Travel with Kids: 2001
More and more Americans are taking their kids on their European adventures. Rick has a "Europe Through the Back Door" chapter on traveling with a baby, and he recommends Cynthia Harriman's "Take Your Kids to Europe" and Maureen Wheeler's "Travel with Children." But here's where you experienced parents can share your own tried-and-true tips with those planning their first European family vacation.
What are your your strategies for keeping Junior happy on the long flight over? Your favorite child-friendly attractions? Have you found family-sized rooms and baby supplies on the road? And how have you kept your teenagers interested and entertained?
Teens and Travels
I was so excited that we were taking my 15 y.o. step-daughter to Europe.
That is, until we picked her up in Amsterdam and she told me how she didn't
like big cities. Our itinerary was to be Am/Paris/Brusssels — not exactly
a quaint country tour!
We were only in Europe for one week and the first two days she found everything to be "weird" from food to bathrooms. The next few days things were "different". The final few days, thank goodness, things were "interesting". I guess the point is, that with teens, their feelings about anything can go quickly from bad to good or visa versa. She loved being on her own (she spoke French so it was easy to let her wander) and didn't like when we had to share a room.
Since then we've traveled with my younger two (now 12 & 14) and I find
that by giving them as much freedom as possible (I feel safer in Europe
than in Atlanta) and allowing for more down time than usual we have bypassed
much whining. By the way, Paris ended up being my step daughter's favorite
part of the trip and she said she'd love to live there someday.
Karen <email>
Atlanta, GA USA 12/03/01
Travel with Kids
My wife and I took our two daughters (ages 7 and 9) to Switzerland, Liechtenstein,
Austria, Germany, and Italy for 3 weeks in October. All went well but we
did quite a bit of pre-planning and work. We homeschool, so we were focused
on learning from the experience. To meet that goal, we spent most of the
summer studying the places where we would be going. Topics covered related
to art, history, geography, language, and culture. We made the learning
fun and it carried over to the trip itself. By the way, one resource we
used was Rick's videos. They are, of course, an excellent source for travel
planning but also for getting a flavor for the areas to be visited. When
we got to the areas previously studied, our daughters were able to really
appreciate what they were seeing. I realize that our homeschooling lifestyle
led to a specific approach but I think anyone can help their children enjoy
and benefit from a trip more by doing some preparation before departure.
As a footnote: something must have stuck with my daughters because when
we were having dinner at a local Italian restaurant upon our return home,
they spoke Italian to the english-speaking waitress! Not that she understood
what we were saying.
S.M.
Havre de Grace, MD USA 12/03/01
Teenage girls
We took our daughters, ages 11 & 12, to Europe in 2000 and had such a wonderful
experience with them we couldn't wait to plan another trip. What a difference
a year makes! The second trip the older one had a major attitude and complained
about almost everything. It was a real downer for the rest of us. We will
probably postpone future travels until she is out of this difficult phase
or we can do it without the kids. I would certainly appreciate any insight
other parents of teenage girls have on this subject.
Donna <email>
CA USA 12/01/01
response to Heidi
Heidi, I guess from my previous posting that some people think I don't recommend
travel with children, but that's not true. I just think most kids in their
early to mid teens would rather be ANYWHERE except in a foreign country
with their parents. Your children, however, are at a great age for travel.
The countries you mentioned are wonderful except for Israel. We have visited
there before, we loved it and never felt afraid; but we have Israeli friends
who say it is very dangerous now. They presently live in Holland, but went
back this past summer to see family. They said that everyone is afraid and
people won't leave their homes. They've never seen anything like it. I wouldn't
hesitate to go to Europe, but I would save Israel for the future when things
have calmed down a bit. Safe travels.
Susan <email>
Odessa, FL USA 12/01/01
relating to Jim's story
I just read Jim's comments and I can certainly relate. We've taken three
trips to Europe with our kids and most recently the three of us joined my
husband on a business trip to Puerto Rico. Our experiences have taught us
a few things. The boys were wonderful travelers when they were under 11.
After that, I would highly recommend traveling with another family or taking
along a friend for your pre-teen or teenager. We did that in Greece in 1999
and it was wonderful. Our family-only trip to Italy in 2000 was much like
Jim's...lots of complaining. We ended up giving our boys money and sending
them off alone to find food or entertainment everywhere except Rome (13
and 14 at the time). We had high hopes that Puerto Rico this past summer
would be better because we were staying in a resort. Wrong! All they did
was sleep and hang out in the room watching movies. They were only happy
when riding a very expensive wave-runner or taking an even more expensive
scuba class. Unfortunately, this seems to be the norm with that age group.
For next summer, we're planning to send the boys to Outward Bound while
we go on a trip alone!
Susan <email>
Odessa, FL USA 10/28/01
Notes from a survivor.
Do parents whose kids act up on trips prefer just to forget about it, and
never write about their BAD experiences? Surely my 12 year old daughter
isn't the only one who was an absolute pill while on a trip! Kids are people
too, and not everyone is a good traveler, no matter what their age.
I had read the postings here, as well as a book or two on traveling with kids. I thought we were set. So I took my daughter and my 20 year old son on what I thought would be a 2 week trip of a lifetime. Well, it WAS memorable! We visited cousins in Germany, a friend in Belgium, and drove to Normandy where my Dad had helped land troops at Utah Beach. My son got enthused about Europe, but then he's not exactly a kid anymore, either. However, my daughter had an attitude with a capital "A," and tried her darndest to get us to cut the trip short. If I had felt I could have afforded it, I might have done so. But once I realized how my girl was going to be, I made up my mind that I was going to enjoy the trip, no matter how awful my daughter was. And I did. My son did too.
However, he kept trying to "correct" his younger sister's behavior. Of course, that went over with her like a lead balloon. "Lord, spare me, and just let me keep them apart long enough so they don't do bodily harm to each other!"
I was surprised I found as much patience as I did, but then — I had no choice. I had tried to plan some things that she would enjoy, such as visits to Six Flags Belgium (fka Walibi) and Parc Asterix near Paris. Parc Asterix was good, but my darling whined rather pointedly when her brother and I paused to inspect the artisans' stalls at Parc Asterix.
Maybe a preliminary trip in the States would have been a good idea to see what kind of traveler she would be. But then, there would have been no language, cultural, or food differences to set her off. So maybe that wouldn't have worked anyway. French fries and catsup everywhere bought some peace. Her brother and I were MUCH more adventurous with the food.
I just now asked her if, aside from the cybercafes and trying the wine,
she had liked "anything" about the trip. She said "sure" — visiting her
Belgian friend, the castles, and the theme parks. So maybe she DID enjoy
some of the trip after all. Or maybe she's also already forgetting the
worst aspects of it. Maybe someday we'll do it again. — When she's older.
Jim Rogers <email>
Englewood, CO USA 10/26/01
kids ordering their own food
We just spent 5 weeks in Paris, Burgandy, the Black Forest, and the Alps
with our 10 and 7 year old kids. The best tip I can offer is to let them
order ANYTHING they want from the menu as long as they do it in the correct
language. They were shy at first but even the Parisian waiters were smiling.
A great icebreaker, even though they consumed a lot of pomme frites. My
Kraft American Singles loving son was asking whether the cheese was from
a cow or a goat, in France, and chose some wonderful desserts in Austria.
We used the Rick Steves French language guide book and did just fine. I
spoke German and would tell them the phrase to use at the restaurant. Worked
fantastically. This way the kids interacted with the locals. They even became
brave enough to purchase ice cream and bread from the little stores. The
store owners really enjoyed that they were trying. The kids felt a sense
of pride, instead of just following me around. Now if I could just get my
husband to do it....
Robin
Bainbridge, WA USA 10/22/01
On the road near Rome
Casperia is a walled hill town in Italy-one hour north of Rome. LaTorretta
(www.latorrettabandb.com) is a bed and breakfast which routinely accommodates
families with children. They have a two bedroom-one bath suite for parents.
Our room overlooked a valley with small farms and houses. Very quiet and
very hospitable. Great breakfasts.
paul vandehey <email>
hoodsport, wa USA 10/18/01
Nafplion, Greece — our favorite playground in Europe so far
Our kids favorite playground in Europe (so far!) is the one in Nafplion,
Greece. This charming port town in the Peloponese has a large wonderful
park. we spent an afternoon there, and the parents enjoyed it too. The town
has nice restaurants and several pizzarias (including Pizza Heart! our kids
favorite.) Nafplion is close to many of the ruins including Epidaurus and
Mycenae, and is a great place to spend several nights while exploring the
Peloponese. kids love it too!
Lee Ann Webster <email>
Mountain Brook, AL USA 10/03/01
Italy and France with 19 month old
Had a great 3+ week adventure with our 19 month old daughter in September
2001. Bring lots of small inexpensive toys — like stickers — impossible
to find in Italy — France had them — although expensive — pack more than
you think are necessary for hours of fun.
Drugs are a good thing! Neither France nor Italy sells chewable drugs for kids — so if you like this form — pack your own — our child cut 2 new teeth while we were on vacation — after running out of our chewable stock we resorted back to liquid Advil — which was readily available in France. Bendadryl worked like a charm to help calm/induce sleep before nap/museum time. A sleeping baby in a stroller is great!
A stroller is a wonderful thing to have — Italy and France has some great models (by Graco or other well known brands). We purchased one in Venice (3 days into our trip)- even though we had packed an umbrella stroller with us. The luxury of a reclining stroller with a rain cover was worth the $120 expense — it is very lightweight and rolls over the rough european terrain better than the combination backpack/strollers. We also would tire our child out by going to areas she could run around in the morning and then around lunchtime, push her in the stoller for 15-30 minutes — she would then fall asleep and sleep for 1 1/2 to 2 hours — enough time to catch a lovely meal in a cafe. We took a backpack too, which was essential for the hikes between towns in the cinque terre and old hill towns in France.
Don't underestimate the value of a good nights sleep. Find a hotel with a baby crib if your child is used to sleeping by themselves. Possibly consider buying one when you get to europe if you need to. If you are staying in Paris — the Hotel Leveque now has one — we bought it when we got to paris and sold it to the owner. There is a great hotel in Venice with a crib also — email me if you want the name. Don't bring it with you — too heavy and the European ones you can buy have wheels on them — much more practical for lugging around — we went to the galleries lafayette — bought the thing and wheeled back through the subway system without difficulty in Paris.
