With so much to do, see, and explore; vacationing here with your family is a great way to have a trip you’ll remember forever. Here,  we look at 5 of the best family friendly vacations in Europe; perfect for those that love exploring, and those that love a little bit of relaxing:

1. Italian driving holiday

Road trips don’t have to be for college kids. In fact, you can take your family on a driving holiday and we promise there won’t be any cries of ‘Are we there yet?!’.

Positano, Amalfi Coast, Italy by Rome Cabs

The Amalfi Coast in Italy provides one of the most romantic and breathtaking backdrops to a driving holiday, and is the perfect vacation for thrill seekers. Widely considered to be the most scenic stretch of Italian coastline, cruising down these winding roads can make anyone feel like a superstar.

You can stop off at some of the most whimsical hotel locations ever, sample delicious local cuisine, and bathe in the turquoise waters of the Mediterranean. It is recommended that you drive this coastal route during the peak of tourist season to get the best vacation possible.

2. Villa in Spain

If you’re still looking for a week of complete relaxation but want to avoid the crowds, why not hire a villa in Spain?

Forgot the main tourist areas, and explore off the beaten track; whilst still unwinding by the pool and spending time as a family. A villa break acts as a great base to explore from, and gives you the freedom and isolation you don’t get in a hotel.

Just be sure to hire a car, and explore some of the hidden areas Spain or the Spanish islands have to offer.

Villas in Spain (Santa Pola Life Resort, Alicante) / Photo by Claire for Europe Explored

3. Camping in the Lake District

England has some of the most beautiful countryside in the world, and makes for a family friendly vacation spot with a twist. If you love being ‘at one’ with nature, and have a real adventurous spirit, you should consider a camping holiday in the Lake District.

This vacation will provide you with some real, quality ‘family time’; away from all the distractions of modern life. Hire some bicycles and go exploring; go fishing; and eat around the campfire.

There are a plethora of stunning locations to choose from, and so much to do in the Lake District; it’s no wonder it’s one of the most popular destinations for people all around the world. You should also look into hiring a car and exploring the surrounding area too!

Red Pike, Lake District, England, UK by Phil and Pam

4. Euro Disney

Children of all ages love theme parks; and children of all ages love the magical world of Disney. So why not hop across the pond, and take your family to Euro Disney?

Situated in the romantic city of Paris; Euro Disney is a mini version of the Florida theme park but offers much the same experience. Your little ones can enjoy collecting signatures from their favourite characters, watch the spectacular shows, and ride some of the great rollercoaster’s.

Whilst over in France, be sure to head to all the sights such as the Eiffel Tower for a once-in-a-lifetime tourist experience.

Disneyland Paris, France by Randal Sheppard

5. Skiing in Austria

If active vacations are more your thing, why not consider going skiing in Austria? This kind of trip is ideal for families that want action and adventure; and not lounging around on the beach.

Whether you know how to ski or want to learn together, this is a great family-friendly vacation with a difference. There are a whole host of locations and slopes, suitable for all ability levels, and there is plenty to do when the skiing is over.

Austrian Alps by Edward Simpson

Europe is home to some wonderful locations for family friendly vacations. If you’re looking for a trip with a difference, why not give it a try? You might be surprised at what you discover.

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Incredible view at the top of the Kaprun Glacier, Austria by Jasmic

Austria is sought-after destination also due to its Free-ride opportunities, which are really a lot. Austria is a paradise also for snowboarders, because almost every resort has some kind of a snowboard park. Austria offers a high standard of services including ski schools and ski instructors.

Better ski resorts are mostly above the forest and the cable car rides often to three thousand meters above sea level, while cross-country trails are mainly in the Alpine valleys.

Skiing and winter tourism is in general one of the main sources of income of the Alpine country. Today, Austrian Alps is an International term – more than 70% of visitors to the Austrian Alps are coming from abroad. Although the Austrian Alps do not have a record altitude or length of the ski slopes, but thanks to snow cannons offer favourable snow conditions from early October to late May. Austrian mountains usually have enough natural snow, so artificial snow is often used only for certain parts of the slopes.

