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Posted by Danielle 27 June 2025 11 July 2025
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Danielle From Ciao Family Travel

Ciao! I’m Danielle!

 

I’m an American mom raising my 4 kids in my husband’s hometown in Italy.

After traveling to over 48 countries, I’ve figured out how to make family travel meaningful and rewarding! I spend hours on hours researching my trips and am ready to pass all that along to you!

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Knowing this will save you hundreds of euros…💶 Al Knowing this will save you hundreds of euros…💶

All kids under 18 (and all EU citizens under 26) have free admission to national monuments and museums!!🤯

Instead of a family of 6 paying 132 euros to visit the Louvre, it’s only 44! ✨

Instead of 96 euros to walk up the Arc du Triomphe it’s only 32! 😃

In addition to giving children free admission, some museums in Paris (like Musée de l’Orangerie) give adults an extra discount if they accompany a child. 😍
(So instead of 72 euros for our family of six it was 20!) 

And this isn’t just the case in Paris, all of France gives free admission to young people. When we visited the prehistoric cave paintings in Dordogne Valley last spring with our kids, this saved us SO much money. Way to go France. 👏🏻

👋🏻 Hi! I’m Danielle, a mom of 4 living in my husband’s hometown in Italy. 🇮🇹 

I share our family travels with an emphasis on unique and educational experiences. So glad you’re here! 💛

Family travel, travel with kids, France, visit France, Paris,
I still can’t believe how beautiful Spain’s Basque I still can’t believe how beautiful Spain’s Basque Country and our couples trip was nearly perfect! 

Day 1 - Fly to Bilbao and then pick up a rental car and drive to San Sebastián. Take a walking tour of the city and then enjoy the pintxos! 😋

Day 2 - Finish sightseeing San Sebastián (hike to Mount Urgull and enjoy the beach!) and then after lunch drive 30 minutes to the darling town of Hondarribia.

Day 3 - Spend the day in the French part of Basque Country. Biarritz, Bayonne, and Saint-Jean-de-Luz are absolutely beautiful. (Bring a swimsuit!!) 🌊

Day 4 - Start the morning in Zarautz and then walk along the coast to the adorable town of Getaria. Take the bus back to your car in Zarautz and drive 20 minutes to Zumaia where you can spend the afternoon walking along the coast with the MOST incredible views! This was my favorite part of the entire trip. 🤩

Day 5 - Visit the Peace Museum in Guernica (💔) and then drive to San Juan de Gaztelugatxe and hike out to the monastery. Finish the day on a walking tour of Bilbao. 

Day 6 - Finish sightseeing in Bilbao (visit the Guggenheim museum if you like modern art!) and then head to the airport. 

Check out my “Spain” highlight for more details and where we ate during our trip! 

👋🏻 Hi! I’m Danielle, an American mom raising our 4 kids in my husband’s hometown in Italy. 🇮🇹

I share our family travels with an emphasis on unique and educational experiences. So glad you’re here! 💛

Visit Spain, Basque Country, couples trip, visit Europe, life abroad
If you’ve been feeling the pressure to want or exp If you’ve been feeling the pressure to want or expect big gifts this Mother’s Day, just remember that this is an idea you don’t need to buy into.

I’m choosing to focus on what actually fills my cup: homemade cards, a great husband and just being with the people who make me a mom. ✨

Let’s bring the focus back to connection instead of consumerism. Thank you Italy for teaching me that less is often more. 💛 

(Note: any of our Italian family who reads this will think it’s ironic because we still go “way overboard” at Christmas time with 4 moderate gifts + one stocking per kid. 😆 I tried telling my mother-in-law that 4 gifts is actually pretty low-key by standards in the USA, but I don’t think she believed me. 😅) 

👋🏻 Hi! I’m Danielle, an American mom raising our 4 kids in my husband’s hometown in Italy. 🇮🇹

I share our family travels with an emphasis on unique and educational experiences. So glad you’re here! 💛
Only 2% of travelers who visit Spain go to the Bas Only 2% of travelers who visit Spain go to the Basque Country! 🤯 (The other 98% are missing out!) 

This one week here has been the biggest surprise. It’s insanely beautiful, the food scene is unreal, and the days have basically been a mix of swimming, hiking, and wandering through the cutest little towns.

AND San Sebastián has the highest concentration of Michelin-starred restaurants in the world! 😮 (We also had unforgettable meals for as little as €20 euros per person!)

How did it take Andrea 4 years to convince me to come here?! 😆

👋🏻 Hi! I’m Danielle, an American mom raising our 4 kids in my husband’s hometown in Italy. 🇮🇹

I share our family travels with an emphasis on unique and educational experiences. So glad you’re here! 💛

Visit Spain, Basque Country, couple travel, great food, travel Europe, my favorite spots, I love travel, Spain
This is a summer tradition I wish we had started e This is a summer tradition I wish we had started earlier. ✨

This year we’re studying the Old Testament, so I’m planning to dig deeper into Mesopotamia — specifically Sumer, Assyria, and Babylon. I’d love any suggestions for books or activities!

Would you like to see what we end of doing and reading?! 

👋🏻 Hi! I’m Danielle, an American mom raising our 4 kids in my husband’s hometown in Italy. 🇮🇹

I share our family travels with an emphasis on unique and educational experiences. So glad you’re here! 💛

Summer of 2026, how to have the best summer, choose a summer theme, summer fun, summer with kids.
The last day to apply to join the tour is Monday, The last day to apply to join the tour is Monday, May 4th. Comment and I’ll send you the link to apply!