Try to stay in one place for at least 3 nights if not a week. We did way too much — with a child. We recommend one city per week or rent an RV like we did for a week and your child will always have the same bed each night and you can travel from small town to small town. Arranging the cushions just right in an RV can make a little crib for a toddler.
Find lots of playgrounds (Luxembourg Gardens in Paris!) and have fun. Let your child eat lots of gelato and pringles :-)
If you like wearing your Jeans in the u.s. for goodness sakes — find
room and pack them with you — we sure missed ours — and everybody in europe — other than americans are wearing them!
Cassandara <email>
Willamette Valley, OR USA 10/01/01
Travel with Kids
We have traveled a bit with our children. In the past few years our kids
adored 5 weeks in Australia. Last summer they were 4, 9, & 11 and spent
seven weeks in Europe. I was not excited about washing for the four of us
(Dad does his own), so came up with a few pre-departure guidelines. Since
there are many cities with laundry facilities, everything had to be able
to withstand machine washing and drying, nothing that runs, I was usually
able to do two loads and be done! Wash machines in many parts are very expensive,
but using them kept my sanity (I took a book and read, sans family!) With
a three year old unable to carry her luggage all the time we had one roll
aboard with backpack straps. Her tiny clothes were in a small duffel that
fit onto the handle. Now and then she needed to be carried, so we had one
parent with a pack on and another holding a little one. Even with airport
security changing (and encouragement to check all bags), I still love the
fact that I can breeze along with NO WEIGHT ON MY BACK.
I pack bags a couple of weeks early. Let it sit for a day. Check for weight and remove or add items. Also try the wash and dry test- see how long it takes that skirt, underwear or shirt to dry under sink conditions (if you don't use washers). Even if you plan to use machines, they are not always available, so pack a clothesline and detergent.
One other little note: each child had his/her own pouch (pencil cases
for binders are fine) with a tiny tube of toothpaste, their toothbrush,
and maybe lip balm. This saved a parent a bit of weight and they loved
the "mine" aspect.
Carolyn Marck
Seattle, WA USA 09/21/01
Cool backpack carrier/stroller
I discovered a great pack for travelling with babies. It is a convertable
backpack\stroller made by Kelty. It is very well made, not like the cheap
ones we saw at babies-r-us. I got it for $135 from justpacks.com. A bonus
is that it does have an adjustable chest strap even though the photo on
the web site doesn't show one. I hope that it works well for us on our trip
to Europe next year. I have heard people on the grafitti wall say you should
have a carrier and some say you should have a stroller. This is both. I
just wish it could also be a carseat too :)
Steve Zavocki <email>
Lewisville, TX USA 09/18/01
Europe twice in a summer
If you have the time and budget I would go to Europe for 2 weeks in June
and 2 weeks in August so that way you have 4 weeks in total but you are
not over doing it except with the long flights. Next summer I may do it
this way due to the fact that I have family to visit domestically and yet
I want to see so much in Europe. I would feel less pressured by buying 2
Eurorail passes in First Class for 3-4 months and use it in July and in
August. You buy the tickest 3 months before and you will then be set to
go twice in a summer. Lots of my friends are thinking about this idea. You
can book hotels early and when it comes to the second time you won't think
twice about packing since you learned most lessons the first time.
Daniel Onn <email>
Saratoga, CA USA 09/11/01
My family spent five weeks in Europe this summer and for three of these
I was on my own with our two children, ages 11 and 8, my husband having
gone back to work. In my research before "the big trip" I did not find much
on Mom plus kids with no Dad so here's something for others...Do it! We
traveled (the kids and I) from Paris to Provence to Switzerland (and even
fit in a day trip to Stresa in Italy) to Salzburg to Vienna to Wurzburg
and flew from Frankfurt. We had no serious problems of any kind, so from
the safety perspective it was great. We stayed in 2 star hotels to have
a connecting bath, did Europasses, and built in time for hanging out as
well as being tourists. We did skip a few daytrips to increase rest time
as the kids are naturally less driven than I was to see sights and our itinerary
was a bit too ambitious. (3-4 weeks would have been a lot easier on them
than 5 were!) There are plenty of kid-friendly things to do all over. Highlights
for the kids were probably Salzburg (where we shelled out the most money
on touristy things which they loved — Sound of Music tour with luge run,
salt mine tour, marionette opera, "squirt gun castle"), Swiss alps, and
lots of cool things in Paris including Disney and Parc Asterix (we were
there in late June and it was very crowded with school groups so ride lines
were long but it was very fun apart from that!) Picnics in the hotel room
were very popuular, especially for my picky eater nine year old, who has
just a small list of favorites for restaurants, they loved Tin Tin comics,
and the Tour de France and other European sporting events became huge for
them when we had a chance to watch them in our room or hotel lobbies. Just
hanging out in parks was great, too, and sketching. One challenge was finding
ways for them to "get their ya-yas out" because a lot of European parks
are used by adults who are sitting on a bench in the sun reading a newspaper
and kids running off steam are also kicking sand on adults sitting peacably.
Apart from the awesome playground at Jardin de Luxembourg, playgrounds in
city centers were hard to come by...but smaller children have more choices
than my active guys did. Maybe some other readers have other playgrounds
to recommend. I was lucky enough to live in Europe for a few months as a
child and it made a lasting impression on me at age 11, and I was so happy
to be able to introduce my kids to the same sort of adventure. My children
had travelled in Europe before including a language summer camp last year,
too. For us it is a real priority as my husband is Scottish and we met teaching
English in Spain, but even without all these reasons to raise children to
love travel, it is great educationally for them to realize how much variety
there is and how the US culture is not the only one out there...it's been
a great start for them. It can be tiring being the only adult but mostly
I found my kids rose to the occasion. As others have written, be prepared
to buy some small toys along the way (and be amazed how hard they play with
them!), bring books you can read aloud to each other, and use map reading,
laudromat use, etc. as games and learning opportunities. Cameras, small
games, etc. help on trains. I found being a parent travelling solo to be
not as daunting as I'd worried it could be and to be a great experience
to share with my kids.
Eliza Coyle <email>
Penfield, NY USA 09/03/01
My husband and I have taken eight trips to Europe, four of them with
kids, including a trip to Spain and Portugal with both kids in diapers.
Are children are now ages 4 and 6. Some of my observations on European travel
with kids are: 1. Breastfeeding is definitely the most convenient with kids.
But I also advocate bringing about 6 8 oz cans of pre-mixed formula for
a 2 week trip. We had times when a baby was very hungry and breastfeeding
was not convenient. Also, remember that the flight over can dehydrate you
and affect your milk supply. i was so glad I had that pre-mixxed formula
when my baby woke in the middle of our first night (Dublin) screaming and
I did not have a good milk supply. 2. It helps to be able to convert kilograms
to pounds when buying diapers in Europe. 3. Many towns in Europe have playgrounds
and it's good to let your kids run around and play. You will probably meet
some locals too. 4. For small children who are not good swimmers, carry
a pair of inflatable water wings. They do not take up much space and come
in handy should a swimming opportunity arise. 5. I found that people all
over Europe were very receptive to our children. In Irish pubs, the locals
took turns holding our baby while we ate. In Italian family run hotels and
restaurants, many times the owners kids and ours would play together. Our
blond children received much attention, especially from Greeks and the veiled
women in Istanbul. We spent the night of my daughter's 4th birthday at a
castle in the Piedmont area of Italy and they baked a special "apple tart
birthday cake" for her. our fellow guests from Switzerland and Germany joined
in singing "Happy Birthday" to her. We once spent our first night at an
auberge in Provence which had a wonderful smelling restaurant. Our children
were too jet-lagged to make dinner, so the owners arranged "room service"
for us, including the best foix gras we have ever had (which goes to show
great hospitality exists in France too.) 6. Learn how to order fries in
the language of every country you visit. Also, follow Rick's advice and
picnic. in case your kids need an early meal, pizzarias may open earlier
that the restaurants. 7. We found the baby backpacks were great for carrying
our kids around until about 33 pounds. We had one which doubled as a stroller
and it was great. 8. We prepare our children for the trip by reading children's
books about the countries we will be visiting on the trips. They also watch
the Muzzy foreign language videos, which are very well done. I really wasn't
sure how much the language was sinking in with them. however, in Tuscany,
I order "uno gelato" (for my two children to split). My 6 year old correct
me with "due". 9. By far the best tip (as another participant said earlier)
is to have your children keep journals on the trip. We take a spiral sketch
book with a zip lock bag of colored pencils, pencil sharpener and glue stick.
Amazingly, they spend more time with this than on their game boys. It also
keeps them busy on the plane trip over. 10. It is truly amazing how much
our children learn and retain from our trips. Our son was five when we visited
Greece. He was so interested in the Acropolis that he insisted on going
back a second day. He still remembers the names of many of the temples at
archeological sites in the Peloponese. He now likes to get on the internet
and look up archeological sites. He scans our books and magazines at home
for pictures of places he wants to visit. Traveling with kids is great!!
Do it!!
Lee Ann Webster <email>
Mountain Brook, AL USA 09/01/01
I've seen alot of people talking about backpacks vs strollers for a
baby. We found a great, lightweight stroller/backpack. It converts so you
can push through the streets (giving your back a break) and carry in museums.
In a pinch we stand it up for the baby to eat in (although they sit a little
low for the table. Most baby stores or the online catalogue One Step Ahead
has one.
Nicki <email>
Vacaville, CA USA 08/29/01
For Dave from VA and any other parents traveling with their kids on
Eurailpasses — just because you have a first class pass does not mean you
cannot travel with your kids in second class! It's only the other way around
(second class sitting in first class) that is a no-no. For heaven's sake,
sit in second class with the rest of your family! In most countries, there
is little difference between the two classes anyway, and if (as you should)
you have compared the cost of second-class tickets before buying your Eurailpasses,
you are not wasting your money. More on train travel with kids: Letting
your kids run up and down the train aisles is not a good idea. I have seen
American kids doing it, and one got a nasty concussion when the train swayed
just as he reached the doorway.
