Winter Family Travel Ideas
By Jeff Bogle
Jan 04, 2023
These winter family travel ideas will help you make this winter season more fun, adventurous, and memorable for every member of your family.
The greatest travel ideas for families all have a few things in common, whether they take place during the warmth of summer break or over one chilly weekend in winter after you’ve put your boat away in storage for the winter. The best family travel ideas will offer a wide array of options to accommodate all ages, interests, and personalities, and the best winter travel destinations are going to be perfect to reinvigorate the mind and body, be that through physical activity or the complete lack thereof. Let's look at five winter family travel ideas to make the cold season more fun, adventurous and memorable for each member of your family...without breaking the bank! Also included here are three of the best winter travel destinations for families.
Snowmobiling Adventure
Looking for family adventure travel ideas that will up your heart rate this winter? Try snowmobiling! You can go big time and bundle up to snowmobile into Yellowstone National Park and see frosty faced bison, and stand before Old Faithful with the crowds, but many local trails exist to give you and your kids one of the most amazing outdoor activities to enjoy during your family's best winter vacations.
Indoor Water Park Resort Weekend
When it comes to family travel destination ideas, it's hard to beat indoor water park resorts in the winter. Break out the bathing suits and spend a chilly weekend in temperature-controlled waters, going down slides and splashing around with your family all weekend long!
Skiing Vacation
What's the first thing you see when you think about the best winter vacations? Probably snow, maybe a fireplace, and likely something sporty too. A skiing vacation is one of the coolest travel ideas for families because it will offer something for everyone in your family. There's the skiing of course, for those who want physical activity and action, gracefully gliding down the mountain, snow tubing on site or nearby for those who want more relaxed outdoor fun in the snow, and hot cocoa and fireplaces for family members who are looking for some much-needed peace and quiet while they read a book.
Caribbean Cruise
For some people, the best winter family travel ideas are the ones that take them far away from winter's harshest elements. Thankfully, most cruise lines offer affordable itineraries to the Caribbean, making a cruise to the islands one the best budget family travel ideas too. If you love camping in a tent near a lake, you'll take to cruising like a duck to water because the cabins are cozy like a tent, and your connection to the water is a given. Plus, there's literal buffets of food, a parade of entertainment, and the chance to explore countries like The Bahamas, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Jamaica, and more.
Winter Fishing and Ice Fishing
There doesn't need to be an offseason for your favorite outdoor recreation! Catch and release fishing in winter and winter bass fishing can be even more fun because there’s no competition for the best spot on the water's edge, meaning you’ll find more quiet time with your line in the water. There’s ice fishing too, one of the most exhilarating family adventure travel ideas from the lakes in Vermont to the rivers in the Midwest. Consider booking a safe ice fishing trip for your family this winter.
Three Great Winter Travel Destinations
1. Disney World
The weather will never be more palatable, and the crowds are thinner than during the hot summer, making Disney one of the best winter travel destinations for families.
2. New York City
With the holidays in the rear view, hotel prices generally sink in tandem with the mercury in a thermostat in Manhattan, making the Big Apple, with its American Girl store, High Line, Central Park, Broadway shows, museums and more, one of America's superb family travel destination ideas.
3. Spring Training Baseball
Between the Cactus League in Arizona and Grapefruit League in Florida, a Spring Training baseball getaway is one of the winter family travel ideas sure to make sports fans happy. Join pitchers and catchers in the sun when they report to camp in February or begin practicing for the forthcoming season, and be treated to cheap ticket prices, more affordable concessions, and a wintertime escape perfect for the whole family.
Check out these 10 more fun winter activities for kids to try with or without snow, at home or while away on a family winter vacation.
