Family Holiday Destinations
The places I know best, and what makes each one work for families.
Every destination asks something different of a family holiday. Some reward slowing down. Some need more planning than they look like they need. These pages cover the places families ask me about most, with the practical detail that shapes how a trip actually comes together.
More destinations are added here as I write them. If the place you are thinking about is not on this page yet, it is still worth asking.
New Zealand
Big landscapes, easy self-drive travel and a holiday you can shape around the way your family likes to move. New Zealand looks straightforward to plan until you start fitting the pieces together, and it is usually the distances and the drive times that catch families out.
Read the New Zealand page for what the country offers families, or go straight to the South Island Family Road Trip Guide for the seven planning facts that change how an itinerary fits together.
Hawaii
Close enough for a first big overseas holiday and familiar enough to feel easy, but Hawaii works differently to Fiji or Bali. Room style, where you stay in Waikiki, how you get around and how you handle meals all shape the trip more than most families expect.
The Oahu Family Holiday Planning Guide covers the seven details worth understanding before you start booking.
Walt Disney World at Christmas
Florida at Christmas is a trip families dream about for years before they book it. It is also one of the busiest and most expensive times of the year to travel, and the difference between a magical holiday and an exhausting one usually comes down to the dates you pick, how long you stay and how hard you push the parks.
Read the Disney Christmas planning guide for what to weigh up before you book, including festive dates, where to stay, park tickets, crowds and realistic costs.
Somewhere else in mind?
These are not the only places I book. If you are thinking about somewhere that is not on this page, tell me what you are imagining and I will tell you honestly whether it suits your family and what it would take to plan it properly.
Every free planning guide sits on the Family Travel Resources page.