Travel with Kids: 2003
More and more Americans are taking their kids on their European adventures. Rick and Anne Steves have written up their lessons (after 17 years of packing their kids along) in Rick's book, Europe Through the Back Door. They also recommend Cynthia Harriman's Take Your Kids to Europe for those with kids age 6 to 16. But here's where you experienced parents can share your own tried-and-true tips with those planning their first European family vacation.
How do you keep Junior happy on the long flight over? What are your favorite child-friendly attractions? How did you manage in hotels and with finding baby supplies on the road?
Practical tips for the preschool
and school age traveller
My husband and I have travelled domestically and internationally with
my daughter (now 8) her whole life. I've also had experience traveling
with my nephew (now 15). Generally we take several 10-day to 2-week long
trips each year. While we are fortunate that she has always had a long
attention span and an interest in art, there are many things we consistantly
do to make her travels (and ours) more enjoyable.
1) Plenty of portable activities - some old favorites and some brand new surprises. Sticker books and age-appropriate activity books. Small pads of paper. Mini containers of play dough. Retractable crayons (Crayola now makes some - otherwise we've depended upon the Hello Kitty Store!). The keychain mini versions of games are also good.
2) Daily "visual" scavenger hunt lists. At breakfast, as a family we put together the list - somethings are mundane - an orange baseball style hat, others are specific to sights you expect to visit - a winged lion in Venice. Generally 10 to 12 items. Draw crude pictures along with the words for pre-readers. Try "counting" games - count American flags, basketball hoops, etc.
3) Make the museums more interesting. Do some "homework". Put together your own treasure hunt by putting together a list of things to look for in paintings or exhibits that you know are in the museum - for younger ones, have them look for particular objects in paintings - for older ones, put together trivia type questions. Many museums have activities online for kids.
4) Pack a stroller, even for a five year old. Your child may have "outgrown" a stroller at home, but if you want to cover ground, you'll both be happy to have it on your trip.
5) Choose your souvenirs wisely - we have local interest children's books from each location we've visited. The picture books have great local art, and even if the story is in another language, it is interesting to pick out the words you understand. Small toys from companies in the country you are in are also great keepsakes and entertainment sources.
6) Involve your kids in the
planning - particularly older children. I pale to read horror stories
of parents of 'tweens' and teens where the child has an "attitude". When
you read th whole story however, in most cases the child was not involved
in the planning. What if your spouse planned an entire trip without any
input from you - what "attitude" would you cop as you were dragged from
one place to another? Best tip - have fun and relax.
Anna O
Hobart, WI USA Wed 12/31/2003
Backpack Carrier/Stroller
My wife and I took our 9-month old baby boy to Berlin and Prague in early
October. It did take some additional planning and packing, but it actually
went very surprisingly well. I would definitely do it again with our baby
boy.
One item that I do recommend is the Kelty Kids Convertible Backpack Carrier/Stroller for babies. I?m not 100% for sure if they still make it or not, but you can probably find one on the internet somewhere. Somebody had mentioned it on this board before, and it did work really well for this trip as well as for many stateside roadtrips. It weighs around 10 lbs plus the added weight of the baby. We bought ours off of BabyAge.com probably around 7 months ago, and I?ve been impressed with it for traveling. You can use it as a stroller then collapse the wheels and handle and use it as a backpack baby carrier.
I used it to carry him on my back for the bulk of the trip, and we saw a lot. It makes it much easier to cross streets quickly and easily, go up and down stairs, get on and off the subways, etc. We can basically go anywhere we want with him on my back. We traveled all over Berlin and Prague with no problems. He also enjoyed watching the world and people go by while he was strapped to my back.
The stroller function comes in handy in museums such as the Pergamon and Egyptian Museum in Berlin that won?t let you take in backpacks, but would let us take it in as a stroller. It was lightweight and has carrying handles so I could carry up short stairs when necessary in the stroller configuration.
The stroller function also works well as a high chair in restaurants. The stroller keeps the baby upright (instead of lying back) and pretty much at table level so that you can feed him while you are eating at restaurants (he always wanted whatever we were eating).
There is an optional/extra rain/wind cover that comes in handy when there are occasional showers. It folds up and fits in a small bag on the back of the stroller so you can use it only when necessary. I had to purchase it separately, but I do recommend it. I?ve taken him hiking several times in it stateside, and it works really well for that to.