Brooke has brought hundreds of women to Italy, and this is a tried-and-tested tour with incredible reviews. Her tours sell out in minutes, so the fact that she is reserving one just for us, is SO special! 💛

This will truly be the girls’ trip of a lifetime. ✨ I can’t wait to share an unforgettable week with you!

Danielle
A few years ago I finally realized that no matter A few years ago I finally realized that no matter how long the trip is, I really don’t need to pack more than 4 shirts, 4 pairs of pants, and 1 sweater for my kids. (They wear 1 shirt, 1 pair of pants, and 1 sweater the day we leave.) This is true even for the two months we spend in Oregon every summer! 

For Andrea and myself, we can get away with only 2-3 pairs of pants because we aren’t playing in the dirt or dropping food in our laps. 😆

In the winter I can totally get away with packing just two sweaters… it’s cold so I’m not sweating and they’re staying clean under my coat all day long.

It took me a while, but I finally realized that the less stuff we bring on a trip, the easier it is to move around, unpack, and actually enjoy the experience.

Making sure the Airbnb we’re staying in has a washing machine is a top priority for me. I’ll run a load in the evening when we get back from sightseeing and then let the clothes dry overnight. It literally doesn’t add any extra time to our day, and it keeps everything simple and stress-free.

Oh and hot tip: pack a few detergent pods in your carry-on so you don’t have to buy them during your trip or hope your host has detergent available. I always toss a few into a small plastic container and it travels perfectly!

What’s your favorite packing tip? 

👋🏻 Hi! I’m Danielle, an American mom raising our 4 kids in my husband’s hometown in Italy. 🇮🇹

I share our family travels with an emphasis on unique and educational experiences. So glad you’re here! 💛

#travelwithkids #familytravel #traveltips
I can’t believe I finally get to say this… I’m ho I can’t believe I finally get to say this…

I’m hosting a girls trip to Rome with Female Foodie and I’m over the moon 🇮🇹✨

I’ve seen a lot of influencers promote small group trips in Italy, and as a local I’ve honestly never been tempted to go… except for this one!

Female Foodie tours are special because it’s a group of ALL women. It’s about women laughing, exploring, and eating together just as much as it is about the sites. (And you know I’m a sucker for girls trips!)

@femalefoodie tours are incredibly popular and literally sell out within minutes, but she’s reserving a tour just for the Ciao Family Travel community. 🤩

There are only 24 spots and sign-ups end on May 5th. I would truly love to meet some of you in person!💛

Send this to the girlfriend you want to come with, and comment ROME and I’ll send you a link with more details where you can apply to join. 💌

👋🏻 Hi! I’m Danielle, an American mom raising our 4 kids in my husband’s hometown in Italy. 🇮🇹

I share our family travels with an emphasis on unique and educational experiences. So glad you’re here! 💛

#lifeinitaly #traveleurope #familytravel #expatinitaly
They’ve got a pretty incredible menu, but should I They’ve got a pretty incredible menu, but should I really be forced to pay €5,69 for lunch every day?! That’s about €114 euros a month if you have one child…

Where do you stand on this? Is expanding a kid’s palate and ensuring that everyone has equal lunches worth the financial stress on families? (This is a country where the  Median net income: about €1,500–€1,800 a month.) 

How does your country handle school lunch? 

👋🏻 Hi! I’m Danielle, an American mom raising our 4 kids in my husband’s hometown in Italy. 🇮🇹

I share our family travels with an emphasis on unique and educational experiences. So glad you’re here! 💛

#lifeinitaly #traveleurope #familytravel #expatinitaly
Get ready for some throwback pics… We moved to It Get ready for some throwback pics…

We moved to Italy in 2015 with the plan to stay for 5 years and now it has been ten! 😱

I’ve really come to love this country, but that doesn’t mean it’s perfect. Here are 5 things I love and 5 things I’ve learned to not be so frustrated about. 

👋🏻 Hi! I’m Danielle, an American mom raising our 4 kids in my husband’s hometown in Italy. 🇮🇹

I share our family travels with an emphasis on unique and educational experiences. So glad you’re here! 💛

#lifeinitaly #traveleurope #familytravel #expatinitaly
You might be overpaying for museum and monument ti You might be overpaying for museum and monument tickets without realizing it… 😬

I unknowingly made this mistake for years, and during travel consultations, I’m surprised by how often people buy museum and monument tickets at much higher prices through third parties.

So here’s my PSA…

‼️Make sure you are buying your tickets from the official website and not a third-party seller.‼️

A third-party seller is an independent company that sells tickets to a museum/attraction, but is not directly affiliated with the museum itself. 

They buy up tickets in advance and then sell them at a higher price!💰😅

Sometimes they provide additional services like package deals and guided tours in addition to the tickets, but for a LOT more money. 💶

To find the RIGHT website to buy your tickets from, just google something like “Last Supper tickets official website”. The first non-sponsored post, is usually the official website! ✨(And it should say so on the site!)

It’s really easy to accidentally buy tickets from a third-party, so when I’m booking the museums for our trips this is one thing I ALWAYS double check! 

Happy Travels! 💛

👋🏻 Hi! I’m Danielle, an American mom raising our 4 kids in my husband’s hometown in Italy. 🇮🇹

I share our family travels with an emphasis on unique and educational experiences. So glad you’re here! 💛

#europetravel #familytravel #traveltips
Do yourself a favor and book one of these trips wi Do yourself a favor and book one of these trips with your girlfriends. 💛

👋🏻 Hi! I’m Danielle, an American mom raising our 4 kids in my husband’s hometown in Italy. 🇮🇹

I share our family travels with an emphasis on unique and educational experiences. So glad you’re here! 💛

Girls trip, travel Europe, girls in Europe, best weekend trips

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