All of the sunny weather has focused our minds on the upcoming holiday season. It’s great to spend some time away as a family, though if you are unprepared then it can end up being an unnecessarily stressful experience. This is why it’s important to have a good idea of the best destinations to travel to.
If you have young children then the last thing you want is to end up staying in the middle of a lively party town. It’s also unlikely that you want to spend long hours on a plane with your little ones bored and complaining for the whole time. For those who want to avoid such catastrophes, you can use a tool like amadeus.net to find out suitable flights and other travel details to keep things as seamless as possible.
Here are some good ideas for family-friendly holiday destinations, all of which are only a short plane journey away.
Alcudia, Majorca
At just a two hour flight into the islands’ capital Palma, you can find yourself on a lovely, warm Mediterranean island before you know it. Alcudia is the biggest resort to the north of Majorca, and has a 14 kilometre stretch of stunning white sand as its focal point. The north of the island is far more family-orientated than the livelier southern resorts such as Magaluf and Palma Nova, and many of the hotels here have activities specifically tailored to those of a younger age.
The Algarve, Portugal
Portugal is another favourite summer holiday hotspot with families, and there are a range of resorts dotted along the Algarve coast in the south of the country. Only a three hour flight from the UK into Faro airport, it offers a good alternative to Spain yet is not really much further in distance. Portugal, unlike much of mainland Europe, is also in the same time zone as us, which is definitely a benefit when you have children. For resorts, try Portimao or Villamoura - both of which are relatively quiet and family friendly. Even the older part of Albufeira - the area’s most popular resort - can easily cater to younger children.
Icemeler, Turkey
Just across the bay from the livelier Marmaris, yet a whole world away in terms of its ambience, Icemeler is a little sister resort to the more famous Dalaman hotspot, yet is far more suitable for those travelling as a family. Although Turkey takes a bit longer to get to from the UK (with a flight time of around four hours), it’s well worth the trip out there. The local people are incredibly friendly and do everything they can to make you feel welcome, so this is a big plus when you have travelled with children as you will know they will be well looked after.
Skiathos, Greece
Situated in the North West Aegean Sea, the tiny island of Skiathos is fortunate to be relatively untouched by mass tourism, and is therefore incredibly calm and family friendly. It’s only seven miles by three miles in size, yet has 60 beautiful beaches, so perfect for those who want to enjoy some quiet family time on the sand and in the warm seas found here. It takes around three and a half to four hours to get there, but if you want somewhere a bit more off the beaten track, this is the place to come.