Best Family Vacation Destinations in Europe

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France is one of those countries which make great family vacation destination regardless to the season. Therefore it can be hard to make decision on the place to bring your family for yearly vacation. If you're attracted by water activities on the Mediterranean or Atlantic French coasts, you surely will enjoy your stay.

The greatest advantage of a French vacation destination is that, while the weather is hot during the summer, it is never too hot; which means that you never have to worry about bringing little children with you on holiday. However, you'll probably want to avoid places like Saint-Tropez and some other resorts on the Cote d'Azur as summertime attracts celebrities and other people of the night and and you could risk ruining your family vacation. Another thing to pay attention to is the type of beach you choose to spend the day on: nudism is allowed on some French beaches :)

France is famous for its cutting-edge cuisine, however, I suggest you to pay attention on certain namings as, for example, a steak in France is in reality a chopped steak ; alternatively, you might not like an "andouillette"; which is a delicatessen specialty appreciated in France or simply frogs' legs.

Also, on July 14th, it's Bastille Day in France - national holiday - and you will find a huge number of different great activities, parades and fireworks all the day.

Photo: Palavas les Flots, France, by Hugo.soria under Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0 Licence.

There is a wide range of family friendly holiday resorts to choose from when it comes to travel to France.

Photo, courtesy bpmm.
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The North Sea

Climate is moderate and, even in July and August, I suggest you to bring, along with your summer clothes, some rain and warm clothes. Fine sand beaches are long and accessibles by dikes or dunes (where you can still find some WWII bunkers).

Depending on the rise and fall of sea levels, you will have to walk before enjoying the pleasure of water activity - be careful, North Sea is quite cold.

Some family friendly resorts in the North Sea region are Zuydcoote (picture), Dunkirk and Bray-Dunes.

Old Harbour, St. Catherine's Quay &
Spire of St. Catherine's Church Behind,
Honfleur

English Channel

The Channel covers several departments such as Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Normandy, Brittany, etc. and is home to holiday resorts such as Etretat (picture), famous for its amazing white chalk cliffs and long white sand beaches. Alternatively, Honfleur is well known for its exquisite old port and its slate-covered houses.

Other ideal vacation resorts for families on the English Channel are Berck on Sea, Granville, Perros-Guirrec. Weather is moderate therefore, I suggest you to bring warm and rain clothes just in case...

La Baule-Escoublac,
Loire-Atlantique, France

Atlantic Coast

The Coast covers areas such as Atlantic Brittany coast, Charente-Maritime and Atlantic Pyrenees. It is very popular among tourists and the greatest competitor of the Mediterranean Coast.

Atlantic Coast includes holiday resorts like Royan; which is a seaside resort that allows fans of boating activities to practice their favourite sport.

Another well known seaside resort is Les Sables d'Olonne (Olonne Sands); which combines the pleasure of beach and boating activities. Among family holiday resorts on the Atlantic Coast you will find La Trinite-sur-Mer, La Baule (picture), Seignosse. Celebrities' favourite resort is Biarritz. Climate is hotter than on Northern Coasts but still not tropical :)

Notre Dame Des Anges Church,
Collioure, Roussillon, France

Mediterranean Coast:

Mediterranea is well known for Saint-Tropez, Cannes and Marseille. However, those aren't the only towns where you'll enjoy the pleasure of French holidays with your family.

Mediterranean Coast covers territories from Eastern Pyrenees to Martime Alps, including Corsica.

Temperatures are usually hot in the summer and the sea is warm; which makes the water activities really agreeable. Among children friendly places, you will find Banyuls, Collioure, Valras-Beach (picture), ...

One of the most popular family vacation destinations in Europe is Spain.

Depending on the Spanish area you plan to stay and because the weather can be too hot for young children, you will want to bring your family to Spain between October to April/May (Southern regions and Canarian Islands) or between May to September (Northern regions and Balearic Islands).

People have lunch and dinner very late in the day. Lunch can start at only 1 or 2 PM and dinner can start at 10 PM. However, hotels provide standard hours for breakfast (from 8 to 10 AM), lunch (from Noon to 2:00 PM) and dinner (from 7 to 9 PM).

