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Did you know that children under 16 can travel on Transport for Wales trains with a paying adult all year round and across the whole network with no distance limitations! Yes that means you can go from South to North and even Manchester as long as it’s on a transport for wales train. . Firstly I’m not working with @transport_wales (although if they do want to work with me I’m here 👋🏼) I’ve just travelled with the kids multiple times on their trains including recently from Cardiff to Carmarthen (kids went for free) and wanted to share. . Here’s the run down . Under 11’s travel for free anytime, 7 days a week. Up to 2 children 5-10yrs travel for free with a fare paying adult (full or discounted standard class fare. . 11-15yr olds Up to 2 children aged 11-15 can travel for free with a fare paying adult between the hours of 9:30am-4pm and 6:30pm onwards, Monday to Friday and Anytime Sat & Sun. . Tickets can only be obtained from a transport for wales rail ticket office or the on-board train conductor and not online. . Adults ARE allowed to use their railcards to gain a discount. They can also be travelling on advance, off-peak or small group day tickets and still access free child tickets. This is stated clearly on T&C’s & I’ve confirmed this with the Cardiff ticket office as guard told me something contrary. . Free tickets are only valid for Transport of Wales trains as different train companies use similar or same routes. The free ticket applies to the whole network including stops in England such as Birmingham, Manchester and Chester. . I’d recommend printing out a copy of the T&C’S as not all the staff are aware of the conditions - I was charged once for my 8yr old when they always travel for free - Cardiff ticket office refunded me when I explained the situation as I knew we had travelled within the condtions. . . . #transportforwales #visitwales #welshrailways #welshtrains #welshadventure #explorewales #southwales #cardiffmums #cardiffblogger #ukdaysout .

Colby Woodland Gardens . Save for next time your in West Wales as this place is so beautiful. You will find a hidden walled garden, 900 acres of woodland and meadows to explore, beautiful wooden statues, streams and trees to climb. You can also walk from Colby Woodland to Amroth beach. . So much space to explore and for children to run free. There is also a gorgeous little cafe and is dog friendly. . It’s looked after by the National Trust although there is no admission charge and parking is free if you’re a NT member. If not it’s £3 for 3hrs or £7 for the whole day and you could easily spend a whole day here with a picnic and stroll down to the coastline. . Such a beautiful hidden gem, we will definitely be back. . . . . . #pembrokeshire #aroundtenby #westwales #colbywoodlandgarden #welshwalks #visitpembrokeshire #lifeinwales #discovercymru #familytraveltribe #thewalescollective #cardiffbloggers #unlimitedwales #quietmomentsoutside #innaturewetrust

Small changes add up | AD . . Climate Change Wales has challenged us to make a some small changes to our every day routine to help create a cleaner and greener Wales. . So this spring, at least once a week we are ditching the car and opting for our bikes and plan to explore as much of The Taff Trail and local cycle paths as well can. . This is both a fun and sustainable way to explore what is on our doorstep and is not only great for wellbeing but also saves money. . There are plenty of ways we can make small sustainable changes such as shopping second hand, using reusables, recycling, repairing & sharing items the list goes on and www.climateaction.gov.wales is a great resource for tips and ideas. . . . . #ClimateActionWales #newidhinsawdd #tafftrail #southwales #lifeinwales #cardiffmums #sustainabletravel #rhonddacynontaff #cardifflife #cardiffwalks #cyclingwales

Recharging in West Wales . It’s been a while since I visited my mum and brother in West Wales, the weather has been a wash out for weeks so a change in scenery, lots of fresh air and family time was needed. . It was dry for the most part and we made sure to make the most of it. . We enjoyed a lovely evening stroll on Saundersfoot Beach, climbing rocks and searching for crabs in the rock pools. . The next day we headed to Colby Woodland Garden which is a stunning estate looked after by the National Trust. It’s free to explore and has so many woodland trails, streams and logs to walk over, sculptures and a cute tea room. Parking is free for National Trust members or £7 for non members for the day . It’s such a calm and relaxing space with so much room for kids to run around and you can easily walk from the estate to Amroth beach. . We also spent time wandering around Narberth and dipping our toes in the ocean on castle beach in Tenby and exploring some the beach caves. . Simple outdoor fun, just what we needed. . . . . #westwales #tenbybeach #colbywoodlandgarden #nationaltrustwales #saundersfoot #aroundtenby #welshwalks #welshcoast #welshcoastalpath #yourwales #cardiffbloggers #parentswhowander #familytraveltribe #myfamilywanderlust

