I visited the 'world's most fun airport' that makes family holidays easy

Metro

a day ago

Our gate had been called for our return flight to London Luton, but my 13-month-old was in no hurry to leave.
Mahon airport, Menorca, is a day out in itself for little ones, with four dedicated play areas for children to burn off some steam before boarding.
The fun starts before you go through security, with a 'children's room' in the departure hall complete with soft play blocks ready for stacking and climbing on.
In the main terminal, our newly walking toddler could not get to the central play area fast enough, where he loved spinning the pictures, pressing his face against a big see-through wall, and watching the older kids hopscotch and play games on the big screens.
We reluctantly pulled him away mid-play, so imagine our delight (and his) when there was yet another play space, with aviation-themed buttons to prod and push set up by the gate.
Mahon, also known as Menorca Airport, also has fenced-in play areas by baggage reclaim, and I can not tell you how helpful it is to have a brightly-coloured slide to distract a small child from the lure of a moving luggage carousel.
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So, it comes as no surprise that the airport was recently crowned 'The world's most fun' by children's brand iCandy.
The company analysed 117 global airports based on the availability of key amenities for families, including restaurants, feeding/pumping rooms, rentable prams, family assistance at security, and of course, play areas.
Now, the pre-parent me of two years ago would have yawned at this little study, created by a brand who makes baby and toddler products. My pitch for the world's 'most fun' airport would have involved champagne taps and a spa room – not soft play.
But now, I've seen first-hand what a difference these spaces can make to travelling families and will wax lyrical about those sweet, wipe-clean surfaces.
You only have to look at the 'pre-flight care package' trend to see that families are made to feel like a nuisance when travelling. The TikToks show parents handing out earplugs, sweets and handwritten notes to those sitting near them, as a pre-emptive apology for disturbing their flight.
Personally, I find these videos irritating. I fully support people who do not want to have children, but nobody has the right to live in a child-free world.
Creating child-friendly spaces like those in Mahon sends a clear message: you and your kids are welcome here.
Menorca Airport (Mahon Airport), Spain (Score: 95/100)
Four dedicated children's play areas, three nursing rooms, eight dining options and thanks to the lower passenger numbers, it can feel less daunting compared to some of the larger European airports. Riga International Airport, Latvia (Score: 75.83/100)
Family-friendly security lines, four nursing rooms and three play areas Warsaw Chopin Airport, Poland (Score: 74.02/100)
19 dedicated rooms for nursing and changing, three dedicated kids' play zones, family-friendly security screening, and 25 food options. Montreal-Trudeau International Airport, Canada (Score: 74.01/100)
Five kids' play areas, 10 nursing rooms, 53 dining options available too. Oslo Airport, Gardermoen, Norway (Score: 69.22/100)
44 dining options, two nursing rooms for parents, and four play areas for kids to run wild in.
Source: iCandy.
It could not contrast more to our experience at London Luton, where the security queue was painfully long and unhealthy snacks became the main source of entertainment. More Trending
On the day we visited, one baby change was out of order and another had a queue four-exasperated parents deep, so I'm surprised it was been named the UK's most child-friendly by iCandy and eighth globally. The bar really is low.
Set against all these challenges, there's a camaraderie among parents at airports, usually defined by collective sighs and empathetic looks during tantrums. There was no need for that in Mahon, though, where the parents were almost as giddy as the kids, chatting our way through the language barriers like families at one giant school fete.
And you know what? Making airports fun for kids makes travelling better for non-parents too. After all that playing in Menorca, our little boy slept through take-off and the first hour of the 2.5-hour flight.
If that isn't an advert for the benefits of child-friendly airports, I don't know what is.
Its big sister, Mallorca (Majorca), might offer a wider range of resorts and activities, but there's a quiet beauty to Menorca that makes it well worth a visit.
The smaller Balearic Island attracts approximately 1.6 million tourists annually, compared to Majorca's 12 million, and feels all the calmer for it.
We holidayed in Cala'n Porter, where the fully lifeguarded, sherltered beach stands out as one of the most family-friendly in Europe. You can walk out almost 100 metres and the still, clear water is barely over your waist.
The small town has every convenience you might need, with the local supermarkets stocking plenty of fresh fruit and pastries each morning. And though there's only a handful of local restaurants, they charge fairly and serve some mouthwatering paella.
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