for my husband's birthday. This was our first and only time away without the kids throughout the year as I really don't like going away without them, but it was a relaxing time with delicious food. The suite we stayed in was stunning and had been tastefully decorated with a great combination of both modern and traditional furnishings. You can find out more about our stay here.


April - We travelled to a few places in the Easter holidays during April. The first was to Somerset where we visited some wonderful local attractions that included Puxton Park and the Wookey Hole Caves. On our return to the North, we enjoyed a stop at Drayton Manor where Riley had an amazing time in Thomas Land. We also travelled to Yorkshire for some cliff top camping in Filey, where we also spent the day at the fabulous Alpamare Waterpark in Scarborough and had an absolutely splashing time!


May - In the May half term we travelled to Salou in Spain, where we stayed at Sanguli Holiday Park with Al Fresco Holidays. This was an absolutely wonderful break and we spent our days between the onsite Africa themed resort pool and the sandy beach located a short walk away. This holiday resort certainly ticked all the boxes for us and you can read all about our stay here.


June - June saw us head to Shropshire where we enjoyed a weekend break with my parents in Ironbridge. Whilst there we travelled back in time to the Victorian era and visited Blists Hill Victorian Town. My children absolutely loved it here and we had a great experience. You can read more about our time at Blists Hill here.


July - The school summer holidays began in July and we started the six week break off, with a trip to the Lake District. This really is a stunning part of the world and we had a wonderful week exploring and visiting some fun attractions. Some of our favourites included a day out with Windermere Lake Cruises, spending some time at Old Hall Farm and finding out more about transport at the Lakeland Motor Museum.


August - In August we spent two days in Hamburg, Germany thanks to the Come to Hamburg scheme. We only spent a short amount of time here, but managed to fit so much into only two days. The Miniatur Wunderland was magnificent and Hagenbeck Tierpark provided the opportunity for my children to feed some elephants, which is definitely an experience they will never forget. Whilst in Hamburg we stayed at the Appartello Smarttime Living hotel, which offered fantastic apartments with plenty of room for the whole family.


September - In September we had the chance to visit France and stayed with Al Fresco holidays at the La Croix du Vieux Pont holiday park in France. The park offered so much for families that we didn't get the chance to see it all, so it is definitely on our list of places to return to in the future. Ideally situated only 90 minutes from Disneyland Paris, it also meant that we could enjoy a magical day out together before the return back to school!


October - The October half term saw us return to Somerset, where we stayed with John Fowler Holidays at their Sandy Meadows Lodge Park. There is so much to do both onsite and in the local area and we had a lovely day out at Bristol Zoo Gardens whilst here.


November - As the end of the year approached we spent the majority of November and December staying local as there was just so much on offer throughout the North Wales and North West areas. We are very lucky to live right on the North Wales/Cheshire border so this means that we have the lovely North Wales coast twenty minutes in one direction and the great cities of Manchester & Liverpool 40 minutes in the other. Some of our favourite events and days out during November were going to see The Snowman at the Manchester Opera House and meeting Santa at Bridgemere Garden Centre.


December - Well we definitely enjoyed a month of family fun throughout December, with my personal highlight being the Dick Whittington pantomime at the Manchester Opera House. I have never laughed so much at a panto and at one point I was actually crying it was so funny.

My youngest son Riley also had a lovely experience of a theatre production at Waterside where we saw the beautiful performance of The Bear.

Topped off with a family evening of fun at Winter Wonderland and a trip to Dunham Massey to see their stunning festive lights, December was certainly a month to remember.


Wednesday 15 February 2017

The Beautiful Town of Silvaplana, Switzerland

My husband Mr F, is taking over the blog today to tell you all about a beautiful location he visited recently in Switzerland called Silvaplana. It is an area that boasts stunning scenery, lovely locals, and a great variety of restaurants to suit all tastes. It is located only a short distance away by bus from the slopes of St. Moritz, and offers plenty for visitors to do in the summer months too, with a wonderful lake that offers a variety of water sports within a picturesque setting.


On arrival in Silvaplana, I took a moment to take in the large mountains, and looked around at all the snow that looked so neatly placed. Having not experienced snow for quite some time, it was lovely to be able to view it in such a beautiful place and the children were jumping and dancing in it very shortly after.


As you can see from the above picture, although it was dark and cloudy at times, the peaks on the mountain were lit up by the occasional sunshine and looked astounding.

Whilst in Silvaplana, we stayed in beautiful accommodation called the Hotel Albana. My family were welcomed with open arms, and the managers could literally have not been more welcoming and friendly, making us feel very comfortable and well cared for. There was a lovely lounge area where you could relax in the evening and chat to other guests, whilst also admiring the snowfall outside.



