laclaire

I know this is posted on the Europe board, but I highly recommend Morocco as a wonderful destination for anyone. I did it as a single female last summer, and I have a few friends who have taken their children and really enjoyed it. I spoke to a friend's kids (7 and 9) who went and they were in love. I heard their child anecdotes about the dunes, the desert, the hammams, shopping in the medinas, eating at Djemaa el Fnaa, etc, and they really loved it and paid attention.

SAnParis

Funny, I didn't see Rexs' comments as anything but a tad insightful, & I'll agree about NOLA. Portugal & the Czech Republic are also good suggestions. Germany & Austria also, as long as you are willing to perhaps drive (or train) & visit smaller places. The cities are what typically cost the most $$. Munich too me is another, less expensive option w/tons of stuff close-by. Perhaps the OP can provide a little more info ??

roadlesstraveled

Ireland. Very kid friendly with a lot of free sites such as the Burren, Cliffs of Mohler, Dingle Penn., Kilarney National Park, etc.

mari5

You have received some WONDERFUL ideas!
Portugal was my first idea...a lot more economical that some countries and lots of things children would enjoy. I am a little partial because we lived there for 2 years when our 3 children were ages 10,11,12.

But I think a good place to start would indeed be London, and as some others have said "it can be done with some planning". An apartment would be ideal for your family, perhaps cooking a few meals...(and they would experience a trip to their supermarkets&gt. There are breaks for children at lots of museums and attractions, and also "free" things they would enjoy. A trip to typical English country towns would be fun...as someone else mentioned the Cotswolds.
It just takes a lot of research. What time of year were you thinking of?

missypie

London would be "easy" and fun, but definitely not cheap! Any city can be toured more economically by renting a flat, cooking a bit yourselves, etc., but London, even in times of a strong dollar, is an extremely expensive city.

MonicaRichards

I second the recommendation for Costa Rica. They love kids there, so much that you will really notice the difference when you return to the US. And you can stay in top-flight places for a reasonable sum, especially if you travel off season, in the summer.

CharlotteYork

Thanks for everyone's great replies. Several people suggested visiting Portugal. I never thought of that but now I am intrigued!

We're shooting for a trip at the end of May to beginning of June. (Not a big fan of hot weather, so that may be an obstacle for us.)

A couple of people suggested Costa Rica. We have visited there twice and loved it. Now, we're looking to expand our destinations a little since the kids are getting older.

Any more ideas?

starrsville

A friend bought a condo in Portugal 20 years ago and adored their long vacations there. Be sure to take a peek at Isabel's pictures on her Portugal trip report - gorgeous! I was about to suggest a beach vacation, but you just said you don't like hot weather. Portugal offers the beauty and variety of the rest of Europe - but at a great price!

missypie

If you aren't doing it already, I recommend that you follow the thread entitled "Travelgirl's trip of a lifetime." (Someone else would be able to provide the link.) Travelgirl is in the midst of an 11 week trip around Europe and Asia with her kids. She often lists prices/rates and compares the prices in one city to those of another, so that would give you an "on the ground" idea of costs. (Plus, it's a terrific read.)

rex

There was no sarcasm intended in my post.

If my own sister posted the same question (kids 9 and 5), my answer would be the same.

bat

here is the link to travelgirl's report

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34821213

Fodorite018

Another vote for Portugal. We took our children there a few years ago and fell in love with the area, and it didn't break the bank.

massagediva

Thailand,India or Turkey.

mjs

The cost of a family trip comes down essentially to the factors of travel costs, food costs, accomadation costs, activity costs, shopping costs and misc. Travel costs are dependent on where you are coming from and where you are going plus the number of places you are traveling to and the timing of your travel dates.
Going off season and limiting the number of different places you are visiting in one trip will keep your travel costs down. Food cost can be managed best by staying in an apartment and eating out of local supermarkets or stores which sell prepared food. Accomodation costs can be tackled by renting apartments for a family of 4+ as hotel rooms which will hold 4 in a room are not that common outside North America and NZ/OZ. You may also stay in hostels or in University dormitories during vacation times to save money. Staying in cities cost more than staying in the country. Activity costs are very dependent on what you like to do and where you go and when you go. Assume little or no shopping if you want to save money.
Would consider Southeast Asia, New Zealand, Central America, and possibly South America.
Europe will likely be more expensive than the above choices, especially London/GB, Switzerland and Scandinavia. If you stay out of the major cities in the rest of Europe you could probably go just about anywhere else without significant differences in local cost. Where you ultimately decide to go will depend on what you think is inexpensive, timing of travel and length of travel and the ages of your children. Big difference traveling if your children are 5 and say 6 as opposed to say 9 or 10.

virginiafish

I agree with Costa Rica and...have you considered a home exchnage to anywhere? It really helps cut down on room and food costs and is a wonderful experience!

TylerTraveler

Poland... family safe, good family activities... still cheap.


Anywhere in Eastern Europe is going to be FAR cheaper than Western Europe.

Or consider Thailand or Costa Rica like others have mentioned. Europe is spendy in general.

rhkkmk

thailand and any place in asia...io know this is the europe bd

travelbunny

consider a home exchange..keeps costs down and your interaction with your "switch" family often is great and helps you to get a local feel.

Hagan

You may want to consider looking at airfares for your time frame, and see which major destinations are the cheapest to fly into. When you're bringing the whole family, the airfare is usually your biggest expenditure.

As others have noted, you can usually find good value in holiday apartment rentals, use public transportation, and make things work in just about any European destination. Sometimes you can get really good fares to London, for instance, which sort of makes up for the higher cost of staying there. And with young children, I'd definitely go the apartment route and avoid hotels.

Have fun deciding! And let us know where you're going.

Clifton

Agree that Thailand, and south east Asia would be a really eye opening, learning experience. Also fairly easy and very inexpensive once there. But if you're going during US school holidays, count on it being pretty steamy in that part of the world.

Romania too is a step beyond when it comes to very different experience than the western world. Not as easy as all that to get to, and not as easy to travel in once there as western Europe would be. Cheap, plenty of history though, and a world unto itself. It's a bit like being in a time warp.