Best Locations For Young Family Travel

Many people believe that they cannot travel when their first baby arrives, but this is not true and it’s never been easier to travel with children. In fact, it’s a great idea to get kids used to traveling at an earlier age and it helps to broaden their horizons. In this article, we will take a closer look at some of our favorite locations for young family travel.

Smugglers Notch Resort, Jefferson, VT

This resort is located in the Green Mountains, it’s a great place for winter sports, but it’s a fun place to visit all year round. This resort has family activities for toddlers up to teens with magic shows, scavenger hunts, sing-a-longs and more. Teens can enjoy a guided hike, build water rockets (and fire them) and play glow-in-the-dark volleyball. There are 8 heated swimming pools and some of them are equipped with waterslides. The condos can have up to 5 bedrooms which makes stays with members of your extended family a fun option. 

Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts Riviera Maya, Mexico

This location has all the favorite Nickelodeon characters, huge water parks to explore and daily fun slimings. This is an all-inclusive resort, with a supervised kids club that caters for kids in the 4-12 age range. There’s plenty for the parents too, there are spa treatments, romantic dinner options and Tequila tastings! The accommodations are modern suites that can sleep up to 5 people with a pair of bathrooms. There’s even direct access to the pool from the balcony at every floor. 

Legoland, New York

This is a fantastic place for ages 2-12 with hands-on activities, colorful attractions and all the playset series that we know and love. The kids get to play throughout the day and there’s always something fun to do. The Water Playground is a relatively new attraction with a 318 gallon water bucket for sliding and splashing. This park has an Autism Center with trained employees for kids with cognitive impairment. For extended stays, the Legoland Hotel offers lego building in the Creative Workshop and entertainment. For those that want a break between the busy days, the nearby Sleep Inn & Suites Monroe is a great bed and breakfast option. 

Sesame Place, Philadelphia

This has been a firm favorite with successive generations since the resort opened in 1980. It’s a fantastic location for families with young kids in the 2-5 age range. Both toddlers and preschoolers will love hanging out with Elmo and their other favorite characters. Some favorite attractions include Big Bird’s Rambling River, the Bert & Ernie Splashy Shores (Summer only) and The Count’s Splash Castle. Inside Elmo’s World young visitors can play Peek-A.Bug and enjoy the Flying Cookie Jars and Flyin’ Fish rides. In the Sesame Neighborhood, explorers will find Oscar’s Wacky Taxi Rollercoaster and the new interactive 123 Playground. The best places to stay are the affordable and pet-friendly 2-star Red Roof Inn Philadelphia in Oxford Valley. Those that need more space can opt to stay at the 2-star SpringHill Suites Philadelphia Langhorne.

Quisisana Resort, Lovell, ME

This is a wonderful all-inclusive lakefront resort with no TV or Wi-Fi signals in the air conditioned comfortable rooms. The purpose is to take a digital detox and focus on the family friendly immersive activities to have rewarding experiences that will last a lifetime. There is so much to do including paddle boating, learning to kayak, catching fish from the lake, tennis, building sandcastles and more. The fun doesn’t stop after sunset, there are Broadway-style live shows held in the outdoor theater to entertain all ages. The fresh air, physical activity and sheer choice of things to do will ensure that kids are ready for a good night’s sleep. Some all-inclusive resorts skimp out on the daily meals, but this is not the case at the Quisisana Resort. There are 3 daily meals with standard menu items such as lobster rolls and a Maine blueberry pie for dessert. This will keep the family fueled up and ready to take advantage of everything that this resort has to offer. If you absolutely need to use Wi-Fi, there is a signal in the main lobby, but there’s no need to tell the kids about it, it’s our little secret!

Rock House Resort, Turks & Caicos

This cliffside resort opened in May 2022, it’s designed to be a Mediterranean style oasis. Some of the villa-style accommodations have their own private pool and the family may spend most of their time in the water. Every villa has a roomy living room and full kitchen for home cooking and snacks. If the family gets bored of their spacious pool, they can venture out into the resort and take a dip in the oceanfront infinity pool. There is a long stretch of gorgeous white sand beach that’s reserved exclusively for guests. The cliffside setting for this resort is aesthetically pleasing, but it can be challenging to navigate with a stroller. Additionally, for families that have members that find stairs to be a challenge, it may be a good idea to consider an alternative resort choice. 

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Universal Orlando, Florida

This attraction has all the rides and experiences to satisfy fans of the Harry Potter franchise. Visitors can enjoy The Forbidden Journey ride, meet the Whomping Willow, take the Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure coaster, tame the Flight of the Hippogriff, buy a wand at Ollvanders or join a Quidditch match. To relax after all the excitement, visitors should order a butterbeer at the Leaky Caldron which can be found in Diagon alley. It’s fair to say that the entire family can take part in a highly immersive Harry Potter experience. The optimal age is 8-13, but younger kids and older teens may enjoy the resort if they are invested in the setting. Visitors can stay on-site at the Loews Portofino Hotel and Hard Rock Hotel. Both hotels have free Universal Express Unlimited passes for guests to skip lines. To stay further afield, check out the JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes which has a dedicated kids club with a 500 acre scavenger hunt!