Our room had a balcony which had the most breathtaking backdrop, and the view certainly rivalled any that I have come across before. I could have quite happily sat on the balcony for several hours a day simply staring into the pristine scenery and mountain tops.


The rooms feature wooden furnishings and are well equipped with a tv, dvd player, and minibar. We were also provided with bathrobes, folded neatly on the beds, as well as a range of toiletries and a hairdryer, which came as a relief as I had forgotten to pack my daughters one from home! Much to my children's delight, there was also free wifi, so they were able to use their laptops in the evening to keep in touch with friends and family and update others on the holiday.

The hotel also boasted two wonderful restaurants, the first being the Spunta Engiadina Restaurant which serves gourmet food with a local touch. We ate here on both nights of our stay, and both the food and service was of a high standard. We ate from a set menu and on the first evening, I chose Potato Leek Soup with Estonian Potatoes, Piccata Milanese with Tomato Spaghetti, and Warm Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream, and all these meals were absolutely divine. My eldest son tried the Barley Risotto with fine root vegetable stripes, and Zucchini Boats filled with Ratatouille and he also really enjoyed his choices. The restaurant also catered well for children and offered a lovely menu offering a variety of dishes.


Breakfast was plentiful, with a lovely selection of both continental and cooked choices. The service was again fantastic, and on both mornings of our stay, we left feeling full and satisfied, ready for a busy days skiing ahead.


The hotel also featured the lovely Thailando restaurant, which offered fine Thai cuisine. We didn't eat here during our stay, but several of the other hotel residents that we spoke to highly recommended it.

Within Silvaplana there is also a ski equipment hire shop, and a small supermarket which is very convenient, and both are also a short distance away from Hotel Albana where we stayed.


Silvaplana is also home to a stunning lake, which in winter hosts a range of winter sports including ice skating and polo. In the summer it becomes a hive of activity again with activities such as kite surfing and wind surfing. The area is also popular with hikers and mountain bike riders too and their are numerous events hosted within Silvaplana throughout the year.

Overall Silvaplana really is a beautiful town, and I hope to have the opportunity to return again with my family, in the not too distant future.

For more information on the Hotel Albana please visit their website here Hotel Albana Silvaplana

Monday 13 February 2017

The Train Journey from Zurich to St. Moritz

As transfers go, the train journey between Zurich and St. Moritz is pretty spectacular, with picturesque views a plenty and stunning scenery at every turn. The large windows allow you to fully take in the beautiful backdrop of your journey and as the train ride takes you higher into the mountains, the landscape and surroundings become quite breathtaking.


The transfer to St. Moritz began in Zurich Flughafen airport, where my husband and children caught a double decker train to the main Zurich Station. Once there, they made a quick change of trains and departed on the 90 minute adventure to Chur. It wasn't long before the children started to spot signs of snow, and as they travelled further, the snow levels began to increase quite rapidly.




The seats were comfortable, and after a short period of travelling, a catering trolley came round where foods and drinks could be purchased. Drinks are very expensive in Switzerland averaging around CHF 6 each which is roughly £4.50.

On arrival in Chur there was a short wait for the next train which would carry my family into St. Moritz station. This was the longest part of the journey, but again the views were amazing and there was always something to see out of the windows which helped time to pass quickly. This train was much busier than the previous train, however with the St. Moritz World Ski Championships 2017 taking place, it was expected for it to be very busy and crowded, and so this was no surprise.

As they continued on their adventure, my husband and children watched as the snow fell outside, and the sky began to darken with snow clouds. The last time my children had experienced snow fall where we live in Wales was back in 2013, and so they were very excited, and eagerly waited with anticipation for the moment where they could depart from the train and jump straight into the waiting piles of snow.



My son Ben has a dislike of heights, and so he was tempted to look away at times as the track ascended, but struggled to draw his eyes away from the beautiful sights of the snow capped mountains.




The total journey time was 3 hours and 40 minutes, although it didn't feel that long as there was always plenty to see and talk about which made the experience seem a lot quicker.

The fare was CHF 162.00 (approximately £129) for an adult return and CHF 81.00 (approximately £64) for a child, though prices may be cheaper dependent on time, day or class of travel. The tickets my family had also allowed them to take any route back to Zurich, and so my husband chose to travel via Landquart on the way back a few days later, which took a slightly shorter time of 3 hours 26 minutes.



Overall it was a fantastic experience travelling from Zurich to St. Moritz. Not only did it help my children to create many picturesque family memories, but it also gave them the opportunity to see some breathtaking scenery.

Saturday 11 February 2017

Planning a Family Ski Holiday? - 5 Things to Consider

1) Budget

Ski holidays can be purse friendly or extremely expensive depending on the location, the currency, the facilities, and the resort. It is therefore really important to work out your budget beforehand and not only consider the cost of the flights/ferry and accommodation, but all the other extras such as clothing, meals, lift passes, equipment hire, drinks, transport costs, entry prices to attractions, insurance, and also any local taxes.

