Worst and Favorite places you've visited with your kids

[Anonymous]

I don't care if it makes me "basic" but we enjoy our family trips to different Disney destinations. We've been to Disney World, Disneyland, Aulani, and on cruises to several different destinations.

We also loved our family trips to Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Vancouver/British Columbia, London, and California.

The only trips I haven't really enjoyed were beach trips with extended family. The worst was the first time we went to OBX. We got a quaint little house right near the beach but it was ancient compared to some of the more modern properties. Since it was September the crowds were light but the high winds and surf did not make it conducive to swimming. There wasn't really enough for us to do nearby with our mix of very small kids and grandparents. But we have lived and learned and adjusted our travel plans accordingly.

[Anonymous]

Israel-we spent 10 days there-all over the country and London.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The following are referring to trips taken with kids ranging from 8-12:

THE BEST (not necessarily in order)

1. Ireland in August. Landed in Dublin, spent a few days. Did one day with a tour group going to New Grange, etc via bus. Then got on the train and headed to Galway. Spent one day there. Second day did a guided tour to the Aran Islands. Then rented a car and drove around the Connemara National Park area for 2 1/2 days. Took the train back to Dublin and spent the night in a castle. Left the next morning. Kids rate this week-long trip as the best. ever. Was a perfect mix of city fun v. nature fun. Good food everywhere. Lovely people.

2. Mont Tremblant, Quebec in August. Rented a modest airBNB on a lake. Invited cousins. Spent days laughing and swimming in warm, bug-free, humidity-free lake and doing dozens of outdoor activities at what is normally the ski resort. Good food. Nice people. English spoken everywhere.

3. Universal Studios in LA. Harry Potter World, etc. etc. The only thing that made this tolerable for me were the VIP passes. But the kids were in heaven.

4. Lisbon, Portugal in August. Spent 4 days exploring the city--castle ruins, city scapes, street cars, weird singing in dinner restaurants--kids had a blast! We then rented a car and made the drive south to fancy beach resort in an area they call the Algarve. The kids enjoyed that a lot too--but to be honest, for us it was just another beach. Water was too cold to swim. Kids stayed in pool. Views were amazing but to me, at the end of the day, it wasn't worth the drive. There's a historical beach area just outside of Lisbon--Sintra and Cacsai--that we probably should have explored instead.

5. Camping in Acadia National Park. August. Nothing like teaching them to pitch a tent and exploring the outdoors. The park is lovely--mountains meet oceans. The "rigors" of Hiking/camping broken up with amazing meals and trips to ice cream shops and lighthouses and canoe rides, etc.

6. Bermuda. Stunning beaches. But fair warning--I feel like this was fun because both my husband and I felt comfortable driving mopeds and riding with kids on the back. If not, transportation around the island is a bit difficult/expensive. With the mopeds, we were able to hit up a different part of the island/beach every day, which heightened the sense of adventure. And the island is actually pretty diverse if you move around. There was also an underground cavern they loved exploring. Snorkeling. Swimming. Honestly, if we hadn't been so mobile things might have gotten boring.

7. San Francisco. Including a game at one of the most beautiful baseball stadiums in existence.

THE WORST

1. Iceland. Could have been my dream trip--stunning landscapes. Intriguing place. Maybe older kids would like it. Or maybe just kids who can appreciate what a car trip can be. My kids refuse to be interested in anything outside the car window. They only care about getting to the "destinations." So.... much of the wonder of the landscape was lost on them. Also--they complained that all of it looked the same (it didn't) and that we kept doing the same thing (driving; getting out of car; looking; driving). And they hated the tiny little places we stayed in. It was a complete fail from their perspective.

2. Boston. They were just bored with it all. Unfairly so. But there it is. There's an aquarium. And the harbor. And all that history. But it just didn't capture their imagination for more than a day.

3. San Diego. Same thing. They loved the day at the zoo. But that was it. Long way to go for one day of fun (in their brains).

