10 reasons why you should visit Germany with kids

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Here are 10 reasons why you should definitely visit Germany with kids, so if you’re wondering whether it’s worth a trip then keep reading! There’s so much fun to be had in this fab country, and it’s the perfect road trip destination as it’s not far from the UK. Here’s why you’ll want to check out Germany with the kids for a family holiday…

1. Germany has some of the best theme parks in Europe

Germany is a great family holiday destination – there are loads of child-friendly places to visit – you’ll certainly not be short of ideas for family days out. Firstly, it’s home to some of the best theme parks in Europe such as: Europa Park, Phantasialand, Bayern Park, Movie Park, Heide Park and Freizeitpark Pholn. There are loads of great options for families with younger kids too such as: Legoland Germany, Ravensburger Spieleland and Freizeitpark Rupolding. And, if you love waterparks, Rulantica looks absolutely incredible – it’s definitely on our to do list!

2. It’s perfect for a road trip

To drive from Calais to the edge of Germany takes around five hours, so it’s the perfect destination for a family road trip from the UK. Obviously Germany is a big country, so it’ll take more time to explore further afield, but that just makes the road trip more fun – it’s a great country to hop around! Travelling through Belgium and Luxembourg is toll free too, which makes things cheap and simple! Though prices fluctuate slightly, the cost of a return trip on the ferry through Eurocamp is around £100, whilst Le Shuttle is £250. It does add an extra hour onto your journey to opt for the ferry, but it’s around half the cost so it should definitely be considered if you’re trying to travel on a small budget. (And booking directly through providers like Eurocamp when you book your accommodation will usually be at a discounted rate too.)

3. Germany borders so many amazing countries

A great thing about Germany is that, if you’re near a border, you can easily hop between countries to see other amazing places too. When we stayed at Gitzenweiler Hof in Bavaria we were right by Austria, Switzerland and Liechtenstein – so if you’re looking to explore as many places as possible that’s a great spot to do it from. From the other side of the country, you can easily have days out in the Netherlands, Luxembourg or Belgium too – in fact when we stayed at Landal Warsberg in Saarburg, we were less than an hour’s drive from the amazing Luxembourg City.

4. Germany is easy to visit on a budget

We found that prices in Germany for things like days out and food shopping are very similar to the UK – we didn’t spend more than we’d have done at home. In fact, we were shocked that pretty much everywhere we went ice-creams were typically just €1.70! We found our days out affordable too – with plenty of family ticket options which kept things cheap and cheerful – and in Bavaria we were even given an ECHT discount card which saved us some money on local attractions as well as giving us free local bus travel. When we swam at Freibad Aquamarin Wasserburg we paid just €9.50 for a family ticket, which is less than £8! And, we found our city visit to Trier insanely affordable too (and beautiful!) so we had a fantastic time exploring and it didn’t cost us much at all.

5. Germany has fantastic family holiday parks

Germany has some really family-friendly holiday parks, which are so focussed on offering fun activities for the kids. So far we’ve stayed with Eurocamp at: Landal Warsberg (which had loads going on for the kids) and Gitzenweiler Hof which was more nature based and had a wooden play zone and farm animals. These types of holiday parks also tend to be brilliantly located for exploring cities, lakes, beaches, the countryside, tourist attractions and everything else that you might want from a family holiday. With per party prices rather than per person, it can make travelling with kids a lot more affordable.

There are a number of Landal campsites in Germany – our Landal Warsberg stay was our first experience of a Landal campsite and we’d definitely book another. And, there are a few Center Parcs resorts too – so between Eurocamp, Landal and Center Parcs you’ve got loads of great options for family-friendly holidays.

6. It’s a great country for getting outdoors

Germany has some amazing scenery – sharing Lake Constance (Bodensee) with Austria and Switzerland too – so it’s if you’re looking to get outdoors, or even just enjoy some gorgeous views, then it’s a great country for it. The rivers and lakes offer summer water sports, and there are plenty of holiday parks in the countryside offering activities like cycling, horse-riding and woodland walks. If you’re travelling with kids, there are endless ways to get outside and keep them busy, so if you’re an active family then that’s a great reason why Germany should be on your ‘to visit’ list.

7. Germany has some incredible cities

Germany has loads of brilliant options for interesting city visits. Trier, as I mentioned above, is just stunning and I would definitely recommend a visit if you’re in Germany, or nearby Luxembourg (it’s within easy reach from there too). It’s the oldest city in Germany. Lindau is also a fantastic old island town overlooking Lake Constance with gorgeous views – Bavaria is a wonderful area to visit. There’s also Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt, Cologne (the chocolate museum would be a hit with the kids!) or somewhere like Dresden. There are some beautiful, charming cities steeped in history – perfect for a wander in the sunshine or combined with Christmas Market trips over the winter months. We are without a doubt heading back to see more!

8. There’s something in Germany for every season

Germany is a fabulous family holiday destination for all seasons. Lots of the holiday parks tend to be set up with indoor swimming pools, as well as outdoor attractions, so the weather is definitely less of an issue if you want to visit out of peak season too. (Though there are obvious perks to visiting in the summer!) If you want to do some city exploring then it can be handy for it to be a bit cooler, so the shoulder seasons can be great for that. Plus, the winter offers a chance to see their famous Christmas markets, which is definitely on my to do list, or have a skiing trip. In fact, the ski resorts in Germany are often overlooked by those in other nearby countries but they actually offer some amazing options that are both in stunning locations and better value for money than the more well-known resorts.

9. Germany offers some brilliant family days out

As well as the ‘big’ theme park days out, there’s also loads of other places to have fun with the kids if you prefer something a bit calmer and cheaper! A few of our favourite days were spent swimming in an outdoor pool overlooking a lake in Bavaria, or taking the chairlift into the valley and whizzing down the summer toboggan run in Saarburg. You can take boat rides to Switzerland across Lake Constance, or enjoy a trip along the River Rhine. Honestly, getting bored in Germany just isn’t an option – there are so many things to do with the kids and this is definitely one of the main reasons why you should pay this fantastic country a visit!

10. The summer is warmer than you’d expect

Whilst we may not typically think of Germany as warm summer holiday spot – the weather can actually be gorgeous in the summer and plenty of the holiday parks offer outdoor pools so you can make the most of it. We had beautiful sunshine in Bavaria even in September so, whilst it might not offer the heat waves of countries like Italy or Spain, it can be lovely and warm – so you can still get your hit of sunshine, but with all of the fun and fantastic days out that Germany has to offer too. We loved our visit and – since there are plenty of reasons why we loved our time in Germany with the kids – we’ll be heading back for sure!