Ski Accommodation in Austria

Austria is known for excellent quality accommodation, mostly in the style of a typical Austrian Alps (interiors are wooden, clean and airy, homely hospitality and cozy atmosphere). Austria offers a complete range of accommodation – from hostels to five star hotels, often including at least sauna or Turkish steam room. Four-star hotels are usually greater relaxation centres (often with a pool). Some ski resorts, such as Kaprun Ski Hotels offer a spa, many of them have great water parks and offer lots of Après-ski opportunities.

Skiing in Austria is one of the biggest attractions in the country and if you are skier, you shouldn’t miss this destination!

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Photo by oetztal.com

Ötztal Valley Resorts have a total of more than 300 km of ski slopes, which lie at an altitude ranging from 1377 to 3340 meters above sea level and thus can boast an elevation of nearly 2,000 metres. The most famous ski resort of Ötztal is exclusive Sölden, which offers about 150 kilometers of ski slopes, spreading partially on two glaciers and three peaks with a height exceeding 3,000 meters above sea level. This makes Sölden really a unique ski resort in Austrian Alps. More than 100 kilometers of slopes has another luxury resort Obergurgl-Hochgurgl. But Ötztal is also suitable for cross-country skiers as you can find here around 185 kilometres of cross-country trails.

Ski pass prices and opening hours
Lifts in the Ötztal runs from 8:30 to 16:30. One-day ski pass costs €45 in the most popular resorts like Sölden and Obergurgl-Hochgurgl, and six-day ski pass costs about €230.

Also an offer of après-ski activities is on a high level in Ötztal. In addition to restaurants, bars, shops, you can try out all sorts of winter sports and the icing on the cake is a luxury aqua park situated in the town Längenfeld.

For further info visit oetztal.com website.

View Ötztal – ski on exclusive slopes with a great elevation in Austria in a larger map

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Photo by stuben.com

Resort St.Anton-St.Christoph-Stuben offers a total of 115 km of ski slopes, which are located at an altitude ranging from 1304 metres to 2811 meters above sea level. 49 kilometres are ski slopes of blue difficulty, 53 km are of red slopes and 13 kilometers of tracks boasts black level. Additional 100 kilometres are off the groomed slopes.

There are a total of 38 lifts in operation here (5 cabins, 17 chair lifts, 16 poma lifts). They can transport over 58,000 skiers per hour. Of course there is a number of snow parks and a ski schools and you can even use approximately 40 km of cross-country ski trails.

Lifts in St.Anton-St.Christoph-Stuben runs from 8:45am to 4:15pm. Adult daily ski pass costs €45.50, and six-day ski pass costs €219.

An offer of après-ski activities in the village of Stuben can not even compare to the well known and famous St.Anton, the legendary town, which is the main site of an area. But anyway Stuben is still very nice and suitable for all types of skiers and offers really nice skiing in Austrian Alps with great view of the surrounding peaks.

For further information visit an official site of Stuben ski resort.

View Stuben – Cradle of Alpine Skiing Austria in a larger map

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This alpine lake is one of the most visited places in the Austrian Gletscherpark area (the area south of Innsbruck). Rifflsee Lake is accessible only by cable car from the town of Mandarfen. The cableway takes you to the height of 2300 meters, where is a magnificent view of the lake itself and the surrounding Austrian Alps. In the building of the final station there is a restaurant with a renowned panoramic terrace.

Austria is ideal for mountain hikes, and Lake Rifflsee is the famous starting point. It is ideal for young cyclists but also for the older people. There are many tracks of various lengths and complexity. All the tracks definitely have one thing in common – great views of the Alps! Rifflsee is well-known also among skiers and this area belongs to one of the best skiing destinations in Austria.

