Rome
The Eternal City can work really well for families with older kids who have a thirst for amazing facts and gruesome history, and who enjoy scrambling around ancient ruins in search of gladiators and creepy skeletons. The Colosseum and Castel Sant’Angelo are a must, as is the Circus Maximus, where you can re-enact the chariot races, and you’ll find ruins galore in the Roman Forum. Another must is the Trevi Fountain, counting the Spanish Steps, or dare the kids to put their hands into the ‘Mouth of Truth’ in Piazza Bocca della Verita! Afterwards, they can burn off any excess energy by running around Villa Borghese, a vast park with a zoo. Eating out is child’s play - Rome is renowned for its pizza and gelato!
Paris
Despite its romantic associations, the City of Lights is a great place to bring the family. Children will enjoy all it has to offer, from the Eiffel Tower to boat trips on the Seine, and may even endure an art gallery if it’s dressed up as a train station (the Musée d’Orsay) or covered in peculiar colourful pipes (the Pompidou Centre). La Cité des Sciences et de L’Industrie is a hugely popular science museum, and the Musée d’Histoire Naturelle has a great dinosaur exhibition. It’s an easy city to navigate by metro and there are plenty of family-friendly restaurants and cafés.
Barcelona
With urban beaches, mountains and surreal, larger-than-life art, this city ticks all the boxes! Spend time at the Maritime Museum, the zoo, the fantastic aquarium and, of course, Gaudí’s weird and wacky creations, which will amuse children of all ages. They’ll be in awe at the Sagrada Familia, and can roam around acres of space at the beautiful Park Güell, which has walkways to scamper along and fairy-tale houses to play in. The Ramblas- no visit is complete without a stroll down this famous and wonderful boulevard where you will be treated to flower sellers, animal stalls, painters, artists, human statues and street performers. Make sure to stop along the way for lunch at La Boqueira, one of the world’s most colourful markets. Take the cable car up to the fortress on Montjuïc for views across the city and coast, then walk back down via a fantastic playground. For the sports fans, of soccer particularly, a guided tour of Camp Nou, Barcelona FC’s home ground, will certainly not disappoint.
Berlin
This is a wonderful city for children of all ages to explore. Berlin’s biggest park, Tiergarten, has a lake with paddle boats, hidden bridges and paths, plus a column to climb for great views across the city. Potsdamer Platz has a superb Legoland, and Kollwitz Platz has a large playground and a leafy park. Take a boat tour on the River Spree or visit Berlin Zoo, famed for its hippopotamus aquarium. A great day out could be spent at the vast German Museum for Technology, which has an airplane on its roof and 14 different exhibition spaces, most with hands-on activities for kids.
Copenhagen
A perfect child-friendly city – free places for buggies are reserved on all public transport, and many children’s museums and entertainment are free. Children of all ages are sure to have a giggle at Tivoli Gardens, one of the world's oldest theme parks. It's full of fun rollercoasters and rides, with flowery gardens all around; visit at Christmastime, and the park is turned into a winter wonderland. Days can be filled with trips to the zoo, the harbour baths, or at the fab science centre ‘Experimentarium City’. Children will love the changing of the guards, an impressive display of control and precision, taking place every day at noon outside the Queen’s residence, Amalienborg Palace. Indeed, the grand master of fairy tales, Hans Christian Andersen, adored this city. There are many links across the city to the man who gave the world such classic stories as The Princess and the Pea, The Ugly Duckling and The Emperor's New Clothes – visit his restored attic room in the city's Magasin department store. Last but not least, try to take your first sight of Den Lille Havfrue (the Little Mermaid), at Langelinie Pier, under moonlight for that wow effect!