4. Southern Spain. August. Well... there you go. Southern Spain in August says it all, right? Stupid place to go that time of year. And most of the stuff I found interesting--fancy horse show, flamenco dancers, flamenco guitars, etc. were just not enjoyed for some reason. Maybe it was the heat. But they HATED it. They managed to like the day trip to Seville. But Rhonda, Jerez, Cordoba, Granada, even Cadiz all fell flat for the young among us.

I'm the OP, thank you for this!!

[Anonymous]

We only have one kid and have traveled all over the world with her and all have been great experiences (from time to time things go wrong, tempers flare, flights delayed, etc. - but all good!).

One trip I haven't seen mentioned here that was an absolute blast was Peru. DD was around 9 and we spent almost three weeks and went to Lima, Cusco/Machu Picchu/Valle Sagrado, and the Amazon. We literally planned it at the last minute after finding cheap flights to Lima and all three of us loved the place and just had a lot of fun as a family. We did lots of hiking, great history and amazing food and culture. The one thing we laugh about today is that DD gets motion sickness, and on the bus up to Machu Picchu, she got very sick and the whole time kept saying "I'm going to puke, I'm going to puke" I kept telling her "hold on - we're almost there!" At the very top of the mountain just when we arrived, she puked all over the bus and herself!

We'll always remember our arrival at Machu Picchu!

Highly recommend Peru for families with kids 8+

Oh - and we went to Argentina the following year and had an equally great time. Latin America is a great place to take kids - they're welcome everywhere.

[Anonymous]

Everyone I know who went to Mach Picchu in Peru, got really sick. I wouldn't take my kids there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The following are referring to trips taken with kids ranging from 8-12:

THE BEST (not necessarily in order)

1. Ireland in August. Landed in Dublin, spent a few days. Did one day with a tour group going to New Grange, etc via bus. Then got on the train and headed to Galway. Spent one day there. Second day did a guided tour to the Aran Islands. Then rented a car and drove around the Connemara National Park area for 2 1/2 days. Took the train back to Dublin and spent the night in a castle. Left the next morning. Kids rate this week-long trip as the best. ever. Was a perfect mix of city fun v. nature fun. Good food everywhere. Lovely people.

2. Mont Tremblant, Quebec in August. Rented a modest airBNB on a lake. Invited cousins. Spent days laughing and swimming in warm, bug-free, humidity-free lake and doing dozens of outdoor activities at what is normally the ski resort. Good food. Nice people. English spoken everywhere.

3. Universal Studios in LA. Harry Potter World, etc. etc. The only thing that made this tolerable for me were the VIP passes. But the kids were in heaven.

4. Lisbon, Portugal in August. Spent 4 days exploring the city--castle ruins, city scapes, street cars, weird singing in dinner restaurants--kids had a blast! We then rented a car and made the drive south to fancy beach resort in an area they call the Algarve. The kids enjoyed that a lot too--but to be honest, for us it was just another beach. Water was too cold to swim. Kids stayed in pool. Views were amazing but to me, at the end of the day, it wasn't worth the drive. There's a historical beach area just outside of Lisbon--Sintra and Cacsai--that we probably should have explored instead.

5. Camping in Acadia National Park. August. Nothing like teaching them to pitch a tent and exploring the outdoors. The park is lovely--mountains meet oceans. The "rigors" of Hiking/camping broken up with amazing meals and trips to ice cream shops and lighthouses and canoe rides, etc.

6. Bermuda. Stunning beaches. But fair warning--I feel like this was fun because both my husband and I felt comfortable driving mopeds and riding with kids on the back. If not, transportation around the island is a bit difficult/expensive. With the mopeds, we were able to hit up a different part of the island/beach every day, which heightened the sense of adventure. And the island is actually pretty diverse if you move around. There was also an underground cavern they loved exploring. Snorkeling. Swimming. Honestly, if we hadn't been so mobile things might have gotten boring.

7. San Francisco. Including a game at one of the most beautiful baseball stadiums in existence.

THE WORST

1. Iceland. Could have been my dream trip--stunning landscapes. Intriguing place. Maybe older kids would like it. Or maybe just kids who can appreciate what a car trip can be. My kids refuse to be interested in anything outside the car window. They only care about getting to the "destinations." So.... much of the wonder of the landscape was lost on them. Also--they complained that all of it looked the same (it didn't) and that we kept doing the same thing (driving; getting out of car; looking; driving). And they hated the tiny little places we stayed in. It was a complete fail from their perspective.