Mary from Oregon
USA 08/27/01
We traveled to London and Paris in May and June in 2001 with our two
kids, ages 7 and 3, and my husband's parents. So it was three generations
of travelers — somewhat challenging but just as pleasurable. The kids thoroughly
enjoyed riding the various forms of transportation — planes, buses (double
decker ones too!), trains, elevators, The Underground, The Metro, and the
boat cruises. In London, we enjoyed Kew Garden, Science Museum, Hampton
Court Palace (excellent audio tour and tour guides in period customs), The
Tower of London, and the pigeons at Trafalgar Square. In Paris, we visited
The Louvre, Eiffel Tower, Arch of Triumph, Notre Dame, Versaille Palace
and the Water Gardens. Because my mother-in-law has difficulty walking,
in most places we are able to accommodate her with a wheelchair and sometimes
special tour routes. We thought about leaving the kids behind on this trip
but we sure are glad we didn't. The kids gained an appreciation of other
cultures even at their young age. They even remember the Tube fondly with
their mimics of the "Mind the gap" recording in the London Undergrounds.
We had to give our shoes over for cleaning upon entering the States because
of foot and mouth disease, but no other delays. We highly recommend bringing
your kids with you on your trip.
Wei Wei Jeang <email>
Dallas, TX USA 08/21/01
Traveling with kids is a great experience. At first, our daughter didn't really know much about the trip, but we got her interested by giving her an opportunity to help plan the trip. We were going to be spending the bulk of our trip in the Salzburg area so we bought The Sound of Music. She loved it and wanted to see everything she seen in the video!
Next was the plane ride there. We told her it was an 8 hour trip to Munich. We thought she would have freaked out but she was excited. She interacted with locals very well! We have some family over there so they know the best kid friendly places.
Our suggestion for parents is don't let your kids see any McDonalds in the countries, to maximize their experiences. Let your kids pick out at least one place or thing to do a week. It's epecially rewarding to bring your children to Europe around the time we took ours as we've turned out kid into a world traveler!
My husband and my daughter (now 14) took a skiing trip this March to the Austrian Alps. She loved that she had a sport to do in a foreign country. But don't have your child's teacher assign her homework over the Vacation. She complained that her bag was too heavy and she didn't even have time to do anything. Here are some tips that my husband picked out to watch for a teenager :
1. Let them take a walk, separate from their parents for a little while to experience things on their own. Have a meeting place and a set time.
2. If your teenager has a job at home, give them some money to spend so they have some finacial freedom. You can even try giving them a days' spending money that adults usually spend and have them buy lunch and dinner and anything else they want, just to experiment.
3. Let them (like little kids) chose an activity or place to go.
4. Let them converse with local kids and boys their age-don't worry, they are just trying to have some fun with people their own age.
5. Try to get them away from American bad habits-like watching T.V. 5
hours a day- so the trip is a learning experience too, and try and get
them out for a hike or some physical activity.
Otto Z. & Kathy <email>
USA 08/09/01
My wife and I just returned from an almost 4 week trip to England,
France and Italy with our 4 children (ages 15, 12, 10 and 5). It went better
than we could have hoped, and we think one of the keys was that we involved
the kids a lot in the planning and preparation. We had "family nights" to
discuss our itinerary (we also checked out the Rick Steves' videos from
the library on all the places we would be going and watched them as a family).
On the trip, we made sure everyone knew each night before they went to bed
what we would be doing the next day. We also required everyone to keep a
journal each day (the 5 year old dictated hers), and took time together
each day to write, draw and tape in postcards, receipts, Metro tickets,
etc. It makes a wonderful record of all we did. It was a lot of work preparing
for the trip, but it really paid off in great family vacation.
Dave <email>
Richmond, VA USA 08/07/01
My suggestion for the bored teen. RENT AN AUDIOGUIDE FOR EVERY MUSEUM.
Also, locate an Internet Cafe. They are everywhere, the rates are inexpensive
and your teen will love the free time to communicate with friends.
Thom Lipski <email>
Fairfield, CA USA 08/02/01
Take walkie talkies if you have older kids! We had Europasses — my husband,
8 year old and I had the first class (that's all they offer for adults)
and our 12 and 15 year old sons had Youthpasses — so they were in second
class. The best thing we did was to take a good pair of walkie talkies along
for the train rides. We could keep in touch and tell them when we needed
to get off the train! Worked great! We even used them when we were doing
different activities in the same town. In Cinque Terre, my husband and oldest
son took the hike from Cornglia to Vernazza and the rest of us took the
train. They contacted us when they got to town and we met them without a
hitch!
Kathy Orf <email>
St. Louis, MO USA 07/18/01
Decongestants can help on airplanes, especially if you or your child
suffers from allergies. Words of warning first before you do this. Use only
decongestants you have used before with your child, so you are familiar
with how he/she reacts. I know from personal experience some people do not
become drowsy from a popular over the counter allergy/decongestant that
has been mentioned here. Instead some people can react to it like they would
to speed or diet pills (the doctor's comparison not mine). I'm a teacher
and I had a normally quite child come into my room talking a mile a minute,
unable to sit down, dancing and singing around the room. I got her attention
and asked her if her Mom had given her anything for her allergies. "Yes
she gave me some XXXXXXX, here's the note she said it might make me sleepy.
(I recognized her reaction from one I suffered in collage). We were able
to call her Mom to take her to the Dr. to be checked out and given an different
medicine. Can you imagine that happening while you were trapped in Tourist
Class on an overseas flight? Check with your Dr. and have the child try
the medicine before you travel.
Kimberly
TX USA 07/01/01
We returned June 16 from 18 days in London, Penzance, Nottingham, Dover
and a day in France — all done with a 9 year old and a 3 year old. The best
things we took were windproof, waterproof jackets with hoods (and inside
zippered pockets), a harness ("reigns" they are called in England) for our
three-year-old not accustomed to heavy traffic zooming so close to some
very narrow sidewalks, plenty of plastic spoons (so we could all taste whatever
local delicacy we stumbled upon before deciding whether to purchase individual
servings), those prepacked Wet One wipes and Shout Wipes (take more than
you think you'll need!). We packed very light (one smallish rolling case
for the four of us), washed things out at night or did laundry along the
way and were very happy that we did. Plan an itinerary with plenty of "kid
activities" — biggest hits for our family's tastes included the Rainforest
Cafe in London, Paradise Park in Hayle, Cornwall (a bird sanctuary, very
educational — and your own chance to assist the zookeepers by feeding the
penguins in the pool is an opportunity we've never encountered in the States),
our day at the beach at Marazion (across from St. Michael's Mount), the
Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Playground in Kensington Gardens, London
(never have I seen so many nannies in one place at one time!), Snibston
Discovery Park in Leicestershire (fabulous day out — the outdoor locks &
dams/water play area was amazing!) and the aviary and duckery leading up
to Leeds Castle's entrance. I recommend including your children in the planning,
listening to them when they are tired or bored, and advertising travel as
a "daily adventure" with great payoffs. Go and enjoy — we found England
to be extremely child-friend.
Diane Graber <email>
Iowa City, IA USA 06/28/01
Just completed 21 days with a 3 and 5 year old...we are blessed, they
were great. But I post to educate those parents (and you here it all the
time at various sites), "we wanna go to Europe, but where do I bring my
little ones." A personal, strong recommendation...upper Rhine Valley by
Colmar. #1) Mountain of Monkeys...need I say more...20 acres of free roaming
monkeys...you are the visitor. We could have stayed for 5 hours just watching
and interacting with them. A little one was infatuated with my 3 year old...and
vice versa. This type of compund would never exist in the US, too much liability.
But it was great. The MoM is right next to the best castle that we visited
(we saw 20 castles in all)...I forget the name but it is the one by Ribeauville,
theres a link on the MoM web site. Acote de la MoM is also the stork and
otter center...apparently very exciting...but we stayed at MoM too long.
Even better: the reason Europeans do not visit Paris Disney..EUROPAPARK.
This place was unbelievable...why do not more Americans know about it....the
euros probably do so intentionally. Where do I start, 18 sections, all for
different countries, several outrageous roller coasters, great...long rides
for the little ones, very un pretentious Many many many different rides,
all with the atmosphere of Greece, Italy, Spain or whatever part of the
park you are in. I could go on and on, but you (and your kids) gotta see
it to believe it. Boat rides, many, train rides, several, monorail, people
mover...they even got a mouse for a mascot. But unquestionably, there was
a sense of pride and class that is not present in any Disneyland, in my
opinion. The crowds were not too bad, but this was May. The food was stellar,
even having visited many of the actual countries...probably the best crepe
I have ever had in the French section. The Swiss roller coaster has to be
seen to be believed, the Greek water sleds make shames any equivalent in
the US...and everything was crystal clean. Check out the web site. Europapark
is located in Germany, next to the Rhine, a little north of Colmar. The
only bummer of Europark (as we came to call it) was that the kids frequently
asked if we were going back during the course of our trip to Ger/Austr/CH.
Oh well..I miss it too. A final element of this perfect family troika is
the Dark Forest. It is not recognized that the heart of the Dark Forest
is only 1.5 hour drive from Colmar, if not less. Titisee is great for the
kids and of course the coo coo clocks (in Austria we heard several real
coo coos in the hills...no really). Anyway, this set up, combined with the
obvious beauty and fortitude of Colmar (now my favorite city in France)
and Strausbourg (canal boats, best cathedral-next to Koln)...this area can't
be beat. And after a long day of kid management and fun///unbelievable wine
and some suprisingly good local beer. Where to fly into ?(making connections
in Europe with kids is tough)Frankfurt of course. Stop off in Heilberg on
the way down and the Mercedes factory in Rastatt (good playground)...oh
boy..I wanna do the whole trip again. Perhaps I will post some pictures
from Mountain of Monkeys
Clyde Brighton
Portland, OR USA 06/22/01
Just returned from London with my husband and 2 teenaged sons. one
of the best things we did was have 2 rooms — one for the boys and one for
us — this gave us a little breather from each other on a daily basis. We
also allowed them to sleep in one morning while my husband and i did some
site seeing on our own. i warned the boys before we went that we would be
doing extensive walking — at least they knew they would be on their feet
a lot — but i also allowed us to take a taxi on occaision. we tried to make
sure we did things they wanted to do — like the London Dungeon (which Rick
does not recommend, but 14&18 year old boys find fun). The boys were facinated
by the Imperial War Museum, Tower of London, St. Paul's Cathedral, London
Eye, Leicester Square, the plays ART (with George Segal) and Ghosts, and
parts of the British Museum (especially all the mummys). The only thing
the boys didn't find as facsinating as my husband and i was Churchill's
Cabinet War Rooms. If you are traveling with small children, the majority
of the public rest rooms are very clean and equipped for "nappy" changing.
