Recs for Europe spring break 2026
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Anonymous
| We have 10 days in mid April due to a weird spring break calendar this year but could go up to 12. Kids will be 6 and 9 and have been to Europe once, to Spain in the summer and it was too hot for them. Would prefer mild weather, maybe a destination that is hot in the summer because we’d be less likely to go in summer, but we have some flexibility there. Prefer mix of city and less urban area. Likes include: kid friendly museums, kid friendly history, swimming availability (but not necessary), availability of kids performances, train trips or other cool transport, good views, amusement parks. Kids are meh about art museums, churches, architecture, trying new foods. We would fly from IAD but we are fine with connecting somewhere. |
Anonymous
| Maybe stay in the US? Sounds like your kids don’t appreciate any of the best things Europe has to offer. |
Anonymous
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There aren't many places where you are guaranteed being able to swim in April.
I agree Europe doesn't sound like a good choice. I would stay home and work on getting them to appreciate things more. |
Anonymous
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London might be a good option (maybe take the train up to York then fly home from Scotland)
Or maybe do Copenhagen plus somewhere else? |
Anonymous
swimming is a “like” but “not necessary” |
Anonymous
The average European 6 or 9 year old probably doesn’t love churches or architecture, tbh. Sure, my kids wouldn’t fit in with the Viking River Cruise crowd, but there’s a lot more to Europe than churches and buildings, like mountain playgrounds, interesting history and culture, kid friendly foods that are considered national icons (Neapolitan pizza, French and Swiss cheeses, fish and chips), amazing trams and inclines to fabulous views, local theme parks, etc. |
Anonymous
Thanks! London and Copenhagen are definitely in the mix. I’ve heard good things about Tívoli and of course Legoland Denmark, and there’s a Legoland near London, too. York sounds intriguing; I’ve never been but a smaller town could be a good fit for this group. |
Anonymous
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Do you want to do this because you’re bored of domestic vacations and want international travel for yourselves, so the goal is just to find something that they won’t complain about too much? If so, what do you like and what are your goals?
Or is the goal to take them to Europe because you feel like it will be good for them? I think that’s a harder ask given what you say are their likes and dislikes. It’s a lot of money to just go swim at a hotel pool or go to playgrounds …. So Florida keys or Costa Rica or Puerto Rico might all be better choices. They are great ages for those destinations and would probably really like snorkeling, kayaking in a double with a parent, seeing animals, etc. We went to Costa Rica when my kids were 4, 6 and 9 and they had a great time. One of the things we did was take a catamaran snorkeling tour — the cat had a water slide from the second deck into the ocean and the older tow were crazy about it. If you want another few years, the kids probably will be interested in some European history — they’ll get into Percy Jackson or Six or whatever the next thing is, and you’ll have an entry into something like that, plus they’ll be more at an age for scarcer hunts in museums etc. But given what you’ve said I guess maybe London? There are nice parks and playgrounds and the food is fine an accessible. There’s the Harry Potter studios and Harry Potter themed walking tours. There are some castles with kid focused activities outside the city you could do as a day trip. You can anlsl take a trip up to York which has the city walls you can walk annd a biking museum and an old prison museum each of which might be fun types of museums? If I did England I might watch or read paddingtkn or secret garden or some other British themed shows before we went to get them thinking about some places. You can get books like Who Was Queen Elizabeth? Or Who was Shakespeare? Ireland might be another idea but it’s pretty dreary in April—summer would be better for Ireland. I think April is rainy in London too though. I would say southern Spain but Spain is the one place you’ve been with them so msybe not. No place in Europe will have swimmable beaches in April. |
Anonymous
| If you are looking for warm weather, Portugal is actually a great option! Should be possible to swim at a resort or pool and people are so friendly to kids there. |
Anonymous
But Instagramming the kiddos in the US just isn't really Instagrammable. Boooooorrrrrrrring! |
Anonymous
| Greece could work. I had a SB trip all planned but flights got cancelled and we rescheduled for summer. Then I had serious sticker shock about the prices in summer! A few days in Santorini with a hot tub, and a few in Athens would be easy. We went to Naxos too, but for beaches. |
Anonymous
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Portugal. Lisbon, Evora, Comporta.
Switzerland. Zurich, Lucerne, Interlaken. Puglia. Stay at a house with a heated pool or a Masseria. Greece. Athens and Crete. Italy. Rome and Umbria. I like to limit big cities to 2 ish days with kids. It's easier to be in a house somewhere with a pool and access to smaller towns. |
Anonymous
| Your 6 year old is “meh” about art museums and churches? What a surprise! |
Anonymous
| This is the most American thread ever. |
Anonymous
Thanks! Yes, I have been to Lisbon many years ago, and considering the Algarve as a spot that is reliably warm in the spring. Lisbon is milder but could be fun for city activities. |