Visiting Austria with Children

Austria is full of family attractions, and children of any age will enjoy it. It may not have famous amusement parks such as Disneyland of Efteling, but it has a variety of other attractions and beautiful scenery.

The best areas for families to visit on a trip to Austria are, in my opinion, Tirol and Salzburg; but of course, there are things for children to do and see in Vienna as well: The famous ferris wheel in Wurstelprater, the Spanish Horse Riding School and a tour of Schoenbrunn Palace, which has its own charming gardens and a zoo.

Salzburg (state):

The big, important city in this state is, of course, the city of Salzburg. The main attraction for children in this beautiful city is Hellbrunn Palace, with its famous water tricks.

I also recommend visiting Salzburg’s open museum to learn how people there used to live, what their houses and tools looked like, etc.

A short drive south of the city you will find the Durenburg and Hallein salt mines. Any child (or adult!) will enjoy sliding down the miner’s slides, sail the salty waters, ride a small train through the mines, and even cross the border underground.

Austria has other mines which have been turned into tourist attractions. Some mines worth visiting are the silver mines, the copper mines, and the mines of Terra Mystica.

Travel to Salzburg - Austria

Salzburg is the second largest city in Austria. It has a population of 150,000 people. It is a picturesque city with narrow streets, wide squares, colourful houses, castles, palaces, churches, gardens and fountains. It lies between tall mountains and the Salzach River flows through it, laying out a beautiful backdrop for a beautiful city of baroque-style buildings with towers and spires. Thanks to its incredible architecture, the old centre of the city has been declared a UNESCO world heritage site. In the 16^th and 17^th centuries, the cities archbishops hired the best artists and craftsmen to design the city in a style similar to Rome, so Italian influence can be seen in the city. Salzburg isn’t nicknamed Rome of the North for nothing.

Salzburg is close to the border with Germany, so it also serves as a good starting point for trips to south Germany.

The city centre is small and compact, allowing one to walk on foot between the city’s famous tourist attractions.

Salzburg is also famous as the birthplace of the famous classical composer, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Plitvice Lakes National Park -Croatia

This national park is the number one attraction in Croatia. This natural reserve is considered to be one of the most beautiful and unique in the world. Even people who have visited the national parks of the US and Canada will be charmed by its beauty. It’s no wonder the place was declared a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1979.

Many people nickname this place ‘Heaven on earth’ because of its beauty and the wonderful colour of its lakes: a beautiful turquoise. The amount of water flowing in the dozens of waterfalls is simply amazing. It’s hard to believe Croatia’s bloody war of independence started here of all places. At the end of March 1991, Serbian rebels took over the park management offices. Only in August 1995 did the Croatian army conquer it back. Fortunately the delicate eco system and natural beauty of the park were unharmed, but the tourist foundations were destroyed. After the war ended, the hotels and tourist facilities were restored.

Belgium - General information for Travellers

Many tend to pass by Belgium on their way from Holland to France or add two or three days to their trip to Holland in order to visit Belgium’s main attractions. You should know that Belgium has plenty to offer to families besides the Manneken Pis, excellent chocolate and a quick visit to beautiful Bruges or one of its stalactite caves. Belgium is definitely worthy of a trip of its own and I recommend taking more than just a couple of days to visit it.

Belgium has much more variety than Holland: it has big flat parts of land, but also an impressive mountainous area that is full of attractions, the Ardennes. Belgium has big beautiful cities alongside small picturesque towns, castles, great zoos, many amusement parks and water parks, plenty of options for active vacation (boating, biking, etc), museums, factory tours, and many other family attractions. Family lodging opportunities in the country also come in many varieties.

The Netherlands - general information for travellers

The Netherlands is considered one of the best countries for a family holiday, thanks to its great variety of family attractions. It has big amusement parks, water parks, zoos, interesting museums, fishing villages, boating, biking, and more. The selection of lodging in the Netherlands is also great and includes lovely holiday villages (which you won’t want to leave), farm houses and vacation homes. Thanks to its small size, The Netherlands is an ideal destination for star trips. It may not have breathtaking views like Switzerland or Norway and it doesn’t have amazing natural sites with caves or waterfalls, and the weather is rather fickle. However, it has plenty of charm and interesting attractions. For curious children who love activities, it is a paradise.

Family Holiday in Slovenia

Slovenia is a small state – 20,000 square kilometres – which means there will be no long drives on your trip there. You can stay somewhere in the centre of the country and from there get anywhere in one hour at the most. Slovenia has a population of only two million.

Despite its small size, this country is full of variety: caves, beaches, lakes, natural springs, snowy mountains, ancient towns, picturesque villages, castles, casinos – you can find anything here. Thanks to the country’s forests, which cover about half of it, Slovenia is one of the greenest countries in the world.

The roads in Slovenia are good and driving is easy and comfortable.

Another important fact is that Slovenia, unlike its neighbours: Croatia, Serbia and Bosnia, has always been a safe place to live in and visit. Besides ten days of war in the summer of 1991, Slovenia has never experienced terror or wars.

In southwest Slovenia is the Karst region, famous for its limestone caves which are some of the biggest and most unique in all of Europe.

Family Holiday in Northern Italy

The best area for a family holiday in Italy is, without a doubt, the lakes area in the north of the country. The big lakes in that area are Garda, Como and Maggiore. Out of those three, the one most idea for a family vacation is Lake Garda. I recommend staying in one of the many hotels, apartment hotels or farms in one of the picturesque towns around the lake and visiting the attractions scattered in the area, near this lake and the other lakes as well. You can also head north to visit the Dolomites.

