Lisbon is the European city break that works with kids, a sunny, hilly capital where rattling yellow trams double as a ride and the pastries are practically a food group. The classic outing is Tram 28, grinding up through the old Alfama district past viewpoints and tiled facades, and the city keeps the wins coming: the Oceanário, one of the largest aquariums in Europe, the hands-on Knowledge Pavilion science museum, and the Belém waterfront, where a riverside monastery and tower sit a few steps from the bakery that invented the custard tart. Few cities make sightseeing this painless for a family.

What makes Lisbon a holiday rather than a weekend is what sits just outside it. A short train ride away, Sintra is pure fairy tale, with the candy-colored Pena Palace, a hilltop Moorish castle to storm, and forested gardens that feel enchanted, an easy day that lands hard with children. The Lisbon coast adds beaches: chic Cascais with its marina and ice cream shops, and the long surf-friendly sands of Costa da Caparica. Back in the city, pastéis de nata and grilled fish keep everyone fed. The accommodation ranges from luxury hotels and resorts with pools and kids' clubs to boutique guesthouses and roomy apartments for longer stays. Lisbon is the rare city that pairs genuine culture with palaces, beaches, and trams, a capital a family can actually enjoy at a child's pace.