Travel With Kids: Leashes and Valium?
Rick Steves and his wife Anne wrote the following based on travels with their kids, Andy and Jackie — both now college-aged and savvy independent travelers in their own right. Also incorporated here are tips from fellow traveling parents Karen Lewis Smith and Heather Murphy.
My wife (Anne), son (Andy), and VW van (Vinnie) have spent seven one-month trips with me traveling from Norway to Naples and Dublin to Dubrovnik. It wasn't hell, but it wasn't terrific travel, either. Still, when Andy was a baby, it was more fun to change diapers in Paris than Seattle.
Young European families, like their American counterparts, are traveling, babies and all. You'll find more and more kids' menus, hotel playrooms, and kids-go-crazy zones at freeway rest stops all over Europe. And Europeans love babies. Your baby will be your ticket to countless conversations. A young mom (or dad) with a babe-in-arms will generally be offered a seat on crowded buses, and sometimes allowed to go to the front of the line at museums.
You'll need the proper documents. Even babies need passports. If you're traveling with a child who isn't yours (say, a niece or grandson), bring along a signed, notarized document from the parent(s) to prove to authorities that you have permission to take the child on a trip.
An international adventure is a great foundation for a mountain of memories. Here are some of the lessons we learned whining and giggling through Europe with baby, toddler, and little boy Andy.
Baby Gear
Since a baby on the road requires a lot of gear, the key to happiness is a rental car or a long stay in one place. Of course, pack as light as you can, but if you figure you'll need it, trust your judgment. If you're visiting friends or family, give them ample notice and they may be able to borrow a car seat, stroller, and travel crib for you so you won't have to pack it.
Bring a car seat, buy one in Europe, or see if your car rental company can provide one. (Pack along a car-seat clip to help secure the car seat to a shoulder-strap seat belt.) In addition to being required safety equipment while driving, a car seat can be a stress-saver when traveling by plane, train, or bus. Although it may seem like a bulky carry-on, a car seat is more comfortable for your child than a standard adult-sized seat, and is a familiar place for a nap. Kids are used to car seats and know how to behave in them.
If you plan to bring a car seat for your child on the airplane, check with your airline first — some European airlines won't let you use seats that haven't been approved (by the airline or by the EU). To make the long walk to your plane, train, or bus easier, loosen the car-seat straps all the way, then wear it like a backpack. You'll look like a turtle, but your hands will be free. A booster seat without straps can sometimes be hooked onto the top of your rolling suitcase.
When you settle in for the ride, secure the seat like you would in the car and strap junior in. Most children won't want to be tied down for long stretches. But a few hours strapped in the car seat goes a long way toward eliminating wrestling matches between parents and overly tired or busy children.
A stroller is another essential. Umbrella models are lightest, but we found a heavier-duty model with a reclining back worth bringing. Andy could nap in it, and it served as a luggage cart for the Bataan Death March parts of our trip when we had to use public transportation. Carry the stroller onto the plane — you'll need it in the airport. The ideal stroller has wheels big enough to handle cobblestones, but is compact enough to fit in a European-sized rental car or by your feet on a train.
A small travel crib was a godsend. No matter what kind of hotel, pension, or hostel we ended up in, as long as we could clear a four-by-four-foot space on the floor, we'd have a safe, clean, and familiar home for Andy to sleep and play in. During the day we'd salvage a little space by folding it down and tucking it in a corner. Newer travel cribs are more compact, but many seem to be made of concrete. Look for one that is lightweight and comes with a shoulder carrying strap. If it's small enough, consider packing the crib into a larger, rolling suitcase to eliminate having yet one more thing to carry.
If a baby backpack works for you at home, bring it to Europe. (I just use my shoulders.) Backpacks in general are great for parents who need to keep their hands free. Prepare to tote more than a tot. A combo purse/diaper bag with shoulder straps is ideal. You can always stow it in your stroller's basket if you tire of carrying it yourself. Be on guard: Purse snatchers target mothers (especially while busy and off-guard, as when changing diapers).
There's lots more to pack. Encourage bonding to a blanket or stuffed critter and take it along. A good travel high chair keeps junior in one place at meals, whether in a restaurant or on a beer-garden bench, and can easily fit in a stroller basket (ingenious models fold down to laptop size or smaller). With baby happily chowing down, you'll have one hand for your brat and one for your beer.
We used a lot of Heinz dehydrated food dumped into plastic baggies. Sippy cups cut down on spills. Tiny Tupperware containers with lids were great for crackers, raisins, and snacks. Disposable bibs are great and save on laundry. You'll find plenty of disposable diapers, wipes, baby food, and so on in Europe, so don't bring the whole works from home - just enough for the first few days. However, if your child uses formula, plan on bringing your own supply — the formula offerings in most of Europe are very different than at home. Before you fly away, be sure you've packed a decongestant, acetaminophen, diaper rash cream, a thermometer, and any special medications your child may need.
