15 Best Family Travel Vacation Spots to Make Memories!
Vacations are so important for families and help us bond, rejuvenate & heal while having
Vacations are so important for families and help us bond, rejuvenate & heal while having learning fun!The best memories are made when we spend time with our loved ones.They allow us to create memories that will last a lifetime! Around-the-world family travel has been the best decision of our lives, but we didn’t realize initially that this ultimate adventure & being pioneer digital nomads, van lifers  and worldschoolers  would help us guide you on the best secrets to family travel vacations.
If you’re looking for an exciting trip that will create lasting memories for the whole family, consider one of these 15 destinations that offer something for everyone.
1) SWIMMING WITH DOLPHINS IN EUROPE, FLORIDA KEYS OR HAWAII
The only place in Europe to swim with dolphins is in Portugal at the Zoomarine aquatic park in the Algarve. Our daughter Heavenly was eight years old when she first swam with them. We also later swam with dolphins in Florida and in the wild when we sailed the Napali Coast in Hawaii. It is an extraordinary experience.
2) RIDING CAMELS IN PETRA, JORDAN, SAHARA MOROCCO & CHINA’S GREAT WALL
Petra Jordan has long been on my “bucket list”, but little did I know that it is a perfect family vacation destination & staying at Four Seasons Amman made Jordan extra special. Exotic international travel can be educational as well as packed with adventures.
Ten year old Heavenly loved playing her violin on a camel at Petra, Travel to Wadi Rum, boating in the Red Sea, as well as baking cookies with a top chef.She also loved camel exploring Sahara in Morocco at 6 and the Great Wall in China at 12.
3) HAWAII
Family travel is about learning to appreciate different cultures, even when it is in your own country! Families can enjoy swimming, surfing, hiking, relaxing, sightseeing, nature, whale watching, snorkeling, zip lining, farm visits, and experiencing a unique culture. The Hawaiian Islands each offer something unique for visitors & we particularly loved Kauai.
4) TAHITI, BORA BORA, MOOREA, FRENCH POLYNESIA
What can be better than Bora Bora or Moorea? Not much. You can even do it like we did and visit Tahiti on a cheap budget. We loved the locals we met couch surfing in Moorea and Bora Bora
5) PARIS,FRANCE
There are such a plethora of amazing destinations in Europe for European family vacations, it is almost impossible to narrow it down. But Paris is a city we love and have spent lots of time in. Summer is my favorite time to be in this City of Light.
I’ve written many Paris stories about Madeline, Linea & d’Orsay, Mozart’s 6th at the Eiffel Tower, doing 3 Museums in a day and more like Giverny – Monet’s Garden, Paris Chocolate & Arc de Triumph, and Sacre Couer & Montmarte from our first Parisien visit when our daughter was 5. As well as finding wifi in Paris, celebrating in Paris and Notre Dame from our long Paris visit when she was almost 10.
I love comparing our fist family visit to Notre Dame with a later one & our mother daughter trip when she was 16 and found it so valuable to do repeat extended visits to Paris with a child. I love it that our daughter just took her own solo visit to Paris this past summer. Just look through our France archive for more blog posts & tips about budget fun in Paris and France.
6) BEIJING, CHINA
Most say that the fall and spring are the best times to visit China because the weather is good and there are less crowds. November is also suppose to be one of the lowest pollution months in Beijing.
China is an amazing place for a family vacation and our best Beijing kid-friendly tip is to dress up Emperor style and fly around the top attractions! We so enjoyed our month in China for Mandarin immersion and cultural adventures to add more Mandarin fluency for our multilingual child.
7) DALLAS, TEXAS LUXURY RESORT
Sometimes relaxing and exploring a new city closer to home can be a great family trip getaway. Mother – daughter spa time was a highlight for us with a tween! For us, a luxury resort getaway on our winter road trip through the Southwest from California ( via Asia), sounded like the perfect way to arrive in style to Dallas, other wise known as “Big D”. What could be better than beginning any family vacation in luxury at the amazing Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas ?
8) SWEDEN
Sweden was one of our favorite countries, partly because we stayed with wonderful Swedish friends,( who had kids the same age) & visiting Stockholm, Swedish lakes, visiting this ice bar on a hot summer day, mushroom foraging, an amazing overnight zoo safari, the traditional kota , camping on the water, and just hanging out at thier farm . So many happy memories! Connecting with another family ( we met online & continued to meet over the years) can add great joy to a family vacation!
9) BARCELONA, SPAIN
Barcelona is one of our favorite places in Europe, where we base much of our van life in Europe, summer European travel and a long term Europe stay, thus we’ve spent many years returning to Barcelona and Costa Brava .I am so happy camping Europe in our newly remodeled vintage camper van which really is the cheapest & best way to travel Europe in my opinion.
