Active Family Holidays in Europe

Proof you don’t have to travel far to have the adventure of a lifetime, Europe offers an extraordinary choice of family activity holidays. Winter brings the delights of the mountains and more northerly climes – think skiing and snowboarding in the French, Swiss, Austrian and Italian Alps and elsewhere, and fabulous snow adventures in Lapland and other parts of Scandinavia, including husky-driving, reindeer safaris and snowmobiling.

Summer transforms the Alps into a family playground of an altogether different kind, with mountain-biking, paragliding and lake-swimming just a few of the activities you and the kids might like to sample. There’s also plenty of scope for canoeing, whitewater rafting and other river-based adventures in the Ardèche region of France, Croatia and other destinations, and for sailing and other watersports in the sparkling Mediterranean. 

Holiday parks and resorts with their own sports clubs/activities can good choices for active family holidays for those who want to try lots of new things or combine them with more relaxing pursuits.

Find inspiration in our features on active family holidays around Europe, and take a look at our latest deals on Europe family activity holidays with our partners:
• Activities Abroad: Fantastic family adventures from Finland to Portugal.
• Club Med: French-run all-inclusive summer and ski holidays with lots of activities on site.
• Mark Warner: Mediterranean beach holidays and family ski holidays, well known for their quality childcare.
• Inghams: Family-friendly ski and summer activity holidays throughout Europe.

See also our hand-picked family adventure holidays in Europe.