Travelling with kids can feel daunting. But getting it right isn’t just about where you go – it’s about when you go. We’ve teamed up with Lonely Planet to share our top picks from their latest guide, Where To Go When With Kids, and uncover trips that aren’t just child-friendly… they’re child-thrilling. Organised by season, we’ll help you figure out when to go to unlock the real magic of your chosen destination.

Take Lapland. Post-Christmas peace, pristine snow and pure Arctic magic – March brings fewer crowds but just as much wonder. Picture your little explorers gliding through snowy forests by husky sled, watching the Northern Lights twirl across the sky and breathing in the silence of frozen wilderness.

Or consider the Netherlands in April, when the famous flower fields burst into rainbow-striped glory, with flat, family-friendly cycle routes weaving through fields of colour. Cruise past windmills, picnic in coastal towns and discover why magic sometimes comes in the form of two wheels and a gentle breeze.

September in Scotland? Harry Potter meets Highland adventure. Ride the Jacobite Steam Train – the real-life Hogwarts Express – across the Glenfinnan Viaduct, through lochs and mountains so cinematic, you half expect to see a hippogriff.

November? Balloon season in Cappadocia. Drift above Turkey’s chimney-like rock formations and ancient cave homes in a hot-air balloon, then explore underground cities that feel straight out of a fantasy book. It’s imagination, elevated.

HOTEL SWEDEN

Why now? It’s early summer, perfect weather for sleeping in a tree house.
With long warm days here in the small village of Harads, just 50km (31 miles) south of the Arctic Circle, the Tree Hotel makes a top base for exploring remote, rural Norrbotten, Sweden’s northernmost county. With eight unique ‘rooms’ built high into the canopy of a pine forest, each designed by a different architect, this place is both quirky and fun, bound to capture the attention of both of kids and kids-at-heart. Stay in the Bird’s Nest, reached by climbing a near-vertical ladder high into the trees, or the UFO room, resembling a hovering spacecraft. The Dragonfly room blends seamlessly into the trees, while access to Biosphere is via a suspended bridge, and Mirrorcube reflects the surrounding forest and is hard to spot up there in the treetops. There’s lots to do in the area, from meeting a moose to visiting a reindeer herder, plus hiking, river kayaking and lake paddling under the Midnight Sun (starting at 10.30pm). The Tree Hotel’s restaurant serves all kinds of Swedish delicacies, from wild game to hand-picked berries.

VENICE, ITALY

Why now? Explore Venice in spring and discover all-ages appeal at the Biennale.
It might be aimed at serious fans and professionals, but the Venice Biennale has plenty to wow children, including teens looking for career inspiration. If you miss out on tickets to educational workshops, fear not: contemporary art – from immersive sculptural pieces to video projections – has incredible pulling power for kids of all ages. If it’s an architecture year, pavilions with interactive installations and large-scale models can captivate young imaginations. And without the fear of cars or speeding cyclists, Venice itself is a pleasure to travel with children (just watch them near water, of course). From the Giardini della Biennale, head to the nearby Naval Museum of Venice to learn about the city’s fascinating maritime history and peruse the model ships and maritime artefacts. Jump on the vaporetto back to Santa Maria del Giglio ferry terminal to wander in Piazza San Marco and climb the Campanile (the bell tower of Basilica di San Marco) for views of the city and water below. Other kid-friendly options include gondola rides, watching glass- blowers on Murano Island, and escaping to the beach Lido di Jesolo. And did we mention gelato?

SKELLIG MICHAEL IRELAND

Why now? The Skelligs – two tiny islands off the coast of County Kerry in the wild west of Ireland – have been UNESCO World Heritage-listed since 1996, but after the larger isle, Skellig Michael, scored a starring role in the final Star Wars films (The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi), it started attracting younger travellers. The location is as dramatic as it appears in the movies, with angry Atlantic waves walloping the rocks, twin craggy peaks stabbing the clouds and some 27,000 pairs of gannets creating a cacophonous soundtrack. Puffins arrive in late spring and pufflings hatch in early summer. May the force be with you during the climb – it’s steep, with 618 stone steps that are slippery when wet (often); junior Jedis require careful supervision. Higher up, you’ll find stone- built beehive huts (habitation cells), a ruined church and graveyard; higher, just below the south peak, is a hermitage. These are the remains of a monastery occupied between the 6th and 12th centuries, which suffered several Viking attacks.

