Travel with children · Europe de l'Ouest

Hi there,

This summer, we’ve decided to do a 3-week road trip starting from Nice and heading down to Ksamil in Albania.

We’re leaving from Nice, and our route is already pretty much set: Nice - Verona (Italy) - Rijeka (Croatia) - Zadar - Split - Budva (Montenegro) - Shkodër (Albania) - Ksamil, then back through Italy via Bari.

The itinerary is packed! 🙂

Do you have any suggestions for things to see—visits, beaches, viewpoints, villages, or excursions—to make the most of our journey?

Thanks everyone!

Hi everyone! We’re so excited to be heading to Italy for the first time this April with our two kids for a week. We’ve booked our round-trip flight, and we’ll be arriving and departing from Pisa. Our rough plan so far includes visiting Pisa, taking the train to Florence, and exploring the Cinque Terre. Last night, a friend also suggested adding Siena to the list. Our kids are 12 and 9 and are used to walking, but we’re not looking to rush around too much. We’d love any advice, especially about accommodation. Should we stay in Pisa and take day trips by train, or split our nights between a couple of different places? We’re just starting our research, so any tips would be amazing! 😉 Thanks in advance!

Hi everyone. A few days ago, I asked my 14-year-old son to pick a destination for a trip, and he chose Germany. So, we’re heading to Berlin for four days in February. The catch is that I don’t know this city (or this country) at all—I hadn’t even considered visiting just a month ago . Could you please share some suggestions to make this first mother-son trip abroad a success? 🙂 Thanks for your tips and great deals. Nanyne

Hi there, we’re heading to Tuscany in the second half of August with two kids (8 and 6 years old). We’ve zeroed in on the area around Siena and Florence for now. I’m looking for recommendations on places to stay and things to see that are great for families. Also, just to add, we’ll be traveling by train and plan to rent a car once we’re there—any tips on car rental companies?

Thanks!

Hi there,

We’re a family of five (our kids are 6, 15, and 19) and we’d love to go somewhere warm with our feet in the water during the first two weeks of August 2026. We’d also like to do some cultural visits and a bit of hiking. We were thinking of Guadeloupe—I know it’s not the ideal time of year, but we don’t have much flexibility. Is it really a bad idea, or can we still enjoy it despite the weather?

Another option for us would be Madeira, which seems more reliable weather-wise, but it sounds like the beaches are less accessible and not as nice.

We haven’t really looked elsewhere because everything else (except the Canary Islands, Balearics, or Corsica) seems way too expensive. But if you’ve got any recommendations, don’t hesitate—we’re just starting to look into it.

Thanks so much,

Pierre

Hi everyone,

We’ve visited Zeeland (Netherlands) several times with our two young children—Middelburg, for example—and really loved it. We’re looking for something similar in the Benelux or northern France:

- A pretty, historic small town with charm, not just a village, since we enjoy a slightly "urban" vacation vibe: parks, biking on dedicated paths, museums, cafés, restaurants, and shopping - Very pedestrian-friendly and/or bike-accessible (like the Netherlands always is) - Relatively safe and welcoming for kids, with activities for them (which is also very common in the Netherlands)

Unfortunately, I haven’t found anything as well-preserved and lovely as the extensive center of that small town, which seems to fly under the radar. I’m sure there must be others like it that I’m missing. In the same vein but on a larger scale, we love Bruges, for example—but it’s bigger (which is fine) and especially very expensive.

Thanks in advance for your tips! !

Hi there,

I’ll be traveling to Tuscany with my family (my wife and two kids, aged 6 and 8) from April 26 to May 5. Here’s a rough draft of our potential itinerary—I’d love to hear your thoughts and suggestions so I can tweak and improve it. We haven’t finalized our accommodations yet, but they’ll likely be near Florence (2 nights), Lucca (2 nights), Monteriggioni (2 nights), Pienza, Montalcino, and Greve in Chianti.

