Welcome to your go-to hub for UK (and Ireland) family-friendly travel itineraries, all inspired by real adventures and designed to be easy for you to follow. From short weekend escapes to longer stays, each trip is tried, tested, and packed with ideas to help you explore Britain with confidence and ease.
Our family travel itinerary ideas showcase the very best on our doorstep – from Devon’s golden beaches and the Cotswolds’ cute village, to pram-friendly city strolls in London and coastal charm in Norfolk. Every plan comes with thoughtful highlights, local tips, and practical advice tailored for families travelling with babies and young children.
No over-planning, no stress – just ready-made UK travel itineraries you can trust and make your own. Scroll down, choose your next destination, and start turning these routes into your family’s next unforgettable adventure.
Best October half term holidays abroad with kids (2026)
Last updated: October 2026. If you’d rather chase reliable sunshine than crisp autumn walks this October half term, this is the guide for you. Below are the trips we’d actually recommend once you factor in late-October weather, flight time and how well each destination works with a baby or toddler in tow. If you’re staying…
City Cruises Review: 3 Ways to cruise the River Thames with kids
We were invited by City Cruises to experience their sightseeing cruise in exchange for this review. As always, our thoughts and experience are entirely our own. We’ve done City Cruises’ afternoon tea cruise before with R, but this time we wanted to find out something more useful: which City Cruises route actually works best with…
23 unusual places to stay with kids in the UK & Europe
Some family holidays are just about where you go. But every so often, the accommodation itself becomes the whole point of the trip, the thing your kids talk about for months afterwards, long after the destination’s blurred into memory. That’s what this list is about: unusual places to stay with kids, not just unique family…
Best family hotels in the UK with kids clubs and childcare (2026)
Proper supervised kids clubs are rarer than you’d think at UK hotel level. This guide covers the hotels that genuinely get it right, from Cornwall to Scotland, with honest notes on what’s complimentary, what costs extra, and who the best options are for babies versus older children.
A family road trip around the Scotland Highlands: Skye, Glenfinnan and Loch Ness
There’s a moment somewhere on the A82, driving south along the Great Glen with Loch Ness stretching out to your left and mountains rising on both sides, when you think: I can’t believe we nearly didn’t do this. The Scottish Highlands had always felt like a trip for pre-kids or for with children who were…
Things to do around Loch Ness with kids: a trip for families
Loch Ness is one of those places that sounds almost mythical before you visit, and then when you’re there, standing on the shore with mountains in every direction and a ruined castle framed against the water, you can understand the hype. We spent four nights based in Drumnadrochit as part of a wider Scottish Highlands…
Isle of Skye with kids: an honest guide & rainy day ideas
We’ve just come back from four nights on the Isle of Skye with our 15-month-old and I’m still processing the dramatic skies, seal spotting from our living room window, hailstones one minute and golden light the next. It was unlike anywhere we’ve taken R before, and at first we were wondering if we’d made a…
October half term UK: best family breaks and places to visit (2026)
Last updated: September 2026.October is one of my favourite times of year to travel. The summer crowds have gone, prices come down (slightly!), and there’s something lovely about UK autumn breaks that doesn’t get talked about enough. Crisp morning walks, cosy pubs, and landscapes doing their best showing off of the year. If you’re looking…
A family weekend in the Chilterns: things to do in Henley-on-Thames with kids
Last updated: October 2026 If you’re looking for a quintessentially English riverside town that’s as lovely as it is family-friendly, Henley-on-Thames should be at the top of your list. As someone lucky enough to live nearby, I can say it’s one of the prettiest places in the country to explore an and I’m not just…
Things to do in Windsor with kids: insider day trip guide (+ hidden gems)
Last updated: June 2026 Windsor is one of the best day trips from London with kids – and it’s so much more than just the castle. Just 40 minutes from central London, this royal town offers everything from the world’s oldest inhabited castle to a hand-crafted adventure playground hidden in ancient woodland. We live just…
A family weekend in Shrewsbury: things to do with kids around Britain’s best high street
Shrewsbury is one of those English market towns that pleasantly surprises you at every turn. Nestled in a horseshoe loop of the River Severn, this historic Shropshire town was recently crowned Britain’s best high street by The Telegraph – beating even Edinburgh. With its medieval timber-framed buildings, thriving independent shops, and proximity to the Ironbridge…
Easter break with a toddler: From UK holidays to long-haul adventures (2026)
Real Easter break experiences from Norfolk to Nashville. Budget UK trips, holiday parks (with Easter prices!), European cities, and long-haul travel ideas.
