Whether it’s an adventure break, a relaxing spa trip, a camping foray outdoors, or simply heading out to eat and drink together a break with the kids is always an excellent way to bond and enjoy each family member’s company.
- Weekend City Breaks With the KidsThomas Hawk / Foter / CC BY-NC
Columbus Direct inspires us with some of the best weekend city break destinations.
Edinburgh
Accessible via plane and train from all around UK, Edinburgh is a very popular city break option for Mumsnetters. In good weather there are many locations for fun walks, and for those days when the weather just won’t cooperate, there are plenty of indoor places where the family can go such as galleries and museums, which are free.
You should visit during festival time, although the rates are more expensive, and go to Fringe Sunday in the Holyrood Park where children’s workshops, shows and entertainments are featured.
You can also go to the Museum of Childhood for free. The Chambers Street in the National Museum of Scotland will be wonderful for the kids, as well as the Camera Obscura. After the Museum of Childhood, you can pop by at the National Storytelling Centre that offers a lot of exciting events for both children and adults.
York
If you are looking for a history fix, York should be on your priority list. There are a never-ending number of options such as the City Walls, Castle, York Dungeon, Jorvik Viking Centre and the National Railway Museum. There is more than enough to keep your children entertained while also being educated. You can throw in a few teashops, and an excellent selection of inexpensive restaurants and hotels. Top these all off with the great accessibility and York quickly becomes your primary weekend city break destination.
Berlin
Germany’s prime city is an excellent place for exploration. Tiergarten, Berlin’s biggest peak, has a lake complete with paddle boats, hidden paths and bridges, a column to climb for those great nights to view the city. Bring your kids to Legoland in the Postdamer Platz that had been rebuilt after being bisected by the wall. There is also a huge playground and park in the Kollwitz Platz.
Take your kids on a River Spree boat tour, or go to Berlin Zoo where you can be amazed by the hippopotamus aquarium. During bad weather, you can instead go to the German Museum of Technology, which has 14 exhibition spaces and an aeroplane on the roof, with activities that require hands-on participation from the kids.
Copenhagen
A lot of people are talking about Copenhagen these days, especially now that it has been tagged as an ultra-family friendly city. It’s not too small and it’s not too big, so it’s perfect for walking and wandering around. There is a nice collection of open spaces and parks, interactive museums, a planetarium, an aquarium and a zoo. The aquarium is set to be the largest in northern Europe.
It is very easy to navigate Copenhagen as almost all of the places you need to go are within walking distance, so the kids won’t be complaining about tired and sore legs. There are loads of historical and Viking stuff, grand buildings, zoos, the Tivoli Gardens and museums just in case your kids like variety.
Barcelona
Just a short flight away from the UK, Barcelona is highly recommended when it comes to weekend city breaks. There are large open spaces, fascinating architecture by Gaudi, museums, shops, zoo, markets, cafes and virtually hundreds of places to go and things to do to fill your entire weekend. If the kids tire of the city, you can drive over to the beach and camp out. You can also go to the Portaventura theme park in Salou and have some brilliant fun in the sun.
City breaks are one of the fastest growing areas of family tourism and it is easy to see why. There is nothing better than getting away as a family after a long week of work and school, and all these cities have everything you could want for a fantastic family weekend.
