The picturesque Danish capital is home to Tivoli Gardens, an all-ages theme park set in beautiful gardens. No one will cry ‘boring’ in this city – The Blue Planet aquarium is fabulous, the 3200-square-metre KU.BE building is entirely dedicated to play, and The Experimentarium science museum will keep big kids and small entertained for hours. Be sure to make the 2.5-hour trip to Legoland in nearby Billund for adventure and Lego galore.

No matter how old you or your kids are, the highlight of any family trip to London is bound to be an interactive tour of the sets, props and costumes used in the making of the Harry Potter movies. Dedicate at least half a day to the Warner Bros Studio Tour. Madame Tussauds wax museum is ever changing and evolving, the Tower of London is a fun day out, and no trip to this bustling city would be complete without watching the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. A hop-on-hop-off Big Bus pass makes sightseeing easy.

Lake Wakatipu and The Remarkables mountain range paint a stunning backdrop for this happening city, where outdoor adventures of every kind can be experienced safely. The ski fields are a mere half-hour drive from the centre of Queenstown and in summer families can go biking, hiking, horse riding and kayaking. Brave older kids and their parents may want to tick bungee jumping off their list, and there are plenty of day trips to scenic Lord of the Rings countryside nearby for picnics and strolls.

The Exploratorium at Pier 15 is accessible by streetcar and well worth including on any family visit to this fun city. There are 650 hands-on exhibits at the science and technology museum, where kids can step inside a tornado, turn upside down in front of a giant mirror and walk on water across a fog bridge. A tour of Alcatraz will have kids stepping into prisoners’ shoes, or take in a ball game at the home of the San Francisco Giants, AT&T Park.