The only minor complaint is that since it is lightweight, the wheels
sometimes don?t have enough weight on them to grip to floors really well
and that causes some occasional problems with steering. I can get over
that though. Overall, it worked really well for our trip to Europe, and
I highly recommend it.
BC
Edmond, OK USA Thu 10/30/2003
Hallstatt w/ kids
Just spent four days in Hallstatt with family including 4 kids under 6.
What a wonderful place! Although under 4 can't go in the salt mine, they
enjoyed the hike up and down along the waterfall. We also all went in the
Dachstein Ice Caves, which were a big hit. We stayed at Apartment Herta
Holl, mentioned in the 2003 guide - a 2-room, plenty of beds quiet place
with a kitchenette, WC & shower, all at a great price.
The museum and boat tours were also fantastic. Highly recommend it if you need a weekend away, and so much more history and less expensive than similar beauty in Switzerland.
Finally, there's a pizza place on the town's south end and a couple of
backereis that were exceptionally kid-friendly.
P. Hayden
USA Thu 10/16/2003
Travel with Kids
My wife and I recently returned from 18 days in Germany, Switzerland and
Austria with our daughters, who are 8 and 5. They both adjusted well to
travel and had a great time.
While in Germany, we visited Legoland, which is east of Ulm (near Stuttgart). This was not on our agenda, but my 8 year old saw a brochure for it at our hotel in Fussen. It was a lot of fun. My girls really enjoyed it and since we were the only Americans there (that I saw), it was a good chance to watch German families and interact with them.
Besides Legoland, my kids really enjoyed the "Night Watchman" tour in Rothenburg, any of the numerous Luges that we tried, and the Salt Mine tour in Hallein, near Salzburg.
One unexpected aspect of traveling with children is having to get two
rooms in many hotels. While some hotels have "family rooms," many do not.
We also encountered some hotels with limits of "three" people per room.
So, if you are travling with kids, be prepared in some instances to have
to pay for an additional room.
John Bradley
Columbia, SC USA Mon 10/06/2003
Germany with a 7 Year Old
My husband, son and myself spent 8 days in Munich, and 4 days in Wiesbaden,
Frankfurt and Mainz. Love flying into Munich, highly recommend it, smaller
airport is easier to get in and out than Frankfurt. Travel light, one bag
per person is the rule. We were able to get thru bahnhofs and to hotels
easily with rolling luggage, its a must. Our son carried his own backpack,
with supplies for making journal, disposable camera, word puzzles, a few
Matchbox cars and walkman. I still say a gameboy is unneccessary!
The trains, streetcars and UBahn (subway) in itself is an adventure for the kids. Be sure to by the "family card" its so cheap, we traveled all over Munich for three days for only 20E. Our favorite biergarten is Kugler Alm near Taufkirchen, it has a huge playground and lots of gemutlich atmosphere. The food is the best, especially Hanchen und pommes. The biergarten is perfect for parents and kids, they get to run and play and make friends and parents can relax.
Must do in Munich is Deutches Museum and the Hellabrun Tierpark. The kid's area in the zoo is huge and you can easily spend an hour or two there. Definitely allow all day for the zoo. Olympic Center has great indoor swimming pool, and our son loved riding up to the top of the observation tower. The salt mine in Berchtesgaden and boat ride on Lake Konigsee were great for adults and kids alike. If you have time, dont miss Garmisch. Ride the ski lift to the top, and hike down through the "Klamm" - the clearest coldest water in a canyon that you cant believe! Oh, and ride the toboggan ride too! Definitely a full day, but kids have to be able to walk on their own, no place for strollers.
In Wiesbaden, catch the Nerobergbahn in Taunus Mountains. There is Opel Schwimmbad, and Orthodox Greek Chapel, to visit at the top, as well as a nice biergarten with friendly staff. Downtown Wiesbaden has great fussgangerzone and wonderful italian ice and lots of good italian ristorante. Stay at Hotel Albany, Mr. Spiros and his wife are very kind. They also speak perfect English! This hotel is small and personable, on two bus lines and five minutes from Hauptbahnhof and downtown area.