2. Boston. They were just bored with it all. Unfairly so. But there it is. There's an aquarium. And the harbor. And all that history. But it just didn't capture their imagination for more than a day.

3. San Diego. Same thing. They loved the day at the zoo. But that was it. Long way to go for one day of fun (in their brains).

4. Southern Spain. August. Well... there you go. Southern Spain in August says it all, right? Stupid place to go that time of year. And most of the stuff I found interesting--fancy horse show, flamenco dancers, flamenco guitars, etc. were just not enjoyed for some reason. Maybe it was the heat. But they HATED it. They managed to like the day trip to Seville. But Rhonda, Jerez, Cordoba, Granada, even Cadiz all fell flat for the young among us.

Bummer! Iceland was high up on our list to go soon with the kids. But I can see what you are saying just from our previous European trips. They won't look out of a car, eyes glued to their Kindles, only care about getting to wherever we are going and exploring outside the vehicle.

Revisit the Iceland plan would make my top 4 and i we only spent 2 days there

[Anonymous]

Great thread! Thanks OP. I'm loving these vacation stories, esp the poor PP whose air conditioning broke down in the Bronx. Was awful at the time but you look back years later and have to laugh at it.

[Anonymous]

it's called fado- i hope you weren't an ugly american about this. bad model for kids. just because it is different does not mean it is weird.

Can't help thinking other people are assholes, can you? Of course I taught my 8 year old the word Fado. And we bought her a stuffed animal from Lisbon and she actually named it Fado. But I didn't feel the need to be pretentious on an anonymous website and instead was trying to describe what little kids would find FUN about Lisbon. And trust me, every American kid is going to hear fado and think it's weird (and wonderful). I was characterizing it so that parents who haven't been there would put it on their list of things to expose their kids too. Just relax.

[Anonymous]

Bummer! Iceland was high up on our list to go soon with the kids. But I can see what you are saying just from our previous European trips. They won't look out of a car, eyes glued to their Kindles, only care about getting to wherever we are going and exploring outside the vehicle.

Revisit the Iceland plan would make my top 4 and i we only spent 2 days there

I really think the Iceland trip depends on who your kids are and it also depends on what your itinerary is. A day in Reykjavík and its immediate surroundings is a good idea. But I think the PP was talking about a week (or more) trip out to through the remote countryside where you're doing A LOT of driving. My kid would be into the scenery but I recognize she's unusual and most of her friends are the "tune out until we're there" types.

[Anonymous]

For a local trip, our favorite has been Hershey, PA and Hershey Park. My 5 year old DS really loved it and so did we.

[Anonymous]

2. Mont Tremblant, Quebec in August. Rented a modest airBNB on a lake. Invited cousins. Spent days laughing and swimming in warm, bug-free, humidity-free lake and doing dozens of outdoor activities at what is normally the ski resort. Good food. Nice people. English spoken everywhere.


Which lake? Sounds great!!

We stayed on a very small, private lake called Lac Dufour. Rented through AirBnB. The place had a dock and some paddle boats. For the price of an econo-lodge type place here in the states. Plus right now the exchange rate is CRAZY good for Americans.

But there are dozens of lakes in Mont Tremblant. If you use AirBnb, they have a map function and you can just scroll around and look. If you're going to do this, pay attention to what kind of lake you get. Ours felt very quiet and remote, which I loved (even though it was like 6 minutes off the main highway). Some people might want "more action." They have some very large lakes but they all seem to allow motor boating, etc. Also, the occasional small plane landing. I'm sure my kids would have been fine, but I didn't want to worry about boat traffic and planes landing on their heads! I thought staying on the tiny lake and taking short drives to the big lake to rent jet skis or a boat was the perfect balance. But they have a lake for every kind of person. Here's a link to some of the more main lakes: https://officialmonttremblant.com/discover-tremblant/lakes-in-tremblant/map-tremblant-lakes/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The following are referring to trips taken with kids ranging from 8-12:

