Take Your Kids Everywhere!®
Welcome to Travel Babbo! I used to work in healthcare, but was (not so secretly) addicted to travel. I would always post about family trips on Facebook, trying to inspire my friends to take their kids to crazy places too. Then in 2014 I quit my job and started this family travel blog to inspire more people.
I’ve been to 101 countries and seven continents. As a child I saw some of Europe and the South Pacific on family trips, but my travel addiction really began in college when I studied in Florence, Italy for a year and Heidelberg, Germany for a semester. Every weekend was a 3-day weekend, and the goal was to see as much as possible in those three days. This was in the days before cheap, easy intra-Europe flights, so traveling meant taking overnight trains – not the most comfortable mode of travel, but it worked, and I saw much of Europe. Once I graduated from college and grad school I kept it going. Email and international cell coverage made it easy to do my job remotely. Digital photography added a new creative element to the travel. I studied Norwegian for a couple of summers in Oslo. I met up with friends around the world. My goal was to see at least five new countries a year, which I managed for several years.
And then I got married. Travel with my wife was just as fun. Then we had kids (currently 14, 17 and 18), and it got really fun. I fully understand that a lot of people like taking breaks from their kids and heading overseas without them. We’re not like that. Two of our kids got to Europe before their first birthdays, and our third at 16 months. And starting at age four, each of my kids gets to pick any destination in the world every year for a one-on-one trip with me. I love the bonding and the different dynamic when I’m traveling with just one child. And my kids aren’t shy about picking crazy destinations – trips have included Australia (ages 4 and 6), Hong Kong (5), Belize (4), Easter Island (6), Iguazu Falls (6), Palawan (8), Bali (9 and 10), Japan (7 and 8), the Maldives (9), and Antarctica (8 and 12). And for two of our 10-year-old trips, we went around the world. The kids can pick anywhere they want, as long as it’s not highly dangerous. And no, we don’t home-school – we just take full advantage of school holidays.
Posts here detail our trips with the kids: the things that we’ve learned and the places we’ve discovered in more than 800,000 miles of family travel. There are a lot of ways to travel with kids – the most important thing is just doing it. Book a trip and go. But there are definitely ways to do it better, like playing the frequent flier mile game. If you go to my Start Here page, you’ll see my top posts for saving money as well as my most popular posts, our favorite destinations and tips for traveling with kids.
As for the Travel Babbo title… In 2012 I was lucky enough to win Conde Nast Traveler Magazine’s Photo of the Year contest out of 21,000+ entrants. The magazine planned an amazing two weeks in Florence for us. The first two days there three different people called me Babbo – Italian for Dad or Daddy. The kids started using it and it stuck – they haven’t called me Dad since we returned from that trip. The funny thing is that Babbo only means Dad in certain parts of Italy. In other areas it means Idiot. I’m pretty sure the kids mean the former – most of the time.
Awards and Honors
- CNN/Forbes – The World’s #4 Travel Influencer, 2017
- Hubspot – The #5 Top Travel Influencer on Instagram, 2018
- Fodor’s Travel – World’s Top Family Travel Influencer, 2019
- Feedspot – The #3 Luxury Travel Influencer, 2023
- Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) – 3x Muster Award Winner for Travel Photography, 2024
- Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) – Bronze Photographer of the Year 2022
- Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) – 4x Muster Award Winner for Travel Photography, 2021
- Society of American Travel Writers – Gold – Family Travel – Turkey: An Amazing Trip to Cappadocia with Kids, 2020
- LUXLife Travel & Tourism Awards – Best Family Travel Writer USA and Award for Excellence in Travel Photography, 2020
- Conde Nast Traveler – Photo of the Year, 2012
- Australian Society of Travel Writers – Judge – Annual Awards Competition, 2018-2023
- North American Travel Journalists Association – Gold – Family Travel (Online Publication) – South Greenland: Kid-Friendly Adventure in a Stunning Destination, 2018
- North American Travel Journalists Association – Gold – Family Travel (Online Publication) – The Ultimate Family Tradition: One-on-One Vacations with Dad, 2017
- North American Travel Journalists Association – Silver – Luxury and Resort Travel (Online Publication) – Six Senses Laamu in the Maldives: Our New Favorite Resort Anywhere, 2017
- Society of American Travel Writers – Silver – Photo-Illustrated Article – The Brilliance of Sunrise, 2022.
