- Blog
- Cheap Travel
- Family Travel
- Quick Tips
- Scotland
- Posted: 31/05/2025
Flights from Scotland: Where to visit?!
Nicola Shah
Where to fly to from Scotland?!
Let’s face it, finding family-friendly, affordable flights from Scotland takes some serious skill. We don’t always get the same choice or prices as those flying from the bigger UK airports, so when a gem pops up, it’s worth shouting about. These are seven of the most unexpectedly brilliant family-friendly destinations you can fly to direct from Glasgow or Edinburgh-packed with culture, soul, calm beaches, and family-friendly fun.
1. Tunisia (Enfidha)
Flight time: 3.5 hours from Glasgow or Edinburgh
Why we love it: Tunisia has been one of our best surprises – it’s incredibly family-friendly, culturally rich, and offers fantastic value, especially if you’re feeling priced out of the usual destinations this summer. The beaches in Monastir and Sousse have soft, white and powdery sands, with calm turquoise waters perfect for little ones. You can take camel rides, spot flamingos in the wild, visit ancient ruins in El Jem, explore Sidi Bou Said (where Santorini got its aesthetic inspo from), and even visit filming locations from Star Wars, Gladiator and Monty Python.
Airports & flights: Enfidha Airport is one of the most chilled we’ve ever been through – easy passport control, quick security, no stress. And the flight times are great, no crazy middle-of-the-night returns.
Hotels we’ve stayed at and loved:
- Iberostar Selection Kantaoui Bay – Beautiful beachfront all-inclusive.
- One Resort Aqua Park & Spa – Super fun, lively and great for families on a budget.
- Hotels on our list for next time:
2. Romania
Fly into Bucharest
Flight time: 3.5 hours from Edinburgh
Why it works: Romania is a soulful blend of fairytale landscapes and affordable family fun. You’ll land in Bucharest, where the insta-famous Therme Spa awaits – Europe’s biggest wellness spa, and it’s amazing with kids. There’s a full indoor water park section just for them, and families with babies get to skip queues and go through private security (this also happens at the airport).
You can base yourself in Bucharest or go on to explore Transylvania and see Dracula’s Castle. We stayed in the picturesque Brasov and did a day trip to Bran Castle (Dracula Castle) and visited Valea cu Povesti, where our kids now refer to as “fake Disneyland”, a magical disney-themed area of playhouses and characters in a small forest, within a holiday park with pools, scenery and playparks – and all-inclusive family stays can be as little as £100 a night for a family of five.
3. Albania (Fly into Tirana)
Flight time: 3.5 hours from Edinburgh
Why it’s on our list: This one’s top of our wish list! We haven’t made it yet, but it’s high on our radar. Fly into Tirana, spend a few days in the vibrant city, then head to Durres for beach time. Albania’s new wellness hotels are stunning and so much more affordable than Western Europe.
From there, travel down to Saranda and Ksamil—often called the “Maldives of Europe.” It’s easy to hop on a ferry to Corfu too, just 30 minutes across the water. And complete the stay with a visit to the majestic town of Gjirokaster.
4. Agadir
Flight time: ~4 hours from Scotland
Why it works: Agadir is just magical. Wide sandy beaches, calm waves, amazing food, and the warmest people. You can ride camels, explore souks (including the biggest market in Africa!), visit Crocoparc, the Argan Oil co-op, or venture out to Paradise Valley. It’s child-friendly and welcoming in every way.
Be prepared for everyone to want to help you and entertain the kids.
Where we’ve stayed:
- Allegro Agadir – Great base.
- Next time we’ll be heading to Iberostar Founty Beach or Riu Palace Tikida Taghazout for that extra bit of comfort.
5. Lake Garda, Italy (Fly into Verona or Milan Bergamo)
Flight time: ~2.5 hours
Why we love it: It’s hard to beat Lake Garda for natural beauty, Italian charm and child-friendly fun. The town of Limone is stunning, with ferry rides, lakeside gelato and mountain views. We stayed in the hotel Bella Vista- it had an excellent indoor pool.
For families, Eurocamp sites are amazing – packed with pools, slides and fun. Plus, Gardaland and Peppa Pig Land. It was a real treat to discover Peppa on the banks of Lake Garda. We stayed in the wizard-themed hotel. A real dream for kids and so culturally rich that your own soul will thank you too.
6. Ibiza (Spain)
Flight time: ~3 hours
Why it’s a hidden gem: Ibiza might surprise you—it’s incredibly peaceful in the right areas. We stayed at Balansat Resort in Port de San Miguel, and it was the quietest beach we’ve ever seen. Calm waters, chilled families, and loads of babies and toddlers.