If you prefer to rent an apartment for your Spanish family vacations, I suggest you to give a try to tapas for lunch: many bodegas (cafes) and cafeterias offer a wide range of free tapas (appetizers and snacks such as eggs, olives, Serrano ham, fried squids, etc.) for any Sangria you order (some will give you so many different tapas that you won't be hungry for lunch!)

When booking a Spanish family vacation destination and on the assumption that you want to stay in a quiet place, make sure the holiday resort is really made for families. For example, while Ibiza is a magnificent island, you won't find the peace you expect. Other examples are those of Lloret de Mar (Costa Brava) and Salou (Costa Dorada); which attract youth and party lovers.

Photo: Sitges Coast, by LightAsMagic on Flickr.

Here are a few Spanish children friendly holiday resorts to choose from:

Playa De Poo, Near Llanes,
Costa Verde (Green Spain), Asturias, Spain

Atlantic Coast:

The Atlantic Coast of Spain covers territories of Basque Country, Asturias and Galicia. The Atlantic Coast offers mild temperatures as the climate is oceanic.

Most holiday resorts on the Spanish Atlantic Coast live from tourism and fishing; activities available in these areas are mainly beach or boating activities.

Among those children friendly places to go on holiday is Hondarribia; which is the town border with Hendaye in France; where you can see beautiful monuments and exquisite houses along the port. Another great holiday resort is Santander (picture); where you will find a casino, a magnificent cathedral, and several museums (maritime, fine arts and prehistory).

Los Canos De Meca, Costa De La Luz,
Spain Photographic Poster Print

Atlantic Andalusia:

Perfect destination for those who like picturesque holidays, Costa de La Luz (Atlantic Andalusia) is a region where urban development hasn't created artificial resorts yet.

The area stretches from Tarifa to Huelva, along the Portuguese border. Here you will discover wide white sand beaches and white villages filled with sunlight.

Atlantic Andalusia's most famous resort is Cádiz, one of the oldest cities in Spain, birthplace of flamenco and full of history. Other towns are Huelva, El Puerto de Santa María, Tarifa, ...

Mont Guardi Battlements and Tossa De Mar,
Costa Brava, Catalonia, Spain

Catalonia:

Perfect for family holidays is Tossa de Mar, a quiet and peaceful holiday resort where you will find the principal beach as well as a few coves. Coves are great if you do not like crowds and prefer the pebbly beaches to sandy beaches.

There are many activities to do in Tossa de Mar: visit the Medieval town which is beautiful, a cruise to other beaches and coves of Costa Brava, a trip in "fondo cristal" boat; which allows you to take an eye on the marine population, pedal boating, jet ski and many other water activities.

Another place you would certainly appreciate is you are fan of long and wide white sand beaches is Playa de Pals. Near the holiday resort is another Medieval town, Pals, that you owe yourself to visit.

Other great vacation spots in Catalonia are Cadaques (where Salvador Dali settled), Rosas (Girona), Sitges (Barcelona), Torredembarra (Tarragona).

The Citadel by Night, Peniscola,
Costa Del Azahar, Valencia, Spain

Mid and Southern Spanish regions:

The most famous holiday resorts are Alicante, Benidorm and Malaga. However, those three resorts are quite noisy for families.

Peniscola (picture) is a good choice if you want to go to a quiet place near Alicante. The town offers wide beaches, a magnificent castle (which is fully illuminated at night), a natural park, and many other monuments that you owe yourself to see at least once in your life.

Gastronomic specialties in Peniscola are seafood meals.

If you like sports, then you are going to enjoy your stay to Peniscola as you will be able to practice many water activities such as sailing, jet skiing, diving, and much more.

In July and August, the whole family can enjoy the cinema at the beach, visit wildlife parks or have a trip with the touristic train. Peniscola also offers free creative activities for children.

Some other Mid and Southern resorts are Sagonte (Valencia), Altea (Alicante), Roquetas de Mar (Almeria), Motril (Motril isn't a popular touristic area; which allowed the town to keep its simple and original appearence), Benalmádena (Malaga), and Balearic Islands.

Boats and Old Red House, Old Port,
Puerto Del Carmen, Lanzarote, Canary Islands

Atlantic Ocean:

Canarian Islands are island located in the Atlantic Ocean.

