7 of the Best Family Holiday Ideas

Family on a tropical beach

We at Trip.com pride ourselves on our omnipotent, all-in-one travel app. Whether you want to book your flight, hotel, car, train, or event ticket - we have you covered. But it doesn't matter how good we are, one thing always makes booking your trip a little more difficult - when you’ve got to book for the family too.

So here is a list of fabulous family holidays for everyone, from parents with small children, to the adventurous family, to the ever-tricky teenagers, and everything in-between. Spoiler alert: we have way more than 7 ideas, we’ve just grouped them into 7 handy sections.

Read on for our recommendations for a wonderful family holiday...

Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland Paris

First up, heading towards Catalonia to PortAventura Park - one of the biggest theme parks in Europe - should be a favourite for any family with kids of all ages. The array of attractions is just stunning, to the extent that we’re pretty sure even parents will have an amazing time there. Check out our flights to Barcelona to see our deals.

If you want a 5-star resort with sun and cocktails for you and entertainment for the young ones, head to Kos in Greece and the Michelangelo Resort & Spa. This wonderful venue is highly rated by our faithful users too.

Finally, it would be remiss of us to not mention arguably the biggest of all kid-friendly venues - yes Disneyland Paris, now 30 years old, is still a veritable king among theme parks. Click here to see our flight deals to Paris!

Universal Studios, Hollywood

Are you in guardianship of older children, who are perhaps a little trickier to satisfy, holiday-wise? If you don’t want to go down the adventure-seeker route (see below!), we can strongly recommend heading to the Algarve in Portugal, where older kids can go go-karting at Hot Wheels Raceway. For animal-lovers, Zoomarine Algarve is perfect for family members of every age.

If you fancy heading a little further afield, Universal Studios Hollywood is sure to impress even the most stereotypically cynical teen, with its vast array of incredible entertainment and attractions. Interested? Click here to find some of the best flights to LA.

Alternatively, if you fancy a short break with your near-adult offspring, we heartily recommend Berlin. Rich in history for the academic youngster, but also incredibly ‘cool’ (we feel so old typing this), Berlin is a fantastic choice for a more grown-up family trip. Click here to book your flight!

If it’s time for a holiday with the very youngest of children, we’ve got you covered. Heading to Benidorm and Alicante is always a great shout. The Spanish holiday hotspot is awash with kid-friendly hotels such as the wonderful Magic Robin Hood and Magic Natura - just 2 of many, many options - offering plenty of specialised baby and toddler entertainment.

Able to brave a very slightly longer flight? Then Antalya in Turkey houses some of the best baby-favourable hotels, such as the Adalya Elite Lara Hotel or Titanic Beach Lara, both of which will be perfect for you and the little ones. Click here for flight deals to Antalya - top tip: Antalya is bursting with extreme activities for older kids too - which seamlessly begs the question…

White water rafting is a great activity for older kids

Are you the kind of family that embraces the thrillseeker outlook? If the answer is ‘yes’, how about heading to beautiful Tuscany in central Italy, where ziplining, mountain biking, hiking, climbing, rafting and much more are in abundance for you and the kids.

Alternatively, Split in Croatia is something of a hub for all things adventure - fancy canyoning or cave swimming with the fam? Then click here. Fancy rock climbing, biking, or hiking? Then click here. Fancy booking your flight to Split? Then click here.

Finally, for the true daredevil family, how about taking the kids to Costa Rica? An adventurer’s paradise absolutely teeming with natural wonder and thrilling adventure sports, the country is highly regarded for its commitment to sustainability, too.

Want to keep it local for a family holiday this year? We get it. And while taking the kids to London is the obvious choice - and we have the perfect blog to help you out there - there are plenty of other places to bring the kids for a family holiday in the UK.

The southwest offers Plymouth, in Devon on the border of Cornwall, and houses the incredible National Marine Aquarium - the largest aquarium in the country - as well as other numerous hidden gems. Keeping it south, the Isle of Wight is a superb family holiday spot, and is home to Blackgang Chine, the oldest amusement park in the UK.

Fancy a little more adventure? Snowdonia offers ziplining, surfing and the famous Snowdon Mountain Railway. Or, for other outdoor family fun, head north to the stunning North York Moors, which will offer magical woodland walks, bountiful picnic hotspots, and winding cycle routes.

Oh, and you’ll want a convenient method of transport for your UK holiday - click here for train tickets.

A family holiday to the beach is always a great idea

Are the kids finally at an age where a long-haul flight won’t pose too much of a problem? The promise of Lord of the Rings landmarks may be enough to tempt you and the family to New Zealand, where you can find cheap flights to Christchurch on Trip.com.

Alternatively, how about the land down under - a long trip to Sydney is never a bad idea. Whether it’s a trip to Taronga Zoo, the excitement of Luna Park, or an invigorating Sydney Harbour cruise with the kids, there are many options for you in Australia’s biggest city. Check out our array of flights to Sydney to book your trip.

Finally, if the tropical beauty of Thailand is more your cup of tea, then book your flight to Phuket. Be it the wet and wild fun of the Blue Tree Water Park, the weird and wonderful Upside Down House of Phuket, or teeing up at Dino Park Mini Golf, Phuket is a brilliant choice for the long-haul family flyers.

A short weekend city jaunt might just be the family holiday you fancy. If so, consider Madrid, which is home not only to parks, restaurants and great weather, but the Micropolix - a city tailored especially for kids between 4 and 14 years old. Also in the Spanish capital is Parque Warner Madrid, an amusement park which contains a wealth of cartoon and comic book favourites. Book your flights to Madrid here!

For the outdoor-loving family, head to Cork, with the Republic of Ireland’s second city home to such ancient marvels as Blarney Castle (and a whole heap of other beautiful castles). Animal-lovers should head to Fota Wildlife Park for big cats, giraffes and zebras. Flights to Cork are excellent value on Trip.com, too…

Finally, for a more left-field option, we can heartily recommend the mediaeval town of Kotor in Montenegro. One for the kids who like to scramble, climb and wander, in this incredibly scenic ancient town you can see sweeping vistas, jump on a boat, and visit the Our Lady of the Rocks island for a swim. Check out flights to Montenegro to book this exceptional family weekend.

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