Europe’s most (and least) family-friendly country? Five writers have their say

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In a rather tricky area, we have harder questions to answer. Which country produces the finest wine (don't get defensive, France, this is just a query)? And which boasts the supreme national cuisine (again, France, no need to raise your voice, it's commonly acknowledged that "cuisine" is one of your talents, although this may confirm your undeniable flair in the kitchen)?

Or has another European nation surpassed us at the dark art of subjecting tiny children to such treatment?

European experts regularly submit their views on the identity of the most family-friendly nation within Europe - and, conversely, the location on the European map where the sound of small and medium-sized children's footsteps is least welcome...

Friendliest: Greece

Basking in the pleasantness of its weather, and content in its station beneath the gentle swaying of olive trees.

And if all that sounds like a tired old expression, then, to be honest, that's largely how I've seen Greece, at its south-east corner of Europe. I'll admit I know the country isn't all sunshine and happiness, and it has its share of problems, but I've seen few dark times - a rare glimpse of frustration replace the smile with a frown. The Greece I know from visits over the past 20 or so years has always appeared cheerful, engaging, sociable, and reassuringly welcoming.

I'm not entirely sure I need to add the prefix "family" to "friendliest" - although a warm, affectionate nature around children is definitely a hallmark of the Greek character. This is why Greece has been a popular holiday spot for at least ten years since my children were born. I remember many small acts of kindness, but none as memorable as the chef at a small restaurant in Parga, in northern Epirus, who - a mother herself, as she explained - stopped what she was doing to take our exhausted young child round the tables for five minutes, giving two frazzled parents a brief opportunity to eat in a state of relative calm.

Least friendly: The UK

To establishments where children shouldn't be seen or heard, the British attitude towards its younger members often seems somewhat unaffable, unlike the warm welcomes found in Mediterranean resorts. Is it that I'm based in areas with more cloudy skies for most of the year, rather than enjoying a fortnight's sunshine in July and August? I suppose it's what's often said about familiarity breeding contempt.

Chris Leadbeater

Friendliest: Wales

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You might think it peculiar and the kids (10 and 11 years old) may be a bit wild, but Wales has everything they need: navigating through muddy fields, searching for newts, wading through streams in wellies and spending nights camping under the stars with only the sound of owl hooting for companionship. What's more, parents get a lovely bonus - you can often have a great Welsh adventure on a reasonable budget.

Crossing the Welsh border on foot using the rickety Biblins Rope Bridge over the River Wye incurs no expense (although you might consider treating yourself to marshmallow-topped hot chocolate at the café on the opposite side). Browsing the second-hand bookshops in Hay-on-Wye is free, and the finds within are the sort that will last for years to come. Exploring the area around Castrogi Brook in Llanvair Discoed near Chepstow, where tadpoles breed in puddles in a natural stream-lined basin, is an activity enjoyable at any age.

From Tintern Abbey (where a guide gave us a private tour and sparked the kids' imaginations with stories of hidden inscriptions and spooky tales) to Llangollen's Oggie Shop, where the server showed incredible patience while they chose their pastries, the Welsh people have always been very kind to us. That's why we're thinking of returning next year.

Least friendly: Crete, Greece

It appears that while Crete does get winter sunshine, the chill factor is a bit milder than anticipated. Upon checking into a hotel located just to the east of Chania, it rather didn't seem to make much of a difference that we're obliged to take a lengthy detour around a stretch of highway bisecting a somewhat industrial area; that is, as the island welcomes new hotels every year, it's highly likely that the most attractive and easily accessible locations have all been snapped up.

Instead of building sandcastles, we decided to visit Chania's Archaeological Museum, where we discovered Roman mosaics, a Minoan coffin – and a security guard berating children who got too close to the glass. We then headed to a water park in an attempt to improve morale: it appeared to do the trick, but we nervously watched every time they took the plunge down one of the rickety slides into the icy, murky water while the lifeguards seemed uninterested.

A family-friendly ambience didn't seem to feature highly on the island's agenda, yet we did enjoy a fantastic meal at a restaurant tucked away down a pretty, flower-filled lane in a quaint fishing village. It was there, after dinner, while taking a leisurely walk along the beach that we came across two dead rats on the sand. The scene was utterly unpleasant, even the local feral cats seemed completely unphased - although my child later included it as a funny experience among his holiday highlights.

Amanda Hyde

Friendliest: Italy

A child recently exclaimed, "How dull!" and it definitely isn't the long “booooring!” queues at every airport, hotel check-in desk, car hire office, and tourist attraction over here.

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You've got a dream of a family holiday, the sort a five-year-old would imagine.

