5 Family-Friendly Cities for Spring Break Trips

My husband and I are avid urban travelers, and that didn’t change when we had children. We still enjoy encountering a city’s delights, though now we rely more advance planning, patience and ice cream breaks.

My family has learned to select cities with direct flight access, walkable downtowns and neighborhoods full of parks and playgrounds. We prioritize accommodations with a heated pool, and research in advance kid-friendly festivals and events.

When Katie Farrell, a London-based digital director, researches urban travel with her husband and two daughters, ages 3 and 7, she searches for “fun-for-all” activities.

“The main criteria for me is that kids and adults can enjoy the same things,” she said. “Neither feels like they are missing out and everyone enjoys what you are doing.” Recent adventures for her family included dipping pastries in horchata in Valencia, Spain, and swimming around archaeological ruins in Puglia, Italy.

Technology can be an asset: Google Maps filters for restaurants that are “Good for kids” and those that feature a “Kids’ menu,” and also shows when child-focused museums and other destinations will be open and less crowded. Our family clusters activities to reduce time spent in transit, and we create custom walking routes using Apple Maps and other apps.

Through our travels, we learned that these cities are among the best for travelers young and old, particularly for spring break:

Washington, D.C.