What would a five year-old enjoy for a holiday? We'd love to visit somewhere in Europe with our son.?

Question

Please don't say Disneyland, we've been there, he loved it , but we'd like to go somewhere elso now. We know he loves animals but how many days cn you spend in a zoo or farm? I'd really like to know about different places that might get us thinking. Thanks

Answer 1

Hi there,
I would say it pretty much depends on the type of holiday you want to have.
Do you want to see many places and museums in Europe or do you rather want to relax some place and do some field trips sometimes.
I did live in a couple of European Countries and the US and would say you can take a child any place you want even museums, old churces and castles, as long as you prepare very well in advance and make it a nice adventure for the kid.
Example Art Galery - check out if you can find information about a couple of pictures and have a story ready for the child. Or have him look for pictures with animals on them and try to find out, why the animals are in the picture.
Surely you cannot take him for hours into a museum and try to see every picture you want to see, but rather make a selection that would also interest him.

Zoos - I know that the Netherlands has pretty nice modern Zoos, if you manage to get there, see the Zoo in Emmen or Arnheim (just monkey zoo).

I once walked with a 3 year old through London and did the following tour.
London Eye, Westminster, Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace. She loved it and we had loads of fun trying to find the Queen of England.

If you are looking for a good guidebook try the LonelyPlanet guide or the Rick Steeves Backroads books. I checked them for the places I lived at and they are pretty good.

Ina

Answer 2

We took our six year old to Salou in Spain last year and she loved it. We had been there before without her but it is totally for children. There are tons of things to do. There is also a Universal Studios there. You can take a trip to Aqualeon which is a water park with animals - its unreal. There are also two other water parks closer to Salou which are very good too. The have a dolphin show at Aquopolis Our daughter absoutely loved it and wanted to go back again this year. I recommend staying in Club Daurada Palace - it has great entertainment for kids - the adults don't get a look in. We will definately be going back again in the future. Look up www.salou.co.uk for more information. You can also take a tour to Barcelona which is about an hour in the bus. They do a stop over at the zoo which is huge and also to an Aquariam where you can see sharks swim over you - well worth a visit.

Answer 3

I really think a five-year-old would be just as happy having a holiday in your home country, and you'd save money. A beach in Spain, for example, is lovely for small kids but it isn't much different from a child's point of view from a beach wherever you are. Wait a couple of years till he's more able to appreciate the differences between home and abroad.

But if you want to go to Europe for yourselves, a beach holiday isn't a bad idea. There are family hotels which specialise in entertaining kids in groups by the sea or with games and fun activities while their parents take a rest. Italy is wonderful because Italians really seem to love small children, and in Greece they treat them like royalty.

I think you can do farm stays in Denmark. If you find one near the sea, when your child gets tired of the animals, haystacks etc. take him to the beach. Hire a bike with a child seat behind the saddle or on the crossbar.

If you like city holidays, London, for example, has a great many activities specially for children. You can find them in weekly listings magazines like Time Out.

Ask your travel agent about this. Or Google suitable words like "family hotels" plus the name of the country you'd like.

Answer 4

If you're planning on taking him to Europe - go to Germany!
Start off with the Zoo in Frankfurt, take a boattrip down the river Rhine, visit different castles along the Rhine-side. Get off the boat in Koblenz (which is supposed to be the centre of Germany, and one of the best (!) wine-regions, too! Take the train to Trier, the oldest city in Germany (over 1000 years), built by the Romans and with the cathedrale where the cloth of Jesus is exhibited. From there it's just minutes away to cross the boarder and be in Luxemburg. (Fine jewellery for Mom!)
Or you rent a car and find your way to nearby "Nürburgring" the worlds famous carracing-place, where there is not only a museum of racing cars; you get a chance to drive ON the racing ring and there is lots more to be seen.
Maybe you want to get more /better information so check the internet site
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/worldguide/destinations/europe/germany/

Answer 5

Anywhere in Europe that has a kids club. I know when i was five i loved it. I went to like Majorca and Cyprus and each of them had a childrens club. You spend your days having fun doing different activities and then at night the place has some really good family orientated shows. If he wants to take a day off from the clubs most holiday resorts in spain and areas like that have plenty of places to go. So you can't go wrong really.

Answer 6

If he loves animals... you can try village tourism, where you live at a farm, and I think it is allowed to feed the animals, etc.

Also, if he likes some movie or being read a book where the action happens at a specific location, you can make him excited about visiting that location, and then surprise him with information that you are actually going to visit it - he is going to be so excited about going there, he is likely to love it (unless there are many negative experiences, of course). That way you can slip in sightseeing, etc. that you want to do for yourselves.

Answer 7

you should go to austria for the museums - you get everything from mozart to natural history to art. you could try taking your son to more educational places and teach him about the places he visits?

there are also many childrens' activities available at the Prater theme park in Vienna, there are funfairs, a lot of trekking to be done in the outskirts (salzburg, innsbruck) - you could take him up in the Alps (by cable car)... he can have snowball fights in the summer there!!!

in salzburg you've got a salt mine museum which is astonishing for kids and adults alike, as it has an underground slide into the caves... you've got the Hallstatt ice caves which are a worldwide phenomenon. you've got motor-boating to be done in the lakes... you've got fishing, camping... cycling

it's jus an example of how you can really combine history, childish fun and animals in the wild all in one trip without being bored yourself!!

there's so much you could do that'll amaze him and yourself! you don't have to revolve the trip around him... make it a little about yourself and let him learn from it..... i'd suggest you buy a travel guide on austria and have a thorough look.

Answer 8

He is a growing child....Take him to a place where he can do his own little adventures and be proud of it. When he will meet his friends back at home, he will be having lots of stories of his adventures !! A place where he have to walk a little........can climb small hills/rocks etc.

Answer 9

uk, there are tons of zoo's, sealife centers and also great places for adults too!