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15 Best Family Travel Vacation Spots to Make Memories!

September 19, 2023

15 Best Family Travel Vacation Spots to Make Memories!
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


15 Best Family Travel Vacation Spots to Make Memories!  Jordan petra international

 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

15 Best Family Travel Vacation Spots to Make Memories!  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.

15 Best Family Travel Vacation Spots to Make Memories!  sailing Napali Coast


4)  TAHITI, BORA BORA, MOOREA, FRENCH POLYNESIA 

 15 Best Family Travel Vacation Spots to Make Memories!  Bora Bora Tahiti

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 

15 Best Family Travel Vacation Spots to Make Memories! Paris Europe Eiffel

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.

15 Best Family Travel Vacation Spots to Make Memories! thinker statue Paris fun

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. 

15 Best Family Travel Vacation Spots to Make Memories! paris picnic budget cheap luxury


6) BEIJING, CHINA  

15 Best Family Travel Vacation Spots to Make Memories! China Beijing forbidden city

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

5) 15 Best Family Travel Vacation Spots to Make Memories!  CHINA Beijing

 7) DALLAS, TEXAS LUXURY RESORT   

15 Best Family Travel Vacation Spots to Make Memories! dallas texas luxury hotel 

 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 ? 


15 Best Family Travel Vacation Spots to Make Memories!  dallas fourseasons mother daughter getaway


 8) SWEDEN

15 Best Family Travel Vacation Spots to Make Memories!  ice bar 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!


15 Best Family Travel Vacation Spots to Make Memories!  Sweden kids Kota culture food


 9) BARCELONA, SPAIN    


15 Best Family Travel Vacation Spots to Make Memories! Barcelona Catalonia

 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.

15 Best Family Travel Vacation Spots to Make Memories!  cava catalonia tapas food

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. 

15 Best Family Travel Vacation Spots to Make Memories!  beach barcelona adult child family holidays


 10)  3 GENERATIONS TRAVEL WITH GRANDMA & GRANDPA (EVEN OCTOGENARIANS!)

15 Best Family Travel Vacation Spots to Make Memories!  grandma travel penang 3 generations travel


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!

15 Best Family Travel Vacation Spots to Make Memories!  3 generation family travel

 11) COLMAR, FRANCE & WINE REGIONS WITH KIDS  

  
15 Best Family Travel Vacation Spots to Make Memories! Colmar france digital nomad pioneers
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!

x


 12) BHUTAN 

15 Best Family Travel Vacation Spots to Make Memories!  Bhutan  tigers nest
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.

15 Best Family Travel Vacation Spots to Make Memories!  bhutan tigers nest

 13) SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA 

15 Best Family Travel Vacation Spots to Make Memories!  Sydney Australia opera house digeridoo
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.

15 Best Family Travel Vacation Spots to Make Memories!  sydney harbor


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. 

15 Best Family Travel Vacation Spots to Make Memories!  Sydney Australia

 14) SHANGHAI, CHINA   

15 Best Family Travel Vacation Spots to Make Memories!  shanghai china tea ceremony
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!

15 Best Family Travel Vacation Spots to Make Memories!  shanghai peace hotel bund view

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 Best Family Travel Vacation Spots to Make Memories!  shanghai peace hotel skyline


 15) CROATIA 

15 Best Family Travel Vacation Spots to Make Memories!  croatia dubrovic
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)

15 Best Family Travel Vacation Spots to Make Memories!  croatia plitvice park

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
15 Best Family Travel Vacation Spots to Make Memories!  dubrovnik croatia views

Happy next trip planning! I hope this post gives you some fun ideas to try! 

15 Best Family Travel Vacation Spots to Make Memories!  Croatia swimming mom and daughter






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Comments

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simplyjolayne

What amazing adventures you have had as a family. We have found that travel is the best educator for our daughters!

Monica

These look like great ideas for family trips!

jeanne dee

Aw, thanks Jolayne! We do feel blessed and grateful that we live this travel lifestyle and raised our trilingual daughter as a global citizen through travel. I could not agree more that travel is the best education so enjoy every moment with your daughters! Time zips by when you are having fun & learning effortlessly!

jeanne dee

Thanks bunches Monica!! I hope it can help families plan vacations they love near home and internationally.

Emma

Some great ideas, thanks for sharing, I never knew you could swim with dolphins in Portugal!

jeanne Dee

Thanks a lot Emma! We really loved our experiences swimming with dolphins and that place in Portugal is the only place one can do it in mainland Europe, so we have sent lots of people there. :)

Marga

So many amazing trips you made with your family! And your daughter sounds amazing! Personally I would skip any of the adventures involving animals though, especially the dolphins in the aquarium in the Algarve which is not a nice place. Seeing them in their own habitat is a better option. So I’m happy to hear that worked out as well!

Jeanne

Thanks Marga! Yes, we have been blessed with so many amazing travel experiences with our child and traveling the world with her for a decade was absolutely the best decision of our lives! We loved all our experiences swimming with dolphins, but I hear your point and agree mostly. We did that dolphin swim in Portugal back in 2008 and it was actually an amazing educational experience for my daughter at 8 and one on one with top notch marine biologists there. But I agree that visiting them in their natural habitat is better and I am grateful we did that as well in Florida and Hawaii.

Cosette

What great family experiences. It’s so fantastic to travel with your kid and next to seeing it your own way, but also trough your child’s eyes.

jeanne Dee

Thanks Cosette!! I could not agree with you more. I am so grateful I got to travel so much growing up with my family and then do it with my child and soon she will pass it on to her kids one day!

Tania Peru

What a great truth, the best thing we can leave our children are the memories we build with them, thank you for sharing the beautiful experiences with your family,
I am from Cusco Peru and I love traveling with my family

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