What a city trip with kids really costs, and how to estimate it
Children are cheap or expensive depending on their exact age on the day you travel. Cut-offs at 2, 4, 6, 12 and 18 decide most of the bill. Here is where the money goes and a quick way to add it up.
The short version
- Child prices depend on the age on the day of the visit. Every venue sets its own cut-off.
- A family ticket is only cheaper if your family matches its definition.
- City transport is often free for young children. Check the age for each city.
- Food is the cost that grows with age. A teenager eats and pays like an adult.
Child ticket ages are different everywhere
There is no standard age for a child ticket. One attraction lets in under-4s for free and charges full price from 12. The one next door is free under 6 and has a youth price up to 17. Two children a year apart can cost very different amounts.
So check each attraction's ticket page before you plan, with your children's ages on the travel dates in front of you.
- Free under: commonly somewhere between 2 and 6, set by each venue
- Child price: often ends at 11, 12 or 15
- Youth or student price: may run to 17 or 25, sometimes with ID
- Height-based pricing: common at theme parks and some rides
- Free child tickets may still need booking, with a timed slot
Family tickets: do the sum
A family ticket sounds like the obvious choice and often isn't. Most are defined as two adults and two children, sometimes two adults and three. One parent with three kids, or a family with a baby who is free anyway, can pay more with the bundle than without.
Add up the individual tickets you would need. Compare. It takes a minute.
- Read the definition: how many adults, how many children, what ages
- Take out anyone who is free anyway before comparing
- Check whether grandparents count as the adults
- Compare online and on-the-door prices. Online is often cheaper and skips the queue
- City passes: only worth it if you would visit enough paid sights per day, which is hard with young kids
Transport: often free for young children
Public transport is where families save without trying. Many cities let young children ride free with a paying adult, and the age limit is generous in some. In London, Transport for London lets up to four children under 11 travel free with a fare-paying adult on the Tube, DLR, Overground and Elizabeth line, and under-11s ride buses and trams free.
Other cities draw the line at 4, 6 or 10. Look it up on the operator's own site.
- Check the free age and whether it needs an accompanying adult
- Check how many children one adult can take
- Look for a child or youth day ticket for older kids
- Group or family day tickets can beat single fares from two adults up
- Airport trains and express buses often have their own, higher fares
- Taxis: ask about child seats before you rely on them
Free things worth planning around
Every city has free things that children like as much as the paid ones. Build each day around one paid anchor and fill the rest for nothing.
Museum entry rules vary by country. Some national museums charge nobody for the permanent collection, many are free for under-18s, and others have a free day each month that is also the most crowded day.
- Playgrounds and big city parks
- Free museum collections and free entry for children
- Markets and food halls, where looking costs nothing
- Public ferries and trams as a cheap boat or sightseeing ride
- City beaches, fountains and paddling pools in summer
- Changing of the guard, street performers, viewpoints you walk up to
Food: the cost that grows with age
A toddler shares your plate. A seven-year-old needs a meal. A teenager orders an adult main and then asks about dessert. Food is the one budget line that goes up every year.
Three restaurant meals a day is also too much sitting for most children. Mixing in supermarket food saves money and tempers.
- Book a room with breakfast included or a kitchen. Breakfast out for four adds up fast
- Make lunch the restaurant meal. Set lunch menus are cheaper than dinner in many countries
- Picnic dinner from a supermarket or bakery two or three nights
- Carry water bottles and refill them
- Budget one treat a day and say so in the morning
- Ask for a half portion where there is no children's menu
How to estimate your daily cost
You need four numbers per day, in the local currency. Look them up once for your city and your children's ages, then multiply by the number of days.
Leave out flights and the hotel. You know those already. This is the money that leaves your pocket on the street.
- Attractions: the full price of one paid anchor for your whole family
- Transport: day tickets for everyone who pays
- Food: one restaurant meal for the family, plus groceries for the other meals
- Extras: treats, a souvenir, a toilet fee, a carousel ride
- Add the four, multiply by days, then add a tenth for the things you forgot
Before you book
Common questions
At what age do children start paying for attractions?
It depends on the venue. Free entry usually ends somewhere between 2 and 6, and the child price often ends around 12 to 15. Always check the ticket page for the exact ages.
Are city passes worth it for families?
Rarely with young children. Passes pay off when you visit several paid sights a day, and a family with a napping toddler visits one or two. With teenagers who can keep an adult pace, run the numbers.
Do children travel free on public transport in Europe?
Young children usually do, but the age limit differs by city, from around 4 up to 10 or more. In London it is under 11 with a paying adult on most services. Check the local operator's fares page.