Many new parents jump at the chance to create lasting holiday memories as a growing family. While it can be a challenge to analyse a multitude of factors and choose a destination that will suit a young traveller, the joys of enjoying a holiday together more than make up for it and provide the ideal setting to strengthen family ties and share the joy of new experiences.
KAYAK, the world’s leading travel search engine, has analysed flight and hotel searches, focusing on trips with at least one baby – alongside factors like child-friendliness, reviews, and prices – to uncover its top baby-friendly destinations in 2024.
Key takeaways
- Seaside resorts both at home and abroad have a high proportion of family-friendly hotels
- Hotels in Red Sea resorts and Middle Eastern destinations get high review scores from families
- Spain, Portugal and Morocco offer some of the best-value destinations for families
Seaside holidays are a perennial family favourite
Head to the Med – the eastern Mediterranean and Red Sea resorts are family-friendly winners
Beach holidays appear to be an obvious family choice: sun, sea, sand – what’s not to like? From KAYAK’s research, Mediterranean and nearby resorts are clear winners. Sharm el-Sheikh and Hurghada, both on Egypt’s Red Sea coast, well-known for its clear waters and sheltered beaches, offer a high proportion of beach hotels – around 56% and 48% respectively. Side in Turkey also has plenty of hotels with access to the beach – around 51% – but is the priciest of the top 10 resorts analysed, with an average room rate of £179 per night, compared with around £117 in Sharm el-Sheikh and £102 in Hurghada.
For a good value for hotel stay – on average £86 per room/night – plus a good choice of beach hotels – around 43% – Benidorm on Spain’s famous Costa Blanca, seems to be an excellent option.
If you’re prepared to pay more for your family stay on the seashore (between £115 and £121 a night on average), consider Albufeira on Portugal’s Algarve coast and Paphos in Cyprus, which both score highly with guests, 8.3 and 8.4 out of 10.
Budget options for travelling abroad with a baby
Spain, Portugal and Morocco offer some of the best-value destinations
For a good-value getaway – a combination of return flights and a week’s hotel stay – check out Agadir on Morocco’s Atlantic coast, Faro in Portugal’s Algarve region and Alicante on Spain’s Costa Blanca. All are close to great beaches, and offer an average week’s hotel price between £612 and £621 plus return flights costing between £197 and £208 per person on average.
City-break destinations such as Lisbon, Madrid and especially Athens have higher hotel prices compared to the coastal areas in our ranking. Having said that, although hotels in Milan in northern Italy average £771 for a week’s stay, the city has competitively priced flights, averaging £127 per person. It could be worth considering for a short-break option for families with babies who are content to be carried around rather than entertained.
Long-haul destinations for baby-friendly holidays
Middle Eastern destinations are among the most family-oriented
A long-haul flight with a baby? It might sound intimidating, no doubt about that. But the rewards of spending time together in those beautiful family-friendly destinations make it all worthwhile. Sometimes taking a long-haul flight is the only way to get to warm beach destinations, especially when it’s winter in Europe and options can be limited. Importantly, until little travel companions turn two, they can often fly either for free or at a minimal cost which is a big lift for the family travel budget.
KAYAK’s analysis shows that Middle Eastern destinations – in particular, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Doha (in Qatar) plus the Egyptian Red Sea resorts of Sharm el-Sheikh and Hurghada – have a high proportion of family-friendly hotels, ranging from 47% to 74%. Abu Dhabi sits at the higher end of the range, with around 74%. Its large, modern hotels, often with multiple eating choices, swimming pools and children’s activities, are almost a guarantee for an easy-going holiday – for the whole family. Egyptian resorts cost less; Sharm el-Sheikh’s average hotel room price per night, for example, is £117, compared with £203 for Dubai, and flights average £383 compared with £544 per person.
An in-between choice could be Morocco. Flight times to Marrakech and Agadir are under four hours compared with seven hours for Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Additionally, Agadir with its excellent value for hotels and flights combined, also is a good call for a family holiday.
Big, busy, exciting cities – New York, Bangkok and Tokyo – are still great for a trip with your baby but keep in mind that they have fewer than 30% of hotels geared to family stays.
Holidaying at home with the family can be a winner
East or west coast, plenty of family-friendly places on the seashore offer great value close to home, while the north is perfect for a short city break with your little one.
Blackpool in Lancashire, and destinations on the east coast such as Great Yarmouth and Skegness have average hotel room prices between £63 and £76 per night, and average review scores between 7.9 and 8.3. With their big beaches and family-friendly attractions (including entertainment shows), these are fail-safe choices.
Whitby in North Yorkshire and Llandudno in Wales are pricier coastal options (average hotel room prices of £98 and £88 per night, respectively) but with high satisfaction rates (8.5 and 8.3).
For a short city-break, both Sheffield in Yorkshire and Newcastle-upon Tyne in the north east, are famously friendly cities and offer good value: average hotel room prices per night of £77 and £80 respectively and a friendly 8.1 review score.
Holidaying at home can be a good choice to keep costs down – as well as being more familiar – or if time only allows a short break or you simply want to travel by car instead of taking a flight. Seaside family holidays with their sandy beaches, jolly amusements and good-value accommodation have long been popular. And it seems they’re still a winner with six of the top 10 spots – ranked by good-value hotel price and high hotel review scores – on the coast.
Top 10 tips for travelling with a baby
- When planning a seaside holiday, check water temperature and depth beforehand. For a delightful beach experience with a baby, avoid cold waters and large waves.
- For a city break, opt for a pram-friendly destination with parks or tree-lined streets for peaceful naps in shade.
- Research the medical standards in your destination. Make sure you’re comfortable with the local healthcare system and that there’s no language barrier in emergencies.
- For adventurous destinations, check local health risks, especially if your baby isn’t old enough for certain vaccinations. Pack a complete first aid kit; don’t assume you’ll have access to your usual rescue remedies.
- Check other traveller reviews to see if your hotel is close to the safe beaches and pools and offers free amenities like cribs or bassinets. Choose a place with a kitchen so you can whip up a meal for your kiddo.
- Take a peek at the nightlife scene to ensure you’re not next to a rowdy bar. You want to avoid a soundtrack of partying tourists when you’re trying to get some sleep – baby or not.
- If you need a buggy or stroller, check the airline’s rules for sizes for taking on-board and/or if you’re allowed to take them as far as the aircraft’s steps.
- If breastfeeding, review the airline’s guidelines for carrying breast milk. Plan feeding times ahead for babies, especially during take-off and landing to ease ear pressure change.
- Pack sufficient nappies and baby feeds to last the journey, with extras for potential delays. Keep nappies, bags, foldable mat, creams and wipes in a separate but easily-accessible bag.
- Allow at least an extra hour to travel to the airport to cope with mishaps and traffic. Check if taxis offer child seats and pre-book it if needed. Trains can be a good option too, if your baby isn’t a fan of car seats – they can just snuggle up in your arms.