(tho i'm glad i didn't have to deal with that!). Speaking of toilets — the
boys thought it amazing that some places charge to use the bathrooms. When
you leave london — if your flight isn't until the afternoon and you still
want to get in a little more site seeing, go to Paddington Station and check
in — you can actually check in with the airline, leave your bags, pick up
an express train ticket to heathrow (12 pounds for adults, under 16's are
free) do your site seeing, and be back for the 15 minute ride to the airport — really helped. We had a great time and Rick's book really helped. have
fun!
Pat Sanders <email>
St. Louis, MO USA 06/19/01
My wife, daughter (10), and I had a great time in France. Included
after the first week was some time out from each other. We stayed for four
days near Bayeux at the Chateau De Lignerolles, www.lignerolles.homestead.com.
After sightseeing in Normandy we could come "home" — and it truely felt
like home — and each spend some time apart. We could read alone, walk the
grounds and bird watch (my wife added several birds to her list), watch
TV downstairs (900 channels), visit with Roel, Pia, and Thijs the owners
and other guests. This time "alone" helped make our trip a success. My 10yr
old daughter had the freedom to be on her own at the Chateau as did her
stepmom and I. Roel does the VictoryTours mentioned in your 2001 France
guide and he really knows his stuff.
Douglas Plaisted <email>
League City, TX USA 06/18/01
So you ask your children where do they want to go on vacation and they
say Disney because everyone goes there. Take them to Disneyland Paris. We
booked a Belle Notte package with one extra night. It included two morning
breakfast, four park passes, two night hotel for under $500 on Memorial
Day weekend. In Disneyland Paris children are 11 and under. I have given
a brief overview of my families thoughts on Disneyland Paris for those who
would like this information. *You choose where you would like breakfast,
at your hotel or in the park. Always pick the park and arrange for a breakfast
time at least 30 minutes prior to park opening. Your first on the rides,
beating the turnstyle crowds. Go strong for 3-4 hours then back to the hotel
for an afternoon nap or swim and return after 4pm. *Skip paying extra for
the character breakfast. There are lots of photo ops in the park and only
4 ( Goofy, Pluto, Chip, Dale) at the extra charge breakfast. * Hotel reviews:
Disneyland Hotel, most expensive, best location. Newport Bay Club, less
expensive, walkable to the Park. Sequoia Lodge, (we stayed here), Least
expensive on Lake Buena Vista and easy walk to the park through the Disney
Village. The Disney Village was crowded, but it didn't do anything for us,
lots of Americanized eateries, bars and cinema. Fun to walk through to hotel.
Lake Buena Vista has paddle boats that looked like swans kids like. *Park
Review: Disney Paris now has Fast Pass for the longer line rides so it is
recommended to go to that ride, stick your park pass in and get a ticket
with a 45 minute window for a quick line to the attraction. SPACE MOUNTAIN:
Unique and exciting, much different than Disney World with corkscrew turns
and loops in the dark, it shoot you out of a cannon as only Disney can to
begin your journey. INDIAN JONES, backwards roller coaster with loops. PIRATES
of the CARRIBEAN, Improved over Disney World. BIG THUNDER RAILROAD, same
as USA. PHAMTOM MANOR, little difference. STAR TOURS, same except in French.
PETER PAN'S Flight, same. We enjoyed ALICE"S LABYRINTH on a sunny warm day.
HONEY I SHUNK THE AUDIENCE was not worth it, but the best one was still
Michael Jackson's initial 3D at MGM, but even the Muppets 3D was better
than this one. * Best Souvenirs. We liked the beach towel with Sleeping
Beauty's Castle ( Chateau to everyone there except USA) and characters,
Chateau key chains, and t-shirt with anything Disneyland Paris to show to
friends (can't get these in the USA). *I would recommend starting your vacation
with Disney so you don't have to hear daily "When are we going to Disney"?
After a few days in Disney everyone is ready for a break. The great thing
in Paris for museums, many are free for 18yrs and under, so if the're not
thrilled about going at least your not out anything. Have a great time and
don't forget your money belt.
Pam
Elwood, IL USA 06/16/01
Have you ever thought about taking a Scout group to Europe and planning your own itinerary, meeting and camping with fellow Scouts, instead of taking a packaged tour? Then we invite you to visit our extenisve list of "Suggestions for Traveling Overseas with Boy Scouts" at http://www.msu.edu/user/rasche/scout/trp180/travel.htm
Our last two Troop 180 trips to Europe, in 1994 and 1999, each lasted over 5 weeks and cost less than $2000 per person, and the experiences the Scouts say they will remember the longest are home stays and camping with their fellow Scouts.
We hope these suggestions will make it easier for others to plan similar
trips. While these suggestions are aimed at Scout groups, many of them
would be useful for other youth groups or for famiies with Scout-age children.
Bruce McCrea <email>
Lansing, MI USA 06/12/01
The best advice we ever got about traveling with children was very simple: You will all have a great time if you do what the child wants, when they want to do it. That sounds like a recipe for frustration but only if you try to make your child do something they are not developmentally prepared for yet.
We spent two weeks in Italy last fall with our 2-year-old son. He and we had a great time. We did it by limiting things he was not interested in, like spending hours touring museums and churches, to times when he was sleeping in the umbrella stroller. When he was awake, we played in piazzas, rode water taxis or city buses, watched pigeons in St. Mark's square, and got approached by every Italian woman between the ages of 25 and 85, all of whom had to touch my son's blond hair and tell him he was "bellisimo."
Trains and boats are a breeze if you pack light and remember to enjoy the ride. Restaurants and hotels were uniformly charmed by the opportunity to serve a child.
Most importantly though, you have to plan your trip around the expectations
of a two-year-old's attention span and interests. Go to places that are
sights in themselves, like Assisi or Venice. Don't plan on seeing lots
of things in a day or staying on a strict travel schedule. You can always
go back when the kids are older, but you'll never be able to take them
at this age again. Treasure your opportunity.
Stuart <email>
Tallahassee, FL USA 06/11/01
Kids need to see the world. ALL kids — including kids with special needs who are in special education like I am — need the experiences of another country. Just because you have a "Special Education student" doesn't mean he or she won't enjoy or benefit from the experiences.
It may require more planning. Consider travel with just the one kid
to share some special time together. Let your kid be the boss, from searching
the internet, to learning the language, to e-mailing different hotels
for prices. I can assure you these kids have talents. They are people
too. Even though they can't take in as much as their non-disabled peers,
the rewards will be worthwhile. Travel is one of the best presents to
your child; they will cherish it for life.
Daniel Onn <email>
Saratoga, CA USA 06/04/01
My wife and I visited Germany and Switzerland in '98 and took our two oldest children along (then 12 and 9). We had a great time. I would second those who say the key to taking the kids is to be flexible, and take things at an appropriate pace.
This summer we are going to England, France and Italy, and taking all
four kids (ages now 15, 12, 10 and 5). We know we won't see as much, and
the lodging options are more limited, but my wife and I would not trade
the family time and educational experience for the kids, just to get a
"better" (i.e., faster-paced, see and do a little more) trip. We will
still see lots of museums, cathedrals, etc., but we'll also take in Paris-Disney
and a lot of parks. And, as we learned from our 9-year-old on the first
trip, a visit to McD's or Burger King for lunch every few days can do
wonders for a child's dragging morale.
Dave Watson <email>
Midlothian, VA USA 06/01/01
On the best age to take your child, my advice would be to look at how flexible your child is now. We have 3 children. Our eldest would have been a pain to travel with when young, our middle a dream, and our youngest was average. We found that their personalities when they were babies held through till they were about 4 or 5 when they were more able to control their reactions to boredom or excitement.
Try to not go at crawling stages or during the toilet training stage (hard to find washrooms quickly!).
So, basically, I advocate listening to your child's requirements and
go if it works. Our children have been to Europe when they were older
(7, 9 and 12) which worked great, but I would have gone earlier if I had
the chance.
Joanne Pal <email>
Saltspring Island, CAN 05/30/01
Before going to Paris with our two children, ages 7 and 9, we gave them each a journal with blank pages and an attractive cover. I put pencils with good erasers, a small scissors, a set of small colored pencils and a glue stick into a small ziplock bag. We carried these three things with us in our day pack at all times.
Along the way I collected extra brochures, maps, postcards, and ticket stubs to cut up and paste into these journals. Each day they were expected to write about a favorite activity. In line, on the train or in restaurants while waiting for their food they would open up their journal and jot something down or sketch the waiter. At night they would spread out the stubs and brochures and start cutting and pasting collages to go with their writing.
Our favorite memory is of them plopping down in front of a masterpiece at the Louvre or Musee d'Orsay copying what they saw. The colored pencils let them even add color. Other people always stopped to watch and talk to them. Not only were they proud of their drawings but they met people from many different places and learned even more about the artists and paintings.
My husband and I played tag team. While one of us stayed with the children, talking to their admirers, the other explored other parts of the museum. We squeezed in three art museums a day with plenty of crepes, churches and walking in between.
We returned to the Musee d'Orsay three times and they walked out the
door skipping and jumping each time, asking when we could go back. My
husband had no idea what fun an art museum could be. The best part of
it all is that we have those journals to share with friends and each other.
Mary Beth Tynan <email>
Santa Barbara, Ca USA 05/28/01
I too had been to Europe several times without the children and it is indeed different than going with them. Different, but not bad — in fact we like it so much we are on our 3rd trip in 3 years — each one longer than the last!