Like our time in Sweden above, we also have good local travel friends who live near by that we have been visiting since we met in 2006 at the resort campground. That made it extra fun for both of our girls with each visit. Do you love camping, van life and glamping?
We love our Schengen Shuffle, digital nomad van life based near Barcelona & the beach. This summer we had a blast surprising our twentysomething daughter & Twitch star, Heavenly with some super luxury glamping in Barcelona on a tiny budget! So family vacations & creating wonderful memories never end & repeat visits over many years have great value.
10) 3 GENERATIONS TRAVEL WITH GRANDMA & GRANDPA (EVEN OCTOGENARIANS!)
We have been blessed to do quite a lot of 3 generations travel with family on our open ended world tour. We think traveling with Grandpa, Grandma and auntie adds a special dimension to travel that you can not get any other way. Memories that will last forever and bonding that is unique because travel expands everyone’s boundaries and adds an extraordinary “aliveness”.
We are sooo grateful that we had a special 80th birthday 3 generations tour in Spain with DaVinci’s Dad ( and his sister) which was extra special because it was also their first visit to their ancestral homeland. My mom, “grandma” at 83 traveled from California to live with us for 6 weeks in Asia ( as balm after losing her beloved husband of almost 40 years). And much to our surprise, both she & our daughter were interviewed for Chinese Television stations while we were celebrating Chinese New Year. If there is a will, there is always a way, so do not miss it!
11) COLMAR, FRANCE & WINE REGIONS WITH KIDS
Colmar France is a magical town in the Alsace region which is full of beauty, charm, good food and wine. France travel with kids can be amazing and its one of the best countries for a European vacation.
One of our video that we took of our family wine vacation in Bordeaux, France shows how it is even more exciting as kids get older and one branches out to different countries. Wine tasting with kids is fun & educational. Surprisingly even wine tasting or biking vineyards can be a family affair that every age enjoys!
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12) BHUTAN
Bhutan travel is like no where else in the world and you know it as soon as the plane lands in the Dragon Kingdom. A pilgrimage and trek to the Tiger’s Nest (Taktshang) Monastery near Paro,Bhutan, that hangs on the edge of a rocky cliff is thrilling.
Is Bhutan a great place for a family vacation? Yes! We found Bhutan to be a wonderful place for a very special family vacation and it was one of our daughter’s favorite countries.As we flew (on one of the only two Bhutanese planes of Druk Air) into this last Shangri-la over Mount Everest into the lush, green Eastern snow-capped Himalayas we knew immediately that we had entered into a fantasy fairytale, exclusive and rarely seen destination.
13) SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
Who doesn’t love Sydney? We’ve done two visits to Sydney and both times we stayed in the CBD posh area called “The Rocks”. We loved the hostel life and also this stunning view of Sydney’s magnificent harbor from our bed at Four Seasons Sydney . Planning a vacation or holiday in Sydney? Try this cheap, but exciting tip,( like the locals do) and take a ferry somewhere.
It’s pure, scenic joy to take a public ferry from Circular Quay to Taronga Zoo or Manly etc. that not only gives you the best view of the Opera House, but a genuine feeling of what it is like to live in Sydney and bask in this gorgeous harbor.
14) SHANGHAI, CHINA
Shanghai was once known as Paris of the East and today it is one of the richest and most vibrant cities in the world. I must admit I was astounded by the beauty of China, it’s people, traditions and hospitality.Some how I didn’t expect that and probably would never have visited China if it wasn’t for my child learning Mandarin. Don’t miss it for a thrilling family vacation!
We loved the famous old tea house in Shanghai, and stayed at the The Fairmont Peace Hotel in Shanghai which is a legendary luxurious art deco masterpiece that took our breath away! It’s an absolutely exquisite hotel located at the best and most famous address in this ultra glamorous city, on the Huangou River at the corner of the Bund and Nanjing Lu. Also don’t miss the nearby water village!
15) CROATIA
Dubrovnik and Croatia is one of our favorite places, so we have done two long visits. We adored camping Croatia long term in high season as a family doing van life, but recently also as couples travel & digital nomad style. Croatian island hopping is a great way to see this magnificent country, which surprisingly also had our daughter Heavenly doing her film debut in Rovinj at 7)
Looking for the best European vacation with kids? As I mentioned recently in Best Places to Visit in Europe, you’ll love Croatia which is very enchanting, diverse, beautiful, rich in history with lots of fun possibilities for family travel. 
Happy next trip planning! I hope this post gives you some fun ideas to try!
