Family Holidays: Germany family holidays

Take the Family holiday rating 4 stars out of 5

Why

Germany is a good choice for kids and parents alike. Indoor and outdoor activities are plentiful and boredom won’t be an issue. Outdoors you can explore authentic wilderness in nature reserves, national parks and game parks. Indoors you can have fun in hands-on museums, enjoy guided tours aimed at children and be entertained by plays and musicals, not to mention the outstanding range of indoor pool complexes, theme and water parks.

There is an extensive train network and family tickets are available. The German road system is very well sign – posted.

Top left: Father and son camping in Germany
Top middle: Skiing in Southern Germany
Top right: Father and daughter hiking

Bottom left: Horseriding on holiday
Bottom right: Steinhude Lake, Germany

When

The weather is best between May and October. In mid-summer shorts can be just as appropriate as an umbrella. Average temperatures in July are around 20°C in the lowlands and around 25°C in the sheltered valleys of the south. Temperatures tend to be more extreme than in the UK, and Germany’s climate can also be changeable.

How

Take the plane
From major cities in the UK to one of 24 airports in Germany. The airports are well served by public transport, taxis and car rental offices.

Take the ferry
For those who prefer to travel in their own car, there are a number of efficient ferry services linking the UK to Germany, either directly (Harwich – Cuxhaven) or via other countries.

Take the train
There are up to 8 connections per day using Eurostar to destinations such as Cologne, Frankfurt, Berlin or even Munich with only one change in Brussels or Paris.

Do

Visit a theme park:
• Imagine lying on the beach, relaxing or taking a dip in the tropical sea just one hour outside of Berlin – all this is possible in the 24hour entertainment water park Tropical Islands.
• The thrilling Europa-Park Rust hosts Europe’s fastest and highest roller coaster Silver Star and features more than one hundred attractions on the 68-hectare site
• Not to mention all the other ones like Phantasialand, Autostadt Wolfsburg, Legoland, Heide-Park Soltau or Movie Park Babelsberg.
Experience child – friendly cities:
• Germany’s towns and cities invite families to experience a fabulous range of activities and adventures. Children love the Chocolate Museum in Cologne and the Miniature Wonderland (the world’s largest model railway) in Hamburg, to say nothing of the Adventure Zoo in Hanover.

Be king for a day:
• Germany is worth a family trip just for its castles and palaces.

Step into a fairytale:
• Follow the footsteps of the Brothers Grimm, visiting the homes of the sleeping Beauty, the Bremen Town Musicians and the Pied Piper on the German Fairytale Route.

Be enchanted in a Winter Wonderland:
• Discover the romantic Christmas Markets which are held in cities, towns and villages throughout Germany. From here you can buy all kinds of Christmas merchandise and gifts. Youngsters especially will be attracted to the gingerbread biscuits known as Lebkuchen, marzipan figures and other sweets.

Eat

Germany’s culinary landscape varies dramatically while you travel the country from North to South and from East to West. Germany is especially famous for its sausages and bread. Each German region is proud of its own special sausage, e.g. the curry sausage from Berlin, the finger-size grilled sausage from Nuremberg or the grilled sausage spiced with marjoram from Thruringia.

Cost

Germany is an affordable destination and offers very good value for money. Great discounts for families are available in museums, theme parks and other attractions, as well as on public transport.