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Welcome to Passports and Adventures. Firstly, let me say thank you for getting as far as this page. You’re probably wondering who we are and what we’re all about. Or maybe not if you’ve read our About page already. If not, let me enlighten you.

We are a family of three, or four if you count the big black beast that is our German Shepherd, and we moved to Portugal in May 2017. Mad I know, but my husband always wanted to live somewhere warm, with sunshine, and we finally did it. As beautiful as it was, we got sick of the wind and rain of Wales. We figured out that our son had spent approximately two thirds of his life indoors and we constantly felt guilty say “no, it’s raining” when he asked to play outside on his bike. So, we hijacked my parent’s retirement and so far, have no regrets. I’ve been blogging all about our decision and journey which you can find under the Portugal section under Destinations.

 

Spring time family photo shoot

 

Passports and Adventures was formerly known as BattleMum and was started as a blog to document our lives as a family with a child, on online diary if you will, for our son to look back on in the future. It has changed since the early days and many of our family posts now include our days out together and holidays. Travel plays a much bigger role on the blog than it did in the early days. And through my blog I hope we inspire more families to travel, even with toddlers and young children in tow.

We are originally from Dublin and are a couple who love to travel, but I think you’ve already guessed that. Having our son has never deterred us from continuing our love of travel. We took inspiration from my husband’s sister who has travelled extensively with 2, then 3, 4, 5 and now 6 children in tow. She’s been across Route 66 twice with 2 and then 3 of her children and all-round Europe with them, and we are taking inspiration from her.

We document our travels in our trip reports, called Holiday Diaries, as well as provide, we hope, useful hints and tips about certain places we’ve been as well as places we plan to visit. We do product reviews from time to time but ensure they are in keeping with the nature of the blog. I also will not review things that cannot have a travel-angle to them. We’re a family travel blog after all.

If you are wondering where on earth to start on Passports and Adventures, and this is your first time visiting, can I suggest you grab a cuppa and start with the following posts. I hope they will be the beginning of an everlasting friendship.

  • Think you can’t visit New York with a toddler? Think again! 5 Things to Do in New York with a Toddler in Tow.
  • Want to visit castles and forts but not sure your children will enjoy it? Why not start dragon hunting as we did. Dragon Hunting Series – Where It All Started.
  • Looking for the ultimate family-friendly cabin bags or luggage. Look no further than Cabin Zero. I was lucky enough to get to review one of their bags and I was so impressed I bought a second one! The Ultimate Cabin Bag from Cabin Zero.
  • 2017 was a big year for Disneyland Paris but also for the Passports Family and we couldn’t wait for our first family trip to Disneyland Paris. I wrote a series of posts about getting ready for our trip and, after our visit, I wrote a comprehensive post with lots of hint and tips about planning your own trip to Disneyland Paris, and also things to bear in mind and to watch out for while you are there. Tips for Visiting Disneyland Paris: The Ultimate How to Guide.
  • And if 2017 was a big year, then 2018 was to follow suit with a trip-of-a-lifetime planned and in the cheapest way possible; a trip to visit Santa in Lapland, taking in a few days in Helsinki as well. The Most Affordable Way to Visit Santa in Lapland.

If you’ve enjoyed these posts and want to keep up with the latest new and gossip about the Passports Family and our travels, why not check out my Facebook page, Instagram feed or Twitter. Don’t forget to say hi and tell me all about your family and travels to date! Oh, I nearly forgot, we’ve got a YouTube channel too.

Cath x