About

Welcome to Claudia Travels!

I’m so glad you’re here! It means you’re as interested – or obsessed – about travel as I am. 🙂

In fact, I’m so obsessed that I became a freelance travel writer, editor and content creator about 12 years ago.

I live in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with my husband, two sons and our furbaby, Zuzu. I’m the Founding Editor of the award-winning Claudia Travels travel site (formerly The Travelling Mom), and Deputy Editor at Vacay.ca and Vacay Network.

I’ve been traveling since I was a baby, which is a long time ago! My parents met while working on a Canadian airline, and as a kid, I was privileged to do a lot of traveling to Europe to see family, and to places like Hawaii and California for family holidays. I remember the ‘good old days’ of travel – they really did exist.

I’m passionate about the power of the travel experience, and its potential to transform and educate ourselves and those we love, about the world around us.

We raised our sons to be travelers, and I see them out in the world now as young adults, making their way and enjoying their own adventures. Travel is truly the gift that keeps on giving, and through my work, I hope to share that gift with you.

This site is intended to demystify the world of travel, offer helpful tips and tricks to make your travel life better, and share the love and wonder of visiting destinations and special places around the world.

And it’s meant to connect to like-minded travel enthusiasts like you. I hope you’ll reach out directly to me here or at claudia AT laroye DOT ca.

I have a book, and awards

In fall 2022, I published my first book, the travel anthology, A Gelato a Day. This book is about the good, the bad, and the not-so-ugly of the family travel experience. It was my sanity-saving pandemic project, and the 20 stories by twenty exceptional travel writers are sure to inspire and entertain you.

A Gelato a Day is also an award-winning book! It won Bronze for Best Travel Book at the 2023 NATJA Awards.

My website and writing has garnered kudos from my peers. In summer 2022, ClaudiaTravels.com won Third Place as the Best Travel Blog or Column at the 2021 TMAC Travel Awards.

In summer 2023, my articles were recognized with three honorable mentions at the 2022 TMAC Travel Awards.

a gelato a day family travel anthology

My freelance work

In addition to my own site, I do a lot of freelance writing work for a variety of domestic and international print publications.

My writing centers on a few main travel topics, including adventure, family, wellness, 50+ and sustainable travel. I also write about beauty, culinary and lifestyle issues.

I’ve contributed to print and digital publications around the world; Adventure.com, TIME Magazine, Air Canada enRoute magazine, AFAR, Globe & Mail, the Toronto Star, Vancouver Sun, Canadian Geographic Travel, NUVO Magazine, Lonely Planet, Explore Magazine, Canadian Traveller, Saturday Evening Post, World Nomads, Zoomer, TravelAge West, VITA Daily, Verge Magazine, Dreamscapes, BCAA Westworld Magazine, WestJet Magazine, Matador Network, Fodor’s, Hotel-Addict, TravelZoo, Travel Mamas, Ultimate Family Vacations Magazine, Travel Underwriters, and other travel sites on the web.

Life as a travel expert

I’ve put my decades of travel experience to good use as a travel expert, and I’m always happy to answer media enquiries.

I’ve been interviewed by print, radio, and television media, including; the New York Times, Times of Israel, BT Vancouver television, CBC Radio, CBC Television, the Globe and Mail, Vancouver Sun, Modern Mississauga Magazine, West Coast Families, and Tourism Vancouver.

I’m a member of the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) and the Travel Media Association of Canada (TMAC). I’m also a Media Herald with the Transformational Travel Council, and a member of Women Travel Leaders.

claudia walking with monos suitcase at airport

Work with travel brands

I’ve worked with many incredible travel brands, destinations, tourism bureaus and DMOs over the years. I welcome the opportunity to partner with aligned travel brands in a variety of content creation, travel trips or sponsored roles.

Clients and partners include; Aventura Clothing, Rogers Communications, RBC Avion, BCAA, Icebreaker, Lonely Planet Kids, Monograms Travel, Rocky Mountaineer, TREK Travel, Travel Mindset, CityPASS, Destination British Columbia, Fairmont Hotels, Tourism Switzerland, Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Tourism, Ski Utah, Visit Park City, Tourism Utah, Tourism Scottsdale, Tourism Phoenix, Las Vegas, Louisiana Travel, Visit California, Coastal Mississippi, Southern California, Tourism Whistler, Banff Lake Louise Tourism, Sun Peaks Resort, Tourism Jasper, Tourism Quebec, Tourism Vancouver, Sunshine Coast Tourism, Tourism Saskatoon, Newport Beach CVB, Tourism Harrison Hot Springs, Big White Resort, Langley Tourism, Wyndham Vacation Rentals, Villa del Palmar at the Islands of Loreto, Visit Parksville Qualicum Beach, Banff Jasper Collection, Tempe Tourism, Tourism Flanders, Myrtle Beach CVB, OPAL Resorts, Travel Underwriters, and Visit Jordan Tourism Board.

