Best trip with kids?

We always took our kids with us on our travels, and still do even though they are grown and gone. Their first trip, they were 4 and 7 and we went to Portugal. Loved it! Other places wee took them when they were young include Scotland, London, Paris, Normandy, Munich, Rome, Florence, and Venice.

We have been to Iceland a number of times, including with the now adult kids. Any of these destinations would fit what you are looking for. Iceland doesn't have public transportation though, but otherwise is an excellent choice. So much to see and do there! Our daughter is gluten and dairy free and she has had no issues in Iceland, FWIW. If you decide on Iceland though, you would need to start booking everything now. Travel has increased so much there that bookings are close to a year out.

Scandianvia tour: Stockholm (e. g. Vasa museum), train to Copenhagen and by ferry to Oslo, maybe also Bergen by train.

Tons of history, food experiences and castles / palaces.

Very kids friendly countries.

Valencia in Spain has lots for kids. A huge science museum and aquarium at the City of Arts and Sciences. You can hire bikes and cycle everywhere and there’s the beach and the Biopark zoo.

Menus in Spain indicate allergens and GF food is readily available in supermarkets.

We went with our kids and grand kids (6 and 9) to Ireland and England this past summer so I would recommend Ireland to you. They liked the Archeological Museum in Dublin with the bog men, all the castle tours, Murphy’s ice cream, the rib boat ride in Dingle where they saw seals and dolphins, the jaunting cart rides in Killarney, the sheep dog demonstrations and even the Smithwicks brewery tour in Kilkenny where they got to help stir the brew. It was a great place for the kids. In fact they had so much fun, they want to plan Trip Two because we didn’t get further north than Dingle and there’s still lots to see like The Burren, Giants Causeway and the Titanic Museum.

We took our children to Spain at about that age, but that’s because my son was born there. We visited some of the main places, Madrid, Toledo, Segovia, Cordoba, Trujillo, Mérida, and Granada. We also visited where my son was born as well as Santillana Del Mar in the north and a little bit of the border region of France including Lourdes. My son loved the castles and ruins. Neither liked the museums. My daughter only wanted to go swimming.

lindypope,
Not a new country for you, but great for kids the age of yours. We took our family to the Dordogne for ten days the first part of June this year. Our grandchildren were 9 and 12. We rented a gite (house) near La Roque Gageac, with a pool and big yard. We visited two castles, (Beynac and Castelnaud la Chapelle), went kayaking on the Dordogne River, visited the market in Sarlat, went to Font de Gaum cave and Lascaux IV, explored Abri de la Madeleine, a chocolaterie, a savonerie, the village of Domme, and ate at some nice restaurants. The biggest hits were the caves, castles and kayaking, but really everything was fun and NOT BORING!

It was the perfect location for all of us, with a variety of things to see and do for the grandkids. We didn't get to do all we wanted because each day was laid back (breakfast at the gite, one or two activities during the day, with lunch out, and back for a swim and dinner at "home"). Other things to do are visiting wineries, a goose farm, a walnut shop/museum/"factory" in Sarlat, some Roman ruins in Perigeux, the Prehistory Museum in Les Eyzies, other prehistoric caves and sites, local markets smaller than Sarlat's, plus the beautiful countryside itself. There is such a variety there that the young ones were never bored. And the food was outstanding! See my two trip reports from June 27 and 28.

I hope you find someplace wonderful for your next trip to Europe. What great experiences you are giving your children!

"They loved history/science museums, public transportation, trying new foods, castles, and anything outdoors on our last trip."

Munich has a top science museum. Great food and castles abound in Bavaria. Needless to say Southern Germany and the Austrian Alps (Tirol) are incredible outdoor sceneries. And there's also Dachau which is worth seeing.
Then Salzburg--the music city--on the way to Vienna. All great cities.

My other favorite itinerary is Prague, Vienna, Bratislava and Budapest by train.

Or take a week and go on a cruise around the Eastern Mediterranean--Greek Islands and Adriatic Sea. You could take in Italy or Athens for a few days coming and going. We liked it so much, we went back for another week the next year.

