There's a lot that's unattainable about the royal family's lifestyle. They dress in the best clothes, go to the most fabulous parties, and have staff at their beck and call in glitzy palaces. But there's one thing about their lifestyle that is on the more attainable side: Their vacation destinations are often open to the public as well.
Of course, most of the exact hotels and resorts and private islands they visit are on the more expensive side, but a few are doable for the average person — especially the wildlife sanctuaries that are tourist attractions. And for the pricier places, one could always just visit the same town without staying in the exact hotel.
All of the royals have their preferred vacation spots. Prince William and Kate Middleton like to retreat to their Norfolk country home, Queen Elizabeth favors Scotland, and Princess Diana always seemed to prefer the beach. In fact, Diana was one of the royals who traveled the most, even though she wasn't part of the royal family for that long. Understandably, she likely just wanted to get away from what she perceived as an oppressive situation.
Diana would often travel with Princes William and Harry to allow them to relax without the pressures of royalty crushing them all the time. Sure, they could never completely escape the paparazzi, but at least they were on a beach while having their photo taken.
From private islands and fancy castles, to snowy ski slopes and wildlife reserves, here are 20 places the royals love to travel to.
Balmoral Castle, Scotland
Queen Elizabeth owns this impressive Scottish castle and often retreats there when she needs a break from the bustling Buckingham Palace in London. Royal fans can tour where the royals vacation by visiting the castle between the months of April and July. The tour includes a chance to see the formal gardens, stables, and ballroom in the castle.
Arosa, Swiss Alps
The royals love to ski and frequently travel to do so. In 2013, Kate, William, and Harry stayed at the Arosa ski resort in the Swiss Alps to attend a wedding. The Duchess of Cambridge was pregnant with Prince George at the time, so she didn't ski, but the royal brothers got some slope time in.
Klosters, Swiss Alps
Prince Charles reportedly prefers the Klosters resort in the Swiss Alps. He's been traveling to the area for more than 40 years, often bringing William and Harry along — and Charles even has his name on one of the ski lifts. Avid skiers can also visit Klosters for the beautiful scenery and gorgeous snowy slopes. Maybe Charles will even be there at the same time!
Courchevel, French Alps
Just because he grew up skiing in the Swiss Alps doesn't mean that William isn't willing to try out other ski areas. In 2016, he and Kate took kids George and Charlotte to the exclusive Courchevel resort in the French Alps — this time for some fun in the snow. This could be great for a family vacation, even if you're not royal!
Mustique, Saint Vincent, and the Grenadines
The Queen's late sister, Princess Margaret, was gifted a section of land on the private island of Mustique as a wedding present. She would often travel to her vacation home, and was once even spotted cavorting in the water with a much younger man while she was still married. Nowadays, the island is open to non-royal visitors as well.
Norfolk, England
Kate, William, and their three children consider the Norfolk, England, countryside their home away from home. (The Queen does, too.) Kate and William have their Anmer Hall residence there, and the Queen has her Sandringham estate. No one can visit Anmer, since it's the Cambridges' private family home, but royal fans are allowed to tour Sandringham.
Mallorca, Spain
Marivent Palace on the island of Mallorca is where the Spanish royal family vacations, but it's also where Princess Diana used to visit in the summers with her children, William and Harry, and her husband, Prince Charles. The palace is open for tours, and people can also just visit Mallorca in general if trying to re-create a royal getaway in paradise.
Kerala, India
In 2013, Charles celebrated his 65th birthday with wife Camilla Parker Bowles at the Kumarakom Lake Resort in India. Visitors don't have to be royal to check out the resort. Some of the luxurious rooms are relatively reasonably priced considering it's a royal vacation spot.
Kaziranga National Park, India
The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall aren't the only royals who enjoy spending time in India. William and Kate traveled there in 2016 to visit the Kaziranga National Park. They got to feed baby elephants and rhinos, and go on a safari. Follow in their footsteps and check out the Kaziranga National Park in Northeast India.