- April 26: o Arrival in Florence around 12:00 PM - April 27: o Florence - April 28: o Florence – Pistoia – Lucca - April 29: o Lucca – Pisa – Lucca - April 30: o Lucca – Volterra – San Gimignano – Monteriggioni - May 1: o Monteriggioni – Siena – Monteriggioni - May 2: o Monteriggioni – Abbey of Santa Maria di Monte Oliveto – Baccoleno – Castelmuzio – Chapel of Madonna di Vitaleta (San Quirico d’Orcia) – Pienza - May 3: o Pienza – Montepulciano – Montichiello – Abbey of Sant’Antimo – Bagno Vignoni Thermal Baths – Montalcino - May 4: o Montalcino – Castellina in Chianti – Radda in Chianti – Badia a Coltibuono – Volpaia – Montefioralle – Greve in Chianti - May 5: o Greve in Chianti – Florence airport

Thanks for any insights! 😉

Hi, I’m spending a week in Barcelona in March with two kids aged 10 and 13. Which neighborhood would you recommend for renting an apartment? If you’ve got any great tips or tested apartments, I’d love to hear them! Thanks in advance

Hi everyone, we’re heading to Rovaniemi from December 6th to 10th with our 6-year-old and would love to do one reindeer ride and one husky safari. There are so many agencies that it’s hard to choose! Since we’ll have our own car, we’d prefer tours without big crowds—something authentic if possible. Thanks in advance for your recommendations!

Hi there, I’m planning a family trip to the Netherlands and I’m looking for a good base to visit Amsterdam for the day. The idea is to avoid staying in Amsterdam (to keep costs down) and to be able to get there by train/tram/bus "quickly" (less than an hour). Any neighborhoods or towns you’d recommend? Otherwise, I’ve spotted a youth hostel in the Amsterdam Oost district. Any thoughts on that area?

We’ll be traveling by train from France. I’m also considering renting a car to make it easier to visit places with the kids and to have the flexibility to go to spots without worrying about transport. Where would you suggest staying to easily explore the area? If I rent an electric car, are charging stations easy to find?

Here’s our itinerary: 3 nights in Rotterdam – 5 nights to be decided – 2 nights in Amsterdam (or another nearby spot)

Thanks to anyone who replies! 🙂

Hi there,

Do you have any advice about accommodation? Which neighborhood?

What’s something original to see?

And any other useful tips... thanks

Hi everyone,

I’m planning a trip to Northern Italy for 2 weeks in August 2025. Here’s my itinerary: MILAN – 2 days LAKE MAGGIORE – 2 days LAKE COMO – 3 days BERGAMO – 1 day LAKE GARDA – 2 days VERONA – 1 day DOLOMITES – 2 days BOLOGNA – 1 day CINQUE TERRE – 2 days TURIN – 1 day Return to France

Let me know your thoughts, and any kid-friendly attractions would be great!

Hi everyone, I’m planning to go away at the end of May for a short 5-day trip, not too far away! I currently live near Montpellier and have two kids (ages 2 and 7). The idea is to have a relaxing, low-stress vacation that’s easy to manage with young children (I’m especially thinking of my 2-year-old—cities like Florence, which I’d love to visit, are probably too tiring for his age). I was thinking of Majorca (which I don’t know at all) or Crete, for example, which I visited a long time ago (ideal: good food, ruins to explore, beautiful villages, etc.). But it could also be Malta or somewhere else... It’s true that before having kids, I had more time (and budget) and traveled farther, so I’m not very familiar with the Mediterranean—my mistake!

My question is pretty vague, but what would you recommend for a 5-day trip at the end of May? Since the sea will still be a bit cold (swimming might be tough!), preferably by the coast, with a family-friendly hotel and kid-friendly areas?

Thanks in advance to everyone! :)

Hi there,

We live in Lyon and usually stay in the Alps, but we don’t know the Pyrenees at all. It’s a mountain range that’s quite a long way from where we live. This summer, we’re thinking of traveling along the Pyrenees from west to east (Pyrénées-Atlantiques - Hautes-Pyrénées - PO). We might explore both the French and Spanish sides. We’d do this trip over 3 weeks, aiming to stay in each place for about 3 days before hitting the road again—so we don’t feel like we’re driving for hours every day...

Do you think a 3-week trip like this is doable? (Just to give you an idea, I’ve simplified the route with the link below, using random stops to illustrate the plan.) https://maps.app.goo.gl/eaShLrZzcmN54mZJ7

Two things that are influencing our planning: - We’re a family of 4 (2 kids, aged 9 and 6 1/2) - We’ll be in an electric car For the second point, could you tell me if there are plenty of electric charging stations along the mountain range, or if we’ll need to head to the main towns in the 3 Pyrenean departments?

Looking forward to your thoughts!

Thanks in advance.