Mainz has beautiful cathedrals, good shopping and a walk (or boat ride) along the Rhine River. Their downtown is kid friendly, lots of fountains with kids splashing everywhere!! Our son loved watching the barges and riding the train over the river (much more fun than the bus, even though the bus goes through lots of traffic circles!)
We did spend a day at the Frankfurt Zoo, however, seems to be in the midst of a renovation and in need of maintenance. However their Aviary and Nocturnal Exhibit, and Primate area is still worth a look.
I definitely recommend taking kids to Europe, we had a blast with our son and he did too. He loved the food, snacks and ice cream. But that first day is tough if you are walking alot especially with all the bicycle traffic, it took him a day to learn to keep to the right and look out for bikes. I did yank him to safety a couple times.
Can't wait for the next European Holiday!
murray
FL USA Sun 09/21/2003
I just returned from Britain and Ireland, and have travelled with my husband and two teenagers there twice. Here are my tips. 1. Buy Rick Steves book, but generally double the time he says to spend in a place and do less. It works to spend about four days in a good place,especially if you aren't travelling as light as you could. The first time we went to London for four days, and then rented a self catering place in Ireland.
2. Book Family friendly hotels from Frommer's Guide. These hotels are cheap, convenient, and well located. Many have "family rooms" where four people can stay together. Some of them have a separate room for the children. They tend to be cheaper than the price of two rooms.
3. Consider self catering options, this means you can cook and do your own laundry. In Ireland, we found that we could stay for $100 a day as opposed to $140, and have a whole house on a bus line. It's fun and cheap to go the grocery store, you have more room, and you can feed your kids what they like. You can easily pack a lunch, and eat all your breakfasts in.
3. Spring for one day bus tours. While your kids may not be able to get up a do the tour pace day after day, they can do it once. Use it to get to places that are hard to drive to or difficult for public transportation.
4. Use the car only to get from town to town and park it. Pick up the car in a small town!!! Rick Steves suggestion to take the bus from London to Bath and pick up the car there is very very helpful.
5. Eat fruit. English breakfasts are great, they get the kids up, and save a lot of money. Plus the food is plain, and my kids liked it.
6. If you don't have a car, take a taxi to your hotel on the first day. Otherwise you will be standing on the street at the beginning of your trip, and will have to go buy a map. The street names change. I have done this twice, and it is not a good beginning.
7. At the hotel or rental place, ask about all of those switches to turn on the stove, the shower, and hot water. If you wash clothes, don't use the dryer. In Europe the dryers don't work, and they eat money for electricity or gas. Usually the gas meter is coin operated.
8. Buy a good map of the town or the area you will be in. It is sooo frustrating to get lost. The street names tend to change every other block.
9. Schedule a down day every week or so. Wash clothes, buy groceries, go to the playground or the beach and don't do any "touristy" things.
10. Go on the hop on hop off tours soon after you arrive in a city. It shows you what you want to see, you figure out the layout of the city faster, and can go to the farther sites without a taxi. Since it is good for 24 hours, we like to get on the bus in the afternoon to see the city, and then take it to our site the next day.
11. Spend time or get a good travel agent to buy your airline tickets cheaply. If you get a good deal, you save four times as much for four people.
12. Bring at least some money in the local currency. Also bring any travelers checks in the local currency. (Some B and B's will give you as much as a 10% discount for cash or local traveller's checks.) This is easier now that only pounds and euros are an issue. American Express or local banks will sell you money before you go.
13, In England eat Italian, Chinese, Mediterranean and Indian food. It is very good.
14. Bring at least a small first aide kit.
15. Buy water bottles and refill them.
16. Kids are usually allowed in pubs in the afternoon and early evening. Early dinners out are often cheaper and work well with children. Pub food is usually good family food.
17. Bring walkman tape players for the kids to listen to while travelling.
18. Read Rick Steve's telephone tips.
19. Let the kids plan something. My kids wanted to go to the Washington D.C. zoo, and to Madame Tussaud's in London, which my husband and I thought were terrible ideas. We all liked both a lot, and the kids still talk about those places.
20. Have fun.
Maureen Whelan
San Jose, CA USA Sat 08/30/2003
Garmisch & Rome
Christina McGarvey
Columbia, MD USA Tue 08/26/2003
In London, my kids loved going to see "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" (11 pounds for a matinee ticket, minutes before the show), the Museum of Natural History (dinosaurs and creepy-crawlies, plus a great special discovery room for kids; ask at the information desk), Hamley's Toy Store (hand them 10 pounds on the way in and relax while they take 4 hours figuring out how to spend it), and, oddly enough, shopping for groceries at Waitrose's, with all those exotic foods. The older ones loved tea at Harrod's and navigating the Tube on their own.
