Large Cities for a Family Vacation

Nowadays, it is increasingly difficult to find a vacation spot where all members of the family, from the youngest to the oldest, can enjoy the trip and tourist attractions, but it is not impossible.

In Europe, there are still countless places where the whole family is welcomed with open arms and, thanks to the architecture, not only will you enjoy a cultural experience, but visiting the cities will also be a breeze.

Here are the cities you absolutely must visit with your family for the perfect vacation.

Copenhagen, Denmark

Of course, all of Scandinavia is child-friendly, and Oslo, Bergen, Gothenburg, and Stockholm could easily be included on this list, but Copenhagen earned its spot thanks to Tivoli Gardens, a magnificent old-fashioned amusement park.

In addition to Tivoli, Copenhagen is easy to navigate on foot and also has an excellent metro system. Take a tour or just stroll around, perhaps in the company of Casino Friday or GrandCasino. We always enjoy walking around the meatpacking district and the photogenic Nyhavn.

And thanks to its flat terrain, Copenhagen is one of the best European cities for small children. I would also add Amsterdam and Bruges to the list of cities suitable for small children. Flat terrain and parks: you can’t go wrong!

Florence, Italy

Florence is certainly not an unknown destination, but many are surprised by how child-friendly it is.

Climbing the Duomo and the bell tower is fun for children, and even though the walk to Piazzale Michelangelo to watch the sunset is challenging, children have shorter legs than us and more flexible knees, so they can easily make it! Eating out is also easy. What child doesn’t love pasta, pizza, and gelato?

You can choose from numerous family-friendly walking tours and museum visits without having to wait in line, and admire the attractions and works of art that are most interesting to children.

Istanbul, Turkey

Istanbul has cobblestone streets and hills like most European cities (and yes, half of the city is in Europe and half is in Asia), so it can be difficult to get around with a stroller, but otherwise it’s easy to get around by taxi, bus, subway, tram, and ferry.

Most one-way trips cost less than 2 TL. Just get an Istanbulkart card and load it with a few lira to activate it.

City of Naxos, Greece

There’s nothing better than spending a few weeks simply enjoying island life, getting up late, having breakfast at the hotel, going to the beach, enjoying a wonderful two-hour lunch at an outdoor café, and resting in the afternoon.

Go for a drink in the late afternoon, then enjoy another perfect dinner of Greek seafood and tzatziki, and repeat the whole thing the next day, among white buildings, Casino Friday, GrandCasino, and blue shutters, overlooking the Aegean Sea.

There are no giant cruise ships (thousands of tourists a day would ruin the atmosphere), there are beautiful ruins in the city, there are wonderful hotels, perfect for families, the ferry to the other islands (Paros, Santorini, Mykonos) leaves directly from the city, and the airport is a short drive away. There could be no better place in Europe to go with children.

Salzburg, Austria

Mozart was born in Salzburg, and the movie The Sound of Music was also filmed in and around this city. If your family likes these things, then your itinerary is already set! You can visit Mozart’s birthplace, his home, and the cathedral where he was baptized.

Or you can go to a concert. There are also tours dedicated to the film The Sound of Music, which will take you to the various locations where it was filmed. You can even stay at the Hotel Schloss Leopoldskron, which plays an important role in the film.

Children love exploring Festung Hohensalzburg, one of the largest medieval castles in Europe, although you have to climb up from the city to reach it. The Toy Museum or the GrandCasino and Casino Friday are great places to spend an hour, especially when it rains. And visit the open-air markets located in the city center.

Good options for a day trip include Hallstatt, Austria’s oldest and perhaps most beautiful village, and Berchtesgaden in Germany, where you can take a family-friendly guided tour of a salt mine (also a great activity when it rains).

Bruges, Belgium

Bruges isn’t perfect, it’s crowded in the summer, and restaurants close very early by European standards, but we love this city.

It’s compact and easy to walk around, and it basically offers the best of Europe: cobbled streets, history, parks, playgrounds, squares, and a bell tower you can climb. Plus, there are waffles everywhere! And the terrain is flat, so it’s easy to get around with a stroller.