Hello everyone,

So, summer 2025 is when I turn 40, and to mark the occasion, I had the idea of doing a road trip through Northern Spain. Since I’ll be traveling with my two kids (9 and 6½ years old), I’m tied to school holidays, but I’m hoping the northern regions of Spain are a little less crowded than the Costa Brava.

We’d leave from Lyon to reach the Atlantic coast, head down to the Basque Country, cross the Spanish border, and then visit: Cantabria - Asturias - Galicia. It’s not exactly around the corner—I’ve seen that it’s about 1,500 km (one way) from Lyon to Galicia. But for this adventure, I’ve got 3 to 3½ weeks. The twist would be doing it in an electric car, stopping for 2-3 days here and there before moving on (alternating between wild camping and hotels). Why electric? Because it’s my company car, and my employer covers the charging and toll costs. Over 3 weeks of vacation, that adds up to big savings.

Question: Do you think this plan is doable? Aside from the charging stops, does the route seem too ambitious for 3 weeks with two kids? And in July/August, are these regions not too packed?

Thanks for your feedback and experiences!

Hi, We’re traveling as a family to Qawra at the end of February, from Sunday the 16th to Wednesday the 19th of August. I’ve got a few questions about the area—what there is to do during the day and in the evening. There are two adults and three teens aged 12 to 16 in our group. I know the trip is short, but it’s an opportunity we got. If any forum members are familiar with the island, I’m all ears 😉 . Also, I’m planning to rent a car—good or bad idea? Thanks in advance, and looking forward to your replies.

Hi everyone,

We’re a family with two kids aged 5 and 7, and we’ve been dreaming of heading to Norway in winter to see the northern lights, the Lofoten Islands, and maybe even whales or orcas... I was thinking of booking flights to arrive in TROMSØ and then leave about ten days later from EVENES. We’ll be getting around by rental car, and if you’ve got any hotel or accommodation recommendations that you loved, activities that are off the beaten path, or other great tips to share, we’d love to hear them!

Thanks so much in advance for your help!

Have a great day.

Aurélie

Hi there.

We’re planning a trip to Lofoten in July 2021 with our two kids, who’ll be 11 and 8. We’ve already booked our accommodations (yes, we’re planners!): - the first week in Reine. - the second in Henningsvær.

The idea is to explore the southern part of the archipelago, which seems the most interesting based on all the research I’ve done.

We’ve been considering extending our trip by another week. What would you recommend? Staying an extra week in Lofoten? Heading to Senja Island? The Lyngen Alps? Or somewhere else entirely?

Thanks in advance for your tips!

Cyril

Hi everyone,

We’re planning a week-long trip to Finnish Lapland in February 2026 with two kids aged 7 and 4.

I’ve spent quite a bit of time browsing websites and this forum, but I still have a few questions left.

We’ll be landing in Rovaniemi but won’t be staying there, so we’re planning to rent a car. Do you have any recommendations for rental companies? Is a Golf-sized car sufficient, or should we opt for something better suited to the conditions?

I found some nice accommodations near Akaslompolo. Is the area nice? Are there restaurants, shops, etc.? If it were just me, I’d go for total isolation, but I’m not alone 😎 If not, do you have any alternatives within a 2-hour radius of Rovaniemi? I’d also spotted Luosto.

We’re planning the classic activities: - Visiting a reindeer farm (but no sled ride); - A dog-sledding excursion; - Ice fishing; - A few evenings hunting for auroras using our car and a dedicated app; - A day in Rovaniemi for Santa Claus Village, the Arctic Museum, and the small Ranua Zoo; - An ice hockey game; - And maybe a day of skiing.

Do you have any recommendations for activity providers?

What kind of clothing layers do you recommend for the kids at this time of year?

Is the amethyst mine in Luosto worth it? I think the prices are over the top and can’t figure out why… Maybe there’s a good reason?

Thanks in advance for your answers.

Best regards.

Hi, We're heading to Portugal for two weeks in July (arriving at Porto Airport) with two kids (4 and 6 years old). I don’t want to rent car seats from the rental companies because it’s way too expensive, and on top of that, they only offer backless boosters. I’d like to buy some locally instead. Do you know if there are any stores near the airport? Thanks in advance

Bonjour,

Je cherche LES destinations en Italie à faire absolument en famille, on est très paysage si possible des glissades d'eau de quoi du genre.