In Amsterdam, the peddleboat ride on the canals was a huge hit, but watch out for those big tour boats!
In Switzerland, they loved the rides at Gruyeres Moleson: a bob-luge, a mountain scooter, go-karts down the mountain, and a much tamer jumping castle and mini-train for the little ones. We followed it up with a tour of the fromagerie, where they still make their cheese by hand (and you can pet the cows it comes from) and a hike up an Alp before sharing your fondue dinner. A word of warning, though; as my oldest daughter said, "Mom, they would never let them get away with this in the United States! We have to wear helmets to ride our bikes on the street, and here they let us drive a go-kart down a mountain without one!"
In Brittany, France, the whole week we spent cycle-camping with Breton Bikes was great for the kids. Lots of other kids, all of whom spoke English, since the company is run by an English couple and caters to the UK holiday crowd, great crepes, and all the physical activity a kid could want. Maybe a little more than the parents want...
In Paris, one of the biggest thrills was going by themselves to the
boulangerie every morning to pick up the bread for breakfast. The Louvre
was actually a pretty big hit, too; we had a lot of fun demonstrating
what the Venus de Milo's arms would have looked like, and if you really
look, those Italian painters leading up to the inevitable Mona Lisa put
some bizarre details into those portraits and religious paintings, and
kids have fun pointing them out. One thing they loved was the open elevator
in the Pyramid. It's a plush cylinder with no top, so you can hang over
the edge and wave to the peons on the stairs. It's only open to those
who can't manage the stairs, but one kid in a stroller qualifies the whole
group. Only time the whole trip his sisters were actually grateful to
have their little brother along... St. Chapelle was miraculous for the
older ones, and the Littles had fun chasing the colored lights on the
floor and identifing the Biblical carvings outside the doors. Noah's animals
were a big hit. Lunch at Altitude 95 in the Eiffel Tower was an extravagance,
but worth every euro. I'll never forget the sight of 3 waiters and the
maitre d' engaging in a pantomime shootout with my younger three. (We
were nearly the last patrons there, which was fortunate, because I don't
think the formidable reputation of French waiters would have survived
the sight of them diving behind the bar to escape my 4-year-old's "bullets.")
Tricia
Tallahassee, FL USA Fri 08/08/2003
Wanted to second the suggestion to go to Legoland. We went to the one
in Denmark a few years ago. If you show up late, the admission is actually
free. We went after dinner and stayed for only about 1 1/2 hours but really
enjoyed the mini-land display as well. If you can do it as a stop before
heading for the hotel it is well worth it!
Karen
Atlanta, GA USA Fri 07/11/2003
London with 7 year old
Hampton Court on the outskirts of London was FANTASTIC!!!! It was very kid
friendly. The costumed guides explained everything with such patience to
my 7 year old. They even have a "hunt" around the palace and if you complete
the activity sheet you get a small button. Also, did many of the things
that are mentioned in the guide books - brass rubbings, Tower of London,
London Eye, Monument, St. Pauls, Westminster just to mention a few. We also
did our own Back Door adventure - in search of Harry Potter, through London
and Oxford. Family Day Travel Card really helped with expenses. We purchased
our daily at the information booth at the tube station. These cards, when
shown at the river cruise and train station ticket counter also gave us
discounts on fares. Ceremony of the Keys was also great, my 7 year old was
treated very special by the Yeoman Guards. One last item- Chitty Chitty
Bang Bang is a great play to take the kids too.
Olga Kiraly
Vancouver, WA USA Thu 07/10/2003
Legoland Deutchland
During our visit to Rothenburg, Germany, we made a side trip to Legoland
located in Gunzburg (near Ulm). If you visit Rothenburg and have kids, ages
3 to 13 (though older children and adults would enjoy it too), I strongly
recommend making an effort to go there. It's only about an hour's drive
away from Rothenburg and it's right off the autobahn. There's rides, a "factory"
that shows you how Lego bricks are made, classes where you can learn how
to build and program a robot, lots of shops, and even a very nice first-aid
building where even tired pregnant women (like myself) can rest! But the
best feature was "Miniland" in the center of the pank. There are miniature
models of Frankfurt, the Munich airport, Berlin, Hamburg, the Netherlands,
Venice and the newest addition: Neuschwanstein Castle. Each display features
moving objects and sound. My kids (who actually are 14, 15, and 16) spent
most of their time being amazed at all the detail and work that was put
into these mini-towns. Give yourself a whole day to enjoy the entire park.