Press + Other Outlets

I’m a freelance travel journalist and write for a wide variety of print and online publications around the world. This is a round-up of travel articles and media features that I’ve written or appeared in as a travel expert.

Adventure.com

Invisible no more: The rise of the 50+ solo woman traveler

Adventure Travel

Good feelings abound on surprising Shikoku Island

AFAR

Off the Grid Stone Villages of Bavona Valley, Switzerland

Kitoki Inn Brings the Japanese Onsen Experience to British Columbia

Canadian Geographic Travel

Hound found: on the hunt for truffles in British Columbia

Road tripping BC’s Cariboo Chilcotin Coast

TIME Magazine

World’s Greatest Places 2022 – Tofino, British Columbia

Globe and Mail

Ode to a VW WestfaliaFirst Person Essay

How to get off the beaten path in Switzerland

Off-season travel benefits travellers and destinations

Running on Empty: Electric Vehicles and the tourism opportunity to be had

How to fulfill teenage wanderlust in the pandemic era – Interview

Air Canada’s enRoute Magazine

A Perfect Day on Bowen Island, British Columbia

Walking the Cheese Route – May/June 2021

A Perfect Day in Richmond, British Columbia

The Toronto Star

How I fell in love with hiking after a dream trek went south

In the ranches of BC’s Cariboo Chilcotin, I gained a deeper understanding of the connection between human and horse

On a High in Switzerland

A Tasty Tour of Jasper, Alberta

Canadian Traveller

Outstanding Orkneys: The Rewards of Hiking Scotland’s Remote Archipelago Islands

The Isolated British Columbian Backcountry Lodge That Brings Guests to an Iceberg-Studded Glacial Lake

Tofino has a new floating sauna that’s so remote you can only reach hit by boat

5 Incredible, Family-Friendly Excursions near Punta Cana the Kids Won’t Soon Forget

Anaheim: a chic yet totally kid-centric resort just opened and it’s minutes from Disneyland

Washington Post

How to propose on vacationFeatured

Montecristo Magazine

A New Road Brings a New Future to Isolated Bamfield, B.C.

Injectable skincare is everywhere. What does it mean for how we age?