While we see much less in terms of "major sights," we more than make
up for this by savoring a more relaxed trip. We have found that searching
for the best ice cream in Copenhagen, resting during the heat of the day
in Rome, eating in on some nights with local market food, doing more outside
walking and less indoor (museum) walking — all contributed to great family
trips. As long as your expectations are not the same for family travel
and adult travel you should be fine!
Karen <email>
Atlanta, GA USA 05/26/01
We took our 13-yr-old son and 9-yr-old daughter to France and Holland in April. You should take your family too! It's only money. Pack your credit card, the Cadogan kids' guides, anything by Rick Steves (of course!), and as much flexibility as you can spare.
Consider going during off-season (to save money and avoid crowds) and miss a week or two of school (cut a deal with their teachers way ahead and make your kids really do some schoolwork; ours also gave slide shows upon return).
So, 1) rent an apartment if you can (surf the web); 2) plan only two
major events per day; 3) do some pre-planning to psych up the kids (so
when you get to Giverny all you have to say is, "well, here we are!").
the chins <email>
albany, ca USA 05/25/01
I am a 48-year-old grandmother of three and was dumbfounded on my first
trip to Europe last fall at how European children are accepted everywhere!
In the evenings we would see entire families out and about walking and visiting.
Babies were bundled up with only their little noses showing, but they were
included too. What a contrast to the United States where a lot of parents
cannot wait to unload their offspring to a sitter to enable them to take
off childless. Children were in museums, galleries, pubs, great restaurants,
theatres, and tours, and they stayed up late watching their parents and
grandparents dance, talk, drink, argue, smoke, and laugh. I was heartened
to see kids so a part of life, yet discouraged at the contrast with the
U.S. It is very obvious that kids are welcome in Europe!
Cammy Seelye <email>
Renton, WA USA 05/24/01
We just got back from two weeks in London and Paris with our 11-year-old son. We had a great time, and we had no trouble feeding him, even though he is an extremely picky eater. His favorite sights were Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, the Eiffel tower, the Big Bus tours, a boat tour up and down the Seine, Notre Dame, and the London Eye.
We rented an apartment in London, and were very disapointed. Don't stay at Checquers of Kensington, it was dirty, rundown, and yucky. We moved next door to the Radisson Edwardian, and that hotel was wonderful.
When traveling around London and Paris as a family it was usually the
same price or just a tiny bit more than the tube to take a taxi.
Adrianne <email>
Richmond, VA USA 05/20/01
We just got back from a trip to Europe with a 6-month-old and here are a few very useful items that we took along:
We had a Sit n'Stroll stroller/carseat combo. Basically, the wheels fold under the stroller to make a car seat. It is approved for airline use too. It's not as good as the car seat and stroller I use at home, but the convenience of having it all in one was nice. It is kind of pricey though.
I also had a baby carrier for babies up to 40 pounds from www.onestepahead.com
along with a Baby B'Air vest for children sitting on your lap on the airplane.
We used the vest when we had our baby out of her car seat in the plane.
It is a vest that attaches the baby via a tether to your lap belt that
helps keep her in place in case of turbulence. The baby carrier is nice
for carrying your baby in the city when stairs in the subway make a stroller
really inconvenient.
Christine <email>
Houston, TX USA 05/18/01
We just got back from a 16-day trip to England, Belgium and France with our 6-month-old baby girl. In many places our baby was the sight. People from many different countries would walk up and try to get her to smile (which she does very easily). We found that traveling with a baby was a great door opener. Every place we stayed even had a baby bed.
One tip for traveling with a little one: There are not always good places
to change diapers, so we came up with a "quick change." Basically, if
she was just wet, we would sit her on one of our laps and the other person
would put a dry diaper under her wet one. Then we would quickly remove
the wet one, tape up the dry one and were on our way. It was very discreet
too.
Christine <email>
Houston, TX USA 05/18/01
In 1998 we spent 30 days traveling around Europe. "We" consisted of my wife and myself, and our two children. Lauren was 11 and Nathaniel 5. We are going again in 2002, and planning for it brings back many memories, some of which I would like to share.
To say I was a bit concerned about traveling abroad with the kids would be an understatement. We watched many of the Rick Steves' PBS shows, read various travel magazines, and referenced many guidebooks. The "blending in and observing" style of travel and the "through the back door" philosophy served us well. In fact, Rick's were the only guidebooks we chose to carry with us.
Traveling with the family, I felt it best to stay in cottages or flats for three to five nights whenever possible, and become "local." Grocery shopping in France, Switzerland and Belgium was a big adventure and added much to the trip. The accommodations were found through Rick's guides and/or on the Internet. Not one was a disappointment and most exceeded our expectations.
The one tip I would like to strongly emphasize would be the importance of being polite. One should greet a person before attempting to do business with them. Learn some simple words in the local language. I saw it many times, particularly in Paris, where a simple Bonjour, Merci, and Au revoir made all the difference. Our last morning in Paris, Nathaniel ordered "deux orange juice." The shopkeeper loved it, and so did I. Nathaniel started an after-school French language class that fall.
This is only a small part of the "Adventure of '98" for this family.
With any sort of luck, 2002 will be as wonderful. Thank you, Rick, for
the excellent, down-to-earth writings. (And this time we are going to
take your advice and travel a lot lighter!)
Thom Hayes <email>
Walnut Creek, CA USA 05/14/01
I have received several e-mails about the portable high chair I recommended in my January message — the MeToo Chair. Babycenter.com no longer carries the chair. If you want to see it, go to www.metooproducts.com. You can order direct from the company by calling 800.480.8872. The chair folds down and slips into our diaper backpack. Our son is 13 months and we still tote it around. They can be in it up to 40 pounds, according to the label.
Most places in England we went to had highchairs, but frankly, ours
was cleaner! It was great for airports or places where you definitely
wouldn't find a highchair. Whoever invented this chair should be knighted
or sainted or something. I swear I don't work for the company or own stock
in it, but we have taken this chair all over the world — it's awesome!
Natalie <email>
Lewis Center, OH USA 05/09/01
Just go, have a great time and, on a short trip, don't worry about
adjusting a baby to the time change. We went with a 6-month-old for two
weeks last October and we're going again this November when he'll be 18
months. Even though he never really slept well at night, he was still good-natured
during the day. We were there primarily to visit my husband's family, but
we took some day trips and also went away for three days on our own to the
south coast. We had a GREAT time and I'm so glad we did it. We were definitely
tired when we got home, but I wouldn't have missed it for anything. I say
just do it! Hey, as parents, who sleeps anymore anyways?
Natalie <email>
Lewis Center, OH USA 05/09/01
We just got back from a trip to London with our four children and my mother. The trip over was a disaster; British Airways personnel on that flight were very rude and offered us no help. Luckily our children are experienced travelers and quiet, so we did not bother the staff on the plane too much.
Our stay in London was perfect. Rick's London guide book is dead on the money. We chose to use buses over tube travel, even though traffic is busy.
The Tower of London was a huge hit with everyone, but the Globe Theater was the children's favorite. Not only that, but the people at the Globe tour desk wouldn't charge for my mother and the 7-year-old and 18-month-old, and let them go to the display area while I took the older two on the tour. The tour was terrific as we got to be groundlings during the Zulu Macbeth show. Totally awesome even though we speak no Zulu.
We also took the Big Bus tour one day and caught the last boat back. Definitely worth the money. We went to the Portobello Street Market on a busy busy day, and I couldn't get anyone to leave!
We also spent the day at Legoland to celebrate my 7-year-old's birthday. It's the perfect place to take a shy, amusement-park-averse little boy, and we all loved the sights in the park. His day was perfect since there was a pizza hut in Windsor where we ate his birthday dinner. Not only that, but my husband found a bakery that had a little cake and the ladies in the Hagen Dasz store joined in singing happy birthday and blowing out the candles. Also, the South train leaves from Waterloo station and offers a package deal that includes train fare, admission to Legoland and shuttle bus to and from the park for less than the admission price at the gate.
The British museum was a huge hit as we are all museum fans, although the 7-year-old was shocked that everything was broken.
Harrod's was another thing everyone but me wanted to do. They charge a pound to use their "luxury" bathroom! Although it's free if you eat at one of their restaurants, are pregnant or have a small child with you. Save your money and use the bathroom elsewhere!
The food was great, although my 15-year-old is scared to death of Mad Cow disease, and made us all meat-free the whole time we were in England. We didn't miss it a bit — fish and chips were superb, as were all pasta dishes and our one slip into Americanism at Pizza Hut. In common with other families, we found no children in the restaurants (or anywhere except Legoland), although ours can be counted on to behave, and we fed the baby in the room at night and took turns babysitting him. Our hotel came with full English breakfast — a great meal and big savings.
The only problem with our vacation is that it was way too short. We would like to go live in England for a year to really do it right.
After our flight over on British Airways, I was apprehensive about how we'd be treated on our way home. Night and day different experience. Especially since our 18-month-old caught cold and was a basket case the entire flight. No drugs helped and he was beside himself. I stood in the back with him, talking to a lovely steward and stewardess who tried everything known to man to ease his painful ears. Even the people sitting around me didn't give me the evil eye, even though it would have been well deserved. I also made sure to bring a lunch and plenty of juice just in case, but this time our preordered meals got to us!
We took an umbrella stroller and a toddler leash — got some stares, but had an ecstatic toddler running all over the Tower Of London, St. Paul's, Pall Mall, Trafalgar Square. He logged as many miles as my husband did running the London Marathon!
We've traveled twice now with all the kids in tow, and we're looking
forward to doing a last-minute trip this summer anywhere in Europe that's
a good deal! Thank you Rick Steves.
Jeanne Freeman <email>
Medina, Ohio USA 05/04/01
We recently spent time in France with our 2- and 5-year-old children. Some do-not-miss places:
The Jardin d'Acclimatation in the Bois de Bolougne in Paris is the most fabulous children's park you can imagine, with pony rides, log rides, trains, games, enormous rope climbing structures, playgrounds, and best of all the full-size trampolines.
Also in Paris, our kids like climbing the towers of Notre Dame, the Jardin de Luxembourg, the huge ferris wheel in the Tuileries, and the many neighborhood playgrounds.
Castelnaud, in the Dordogne Valley, is a wonderful castle with a climbing rope descending from the top of one its towers, and catapults, suits of armor, and a deep well. Our five-year-old son loved it.