We've also taken a cruise around Scandanavia out of Copenhagen. Now St. Petersburg is off the itinerary however. Then we took Norway in a Nutshell train and fast ferry trip on the way to Bergen, Norway.

David,
Munich, YES! It didn't occur to me, but you are right. The science museum there is terrific, plus palaces, the Marienplatz, the scenery in Bavaria, Rothenburg ob derb Tauber (overnight visit), the Residenz Museum (and its treasury). It would be a wonderful place for children to visit. (Oh yes, puppet shows in Rothenburg!). It has been so long since I was there, but I can imagine what fun it would be for a 9 and 13 year old to see. With time, a visit to Garmisch, if they still have activities at the Olympic venues. Of course, the food in Germany is delicious, but I confess I don't know how gluten-free the menus are.
Regarding Dachau, I do believe a visit there would be worthwhile, and that 9 and 13 are not too young. I will never forget my visit there, and made sure both of my own children went. It was important to see, learn and know about it.
Thanks for reminding me of how much I loved Munich and environs. It has been far too long since I visited.

They loved history/science museums, public transportation, trying new foods, castles, and anything outdoors on our last trip. My son has celiac so we need to go somewhere we can manage gluten free.

I may be a bit biased but I think Spain fits the bill! History in Spain is deep and rich spanning millennia and many cultures, what better lesson to learn, especially these days, than of when Christians, Jews, and Muslims lived in relative harmony during the time of Al-Andalus.

Spain has the most developed high speed train network in Europe, I think it will be quite the experience zipping around the Spanish countryside in an ultra modern sleek bullet train going over 130 miles an hour.

Spain has arguably the most diverse and interesting food culture again it gets from the rich past. We are also very gluten free conscious will many products labels indicating "Sin Gluten" (without gluten). 95% of our cuisine is naturally gluten free too, think paella, jamon, patatas bravas, tortilla, various pork and seafood dishes.

Castles we have by the boatload as during the Reconquista there were castles built each time the frontier moved. Walt Disney used the Álcazar of Segovia and a few other Spanish castles as inspirations in his Disney Films. Here is a video on some good ones but there are plenty more - https://youtu.be/dbDbGgO6Ps4?si=9UNC_i3ZAJjCJLk1

Also regarding outdoors, Spain has the highest level of biodiversity in Europe, deserts to rainforests and everything in between. Spain's national parks and nature reserves, such as Doñana National Park and the Aigüestortes National Park, showcase this incredible diversity. In the north, the Picos de Europa offers breathtaking mountain scenery, lush meadows, and deep, mysterious caves like the Alps mixed with Ireland. Spain's coastal areas, such as the Costa Brava and the Balearic Islands, provide habitats for a wealth of marine life, and also have many coastal hiking paths like the Camino de Ronda. From the Iberian wolf to the Cantabrian brown bear, the country is a sanctuary for a variety of endemic species that have long since died out in other parts of Europe.

I lived overseas for 9 years and traveled a lot with my kids and later step-kids.

Over age 10, I treated them like adults and we visited the usual historical places as well as famous art museums.
My Son was the youngest and he doesn't remember much before age 10.

All my kids now love to travel and travel extensively. We have traveled with some of them quite a lot.

With younger kids, you do need to understand that they get tired easily, especially going through art museum. I remember my Son at age 7 wanting to know after 30 minutes in the Louvre when we were leaving.

Still, the things my kids loved a lot, even when young was the gondola ride in Venice, going up the Eiffel Tower. the Sistine Chapel and Parthenon in Athens.