We had a terrific time.
The Allens
Stirling, NJ USA Wed 07/09/2003
Travel to Italy and Slovenia with 20 month old
We had an amazing trip to Rome, Venice and then a small tourist farm outside
Lubjljana! My husband and I went with my mother and her husband and our
20 month old daughter. First of all, pack light, pack light, pack light.
My husband, my daughter and I all fit our stuff into one suitcase and
2 small carryons (diaper bag and bag o toys). Toys to bring...minature
tea set, drag and race cars, matching card sets, coloring books, fake
jewelry, viewmaster, dvd player, dvd player, dvd player (rent or buy!!!),
chapstick, hair clips, magnet boards.
On the flight, we went with Lufthansa. Get the bulkhead with the bassinet if your child is under two! It was awesome to have her sleep in and she loved to sit and play in it. Flight attendants were amazing and one of them actually gathered up a few of our children and played with them in the bulkhead area for about an hour! I echo Lynn's comments at the start of this section. We also made the mistake of staying in a small hotel from the start and it was tough when our daughter woke up early. I would go for the big hotel with room service and a swimming pool for the first few days to allow everyone to recover.
Rome was a delight! Early each morning we went out for cappuccino and then to the Piazza Navona to play with the pidgeons. Our daughter got to know all the local people walking their dog or on their way to work. "Brutus" the dog was her favorite. Our experience was the same as many people mentioned. Everyone accepted us quickly because of our daughter and waitstaff always went out of our way to help with her. She received free things everywhere she went and had her picture taken regularly. My best memory is sitting in the Pantheon while my daughter napped in her stroller. It was a beautiful 1/2 an hour. Check out the Farmacia for the unrefrigerated milk!!! It is a lifesaver on the trip. I would recommend that you do not bring a carseat! But do bring the backpack/stroller combo!
Venice was a fascinating city but tougher with a small child due to the vast amount of water!:) Still 2 days was great and we went to Lido to swim on the 3rd day. Try the boat ride with your little one as our daughter ended up loving it. We just warned the guy ahead of time that we might need to stop early and we would pay him full price regardless. Also, we found a great church school in one of the squares that had play equipment outside. When our daughter ran over to play, I ran after her to retrieve her but the woman watching the children invited her anyway. She had a wonderful time playing.
Slovenia was a dream. The tourist farm was set on top of one of the mountains
near Lubjljana with out of this world views! The farm had a TV in the
dining room which delighted my daughter, especially when the cartoons
in English came on! They had a swing set, sandbox and a swimming pool.
Not to mention the Taows (Cows)! Our hosts were warm and friendly and
spoke very good English. They even took our daughter on a tractor ride!
The food was voluminous and delicious! And all this and an apartment with
kitchen and dining area all for $50 a night!!!!! The Slovenian people
are wonderful with children and my daughter got more attention than she
needed. Rick's advice is right about keeping to 1 to 2 things a day and
nap whenever possible. Train ride was perfect with our daughter but we
tried riding overnight back to Rome and I would never do that again. The
train was way too rough for her to sleep so needless to say, we didn't
get much either. We did rent a car in Slovenia and it was very convenient
but don't get an economy size with a car seat. We had to put the car seat
in the middle to allow my husband's and my seats to be at a normal angle
and this still cramped our daughter's feet.
Shannon
Portland, Oregon USA Mon 06/23/2003
Science Center for kids of all ages (adults too)
We found a great Science Center in Bremen, Germany - Universum. Knowledge
of German Language not necessary, most everything is in English. Lots of
hands-on exhibits and activities. Fun for adults and children of grade school
age on up. Features Expedition Earth, Expedition Mankind and Expedition
Cosmos. My husband and I spent 5 hours there. We almost didn't go in because
there was a large school group reaady to enter. I'm glad we did, the space
was large and at no time did we feel crowded. There is an entrance fee,
but I can't remember the cost. It wasn't really expensive though.
