Travelling with kids? Check out these great, off the beaten track spots in Europe. Photo / 123rf
Hitting Europe with kids in tow? These three spots guarantee plenty of fun and few crowds, according to Where to go When with Kids by Lonely Planet.
Ages: 5-16
Why now? It’s the closest you’ll get to family holiday cycling heaven.
Holidaying in ÎIe de Ré during summer, it’s all about the bike – but cycling here is a civilised family affair. Forget the Lycra, tracking apps and big-budget bikes; you’ll be riding upright cycles with wicker baskets, wearing normal clothes, and your kids will be merrily pedalling along with you (or being towed on a tagalong or trailer). This classy, photogenic island is only 30km by 5km, but it’s blessed with 100km of well-maintained cycle paths, most off-road or segregated. You’ll ride past salt pans and oyster farms, a lighthouse and a historic fort, through pine forests, vineyards and marshland, and alongside many a wooden fishing boat bobbing in the glistening sea. Load up on bread, cheese, charcuterie and fruit at outdoor markets for regular picnic stops; the pretty port town of St-Martin-de-Ré holds the best ice-cream parlour on the island, perfect for keeping little legs pedalling. Most younger children will also love the local funfairs, while older kids can surf, bodyboard and jump into waves at beaches on the south of the island.
Trip plan: Riding a 22km loop from La Flotte will cover much of the island, including St-Martin-de-Ré and La Couarde-sur-Mer; alternatively, there are plenty of shorter options.
Need to know: There are bike-hire places all over, including at many campsites, and the routes around the island are clearly signposted.
Other months: November-March – cold, wet; April-May and October – unreliable weather; June-September – hot, sunny, warm seas
Ages: 5–16
Why now? Tour England’s mightiest warships in balmy T-shirt weather.
Three of the Royal Navy’s most celebrated warships are found at the fascinating Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. The ships span 400 years of naval history, from Tudor times to the 19th century, offering children an intriguing insight into life at sea during the age of sail. Built in the Portsmouth docks in 1510–11, the Mary Rose was Henry VIII’s flagship during wars with France and Scotland, but in 1545 the king watched his beloved carrack sink just off Portsmouth, during the Battle of the Solent; 437 years later the wreck was raised and is now on permanent display. HMS Victory is the most famous of the three, thanks to its role as England’s flagship at the 1805 Battle of Trafalgar, when the Royal Navy defeated the combined fleets of France and Spain, but England’s greatest naval hero, Horatio Nelson, was killed (the spot where he fell is marked on the deck). Built in 1859–61, the Warrior is a 40-gun frigate powered by steam and sail; one of the first armour-plated iron-hulled warships, it never saw action.
Trip plan: Trains run regularly to Portsmouth Harbour from London Waterloo. After you’ve walked around the ships, it’s worth touring the historic harbour by waterbus, visiting the Submarine Museum and the brilliantly named Explosion Museum of Naval Firepower.
Need to know: HMS Victory was never decommissioned, making it the world’s oldest navy ship still in service.
Other months: October-March – colder, wetter weather and shorter days; April-September – warm, more time aboard.
Ages: 12-16
Why now? Find your inner Jedi on ‘Star Wars Island’.
The Skelligs – two tiny islands off the coast of County Kerry in the wild west of Ireland – have been Unesco World Heritage-listed since 1996, but after the larger isle, Skellig Michael, scored a starring role in the final Star Wars films (The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi), it started attracting younger travellers. The location is as dramatic as it appears in the movies, with angry Atlantic waves walloping the rocks, twin craggy peaks stabbing the clouds and some 27,000 pairs of gannets creating a cacophonous soundtrack. Puffins arrive in late spring and pufflings hatch in early summer. May the force be with you during the climb – it’s steep, with 618 stone steps that are slippery when wet (often); junior Jedis require careful supervision. Higher up, you’ll find stone-built beehive huts (habitation cells), a ruined church and graveyard; higher, just below the south peak, is a hermitage. These are the remains of a monastery occupied between the 6th and 12th centuries, which suffered several Viking attacks.
Trip plan: Between May 12 and October 2, boats run from Portmagee, 77km southwest of Kerry, and land on Skellig Michael (weather permitting); the crossing takes around 50min. From mid-March (weather dependent), there are also non-landing eco-tours around Skellig Michael and its neighbouring island of Little Skellig (2hr 30min).
Need to know: Wear shoes with good grip. There’s no toilet on Skellig Michael, nor on the boats.
Other months: October to mid-May – no boats.
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This extract from Where to go When with Kids was reproduced with permission from Lonely Planet © 2025.