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City Tripping – a guide for family travel to cities

When you start travelling as a family, there’ll be plenty of people to tell you that you can’t take a city break with kids. These people, fortunately, are wrong. Because while my daughter loves a beach, there are some fantastic family attractions to keep all ages entertained when you’re looking for short city breaks across the UK and Europe in particular.

Mother and daughter sitting by the Colosseum in Rome - my city tripping tips for the best city breaks with kids

When you’re having to work around school holidays, there are plenty of destinations close enough to make weekend city breaks a possibility, and some fantastic bargains if you can travel on weekdays with babies, toddlers and preschoolers for a budget city break.

So if you’re tempted by the thought of trying some child-friendly city breaks, I’ve listed my pick of the best city breaks with kids – the destinations I’ve visited with my daughter.

Looking for a city break with baby?

This is actually a great time to make the most of those months when your little one is (hopefully) still napping, and as long as they’re snug in a buggy, with something to entertain them, don’t have as many forceful opinions about where they want to go.

With a little planning, you can find yourself wandering casually around art galleries, sitting people-watching outside cafes and strolling happily by a river as your baby dozes or gazes out at their new surroundings.

Stick to more walkable cities if you have a buggy – the hills of Lisbon definitely aren’t ideal – although wearing a baby carrier gives you even more flexibility.

If you’re looking for baby-friendly city breaks, there’s plenty of choice. Amsterdam is a great option, while we also visited Oxford as well as heading to Lanzarote. You don’t exactly look for city breaks in the Canary Islands, but between some winter sun, we did get chance to explore the capital Arrecife.

Paris is another good option if you’re travelling from the UK, as you don’t neeed to fly – take the Eurostar for a Paris city break with kids, or head to northern France for a Lille city break or to Belgium to explore Brussels and Ghent.

Consider staying in an apartment or AirBNB to have more space, rather than being trapped in a darkened hotel room with a baby though.

Father throws his young son into the air with a city silhouetted behind - my city tripping tips for the best city breaks with kids

City breaks with toddlers

Like all holidays with toddlers, you need to factor in a short attention span and a desire to be moving moving moving. Plus lots of snacks. But there’s no reason you can’t still book city breaks with toddlers – most cities have toddlers in, after all, and you can find some great attractions targeted at this age group.

We headed to Glasgow, taking the train (my own toddler slept curled up on the seat, and our hotel in the train station itself for a totally hassle-free arrival).

There’s so much for toddlers to do in the Scottish city too – running off some energy in the botanic gardens, discovering the stuffed animals at Kelvingrove museum as well as the wonderful Glasgow Science Centre which kept her entertained all day.

Another great city break for toddlers is Copenhagen – it’s compact, walkable and very friendly, and searching for flights in October meeans you can find cheap city breaks to Copenhagen too.

There’s plenty to do in Copenhagen with kids (and toddlers) from Vikings and the Little Mermaid, to a canal cruise and Hans Christian Andersen, not to mention Tivoli Gardens. It’s even an easy city to get around on the metro, with lifts at all stations, unlike some older cities.

City breaks in the UK with kids

It’s so easy to forget what’s on the doorstep when you have a whole world to explore – but when you’re travelling with kids, city breaks in the UK can be a great reminder of just how much there is to see closer to home as well. 

Plus they’re a great test if you’re planning your first city breaks with kids, without having to worry about flights and with all the usual shops, food and other familiar necessities of home.

You could head to the UK’s smallest city of St David’s in Wales and discover a taste of Pembrokeshire’s beautiful wild coast at the same time, or visit the country’s capital in London. Our own home city, read on for more ideas of what to do in London with kids.

One of my own favourite UK city breaks with kids is to Brighton – the mix of beach and city attractions on a Brighton city break, along with a big helping of quirky atmosphere, is ideal with kids.

Or staying in the south east, there’s history galore at Windsor as well as Winchester with its cathedral and Christmas market, plus the round table (Edward III’s rather than King Arthur but still a nice hint of legend) or Salisbury for its own cathedral and historic centre.

Oxford is another great option for a UK city break with kids – much of the centre is pedestrianised and walkable, and you can find options for Harry Potter fans as well as Alice in Wonderland or His Dark Materials, and the great university Natural History Museum with its dodo, skeletons and strokeable rocks.

Head a little further north and there’s both a castle and a cathedral at Lincoln – keep an eye out for extra family-friendly options too, we followed a fantastic city trail during our visit.

Cadbury’s World is only one of the temptations for a city break in Birmingham with kids – also a great option for Doctor Who fans – while Liverpool’s Albert Dock has something for kids of all ages, whether they’re into Bob the Builder or the Beatles.

Stoke-on-Trent might not be the first city break with kids to occur to most people, but there’s so much to discover there that it’s easy to fill a weekend: discovering the area’s industrial history in a bottle kiln before throwing your own pot at Wedgwood.

Not far away, there are Barbary Macaques at Trentham Monkey Forest and the wonderful fairy trail at Trentham Gardens too.