THE BEST (not necessarily in order)

1. Ireland in August. Landed in Dublin, spent a few days. Did one day with a tour group going to New Grange, etc via bus. Then got on the train and headed to Galway. Spent one day there. Second day did a guided tour to the Aran Islands. Then rented a car and drove around the Connemara National Park area for 2 1/2 days. Took the train back to Dublin and spent the night in a castle. Left the next morning. Kids rate this week-long trip as the best. ever. Was a perfect mix of city fun v. nature fun. Good food everywhere. Lovely people.

2. Mont Tremblant, Quebec in August. Rented a modest airBNB on a lake. Invited cousins. Spent days laughing and swimming in warm, bug-free, humidity-free lake and doing dozens of outdoor activities at what is normally the ski resort. Good food. Nice people. English spoken everywhere.

3. Universal Studios in LA. Harry Potter World, etc. etc. The only thing that made this tolerable for me were the VIP passes. But the kids were in heaven.

4. Lisbon, Portugal in August. Spent 4 days exploring the city--castle ruins, city scapes, street cars, weird singing in dinner restaurants--kids had a blast! We then rented a car and made the drive south to fancy beach resort in an area they call the Algarve. The kids enjoyed that a lot too--but to be honest, for us it was just another beach. Water was too cold to swim. Kids stayed in pool. Views were amazing but to me, at the end of the day, it wasn't worth the drive. There's a historical beach area just outside of Lisbon--Sintra and Cacsai--that we probably should have explored instead.

5. Camping in Acadia National Park. August. Nothing like teaching them to pitch a tent and exploring the outdoors. The park is lovely--mountains meet oceans. The "rigors" of Hiking/camping broken up with amazing meals and trips to ice cream shops and lighthouses and canoe rides, etc.

6. Bermuda. Stunning beaches. But fair warning--I feel like this was fun because both my husband and I felt comfortable driving mopeds and riding with kids on the back. If not, transportation around the island is a bit difficult/expensive. With the mopeds, we were able to hit up a different part of the island/beach every day, which heightened the sense of adventure. And the island is actually pretty diverse if you move around. There was also an underground cavern they loved exploring. Snorkeling. Swimming. Honestly, if we hadn't been so mobile things might have gotten boring.

7. San Francisco. Including a game at one of the most beautiful baseball stadiums in existence.

THE WORST

1. Iceland. Could have been my dream trip--stunning landscapes. Intriguing place. Maybe older kids would like it. Or maybe just kids who can appreciate what a car trip can be. My kids refuse to be interested in anything outside the car window. They only care about getting to the "destinations." So.... much of the wonder of the landscape was lost on them. Also--they complained that all of it looked the same (it didn't) and that we kept doing the same thing (driving; getting out of car; looking; driving). And they hated the tiny little places we stayed in. It was a complete fail from their perspective.

2. Boston. They were just bored with it all. Unfairly so. But there it is. There's an aquarium. And the harbor. And all that history. But it just didn't capture their imagination for more than a day.

3. San Diego. Same thing. They loved the day at the zoo. But that was it. Long way to go for one day of fun (in their brains).

4. Southern Spain. August. Well... there you go. Southern Spain in August says it all, right? Stupid place to go that time of year. And most of the stuff I found interesting--fancy horse show, flamenco dancers, flamenco guitars, etc. were just not enjoyed for some reason. Maybe it was the heat. But they HATED it. They managed to like the day trip to Seville. But Rhonda, Jerez, Cordoba, Granada, even Cadiz all fell flat for the young among us.

Bummer! Iceland was high up on our list to go soon with the kids. But I can see what you are saying just from our previous European trips. They won't look out of a car, eyes glued to their Kindles, only care about getting to wherever we are going and exploring outside the vehicle.