Je prendrais tous vos conseils et après on choisira ce qui nous corresponds. Merci beaucoup :)

Pour le moment on a ça, est-ce qu'il y en a qui sont à déconseiller ou alors d'autres à rajouter ? : Colisée Panthéon Fontaine de Trévi Tour de PIse Cinque Terre (Monteresso)

Bonjour à tous,

Nous désirons partir en Aout 2021 pour un road-trip au Danemark et en Suède. Nous partons du sud-ouest de la France en voiture et sommes une famille de trois (papa, maman et un petit garçon de 5ans). Je souhaiterai avoir vos avis concernant notre planning… il est encore en construction, bien sur :-)

J+1 : départ de notre maison pour la lorraine (famille) J+2 : Trajet vers Hambourg - nuit sur place J+3 : trajet vers Naestved - Arrêt à Odense pour visite - Nuit à Naestved J+4 : Campadventure avec la tour forest à Ronnede + balade au alentour - Nuit à Naestved J+5 : Trajet vers copenhague en passant par Roskilde - Nuit Copenhague J+6 : Copenhague J+7 : Copenhague J+8 : Riviera Danoise - Nuit Copenhague J+9 : Trajet vers goteberg visite - nuit à Kungsbacka J+10 : Fjallbacka + tanum + balade cote J+11 : excursion sur une des iles de Goteberg J+12 : Jour off - en réflexion - une journée tranquille ... J+13 : Trajet vers Mols Bjerge via ferry - Nuit Mols Bjerge J+14 : Aarhus visite - nuit Mols Bjerge J+15 : Trajet vers Ribe - sur le chemin, journée à Legoland J+16 et J+17 : Farniente + plage + balade cote J+18 : retour vers Hanovre J+19 : retour en lorraine

Qu'en pensez-vous ? est-ce trop intense ? Notre fils supporte très bien les longs trajets et aime la nature, la plage et les jeux :-)

Dans l'attente de vos remarques et suggestions, n'hésitez surtout pas si nos choix ne vous semble pas judicieux ou si nous ratons des lieux essentiels!! Concernant nos étapes si vous avez des bonnes adresses de choses à faire avec un enfant, je pense notamment à Copenhague ou Aarhus... nous sommes preneurs ;).

D'avance Merci, Cordialement,

Bonjour,

Je cherche LES destinations en Suisse à faire absolument en famille, on est très paysage si possible des glissades d'eau de quoi du genre.

Je prendrais tous vos conseils et après on choisira ce qui nous corresponds. Merci beaucoup :)

Pour le moment on a ça, est-ce qu'il y en a qui sont à déconseiller ou alors d'autres à rajouter ? : Lac Léman-Lausanne Le lac de Thoune Le lac de Brienz Interlaken entre lac de thoune et brienz 40francs pour prendre le funiculaire (10 minutes de montée)Les Gorges de l'Aar Chillon-Le château de Chillon-Région lémanique

Lauterbrunnen Le lac des Quatre-Cantons (Bourbaki, Grotte aux fées, St-Maurice) lucerne Neuhausen am Rheinfall-Les chutes du Rhin Harder Kulm Annecy Le lac de Zoug Le lac Léman et les Bains des Pâquis Neuchâtel Fafleralp-Région du Valais Lac de Cauma-Région des Grisons Val Verzasca Montreux-promenade de Suisse-Lac Léman Lugano (cerné par les montagnes) Berne: Blausee (lac de montagnes 800m altitude, entouré de forêt alimenté sources souterraines, bleu et vert profond, eau transparente) Le creux du Van Maison cailler-chocolaterie Suisse en Gruyère Fribourg et Lac de la Gruyère Massif du Jura Château de Gruyères Zurich Fondue Savoyarde Gorges du Dailley (coeur du Valais) Tine de Conflens Zoo et piscine des Marécottes

Bonjour, Nous partirons 2 semaines en Italie, de Chamonix à Venise puis Florence - Sienne les 5 terres et retour en France. Nous sommes 9, donc 4 ados de 11 à 16 ans. Auriez-vous des suggestions d'activités autour des lacs de Côme? du lac de Garde et entre les Alpes et Venise svp? Puis des visites plus adaptées et ludiques ? J'ai par exemple vu le parc d'attractions Gardaland Merci

Bonjour, je vais partir une semaine début Août avec ma fille de trois ans en logeant à 15 minutes du lac de Divonne-les-bains. - j'ai des idées qu'on trouve dans les guides un peu toutes dans la même coin mais sur beaucoup plus qu' une journée surement: lac des Vouglans, lac Chalain, baume les messieurs, la cascade du Hérisson, cascade de Tuff.

