Eva de B

Clean hotel, welcoming staff, and a good quality breakfast buffet. It is a bit far to walk to the Zoo de Beauval, but the hotel has free parking, so you can easily come by car without any issues. Something to improve: the soundproofing. We could hear music until pretty late at night.

After doing some research on their site and talking to an advisor on the phone (where I really emphasized my need to save money), I was feeling pretty confident (the advisor seemed to be listening) and I almost booked my vacation through them. I decided to compare an equivalent offer on other sites anyway, and that is where I found it for less, with some nice savings for 4 people. So, be careful.

I came here with my family, including kids ages 8 to 13, and both the kids and adults loved it. A quick tip: book your tickets in advance to save time at the entrance. It is pretty small inside, but we liked almost everything. There are some really fun photos to take.

For a trip to Greece, our flight times were changed at the last minute without any explanation. We had to organize this change ourselves. What a stress... and honestly, it is a good thing we checked our emails before leaving.

In the Southern Alps region, easily accessible via Briançon, Serre Chevalier is without a doubt the resort that offers the most possibilities for skiing, with many trails for different levels. I believe the ski area exceeds 200 km. Due to a lack of snow, not all trails are necessarily open though. In short, winter sports enthusiasts will have plenty to keep themselves entertained. For activities outside of skiing, there is plenty to do all year round. The only downside, and it is not a small detail, is that the lift passes are pretty expensive, about 50 euros (around $54) per day for an adult.

The old town, partially surrounded by old ramparts, is very pleasant to visit. Located right in the mountains, this place is easy to get to. Once you are there, you can do everything on foot, including shops, restaurants, and cultural visits. In the winter, you have skiing of course, and in the summer, some really beautiful hikes.

Really great times with the family, including kids, my sister, nieces, and nephews. We rented a large bungalow for 8 people where we were able to stay without feeling like we were on top of each other. The activities at the pool and outdoors were a hit with everyone.

Thousands of paintings to look at for free, for a visit that takes about 2 hours. Do your research beforehand, but you will likely need to book your entry in advance. Note that if you do not appreciate paintings from previous centuries, you might get bored.

Lots of machines, old vehicles, and mechanical demonstrations. The guides don't hesitate to handle the objects to help you understand certain technologies or physical discoveries. Other pluses: the old 19th-century train station kept in its original state, free admission, and the kids' area on the top floor. A smart outing to do as a family.

Housed in a beautiful, bright building, this museum was a nice surprise. It is free and relatively unknown internationally, so I wasn't expecting much. In reality, there are paintings and art objects from many different cultures and eras. You can easily spend 2 hours there and see a ton of things.

It is not always easy to find a museum that appeals to every taste and age. The Science Museum is one of them. You can discover many objects and machines from industry, mechanics, aviation, chemistry, astronomy, and more. We loved: Galileo's telescope, the first steam locomotive, the old automobiles, the old airplanes, and the biochemistry demonstrations.

Overall, I didn't really like Las Palmas compared to the rest of the Canaries. The Columbus House is the exception. In this property, typical of the colonial era, you walk through different patios, each decorated in its own way. The interior is also a testament to the colonial period. Christopher Columbus stopped here several times, hosted by the governor, on his trips to America. The house is now a museum, with old explorer maps, miniature ships, a reconstructed ship cabin, paintings, and explanations in several languages, including French, about navigation and the lives of the great explorers.

When going to the Canaries, you expect to find a bit of an escape, some wild nature. That was my mindset, anyway. Las Palmas is a very big city, almost 400,000 inhabitants. Concrete, rows of apartment buildings along the beach, roads packed with cars, tons of people on the white sand beaches. I only stayed 2 days, then I continued my trip elsewhere in the Canaries. There are still a few nice corners, some historical spots like the Christopher Columbus house.

For the positives: the setting, the location, and the scenery. The indoor and outdoor pools were nice. The play areas were spacious and secure with lots of equipment: sandboxes, slides, climbing walls... For the negatives: spiderwebs everywhere. We had them on the cottage, on the furniture, in the kitchen corner, and in the bathroom. Cleanliness was not up to par: stains from squashed mosquitoes on the wall and ceiling, and the bathroom had marks...