They both loved the small traveling circus that we went to in Sarlat.
One tip is to do home rentals over hotels if at all possible — it is
generally cheaper and you don't have to make your children behave perfectly
24 hours a day. By the way, the French have pretty high expecations of
well-mannered children. But it was fun anyway. Bon voyage!
Sonya
Sacramento, USA 05/04/01
Yikes! Someone in an earlier post said they lost their child temporarily! This is what I'll do to try to prevent us from losing each other:
1. Walkie-talkies! Not the toy kind, but the powerful kind from Radio Shack. We use them at Disneyland and large shopping malls already; they are a lifesaver! We won't leave them on, but we'll turn them on if we lose sight of each other.
2.My son will have a moneybelt with a little extra cash, but mostly vital information to help him get found, or to help him get taken care of if he gets hurt. It will contain a UK phonecard, which I will teach him to use upon arrival. Also, our hotel's name, phone number and address, and the nearest tube/bus stop to it. His home phone, and a copy of his passport. Our daily plan of activities, with plan A and plan B discussed and written out so that he can act on each plan according to where we are at the time. ("This morning, if we get separated in the British museum, we'll do X, and if that hasn't worked by this amount of time, then we'll do Y. This evening, if we get separated at the theater, we'll meet at X o'clock here, or at Y o'clock there.")
3. Adjust my mindset. This trip isn't for me to get totally absorbed in, it's really for us to share. So instead of getting mesmerized by something that catches my fancy, I must remember to share it with him first. That way I'm less likely to get distracted, more likely to be aware of him, and where he is at all times.
4. Enlist his help in the travel planning. Then he'll have a better
clue as to the location of our goal (e.g., St Paul's) and how to reach
it. And it'll help prevent overscheduling. One sure way to lessen vigilance
is by being tired or in too much of a hurry. Wish me luck!
Julie <email>
seattle, wa USA 04/28/01
We've just returned from 4 weeks in Europe with our 16-month-old daughter. We visited Italy, France, Belgium, and Barcelona, traveling by train.
We would definitely do it again, but it was not what we expected! Before we left, we prepared ourselves to forego visits to museums, and instead planned on spending time relaxing on beaches, parks, and any open space we could find. One of us would watch our daughter, the other could sketch, write, go for a walk, whatever.
But it didn't work out! For one, we were rarely able to find the kind of parks and beaches we're so accustomed to in the Seattle area. But mostly, our daughter became so demanding on the trip that it usually took both of us to keep her entertained and out of trouble. I know every child is different, and that some babies may be content to be packed around for hours, but ours wasn't!
So for tips: Maybe take a stroller rather than a front or back pack. We carried her in a front pack (Baby Trekker), and it became increasingly exhausting for me. We took it because we didn't want to deal with a stroller on trains, and because it meant that our baby would always be close, and therefore easy to keep track of in crowded situations. If we did the trip again though, we would take a stroller.
Be prepared for teething! Our baby cut 4 molars and one incisor on the trip. We easily found teething gel in Italy (in a pharmacy), but it was also nice that we had some teething tablets in our backpack.
We were overwhelmed by the interest so many Italians took in our baby! It was wonderful and opened up many conversations that wouldn't have taken place otherwise. Women would come over to our daughter, kiss her, wipe her nose, play with her. It was great!
In Italy, diapers appear to be sold just in pharmacies.
Favorite spots with our baby: Friends' houses! We were lucky to have friends in Belgium and France, and those stays were very relaxing for all of us.
Menton, France, close to the Italian border, has at least one beautiful sandy beach that was very easy to relax on. The Cinque Terre was amazing. In Monterosso there's a sandy beach, and in Vernazza there's a nice plaza on the beachfront that was fun to let our daughter explore.
As far as toys, we found that our shoes were as entertaining for our daughter as any toy we brought along, although two of her favorite books got a lot of use.
Airplanes: It took 4 days for our baby to start sleeping for any length of time. We were all exhausted, and we didn't know what the problem was. Teething? Jet lag? Homesickness? It was probably all of those things, and it was frustrating! It worked out though, of course. On our return flight, (British Airways) we were very happy when the flight attendant brought us a toy that entertained her for quite a while. It was a stuffed dinosaur that had removable body parts, attached by velcro. Perfect! If you aren't offered any toys, maybe asking will produce some!
Eating out: a very rare occurrence! We found 1 high chair the whole trip, and with or without it found it very difficult to get our daughter to sit through even a very short breakfast in a hotel. So we picnicked in our room, and ordered food to go a few times. Perhaps a portable folding chair would have helped us, as someone suggested on this site once before.
To sum up, we felt like our daughter was going crazy for a good portion
of our trip! She was much harder to deal with than she is at home. Maybe
it was just too stressful for her to move around as much as we did, or
maybe it was mostly due to her teething. But whatever the case, I think
it would have been better to move around less, and to try to set up a
more stable environment. But we would do the trip again, and despite the
hardships, we had a wonderful time.
Shilah Gould <email>
Seattle, WA USA 04/20/01
We just returned from 8 days in Paris with our 11- & 12-year-old kids. C'est fantastique!
The KEY to our happiness was the rental of an apartment from "Paris Appartement Services" recomended in Rick's book on Paris. They were the only company we could find that was willing to rent with a credit card. Everything was handled via internet. We rented a spacious 2 bedroom/2 bath apartment just blocks from the Louvre, in the "Montorgueil" pedestrian neighborhood, for just $218 per night (1,600FF). It was nicely decorated, had a nice kithen and modern baths and washer.
For a family of 4, we saved about $50-$60 per day on food by eating breakfast in, then eating out for lunch. Half the time we had dinner in a casual restaurant, and the other half we visited the numerous shops on our street, picking up bread at one, cheese at another, ready-made salads at another, rotisseried chicken at another and so on. Bringing it home was such a treat and very inexpensive. The kids loved going from shop to shop to pick out what they liked — especially dessert!
Overall we spent an average of $115 per day on everything including food, metro tickets, museums, and treats. It turned out to be much less expensive than we anticipated.
Don't miss "Cities des Science and Industries" — a great place for kids and adults. It is a tremendous complex of interactive science projects. Versailles was great too.
Be sure to print a currency conversion chart off the web so each child can figure out what things cost. The kids loved shopping in Paris.
Were the French polite to us? OUI! Our only problem — now the kids want
to move to Paris.
Linda & Jesse Morado <email>
ATLANTA, GA USA 04/11/01
The first time I traveled to Europe with children, ages 3 months and 3 years, was wonderful! I did the basics:
Fill a backpack for each with new stuff! Don't let them see it until you get on the plane. Make sure you have crayons, cars or Barbie, snacks, wipes, change of clothes, books, etc. You know the drill — things that make them happy. The backpacks were theirs for the trip, filled with the 'stuff' they needed to get through the day. (I also ignored the unhappy grouches who didn't like children.)
Make sure to bring a flashlight for them! The best thing I did was be prepared for my nocturnal three-year-old's hunger attack. Before I went to bed I put out a glass of water, a sandwich, a couple of toys and the flashlight. I instructed her that if she woke up in the middle of the night she could turn on the flashlight, have a snack and play WITHOUT waking Mommy up! It took her three days to get over her jet lag, but after my first sleepless night, I was able to sleep and her needs were met.
Also important to remember: in many European villages it is improper to bring a stroller into a store. You simply park it outside, remove your child — or leave them in it! — and shop. Finding a public market is a great way to have snacks on hand for the kids, and there are always pigeons to feed the crumbs to.
If you are taking a stroller with you, you can 'gate check' it. Ask the ticket person to gate-check your stroller, roll it all the way down to the airplane door when getting on, and it will be waiting for you by the airplane door where you arrive.
Benedryl is another great traveler's aid for kids. My pediatrician recommended
this: Give them a dose before take off and they will get drowsy and may
fall asleep. Do a test at home first though — some children get crazy on
it, and MAKE SURE it's pediatric (not adult) strength.
Diane <email>
Seattle, W USA 04/03/01
We are taking two grandchildren, aged 11 yrs., to England and Scotland for an entire month in June 2001. We have rented apartments, furnished, some with laundry facilities, at prices much better than B&Bs, with the advantage of home cooking, resting and a yard to play in. Check out the website: www.smoothhound.co.uk for thousands of choices of all kinds of accommodations; it is wonderful! We have also rented a canal boat to live/travel on for a week, hoping the canals will be open by June.
We will travel Britrail pass; the senior citizen version allows one child to travel free with each senior on the pass, so we have apartments central to an area we want to see by day trips out on trains.
One really great place to see with kids is the Maritime Museum in Portsmouth...tour Nelson's ship and see a museum with a life-sized panorama of the battle complete with sound and fury!
We will spend the final three days in London in a small hotel, limiting our sightseeing to things the boys know about already, but including a double-decker bus tour of the city, perhaps at night.
Each of us is traveling with a rolling backpack, light enough to pick up for stairss. Also a small day pack for the water bottles, gum, camera, raingear and my sketchbook. There will be only one camera, with duplicate prints to be shared later; also postcards for each place visited that the children can make into a scrapbook later. They will keep daily journals of their impressions, leaving blank pages on which to insert photos later. Most important: one bottle of Pepto Bismol per person and some of that hand sanitizer liquid.
I found miniature puzzles (move the bits around inside a fixed frame)
and we'll have a deck of cards and a magnetic chess set, travel-sized.
Each person takes one paperback for starters, discarding it and getting
others along the way.
SMcCoy <email>
Salt Lake City, UT USA 03/31/01
We took our 2 girls, 7 and 9, to France and Italy in Feb. They loved
it. Paris was fantastic — my 9-year-old loved the metro and was a help with
exchange rates. We even ate in some nice French restaurants with them. They
met relatives in Milan and loved exploring the Cinque Terre. We were treated
great everywhere we went. I would highly recomend taking children to Europe.
They both are excited to return. So are we.
John <email>
Truckee, CA USA 03/25/01
My daughter and I recently came back from Paris, and we loved it! We went to the restaurants that Rick suggested and were delighted. Some things I learned that I'd like to share:
1) If sending postcards to countries other than the USA (my family is mostly in Asia), it is cheaper to buy the prepaid envelopes and stick the postcard inside. Also, before our trip, I had typed up the names and addresses of my daughter's and my friends onto self-stick labels (I used my computer and the Avery labels that come 30 in a sheet). We simply wrote our message, stuck the postcard in the envelope and labeled it.