Or combine several cities into one break – travel along the Great West Way and you can explore along 125 miles between London and Bristol. The Roman Baths at Bath have some fantastic family activities, and the city is home to some more great museums along with the Bath Skyline to get outdoors.

And it’s easy to spend a weekend at nearby Bristol too – in fact we found ourselves visiting twice in one year. We The Curious, the city’s science museum, is one of my daughter’s favourite places, but we also tried our hands at stencil street art as well as exploring SS Great Britain.

Keep an eye out for the city’s sculpture trails too – there have been two themed around Wallace & Gromit which made for a perfect way to explore the city including the art museum and M Shed.

Across the border, Cardiff is another UK city that’s easy to explore with kids – some great museums, its own castle right in the heart of the city, Roman history and boat trips, as well as walking around the Bay.

Or for more Roman history, look north along the border between England and Wales to Chester – we loved Dewa Roman Experience.

We also discovered that Glasgow is a great city break with toddlers, while my pregnant city break in Belfast left me wanting to return with my daughter.

For more ideas of days out in the UK with kids, check out my round-up

Boy in a toy bearskin hat lying on a chalk picture of London landmarks - my city tripping tips for the best city breaks with kids

City breaks in London with kids

I’ve been visiting London since I was a child myself, staying with my grandparents, before moving here after university – and now I’m introducing my own daughter to some of the best of London with kids.

The sheer number of things you could do in a weekend city break can feel overwhelming, so check out these posts for starters:

There are museums galore, of course – not just the big hitters of the Natural History Museum, Science Museum, Victoria & Albert Museum and the British Museum but also the Horniman Museum in south east London or Gunnersbury Park Museum in the west.

If you want to get outdoors, there’s plenty of green space too from the play areas at Coram’s Fields – for families only – to the parks. Battersea Park is home to a Go Ape course along with a little children’s zoo while the famous London zoo is in Regent’s Park.

Further west, you could convince yourself you’ve left the city entirely at the London Wetlands Centre in Barnes, home to otters.

Not to forget the fabulous botanic gardens at Kew – here are my tips on visiting Kew Gardens with kids.

Or you could spend your city trip exploring along the river Thames, including a walk along the South Bank as well as a boat trip down to Greenwich to visit the Cutty Sark.

You can even sleep overnight on the Golden Hinde, a replica of the ship Sir Francis Drake sailed around the world in.

There are also locations from the Great Fire of London to visit, exploring the Museum of London and St Paul’s along the way, as well as a mini tour of some of London’s landmarks.

I’ve got tips for a London city break with kids too:

If you’re visiting London at Christmas, you’ll find extra festive ways to entertain families – Christmas markets with kids, some great festive ice rinks and special light trails, some of which run into January.

City breaks in Europe with kids

You’re spoiled for choice if you’re looking for the best European city breaks with kids – cheap flights from the UK, little or no time difference, plus the option to take the train or the ferry means you could pick a different city every weekend (if funds and your energy levels let you!)

Certain city breaks do work better for different ages. I visited Amsterdam when my daughter was two, almost three, and apart from accidentally booking a city break in June during a heatwave, we had a fantastic time exploring the Vondelpark, Nemo Science Centre, Artis Zoo, taking a canal tour and seeing some of the art at the Van Gogh Museum.

Italy is always welcoming for kids of any age, but I’d recommend waiting until they’re primary school age to visit some of the cities.

Venice might be known as the city of romance, but from the sheer fascination of a city built on water to the relaxed atmosphere of the Lido and the bright colours of Burano, there’s plenty to do.

I also discovered family-friendly tours in Florence, a tour visiting the Uffizi with kids as well as learning to make gelato, and Siena, where the animal emblems for each area ensure there are stories galore to be told.

And you can never go wrong with a visit to the Eternal City, with some great family-friendly tours of Rome and lots to explore with kids.

If you’re looking for a city break in April, it’s one of the best times to visit some of Europe’s cities – the crowds of peak season haven’t arrived yet, and nor have the soaring temperatures, but you should have sun enough to explore.

Later in the year, try the European capitals further north for the same reason – a Helsinki city break is also easy to combine with a stay in Tallinn (a ferry connects the two), while both have their own attractions as city breaks.

May half term was a perfect time to visit, we found, before the very long nights but with enough sunshine to make Tallinn’s beach and Helsinki’s outdoor pool tempting.

Mother and son sitting on the waterfront in Helsinki - my city tripping tips for the best city breaks with kids

If you’re looking for half term city breaks in February, it’s harder to guarantee good weather to explore. We visited beautiful Porto and were soundly rained on during February half-term, while friends visiting the following week had blue skies.

Fortunately there’s plenty to do in any weather, including port tastings for adults!

Portugal’s capital is a safer bet if you’re looking for sunshine, even if you’re planning city breaks in November.

