School’s out, and it’s time for a vacation! But where to?
Below are our favorite family-friendly international destinations for a summer vacation during the months of June, July, and August for those of us in the U.S. We’re talking unique destinations with mild-to-warm weather, great food, and fun for the whole family.
What are your family’s favorite international destinations summer travel? Any that we’re missing below?
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Interested in staying closer to home? Check out our favorite Bay Area day-trips and other local recommendations, or our U.S. summer destination recommendations (coming soon!)!
Top Family-Friendly International Summer Destinations
Mexico City
It was love at first sight when we visited Mexico City (CDMX), and it will always have a special place in our family’s hearts for its lovely, historic, and vibrant neighborhoods and incredible food.
Click below to see why CDMX is one of our favorite international destinations for families.
Lisbon & Porto
Lisbon and Porto in Portugal are lovely destinations for a summer family vacay, even one on a road-trip and with your extended family. The summer weather is mild, the food is delicious, the wine is plentiful, and the cities are full of history, being some of the oldest centers in Europe. Plus, there are castles galore.
Vancouver
O, Canada! Summer in Vancouver is an excellent choice to visit with your young kids because it is a short flight from the Bay Area, has mild weather, and is full of outdoor adventure.
Honorable Mentions
New Zealand
Summer in the U.S. marks winter in the Southern Hemisphere, so if snow and cooler temps are the type of summer you’re looking for, check out the endless beauty that New Zealand has to offer! Visit Ōtautahi Christchurch, Queenstown, and Lake Tekapo.
Coastal Mexico
It can get hot, hot, hot in popular destinations like Puerto Vallarta, Cabo San Lucas, and Cancun, but if you’re hanging at the beach or by the pool all day at an all-inclusive resort, who cares? We checked out an all-inclusive resort in Puerto Vallarta over the summer—read our honest review on Fodor’s at the link below.
Places We'd Skip
Paris
Don’t get us wrong, we love Paris! But the summer months can be brutal there in terms of crowds and hot weather. When possible, we prefer a visit in the fall or early spring.
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia is certainly not a monolith and there are select destinations (e.g., Baguio, Philippines) that have temperate weather during the U.S. summer months. For the most part, a summer in Southeast Asia generally means you’re dealing with both rain and humidity since summer is monsoon season for most of the region. I would suggest you postpone a trip until the last few months of the year.
We know summer presents a rare annual opportunity to plan a longer vacation with your school-age children, which means that sometimes you’ll just have to forge ahead go where the wind takes you! But if you have the flexibility, we stand by these recs as ideal international summer travel destinations for our fellow BIPOC U.S. family travelers.
What are your favorite summer destinations outside of the United States? What did we miss? Share in the comments below.
Angelica (she/her) is of Cebuano(Pilipinx)-descent and was born and raised in Huchiun Ohlone territory (the East Bay Area--pay your Shuumi Land Tax!), where she also now resides with her partner and their toddler. She loves to spend her time sipping on boba and dirty chai lattes (sometimes together), and eating pescetarian goodies at BIPOC-owned cafes and restaurants.
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BBA’s Ultimate Guide to Traveling with Your Family to Paris, France
Trip Recap: 3 Days in London with Our Toddler and Extended Family
A Family-Friendly Guide to Mexico City: Top 10 Activities with Sample Itineraries