Revisit the Iceland plan would make my top 4 and i we only spent 2 days there

Your kids are spoiled!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The following are referring to trips taken with kids ranging from 8-12:

THE BEST (not necessarily in order)

1. Ireland in August. Landed in Dublin, spent a few days. Did one day with a tour group going to New Grange, etc via bus. Then got on the train and headed to Galway. Spent one day there. Second day did a guided tour to the Aran Islands. Then rented a car and drove around the Connemara National Park area for 2 1/2 days. Took the train back to Dublin and spent the night in a castle. Left the next morning. Kids rate this week-long trip as the best. ever. Was a perfect mix of city fun v. nature fun. Good food everywhere. Lovely people.

2. Mont Tremblant, Quebec in August. Rented a modest airBNB on a lake. Invited cousins. Spent days laughing and swimming in warm, bug-free, humidity-free lake and doing dozens of outdoor activities at what is normally the ski resort. Good food. Nice people. English spoken everywhere.

3. Universal Studios in LA. Harry Potter World, etc. etc. The only thing that made this tolerable for me were the VIP passes. But the kids were in heaven.

4. Lisbon, Portugal in August. Spent 4 days exploring the city--castle ruins, city scapes, street cars, weird singing in dinner restaurants--kids had a blast! We then rented a car and made the drive south to fancy beach resort in an area they call the Algarve. The kids enjoyed that a lot too--but to be honest, for us it was just another beach. Water was too cold to swim. Kids stayed in pool. Views were amazing but to me, at the end of the day, it wasn't worth the drive. There's a historical beach area just outside of Lisbon--Sintra and Cacsai--that we probably should have explored instead.

5. Camping in Acadia National Park. August. Nothing like teaching them to pitch a tent and exploring the outdoors. The park is lovely--mountains meet oceans. The "rigors" of Hiking/camping broken up with amazing meals and trips to ice cream shops and lighthouses and canoe rides, etc.

6. Bermuda. Stunning beaches. But fair warning--I feel like this was fun because both my husband and I felt comfortable driving mopeds and riding with kids on the back. If not, transportation around the island is a bit difficult/expensive. With the mopeds, we were able to hit up a different part of the island/beach every day, which heightened the sense of adventure. And the island is actually pretty diverse if you move around. There was also an underground cavern they loved exploring. Snorkeling. Swimming. Honestly, if we hadn't been so mobile things might have gotten boring.

7. San Francisco. Including a game at one of the most beautiful baseball stadiums in existence.

THE WORST

1. Iceland. Could have been my dream trip--stunning landscapes. Intriguing place. Maybe older kids would like it. Or maybe just kids who can appreciate what a car trip can be. My kids refuse to be interested in anything outside the car window. They only care about getting to the "destinations." So.... much of the wonder of the landscape was lost on them. Also--they complained that all of it looked the same (it didn't) and that we kept doing the same thing (driving; getting out of car; looking; driving). And they hated the tiny little places we stayed in. It was a complete fail from their perspective.

2. Boston. They were just bored with it all. Unfairly so. But there it is. There's an aquarium. And the harbor. And all that history. But it just didn't capture their imagination for more than a day.

3. San Diego. Same thing. They loved the day at the zoo. But that was it. Long way to go for one day of fun (in their brains).

4. Southern Spain. August. Well... there you go. Southern Spain in August says it all, right? Stupid place to go that time of year. And most of the stuff I found interesting--fancy horse show, flamenco dancers, flamenco guitars, etc. were just not enjoyed for some reason. Maybe it was the heat. But they HATED it. They managed to like the day trip to Seville. But Rhonda, Jerez, Cordoba, Granada, even Cadiz all fell flat for the young among us.

Not OP but I really appreciate this. Ignore all the rude comments.

[Anonymous]

Had a blast in Puerto Rico! Kids enjoyed exploring different beaches, the rainforest (with waterfalls), and Old San Juan. We will definitely go back. Great seafood, fun music. Easy to navigate the island.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Had a blast in Puerto Rico! Kids enjoyed exploring different beaches, the rainforest (with waterfalls), and Old San Juan. We will definitely go back. Great seafood, fun music. Easy to navigate the island.

I've heard mixed reviews of PR. Where did you stay? What time of the year?