The optimal length for a family holiday in the area is a week to ten days.

I recommend staying in one place of lodging for the whole trip (two at most, if you want to stay at one of the other lakes as well). This will lower costs for you and save you the hassle of moving, packing, unpacking, and searching for multiple hotels. This is a classic destination for ‘star trips’: a vacation where you stay at one central location and drive to attractions all around it in a 2-hour radius.

Independent Trip to Scandinavia

I would like to disagree with the opinion of many travellers who believe that it is best to visit Scandinavia on an organised tour.

This article is not about the ups and downs of organised tours. Every person should decide for themselves what sort of trip is best suitable for them.

This article is intended for independent travellers who have already travelled to different countries on their own, but are worried about doing so in Scandinavia because of distances, because of the roads, because of prices, and especially because that is what their friends have done.

Distances in Scandinavia really are enormous, so it is best not to be overly ambitious and try to see all of it at once. Break it up into three parts: Denmark and the south of Sweden, Finland and south to mid-Norway, and the north, famous for Sápmi and the midnight sun.

Austria - General Information

Austria is a small country in central Europe famous for its beautiful scenery on the one hand – lots of green views and snow-capped mountains which are a heaven for skiers – and its rich culture on the other hand: castles, churches, museums and lots of music. The variety of attractions in the country is so great that anyone will find something to love about it.

Austria is an ideal country for family holidays. It may not have any big famous amusement parks or an enormous water park, but it has fascinating and unique sites: ice caves, mines with slides and small underground trains, castles, palaces, alpine slides, beautiful lakes, cable cars, glaciers, waterfalls, and zoos. There are also plenty of opportunities for active vacation including an adventure park, rafting, zorbing, and more. Thanks to Austria’s small size, you can travel all over the country between attractions without wasting too much time on the road and without having to stay in more than one place of lodging.

Full name of country: Republik Österreich (The Republic of Austria).

A Trip to Budapest and Its Surrounding Area

Budapest is a fascinating city with a rich history, fancy buildings in a variety of architecture styles and plenty of restaurants and coffee shops. A wide river separates it into two halves: Buda and Pest. Many large bridges connect the two halves. The city is also full of grand churches and has a rather impressive synagogue as well.

If you are travelling only in Budapest and the surrounding area, I recommend dedicating three to four days to Budapest itself and another day or two to the Danube Knee area. Alternatively, you can combine a trip to Budapest with a trip to nearby Slovakia.

A Family Holiday in Salzburg and Tyrol in Austria

A week of unforgettable family attractions in Salzburg and Tyrol.

We’ve picked the nicest vacation apartments for you at a great location in the charming town of St. Johann in Tyrol. Out of there, you can go on daily star trips in the two most popular family destinations in Austria without having to change lodging throughout your trip.

Lodging is at well-furnished and fully-equipped apartments. The apartments span 67 metres and have two floors: on the lower floor are the kitchen, living room, bathroom and a yard. On the upper floor are two large bedrooms and a balcony overlooking a nice view.

Star Trip in Alsace-Lorraine and Europa Park
from the New Center Parcs

A new branch of the fantastic holiday village chain Center Parcs opened its doors in May 2010. It is called Le Trois Forêts and it is located in Lorraine in France.

The village is located an hour’s drive from Strasbourg in Alsace and an hour’s drive from Nancy in Lorraine.

The holiday village offers excellent lodging. It is located in the heart of a nature reserve, in a beautiful forest with 35-metre tall trees and a wide river flowing through it.

Europa Park and the Black Forest

Europa Park is one of the biggest and best amusement parks in Europe.
 Many prefer it to Disneyland Paris or Italy’s Gardaland. Every part of the park replicates the scenery of a different European country, its architecture, food, and music. Most importantly, it features many great rides, including excellent and unique roller coasters. Some call the park ‘Europe’s Epcot’. The park has over 100 attractions, including the biggest and tallest roller coaster in Europe, sledding, rafting in an African jungle, and a life-size model of the Mir Space Station.

Family Holiday in Holland

Holland is considered to be one of the best destinations for a family holiday in Europe, and rightfully so.

It has a wide range of family attractions, including great amusement parks, zoos, active vacation (such as cycling, boating, and skiing, even in the summer), museums children will enjoy, markets, flower gardens, picturesque towns and impressive big cities.

Many attractions are suitable for very young children as well.

Holland’s great advantage is its relatively small size and excellent roads, which make it an ideal destination for ‘star trips’: a vacation where you stay at one central location and drive to attractions all around it in a 2-hour radius. Star trips are the most convenient kind of vacation for families. You can stay at one or two destinations and drive from there to the different attractions for one or two weeks in comfort.

Star Trips in Austria

The most comfortable way to travel in Austria with your family is by staying in one vacation home for a week and from there, travelling to destinations up to 90 minutes away. The ideal place to stay is a charming farmhouse in the mountains, in a place that is peaceful and pastoral on the one hand but close to a main road on the other. It should be a place that is fun to return to at the end of a day of travelling. Even staying around it for the whole day without any driving around should be a fun option.

If you can afford staying 10-14 days in Austria it would be wise to stay in two different places: first, spend 5-6 days lodging in the heart of the state of Salzburg (for instance, in Flachau), then spend another4-5 days in Tirol (near Innsbruck). However, if you only have one week in Austria, it’s best to stay in one central location from which you can comfortably travel to the main attractions of both Tirol and Salzburg state.