NUVO Magazine

The Intangible Artistry of Tosa Washi Paper

Vancouver’s Restorative Getaways

Some Like It Hot: The Halo Hybrid Laser Treatment

The Decorative Elegance of de Gournay

The Art of Assemblage

Luxe treatment at Whistler’s Wedge Mountain Lodge & Spa

The world’s largest anime store opens in Tokyo

Bitten by the bike tour bug

Whistler’s most prominent hotel is reborn

Designer of Dreams: 75 Years of Christian Dior in Tokyo

The Mid-Century Modern Style of Carlo Scarpa

Queen of the Dolomites

A valley of stone in Ticino, Switzerland

1000 Flowers Perfumery Blooms in Grasse, France

CAA Magazine

Feel the Heat: take the plunge into nature’s own hot tubs

Insider’s Guide to Spas

Three Noteworthy Nordic Spas

Ensemble Vacations Magazine

Fall Issue 2022 – A Trip of Firsts to Fiji

Verge Magazine

The Ultimate Guide to Gap Years for Any Age

Not Just for Kids: Volunteering Abroad for Retirees

Volunteering Abroad for Families

VITA Daily

Spoiled on the Sunshine Coast

6 Plant-based paradises catering to vegans on every continent

5 Can’t Miss Summer Festivals in British Columbia

TALLU & Co.: Mindful wellness products, born in a barn

Breakfast Television Vancouver

Tips for Camping in British Columbia

Tips on Skiing at BC Ski Resorts

How to Pack for a Family Trip

How Tech enables Family Travel

Modern Mississauga Magazine

6 Key Travel Trends in 2024

Modern Travel: A Girlfriends’ Getaway Guide to Parq Vancouver

The New Modern: Navigating How We Travel – Interview 

Canada.com

Canadian Instagrammers reveal the most photogenic spots in Canada – Featured

CBC Radio

BC Almanac Interview: London Attacks and Travel Plans – Interview

Cross Country Check Up: The Great Canadian Road Trip – Interview

BC Almanac Interview: Camping in British Columbia – Interview

On the Coast: Parent Project – Family Travel Tips – Interview

Family Fun Canada

We will fly again: Guidelines for Air Travel

7 Great National Historic Sites in Metro Vancouver

Pandemic Proof Holiday Activities

An Autumnal Escape to Kelowna

9 Reasons to get away to Victoria this fall

Tales of Travel Fails – Terrible trains, awful airplanes, ticket terrors

California Road Trip – Cruising the California coast on Highway 1

Enjoying the Force and the Pork at Oliver’s Pig Out Festival

Kamloops’ Annual Halloween Spookloops Festivities

Loving Las Vegas with Teens

Six Ways to Enjoy Exhilarating Family Adventures in Laval

How to Navigate the Lights of Broadway with Teenagers 

Most Canadian Things to do this Summer

Travel Tips from the Travel Pros

The Best Family-Friendly Mountains in Canada

Traveling with Teenagers

Flight Network

Top 100 Canadian Travel BlogsFeature

Fodor’s Travel

22 Interesting and Fun Tours in New York City 

Think Outside the Tent: 9 Unique Ways to Camp in Canada

Globe and Mail – Interviews

Tourists share tips for traveling through Jordan – Interview

Plot a Road Trip to Canada’s Best Child-Friendly Historic Sites – Interview

Road Trip? Suddenly My Husband’s a Superstar Organizer  – Interview

Pack Patience – and Prescriptions: Tips for Travelling with Elderly Parents – Interview

How to Plan the Perfect Cross-Canada Road Trip – Interview

Hotel-Addict

Moxy East Village taps into a rock vibe for a guest stay that hits the high notes

New York Glam Meets French Pied-a-Terre at Westhouse NYC

Lightfoot Travel

Going off grid on Brazil’s East Coast

Lonely Planet

Jordan’s Life Aquatic: Surprising Watery Adventures in the Desert

Lonely Planet Kids

25 City Adventures for Families (Ebook: Section – Rome)

Matador

7 Reasons you NEED to Experience Whistler’s Epic Mountain Culture

New York Times

Looking for Togetherness on Your Family Trip? Try Staying in a Hostel – Interview

Saturday Evening Post

Into the West: Retracing History and 12,000-year-old footsteps on the Rollins Pass, Colorado

Ancient Labyrinths Provide Meditative Relief in a Pandemic Age

How a Black Pioneer turned Fish into Gold

Times of Israel

How Travel will Change after Coronavirus – Interview 

TravelAgeWest

Getting Golden at Purcell Mountain Lodge

5 Viking Sites and Ruins in Sweden

It Begins with Bula at Fiji’s Castaway Island

Land Tour Trends for Family Travelers in 2019

Travelzoo Canada

Unique Ways to Camp in Canada’s National Parks

Twist Travel Magazine

Spring 2021 Magazine Issue: (Travel Fails; Epic Treehouses; Vancouver Cherry Blossom Season)

Fall/Winter 2020 Magazine Issue: Feature: Quebec in Winter; SkiBig3 in Banff; California Roadtrips)

Spring/Summer 2020 Magazine Issue

Fall/Winter 2019 Magazine Issue (Feature: Banff, Alberta)

Spring/Summer 2019 Magazine Issue (Feature: Baden-Baden, Germany)