USA Sat 06/14/2003
Observations from 2.5 week trip with 11 year old son
London: London Walks Along the Thames pub walk, Astral Tours Special Access
Tour to Stonehenge and Avebury Stone Circle, A day at Legoland Windsor and
the park in Greenwich. Also, my son had a special interest in seeing the
Imperial War Museum and it is one of the best presented museums I have ever
visited. Paris: The Catacombs, The WWII exhibit at the Invalides War museum
Linda
GA USA Thu 06/12/2003
Mom & 7 month old in London
My 7 month old son & I (husband couldn't come) spent a week in london
at the beginning of May. We are a US Military family living in Germany,
so we did not have to deal with the jetlag issues on this trip. Here were
a few things that I learned... Email me if you have any questions. -The
hotel provided a port-a-crib (or "cot"), just make sure that it is reserved.
Ours was clean & looked brand new. For privacy (his & mine) I draped a
bedcover around three sides of the crib. This kept me and my reading lamp
out of his direct eyesight when he stirred at night. For a week before
the trip, I had my son sleep in a port-a-crib at night so that he would
be used to it. -We flew British Air with him sitting in my lap. Ask the
Flt Attendant for an infant seat belt. This is a belt that goes around
the infant but it has a loop in the back so that you can slip your seatbelt
through it. I felt much safer with him strapped in.
-do take your stroller. I always put the diaperbag, guidebooks & water underneath the seat and wore my moneybelt. I looked and felt like a local. I also looped one of Rick Steve's combination locks through the zippers of the diaperbag (I kept the camera in there)for added security. -If you're comfortable with the idea, hire a babysitter & go see a show. Ask at your hotel or better yet, look online & reserve before you go. I was given a professional child minder who was very kind and neat in appearance, and showed up at our hotel room right on time. I popped back in the room at an odd time just to see how things were & all was perfect. The service was a bit more than I would usually pay, but then again, she was a well educated professional. -Bring the stroller! I was not sure if I would be able to get around with it by myself, but the London people _never_ failed to help when needed. There are lots of steps going in & out of the tube, and a londoner would always ask or just grab the front end of the stroller & help out. Be ready for the extremely long escalators! I backed the stroller on at an angle & braced the back wheel with the rising escalator step. This was a bit scary, but hold on tight and all will be fine.
-get an early dinner while your baby is still in good spirits. The waitstaff are all fresh & the restaurants usually aren't busy yet. The waitstaff in more than one restaurant frequently came over to chat & play with my son while I enjoyed my meal. If this isn't possible, bring home take-out or get a sandwich to eat in the room. -your first day in town, buy more water than you think you need. I always had water for me to drink & to mix with his formula. Also, bring more formula than you think you need. We ran out & our regular brand was not available there. My son didn't notice (& had no allergy) when I changed brands, but you may not be so lucky. -do bring a raincover for the stroller. They are available in London for the American type strollers, but why take out precious tourist time to find one. Keep the top part of the cover on your stroller all the time & just zip off the lower section. This saves space in the underseat compartment for souveniers, water & the diaper bag.
-do go to the zoo! We both had lots of fun. Surprisingly, I ate the most
delicious meal of the trip at their restaurant. -Regent's Park. Try not
to miss it; you'll take quite a long walk through it to get to the zoo.
I set out a small blanket & my son played while I soaked in the wonderful
sights & smells (lots of gorgeous flowers). -Try to keep to your baby's
nap schedule. Either be in the hotel room for naptime or lay him in the
stroller & walk around. -The taxi's are so roomy, that you can just push
the stroller inside, lock the wheels & take off! Do your homework before
you get there & don't be afraid to try something new! I finished this
trip with a great sense of confidence in my abilities as a new mom.
Laura
military family in Germany, AE USA Wed 05/28/2003
Heavenly Hallstatt!!
Hallstatt has got to be our favorite town in Europe! It has everything -
lovely architecture, creepy skulls to see, a waterfall in the middle of
town, a cobbled town square, a marvelous salt mine with one of the best
tours in Europe...I could go on and on. We had planned to stay 2 nights
but ended up staying for 4 and could have easily been in Hallstatt a week.
