Jennifer Howze shares her advice on the best places to travel in Europe with little ones in tow.
If the kids are still small and need pushchairs, but you’re dying to explore some new cities not far from home, where’s the best toddler-friendly destinations?
A:
The best child-friendly cities have lots of open spaces, and taking a lightweight foldable pushchair is essential. When your child is tired, he can snooze while you stroll round a museum or have a drink in a café.
Paris
Paris is a reliable option. The elegant Tuilleries gardens have a carousel, duck ponds, a plaground, donkey rides and trampolines. The petite dolls’ museum, the Museé de la Poupée near the Pompidou Centre, is a personal favourite. If you want to splash out, stay at the Four Seasons Hotel George V, which caters for families with young children, or book Hotel Résidence Nell, luxury apartments with kitchenettes.
Bordeaux
Alternatively, try Bordeaux. It boasts beautiful gardens, a puppet theatre, a natural history museum and the Miroir des Quais, a mirror-like flat fountain that your son can splash about in.
Bologna
Bologna is also fabulous for families with its larges square and markets. And it has some of the best food in Italy.
– Jennifer Howze
Journalist and co-founder of Britmums Parent Blogging Collective
britmums.com