r/familytravel

Hello!

I understand that comfort devices like the Stokke Bed Box are not allowed on Lufthansa’s flights, but are there any alternatives that people have tried for their children on long haul flights?

Will be flying with a 4 yo in the summer and would love to figure out a way to help him sleep more comfortable on board (without needing to sleep across our laps).

Thank you!

Trying to plan a memorable trip for me + my 8yo daughter and could really use opinions
Currently considering:
• Planet Hollywood
• Royalton Splash
• Hard Rock
• Hyatt Ziva

She LOVES:
water slides

trampoline parks

wildlife/animals

pools

nonstop activities & entertainment

I’d love:
beautiful views/beach

family friendly

somewhere that still feels relaxing/nice for me too

If you’ve stayed at any of these with kids, which kept them the most entertained without sacrificing the overall vacation vibe? Also open to our suggestions.

Kids aged 3 & 5. Flying from Vancouver, Canada. Don't want too many connecting flights.

Looking for ideas for our next trip sometime in January or February. 2-4 weeks.

We've done the theme parks. Also went to Big Island, HI this year and split our stay between an air bnb/resort. After like 3 days at the resort we got bored and wanted to go explore again.

Want somewhere safe we can drive around and visit places.

We are considering NZ but flight costs right now are astronomical, if we can get a deal that will probably be our go to. Exchange rate doesn't favor the US right now.

Looking at other options. We are interested in Japan but unsure about going in February weather wise.

We’re thinking about doing a family safari in East Africa and I’m trying to understand how realistic it is with kids. Kenya and Tanzania both look amazing, especially places like the Maasai Mara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro, and maybe Amboseli, but I’m a little worried about planning it in a way that becomes too tiring. A lot of safari itineraries look amazing on paper, but once I start thinking about early mornings, long drives, changing camps, and travel between parks, I can see how it could quickly feel like too much for a family trip. I know safari naturally involves some early starts, but I’d still want it to feel like a vacation, not like we’re constantly rushing from one place to another. Our main goal would be great wildlife, comfortable places to stay, and enough downtime that the kids can actually enjoy the trip instead of just sitting in a vehicle all day. I’m wondering if it’s better to stay longer in fewer places rather than trying to cover every famous park.

Hello - plan is to drive slow and to reach Chicago in a week’s time. So looking for best places to stop and visit on the way. We’re traveling with 3 kids of age 5, 3, and an infant. Leads to any hidden gems 💎 will be highly appreciated.
Thanks in advance to all for the great recommendations.

Hi all,

Looking for some advice from people who’ve actually done family holidays in these places with kids.

We’re a family of 4 with children aged 8 and 11, looking at a summer holiday (July) with a total budget of around £4000 max, although obviously happy to spend less if the value is much better.

We’re not massive “sit by the pool for 2 weeks” people — we like a mix of:

beaches

scenic places

hikes/walks

boat trips

historic towns/sites

nature

waterparks/theme parks occasionally

memorable day trips/excursions

We usually like making a rough itinerary so there’s a good mix of relaxing days and exploring/adventure days rather than just staying in the resort the whole time.

We DON’T really care about:

nightlife

party resorts

luxury for the sake of luxury

Current shortlist includes:

Mallorca (Alcúdia / Playa de Muro)

Tenerife

Lanzarote

Fuerteventura

Algarve

Croatia

Crete/Cyprus

Hotels we’ve looked at:

Viva Sunrise Mallorca

Hovima Suites Costa Adeje

Elba Lanzarote Royal Village

Globales Costa Tropical Fuerteventura

TUI BLUE Flamingo Beach

Park Plaza Verudela Croatia

Big factor is value too.

For example:

Mallorca is coming in around £3900 half board

while Fuerteventura is more like £2300 all inclusive

So trying to work out:

which destination actually feels the most memorable for families

which has enough variety for kids aged 8 & 11

whether Mallorca is really worth nearly £1500–£2000 more than somewhere like the Canaries

and whether places like Fuerteventura get boring after a few days or are amazing if you explore properly

Would especially love advice from people who’ve done multiple of these destinations with kids around this age.