We toured the saltmines and the nearby ice caves, hiked to the waterfall,
watched the swans on the lake and just relaxed. We had a room in the center
of the town facing mountains and the lake, for 18 euros a night for the
two of us! (my son and I). Hallstatt is gorgeous, mellow and inexpensive...don't
miss out if you're going to Austria or Germany!
USA Mon 05/19/2003
Travel with Kids
I'm currently spending 6 months in Vienna with my three boys ages 7,9 &13.
We wanted to experience another culture. They are in a bilingual school
and we travel on weekends as well as taking longer trips and missing school.
I've used many of the tips in the Rick Steve's books, but found that letting
the boys have a say works great. There are many sights to see, but sometimes
you have to settle for the Ripley's Believe it Or Not Museum over the great
palace(Copenhagen). I look for the amusement parks and make deals about
sightseeing. Eating an occassional meal in our hotel room works great as
well. We hang out and watch TV together. I will say that the trip has had
many ups and downs, but without a doubt, I would recommend it to anyone
who can take the time. Dad comes about every 2 weeks to join in a trip or
two, but other than that, we're on our own. My kids have scooters that we
take with us in nice weather. They loved Venice, the castles in Germany
and Prague. Just remember that they don't want to see as many sights as
you do. Sit and enjoy a gelatti in a public park or sit in the fabulous
squares in the big cities. If you're near a lake, rent a boat. Relax and
enjoy. Don't stress over the fits they will throw. Take lots of pictures
so they'll remember it later on.
MJ
Gaithersburg, MD USA Thu 05/15/2003
Some tips from our trip
We just returned from two weeks in the UK and Germany with our three kids
(9, 7, 7 yrs) and they did very well considering the pace. We learned a
few things such as: 1) buy the passes for the London underground. It's much
cheaper and have one adult hold onto the passes when not in use.
John
Bothell, WA USA Wed 05/07/2003
Playground visits a must!
My husband, our two kids (ages 4 and 3) and I just got back from 15 days
in Southern Germany and Austria. we had a great time as long as we remembered
that you can only plan two major things a day - one for the adults and a
playground visit for the kids. Passau, Germany, on the Danube river is a
gorgeous city, with a number of great playgrounds along the river. A walkway
by the river lets you walk along the river, enjoying the sights and sun,
while the kids search for lizards that sun themselves on the walls of the
old city. We also interspersed our sightseeing with visits to bistros, Eis
cafes, konditerei, or other places to get treats (ie. bribes). Bribes work
on vacation. Have fun. And customs agents seem friendlier when you are traveling
with children.
Ann in North Dakota
Bismarck, ND USA Mon 05/05/2003
soccer/frisbee connections for kids
Buy a soccer ball ASAP when you get over there, and take your kids out to
likely gathering places for local children - my son made an amazing number
of connections thru pickup soccer, and was always welcomed. Language barriers
are not a problem for soccer! Also frisbees are a big hit - I always pack
a few for our own play, but also for spontaneous gifts to local kids. They
take up very little packing space (especially the real flat ones like "aerobies"),
and are good for some very big smiles.
Fritz
Juneau, AK USA Sat 05/03/2003
OTC medications; Gameboy, etc.
I am an American widow living in Paris for 3 years and traveling extensively
with just my children (now ages 9 and 13). I find travel is a wonderful
confidence builder and broadening experience for me and for the children
and they enjoy all sorts of things people said they wouldn't. My littlest
literally asks to "see another church"! (He loves the architecture, the
candles, creepy relics, and climbing to the top of bell towers.)
Don't underestimate what children can understand and enjoy, especially if you read with them ahead of time so they appreciate the significance of what they will see. I find that audioguides frequently offered at historic sights are well worth the investment as the kids love the whole process and I don't get rushed through. Also, it's amazing how much they learn and retain.
Taking the time to break up the touring with stops in parks and green spaces helps keep children happy, too, and gives them the chance to interact with children from other countries.
One word of advice, though: in France the pharmacists are very hesitant to give out over-the-counter medication to children without a doctor's input. It's best to take along a supply of basic children's medicines you might need: Tylenol, cold and cough tablets, diarrhea medicine, etc. Chewable tablets travel best. The same thing applies to multivitamins for children. Also, Pepto-Bismol-type products do not seem to exist here, even for adults (immodium is common) so bring the Pepto tablets along yourself if you like them.