A few quiet moments from our recent trip to Oxford, just observing the city & people moving through it, daily life and soaking in the atmosphere of this unique place. . It’s a great city to explore both with kids and on your own, it’s so beautiful you can spend hours just wandering around and there are so many free museums and historic buildings to explore . . . . . #oxford_uk #exploringoxford #bridgeofsighs #ukhiddengems #oxfordstreets #romanticcities #masterworkpartner #oxfordshire #thequietmoments #theartofnoticing #uktravels #unlimitedbritain #familytraveltribe #visitengland #cardiffbloggers #oxforduniversity #sheisnotlost #parentswhowander #mumswhotravel

Easter over and out. . While not the Easter we had hoped for in terms of weather, we still managed plenty of adventures and enjoyed slowing down for a little while. . We made use of the free museums in Cardiff, as well as popping into the Art of a the Selfie exhibition @museumwales which is a “pay what you can” exhibition which is great to see as it means more art being more accessible to all. . Also put our @nationaltrust memberships to use, it’s the only monthly membership I have but like anything it’s only useful if you use it, so we make sure to use it! Luckily we have two great properties nearby - Dyffryn Gardens and Tredegar House. . I annoyingly experienced my first sudden and unexpected bout of severe vertigo, due to an inner ear issue, it really shook me up & took around 4/5 days to pass, luckily I managed to get a GP appointment because the nausea & dizziness levels were too much to deal with. . After that we spent most of the days wandering around our local forests and just enjoying each others company. We had planned a few mountain walks but are saving those for drier days ahead. . I really hope that we are going to have a long sunny summer because even though like many, we go out whatever the weather, personally I’m done with the wet and grey, bring on sunshine please. . . . . #nationalmuseumwales #cardifflife #cardiffmums #southwalesvalleys #forestfawr #cardiffstreetart #cardiffbloggers #lifeinwales #welshlife #yourwales #visitcardiff #dyffryngardens #outdoormumsuk #artoftheselfie

My youngest asked me the other day “how do we get vitamin D”, I told him the best way was from the sun and that it helps keep our bones & muscles strong and our mind healthy. . He said “we are just like plants, we need the sun to grow” and he’s right but not just sun, we need water, fresh air, the forest, the oceans, the calming affect it has on our over stimulated minds. . I’ve been in my own head lately, this year and every year since the Pand*mic has felt exhausting, both mentally and physically. It’s not a cure all but a walk in the woods or along the coast really does help. Make time for it, make time for you and your mind. . . . . #welshwoods #welshwalks #forestbathingtherapy #welshlife #forestfawr #southwales #welshvalleys #gointonature #yourwales #simplepleasuresoflife #welshcountryside #outdoormumsuk #theartofnoticing #slowlivingfamily #familytraveltribe #theparentpassport #welshbloggers #freespiritedchildhood #visitrhondda #rhonddacynontaff

Mollies Motel, Oxford 📍 ad . . We recently stayed @molliesmotels 20 mins drive from Oxford and a great place for exploring both the city and the Cotswolds. . The motels interiors are designed by Soho house and has a stylish but welcoming feel for all ages. Felt like we were living in a Wes Anderson film and it ticked all the boxes. Spacious rooms, super comfy beds, a laid back vibe at an affordable price with rooms starting at £70. . There is a great communal reception area with work stations, cocktails, books to read and coffee to drink. . The diner is a whole other experience in itself, with that Americana feel, incredible shakes, burgers and all day breakfast as well as a mini Mollies menu. . We genuinely had such a enjoyable and low stress stay and slept so well! The staff are fantastic and it’s the perfect base for exploring the area. . . . . #itsamolliesthing #molliesmotel #molliesmotelanddiner #wesandersontrend #sohohouse #familytraveltribe #theparentpassport #oxfordshire #exploretheuk #myfamilywanderlust #placestostayuk #roadtripuk #cotswoldlife #welshbloggers #cardiffmums