Not on your list, but I would encourage you to look at Salzburg & the surrounding area. It is gorgeous. Here are some of the things we did:

Plenty of castles/palaces
Sommerrodelbahn
Ice caves
Salt mines - Hallein, Hallstatt or Berchtesgaden
Water parks
Hallstatt
Werfen & Werfen fortress
Paragliding
Red Bull museum
Eagle’s Nest
Sound of Music sites

We just had our first European trip with our kids (11 and 7) this summer and chose Scotland. They absolutely loved everything we did there. We found that the museums, castles, and hiking activities were perfect for the whole family. I'd say there was hardly anything we did that was all for the kids, or just for the parents. Family favourite activities included:

• Renting a canal boat for the day in Linlithgow. Linlithgow Palace
• Edinburgh museums and activities - Vault tour, Camera Obscura, Chocolatarium, National Museum, Afternoon Tea, Royal Botanical Gardens, Calton Hill
  • Day trip to Glasgow was a highlight
  • St. Andrews and the Himalaya Putting course at the Old Course
  • Taking a boat to Lochleven Castle - also Cawdor, Urquart, Stirling castles, all for different reasons
  • Steall Falls hike There was lots more, but those are some highlights. Would definitely recommend Scotland, especially if you haven't been yourself.

In 2024 we're taking an extended 10 week trip over the summer with them through Paris, Belgium, Netherlands and Germany. Can't speak to experience yet, but my research tells me there will is no shortage of activities we'll love, and they are definitely looking forward to the variety of foods to try in each country. Glad to hear your trip to Paris with them was so good.

Cheers,
Chris

Lindy,

My son also has celiac. It can be difficult to manage. We did Paris, London and Liverpool last year and Paris was much better than England. In April, we did Barcelona. Not a direct flight bonus, but Barcelona was very celiac friendly. If you do choose Barcelona, I can help with the celiac itinerary.

I've also read that Ireland and Italy are the two most GF friendly nations in Europe. One of the countries just passed legislation making celiac testing free for all children. I believe it was Italy. And I believe Ireland has the highest concentration of celiacs in Europe.

We are planning an Ireland trip in December. I am curious to see what you decide.

I find that the Alps are highly-tuned to children and family vacations. The Dolomites being no exception. There is a ton for children to do through the entire range.

Lucky kids!! HA. Sounds like you've got a good list going and lots of info from others. Although I love Italy, the absolutely delicious pizza & pasta would make me think twice about traveling there next in your situation. Is it doable? Of course! But a bit tougher given the propensity to have pizza on every corner..... The rates of Celiac disease are higher in Ireland & Scandinavia & I know my step kids with celiac were delighted with the options for GF bread even at burger joints in Sweden!

We’ve traveled a fair amount with our kids and Italy has been a top contender for both of them. Not sure if you traveled around England outside of London or not. If you have, I might skip Ireland as they’re more similar than other experiences. If you just did London, Ireland would be great. With the language differences, Italy definitely feels more foreign and unique. Can’t speak to the GF and wonder if that would be tricky with all the pasta. Hopefully others can weigh in with that.

Germany. It can be a bargain if you travel like us - staying in smaller cities/villages, vacation apartments ( ferienwohnung ), ‘free’ transportation in some locations. Lots of castles, outdoor activities. Combine it as we often have with a stay in Iceland on the way home. The bargain of Germany can help offset the expense of Iceland.

So far we have taken our kids to Ireland (my oldest, at age 2) and Switzerland and northern Italy (ages 6 and 2). The Switzerland and Italy trip absolutely exceeded our expectations of traveling with kids, despite their young ages. Since this was in 2021 we did a lot of outdoor activities (hiking, playgrounds, cable cars, etc). I am happy to share more details if you're interested. Our next trip will be to Germany, Poland, and Iceland. I haven't been to Scotland, but southern France would be great too! When I was in the Dordogne region last summer, I was thinking about how much my kids would love it (canoeing, prehistoric caves, biking, etc.). I thought Judy's advice upthread was spot on. Good luck with your trip planning!

Thank you for all the advice! I think right now we are leaning towards a week in Rome, night train to Munich, then 8/9 nights near Munich with a stop in Bavaria and few nights in Munich. My kids really want to see Rome and do a night train. My family was not into my top choices of Spain or Ireland, which I do think my kids would enjoy both countries more when they're a bit older.

Thanks for sharing what you've decided upon. I hope you'll share a trip report when you're back! I think Rome and the Munich area sound wonderful.