Thanks!

planning a family trip and need hotels that fit 3 kids comfortably without feeling cramped or breaking the budget. looking for places with family rooms or suites plus kid friendly stuff like pools or activities to keep everyone happy during the stay.

what hotels have worked best for you with multiple kids and any details on room sizes amenities or locations that made the trip easier? tips on booking for families would help too.

We got a villa in Barcelona last time and that was a hit, but a lot of work. I’d also like to stay closer to US time zones. Are there any beach resorts in the Caribbean/central /South America that are family friendly and offer enough authentic off resort stuff to do (not just shopping at tourist shops)

Taking my 3 kids to Sea Life Arizona this weekend and started looking at tickets last night. Didn’t expect it to be such a mess with all the different sites and prices.

Just trying to find the easiest place to book without overpaying. If anyone’s been recently with kids, where did you get your tickets from?

Looking for off grid resorts preferably driving distance from Texas. But would love any ideas for screen free vacation for about 4 days. Have a 13 and 16 yr old who are glued to their phones. So would like all of us to be screen free. I think having lots of activities will make it easier. That said, not much of campers. Glamping is a good option though.

Planning a 2 week family trip for next spring break with our two daughters 16/14.

Our priorities are food, hiking, culture and a day or 2 on the beach.

Their top pick is Vietnam. Works for me but I would love also see some of Japan.

Q: Would it be possible to add a stopover in Tokyo for a day or two ?

Or does that make no sense considering the trip is only 2 weeks and it would add more time on trains / airports Etc

I have been tracking a summer trip since Feb and prices for August has gone up due to the oil shortage. Should I wait a bit longer when the strait opens up and oil prices plummet? Would my flights get cheaper?

Hi everyone,

I am looking for vacation spot suggestions for my dad's 50th birthday trip in September! It's going to be an adults (21+) only trip with about 15-20 friends/family members. I am looking for places that have a good mix of party vibes, but also relaxation opportunities. None of us are huge hikers but we love a good beach day. My original location idea was Miami, but with hurricane season being in September, I decided to scratch that. We're all also big travelers so a lot of places have been visited. I do want something unique, so I have also researched the Hamptons in NY. We live in Georgia so looking for something that's not a super long flight and hopefully still in the USA. Any suggestions welcome! There’s really no budget we have in mind but we don’t want anyone paying anything too extreme so about $200 max per night per couple for hotels and then maybe another $100 per person per day for excursions/food. Again, just loose numbers not really anything specific!

Frequently hotel rooms state max 3 occupancy, but with 2 young children, I would like to book a "standard" room for a hotel in Portugal. I don't mind if it's cramped, as there's often a sofa bed/rollaway bed option and we're never in the room long.

Do you risk booking it? Do hotels ever turn you away when you rock up?

I usually contact the hotel ahead, but they mostly say that's the rules and not much flexibility.

However Asia/Middle East seems to have no issues, yet Europe/US are really fussy from my experience.

People with younger potty trained kids (like ages 3-5) - what do you do about potty seats when you’re flying somewhere?

My 4 year old kiddo is pretty small, and still needs a potty seat / cover to comfortably go to the bathroom. When we drive, we just bring one with us.

Not sure if we should try to pack a portable/foldably one, buy one when we get there, or just deal with it?

Planning to spend 10 days in Hawaii with 2 teenagers and will fly back from Kauai to the NYC. Which flight timing / combo feels right? In order from least to most expensive:

(Edited to add this is summer so snow in Denver not an issue)

A) leave Kauai at 7:30 pm, try to sleep, land in Denver in the early morning, land home around 3 pm

B) leave Kauai at 1:30 pm, land in either LAX / SFO night, take a red eye and hope to sleep, land home at 8 am

C) leave Kauai any time to Honolulu, get on the direct Honolulu - JFK flight that leaves around 3 pm, lands in JFK 7 am

Hi! I am hoping to get some help choosing a destination to travel to for 2-3 weeks in September with my husband, 3 yo, and 10 month old.

We would like to stay in 1-2 places the entire time (driving distance between, no mid trip flight).

We are mostly looking at European destinations. We would like somewhere that has beaches, cities to stroll, and family friendly. This trip will be a slower pace and not go go go trying to see as much as possible.

Would love to hear suggestions or other things to consider/tips!

TIA!