My first visit to Lisbon was in November, and while we needed a cardigan or light jacket at times, it was gloriously sunnier than the UK – check out my tips for things to do in Lisbon with kids and don’t miss a visit to nearby Sintra.

Spain is another good option for city breaks in March – we had a few cloudy days on our city break to Granada, but the sun was still strong enough to sit outside a cafe sipping wine and trying tapas.

My daughter was a toddler at the time, and so this was one trip I took without her – I wouldn’t recommend Granada with a toddler. But for slightly older kids, seeing the fairytale Alhambra and wandering the streets of the Albaicin is easily a winner.

Another child-free trip that’s perfect for families is a Ljubljana city break – a city break in Slovenia isn’t always top of the list, but from the dragons to the castle, the pedestrian centre and the family attractions, there’s so much to do in Ljubljana with kids.

Visiting in October, it’s another good option to keep in mind for half-term when you’re planning any October city breaks.

Or keep everyone happy with mini city breaks which combine some beach with the city. Barcelona is usually the first name that springs to mind, but skip the crowds and look across the water to the Balearics instead.

It’s easy to stay close enough to explore Mahon, the capital of Menorca and still get chance to relax by a pool or on a beach – Menorca city breaks are also fantastic if you want an adults-only getaway, as I discovered.

The island has a well-deserved reputation for being family-friendly but with locally made gin and boutique vineyards plus some wonderful food and quirky history, it works just as well for parents. Avoid the school holidays though; this is a great option for city breaks in June.

The same goes for Corsica: head to the north of the Mediterranean island and you can explore both Bastia and Calvi in just a few days, two Corsica city breaks for one, as well as some of the beautful coastline.

You could even look further afield to the islands of Malta, Corfu and Cyprus. Explore the streets of Valletta and Mdina in Malta, as well as some of Europe’s oldest historical sites – and some family attractions for kids, while Corfu city breaks might sound unexpected but from the Venetian history to a very unusual living museum, there’s lots to do with kids in Corfu Town.

For another unusual city break with kids, check out Monte Carlo – Monaco isn’t only for the rich and famous.

And if you prefer a winter city break, check out my pick of Europe’s best snowy city breaks for a fairytale escape to brighten up the dark months.

Long-haul city breaks with kids – city tripping around the world

There’s no reason a city break with kids has to fit into a weekend – it could easily be part of a longer trip, so you mix the best of the city with a chance to explore further.

We started our Pacific Coast Highway road trip in San Francisco – needless to say, a few days wasn’t long enough, you could plan endless city breaks to San Francisco before beginning to see everything the city by the bay has to offer.

Or our Oman adventure began with 24 hours in Muscat, and our fortnight in Burma started in Yangon.

And while I wouldn’t rush to many of the most popular European capitals if I was planning city breaks in August, our Cambodia holiday that same month included Siem Reap and Phnom Penh in the slightly cooler months of Cambodia’s green season.

You don’t necessarily have to fly for hours for an exotic city break beyond Europe – the Tunisian capital Tunis is only a few hours from London but you’ll be instantly transported to another world. Here’s how to spend a weekend in Tunis.

In fact, the biggest question isn’t whether you should be planning city breaks with kids, it’s deciding which to book first…

Looking for the City Tripping linky?

From 2015 to 2018, I hosted the City Tripping travel linky with the fabulous Wandermum, a collection of city travel posts from bloggers around the world – from ancient cities to modern metropolises, unexpected green corners of big cities to the world’s smallest cities, it was packed with inspiration for a family city break, for city breaks with kids of all ages (as well as city escapes without them).

If you’re looking for some of the best posts or suggestions for new travel linkies to join, check out this post.

PIN FOR LATER: CITY TRIPPING – CITY BREAKS WITH KIDS

The best city breaks with kids - where to visit with a baby, toddler or young kids, including ideas in the UK, Europe and further afield. #citytripping #citybreak #mummytravels

 

Images courtesy Depositphotos

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23 Comments

  1. Thanks for featuring my post! I do love this linky – cities are such vibrant places. #citytripping

  2. Thank you for featuring my post from last week! Much appreciated. I love blue skies too, they just make me happy and magically enhance my photographic abilities.

    1. Was lovely to meet up in person for once. And we had a good plot… keep watching the linky and all will be revealed!

  3. Always enjoy mind-travelling with every week’s city tripping. So many to read and sometime I wish I have more time to read and to visit the city (more money)! Anywhere, I do have doubt if the intended post fit into the party… ie, a workshop/festival that we enjoyed in my city? hmm…

    1. Thanks! My travel bucket list always grows after reading the posts too – and thanks for checking about yours, I’ve dropped you an email.

  4. That would be great – and no problem. If you scroll to the bottom of the post, under the other linked posts, you should see a blue box saying ‘add link’. Click there and add the URL and other details (it should fill some in automatically). If you can add the badge to your post (code is just above the linked posts) or a sentence saying you’ve linked, that would be great. Then just comment as per the rules – or as much as you want. Hope that makes sense?

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