Best european city for weekend with 4 yr old?

[melbob]

DH adn I want to go for a weekend with DS any votes for the best european city for weekend with 4 yr old?

Madrid. Went there with our two boys recently. It's gorgeous. Barcelona is good too. Loads of stuff going on now as it's summer and all the fiestas are happening. San Sebastian is by the sea and they have fantastic ice-cream shops there and lovely shops and restaurants. Anywhere in Spain is a safe option as it's so child friendly, they don't frown on you if you're in a bar with a kid, they welcome it! That's why we live here!

Amsterdam - fabulous boat rides and you have Zaanse Schaans - a train trip out with real life windmills and other great attractions. The trams in Amsterdam alone are great for amusement. Pancakes for lunch on The Damm Square. It is also family friendly. I lived there for three years and loved it.

Oh why do I have to work not enough time to do them all. BTW thanks means my top three win, DH came up with Paris (fair enough), Lyon (all right if you want to sit round all day eating and drinking whihc DS wont allow and Montpellier?!

DS was absolutely fascinated with Venice at that age.

Have done both Venice and Amsterdam too, but before kids. I mean honestly, what a suggestion. Canals? Trams? Even we nearly got knocked down by one of those (and we weren't that stoned either!) With a 4 year old? Come on ladies, seriously!

Barcelona - it's even got a beach.

We were in Amsterdam two years ago, when my youngest was 4. It was OK, but not fantastic. We went shopping, pottered about in street markets, had pancakes on Damm Square , and a boat trip. The boat trip was good as it was raining by then, and we were under cover! The really great thing about Amsterdam is that it is tiny, so everything within a 4-year old's walking range.

We did Zaanze Schaans the following morning but got caught in torrential rain - so bad that I actually stripped off to my bra in the carpark.

We have just had a 3-day trip to Paris and it was fine for young children. We had museum passes for adults, but they are all free for under-18s, so we could breeze into places without feeling that we had to do the whole thing.

We did a Seine boat trip, which my little ones loved, climbed the Arc de Triomphe, and visited Versailles (as well as going to le Louvre, Orsay, Notre Dame and Pompidou. We also strolled around Concorde/Tuilleries (sp), where there was a lovely fair with very impressive rides.

Barcelona is pretty much the full package.

Beach, aquarium, Park Güell, little fun fair down by the Marina, child friendly restaurants etc.

Montpelier
interesting one...

erm
Trying to think

How about St Jean de Luz (nr Biarritz)
Ok not a city
at all
but near one and fab beach for kids

honestly? London. (food he'll eat, free museums with very child orientated stuff esp. Science museum and the "dinosaur house" next door, train rides, good parks incl Princess Diana Memorial garden and richmond Park, hamley's, London zoo, the aquarium...)

Venice - my 4 yr old would try jumping in a canal, or run off down a side street and i'd lose him in the maze of streets, which is a shame because I'd love to go there again.

You could go to Croatia for a weekend, if you want the beach and old town/ culture combo. Stay in Seget Donji/ Seget Vrancija (10 mins from Split Airport) both of which have good safe child beaches and go to the Venetian town of Trogir for the old town part (5 mins from these places). At this time of year it is full of mega-yachts so it has a good buzz. Flying time from the uk 2hr 20 mins.

Copenhagen. I haven't been there yet, it is on my wish list. Tivoli Gardens sound magical, the sort of place that a 4 year old will remember forever.

Nice? Has beach, promenade and an old town. Take the train to Cannes for a change of scenery.

Lisbon
or Barcelona
or if you are not fussed about the weather, Stockholm

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Paris is very child-friendly, I think.. went a few months ago with dd (now 2) and ds (now 8 months) and it was a cinch.

Keen to hear more on Barcelona though, as this is our next plan...?

Paris, not too long on the train (no airport waiting and can take more luggage) beaches on the seine, metro rides above ground

York

We are planning to spend 2 weeks touring europe next year, our dd's will be 9 and 7. We are planning to go to Paris (inc Disneyland), Berlin, Copenhagen, Stockholm and Oslo.