Just a reminder that spending lots of money on Easter themed days out doesn’t necessarily mean more fun or more memories. . Yes it’s always nice to have something special planned but there is definitely pressure for parents to do something every day of the holidays and for many that’s not viable. . While the weather isn’t great & I plan to share some indoor ideas asap there is plenty of free days to be had in South Wales. Here are a few things we have enjoyed over the last week. . Finally made time to visit Llanishen Reservoir (parking is free up to 90 mins) & we took our flask and snacks with us for an impromptu picnic. . Then had a stroll around Roath park & wild gardens area, which is a great space for kids to run around & enjoy nature. May have shared a cheeky donut from Dough and Co which had a donut truck at Roath Park. . We also spent an afternoon walking around Pontypridd Common which has its own stone circle & also forms part of the free Mab storytelling trail along with Pontypridd Park. Free parking & buggy friendly paths. . We also popped down to Barry Sidings Countrypark which has free parking, a great cafe, forest trails, play area & has bike & buggy friendly paths. . There was also a dry enough spell to get on our bikes and enjoy the Taff Trail for an hour or two which is a fantastic long distance mainly traffic free bike path suitable for all ages. . There are also plenty of community Easter events happening at the moment and places like IKEA are hosting free Easter trails and hopefully the weather will improve as South Wales has such fantastic free outdoor spaces to enjoy . . . . #welshwalks #llanishenreservoir #roathpark #cardifflife #barrysidings #pontypriddcommon #tafftrail #freedaysout #cardiffbloggers #welshbloggers #lifeinwales #rhonddacynontaff #visitrhondda #welshvalleys #bestofsouthernwales #myfamilywanderlust

How to have a cheap day out in Oxford . Oxford has an array of amazing museums that are free to explore, along with being a walkable city even for kids, with so much history & picturesque buildings, it’s very easy to enjoy a budget day out. There are also plenty of cafes & street food & the covered market is a great place to find a family friendly bite to eat. We spent a whole day here and still didn’t have enough time to do everything but this is what we did get up too. . * The History of Science Museum which houses Einsteins blackboard from a lecture he gave at the University. Free . * The Natural History Museum which stands in a beautiful building packed with dinosaurs fossils, animals & plenty of interactive elements for kids of all ages. Free . Pitt Rivers museum which you can access from The Natural history museum houses a large archaeological & anthropological collection. Free . *Radcliffe Square & Bridge of Sighs - home to Oxfords most iconic buildings, the square is a hive of activity & is busy for most of the day. It’s a lovely place to just take it all in. Free . The covered market is well worth walking through, it’s buzzing with activity from cheese shops to cocktail bars inside bookstores to antique toy stores & free art on the walls and ceilings, we spent a good half hour wandering around. Free (well the kids had a donut) . *Share a pizza made for 3 at The Plough Inn on Cornmarket street. When it comes to family travel, food can shoot the budget up, but when we stumbled across this pub that made sharing pizzas for £14.50 that was lunch sorted for all of us. Delicious pizza with pesto in a beautiful location! Wish more places made sharing pizzas. . *Climb the Saxon Tower, one of the oldest buildings in Oxford (more than 1000yrs old). 97 steps up and your met with a fantastic view across the city. This was the only “attraction” I paid for - adult ticket was £3.50, kids £2 or a family ticket £9. . We had planned to go to The Ashmolean Museum & Modern Art museum but ran out of time - both free . #oxford #radcliffecamera #familytraveltribe #experienceox #exploreoxford #budgettravel #oxfordlife #theparentpassport #thecoveredmarketoxford

Wearing your travel memories | Ad . I’ve always had a passion for travel and have been lucky to have not only visited over 25 but have also lived and worked in 6 different countries. I was a little nervous that having kids would impact that but it hasn’t at all, if anything it’s made my adventures more meaningful. Which is why I love my El Camino Bracelet which lets me wear our memories and create a visual journey that we can keep adding to. The bracelets are handmade in England and every bead or Step tells of a country, continent or sea we have crossed and every time I look at it I’m flooded with all the amazing memories we have made. It also inspires me to keep going and I cannot wait to add more Steps to my bracelet over the coming years. . @elcaminobracelets #MomentinTen #ElCaminoBracelets #MyElCamino #familytraveltribe #familytravel #travelmemories #travelwithkids #familytravelblogger #myfamilywanderlust #fearlessfamtrav #theparentpassport #familieslovetravel

When you head home after a long day of travel and cross the Severn bridge in the golden hour, being welcomed back to Wales with the most glorious sunset. That feeling is a little bit of magic ✨ . Also fyi this was filmed by the passenger and not the driver ✌🏼 . . . . #severnbridge #welcometowales #welshsunset #goldenhourlight #bestofsouthernwales #yourwales #welshadventure #unlimitedwales #cardiffbloggers #welshbloggers #unlimitedwales #thewalescollective #myfamilywanderlust #capturethelight #lifeinwales #welshlife