We have prepared specific destination guides for many European destinations focusing on the family friendly things to see and do with the kids and suggestions for family friendly accommodation. Europe has a huge variety of attractions and is generally safe for children of all ages including babies, toddlers, school-age children and teenagers. There is very little worry about food and water safety while travelling with kids in Europe and there is a great choice of family accommodation.
Holidaying at home in either Ireland or the UK not only has the benefit of not having to take a flight or a ferry but there are also a huge range of child friendly attractions, cities and beaches. Yes we know that the weather can be temperamental however both Ireland and the UK are great year-round destinations with fantastic historical highlights and opportunities for exploring beautiful countryside.
Booking.com have a good range of family accommodation in hotels and self catering properties at discounted prices and you can search for family rooms and apartments which is a great feature. You can read reviews by families who have actually stayed there by category such as families with young children or older children.
If you are going to Europe with an operator from Ireland tour operator packages with companies include those from Sunway Sun Holidays, Directholidays.ie and Panorama. From the UK Kuoni and Soverign both have good family focused products and provide a good family service. Most offer a good discount for booking online.
An Irish company who have great international reach as well, Holiday Homes Direct advertise a wide selection of privately owned holiday properties to rent directly from the owners. They offer holiday homes in over 35 countries including Ireland, France, Portugal, Spain and Italy.
Hoseasons have a wide choice of self catering holidays in holiday parks. Keycamp, Siblu, and Eurocamp also provide excellent options full of family friendly activities and things to do for the family.
For city breaks have a look at serviced apartments from the Apartment Service which are great for self catering as an alternative for families to city hotels. For villa holidays look at the villas offered by James Villa who have lots of family friendly villas in great locations. Qualityvillas.com have a good selection of Luxury villa rentals for families in France and Italy with private pools and are worth looking at.
If you want to book independently you can book hotels with booking.com and flights, ferries and car hire with us to avail of special offers and online discounts through our carefully selected family travel partners.
France is one of our most popular holiday destinations and one of the biggest problems when taking the kids to France is deciding where to go. Paris has fantastic sightseeing and child friendly attractions and of course a huge family favourite, Disneyland. The coast and countryside is also a great family option whether you just want to lie on the beach or explore the coast, medieval castles or ruins. France also has the benefit of great food and wine (for parents!).
Italy has a huge range of family friendly things to see and do including towns, ancient ruins, great beaches, swimming and sailing on the coast and in lakes such as Lake Garda, exploring active volcanoes and visiting cultural masterpieces. The Italians love children the food is also fantastic. Pizza is always a favourite with children.
Spain and Portugal are also countries which top the list as family favourites and provide very good value for money, fantastic beaches and good weather. There are always small quieter resorts to go to if you do not like the idea of a busy Costa and highlights include the beautiful beaches, the opportunity to explore rural countryside, fantastic water parks and boat trips.
Our Worldwide section is coming soon so watch this space!
If you are looking for some good value last minute deals have a look at the special offers and deals on European and worldwide holidays with lastminute.com who feature holiday to lots of hot destinations including Egypt, Turkey, the Canaries, the USA and Canada or the Caribbean or for an exotic adventure, head to the Far East, Oman or Africa. They even seem to feature last second deals although they may be a little too short notice for most families.
You will find lots of family friendly travel tips and advice in our research and advice section to help you book the right family holiday. Check out also the experiences of other parents and travellers in our parents forum and add your own experiences as we are a great believer in real parent's experiences as the best measure of whether somewhere will suit you for your family holiday.
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