When we think about traveling around Europe, we imagine a couple holding hands against the backdrop of the Eiffel Tower or a group of friends having fun until dawn in Barcelona. However, Europe is also a great place to relax with children. Cities from Berlin to Prague are filled with parks, castles and museums created especially for small ones. They are also parents-oriented, placing playgrounds next to brasseries and cafes, so every member of the family can have fun. We will show you the most convenient European cities for traveling with children according to most-beauty.ru.
1
London, England
Tops our list of cities - foggy London. This is one of the largest European cities, with a lot of places that children will like. The London Transport Museum has operated buses, trams, trolleybuses and trains to captivate even the most car-obsessed four-year-old. Older children can view numerous exhibits. Anyone can ride a train in the simulator or visit the virtual London Underground.
Above ground, visit the London Eye - a towering Ferris wheel that raises the cabin 135 meters. This attraction is the largest in Europe. Everyone can get acquainted with the exhibits at the Museum of Science, and the Museum of Natural History has the largest collection of dinosaur skeletons.
London is full of museums and galleries. Tower Bridge, Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London and dozens of museums and galleries could provide hours of entertainment for both children and adults.
There is a life-size pirate ship and wigwams scattered across sand and trees at the Diana Memorial Playground in Kensington Gardens. This gives children the opportunity to run and climb while adults enjoy pastries and coffee from a nearby cafe. A 45-minute train ride takes you to WB Studios, where Harry Potter was shot. Here you will have an excursion and a tasting of the famous creamy beer.
Traveling with children in London is also easy. Double-decker buses run here and you can get to almost any place by metro. The only downside to traveling around London with children is the price. This is one of the most expensive cities in Europe for tourism. Children's entertainment here is the same as adults.
By the way, on our site most-beauty.ru you can find out about the TOP-20 main attractions of London.
2
Paris, France
The famous city of lovers is the best city for entertaining children. Ask any child sailing in wooden boats or riding ponies in the Luxembourg Gardens if they have a good time and the answer will, of course, be yes.
Traveling with children, skip the Louvre with its long lines and expensive entrance fees - and go to the Center Pompidou; outdoor elevator pipes and contemporary art are big favorites of crumbs. Older children will enjoy the catacombs, an underground labyrinth spanning over 11,000 square meters, where more than six million bones are stored in various cool and creepy places. Plan your ticket purchase in advance!
In fine weather, wander the streets of Montmartre. The whole family can enjoy the colorful shops of artists and breathtaking views of the city.
Unfortunately, the famous Notre Dame Cathedral is currently not functioning. And just around the corner, the famous Berthillon Glacier ice cream shop offers fragrant candied chestnuts and salted caramel along with traditional children's sweets such as chocolate and vanilla.
You can go to Disneyland Paris. It is about a 45-minute train ride from central Paris and about 25 percent cheaper than a similar trip to the United States. Do not forget to book all tourist facilities and the hotel in advance.
Paris is located near the gastronomic capital of Europe, so there are always many tourists here. Huge lines at restaurants can be tiring for young children. That is why in all hotels there is a service "food in the room."
3
Barcelona, Spain
Barcelona combines the bustle of a big city with the laid-back atmosphere of a beach town. Barceloneta Beach is huge and calm, it is located right next to the historic area, famous for delicious seafood snacks. Children can swim and play in the sand, while adults can visit local bars and restaurants.
Everyone can visit the Chocolate Museum, which offers tastings and workshops, such as Chocolate Artists, where children work with melted chocolate. In Park Guell, children enjoy stupid sculptures, running through a large open space, and adults can appreciate the skills of Gaudi.
Check for tickets online prior to your arrival as they are selling out fast. Take the cable car uphill to Tibidabo, an ideal sized amusement park overlooking all of Barcelona with the sea beyond.
Few children will appreciate authentic, traditional Spanish cuisine. Try Hispaniola (fried eggs and potatoes) or the famous pasta. Try albondigas - meatballs, the most favorite food of Spanish children. Order patatas bravas with spicy sauce in your room. This dish looks like a thick french fries. Public transportation here is also very convenient for children.
4
Berlin, Germany
Berlin is known as a thriving creative center, crowded with art galleries, performance spaces and unusual installations. But it is also filled with many playgrounds and attractions to host small guests.
A walk through the Deutsches Technikmuseum may seem like an unusual journey into the world of airplanes, boats and trains. The editors of most-beauty.ru warns: the train exhibition talks about how this transport was used in the Holocaust, so sensitive children may need some preparation.
All history buffs will love the trip to the DDR Museum, which has a series of interactive exhibits about how life was before the fall of the Berlin Wall. Older children who love adult games can appreciate a visit to the Computerspielemuseum, an entire (small) museum dedicated to computer video games.
Children of all ages will appreciate MACHmit, a children's museum with interactive playgrounds, regular art and educational exhibits, and creative workshops. Most museums provide the opportunity to purchase a "family ticket", which gives the right of passage to a group of up to 5 people.
If the weather is nice, just take a walk along the street. Parks usually have playgrounds and small restaurants with traditional dishes and drinks. A good example is Cáfe Neuen, where you can rent a boat to ride and have breakfast on the lake.
There are several Kinderbauernhöfe in Berlin - child-centric city farms where children can pet pets, take part in agricultural workshops and learn about plants (usually in German, but with an interpreter).