J'ai la petite qui ne marche pas longtemps, j'aimerai aussi des lieux de l'arrière pays de Divonne des endroits plus connus des habitants, je ne sais pas trop ce que je pourrais privilégier le pays de Gex? Les rousses avec prémanon? le col de la faucille? voir des animaux.

- et peut être pour aller plus loin Diableret, Neuchâtel, lac Bellefontaine Chapelle des bois..

Auriez-vous des idées de visites ludiques avec un jeune enfant pour que je complète mes itinéraires à la journée? merci beaucoup.

Hello,

J'envisage de partir cet été avec bébé qui aura presque 1 an à ce moment-la. Est-ce une destination bien indiqué pour un bébé ? Vu que c'est notre 1er voyage avec lui, nous qui d'habitude parcourons tout le pays, je pense qu'on va se restreindre bien plus et y aller "pepere". J'ai cru comprendre qu'i y avait de quoi faire sur l'ile principale Sao Miguel, est-ce suffisant pour avoir un bon aperçu sur 2 semaines, ou est-ce qu'il y a vraiment des incontournables a voir sur d'autres iles (qui valent la peine du déplacement/ changement de lieu de villegiature/ de location voiture tout ça )?

Nous aimons les randonnées (mais attention maintenant à l'altitude avec bébé), les plages, les balades diverses, les jolis paysages...

Preneuse de tous conseils :)

Bonjour à toutes et tous,

Nous, 2 adultes et 2 garçons de 12 et 10 ans, passerons nos vacances en août à la Tour du Meix au pied du Lac de Vouglans dans le Jura et souhaiterions nous rendre en Suisse pour passer une journée à Genève.

Qui connaitrait un bon plan pour se rendre en voiture là bas, surtout s'y garer à un tarif acceptable et pouvoir visiter le centre de Genève et profiter bien sûr du Lac Léman et de son jet d'eau.

Quels sont les lieux à ne pas manquer ? Il y a-t-il des petites surfaces alimentaires permettant d'acheter de quoi déjeuner comme des salades composées, des boissons fraiches, des sandwiches, revenant moins cher qu'en restauration classique ?

Comment obtenir le Pass Genève ? Où acheter les tickets de tramway et trouver un plan des bus et tram ?

Merci à toutes et tous pour vos précieuses infos !

Je les attends avec impatience ....

Belles vacances !!!! Nadia

Bonjour à tous, j'ai un depart prévu le 18 aout pour ma famille (ma femme et moi, nos 2 ados de 14 et 16 ans). Depart Savone pour un tour de Mediterranée sur le Victoria. J'ai lu qu'il avait été refait, à quelle date? Comment le trouvez vous? Nous avons fait un Costa sur le Classica il y a une dizaine d'année, cela va t'il etre different? Quelles sont les activités à bord (pour les ados, piscines, jeux)? Vu qu'il a l'air assez ancien j'imagine qu'il faut oublier les toboggans, tyroliennes etc... Quels sont vos conseils pour cette croisiere sur ce bateau?

Merci à vous

Bonjour

Je viens vers vous pour 2 petites questions : nous serons à Andorre cet été. Aussi je m'interroge, est il mieux (et kilomètres optimisés) de faire : (le but étant de choisir entre le Cirque de Gavarnie et Pic du midi ou Ordessa et le mont perdu) et choisir entre une des 2 entrée du parc national d'Aiguestortes et lac Saint-Maurice

Andorre -> parc national d'Aiguestortes et lac Saint-Maurice (par Espot) puis Lourdes et parc des Pyrénées

ou

Andorre -> parc national d'Aiguestortes et lac Saint-Maurice (par Espot) puis par Vall de Boi -> ( puis possibilité Parc Naturel de Posets-Maladeta mais je ne l'ai pas prévu compte tenu qu'on fera les 2 autres) -> Ordesa et mont -perdu

On va vers Biarritz donc du coup ce sera l'un ou l'autre

Merci

bonjour, je cherche une rando sympa à faire avec des ados, soit aux environs de Tromso/Lyngen Alps, soit dans les Lofoten. L'idéal pour les motiver serait qu'il y ait des passages avec un tunnel, un chemin de bois, un pont suspendu, une échelle à grimper, une corde à tenir sur un passage escarpé, ... Connaîtriez-vous une rando de ce type? Merci d'avance pour vos réponses.