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G is for - - Great Cities to Visit With Kids
- Summer Vacations A to Z

By Teresa Plowright, About.com

Notre Dame gargoyle looks down on Paris.

Photo © Teresa Plowright.

- from Summer Vacations A to Z
Visiting a city is great fun with young kids: what better way to enjoy a city's parks, for instance, than with kids along.

As for sightseeing... a good-sized city will probably have a children's museum, or a science museum that's geared to kids; and even art museums, these days, are family-friendly, with special programs, or art hunts, or audios for kids. Also, many top tourist areas -- Fisherman's Wharf, for instance, in San Francisco -- are fun places to hang out without any formal sightseeing.

City visits can be affordable vacations, too: hotels often offer discount rates, and include free breakfast; grab a bargain at an all-suites hotel, and save even more money by having your own kitchen. You can also save on lodging by renting a "short-stay" apartment for a week, or by vacation home rentals.

Here a few suggested great cities to visit with kids:

  • New York City - terrific fun to visit with teens
  • London - all the major museums are free
  • Paris - just strolling along the Seine is fun
  • Chicago: Navy Pier area alone has ferris wheel, IMAX, Shakespear Theater, Funhouse Maze, Children's Museum
  • San Francisco
  • Boston

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