- Society of American Travel Writers – Bronze – Travel Tips – How to Get from the Airport to Your Hotel, 2022
- Society of American Travel Writers – Bronze – Family Travel – Exploring Antarctica with Disney, 2024
- Society of American Travel Writers – Bronze – Website, 2020
- Society of American Travel Writers – Bronze – Travel Tips – Florence with Kids: What to Do and Where to Stay in Our Favorite City, 2020
- North American Travel Journalists Association – Bronze – Independent Travel Blog, 2019
- North American Travel Journalists Association – Bronze – Family Travel (Online Publication) – Florence with Kids, 2019
- North American Travel Journalists Association – Bronze – Family Travel (Online Publication) – Giving the Gift of Travel, 2016
- Shorty Awards – Nominee, Best Online Travel Content, 2018
Brand Ambassadorships
- AFAR Magazine 2016-
- G1G Travel Insurance 2022-2024
- GoDaddy 2021-2022
- Mizzen+Main 2019-2020
- Thomson Family Adventures 2017-2018
- Travelocity 2016-2019
- Unbound Merino 2021-
- Universal Orlando Resort 2016-2019
Groups I’m a Part Of
- Advisory Board Member – Jerne
- Media Member – Adventure Travel Trade Association
- Member – Adventure Travel Conservation Fund
- Member – Society of American Travel Writers (SATW)
Places You’ll Find My Writing and Photography
- AAA Travel
- Bon Appetit
- Conde Nast Traveler
- Holidays with Kids
- Lonely Planet (Best in Travel 2021)
- Orion Magazine
- Outdoor Families Magazine
- Travelocity
- Travelzoo.com
- wendyperrin.com
- Yahoo and Yahoo Travel
Highlighted Press Coverage
- Ainfluencer (25 Top Hotel Influencers to Collaborate With in 2023)
- Business Insider (Travel Influencers See Surge in Demand as the Industry Recovers)
- Forbes (Top Travel Influencers)
- Holidays with Kids (The Best Family Travel Influencers to Follow in 2023)
- Influencer Marketing Hub (@travelbabbo: The #1 Instagram Travel Influencer to Follow in 2019)
- IZEA (Top 10 Family Travel Influencer 2019)
- Money Magazine (Recommended by Anthony Bourdain)
- New York Times (Quoted – How to Travel with Children)
- Real Simple (Quoted – The Best Hacks for Planning a Trip in Less Time)
- Room 1903 (Cover Story: Have Kids, Will Travel)
- TripAdvisor (Highlighted in the Press Release and Press Conference on TripAdvisor’s New Platform)
- Washington Post (What is a Travel Influencer? Ten Globe Trotting Instagrammers Talk About What They Do)
- Washington Post (What Happens When a Travel Influencer Can’t Travel? COVID-19 coverage)
Other Places You’ll Find Me Featured
- A Jaunt with Joy (35 Kickass Instagram Accounts Every Adventurous Traveler Should Follow)
- AdMass (Emerging Instagram Influencers of 2021)
- Amateur Traveler Podcast (Visiting Universal Orlando Resort)
- Anna Everywhere (Great Instagram Travel Photographers to Follow)
- Backpacking Family (Best Family Travel Blogs to Follow in 2023)
- Boy Eats World (45 Cool Kid Travelers You Should Be Following on Instagram)
- Casual Travelist (15 Instagram Accounts to Inspire Your Wanderlust)
- Chicago Tribune (Quoted)
- Conde Nast Traveler (Quoted – We Asked Experts: When Is It Okay for Children to Miss School?)
