Discover a relaxed Scandanavian refuge in Berlin’s city centre
Yes, Germany is a great place to travel with children of most ages. The cities have parks, zoos, science museums, and playgrounds, and you can easily get around by train or tram even without a car. Restaurants usually offer small children’s meals, so you can easily take your kids out for lunch. Between museum visits, you can enjoy walks to castles, lakes, and through forests, making it easy to plan an itinerary where you can explore the sights in the morning and spend the rest of the day completely relaxing.
Munich is often the top choice for travellers because it has the sprawling English Garden, a large zoo, and a science museum whose exhibits are primarily designed so that children can press and pull things themselves. Berlin is ideal for older children who love busy cities. Hamburg has a port, a model railway attraction, and beach bars along the banks of the Elbe.
As a first travel destination, Bavaria is the safest choice—easily reached from Munich and offering visitors castles, lakes, and hiking trails. The Black Forest and Lake Constance are ideal for nature-loving families with young children. In the coastal resorts of the North Sea and the Baltic Sea, you can enjoy sandy beaches and shallow waters in the summer, while the Rhine Valley is perfect for a relaxing getaway along the river.
From May through September, the weather here is at its warmest and driest, and since dusk comes late, this is especially important if you plan to swim in a lake or go hiking. Because July and August are the busiest months, with higher prices, late May, June, and early September are often the best choices. In December, you can visit Christmas markets and go ice skating, though the days are short, and it can get quite cold, especially in the south.
Breakfast is usually included in the room rate and is typically served as a buffet with cold cuts, cheese, bread, eggs, and muesli; for young children, it’s often provided free of charge. Family rooms, cots, and sofa beds are widely available, and many hotels outside city centres feature a pool, garden, or playground. Half-board (with breakfast and dinner) is more commonly offered in mountain or coastal resorts than in city centres.
For a stay of 5 to 7 nights, you can choose Munich, Berlin, or a lakeside town as a base and take day trips by train from there. If you want to combine city visits with trips to mountainous or coastal regions, plan a stay of 10 to 14 nights. A long weekend with 3 nights is especially well-suited for leisurely enjoying the city, particularly during the Christmas market season.