How to Enjoy Europe with the Kids (Really!)

Modeled after the glamorous railway cars of the 1930s, the Belmond Northern Belle (from $470) now takes families on day trips from cities throughout the United Kingdom to beautiful destinations in the English and Welsh countryside like Conwy Castle, Snowdonia National Park, and the Chester Zoo. A favorite: the Beatrix Potter Guided Tour to the Lake District, which includes brunch, a visit to the author’s home and garden, and a four-course dinner on the return journey.

On tours to the man-made Ice Cave Iceland (from $136), opening in June near Reykjavík, thrill-seeking clans can ride eight-wheel trucks up Langjökull (Europe’s secondlargest glacier) and then hike to the cavern’s interior.

Enjoy carriage rides and costume parties at Ballyfin (doubles from $846, including meals), a Georgian estate near Dublin. The hotel just unveiled five new guest rooms, bringing the count to 20.

The Acropolis Museum (pictured), in Athens, now has a scale model of the ruins built of Legos. Nearby, the colorful New Hotel (doubles from $244) offers stunning Parthenon views.

The German wellness resort Schloss Elmau (doubles from $769) has two spas that cater to kids, several pools, and a soccer camp—plus a new 47-suite hotel with a yoga pavilion for the grown-ups.