Best UK beach holidays with baby: top destinations (2026)
Last updated: May 2026 Planning a UK beach holiday with your baby shouldn’t mean endless hours googling “baby-friendly beaches near me” or scrolling through generic family travel sites that lump toddlers and teenagers together. After taking R to beach destinations across the UK, I’ve learned that choosing the right destination matters far more than finding…
Best luxury babymoon hotels in the UK (plus our first night away picks)
Last updated: September 2026. When Jack and I booked The Pig in December 2024, I was heavily pregnant and keen for one weekend of quality time together before R arrived early January. It was exactly what we needed: no plans, no schedule, just proper rest before life changed for good. These are the hotels I’d…
UK city breaks with a toddler: 12 pram-friendly cities (2026)
Last updated: August, 2026 We’re in full planning mode for R’s second year of adventures, and UK city breaks with a toddler are high on our list. After spending his first year exploring the UK’s beaches, countryside, and cities, we’re ready to tackle more of Britain’s beautiful cities – and having visited many pushchair-friendly destinations over…
A long weekend in Jersey: family guide to the Channel Islands with a baby
Last updated: January 2026. When we started planning a quick October getaway with our 10-month-old R, Jersey wasn’t initially on our radar. But after I stumbled upon some cheap Avios flights, it became clear that this small island could be the perfect mini break without going far. With just a 30-minute flight from London, gorgeous…
Best family-friendly hotels in London: 16 stays for every family
Last updated: September 2026. Choosing where to stay in London with kids can make a huge difference to the trip. A hotel that looks central on a map can still mean a lot of time on the Tube, while finding a proper family room for five or six, a kitchenette for toddler meals or even…
Norfolk with kids: things to do + our baby-friendly family break
Last updated: September 2026.Norfolk was R’s first proper trip away when he was just three months old, and it turned out to be a very easy place to start travelling as a family. We based ourselves near the Norfolk Broads and mixed quiet beach walks with seal spotting at Horsey Gap, Cromer, Norwich, a steamboat…
Ireland itinerary with kids: our 10-day family road trip
Last updated: September 2026. Ireland is made for a family road trip: relatively short distances between many of the main stops, huge national parks, beaches and coastal walks, plus cities such as Galway and Dublin when you want a change of pace. We drove this 10-day route ourselves, starting in Cork and travelling through Killarney,…
Best Center Parcs alternatives & similar UK holiday parks (2026)
Last updated: September 2026 If, like us, you grew up with semi-regular trips to Center Parcs, you’ll know the memories to be made in the forest lodges or on the swimming rapids. But if you’ve priced it up recently, you’ll also know that it costs significantly more than it did when we were kids, and…
North Devon family holidays: best beaches, accommodation, days out with kids, and toddler-friendly tips
Last updated: June 2026 Planning things to do in North Devon with kids? You’re in for a treat. Having grown up here and now visiting with my own baby and two young nephews, I know exactly which beaches are safest, which attractions are worth the entry fee, and where you’ll actually want to eat with…
Things to do in the Cotswolds with kids: a local parent’s guide to 12 family days out
Last updated: October 2026 The Cotswolds are one of the most popular holiday destinations in England, and for good reason. With rolling countryside, cosy gastropubs, and charming stone villages, it’s an idyllic escape for all ages. But is it baby-friendly? As someone lucky enough to live in Oxfordshire (which makes up much of the Cotswolds…
Things to do in London with a baby or toddler: itinerary, overnight stays and insider tips
Last updated: October 2026 Whether you’re visiting London with a baby or an active toddler, this guide covers everything you need. From pram-friendly museums to toddler-approved playgrounds, step-free tube stations to baby changing locations, I’ll share the best things to do, a flexible 3-day itinerary, and insider tips from an ex-Londoner who’s visited London many…
Best family Airbnbs in the UK: tested stays for babies and toddlers (2026)
Last updated: April 2026. All properties personally tested. We still remember the uncertainty of booking our first trip with our newborn. While I started researching well before I’d even given birth, I knew where we stayed would truly make or break the experience. Finding the best family Airbnbs in the UK that were genuinely set…
