The complete guide to Pure Wander’s Worldwide travel stories and itineraries
What a wild ride it’s been: 40+ countries, countless passport stamps, and more than 20 years as a professional travel writer. Part of me feels like I’ve seen it all, but the other part knows I’ve barely begun! These days, my trips include wrangling kids on a beach week, planning a girlfriend getaway with great food and a little wellness, or (my husband) sneaking in a guys trip that’s equal parts adventure and downtime.
Myself (Eileen!) and Pure Wander is here to make it easier to choose a destination and build a plan that actually works in real life. Not perfection, just memorable days and the kind of details that make travel smoother.
I believe kids are adaptable travelers, and that a little “outside the comfort zone” can be the good stuff, as long as you balance it with rest, snacks, and a place to land that feels comfortable. I also love destinations that help you uncover the soul of a place through culture and food, with a dose of outdoors when it fits.
If you want a few of our recent, most popular jumping-off points, start with:
- The Perfect Thailand Itinerary: 7 Days North & South
- Five full days in Zadar, Croatia: Itinerary
- What to Skip and What Not to Miss in Oahu, Hawai’i
- Fiji Itinerary: How to Spend 5 Days in Paradise
- Beyond the Track: Best Things to Do in Daytona Beach for Families & Foodies
- Panama City, Edited: The Best Bits for a First Visit
Otherwise, we have our MASSIVE (non exhaustive!) list by region below of wonderful articles to help you plan your travels with family and friends. Wherever you’re headed next, I’ll help you plan it with curiosity, confidence, and just enough structure to keep things fun.
PS: Want my best, personally tested travel tips all in one place?
Grab my FREE downloadable No-BS Travel Playbook!
Explore by Region
North America travel tips and guides
From the Northeast towns I grew up exploring to California’s crashing coastline, Canada’s iconic sights, Mexico’s unforgettable food cities, and Florida’s white sand beaches, North America offers an incredible range of trips for families and friends. These guides turn decades of real travel into practical, fun plans you can actually use.
Local New England (my home!) road trips and vacations
Featured: Boston to Maine Road Trip: Ogunquit, Freeport and Portland
Top Guides:
- A Cozy Escape: Your Guide to North Conway, NH for Every Season
- Embracing Joy: An Ode To Stowe, Vermont’s Delicious and Natural Wonders
- Newport, Rhode Island: girlfriend getaways in the off season!
- Worcester and Central Massachusetts for a weekend
- A Weekend for 30-Somethings in Portland, Maine: Rooftop bars, Breweries and Biking
East Coast U.S. hidden gems and itineraries
Featured: Stay a while on South Carolina’s Hammock Coast
Top Guides:
- What to Do on a Family Weekend in Lakeland, Florida: A 2-Day Itinerary
- Why Frederick, Maryland, is the Best Kept Secret in the Mid-Atlantic
- A Quick Outer Banks Vacation Guide
- Best Key West Sunset Spots in Florida (and Everything Else to do on the Islands Too!)
- Orlando, Florida in the Off-Season: The Best of Universal
More of the U.S., big cities and beautiful destinations
Featured: Dad Diaries: On the Road Again (Florida & Louisiana)
Top Guides:
- LA After 40: A Guide to Sun, Music, and Delicious Discoveries
- Time for Tucson, Arizona: A Great Guide
- Explore the Spirit Guides Exhibit at the Denver Botanic Gardens
- Add Grand Rapids, Michigan to your adventures: A weekend itinerary
- Montana Road Trip: From Billings to Flathead Lake Lodge
Mexico’s hotspots for family and friends
Featured: Casually Eat Your Way Around Mexico City: 48 Hours
Top Guides:
- Food and Female Empowerment in Oaxaca, Mexico
- Remarkable women rug weavers in Oaxaca, Mexico
- Making Things a Little More Permanent in Loreto, Mexico
- Making a Splash in Mexico’s Sea of Cortez
Let’s go to Canada!
Featured: Niagara Falls for First-Timers (US and Canada!)
Top Guides:
- Exploring the Great Outdoors in Vancouver, Canada
- Weekends in Canada: A Quebec City Walking Food Tour Experience
- Aboriginal Touches in Vancouver, Canada
- Skwachàys Lodge: An Authentic Artist Hotel in Vancouver, Canada
Europe travel tips and guides
With small countries and big personalities, Europe makes it easy to pair multiple destinations into one thoughtful trip thanks to its seamless transport by air, rail, and sea. These guides turn years of exploring more than a dozen countries into practical city plans, itineraries, and ideas perfect for families and friends.
