Family travel is always fun. Any parent simply marvels at the delight of his children when they visit new places. That not only makes his expense worthwhile but enhances family bonding substantially also. Europe has some great cities with family-centric restaurants and hotels as well as plethora of fun activities that cater to all tastes and budgets. Here are the top 10 family vacation spots.
London, UK
Location: Capital of UK and England, London is located by the River Thames in the South-Eastern part of England.
Known for: Its truly cosmopolitan culture, Hampton Court and Buckingham Palaces, the London Eye, Marble Arch, Piccadilly Circus, St Paul’s Cathedral, the Tower Bridge, Tower of London, Trafalgar Square, Westminster Abbey, Westminster Palace, the Big Ben, British Museum, National & National Portrait Galleries, the Victoria & Albert Museum, Tate Modern & Tate Britain art galleries, the Natural History Museum, Greenwich, Shakespeare’s Globe and Kew Gardens.
Visit in: Best time to go is during summers. October to March really get tough due to cold.
Salzburg, Austria
Location: A most charming Austrian city located by the world famous Danube River.
Known for: Its Sound of Music environment & Sound of Music tours, lush green dales and breathtaking views, the Von Trapp house, horse-drawn rides at Residenzplatz, the Old Town and the Hellbrunn Palace.
Visit in: You can visit Salzburg anytime during the year but summers are preferred, particularly in June when the weather is sunny and moderate with a pleasant breeze blowing. September is also another great time to visit Salzburg.
Reykjavik, Iceland
Location: Iceland’s capital city located in the country’s southwestern part on Faxa Bay’s southern shore.
Known for: Its absolute safety, outdoor adventure and sports facilities including skiing, skating and dog sledding, unique and unusual architecture, natural hot springs for bathing, where some even have special kid’s sections, the Northern Lights, Icelandic horse riding, hiking and whale watching.
Visit in: May to September
Munich, Germany
Location: Bavaria’s capital & largest city overlooking the Isar River with the Bavarian Alps to its south.
Known for: Its Oktoberfest, beer, sausages, handcrafted toys, the globally known Toy Museum and Deutsches and Neuschwanstein Castle, which inspired Sleeping Beauty’s castle at Disneyland.
Visit in: January and February
Versailles & Paris, France
Location: Located in France’s northern part by the Seine river.
Known for: Its romantic environment, historical value, culture, fashion and art. Visit the Louvre Museum, the Left Bank, Cathedral of Notre Dame, the spectacular nightlife offered by world famous nightclubs like Lido & Moulin Rouge, Luxembourg Gardens, Champs Elysees, exotic French food, the Eiffel Tower, the Palace of Versailles, French cheeses, wines and champagne.
Visit in: April-June
Rome, Italy
Location: Also called the Eternal City, Rome is the capital of Italy and located in its Lazio region.
Known for: Its wonderful palaces, grand ruins, millennium-old churches, opulent monuments, graceful fountains and ornate statues. It is also one of the world’s most well known fashion capitals. Visit the Colosseum, Baths of Caracalla & Diocletian, Palatine hill, Palazzo Massimo alle Terme & Altemps, Crypta Balbi, Villa dei Quintili and Cecilia Metella’s Tomb. The Vatican with its Cistine Chapel is amother must-see.
Visit in: September — December
Athens, Greece
Location: Greece’s capital city, bound by the three hills, Mt Ymettos, Parnitha and Pendeli, by the Mediterranean sea.
Known for: The Acropolis, Ancient Agora, Syntagma Square, the Kerameikos, Temple of Olympian Zeus, Panathinaiko Stadium and Lycabettus Hill. Its museums and parks are also great tourist attractions.
Visit in: Late autumn & Spring.
Istanbul, Turkey
Location: Located on both sides of the Bosphorus, the narrow strait between the Black Sea and the Marmara Sea, Istanbul bridges Asia and Europe both physically and culturally.
Known for: Its Hagia Sophia, Sultanahmet Mosque or the Blue Mosque, Topkapı Palace and Basilica Cistern. Visit the Church of St Savior located in Chora, the Theodosian walls, the Galata Tower, Kadıköy & Üsküdar Çamlıca Hill.
Visit in: May — June and late September — early October.
Berlin, Germany
Location: Germany’s capital city, located in Germany’s northeastern part by the rivers Havel & Spree.
Known for: Museum Island, Berliner Fernsehturm, the Bundestag, Berliner Funkturm, Siegessäule or Victory Column and the Kollhoff Tower.
Visit in: Spring & early autumn.
St. Petersburg, Russia
Location: Located at the Baltic Sea and River Neva’s eastern tip. Formerly called Petrograd and subsequently renamed Leningrad.
Known for: The Winter Palace / Hermitage Museum, Mikhailovskiy Palace, Stroganov & Marble Palaces, Mikhailovskiy Castle, the Fortress of Peter and Paul, Admiralty, the Museum of Artillery, Signal Troops & Combat Engineers, the Ethnographic Museum, Alexander Nevskiy Monastery, Tikhvin Cemetery, Church of the Saviour on Spilled Blood, the Kazan Cathedral, Saint Isaac’s Cathedral, the Cabin of Peter the Great and Kirov’s museum.
Visit in: Late September—early October