- Discover Corps (Best Family Travel Blogs to Follow 2016)
- Discover Corps (Best Family Travel Blogs to Follow 2017)
- Elle (España) (Los 10 grandes ‘influencers’ de viajes en Instagram)
- Escape with Vagary (Must Follow Travel Influencers 2022)
- Everki (17 Top Travel Influencers to Follow in 2024)
- Every Country in the World (The Favourites of Eric Stoen)
- Expat Happy Hour Podcast (Taking Your Kids Everywhere with Eric Stoen)
- Family Circle (Packing Tips to Help Make Traveling Easier)
- Family Traveller (Favorite Family Travel Photos from 2018)
- Family Travel Show UK (Speaker)
- Four Around the World (Best Blogs About Family Travel 2023)
- Fullerton Insider (How to Plan a Vacation That Your Kids Will Love)
- Holidays with Kids (10 Family Instagram Accounts to Follow)
- Holidays with Kids (Going Solo: Our guide to Traveling as a Solo Parent)
- Huffington Post (6 Epic Hot Air Balloon Rides)
- Inspreation (Wanderlust: Meet Eric Stoen, Travel Writer, Influencer and Photographer)
- IZEA (Top Luxury Travel Influencers 2022)
- IZEA (Top 25 Hotel Influencers)
- IZEA (Top Luxury Travel Influencers)
- Jetsetting Family Podcast (How to Become a Family Travel Blogger)
- Johnny Jet (17 Travel Instagram Accounts to Follow)
- Johnny Jet (Featured Instagrammer)
- Johnny Jet’s Travel Style
- Just Go Places (10 Family Getaways)
- Kids Campings (Top 10 International Blogs for Traveling with Kids) – in Dutch
- Lee Abbamonte (My 10 Favorite Instagram Accounts)
- Lonely Planet France (8 Comptes Instagram à Suivre)
- McCool Travel (5 Minutes with Eric Stoen)
- Media Feed (Planning Your Next Trip? These Travel Blogs Have You Covered)
- Men’s Journal (9 Miserable Travel Mistakes Parents Make with Their Kids)
- MrDiscountcode.hk (Top Family Travel Blogs)
- Mumpack Travel (Our Fave 12 Family Travel Instagrammers)
- My Baba (Interview – How to Travel the World with Children)
- Nerdwallet (Interview – Helicopter Ride in the Seychelles)
- Nerdwallet (Pro Tips for Smart and Cheap Family Travel)
- New York Times (Quoted – How to Pack a Suitcase)
- O.A.R.S. (10 of the Best Websites for Adventurous Families)
- Odyssey Online (8 Travel Accounts to Follow on Instagram)
- Ordinary Sherpa Podcast (Eric Stoen of Travel Babbo)
- Our Whole Village (Travel Babbo’s Eric Stoen on Rethinking Kid-Friendly Destinations)
- Our World Heritage (Traveling Family Series)
- ParkDIA (21 Family Travel Blogs You Should Follow)
- Pepperdine University (Alumni Spotlight)
- PortSkipper (Inspirational Blogs for Families Who Love to Travel – 2019)
- Reader’s Digest (Busted! – 7 Lame Excuses for Not Traveling With Your Kids)
- Red Tricycle (9 Instagram Accounts to Follow for Vacation Inspiration in 2020)
- Savoteur (The 25 Best Travel Blogs 2021)
- Seattle Times (Hiking International Trails)
- Seattle Times (What to Look For When Making Sustainable Travel Plans)
- Teff.Me (Interview with Eric Stoen 2022)
- The Expedition (Meet Eric Stoen, Travel Writer and Globetrotting Dad)
- The Fashion Frill (Top 25 Travel Influencers to Follow in 2023)
- The Financial Brand (Financial Marketers Build Banking Brands Piggybacking on Social Media Power Users)
- The Flipflop Experience Podcast (Ep 44: Epic Family Expeditions with Eric Stoen)
- The Florentine (From a study abroad student to a Florence returner, Eric Stoen inspires family-friendly international travel.)
- The Global Wizards (50 Travel Families on Instagram You Should Follow)
- The Offbeat Life Podcast (How This Travel Writer Promotes the Benefits of Family Travel)
- The Offbeat Life Podcast (How to Start Traveling with Children on a Budget)
- The Star, Malaysia (These Dads Always Find a Way to Make Travelling Fun For Their Little Ones)
- The Sweetest Way (10 Beautiful Instagram Accounts to Satiate Your Wanderlust)
- This Travel Tribe Podcast (How to Create Meaningful One on One Trips with Your Kids)
- IDA (Top Travel Blogs to Fuel Your Wanderlust in 2024)
- TourRadar (5 Simple Ways to Get Excited for a Trip to Greece)
- Touring Families (Podcast Interview)
- Travel Break (10 Family Travel Blogs that Prove You Can Work, Travel and Have Kids)
- Travelinsightpedia (People Stories: Eric Stoen)
- Tripoto (This Dad Takes His Kids Wherever They Want In The World Every Year)
- Vacation Mavens Family Travel Podcast (Bucket List Travel)
- Vacation Mavens Family Travel Podcast (Volcano Bay)
- Wall Street Journal (Feel Like Waze is Judging You?)
- We Said Go Travel (Travel Influencer Interview Series)
- Westgate Resorts (25 Travel Influencers to Reignite Your Passion for Travel (2023 Edition)
- WildKids (10+1 cuentas de Instagram de viajes y naturaleza con niños que deberías seguir) – in Spanish
- World Worth Wandering Podcast 2022 (Eric Stoen)
- yTravel Blog (Best Family Travel Resources)
As Seen in Vanity Fair Italia
Where I’ve Been
I’ve traveled to over 100 countries and all seven continents. This list goes back thirty years, but most trips are fairly recent, and well over half were with my kids (noted with an *).
