Western Europe

Western Europe is the classic family trip for a reason. Compact, walkable capitals; astonishing museums with hands-on kids' programming; excellent trains that turn a "long journey" into a picnic on wheels; and a coastline that goes from Portuguese Atlantic surf to Amalfi glitter to Greek island quiet. You can do Paris, London, and Amsterdam in one two-week loop and never rent a car. You can chase art from the Prado to the Uffizi. You can lay on a beach in Mallorca and be back at a Barcelona tapas bar by dinner. Our Western Europe guides are written for families that want to travel like the locals travel: which arrondissement in Paris to actually stay in with kids, when to skip the Vatican queue, why Lisbon is our current soft-spot pick for grandparents-and-toddlers trips, and how to make Rome's heat, hills, and cobbles bearable in July. This is the region we know best — expect strong opinions.