HEIMAEY ISLAND ICELAND

Why now? See puffins take flight from a volcanic island. Volcanoes and Vikings, hot springs and hotdogs – Iceland is a blast for kids at any age, but late August is particularly good for younger travellers. Heimaey in the Vestmannaeyjar (Westman Islands) is home to the world’s largest puffin colony, and the beginning of autumn is the time for one of Iceland’s loveliest traditions. Every year, as the days shorten in August, hundreds of puf fin chicks emerge from their burrows in the cliffs, but many are lured towards town by the bright lights, so locals form evening ‘puf fin patrols’ to gather up lost pufflings and release them safely from the sea cliffs near the island’s tiny airstrip – and visiting families can pitch in to help. Puffins collected, extend the trip with visits to cute museums, clifftop hikes, boat trips and detours to hidden waterfalls and buildings toppled by lava flows from the Eldfell volcano.

CAPPADOCIA TÜRKIYE

Why now? Balloon rides beckon on crisp, clear mornings. With its cave homes and fairy chimneys, Cappadocia could have been plucked from a swords-and-sorcery fantasy. Subterranean cities such as Özkonak, Kaymaklı and Derinkuyu are portals to another world, where young imaginations can run wild in maze-like tunnels and hidden rock-cut chapels. Ramp up the adventure by staying in a cave hotel; there are great choices for families in the Göreme. Surrounded by epic sweeps of golden, moonscape valley, this honey-coloured, hollowed-out-of-the-hills village is the main base for hot-air balloon rides over Cappadocia’s erosion-sculpted badlands. Get the kids to bed early – most balloon rides take flight at dawn, when winds are steady and the air is crisp and clear. Set aside some time for ground-based activities such as horse and ATV rides, hikes around the fairy chimneys (try the needle spires of the Görkündere Valley), and wandering the frescofilled chambers of rock-cut churches, chapels and monasteries in Göreme Open-Air Museum.

JACOBITE STEAM TRAIN, SCOTLAND

Why now? Take a magical steam-train journey into the Scottish Highlands. Generations of children have gawped at cinema screens, spellbound, as the Hogwarts Express puffs across the arches of a vast viaduct, transporting Harry, Hermione, Ron and their wand-wielding classmates to the school of witchcraft and wizardry – but did you know that the steam train and bridge featured in the Harry Potter films is real? And you can catch it. But don’t wait at Platform 9¾ in London’s King’s Cross Station (where a luggage trolley is embedded in the wall and a shop sells official merch). Catch the Jacobite Steam Train at Fort William (beneath Ben Nevis, Britain’s highest mountain) for the 67km (82-mile) journey to Mallaig, passing monstrous lochs, soaring highland peaks, wild stag-stalked moorland and – of course – the photogenic Glenfinnan Viaduct, which hops across the River Finnan via 21 elegant arches, sending the train around a 300m (1000ft) arc, 30m (100ft) high in the sky.

COPENHAGEN DENMARK

Why now? Copenhagen looks even better adorned with festive lights. Winter is all about being cozy when it’s cold, and nowhere does cozy better than Copenhagen. The tradition of hygge – the pursuit of comfort and contentment – weaves through life in the Danish capital, particularly in the festive season. This might mean browsing jaunty Christmas markets, then retreating for a steaming mug of hot chocolate or gløgg (mulled wine for grownups) in a snug Nørrebro cafe. It might mean gliding around the Broens Ice Rink or riding nostalgic fairground attractions at the 19th-century Tivoli Gardens amusement park, surrounded by baubles and glittering lights. (Make time for the wooden Rutschebanen rollercoaster, rumbling down the tracks here since 1914.) It’s cold out, so plan time around indoor sights such as treasure-filled Rosenborg Castle, the huge Den Blå Planet aquarium and the flagship Lego shop on Vimmelskaftet.

NICE, FRANCE

Why now? Festival time on the Côte d’Azur, with multitudes of local lemons fashioned into hugely elaborate sculptures. In a tradition dating back to the 19 th century, Nice comes alive with colour for two weeks in February when the gleefully ostentatious Carnaval de Nice rolls into town. With comically large floats, large crowds and busy stalls offering lavender, fabrics and street food, it’s quite a spectacle. This is also peak citrus season, and Nice’s popular Cours Saleya market has stalls piled with oranges and Menton lemons. Wander the produce-packed aisles for supplies and souvenirs; there are plenty of street snacks and pastries to munch on as you browse. The season’s zesty heroes are celebrated in typically extravagant style in nearby Menton. This pastel-coloured seaside town is the last stop on the Côte d’Azur before Italy, and makes for a lovely day trip; the Fête du Citron parades (from mid-February) feature huge designs painstakingly fashioned from thousands of lemons.

Plan your next family adventure with expert tips on travelling with kids <link to Patrick Kinsella Q&A> and making the most of the school holidays <link to Tasmin Waby Q&A> from Lonely Planet’s experts.