Great family holiday destinations with free kids’ places
We thought that we might try to tempt you to some of our favourite family holiday destinations by looking for attractions where the kids can go for free. It’s not always easy to find free child places on holidays but with a little inside knowledge we think we can help you to keep costs down whilst having a great time away.
Barcelona really is a superb destination for your family holiday. The city has so much to see and do that we are certain you will want to visit more than once. Many of Barcelona’s top attractions are free to children aged under four years old with good reductions in prices for older children. The Archaeological Museum at the foot of Montjuic Hill offers free child places for the under 16s and also has some excellent family workshops that the kids will really enjoy. A ride in the Montjuic Cable Car is free for the under fours and takes you to the lovely Montjuic Castle where even you and the older children can enjoy yourselves for free. There are also free places for football-mad under sixes on the ‘Camp Nou Experience’ which includes a visit to FC Barcelona’s multi-media centre a walk through the players’ tunnel and admittance to the museum.
Our second destination is Spain’s capital city Madrid. With the Madrid Card you will be amazed at how many places offer free child places and free entry for the adults too. A spectacular birds-eye view of the city can be had from the Teleférico cable car which runs almost every day from 12pm until 9pm. The Madrid Zoo is considered to be one of Europe’s best zoos and includes an aquarium and performing dolphins (guaranteed to put a smile on your kid’s faces). The waxwork museum and even Madrid’s main amusement park (Parque de Atracciones) have free places for kids when you have the Madrid Card. Even without the card your kids can enjoy themselves for free at the many play areas at Madrid’s Urban Beach or watching the street entertainers at Retiro Park.
Paris is our next stop where most of the museums have free entry for children – try the Museum of Modern Art at the Villa de Paris where children under 14 can enter for free and will see some spectacular artworks. With a little thinking outside the box you can also keep the children happy for free in some unexpected ways. If you and the kids are up for it you can go up the Eiffel Tower for free – you will have to use the stairs so make it a bit of an adventure. Entrance to Notre Dame is free and another stair climb will pay dividends as you can take a ‘selfie’ with the gargoyles and have a look at the great bell rung by Quasimodo.
The bustling city of Rome is perhaps unsurprisingly child friendly. Of the many ancient sites that will leave you children awestruck the Colosseum Roman Forum and Palatine Hill offer free entry for children and teenagers under 18 years old on the first Sunday of each month. Many of Rome’s museums have free child places either on Sundays or on a specific day each month so it is worth looking to see what is available on the days you’ll be there. A visit to Piazza Navona will almost certainly keep the children entertained especially towards Christmas when it is aglow with festive treats and a huge merry-go-round. The Roma Pass may well be worth considering as it allows free entry for children under 6 to many of the main museums.
Valencia is our final stop and a first port of call for the family should be the Bioparc which has free admission for the under 4s. The Bioparc is a rather special zoo that maximises access to the animals by making the barriers that restrain them virtually invisible. Public transport in Valencia is free for children under five but the Valencia Travel Card offers free travel to the rest of the family as well as free child places at a number of the city’s museums and monuments.
