FAMILY FUN TIME

Although we know you can’t predict exactly how your family holiday will go, there are numerous ways to eliminate avoidable hassles – and to cut costs. Destination is key in mitigating both these factors, which is why we’ve researched and selected four locations around Europe for a family holiday this spring and beyond.

We’ve included advice on minimising spending in each of these places once you’re there, but there are also some more general tips to follow if you’re looking to really streamline expenditure.

Depending on what type of holiday you want, child-friendly all-inclusives can offer good value if you’re prepared to hunt around and compare prices and package deals. Look into how many meals are provided each day, if there are snacks available between meals (for when your children show zero interest in meals until ten minutes after mealtime has ended) and if kids’ clubs, activities and even childcare or babysitting are included.

On the other end of the scale, self catering can also save you a lot of money. This obviously means preparing more meals yourself – and therefore losing some of your precious holiday hours – but with a little planning it can be a huge win while also providing more freedom to create your own schedule.

Wherever you choose to go, lean into things once you’re there and, most importantly of all, enjoy! You’re sure to create at least a few treasured memories on each trip, regardless of the destination.

TARRAGONA, SPAIN

For families, the draw to this coastal city in Catalonia, in Spain’s north-east, is its proximity to PortAventura World, a vast entertainment complex featuring theme parks, a water park and family hotels, many offering discounted stay/park entry packages.

Once inside PortAventura Park, prepare for vertigo-inducing rollercoasters, perfect for kids who love thrills and spills. Try Furius Baco to reach a giddy 135km per hour in three seconds. Elsewhere, Ferrari Land is themed around, yes, the Italian luxury motoring brand (and thus features more high-speed rides), while Caribe Aquatic Park is all about pools, slides and chutes and rafting.

When visiting Port Aventura World, some people stay in Salou, a pleasant resort town on the Costa Daurada (Golden Coast), a little way down from Tarragona. It offers long, golden beaches (albeit fairly busy ones), shops and restaurants, and widely spoken English. It’s also set up well for families. Many hotels have children’s pools, kids’ clubs, children’s menus, etc. And remember that a day at the beach is free or cheap – useful for levelling out the expense of theme park tickets.

Tarragona also has family friendly options (including great beaches), offering a more relaxed alternative if you don’t fancy a resort town. If your kids are a bit older, or can somehow stand looking at old rocks for a while without getting painfully bored, Tarragona boasts ancient archaeological treasures, including a Roman amphitheatre (kids under 16 get free entry) and a medieval old town that houses plenty of spots for rewarding tired younger trekkers with ice cream.

ALGARVE, PORTUGAL

This area of far southern Portugal has been a fail-safe holiday spot for decades, but it’s also become a reliable choice for families, too. Fabulous beaches, water parks, endless activities, laid-back restaurants… it all makes for an easy family trip.

Another bonus is that the thriving tourist industry here means you can hunt out accommodation that perfectly suits the needs of you and your crew. Childfriendly hotels are plentiful (some have playgrounds and impressive swimming pools), and there are tons of self-catering villas at reasonable prices if you’re looking to budget or need more space. I

n terms of where to stay, Lagos in the west of the Algarve is a solid family choice thanks to its easy beach access (including Praia Dona Ana, one of the area’s most popular and impressive beaches) and range of activities. Visitors of all ages will love the boat trips here.

Vilamoura is another sound choice and features nearby access to several water parks, if that’s on your agenda. Aquashow is the region’s main water park and has enough in its grounds to keep even the most energetic of youngsters entertained for days, plus an on-site hotel if you want to be closer to the aquatic action.

Down on the coast below Vilamoura, the Nauticdrive Water Sports Center offers everything from kayaking and stand-up paddle-boarding to banana boats and other inflatables that kids will love. There are more beautiful beaches in and around Vilamoura, including the golden stretch of Praia da Falésia.

DORDOGNE, FRANCE

If your kids (and you) love being active, this gorgeous pocket of France – set south-west of the country’s centre – is a fantastic find and presents shortcuts for saving money in this rural region. Camping options abound, from simple campsites if you’re after self-sufficiency and bare-bones costs, right the way up to luxurious glamping sites, some featuring treehouses, yurts and hot tubs.

Eurocamp is also worth considering. This British-based holiday brand has sites across the Dordogne, housing pools and mini-water parks, sports facilities, kids’ clubs, activities such as treasure hunts, restaurants and entertainment. If you don’t want to leave the site, most offer a comprehensive contained holiday, but that would be to ignore the Dordogne’s treasures.

Although the region is Landlocked, there are rivers and lakes – some even with stretches of sandy beach – meaning that watery pursuits of all variety are widely available (including tuition), as well as good oldfashioned – and free – swimming.

If you can tear your kids away from all that active fun, there are grand medieval châteaux and pretty villages to visit. If that’s too hard to sell to children, sneak some history into their brains at the Lascaux caves, an incredible underground network full of fascinating Paleolithic cave art, kids’ activities and a ‘storytelling tour’ to bring things to life.

BERLIN, GERMANY

Travelling to a busy city may not seem like the obvious choice for a family holiday, but Germany’s gleaming capital makes for a surprisingly enjoyable and relaxed trip with children of any age. In fact, Germany is something of an undersung gem for family holidays, and much of the countryprovides great facilities for children.

Despite its status as a grand city, Berlin isn’t as expensive as you might think, and it’s perfectly possible to visit on a budget without sacrificing too much fun for younger travellers. Consider purchasing a Berlin WelcomeCard, a discount card with a family option that provides free public transport for you and three children (up to 14 years) and free entry to more than 25 attractions (including some big-hitters like the Berlin Television Tower, the Hopon, Hop-off bus tours and a boat tour), plus restaurant and shopping discounts.

Attraction-wise, Berlin is packed with world-class museums, many also catering for younger visitors. For example, the award-winning Deutschlandmuseum provides a brilliantly immersive journey through 2,000 years of history that’ll captivate young minds while the German Spy Museum has surprisingly fun and interactive sections for kids.

If you’re keeping it cheap, hit the many parks and playgrounds, which are usually excellently maintained. The sprawling Tiergarten has an impressive six playgrounds (some including rope swings and other adventuring equipment), while the Abenteuerspielplatz Forcki playground in the popular Friedrichshain neighbourhood features everything from sandpits to climbing walls to treehouses.