North America:
Antigua, Bahamas*, Barbados, Belize*, Bermuda*, Canada*, Cayman Islands*, Costa Rica*, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica*, Mexico*, Netherlands Antilles, Nicaragua*, Panama*, St. Lucia, United States*
South America:
Argentina*, Brazil*, Chile*, Colombia*, Ecuador*, Peru, Uruguay
Europe:
Austria*, Belgium*, Croatia*, Czechia*, Denmark*, Estonia, Faroe Islands*, Finland, France*, Germany*, Greece*, Hungary*, Iceland*, Ireland*, Italy*, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta*, Monaco, Netherlands*, Norway*, Poland, Portugal*, Russia*, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia*, Spain*, Sweden*, Switzerland*, UK*, Vatican City*
Africa:
Botswana, Ethiopia, Kenya*, Morocco*, Seychelles*, South Africa, Tanzania*, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Asia:
Bhutan, Burma, Cambodia*, China, Hong Kong*, India*, Indonesia*, Israel, Japan*, Jordan, Laos*, Lebanon, Macau, Malaysia, Maldives*, Oman*, Philippines*, Qatar*, Saudi; Singapore*, Sri Lanka, South Korea*, Taiwan*, Thailand*, Turkey*, UAE*, Vietnam*
Oceania:
Australia*, Fiji, French Polynesia*, New Zealand*
Antarctica:
Antarctica*
My Current Travel Wish List
Georgia, Iran, Uzbekistan, Dubrovnik, Mauritius, Silk Road, Namibia, Mongolia, Northern Lights, Kerala, Nepal, Finnish Lapland, Madagascar
Some Of The Coolest Things I’ve Done
- Rafting the Zambezi River in Zimbabwe
- Exploring Antarctica twice with my daughters (at 8 and 12-years-old)
- Hanging out of a train in Sri Lanka
- Traveling around the world in two weeks with my 10-year-old daughter, and then doing the same with my 10-year-old son
- Accidentally hiking to the top of Table Mountain in Cape Town
- Celebrating New Years Eve in Oslo and Paris
- Riding on a Mardi Gras float in New Orleans (Krewe of Orpheus)
- Hiking the Inca Trail four days to Machu Picchu
- Going through the Vasari Corridor in Florence
- Seeing Carmen at the Vienna Opera House
- Piranha fishing in the Amazon Rainforest
- Bungee jumping 300 feet from the bridge between Zimbabwe and Zambia
- Working for President Reagan for a year at his LA office (not travel-related, but really cool)
- Skiing in Austria
- Flying halfway around the world to attend a friend’s birthday party in the middle of a Lithuanian forest
- Hiking the Great Wall (4x)
- Attending a royal Indian wedding in Jodhpur
- Climbing Harbour Bridge in Sydney twice, once with my 10-year-old
- Sleeping in the Thar Desert in India
- Hiking around a Fijian island
- Tracking grizzly bears in Alaska
- Hiking to see mountain gorillas in Uganda
- Attending the World Cup in Russia and three Super Bowls
Conferences Attended
- Adventure Travel World Summit 2016 (Alaska), 2017 (Argentina), 2018 (Italy), 2019 (Sweden), 2022 (Switzerland), 2023 (Japan)
- Family Travel Association Annual Summit 2016 (Tucson)
- ITB Berlin 2015, 2016, 2018
- NATJA Annual Meeting 2016 (Oxnard)
- New York Times Travel Show 2017, 2020
- SATW Annual Conference 2018 (Barbados), 2019 (El Paso), 2024 (Istanbul)
- Social Travel Summit 2017 (Austria), 2019 (Italy)
- Study Abroad & Global Citizenship Summit 2017 (NYC)
- TBC Asia 2016 (Sri Lanka)
- TBEX International 2015 (Spain), 2015 (Thailand), 2017 (Israel), 2023 (Greece)
- TBEX North America 2015 (Fort Lauderdale), 2016 (Minneapolis), 2017 (Huntsville), 2018 (Finger Lakes, NY)
- TravelCon 2022 (Memphis), 2024 (Portland)
Favorite Foods
Mango (ripe), dark chocolate (the fewer ingredients, the better), sushi, key lime pie, rhubarb, cinghiale (wild boar). And watermelon juice, wine and coffee. We’re not soda or beer drinkers.