Four of the best family-friendly holiday destinations for summer 2017
Are you planning a holiday away with the kids this summer? Discover four of the best family-friendly destinations – plus money saving tips for each.
Prepare well, and a family trip abroad can be a wonderful thing. Choose your destination carefully and get a list of the nifty tricks that can avoid midday meltdowns, airport arguments and squabbles on the beach.
Here, with the help of HolidayGems.co.uk, we’ve picked four of the best family destinations, plus some money saving tips to make your trip away with the kids a sun-soaked success.
1) Cyprus
Not only is Cyprus heart-stoppingly beautiful, it has a huge wealth of activities, attractions and things to do for families – which makes it such a perfect place to take along children of all ages. From pony trekking schools to baby-friendly waterparks, there won’t be a dull moment.
Little scientists will love the palaeontology museum where you can see the bones belonging to pygmy elephants and hippos that roamed the island around 10,000BC. And hop on board George’s Fun Bus to see the prehistoric island all the way through to modern times, by way of eco-friendly art colleges, monasteries and waterfalls – well recommended!
Money saving tip: All-inclusive resorts are a must in Cyprus – the island is relatively small, so you can use your hotel as a base, and then you don’t have to worry about budgeting for mealtimes with hungry, tired children.
2) Portugal
Boasting one of the best coastlines in the whole of Europe, the Algarve in Portugal is a kid’s dream come true. There is a huge array of attractions for children including water parks, Zoomarine, boat trips, go karting, mini golf – not to mention incredible beaches.
If you’re looking for fun, free things to do with the kids, some of the best seaside resorts are around the Monte Gordo area, the caves and tunnels at Ponta da Piedade are well worth exploring and the Castle of Silves is the perfect setting for a game of knights, kings and queens.
Money saving tip: Look into getting the AlgarvePass – this gives you money off local products and services. If possible, take picnics out to save eating at cafes and restaurants. This might be a better option for children who can’t sit still, and allows them to eat a sandwich and dig holes in the sand at the same time.
3) Tenerife
For year-round sunshine, this Canary Island has been the perfect place for kids for generations. Spend all day lazing on the beach, take part in the kid’s clubs at the many resorts, or explore the island on a jeep tour, and see the other side of Tenerife, away from the cafes, bars and hotels. Lorro Parc in the north of the island has a zoo and marine centre.
There are also glass bottomed boat rides you can board where you can see fish and dolphins swim by. Evening time, and most resorts have top rate babysitting services, which allow you to pop down to the hotel’s restaurants and enjoy a meal in peace while your little ones snooze safely upstairs.
Money saving tip: Eat away from the seafront, and menu prices drop. If you can get away with it, try to avoid hiring a car, and rely on the island’s excellent bus services.
4) Florida
Florida and Orlando are pretty much synonymous with fun. With Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and Islands of Adventure the children’s entertainment behemoths, it’s pretty much impossible to be bored in this part of the world.
If you do fancy escaping the theme park madness, the Kennedy Space Centre is well worth a visit, as are Boggy Creek Airboat Rides and Ripley’s Believe It or Not!. There is also incredible natural beauty in the area, hiring a car and doing a road trip should be a prominent feature of your trip.
Money saving tip: In the US, the coupon is king. Go on the US-version of eBay, and stock up on coupons for attractions and restaurants. A bit of forward planning pays off massively – and you can also hunt down kids eat free cards to save more money.