View Rifflsee Lake – the highest situated lake in Austria in a larger map

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It was back during the late Tertiary period when the Tennengebirge mountains were first formed. Known as the Würm glaciation period, much of the Austrian Alps were formed, including that of the Eisriesenwelt cave. With each passing year, as the melting snows trip into the cavern and then froze the following year, the Eisriesenwelt was slowly eroded away over hundreds of thousands of years.

Eisriesenwelt caves, Austria by eisriesenwelt.at

Anton Posselt, who was a scientist from Salzburg back in 1879, is credited with having first discovered the Eisriesenwelt Caverns. Up until this point in time, only the locals in the area knew anything about the cave. It is interesting to note, that Anton Posselt only took the time to explore the first several hundred meters of the cave, as he believed that the cave itself was an entrance to Hell.

It was not until 1912 when further expeditions into the cave would occur. Alexander von Mörk who was a speleologist from Salzburg spent much of the next two years dedicated to mapping out the internals of the cave network. However, as a result of World War I, his expeditions ceased due to the fact that he was killed as a result the bombings.

Eisriesenwelt Caves, Austria by eisriesenwelt.at

Shortly after the end of the First World War, the Eisriesenwelt started to develop into a popular terse destination in the region. As a result, a number of cabins and walking paths up to the cave were constructed. However the more than three decades the only option to access the Eisriesenwelt caves was to walk on foot more than 90 minutes. In 1955 a cable car was constructed in the region, which allow people to access the Eisriesenwelt caves in less than three minutes.

It is important to remember, that the Eisriesenwelt Caves are composed entirely of ice and therefore the temperatures inside are well below freezing level. As a result, it is important to make sure that you bring the proper clothing, no matter what time of year you choose to visit them. At the same time you must keep in mind that flash photography within the caves are strictly prohibited.

Eisriesenwelt Caves, Austria by eisriesenwelt.at

In order to get the most out of your trip to the caves it is important to take the time to sign up to a tour. This will allow you to get the most amount of relevant information about the caves, as well as their formation, and the various monuments and designations that can be found throughout the geological formation.

The caves are closed during the winter and basic admission is €20. For more information check the official site of Eisriesenwelt Caves: eisriesenwelt.at.

Pictures were used upon eisriesenwelt.at approval. Thank you!

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Perhaps the biggest reason why the Liechtenstein Gorge has become so popular, is that it is one of the deepest and easily accessible ravines within the entire mountain region. While there are countless gorges that are just as deep, if not deeper, many of them are not as easily accessed.

Liechtenstein Gorge, Austria by Heather (Gruber) Williams

It was back during the last Ice Age that towering glaciers more than 3000 meters above sea level sat above the location of the Liechtenstein Gorge. As the Ice Age came to an end and the glaciers began to recede and melt, the torrential water began to cut a narrow slit into the sides of the Alpine mountains as the water made its way to lower altitudes.

In many places, the Gorge is so narrow, and the walls are so tall that light is almost nonexistent within the Liechtenstein Gorge. Due to the dangers of crossing the Gorge, countless bridges have been built over the centuries to make access to the Liechtenstein Gorge much easier. Many of which can be accredited to the Prince of Liechtenstein who ruled over the region back in 1875.

A view from Liechtenstein Gorge, Austria by Heather (Gruber) Williams

For hundreds of years the Liechtenstein Gorge has been attracting people from all over Europe and the world. Today, it is estimated that more than 10 million people from around the world have visited the awe-inspiring natural beauty of the Liechtenstein Gorge.

And while there are countless gorges and regain second be found throughout the Alpine region, not one of them has been visited as much over the centuries. Millions of people have made their way to Austria in order to walk the length of the Liechtenstein Gorge and stare in awe at its breathtaking beauty.

You can visit the gorge from early May to end of October, openning hours vary on the season and the basic admission is €4,50. For more information visit liechtensteinklamm.at.

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