Castles fit for a Kid: Three unforgettable family-friendly villas in Europe

Heads up to those of you entertaining thoughts of renting family-friendly villas in Europe!

I recently discovered Oliver’s Travels, a company that makes it very easy to find family-friendly villas that are a good fit based on your children’s ages and stages—baby and toddler, grade school-age kids, or tweens and teens. You might also appreciate that every Oliver’s Travels property listing clearly spells out what family-friendly amenities you can count on being there for you, such as cribs, high chairs, baby gates, or even babyproofing in general.

But what I like even more about Oliver’s Travels is that they have a huge collection of “properties with panache.” From chateaux and gites to yachts and treehouses, there are some truly unforgettable accommodations to be had. Just to share a few of my favorite examples, check out these amazing family-friendly “castles” I discovered in France, Spain, and Italy.

Family Reunion Pick:

Chateau Chamborigaud in Languedoc, France

Kids who clamor for a castle stay are bound to fall speechless when they first see the three turrets on the fairytale-esque Chateau Chamborigaud. This 11-bedroom family-friendly chateau in the south of France sleeps up to 18 people between five stand-alone bedrooms and three bedrooms that are actually two-in-one (six total), meaning your child’s room will be attached to your own like a “family apartment” rather than down a shared hallway. And just because this magnificent estate was completed in 1575 doesn’t mean you’ll want for creature comforts or conveniences. Take a dip in the heated outdoor swimming pool, cook in the gourmet kitchen or the outdoor kitchen—or let the optional chef-for-hire do it for you, and take advantage of the Suzuki 4 x 4 for use by chateau guests to do a little exploring of the parkland and wine country that surround it. No need to worry it might be too fancy a place for kid comfort; there is even a children’s lounge located on the ground level. And Chateau Chamborigaud is not just a summer escape! It’s only 20 minutes from skiing in winter and looks even more like a fairytale in snow. Click here to see more about Chateau Chamborigaud. (BREAKING NEWS: Oliver’s Travels is including this property as 1 of the 5 French chateaux my readers can save an extra $500 on this summer! Click here for details.)

Island Escape Pick:

Villa Hermosura on Ibiza, Spain

It’s hard to imagine a more fun way to do “Ibiza with kids” than by staying in this multi-level castle-ette overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. Villa Hermosura not only has its own small swimming pool but is located smack dab between two great beaches (take your pick of Cala Carbo or Cala Vadella), either of which you can walk to from the villa in under 10 minutes. The villa sleeps up to 6 people between three bedrooms, with additional beds available on request (extra fee). If you’re planning a multigenerational getaway, the villa’s ground level king bedroom may also be helpful for either grandparents or newer parents who want to avoid stairs (the other two bedrooms are on separate levels). Click here to see more about Villa Hermosura.

Exotic pick:

Villa Trullo in Puglia, Italy

If you ever imagined a castle made up of fancy cookie jars (and what would be more fun than that?!), it might look something like the stunning Villa Trullo in Puglia. “Trulli” (plural of trullo) are the ancient conical dry stone structures found throughout the Salento region of southern Italy, and the historic Villa Trullo is a 3,000 square foot estate comprised of several of these. The villa sleeps up to 8 people between four bedrooms and is surrounded by more than 800 trees including apricots, figs, almonds, pomegranates, and lemons on the outside, with fully modern amenities including a plasma TV with satellite on the inside. And though it’s well off the typical tourist track through Italy, it’s just 20 minutes’ drive to Adriatic beaches and the Brindisi Airport. Click here to see more about Villa Trullo in Italy.

So you don’t exactly need a “castle” in Europe? They’ve got plenty of other options, too.

Just click the “Kids” tab at the top of the Oliver’s Travels homepage and select the age range and other specifics to pull up the family-friendly villas, dog-friendly cottages, and family beach houses that best meet your needs, and keep an eye out for properties offering extra discounts or special incentives. And wherever you decide to stay, Oliver’s Travels will also include FREE concierge service with every reservation, meaning that for no extra charge they will help you recommendations of restaurants and activities near your villa, and help you find the right private chef or nanny if you’ll need one during your stay.

Thanks so much to Oliver’s Travels for sponsoring this post…and for creating the GREAT special offer I was just informed I get to pass on to my readers! Stay tuned for the next post where I will share all those juicy details!

Related posts and pages:

European Baby Gear Rental Agencies

Destinations tips and advice for travel in Europe with young children

Safe journeys,

Shelly Rivoli, author of the award-winning Travels with Baby guidebooks

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