Copenhagen

Copenhagen is a capital sized for families: flat, bike-friendly and small enough that most sights are a 20-minute ride apart. Tivoli’s fairy lights sit two minutes from the central station, harbour buses double as scenic transport, and even central Copenhagen has playgrounds tucked between old buildings. It’s an easy first city for children — safe streets, short distances, and constant chances to stop for pastries.

Everything in central Copenhagen is close enough to walk or cycle, so a day rarely turns into a forced march. Nyhavn’s colourful harbour front, the Design Museum’s hands-on children’s wing and free city parks like Kongens Have give a change of pace whenever energy dips, and the driverless metro is an attraction in its own right for younger kids. Family logistics are unusually easy here: buses and trains take prams without a fuss, most cafés have high chairs without asking, and the harbour water is clean enough for a summer paddle right in the city centre. Legoland and the North Zealand castles make easy day trips if a week allows for more than the capital.