Beyond that, there are the beautiful beaches of Sardinia for the young children; Rome's historic Roman ruins for primary-school pupils; iconic landmarks like Pisa's Leaning Tower for teenagers who love social media; and the artistic Uffizi and Accademia galleries in Florence for sixth-form students or university undergraduates who are developing an interest in art.

Shall we get a couple of very large glasses of Chianti for mum and dad to go with that pizza?

Least friendly: France

Parents: Come on, Charlie, give French a go. Locals enjoy it when you try speaking a bit and it will also really help you get a handle on it for your GCSE exams.

Charlie: [hesitating, blushing] “Good day. Could I..."

French waiter: [sighs dramatically, rolls eyes, adds €10 to the bill and talks over Charlie in an impatient, impertinent but perfect English accent] "Are you ordering the burger, then?"

elsewhere.

Ed Grenby

Friendliest: Austria

A great family holiday requires three essential elements: fun activities, hearty food, and a cultural atmosphere that makes children feel included and valued. Austria genuinely excels in all these areas (though it's worth noting that Germany and Switzerland, its EU partners, are also strong contenders).

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They've adopted it as their very own). And then there's the schnitzel and fine wine for the parents – plus Austria, Germany, and Switzerland are all much more friendly to vegetarians than France or, often, the UK.

Integral to making classical music accessible at the birthplace of Mozart.

Least friendly: Spain

"'She gets too hungry for dinner at eight' sang Ol' Blue Eyes," he mused. This was not a comment about the eating habits of British youngsters, but it could have applied to them. The Spanish are infamous for their punctual mealtimes: lunch does not start before one, dinner is served at eight, and it persists for hours. For a child who doesn't take kindly to a nap, this can be a significant challenge. The French, on the other hand, are strict about meal times but tend to schedule them slightly earlier, which tends to suit British youngsters better.

Sara Sherwood

Friendliest: Turkey

I'm rather taken with Kalkan in Turkey, isn't it a lovely place to visit? The town has a very pleasant, laid-back atmosphere, and it's situated near Antalya, a 2-hour drive from Dalaman Airport. The rooftop restaurants here serve fantastic mezze dishes, all the while accompanied by the evening call to prayer - it's really quite enchanting. Oh, and yes, I will certainly treat my wife to a rose from the same cheerful flower vendor we always see when we're holidaying there; every year, he greets us with a warm 'good day' - or so I like to think, anyway. After all, it was our first encounter - we'd all happened to order the same chicken kebabs, so I suppose we did make quite a few assumptions, if you know what I mean.

In the daytime, it's a beach club, a Turkish massage, followed by a leisurely stroll through the hilly town's boutique shops, buying replica football kits for my son and imitation designer fragrances for my daughter. I can enjoy a refreshing mint tea and observe the reasoning behind tourists visiting - it's all about things like 'snorkelling', 'Turkey's famed dentistry', and so on.

Over the UK's October half-term break, with warm temperatures of 25 degrees Celsius, the beaches at Patara, nestled beside the ancient Lycian ruins, and Kaputas, a picturesque spot resembling a postcard-perfect white-sand beach, tend to be relatively quiet. For a day trip, Saklikent Gorge, a mere 20 minutes by car away, is an excellent choice, offering an opportunity to go river-rafting down one of the world's deepest canyons, followed by a delectable lunch at a riverside eatery, where you can recline in a hammock while savouring your meal.

The kids are absolutely delighted by the day trip from Kas to the Greek island of Meis. They love swimming in the stunning blue cave close by before enjoying lunch at a harbour-side restaurant. Unfazed by their dislike of turtles, my wife gets her various forms of attention by sprinting right out of there when Maximus the massive turtle pays a visit, looking for some scraps to eat.

Least friendly: Iceland

The scenery beyond the wall is breathtaking, but doing a picnic in ski gloves at the Golden Circle's waterfall while the kids are turning blue in 160km/h gusts in the -7 degrees? Not for me.

"Sneaker waves" claim the lives of a handful of people on those perilous beaches each year. I've been fortunate enough to witness the Northern Lights, but this time it's been shrouded in cloud. The capital city, Reykjavik, is a formation of buildings that's not particularly aesthetically pleasing, comprising concrete, cranes, and corrugated iron. Interestingly, you can expect to pay an amount higher than a meal cost for just a standard glass of wine in a restaurant. A notable feature of the country is the utilisation of thermal springs to provide heating to most homes, although this does result in an aroma reminiscent of eggs being consistently present in the air. And there's still more, such as the occasional wild ponies that may attack your vehicle, and the widespread boredom and irritability experienced by locals due to a lack of sunlight on New Year's Eve, prompting many to launch fireworks at each other in the streets as a way of alleviating the monotony.

Ben Hatch

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