2). It helped to carry the little yellow post-its in my backpack for sticking notes into everything. Each night, we planned our itinerary for the next day (actually, we planned it weeks before, but refined it each night). I would have one post-it to list all the Metro lines and numbers we needed to take to get from point A to point B. I had a guide for almost every destination (e.g Historic Walk, Marais Walk, Montmartre) and in one corner of it, I'd have a post-it that lists possible places to stop to eat. This way, we was able to sample the less expensive and recommended places as we went along.
3) Traveling with a 9-year-old girl requires breaks...and if possible, shopping breaks. Again, I used the post-its to remind me of shops that we could visit. I had consulted another travel guidebook to Paris that listed shops for pre-teens. So, we simply added this into our "walks."
4) Finally, we packed according to the packing list in ETBD, but ended
up layering up more than we anticipated. Fortunately, this gave us an
excuse to buy more clothes in Paris. We left some of our old clothes in
the hotel to make room for the newer ones.
Marichu Scanlon <email>
Morgan Hill, CA USA 03/19/01
We took our 15-, 11- and 7-year-olds to Rome for a 9-day trip in February. The weather was great. Everyone was so terrific to my children.
We tried not to go to too many museums or churches at one time. They
enjoyed walking, the fountains and anything dealing with the gladiators.
Your book was great because you ranked places of interest-this really
helped us decide what they would enjoy. A trip to Pompeii is a must for
children in this age group! Thanks for the great book!
Leslie Whitehead Speranza <email>
Lattingtown, NY USA 03/19/01
We just returned from two weeks in Paris and Amsterdam with a 4-year-old. We had a great time but there are differences with children in tow.
We did not see ANY children in restaurants, cafes or bistros, so eating out presents challenges. Instead, we shopped the boulangeries, fromageries, etc. and picnicked in the hotel room every night. This allowed the little one some down time and we got away much cheaper. Good French red wine for mom & dad is about $5-6 US dollars a bottle. "Take away" is gaining popularity as well — we had Chinese in our hotel room in Amsterdam and Italian in Paris.
Spending long days at museums is not possible — try to mix a morning at the museum with an afternoon outside (gardens, outdoor attractions or walks in great neighborhoods — Rue Cler in Paris for one) where running and being loud are okay. The Eiffel tour was a big hit as was a boat ride on the Seine.
Train travel can wear quickly on kids as can travel on the metro, as walking and standing are the norm.
Teach your kid the basics of the language — my daughter said 'bonjour' to every shopkeeper and 'merci, au revoir' upon our departure and it melted them. She ended up with free pieces of chocolate, pain au chocolate, etc. almost every day. Again, the locals, especially the French appreciate your atttempt to speak their language and understand them.
Nightlife does not happen unless you are comfortable arranging a sitter at your hotel, which we were not.
Europe — even Paris — is doable with kids as long as you plan appropriately.
Don't overpack just because you are bringing kids. The big cities have
everything you need. We packed three changes of clothes for each of us
and only had to go to the laundromat once. That was an experience in itself
as you are as "close to the ground" and living like the locals as you
can get.
Diane Green <email>
Manchester, CT USA 03/17/01
We are currently planning our 3rd trip to Europe with our kids. Our children are great travelers!
One of the best tips I have is to do a lot of preparation before you go. Befor we went to Italy, we had our kids sculpt their own mini "David," paint a scene from the Sistine chapel (lying on their backs), make a mosaic, make carnival masks, taught them limited history (they were only 6 & 3 years old) and learn some Italian. They loved finding "their" scene on the ceiling of the Sistine chapel, and my THREE-year-old was VERY disappointed that we "ONLY" got to see Michelangelo's David but missed Donatello's "David" because it was closed.
While we were there my 6-year-old also kept a little journal that she shared with her class when we got home; she also bought a box of Italian candies to share with them.
Kids love an adventure; if you get excited, they love to join in! These
trips are expensive — why not enjoy them as long as you can. We are going
again in November, and have already started preparing!
Callee Ernest <email>
Aurora, CO USA 03/11/01
We took our daughter to France and Italy two years ago, when she was 3-1/2. My best advice to anyone traveling with small children is to realize you will have a different sort of trip than without kids. I now know the playgrounds of Paris, Avignon, Cinque Terre, Venice, and Lake Como.
Our daughter enjoyed sculpture more than paintings, so we focused on that. The Rodin museum in Paris has a wonderful garden where you can buy lunch or bring a picnic. We didn't make it up the Eiffel Tower, but we spent a couple hours at the playground there.
We ate ice cream at least 3 times a day in Italy, and I recommend it.
Kids love castles, but our daughter was frightened in the dark churches of Paris, so we avoided them.
Traveling with a small child will force you to slow down and live like
the locals. Also, the Italians adore small children. Enjoy the special
attention your child will get there. We're taking her back this year.
Seattle , WA USA 03/11/01
Our first European trip with boys, 8 and 11, was to London for one
week. My foreign lingua-phobic husband thought this was a great way to break
them in. The long and the short of it, is rent a flat ANYWHERE. Or a villa
or an apartment. Dig in. It's cheaper — no costly breakfasts, can pack snacks
and even lunch, and you get to see part of a city that you might not otherwise.
ESOLMOM <email>
Baltimore, MD USA 03/10/01
We just stayed in a super apartment in Venice with Venicerentals.com
with our 4 children and all went well! The apartment was the key to our
success, really. We were there for a week and were able to relax in the
living room, cook some meals in, plop the kids in front of some educational
TV for 5 minutes until the gang was ready to hit the streets. VeniceRentals
(site) or mail@venicerentals.com was an "above and beyond" type company.
The were so "kid-friendly," we highly recommend them!
George McGovern <email>
Hyannis, MA USA 03/10/01
We have traveled to Europe 4 times, the first 3 with one child (from age 7 months to 27 months), and most recently last May with our son, then age 4, and his sister, age 20 months.
Each trip has been delightful, and while traveling with the children meant making some compromises in terms of activity, we also had lots of fun. Of course, our trips through France, Italy, and the Netherlands have been made a bit easier by the fact that we spent part of each trip with friends, which meant access to laundry facilities and a native speaker to help with errands, navigating, etc.
But I think the most important thing is not so much how parents handle the trip but their overall attitude toward raising children. We have always assumed that our children could adjust their schedules and behavior to fit with our plans. For example, our 2-year-old naps every afternoon, but has never had a fixed place and time for her nap, even at home. If her own bed is handy, fine; if not, she sleeps wherever is convenient. Most days she naps right after lunch, but if there's something going on, she may stay awake until 2 or 3 PM. Since the children have been expected to be flexible from day one, they don't have a sudden disruption to their schedules when we travel.
We have also fed them almost everything that we eat, including mussels, venison, caviar, and foie gras, so dining in foreign countries has not been an issue. In fact, last year in Italy we had to fend off their forks to get seconds on the pheasant ravioli with truffles!
I also cannot emphasize enough the benefits of packing light. For us that meant extra changes of clothes for the kids and the minimum for Mom and Dad. No one except the person you're traveling with will know that you're wearing the same thing you wore yesterday, and he's doing the same thing. We have washed things out in the finest hotels, and never had a problem. It's useful to bring a sink stopper and some string to serve as a clothesline, though.
We have not had problems finding supplies when needed, although sometimes the prices are quite high. The person who had a problem finding diapers in Italy may have looked in the wrong place, since they're sold in pharmacies, not groceries or dept. stores.
We have found playgrounds that we never knew existed, ridden paddle boats on Lake Lucerne, the gondola in Gubbio, and my son even got to "drive" a train from the engineer's seat — definitely a highlight of his trip.
We are now planning 3 weeks in France and England with the children,
and expect to have another great trip. So go ahead — take a chance. Flexibility
is the key.
Jane McGowan <email>
Annapolis, MD USA 03/05/01
Our philosophy is a full child is a happy child. We abandon all our
ordinary rules about snacks and sweets and indulge our children as often
as we pass a gelato stand. It's amazing the stamina they find to tour yet
another museum when their tummies and tastebuds are satisfied!
Donna Doornik <email>
Salinas, CA USA 03/03/01
Just returned from Italy with children ages 1 & 3, and want to give a "heads up" on coming prepared for illness.
My children have never vomited in their lives (at least not before this trip), so I don't know why I packed some Pedialyte. Thank goodness I did. My three-year-old became desperately ill when I was alone with her for most of one day and had no one to send to a pharmacy. I don't know if they carry anything similar to Pedialyte or if I could have explained what I wanted in my extremely limited Italian, anyway. I believe my daughter became ill from tap water, by the way (see my posting on the "Drinking the water" board).
Our doctor also sent ten little sample bottles of antibiotics with us as my girls are prone to ear infections, and we brought two bottles of children's Tylenol drops, which we also used for high fever on two other days.
When we traveled to Paris with only one child, age 14 months, she had
no health problems at all, so all these difficulties were a big surprise.
I was glad we were prepared. We are seriously reevaluating traveling overseas
with such young children, by the way.
L Moore
San Jose, CA USA 02/26/01
I'm not a parent (yet), but I look forward to traveling in Europe with my husband and future kids someday. My dad was in the foreign service, so I grew up overseas, and my parents took my sister and me everywhere. Some thoughts from the perspective of a former traveling kid...
Journals are wonderful. I started my first one (probably at the suggestion of my parents) on a trip from Germany (where we were living) to Denmark. I still have it — complete with coins, postcards, and falling-apart pressed flowers still taped in it. (Bring a roll of tape with you and tape stuff in on the way.) I've kept a journal on every major trip I've taken since (except my honeymoon, unfortunately) — including my 2-month Eurail trip when I was 20, and my 2 years in the Peace Corps. My journals are my most precious souvenirs.
We usually traveled by car and ALWAYS brought a frisbee, softball, and softball mitts with us. Great for using up some energy on lunch (usually picnic) stops.