Five Amazing Winter Bars in the United States

Get Tagging! At Berlin’s Paint Your First Graffiti

Ultimate Family Vacations

The highs and lows of an alpine overnight hike with kids in Switzerland

Bond Voyage: Cruising the Mexican Riviera

Vancouver is Awesome

Channelling your inner scientist in Churchill, Manitoba

Vancouver Sun

Bonne fête de Carnaval – Quebec City’s Winter Carnival turns 70

Whiskey and wanders in Tasmania

10 of our favorite BC summer getaways

Nothing wild about this women’s weekend in Whistler

Winter camping at Manning Park will have you star gazing

Glaciers, Grizzlies and Grand Tours

Celebrating culture, cuisine and community on Salt Spring Island

48 Hours in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California

Why they aren’t throwing parties in the streets of Paraty, Brazil

Vacay Canada

Massive Fun at Le Massif in Charlevoix

The Secret to Shambhala’s Success is Joy

Keeping it real in the Kootenays

20 Best Places in Canada in 2022 – various articles

Gaga for Galentine’s Day at the JW Marriott Parq Vancouver

Finding Wellness among the Pines and Peaks of Banff

Experience Peak Luxury with Rocky Mountaineer

20 Best Places to Travel in Canada for 2021

Tourism Week encourages Canadians to Come to the Rescue

Escape from Home with Indigenous Experiences for Summer

Travel Journalists ponder rate status of America as a destination

Rediscovering the Allure of Lake Louise and Banff

Comfort, Cuisine and Culture in Naramata

Westcoast Distillers create festive libations for the holidays

At Halloween, Canadians embrace traditions that originate in Ireland

Four Birding Excursions in British Columbia

4 British Columbia Properties reopening with success

Vancouver Hotels reopen with caution and care for guest safety

In BC, Wine Industry talks climate change challenge and solutions

Vive la France at the Vancouver International Wine Festival

Roll through Vancouver on an e-bike tour

Dipping into Nordic Spas in Quebec

WestJet Magazine

A Guide to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

Westworld Magazine

Westworld BC – Ski Free Family Fun at British Columbia Ski Resorts

Westworld BC – Vancouver’s Hidden Gems

World Nomads

How to Travel well with Kids – Yours and Others

BreatheDreamGo

Wildlife Canada Series: Polar Bears in Churchill, Manitoba

The Huffington Post

Canada’s Best Winter Adventures (featured)

Travel Mamas

All-Inclusive Beach Thanksgiving Vacations for Families

Tips for Visiting Fabulous Fiji with Kids and Teens

10 Fantastique Things to Do with Kids in Montreal

Sonoma Valley Romantic Getaway at Applewood Inn

What to Buy for a Cruise to Maximize Fun and Good Health

Best Toys for Car Trips to Buy Before You Hit the Road

Audiobook for Family Road Trips that Kids AND Parents Enjoy

Cabo San Lucas Tours That Add Excitement to Your Beach Vacation

Canada in 2017 – Why to make THIS the Year You Visit

Clayoquot Wilderness Resort with Kids

Considering Cabo? Here’s Why to Book Marina Fiesta Resort

Tips for Traveling with your Pet to Add Joy to the Journey

10 Fantastique Things to do in Montreal with Kids

10 Incredible Hot Springs for Families

Tips for Saving Money on Vacation Transportation

Yosemite National Park for First Timers

Why Book a Stay at Tanya Lodge at Yosemite National Park

8 Myrtle Beach Family Activities and Attractions You’ll Love

Snowbound Family Fun at Sun Peaks Ski Resort in British Columbia

9 Sanity Saving Holiday Airport Security Tips

Peace and Remembrance in Flanders Fields, Belgium

8 Travel Fails to Avoid on Your Next Trip

Tips for Visiting Canada’s Wonderland Theme Park

Palm Springs Romantic Getaway

Wizarding World of Harry Potter Tips for Super Fans and Non-Fans

All-Inclusive Beach Luxury at Westin Playa Conchal, Costa Rica

Safety Tips to Prevent Losing Your Child in a Public Place

Things to Do with Kids in Whistler in Summer

Babymoon tips for Parents-to-Be

Ojai Babymoon – One Last Southern California Hurrah Before Baby

A Beachy Keen Romantic Pismo Beach Getaway

Tips for Visiting Europe with Kids

Sheraton Kauai Resort Review – Oh What a Beach!

Oahu with Kids – Attractions the Whole Family will Love

Sheraton Waikiki – Bustling Hotel in the Heart of Waikiki

The Wayward Post

Sustainable Luxury in the Wild at Clayoquot Wilderness Resort

A Wayward Weekend in Montreal

Sustainable Travel Off-Grid at Feynan Ecolodge, Jordan

Sustainability on Stilts at Rio Perdido, Costa Rica

Family Travel Association

Family Travel in a (Tricky) New Travel Climate

Family Travel and Winter Experiences (featured)

 XPattMatt

Travel Bloggers Reveal Canada’s Best Winter Adventures

 Vancouver Mom

Wild West Coast Family Weekend in Sooke

Seattle Holiday Weekend: Vancouver Mom Getaway

Vancouver Foodie Tour of Granville Island

100 Mile Day Trips: Sea to Sky Gondola, Squamish

Beaty Biodiversity Museum & UBC Canopy Walkway

100 Mile Day Trips: Harrison Hot Springs

100 Mile Day Trips Bowen Island

100 Mile Day Trips: Reifel Bird Sanctuary

100 Mile Day Trips: Lynn Canyon Park, North Vancouver

GO Fest in Whistler: Get Out and Play

Gateway: Parksville and Qualicum Beach

Vancouver Restaurant: Granville Island Tea Company

Mom Blogs: 30 Ultimate Vancouver Mom Bloggers of 2010

Fabulous and Family-Friendly 100-Mile Day Trips from Vancouver

World Nomads

How to Travel Well with Kids (Yours and Others) – January 2021

Travel Alerts

7 Steps to Planning and Surviving Multigenerational Travel