Top 4 Family Friendly New Year’s Destinations

Christmas is just around the corner! While you might be planning on spending Christmas at home, New Year’s Eve is the perfect time to take a break and head somewhere gorgeous with your family. Toasting to the future at midnight in Paris after a champagne party might be out of the question with kids in tow, but there are still loads of brilliant family-friendly ways to bring in the New Year. We’ve picked our favourites.

Family-friendly New Year’s Destination #1:

Killarney, Co. Kerry, Ireland.

While Dublin or Cork might be the obvious Irish New Year’s destination, we recommend taking a detour and heading to Killarney, Co. Kerry. The party will go on late, but you’re guaranteed less of a crowd and more of a family-friendly attitude than in Ireland’s great capital.

The party starts at nine, which might be too late for your little ones, but for older kids it’s a great experience. Killarney town centre becomes a centre of street entertainment, live music, and cracking fireworks to ring in the New Year. Drum Dance Ireland and Celtic Steps will be performing, to add a real taste of Ireland, with a DJ in charge of the countdown.

Family-friendly New Year’s Destination #2

Long Beach, California, USA.

For something more exotic and a lot more fun, why not take a trip to California? The weather will still be gorgeously mild and fun is guaranteed at the Aquarium of the Pacific Family Sleepover. What could be cooler for your little ones than ringing in the New Year inside an aquarium? If you’ve got a nature fanatic in the family, then this is for them: have a pizza dinner and then take part in a glow-in-the-dark scavenger hunt in a room full of fish tanks. The night will ring in with fireworks and your family still have all the excitement of hanging out with seals, fish, and sea lions to come.

Family-friendly New Year’s Destination #3

Legoland, Florida, USA.

Legoland is a must-see for every family, especially if your kids love Lego as much as mine do! Legoland’s New Year’s Eve party is aimed entirely at kids: at 6PM, a giant blue Lego brick falls from the sky like the iconic Time’s Square ball. A gorgeous firework display and kids’ concert follow, ringing in the New Year in style for your little one. Legoland is great fun for adults and kids alike, and with everything happening earlier, there’s plenty of time for Mam and Dad to hire a babysitter and head out for the night for their own celebrations in beautiful Florida.

Family-friendly New Year’s Destination #4

Vienna, Austria.

Vienna is Europe’s best kept New Year’s Eve secret. The New Year’s festival is truly stunning with over 300 artists and fireworks finishing the night off. There’s something for everyone in the family, from the little artist to budding musician.

The Vienna New Year’s Trail needs to be experienced in person: starting at the town hall, there are ten stages with all kinds of music and acts, from rock bands to classical dancing. There’s plenty to eat and drink with a huge market set-up. Vienna at New Year’s is the perfect mix of traditional market and music festival, so there’s lots to see and do. The event kicks off at 7PM, early enough so that any young kids can still see plenty before being tucked up in bed! While Vienna is pricier than many European cities, we really recommend it for a once-off trip this New Year’s!

If you’re going anywhere nice for the New Year, let us know on our Facebook and Twitter! If you’re going somewhere warm, check out our chic UV swimwear for Boys and Girls that’ll keep your little one too cool to burn!