Weather is generally hot throughout the year and resorts are mainly composed of hotels and clubs where you can enjoy all-inclusive package as well as special clubs for children where they can practice many different activities while their parents can relax at the pool or practice their favorite sports.

Italy is not just about pasta and pizza. Italy has a strong historical and cultural background and many Western countries of Europe were under Roman domination during the Roman Empire. However, times have changed, things evolved and the Roman Empire disappeared.

Nowadays, Italy is an extremely popular touristic destination for both its cultural attractions and its sunny weather. One of the most popular Italian holiday resorts is the Veneto Riviera, home to the beautiful city of Venice. Weather in Italy is hot in the summer and moderate in the winter; therefore I would suggest you to not bring young children in Southern Italy in July and August especially if they aren't accustomed to hot temperatures.

Italian is the main tongue used in Italy and English is rarely used; I thus suggest you to learn some basic Italian sentences before leaving your home country.

Because I've been to Italy when I was a teenager, I would suggest you to visit: Rome (the town is splendid and you definitely should have a walk in the evening when the lights are on and people have a drink on the terraces), Pisa, and Naples. If you make decision on going to Southern Italy, I suggest to have a visit to Calabria; which is a lovely region. Sicily is an amazingly beautiful area and a walk on the Etna volcano is recommended. However, my all time favourite place to be in Italy is Lipari, one of the magnificent Aeolian Islands.

As for breakfast, and more particularly if you spend your holidays in Southern areas, I suggest to savour a granita de cafe (instead of a cup of hot coffee) and some croissants in a typical Italian cafeteria.

Photo: Portofino, Italy by Senpai under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.5 Generic License.

There are many fantastic family vacation destinations in Italy for you to choose from. Here are a few ones.

Santa Margherita Ligure

Gulf of Venice (Eastern Italian Coast)

While Venice is the most popular destination, Porto Santa Margherita (picture) might be of interest for families who are looking for a quiet and charming place to go on holiday. The resort is located near Caorle and is the perfect vacation destination if you have a boat or like boating activities.

Another very attractive family sea resort is Bibione, especially if you are looking for calm and relaxing holidays with our family. The town offers a pine forest in which you'll enjoy to have a walk, a zoo, wine cellars opened to the public and a long white sand beach.

Changing Huts, Pesaro,
Le Marche, Italy

Adriatic Coast (Eastern Italian Coast)

Adriatic Coast offers more than 100 kilometers of sandy beaches and is situated, as its name suggests, on the Italian Adriatic Coast. It is the perfect place for relaxing holidays. Rimini is the most famous and most touristic resort and offers a wide range of sport and water activities to do.

Another destination is Marina di Ravenna; which is the perfect place for history and monument lovers. The town has magnificent monuments to visit and has a great reputation for its mosaics. It is also famous for its beach sports like volley ball.

As for those who just want to relax for a few days or weeks and have a walk in pine woods, Cervia (picture) is the town to choose. Clubs and balls aren't welcome in Cervia; which ensures that the place remains calm and peaceful.

Buildings at the Waterfront,
Sestri Levante, Liguria, Italy

Ligurian Sea (Gulf of Genoa)

The sea along which lie Nortwestern Italian beaches is called "Ligurian Sea" and is the counterpart of French Riviera.

If you and your family enjoy the pleasure of beach and water activities mixed up with moutain climbing, hiking, biking and culture, then you should choose Finale Ligure (Mediterranean Riviera) as vacation destination. The resort is divided in three sections: Finale Marina, Finalpia and Finalborgo; which all will provide you with the kind of activities you like best.

However, you might prefer to spend a few days in San Remo Principality, discover picturesque villages of Sestri Levante (picture)region or just enjoy first class vacation in Portofino. Whatever you choose, I'm pretty sure you are going to enjoy your family holidays in Italy!

Some other resorts are Spotorno, Diano Marina, Peitra Ligure, ...

Cala Goloritze, Cala Gonone,
Golfe Di Orosei (Orosei Gulf),
Island of Sardinia, Italy

Sardinia (Sardinian Sea)

Sardinia is an island located to the West of Italy, in the Sardinian Sea (just below Corsica). The island isn't the must-see-and-go resort among tourists; which means that it is still possible to spend wonderful family vacations in a quiet and tranquil place.