Travel to the UK
Featured: South Wales: An (almost) local’s guide to castles, pubs, and hidden gems
Top Guides:
- A 7-Day Itinerary by the Sea in Devon and Cornwall, England
- 12 Alluring Days in Scotland: Itinerary
- A Week with Family in the UK: Our London Itinerary
- Explore Local: Discovering the UK’s National Trails
- What To Do With 24 Hours in Bath, UK
Western Europe: best guides for trips
Featured: Rimini, Italy: A Great Guide to a Seaside City
Top Guides:
- Paros, Greece: A Lesser-Known Island Escape
- A Guide to Rotterdam: The Classier Amsterdam
- The Stockholm Sashay: A guide to Summer in Sweden’s capital city
- Multi-Generational Greece: Your Family Travel Guide
- Cervino vs. Aosta: How to Plan a Girls’ Ski Trip in Italy
Eastern Europe: best guides for trips
Featured: Castles & Wine: Day trip through Prahova, Romania
Top Guides:
- Five full days in Zadar, Croatia: Itinerary
- Romania’s Carpathaian Mountains: Eat, Drink and Hike
- Beyond the Beach: Constanta, Romania
- Coffee Culture in Bucharest, Romania: Best Cafes for Digital Nomads
- Prague: Freezing! (and Sophisticated)
Multi-country Europe guides and inspiration
Featured: 3 Reasons to Visit Chamonix, France in the sunny off-season
Top Guides:
- Spain & Italy Secrets: Insider Tips and Hidden Gems Awaiting Discovery
- Road Tripping in Europe: Driving the Romantic Road Germany Itinerary
- Roundup: Our Favorite Europe Articles!
- Top 5 Destinations for Families Tackling Europe
- Top 5 Destinations for Group Travel in Portugal
Asia travel tips and guides
Asia feels like stepping into color, contrast, and culture all at once, from buzzing cities and peaceful temples to islands, jungles, and unforgettable street food. I’ve planned trips here that mix adventure with breathing room, and these guides help you do the same for families and friends!
Southeast Asia: best guides for trips
Featured: The Experience Festival: 4 Days of Love, Peace, Trance & Dance in Thailand
Top Guides:
- The Perfect Thailand Itinerary: 7 Days North & South
- Chiang Mai Chic: Thailand’s Hippest Mountain City
- East Meets East: Bangkok Thailand’s Chinatown
- Why you should bring the family to the Philippines
- Bangkok: Wild and Wonderful Experiences
More destinations in Asia
Featured: Japan with Kids: Complete Family Travel Guide
Top Guides:
- Top 10 Things to Do in Sri Lanka as a Group
- A Quick Guide to Vesak in Colombo, Sri Lanka for Non-Buddhists
- Discover the Best of Asia: Unforgettable Journeys Through China and Korea
- A Weekend on the Ganges River, India: Raichak on Ganges
- A River House and Tea in Kerala, India: Off the Beaten Track
The Rest of World: Oceania, Africa, Middle East and more
Some trips don’t fit neatly into one box; from African safaris and Caribbean beaches to South American adventures and Middle Eastern cities full of history and surprise. These guides help you plan the kinds of journeys that feel a little bolder, but still easy to navigate with family and friends.
Off to Africa
Featured: The Best Boat Safaris in Africa
Top Guides:
- A Quick Guide to Tanzania’s Top Spots
- Kid-Friendly Activities in a South African Beach Town
- An Interview with Sally Brunning: On Africa
- Durban: The South African Valley of A Thousand Hills
- Why Education for Girls Matters in Morocco
Caribbean & Central America travel
Featured: Spend an oceanside week in Nosara, Costa Rica
Top Guides:
- Ditch the Resort, Try the Sea: Why Your Family’s Next Caribbean Trip Should Be on a Yacht
- All-Inclusive Resorts in Barbados: The Club, and So Much More
- Wild Volcano Boarding in Nicaragua
- Why El Salvador Should be Your Next Surf Destination
- Chasing Waterfalls in Montezuma, Costa Rica
South America trip inspiration
Featured: Machu Picchu Adventure: 7 Tips for an Unforgettable Experience
Top Guides:
- Efficient Travel Planning for Exploring Brazil
- Five Destinations that are Perfect for Slow Travel
- Brazilian Fun in the Sun This Winter
- Ski or Snowboard in the Summer: South American Ski Destinations
- Indigenous Puno: An Adventure in Peru
More guides across the globe
Featured: From Desert Treks To City Sights: A Complete Group Guide To Riyadh
Top Guides:
- Travel to Turkey: A 7-Day Itinerary
- 5 Best Places to Visit When You’re in Palm Cove, Australia
- Adventures in the Desert: Kuwait with Kids
Related travel links
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