Best Family Vacation Spots:

1) Best Family Vacation Spots: Paris With Kids Ah, the City of Light: not to mention famous (free for kids) museums; the Eiffel Tower, my kids' top attraction ever; the river Seine with its wide walkways so perfect for strollers; and heavenly patisseries. More Europe destinations are found below. We also loved our week of London Sightseeing.

2) Walt Disney World Orlando, Florida was merely a swampy spot and a gleam in Walt Disney's eye in 1966, but is now the planet's most powerful magnet for families. Many attractions have joined Walt Disney World, but it's still the colossus, with four huge theme parks and an area the size of Boston, and probably ranks as "best family vacation spot" for millions.

3) Family Adventure in Yellowstone National Park "Family Adventures" are all-inclusive escorted tours in a great outdoors area, with "multisports" like hiking, rafting, and horse-riding. Yellowstone was far better than I'd dreamed-- as was the "family adventure" concept. Think: no hassles, check-in line-ups, or "where'll we eat?" Think: a small group of fellow travelers who turn out to be great company, and guides who go all out to make your trip wonderful.

4) Franklyn D. Resort, Jamaica The phrase "all-inclusive family resort" is common in the Caribbean, but only FDR and its sister resort include a "vacation nanny" throughout your stay. Fun includes biking, water-sliding, scuba diving (for ages 12 and up), walking up a waterfall. Feeding kids is a piece of cake, whether you choose kiddie buffets or a five-course dinner on the boardwalk. Suites are huge. More Great Caribbean Resorts

5) Best Family Vacation Spots: US Virgin Islands Three distinct islands in "American's Caribbean" offer family-friendly resorts, a land-and-sea National Park, super snorkeling, colonial towns and forts, duty-free shops, and some novel ways to explore the underseas. Personal favorite activities: snorkeling and sea-trekking.

6) Amelia Island, Florida Still relatively unknown, Amelia Island-- in northern Florida near Jacksonville-- has lovely beaches; a historic fort complete with actors who play period characters; a quaint town with wonderful old buildings; delicious sea-food; and two fine resorts, the Amelia Island Plantation and the Ritz-Carleton, both of which welcome kids.

7) Whistler-Blackcomb Ski Resort (BC, Canada) Whistler-Blackcomb is a hip place for x-treme skiers and partiers: yet this dual resort welcomes thousands of families, with a Children's Adventure Park, a family-friendly zone of green runs, popular ski camps for kids, Ride Tribe for teens. Stay in an attractive townhome with full kitchen; hop on free shuttle buses to the slopes.

8) Europe: Center Parcs Family Resorts Center Parcs has 13 family resorts in northern Europe: each with a huge domed area that houses a tropical pool (slides, waves, etc.), restaurants, shops, etc. Large cottages; country settings; many outdoors activities-- and affordable.

9) Family Vacation Spot, Mexico: Riviera Maya A top family vacation spot, that combines beach fun with interesting (and even educational!) outings in the area. Just south of busy Cancun is a very different Mexico, with sleepy beach towns, beautiful coral reef, a unique eco-archeological theme park, lagoons for snorkeling, and Mayan ruins.

10) Tuscany & Umbria Kids are natural-born medievalists: they love knights and castles and tales of old-- and the hill towns of Tuscany and Umbria are super places to let their imaginations go. The old sections of these towns are picture-perfect, with centuries-old stone buildings and no plastic ticky-tack. If you're willing to try alternative-type lodgings, the adventure can even be affordable.

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