Finally, for the long flights and train rides, I withhold the Gameboys
at home then let the boys have at it for the flight. They are happy as
clams the entire time--even for 15 hours to China--and I get frequent
compliments on how well-behaved they are. (Actually, they're just hypnotized
by the little screen, but just for the flight, why not?! I wish I could
find something that kept me so happy in my seat!) Other favorites are
a CD player, audiobooks downloaded to MP3 players, and good old-fashioned
playing cards. Don't forget extra batteries.
Tamara
Dallas, TX USA Wed 04/30/2003
Children in France
We traveled to France with our 18 month old, 3, and 5 year olds. It was
the best experience of our life! I recommend Menton in the south of France.
We stayed at The Dolphin, right on the beach. There is this incredible park
near the water, next to the only sandy beach around, and in walking distance
to a carousel.
In Paris we stayed near the Eiffel Tower. We could walk to the park to eat and there was an incredible hand turned carousel and great playground nearby.
Another reccomendation is Les Tines in the Alps, near Chamonix area,
and the little train that runs up to the ice caves. We stayed in a brand
new condo with a loft and kitchen for $35 a night. We ate ham and cheese
baguettes in the park for dinner as my kids were not old enough to sit
through a French dinner. We traveled only by train and were glad NOT to
have a car!
Maria Jackson
Edmonds, wa USA Sat 04/19/2003
Kids in France
We just got back from France after a two week visit. I gave my 2 children
(ages 10 and 6) childrens' Dramamine on the plane after the first meal.
They slept for 5 - 6 hours. This is my best advice as we had NO jetlag.
Due to the movies on the plane, they were not interested in playing with
too many toys.
I also thought that they would be bored in the hotel room. Not so, I forgot that children have great imaginations and without too many toys and tv, they will invent toys (such as using their gloves). We found local parks that had climbing toys around the museums we wanted to visit. Their favorite thing to do was sailing the boats in the fountain in the Tuileries garden.
My children lasted 4.5 hours in the Louvre, including a 1/2 hour lunch . My husband and I were surprised. We wanted to see not only the stuff Rick writes about, but the mummies too. They did the Orsay in 3 hours and the Rodin in an hour. They learned that if they got bored in a museum while mom and dad were looking, they could just plop down in the hall and draw. We have some great sketches they made of the paintings in the museums. They liked the Rodin Museum because we allowed them to hold hands and walk through it by themeselves, as it is so small.
The kids loved the food. Normally they are very picky but it seemed since we were in a different place, it was ok to try something new: bring on the cheeses!
They liked the boat tour too, but found it a little long. We also took them to the concert in Sainte Chapelle and they loved it. They wanted to find other concerts to go to.
Yes, we did take them to Disneyland Paris. They had never been to Disneyland here so they had nothing to compare it to. Everything is in French but they have good explanations in English. My daughter got to ride Space Mountain and Indiana Jones twice since we had to "switch off" with my son. I don't care what they say in the books, but Space Mountain certainly felt like it had loops and corkscrews. It also goes faster than the one in California. The Indiana Jones ride is nothing special except you go backwards through the loops. It was great!
The kids liked the castles of the Loire Valley and enjoyed running around the gardens. What was nice for us was that they would run off ahead and we would have some time to be romantic.
My son and daughter learned that everyone is different but also the same.
That to me was the greatest benefit from this trip.
MM
Port Orchard, WA USA Wed 03/19/2003
diaper rash
When we traveled with our one-year-old through Great Britain, Scandinavia,
and Prague, we had trouble finding a diaper ointment the same caliber as
Desitin. If you use Desitin regularly, we recommend that you pack enough
to last your whole trip.
Scott Herzer
Honolulu, HI USA Sun 03/09/2003
Adventurous Eaters
To encourage my young children (who are pretty adventurous eaters to begin
with) to try new foods on our last trip, I announced a competition: each
would get one point if they tried something they'd never eaten before, and
two points if they had an entire dish of it. They tried so many new things
(whether as an appetizer, sharing a dish with us, trying something the grownups
ordered or their own main course) that I had trouble keeping track of the
points! And they were so interested in the new foods that they didn't notice
that I never awarded a prize at the end of the trip (though I would have,
of course, if they'd asked).
Valerie
Denver, CO USA Wed 02/19/2003