Traveling with kids is chaos. But the right destination makes it manageable chaos instead of nightmare chaos. Here are places that actually work for families.
Orlando
Obviously. Disney, Universal, SeaWorld. The kids will lose their minds. You’ll lose your wallet.
But it works. Everything’s designed for families. Hotels have pools. Restaurants have kids menus. The whole city exists to entertain children.
Go in the off-season if you can. Summer is brutal – hot and packed. Spring or fall is way better.
San Diego
Beach, zoo, Legoland nearby. Weather’s always perfect. Less intense than Orlando but still plenty to do.
We spent three days at Balboa Park alone. The zoo there is genuinely world-class. Kids can run around and burn energy which is half the battle on vacation.
Costa Rica
If your kids are old enough to appreciate it. Zip lines, wildlife, beaches. It’s adventure without being dangerous.
The infrastructure is solid for tourists. English is common. You can do all-inclusive resorts or bounce around the country.
London
Better for families than you’d think. The museums are free. Hyde Park is massive. Kids love the double-decker buses.
British Museum has mummies. Natural History has dinosaurs. That’s two days of entertainment right there.
Quebec City
Feels like Europe without the flight. Old town is beautiful. Winter carnival if you’re there in February.
Smaller and more walkable than most cities. Less overwhelming for little ones.
What Actually Matters
Pick somewhere with stuff at their level. A five-year-old doesn’t care about architecture. They care about playgrounds and ice cream.
Book places with pools. Doesn’t matter how nice the destination is – kids will spend half their time in the pool.
Plan less than you think. One major activity per day. Maybe two if they’re older. More than that and everyone’s exhausted and cranky by day three.
The best family trip is one where everyone actually enjoys it. Not just the adults.