I still remember Legoland as one of my childhood highlights — specifically a ride where kids could drive their own little car through a pretty realistic course. I got a "driver's license" at the end of it, and was enormously proud of it. I have no idea if that ride still exists, but if it does, your kids will love it!
Foreign language phrasebooks are great — my sister and I used to think it was hysterically funny to read all the English sentences out loud without pause — "I want some bread. I want some soup. I am not hungry. I am hungry." Try it — it still makes me laugh.
Most importantly — DO take your kids. They will whine at times and drive
you crazy, but they will grow up to be avid travelers who are not afraid
to try new things.
Laura <email>
Rockville, MD USA 02/15/01
I took my daughter (age 2 at the time) to France with my mother and grandmother. I was worried about the flight — she didn't even like 10-minute car rides! — but luckily she was as perfect as I prayed for her to be. Of course, I did some major preparing ahead of time. These few things helped my flight go off without a hitch:
* PACK AS LIGHT AS YOU CAN! Most important! Walking thru crowded airports with a child and luggage will be a nightmare.
* Call ahead for a KID'S MEAL, instead of a boring adult plate. This will come with toys, activity book, and stickers. What a fun treat...a Happy Meal at 30,000 feet!
* SURPRISES! I bought a cute little backback with her favorite cartoon characters on it. It was just her size, so she could carry it herself. I filled this lifesaver with goodies to be discovered in phases: a mini drawing pad, stickers and pencils, different candies tucked away in various compartments, children's fingernail polish and lipgloss, travel-size brush, mirror, etc.. Take one new thing out when they start to get bored or fussy. Maybe an hour later, it's old news, and they need to discover another item. I packed enough tiny morsels to last the whole trip of 17 travel hours.
* COLD MEDICINE: Kid's can get the sniffles fast in that stale plane air, and the best defense (and mood-helper) is children's cold medicine with something that makes them drowsy. No hate mail, please — it works for us. It relaxes the child, and allows them to sleep comfortably, which helps Mom to take a catnap too.
* TAKE WALKS: Save this, though, for when it's a last resort, because as soon as you start the walks, they will probably want to do it very often. Take them to see out the windows, and past the flight attendants. They are usually so attentive to the little ones, this really helps out.
* FEED THEM FREQUENTLY: On international flights, there is usually an abundance of food and snacks. If your child is hungry, take them to the galley and ask for a snack. This will be fun for them, and keep their mood up since their bellies will be nourished.
We are going to France again in a few months, this time with Daddy in tow. I will still use all of these techniques with her, although some "upgrades" will have to be made since she is four now.
Bottom line: Don't leave the kids at home. A little creativity may be
all that is needed to keep a situation from getting ugly.
Jamie H. <email>
OR USA 02/07/01
We traveled to England with our 6-1/2-month-old son to visit my husband's family in October, using some tips from someone else we "met" on this page. Some things we learned on our trip...
Although we never would have stopped at places like "Little Chef" and "Road Chef" pre-baby, we found them to be great with the little one — they're open all the time. These places have family restrooms with changing tables (only one restaurant we ever went to did not have a changing table) and they even sold baby food at the restaurant (granted it was Lancashire Hotpot, but it was pureed all the same!). With one exception (Mrs. Tee's in Lymington in the New Forest — south England), everyone was totally baby-friendly and welcomed us.
A few items we found indispensible to our travels with baby: A portable, fold-up seat that clamps onto almost any table. It's called the MeToo Chair — do a Web search for it. We bought ours from Babycenter.com. It folds up, is only one inch thick and fit into our diaper bag/backpack.
Buy a rain cover that fits your stroller. We went sightseeing regardless of the weather with baby warm as toast inside. A must if you're going to the UK or Ireland! We had no problem gaining access to any buildings even though someone told us London is the most stroller-unfriendly city. We were politely ushered through wheelchair entrances everywhere. The only place the stroller couldn't go was Windsor, so we just carried him — no problem. We also took a backpack to carry our son in for places that were totally impractical for the stroller — hiking, etc. Invest in a good one!
If you use Isomil soy formula — take it with you. It was a special-order item at most stores in the UK. Other than that, we found our brand of diapers and experimented with the various flavors of baby food and cereal.
I was very nervous before we left, but e-mails with another traveler
put me at ease. It was a great trip and I look forward to more overseas
travel with our little one!
Natalie <email>
Lewis Center, OH USA 01/30/01
One time when I was in Europe on business, my 17-year-old son flew
over to meet up with me at the end of the business trip and have a little
father/son time together. This was his first international trip. I met him
at the airport in London. Did all the typical tourist things, had a great
time, and became even closer because of it. I also let him have his own
time, where he could wander around on his own, figure out the Metro and
the Underground, and find his own way back to the hotel. He loved every
minute of it and of course now he has the travel bug just like his mom and
dad. It also helped that I let him use my first-class seat coming home (wanted
to give him a little taste of the old expense-account lifestyle).
Happy Papa
USA 01/26/01
You don't know what you are missing without kids. Italians love kids.
In France there is Disneyland, the Eiffel Tower. You can expose them to
artwork — especially teens love the different museums. Let them be the leaders.
Give teens independence; they need it. Bring a walkman or discman, a gameboy
and their favroite books. The music on the planes will keep the kids busy
while the tray table can let them pass the time. Ask for a bulkhead seat
no matter how old your kids are. Get a window seat for the kids so they
can see Europe from the air. Kids are the highlight of the trip I think.
Daniel Onn <email>
Saratoga, CA USA 01/25/01
The best time to travel anywhere with kids is during the school year
around the middle of March through the middle of May. I know this is cutting
into their school year, but there are fewer tourists then, and you can see
some things at this time that you couldn't during the summer. For example,
at Westminster Abbey during this time you can go all the way to the back,
while during the summer you only go to the front half. This experience is
worth the lost school time because your kids will have a great learning
experience, and it will be a good time for you to spend with your kids.
sal
Co USA 01/14/01
Regarding Italy and children, it is true that there are not a lot of
high chairs or changing tables, but the really important thing is that Italians
are incredibly warm to children. For me, that is what makes a place truly
child-friendly. From old women to groups of young guys, they were universally
playful and charming to our 14-month-old and 4-year-old. We are planning
a trip to France this year, and just crossing our fingers that the French
are half as nice to our kids as the Italians were. So, if Italy-bound with
kids, buon viaggio and buona fortuna!
Sonya
CA USA 01/11/01
In response to Chris, regarding traveling with a baby, I totally disagree with Italy not being baby-friendly. We've taken our son twice, once at 9 months and once at 34 months. We found diapers and wipes, baby food, toys, clothes and even strollers (ours was damaged on the plane going there) easy to find and purchase, if need be.
While changing tables ARE virtually non-existant, I find the same to be true at home.
We found it very easy to let our son sit in his stroller to eat when he was younger, and sit at the table this past summer. Outdoor restaurants and good old McD's save the day. Also, long-term home or apartment rentals save on dining out.
We are planning another trip this summer to Sicily. While traveling
with a small child does require some planning, we've found it delightful
to share the experience with our son, even though he may not remember
these early trips!
Kristy <email>
San Francisco, CA USA 01/08/01
We traveled with our four children (3, 5, 7 & 9) to France, where we stayed with my sister-in-law, and then on to Germany.
We called one well-known hotel in Rothenburg, and they balked when they heard we had four kids, as does my sister-in-law. I then pulled out "the book" (Rick's) and got the name of the Gerberhaus. Not only did they have a room big enough to accommodate us, they did not balk at the sound of four kids arriving with each family. In fact, they even sounded pleased.
I took the Night Watchman's tour myself at night, and then gave the "kid" version of the tour to my four in the morning. They loved the modified version.
In France we took the kids to the Louvre on December 24. It was great, as the lines weren't long, and they got a chance to see the pictures. We went through at kid speed, and five-year-old even commented, on seeing the Mona Lisa, "Why is that lady looking at me?" When he was told everyone thought that, he said they were wrong, because she was looking at him.
For the plane, pack food for your kids. We sat on the tarmac in Dallas for over six hours waiting to return to San Francisco. The plane ran out of food and water. We had packed snacks, which helped a little with the long wait.
Traveling with kids, it is way easier to rent a car.
Also, eat early before the crowds hit.
I would encourage anyone to take their children. You may not see the
sights you would traveling without them, but you will see many things
that never would have crossed your mind that are kid-friendly. It's just
a new perspective.
Liz Goodley <email>
San Jose, CA USA 01/05/01
I lost my son in Paris!
What a frightening experience! Your teenagers may think they know everything, but when it comes to directions in a huge, foreign city, you can't be too anal. Write it all down for them, just in case they ever get separated from you and seriously need it — your hotel's name, address and phone number at the minimum!
This is how my 16-year-old son's brain works. When he isn't thinking about hot, fast cars and looking for hot, fast cars on the surrounding streets, he is thinking about playing hot, fast car video games or reading hot, fast car magazines. He is not paying attention to street names, and hasn't a clue as to where you've been staying for the last three days. He just follows you around like a little puppy and barks when he's hungry or sees something that makes him happy.
We were finishing up a meal. Older brother — excellent navigator — takes off ahead to get to the bathroom first. Younger brother decides to follow him but gets slowed down by eight lanes of traffic. Hotel is eight blocks to the northwest. Mom screams, "Wait!" Mom leaves food behind, but like teenage son, is held back by psycho Champs Elysees rush-hour traffic. Back at the Hotel Keppler, you guessed it, no little brother. Older son does not seem concerned. Mom goes back to sandwich shop...still no little brother. It begins to rain. How pathetic...and how scary!
Over an hour has elapsed. "It's his own fault, Mom! Let him find his own way home," says his compassionate brother. Mom is getting pretty frantic now. Where could he be? Older brother speaks again, "Try up by the Arch de Triumph. It's a pretty cool landmark. Now stop stressing, Mom, I'm trying to watch 'Millionaire' in French!"
Mom runs up to the Arch. YES! There he is, walking around and around
the huge circle that spokes off in about twelve different directions!
The happy reunion. Thank you St. Christopher, guardian angels of travel,
or whoever got us back together again! Lesson learned: Always stick together,
especially in Paris! My son says he'll never go back there. Well, if he
ever does, I know he won't go alone!
Mary Nelson <email>
Denver, CO USA 01/01/01