Every time we travel as a family, we always end up doing the same things.

Let's take Ireland for example.

We always end up going to a famine museum or folk village.


We always stop for a pint at Biddy O'Barnes and admire the surrounding countryside.


We always throw rocks into the river and laugh at the dog as he tries to 'rescue' them.


We always make some attempt at building a sandcastle and flying a kite.


We always stop at every viewpoint we pass, only to get battered by the wind and end up freezing cold.


But while it might be repetitive, I still love our family holidays!

Like many teenage girls, I went through a phrase where I wasn't the greatest fan of my family. But times have changed.

I now think I have one of the greatest families in the world. So it goes without saying that the family holiday is always one of my favourite times of the year.

Going to the same places and doing the same things is just part of the fun.


We always plan to get up early and seize the day. Ready to leave at 9am! Shoes and coats on, by the door! 

If I have a penny for every time I've heard this phrase, I'd be a millionaire. On the other hand, if I had a penny for every time we'd actually been ready for that time, well, I wouldn't have any pennies at all!

It's normally more like midday. But I wouldn't have it any other way.


There's always squablles about who'll sit where in the car and whether we should go to a museum or a beach, but we almost always have fun anyway.

I say almost, because we've never quite forgotten about the seashell museum that mum dragged us to when we were younger - but that's a different story.


After a (half) day of exploring local attractions or lazing on the beach comes the best part. The drinking.

Out comes a pack of playing cards and a stack of board games. After a few too many we sometimes move on to the kind of games that are normally reserved exclusively for fresher's parties.

I'll never forget the look on my mum's face when my sister, who couldn't have been older than fourteen at the time, had to down the 'dirty pint' in a game of Ring Of Fire.

I guess it shouldn't come as a surprise that we never make it out of the door for 9am.


We might have a lot of fun, but let's be honest, the main reason that I love family holidays is because the parents are always there to pick up the bill!

What are your favourite things about family holidays?

PS. There's lots more posts on our family holidays, like Leap Into The Land of The Loughs, Killybegs: An Irish Fishing Port and The Best Ice Cream Parlor In The World.