Europe Trips Family Biking
Or how about bicycling in France, or Ireland, or Holland, on a tour especially for families?
Barging : Another cool idea for a Europe trip; from the do-it-your self approach (called "self-catering"), to pampered idylls with gourmet meals laid on. Often, bikes are included so you can explore the countryside near your canal or river.
Cruises More and more cruise lines have sailings in the Mediterranean, offering a convenient, and even economical way, to sample several cities and countries.
Europe Trip Idea: Venice With Kids Tips for enjoying this exquisite city with an age-group more interested in the pigeons than the palazzos.
Italian Hill Towns:
Visiting medieval hill towns in Tuscany and Umbria can be a dream-- and there are ways to economize.
Adventures By Disney - Viva Italia "Family Adventures" are escorted tours, all-details-handled; Adventures by Disney has several Europe trips. This one included Rome; medieval hill-town Orvieto; Tuscan countryside, Florence; Venice. Bellissima!
Edinburgh Fringe Festival - Highlights for Kids The famous Edinburgh Fringe -- held in August-- is a festival for the whole family, with children's theatre, puppetry, kids comedy, dance workshops and more, for ages tots to teens.
Scotland: Stay on the Queen's Balmoral Estate Rent a (surprisingly affordable) cottage on Balmoral Estate, and the Queen is your landlady; take a guided walk. Great hiking and cycling in the area, too.
Europe trips off-season:
You won't be sunning on any beaches, but Europe off-season offers some nice advantages: the hotels aren't booked up, the locals aren't fed up, and prices are low.
Germany - Christmas Markets
It sounds like something out of a picture book: quaint wooden stalls filled with marionettes and wood carvings and Christmas toys; the smells of toasted chestnuts and gingerbread... Christmas Markets are a German tradition: the market in Dresden dates back to 1434. Many towns vie to have the most beautiful market, or maybe the biggest candle, or biggest Christmas Tree.
Lapland, Sweden: Ice Hotel
Imagine staying in an crystalline hotel that melts every spring. Sleep in special sleeping bags on beds made of ice and covered with reindeer skins; warm outdoor clothing is provided. A tour company sells a package that arranges all.
Eurocamp holiday resorts:
Forget your usual ideas about camping, such as "tent": Eurocamp is "camping" with "spacious, fully equipped and completely detached accommodation", resort-like facilities, and kids' programs. A terrific way to visit France, Italy, or Spain (-- several northern Europe countries too.)
Europe Trip Idea: Horse Caravan Holidays in Ireland It's definitely something your neighbors haven't done. And what a wonderful way to see the famed Irish countryside: in your own comfy gypsy-style "caravan:, equipped with beds and kitchenette, drawn along quiet lanes by a patient horse.
Center Parcs Family Resorts
-Here's where European families go for getaways, in northern Europe: reasonable prices, delicious food, large cottages, huge recreational grounds, seasonal kids' programs, and a large domed area that houses a tropical pool (waterslides, waves, etc.) plus restaurants and a grocery market. A fine way for to explore an area with a resort as a home base.
Familotel - Family Holiday Hotels Great for families with young kids! Family holiday hotels with 50 locations in Germany, Austria, Italy, and Switzerland; kids activities, childcare and babycare (with your holiday package), play zones, baby gear (even strollers.) Ski holidays, summer holidays with pools, slides, outdoors activities...
Hay Hotels - stay in a barn in the German countryside!
Hostels With Family Rooms Budget travel is perfectly respectable in Europe, and here's a way for families to save big-time. "Hostels" have changed much in recent years, and former "youth hostels" now welcome people of all ages, including families who, in many places, can stay in "family rooms." Spartan but clean, these rooms typically have bunk beds, and sometimes a private bathroom; otherwise, a toilet and shower will be a few steps away (--extremely clean, in our experience.) Some hostels are housed in architectural treasures: castles in Scotland, a centuries-old villa in Verona, former monasteries... low in cost, high in character.
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