A cheap hotel and bargain flights doesn't necessarily mean a low cost holiday, as the costs can quickly mount up in many ski resorts and so it is important to budget for all expenses to make sure that you can have an enjoyable and affordable holiday. If you know your spending limit and work out a rough figure of how much you will have to work with, then it will help you to find a location that is more suited to your pocket. It will also prevent you having to reach for the credit card half way through your trip to fund the remainder of your stay.

If you like to be organised and have everything paid up front, then look for a resort that offers all inclusive ski options that will cover all of the above, and even childcare in some places too. If you like variation in your meals, then consider a half board or bed and breakfast option, and check that there are plenty of alternative restaurants nearby within your price range.



2) Destination

There is such a wide choice, it can be quite time consuming having to take a good look through all the options, so ask friends for recommendations, or check out some reviews online. This should help whittle your destinations down to a few places that you can then look more closely at.

Remember to also consider who you are travelling with and transfer times from the airport or port, along with driving distances if you are going for a self drive option. For example if you are travelling with very young children you may want to consider somewhere with a short transfer time from the airport as opposed to somewhere that will take 4 hours on 2 buses, 3 trains and a taxi, after already sitting through a 3 hour flight!

If flying then also check the flight time, as if this is your first ski trip, you may want to consider somewhere in Europe within a couple of hours, as opposed to heading on a long haul trip to Canada or the USA. Check which airlines fly to your chosen destination and whether they are child friendly. Most airlines will allow you to take a small pushchair to the gate with you, offer a children's meal option, or provide some activities to keep your child entertained onboard, but it is best to double check exactly what is available, especially when flying long haul, as entertainment options can be very limited on some airlines.



3) Research

Check reviews, read recommendations and research your chosen destination. Find out what restaurants, cafes, or attractions are nearby so that you know what other options you have if wanting to get out and explore. If you find some restaurants you like the look of, then see if they have a website and whether you can view the menu as this will then give you an idea of how much you should set aside for meals, and also enable you to see that they have meal choices to your liking.

Skiing can be very tiring, so it might be nice to have a day out somewhere else a couple of days into your trip, so find out what other things there are to do in the area, and whether they are within easy reach.

If relying on public transport, then research your travel options and check whether there are trains or buses within a short distance from your accommodation and how regularly they run. Print out a timetable prior to your trip so that you have a record with you of all the bus or train times to help you along the way.

When you think you have found some accommodation that you like, then enter the address on google street view and find out what else there is in the location. Some hotels and resorts look amazing in their own pictures, only for you to turn up and find out there is a nightclub next door open til the early hours, Google street view will also help you be able to see if there are any shops or cafes within walking distance which again will help with destination planning.

4) Clothing and Equipment

If this is your first ski trip, then don't rush out to spend hundreds of pounds on equipment and all the latest gear. The majority of this can be hired at reasonable prices, and it's best to make sure you actually enjoy skiing and winter sports prior to actually purchasing boots, skis and poles.

Warm clothing is obviously vital though. but this needn't cost the earth with plenty of high street shops and online stores selling great quality clothing at reasonable prices. A particular favourite of mine for children is Muddy Puddles who sell a fantastic range of ski wear for kids. This coat is currently available on their website and not only was it suitable for skiing but it also makes a fabulous all round winter coat for school and general day wear, therefore offering versatility and making it great value for money. It can be purchased here: Snowstorm Ski Jacket


If your funds are limited however, then consider borrowing from friends or family or checking out the local selling sites on facebook or alternatively Ebay. I managed to purchase my daughter some salopettes and a lovely matching ski jacket in excellent condition for only £12, and I managed to bag some snow boots for my son for only £3!

5) Children's facilities

When travelling with children, consider what child friendly facilities are available. A childcare option will allow you some me time, or the opportunity to spend quality time with your partner enabling you to have the perfect mix of a family holiday but also giving you the chance for a little break yourself.
If there is a kids club, then this also gives your children a chance to make new friends or learn new skills.

In terms of dining, find out whether there is a children's menu and highchairs available for use in the restaurants, as some places don't offer these facilities which could cause you some inconvenience.

Make sure you check the room options as some rooms listed as being suitable for families of 4 may only consist of a double bed and a sofa bed which could actually end up being quite compact and uncomfortable especially if staying for a week or two. If travelling with a baby or toddler then ask beforehand whether there is a fridge available in the room, bottle warming facilities, cots or even sterilisers for hire. Some family friendly hotels will provide these free of charge, others may levy a cost so it is best to check beforehand to avoid any unexpected charges.


Disclaimer: All opinions and photographs are my own.