Many restaurants have convenient children's menu options. Special children's cafes are scattered throughout the city. Here, playgrounds are located next to adult cafes and restaurants. You can enjoy snacks while the children play and make new friends.
Visit Amitola with its theatrical performances for children and the famous toy store next door. As well as the Schönhausen cafe, where you can get a waffle with a scoop of ice cream. A more adult-oriented option is to get to Markthalle 9, an indoor market selling food and specialty local meats and cheeses. Crammed with food stalls, local merchants, and sometimes even local street performers, will offer each guest what he likes ...
5
Stockholm, Sweden
This is the place with the best parental benefits. No wonder Sweden is very child friendly. All restaurants and cafes have changing tables, highchairs and free or cheap events for children under 18 years of age.
The capital of Sweden, Stockholm, extending to several islands, is particularly fascinating. Children can take a boat ride and jump over the bridge between the districts or dive underground and explore fancy subway stations. In between amusement rides at the amusement park on the Grena Lund promenade, children can experience the Swedish obsession with licorice in all tastes. Most street stalls sell sweets.
The Junibacken Museum is prominently featured by the Swedish writer Astrid Lindgren, beloved by all children, and children can get their own toy version of the famous Peppy long stocking horse in the bookstore. Nearby is Skansen, the oldest open-air museum in the world. Historical exhibits allow guests to see how the Swedes lived over the years, as well as take part in traditional events. Children can visit the Skansen Zoo and Aquarium, where animals can not only be watched, but also fed.
Public transportation with children in Stockholm is very cheap. If you travel with a stroller, you pay only one ticket for a train or bus. The weather in Stockholm is relatively mild compared to the winter temperatures of northern Sweden, but be prepared for frequent rains in autumn and winter.
If you have newborns, consider stocking up with one-piece rain suits. In Sweden you can taste an unprecedented amount of sweets. Kanelbullar (cinnamon rolls) and other cakes are the staple food of every resident of this country. They are not as sugary-sweet as the North American versions.
Children may also like the ubiquitous Swedish meatballs with lingonberry sauce, pankakor (crepe pancakes with jam and cream or savory fillings) or the number one snack in a kindergarten made with crispy bread (knäckebröd) with butter and cheese.
By the way, on our site most-beauty.ru there is an interesting article about the most interesting sights of Sweden.
6
Prague, Czech Republic
Prague is not only historically and architecturally stunning, but also has plenty of entertainment for children. Compared to other European capitals, it is also a very inexpensive option for tourism with children; Hotels, food and entrance fees to museums and galleries here are literally "pennies."
Start exploring the city by visiting Letna Park, where the views of the city and the river below are attractive regardless of the time of year. In summer, guests can relax with a drink in the lush garden, and children can enjoy the outdoor playground a few steps away. Many river cruises on the Vltava await children; the boat will pass by castles, bridges and architecturally significant buildings.
Even very young children can enjoy the theater of light and shadow - theatrical productions made in almost total darkness, where the performers and props are painted with UV reactive paint and seem to glow. Several theaters offer specifically children's shows.
There are at least three playgrounds and a mirror labyrinth of the 19th century in Petrin's park, located in the city center. AQUAPALACE - a large water-based amusement park with dozens of water slides. It hosts daily entertainment programs and fun competitions on the water.
In winter, you should stop by the Christmas market on Old Town Square. Delicious food and local artisan shops fill every corner of this market. So calmly sip your mulled wine while your children explore the area.
Prague also has 60 museums, including the National Agricultural Museum, which has dozens of interactive exhibits, including the ability to drive a tractor. The Kingdom of Railways is an interactive train model that allows you to travel through a smaller version of Prague and the surrounding countryside.
For lunch, guests can visit the lively Belgian restaurant Bruxx with the stellar playground, next to the Czech restaurant fusion place. Adults can enjoy shellfish, while children gobble up dishes from a special children's menu - fish or meat chips, french fries, waffles with sweet syrup.
7
Billund, Denmark
There is only one attraction in Billund - Legoland. The original Legoland park opened here in 1968, and since then it has been serving a steady stream of visitors. More than 50 million people passed through the gates of this park. Legoland is located next to the famous Danish factory LEGO. This is one of six Legolands in the world. The city itself is rather small and almost entirely focused on tourism, although there are several restaurants and cafes not affiliated with LEGO.
There are several accommodation options on the territory of any hotel: from themed rooms located right in the park decorated with versions of LEGO characters, to the more affordable Legoland Holiday Village complex with charming barrel rooms, Ninjago cottages and Wild West cottages. The resort village also has a restaurant with breakfast and dinner "buffet", a children's zoo with dozens of different animals. In all places of public catering there are playgrounds.
Legoland Castle Hotel opened in 2019, where children, obsessed with fairy tales about dragons or princesses, can enjoy both indoor and outdoor playgrounds, several themed rooms and take pictures of the park from parapets.
In the park itself, all the rides are free: from the more suitable for Duplo World kids to some slightly terrifying roller coasters and flume rides scattered across seven different thematic areas.
One of the most popular attractions is Miniland, a stretched scale model of various local attractions: Copenhagen Nyhavn is easily recognizable, as is the London Eye. Every day there are games and competitions for children. Everyone can try on knightly armor and ride a pony.
What European cities have you visited with children? Share your experience in the comments. Perhaps you know other convenient cities in Europe for traveling with children? Write to us about them.