For the greatest pleasure of children (and therefore parents), Sardinia offers tourists a steam train that allows them to visit the island. But Sardinia is also really attractive for its archaeological ruins, magnificent beaches and water as clear as the one of Pacific Islands.

Interesting places to visit in Sardinia are Bosa port, Maddalena archipelago and Alghero.

View of Greek Theater,
Taormina, Sicily, Italy

Tyrrhenian Sea

Tyrrhenian Sea includes Italian territories from Naples to Sicily. The Sea includes many islands; which are all attractive for one reason of another.

The biggest one is Sicily; which provides a lot of beautiful towns to visit, like Messina; the most popular touristic area; Taormina where you are going to have a walk on the Etna volcano ; Palermo ; Trapani and many more.

Aeolian Islands are fantastic and peaceful places to go on holiday. The archipelago is home to Stromboli volcano. Although volcanic, Stromboli Island will provide you with beaches where you can enjoy peace and tranquility. The principal island is Lipari (my favourite --> see picture); which has an exquisite port; a magnificent castle and lovely beaches. The place is peaceful and ideal for family holidays with the kids.

Greece is also a very popular European family holiday destination. Having a strong historical background makes Greece attractive for everyone since it allows you to mix up both cultural and leisure holidays. Greek Islands are among the most beautiful landscapes you owe yourself to see at least once in your life.

Weather in Greece is extremely hot during the summer, therefore if you have young children, I suggest you to book your family holidays between the end of September to November or between April and June; this way your kids aren't at the risk of getting sick because of the heat.

While the official language in Greece is... Greek, you'll find people who speak English in most holiday resorts.

Photo: Kastellorizo, by DimitriS Photography on Flickr.

Let's see where in Greece you are going to spend your next family holidays.

Athens, Greece Art Poster Print
by James Blakeway

Attica:

If walking and visiting many monuments do not scare you (nor your children), you will surely enjoy family holidays in Athens; the ideal place for cultural vacation time. However, because of the intense heat and therefore pollution, I would suggest you to not go to Athens on July or August.

As an alternative, you might want to choose a beach resort on the Athenian Riviera such as Vouliagmeni or Saronida and profit from the pleasure of water activities and sun tanning.

Greek Islands:

Greece is famous for its islands and islets in the thousands. Because of the huge number of these islands, it is impossible to list all of them here but we can still have an idea about the most popular islands of this wonderful country.

Balconies of Patterned Houses,
Pyrgi, Chios, North Aegean Islands, Greek Islands

Chios

Chios is the perfect island resort for those who like cultural trips. Indeed, Chios is famous for its ancient ruins and will allow you to combine history and pleasure of water activities.

If you like fireworks, I recommend going to Chios on Easter time as you will discover very special fireworks made just of the occasion.

Kalami Bay, Corfu, Ionian Islands, Greece

Corfu

Corfu is an island which climate is quite agreeable.

The island is located in the Ionian Sea and is renowned for its fauna and flora, especially birds and small mammals, as well as for some seals who take refuge there.

My parents, who spent two weeks holidays in Corfu, informed me that there are a lot of wasps. On the other hand, they loved watching birds of which they could identify several different interesting species.

Aerial View of Vai Beach and Palm Trees,
Eastern Crete, Island of Crete, Greece

Crete

Crete is a Mediterranean island and has a particularly rugged landscape.

Despite some problems of pollution due to landfills and discharges, Crete is an excellent family holiday resort.

A friend of mine went to Crete each year at Easter had the habit of going every year on Easter time and confirms that Crete is ideal for family vacations in this period.

Beach, Mykonos, Greece
Photographic Poster Print

Mykonos

Located in the Aegean Sea, Mykonos is extremely popular among tourists. It combines ideally rich history, modernity and picturesque Greek villages.

Beware: many resorts are rather noisy, as they welcome amateurs of nightlife.

Greece, Cyclades, Santorini, Oia Town and Santorini Caldera
by Michele Falzone
Buy This at Allposters.com

Santorini

Part of a volcanic archipelago, Santorini is one of the most touristic Greek islands. It is renowned for its white villages, archeological sites and abrupt cliffs.

The island includes several picturesque ports as well as a touristic port.

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