How to travel with kids: find joy, luxury and new experiences

Children like routine – but they love adventures. Encountering new places with younger children broadens their understanding and their willingness to try new things. This sets them up for lifelong delights in the wonders of travel, and it also provides benefits back at home. Share the moment as your little one tries different kinds of food, and that willingness to try new things may stay with them for the long term. Savoring a new kind of fruit while sitting on a sun-kissed terrace beside a beach might just convince them that new food means new adventures.

Sofitel cultural links, like partnerships with local artists, broaden children's understanding of diverse cultures as they explore the world.

To shape your children's love of new places and experiences, curate a varied trip that has something for everyone. A day at the beach is usually a winner for kids and adults of all ages, and incorporating birdwatching or a nature walk through the dunes adds education and variety. Pools bring universal joy, too – especially if they have breathtaking views for you to enjoy after time in the water. When you travel with kids, be sure to go easy on yourself by building in rest days, finding hotels with kids' clubs and indulging in a spa treatment or two while the children enjoy club activities. For younger kids, balance out new experiences with familiar family rituals like story time at the end of a fulfilling day.
 

It's a heartwarming feeling to take children to places you enjoyed before, maybe with your partner or during a solo trip. Revisiting places you know has many benefits, including providing kids with experiences of local culture. Perhaps you remember a cozy local café where you got chatting with the owner, or a hidden little museum your kids will love. If you remember a few words of the local language, teach your child and let them try it out. The person they talk to will likely be delighted by it, too. When shared memories continue through generations, family bonds remain strong long after you return home.

Research child-friendly destinations with plenty to do for kids of different ages, including opportunities to play and learn. The best family vacations in Europe include locations with museums, beaches and epicurean discoveries all in one spot. Savor French joie de vivre in coastal settings where the centuries-old landmarks are steps from the warm embrace of the Mediterranean. Alternatively, craft older children's cultural experiences with an art-focused city break in Amsterdam, perhaps with a stay at Sofitel Legend The Grand Amsterdam, with its artists-in-residence program. 

At Sofitel Grand Sopot, kids will absorb living history while their toes still tingle from running on the sand. The iconic 1927 building sits right on Sopot Beach.
 

Arriving in Southeast Asia for the first time is enticing for any traveler, and to children, it's like stepping into another world. It's a taste of just how exciting and invigorating travel can be. From vibrant Thailand popping with color to effortlessly luxurious Singapore, the continent is ideal for travel with kids.

The kids' club at Sofitel Krabi Phokeethra Golf & Spa Resort welcomes children under 12 years old for activities ranging from sports to art, as well as a kids' program based around biodiversity, with activities like snorkeling and beach cleaning. For older children, the varied Teens’ Program offers 12- to 17-year-olds lessons in sailing, Thai language and guitar, fitness classes, games and tournaments, and even a sunset foam party. While the kids are having fun, the pool flowing through lush gardens provides a sanctuary for parents to unwind.

Consider, too, a family vacation in Dubai, with its beaches, souks and theme parks. A desert safari surrounds children with a new landscape, an intrepid sense of adventure in the air. At Sofitel Dubai The Obelisk, the AstroKids club is adorned with Le Petit Prince décor, paying tribute to the iconic French children's book, and the kids' outdoor pool area is a place for activities like aqua-dance and kids' yoga.
 

Le Petit Prince forged his own path, and encouraging children to help craft the itinerary for their trip will make them all the more invested in the experience. If you have researched three possible museums to visit but you're not sure which one to fit into your trip, why not let the kids decide? Older children could even research the destination and suggest places they would like to visit and activities they might enjoy. Crafting an itinerary as a family helps everyone get immersed in a place before you even arrive.
 

Traveling with kids, especially younger children, runs much more smoothly if you know what to expect every step of the way. Careful planning in advance helps to set up a seamless journey with more smiles than frowns. If you have a few different destinations in mind, you might choose one where the airport isn't too far from the hotel – and the hotel isn't too far from the beach. Research the airport itself, too. Larger airports often have kids' facilities that might not be immediately apparent if you're passing through, but with prior planning, you can head right to the spot.

Dubai International Airport offers the DXB Family Zone at Terminal 3, Concourse B.
 

Luxury travel with kids is not only possible – it's ideal. Five-star hotels provide services that enhance a family trip, with exceptional experiences and personalized attention. Sofitel concierges gladly help with setting up museum visits, theater tickets and activities for the whole family to enjoy, such as camel rides in Agadir, Morocco. Ask about the possibility of meetings with producers of local products to raise your children's awareness of the destination's culture and teach the importance of preserving it.
 

The best hotels around the world have accommodation options to suit families, with suites, interconnecting rooms and villas. Picture your family gazing out together at the tranquil lagoon from your balcony on the Pacific island of Moorea, French Polynesia. The Family Bungalow at Sofitel Kia Ora Moorea has a wood deck with a thatched shade, and paintings by local artist François Ravello hang on the walls. Cultural touches that help children immerse themselves in the Sofitel lifestyle.

Choose a hotel with a dedicated kids' menu, filled with healthy, organic ingredients, to help your children feel like guests of honor in a restaurant. Le Petit Prince inspires the imagination just like travel does, which is why Sofitel Melbourne on Collins offers a themed children's menu with a create-your-own planetary pizza. Nutritious, creative food like Pumpkin Soup Lemongrass Flavor features on both the children's and adults' menus at Sofitel Luang Prabang, where local ingredients elevate classic French and global cuisine.
 

Passion for global discovery is passed down through generations. Trips with grown-up children, from teens to adults, bring a new kind of satisfaction. Indulge in fine dining and shared spa visits, and delve into the world's great cities for entire days of cultural immersion. Some delights remain the same, like the warmth of the ocean as you take the first step into the water, the feeling of sand beneath your feet, and the scent of fresh pastries at the start of a day of free-spirited exploration.
 

When you travel with grown-up children whom you have seen blossom into successful adults, take pleasure in returning to places you appreciated together when they were younger. Have lunch at a favorite restaurant, or go back to see if the local ice cream tastes as sublime as you remembered. Returning to treasured locations also brings home the importance of more sustainable travel when local producers, artisans and artists still thrive years after you first met them.