Travelling with kids! It’s a question we get asked pretty frequently, so we thought it was high time we devote an entire article to it.
Travelling with young kids seems scary. But as many parents will agree, travelling with kids is not as intimidating as it is often made out to be! We have learnt this from close friends who travel frequently with kids. We’ve also met travellers in remote areas of Scandinavia, Canada, or the German countryside having the time of their life with their kids. And every week we get photos from our readers, who go on Bruised Passports inspired trips with their kids.
While you can literally go anywhere from Seychelles to Iceland with kids and so many of our readers have done that, there are a few countries that are just ideal for travelling with kids. Amenities such as kids clubs, kid-friendly attractions, wide variety of food for the fussiest of little travellers, and stroller-friendly walkways are just some of the things that make these countries more attractive than others. Here are our top 5 picks if you’re travelling with young kids. Pick one that suits your budget and we promise you will love it to bits 🙂
1) Singapore
Singapore is the ideal place for a first trip with a very young child. This is for various reasons
- The country is extremely safe
- Cabs are plentiful and affordable
- It is easy to explore within 4-5 days
- It has plenty of child-friendly attractions such as the iconic Singapore Zoo and Sentosa Island
Check out this super cute photo one of our readers shared from Singapore and read this article for a detailed guide to Singapore
2) Meet Santa in Lapland
If you want to take your holiday up a notch and your kids are over 5 years of age, there is no better place for a holiday than Lapland often known as Santa Claus’ home town. Finnish Lapland is literally like a real life fairy-tale. We love it because there is so much for kids to do – they can go meet the ‘real’ Santa Claus, marvel at snow-laden forests, and feed baby reindeer. The best part is that parents have plenty to do as well – stay in an igloo, watch the Northern Lights, and enjoy this amazing part of the world.
Read all our articles about Finnish Lapland here to plan an amazing trip for your kids
3) Go on a cruise
It’s no secret – we love cruises and have been on several of them. Cruises are an easy and convenient way to travel to scenic destinations. But cruises also offer incredible value-for-money if you’re travelling with kids. Cruises have kids clubs, activities for both young kids and teenagers, and extensive buffet spreads for the fussiest of eaters – all included in the daily price of the cruise. This makes them ideal for both young kids & teenagers – it’s hard to argue with an unlimited supply of pizzas and ice-creams right?
Some cruises that we would specially recommend with kids include Caribbean cruises and Alaskan cruises – if you like a bit of adventure. Choose a cost-effective cruise line such as Royal Caribbean or MSC Cruises if it’s your first time on a cruise ship and go, go, go. You can read all our articles on cruises here
And here’s a gorgeous photograph one of our readers shared of her family on an Alaskan cruise. She told us her daughter loved the experience:
4) A beach break of dreams
If you’re a family of beach lovers, then plan a trip that involves entire days spent relaxing by the beach. Here are a couple of things to look out for when traveling with kids to beaches
- Kids’ Clubs: The most important thing to look out for when you’re booking a beach holiday with young kids or toddlers are hotels equipped with kids clubs. But don’t just stop there – make sure you research a bit about the staff to child ratio at the kids club as well. This way you can ensure your child will be looked after well even if you are relaxing in another part of the hotel.
- Food: If your child is too young or too old for a kids club, then consider renting an apartment where you can cook meals that you know your child enjoys eating. If you prefer staying at a hotel, then try to opt for buffet meals as that way your child can pick and choose the food they like.
- Destinations: If you’re looking for an affordable beach holiday with kids then Bali is a great option. If you want something a bit more luxurious, Seychelles and Maldives have amazing properties that cater to kids. If your kids are frequent travellers and don’t mind exploring new places with their parents, then Gold Coast (Australia) is a great option
You will find detailed guides for each place on our website. Here are a few photos shared by our readers who planned amazing holidays for themselves following our tips 🙂
5) A city-break in Europe
This is probably the most confusing of them all- the very thought of planning a city break in Europe with kids can be exhausting thanks to visions of strollers on cobbled streets, overpriced taxis, or walking miles to get to a restaurant. But you can plan an amazing holiday if you choose the destination smartly.
There are some obvious winners with kids. Such as Disneyland Paris. But it’s hard to spend more than 2-3 days in such places. So here are a few European cities we would recommend if you’re travelling with kids:
- Barcelona and Lisbon because both cities have a large selection of family-friendly hotels. A number of restaurants have kids’ corners and The Lisbon Oceanarium is a big hit with kids
- Copenhagen isn’t just a big hit with adults. Kids love it too. Visit The Blue Planet and the iconic Tivoli Gardens amusement park. Read our guide to Copenhagen here
- Reykjavik is an amazing option with kids because it is extremely safe and well-developed, so kid-friendly facilities are everywhere. Rent a large apartment in the city and enjoy your time here. Read all our articles on Iceland here
We hope this article gave you some fun ideas for your next holiday with kids. Let us know in the comments below if you would like a Part 2 of this post with more kid-friendly holiday ideas. Till then, it’s your friendly travel experts signing off with bear hugs and warm fuzzies! 🙂
Absolutely loved reading this post. And I could relate to to so many of your tips. We(my husband and I) used to travel quite a lot before our son was born and while it slowed us down the first few months after he was born, we were back to our travelling gigs once I came out of the zombie mode(pun not intended). I am a beach person and I couldn’t agree more about beach destination being a hit with kids(what’s not to love about beach). We always book a condo that gives us flexibility to cook if we don’t feel like eating outside. We did Carnival cruise few months ago and my 6 year old son loved the carnival kids camp that they offered. He used to be gone for hours having fun with people his age while we were adulting watching adult comedy stand-up shows. Lapland is on my list now and I am going to be reading your blogs to get all the help I need planning our trip. You guys are the best!!!!!! Keep inspiring us.
That’s amazing – glad you’re back to travelling. Booking apartments is such a great idea 🙂
Very Nice post about best travel destination with child friendly, thanks for sharing this informative article.
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