Kenya, East Africa
In 2010, Kate and William visited the Lewa Safari Camp, and the wildlife area Rutundu in Kenya, where William ended up proposing to Kate. The continent has such a special place in both William and Harry's hearts — and now Kate's as well. We can make it part of our hearts by checking out the Lewa Safari Camp, just like the Cambridges did.
Botswana, Southern Africa
William has Kenya, and Harry has Botswana. Harry and wife Meghan Markle forged their relationship in the beautiful African country, traveling there on their third date. They went there again for Meghan's 36th birthday. The area clearly means a lot to them, and fans of theirs can stay in the same sustainable safari lodge Meno a Kwena if they want.
Check out our Meghan Markle page for all the latest news about Meghan, Prince Harry, and their growing family.
Necker Island, Caribbean
Located in the British Virgin Islands, Necker Island is a private island owned by British businessman Richard Branson. Because of its remote and private location, Diana would often travel there with her children to get out of London for a while. Although it may be an exclusive place, regular people can stay there, too — provided they can shell out a few thousand dollars per night. The entire island can also be rented out, too.
Nevis, Caribbean
Necker Island isn't the only place in the Caribbean that Diana liked to visit. In January 1993, she went to Nevis with William and Harry for a beach vacation. It must have been nice to get out of the chilly winter in England and go to a sun-soaked island instead. Nevis is not private, so anyone can re-create Diana's vacation pics.
Valletta, Malta
Malta is an island in the Mediterranean where Elizabeth and late husband Prince Philip lived for a few years after getting married — and while Philip was serving in the Royal Navy. At the time, Elizabeth was still a princess, but when her father died, she left behind her Malta home to become Queen and live in Buckingham Palace. No one can stay in the actual home the couple lived in while they were in Malta — although it was for sale recently for $6.7 million — but just a trip to Valletta, Malta, is like getting close to a young Princess Elizabeth.
North Saanich, Canada
For a brief minute there, Meghan and Harry were living in Canada with their son, Archie. That was after they stepped down as senior royals but before they moved to California. The private nature retreat of Victoria, British Columbia, seemed to be just what they needed to recharge after a stressful couple of years of being in the spotlight. The private home they stayed in isn't available to rent, but interested parties can check out the surrounding North Saanich area to get the same views and activities as the Sussexes.
Jamaica, Caribbean
Everyone from the Queen to Prince Harry has stayed in the luxurious Half Moon Hotel in Montego Bay, Jamaica, according to Hello! magazine. American presidents have also stayed there. It has a spa, a golf course, fine dining, pristine pools, and more. It's not a budget hotel by any means, but it is technically available to us commoners.
Royal Yacht Britannia
Queen Elizabeth's ship, the Royal Yacht Britannia, used to sail around the world before the age of jet airplanes, but now it has a permanent home in Edinburgh, Scotland, where tourists can visit. Once upon a time, it's where Charles and Diana stayed when they went on a cruise for their honeymoon. Their marriage might not have worked out, but at least they got a good vacation out of the deal.
Saint-Tropez, France
In the last year of her life, Diana spent some time in another beach town — this time in France instead of in the Caribbean. She visited the seaside city of Saint-Tropez with her boyfriend, Dodi Al-Fayed, and even William and Harry joined her for a bit. The beaches of Saint-Tropez would have been world-famous even without Diana visiting them, but that helps bring in tourists for sure.
Disney World, Florida
Everyone loves to go to Disney World — even the royals. Diana took William and Harry to the American theme park in Orlando, Florida, when they were kids, and they had a blast. (See William going down Splash Mountain in the photo.) This was one way that Diana ensured that her children had a "normal" upbringing, even if they were royals.
Calala Island, Nicaragua
Princess Eugenie got engaged in Nicaragua to her now-husband Jack Brooksbank, and we can stay on the same private island where he popped the question. According to Hello! magazine, the duo stayed on Calala Island. The whole island is available for anyone to book. It just costs a couple of thousand dollars a night to do that!
