| Five child friendly city breaks |
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If you’re feeling guilty about farming the kids off to the in-laws for the weekend. Or, you’ve had enough of bog-standard package holidays. City breaks, once the reserve of hand holding couples and rowdy crowds of twenty-somethings, are jam-packed with sights, sounds and experiences that youngsters can enjoy. We’ve come up with five great getaway ideas for you and your kids. New York Away from the Cosmopolitans, edgy fashions and notorious nightlife, The Big Apple has an extremely child friendly side, one that most visitors fail to explore. Start in Central Park, a hive of activity year round. Central Park Zoo with its Enchanted Forest full of climbable giant insects and spiders is free, and for just a quarter you can feed the goats, sheep, a cow and a Vietnamese pot-bellied pig in the petting area. In the park itself take a boat out on the lake during the warmer months, or in the winter brave the enormous ice rink. Older children will enjoy the small but fascinating Tenement Museum. Take a trip back in time and learn about how America’s immigrants lived. Younger ones can run amok in The Children’s Museum of Manhattan. This art, science museum and kids playground rolled into one has five floors of finger friendly exhibits, an animation centre, tour through the human body and much more. After dark head to one of the child friendly Broadway shows. Theatre can be pricey for families but bite the bullet and you and the kids won’t be disappointed. Getting around –Walk as much of the city as possible to soak up every inch of it’s incredible atmosphere. For greater distances take the subway and for nocturnal activities taxis are your best bet. They’re cheaper than in London and who doesn’t want to travel in a yellow cab? When to go- summers are hot but manageable, spring and autumn are beautiful (especially in Central Park) and the holiday season from before Thanksgiving (late November) to New Year is magical.
Stockholm is a city bursting with activities for kids. Home to Pippi Longstocking, Stockholm’s Junibacken museum dedicated to the author (Astrid Lindgren) is great fun for all ages. Take the miniature train around the houses where Lindgren’s characters live passing scenes from the famous children’s author’s books. The Aquaria is another popular spot where you can explore the sub-tropical rainforests and mangrove swamps, marvel at the enormous aquarium and even feed the sharks. For theme park lovers there’s Gröna Lund (Green Grove) with everything from traditional carousels and kiddie rides to white knucklers (for teens – or very brave kids). The vast majority of museums house an area suitable for children’s inquisitive hands. One of the best is Skansen. Take a heritage tram to the museum showing how the Swedish people used to live before industrialisation. It’s far more than your average museum with beautiful gardens and its own Zoological Park. Getting around- it’s worth buying a Stockholm Card from 290 SEK (approximately £21) for 24 hours use for adults and 120 SEK (£9) for kids. This gives you entry to the city’s museums, and all the above attractions, as well as free public transport. When to go- visit in spring or summer (April to August) to make the most of daylight hours and warmth. The winters are snowy but daylight is sparse. Salzburg Salzburg delivers a lot in a relatively small space. Which, with little legs, is a definite bonus. Sight seeing and Salzburg’s stunning cathedral probably won’t win you many brownie points with the kids but these areas are worth wandering through and stopping for a coffee and pacifying the kids with some strudel. Take a trip to the quirky Marionette Theatre to watch puppets portray everything from Operetta’s such as Die Fledermaus to Hansel and Gretel, suitable for all the family and surprisingly entertaining - even for adults. The Museum of Modern Art is worth spending a day at. The museum offers children’s workshops and tours so you can spend some time wandering the museum in peace. Take a funicular up to the baroque Hohensalzburg Fortress for views of the city. Mozart’s birthplace, though interesting for adults, doesn’t promise to hold the attention of little ones. Fans of ‘The Sound of Music’ can’t miss the coach tour out of the city to some of the film’s beautiful locations. You can perform your own version of ‘Doh a Dear’ on the very same steps as Julie Andrews lead the Von Trapps in song and see the grand and beautiful Von Trapp house in Salzburg’s lake district. When to go- Hot in summer with plenty of tourists, Salzburg is popular, but not over crowded. For cooler and quieter times go during the fresh and beautiful spring or during the cold Alpine winter. Getting around – Get your hands on a Salzburg card which, for around 21 euros (£14) for adults and 10.50 euros (£7) for children gives you free access public transport throughout the city. This includes the fortress funicular, panorama boat and cable car as well as free entry to many of the city’s major attractions. Dubai Popular for its year round sun and almost crime free status, families are flocking to Dubai to enjoy the city’s luxury laden leisure pursuits. The city isn’t particularly pedestrian friendly but for a short break, and with kids, that’s no bad thing. Head to the city’s famous water park ‘Wild Wadi’. The vast interactive children’s play structure Juha’s Dhow is an enormous boat surrounded by slides, water cannons and a huge dumping bucket. For older children you’ll find a host of flow rides, a lazy river, breaking waves in ‘Breakers Bay’ and for big kids the Jumeirah Sceirah, all this and views of the self proclaimed 7-star Burj Al Arab hotel and the Jumeirah shoreline. Getting around -The most stress free way to travel around Dubai is by taxi. Taxis are plentiful, reasonably priced and by far the easiest ways to find your way around the city as few roads are named. When to go- Between October and March you’ll find the best weather. Avoid June through to the end of September when the temperatures and humidity sores. Valencia Less travelled than either Barcelona or Madrid, Valencia has a laid-back feel unbefitting of a city, but with all the benefits. However, a little Spanish goes a long way as not everyone speaks English. The jewel in Valencia’s crown is the Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias (City of the Arts and Sciences). The vast complex is home to the 3D Cinema-Planetarium ‘L’Hemisfèric’ the interactive Príncipe Felipe Science Museum, as well as the biggest aquarium, ‘L’Oceanogràfic’ in Europe. If you’re going to try and tackle the entire place, it can cost up to 35 euros (£23) for adults and 25 euros (£16) for children. Children under 3 years old go free. Stop for a coffee and an ice cream in the Plaza de la Virgen behind the city’s stunning Cathedral. Let the kids scamper across the square chasing pigeons while you take in the sights of the Basilica de la Virgen, the back of the Cathedral and the gothic and monumental Palau de Generalitat. Park life is vibrant in Valencia with much open, green space such as the Gardens of the old Turia riverbed which runs like a belt around the outside of the city and is full of children’s play areas, cafes and cycle routes - the perfect way to break up a bit of sight seeing. The Gulliver Park playground will keep the kids entertained for hours with its model city, giant chessboard and mini golf course as well as skating rinks and ramps. Getting around- Walk where possible, but the metro is cheap, safe and efficient for longer journeys. If you’re planning to go out of the city it’s worth hiring a car as rental tends to be reasonably priced and taxis can be sparse outside of the city.
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