There’s a gorgeous Michelin-starred restaurant in the hills, Eden Restaurant, located within the Hacienda Na Xamena resort (a taxi ride from the hotel) for a wee treat, and we loved browsing the boho boutiques in Ibiza Old Town. It’s got the best mix of soul and style.
7. Dubai or Doha (Middle East stopovers)
Flight time: Direct from Glasgow or Edinburgh- around 6 hours to Doha + 1 hour to Dubai
Why we love it: Both are brilliant for families, but we especially recommend flying with Qatar Airways so you can take advantage of their free stopover in Doha. You can get a 4-star hotel free for up to four nights—or upgrade to 5-star for just a small fee. This is an excellent way to make the most of your budget.
Expect spotless hotels, desert adventures, play parks, loads of kids activities including the real-life sized play town Kidzania, fountains and futuristic cityscapes. There is so much for kids to do and an exceptional level of service that actually feels like you’ve been rejuvenated and, of course, it’s sunshine guaranteed.
There are more soulful, surprising flights from Scotland than people think – you just need to know where to look. From Moroccan beaches to Romanian castles, from Ibiza serenity to Tunisian adventures, these trips are full of story, joy and connection. Want to know more about flying from Glasgow or Edinburgh airports? Check out my recent blog!
Happy travels! ✨
Written by: Nicola Shah
Hi, I’m Nicola, a Scottish mum of three, lawyer by background, and lifelong travel lover now building a life that prioritises time with my kids. We home educate, work remotely, and piece together flexible side gigs so we can travel when it works for us.
As a family of five, I know how hard it is to find good-value holidays – especially flying from Scotland, particularly when most deals are built around families of four. I’ve made it my mission to find the gems that do work – and I’m here to help you find them too.
If you book through one of my links, thank you so much! I genuinely really appreciate it and I hope your trip brings you all the joy and memories in the world. Lots of love, Nicola x
RELATED ARTICLES
Things to do in Edinburgh: Family Edition
-
Lucy Starrs
Duinrell Eurocamp – An Honest Family Review
-
Lucy Starrs
Keep up to date...
A little back story about how I came to be where I am today 😅 My ADHD is too severe to be one thing for too long - my next ‘ten year rebrand’ can’t be too far away 🙃
As soon as I talk about having a community, people assume we’re an MLM, or part of inteletravel - we arent trying to recruit you don’t worry 🤣🫶🏻
#thetravelmum #juniordoctor #newlifewhodis #girlboss #mumswhotravel
Oct 31
A little back story about how I came to be where I am today 😅 My ADHD is too severe to be one thing for too long - my next ‘ten year rebrand’ can’t be too far away 🙃
As soon as I talk about having a community, people assume we’re an MLM, or part of inteletravel - we arent trying to recruit you don’t worry 🤣🫶🏻
#thetravelmum #juniordoctor #newlifewhodis #girlboss #mumswhotravel
Edinburgh is my favourite UK city at Christmas time 🤩
If you’re wondering where to stay, our Scottish Travel Mum Lucy has written a great post with the best hotels in Edinburgh! I’ve put it at the top of my linktree 🫶🏻
Where do we need to visit this Christmas?!
#christmasmarkets #edinburghscotland #thetravelmum #familytravel
Oct 23
Edinburgh is my favourite UK city at Christmas time 🤩
If you’re wondering where to stay, our Scottish Travel Mum Lucy has written a great post with the best hotels in Edinburgh! I’ve put it at the top of my linktree 🫶🏻
Where do we need to visit this Christmas?!
#christmasmarkets #edinburghscotland #thetravelmum #familytravel
My favourite Disney park by far 😍 What is yours?
This is DisneySea in Tokyo. Tokyo has two Disney parks, this one and Tokyo Disney. If you can only do one, it has to be this!
#disneysea #disneyland #disneyworld #thetravelmum #themeparks
Oct 16
My favourite Disney park by far 😍 What is yours?
This is DisneySea in Tokyo. Tokyo has two Disney parks, this one and Tokyo Disney. If you can only do one, it has to be this!
#disneysea #disneyland #disneyworld #thetravelmum #themeparks
Add this to your family travel bucket list 🤩
Billund in Denmark has some great family attractions. We visited Legoland, Legohouse, Lalandia and Wow Park.
Where is your favourite family attraction in Europe?!
#familytravel #thetravelmum #travelideas #wowpark
Oct 15
Add this to your family travel bucket list 🤩
Billund in Denmark has some great family attractions. We visited Legoland, Legohouse, Lalandia and Wow Park.
Where is your favourite family attraction in Europe?!
#familytravel #thetravelmum #travelideas #wowpark
Unlock the perfect
Cheap holiday
Build a custom DIY trip in 30 seconds!