For a toddler, bring a few favorite books and a soft ball (easier on hotel rooms), and buy little European toys as you go. Coloring books, stickers, Play-Doh, and magnetic toys entertain well during long stretches in the car or on public transportation. As Andy got older, activity books and a handheld video game kept him occupied for what might have been countless boring hours. Also, a daily holiday allowance as a reward for assembling a first-class daily picture journal gave our seven-year-old reasons to be enthusiastic about every travel day.
For the athletic child, a Whiffle ball and bat guarantee hours of amusement with newfound friends. A new rubber ball lets kids play soccer on foreign turf. To be truly European, consider the purchase of a set of boules or pétanque balls (a form of outdoor bowling played on public squares in much of Europe, especially in France). For quiet time in the hotel room, consider buying a set of Legos once you're in Europe — the popular building blocks are excitingly different from those found in the US.
In case Andy got lost, he wore a metal Medic Alert bracelet that listed his name, address, home phone, an emergency phone number, and allergies. We also made sure he had the name, address, and phone number of our hotel printed on a piece of paper secured in his pants pocket.
Parenting at 32,000 Feet
Gurgling junior might become an airborne Antichrist as soon as the seat-belt light goes off. You'll pay 10 percent of the ticket cost to take a child under the age of two on an international flight. The child doesn't get a seat, but many airlines have baby perks for moms and dads who ask for them in advance — roomier bulkhead seats, hang-from-the-ceiling bassinets, and baby meals. After age two, a toddler's ticket typically costs 75–80 percent of the adult fare — a major financial owie (some sale fares do not allow any discounts for kids). From age 12 on, kids pay full fare. (Railpasses and train tickets are free for kids under age four. Those under 12 ride the rails for half price.)
For long flights, choose a redeye when possible so your child (and hopefully you) can sleep while you travel. Pick flights with few connections; non-stop works best. Decide if you want to sit near the aisle or window. A window seat gives your active child only one escape route, plus the added entertainment of the window and shade. However, a toddler who needs frequent diaper changes and sits quietly may be more comfortable by the aisle.
Ask your pediatrician about sedating your baby for a 10-hour intercontinental flight. We think it's only merciful (for the entire family). Dimetapp, Benadryl, or PediaCare worked well for us. Since these are no longer available in infant versions, ask your pediatrician about converting the children's formulas into a dosage suitable for the littlest travelers.
Remember that your child has to pass airport security check points, too — even toddlers must remove their shoes. Allow some extra time to get through this process. Your collapsed stroller and gear will travel through the X-ray machine as you and your clan proceed through the metal detector. Security personnel should never separate you from your children. You should be allowed to carry on formula, milk, or special foods you might need on the flight — consult the most current travel regulations before you go. Before your bag is scanned, tell the security officer what liquids you're carrying for your children.
Tire out your tykes before boarding the plane. If you fly at night, consider skipping that afternoon's nap. While you're waiting to board, get your kids up and moving as much as possible. Finally, when you're on the plane and it's time for sleep, follow normal bedtime routines. Change your child into pajamas, tuck themher in with a blanket, and read a story or two.
Prepare to be 100 percent self-sufficient throughout the flight. Expect cramped seating and busy attendants. Bring extra clothes (for you and the baby), special toys, familiar food, and lots of baby wipes. Colored plastic links are handy for attaching toys to the seat, crib, high chairs, jail cells, and so on. Reusable vinyl "clings" by Colorform turn airplane windows into stages (with the blinds serving as curtains). The in-flight headphones (or an MP3 player loaded with favorite tunes) are great entertainment for flying toddlers. A march up and down the aisles provides a change of scenery and a little exercise. But pay attention to directions from the flight crew (you want them on your side) and respect your fellow passengers. No one wants to be poked awake by a wayward toddler halfway across the Atlantic.
Landings and takeoffs can be painful for ears of all ages. A bottle, a pacifier, or anything to suck helps equalize the baby's middle-ear pressure. For this reason, nursing moms will be glad they do when it comes to flying. If your kid cries, remember: Crying is a great pressure equalizer.
Once on foreign soil, you'll find that your footloose and see-it-all days of travel are over for a while. Go easy. Traveling with a tyke is tiring, wet, sticky, and smelly. Your mobility plummets. You accomplish far less traditional sightseeing, but visit many more fountains, parks, and other kid-friendly locales than you would have otherwise.
Be warned — jet lag is nursery purgatory. On his first night in Europe, baby Andy was furious that darkness had bullied daylight out of his up-until-thenreliable 24-hour body-clock cycle. Luckily, we were settled in a good hotel (and most of the guests were able to stay elsewhere). If you can tolerate some — okay, maybe a lot — of crankiness on the first day, keep young children awake until a reasonable local bed time. After junior passes out from exhaustion, hopefully the whole family will sleep through the night and wake up when the locals do. If you have some of that Dimetapp, Benadryl, or PediaCare left over, another small dose just prior to bed the first night or two can buy everyone a few more hours of much-needed sleep.
Accommodations
We slept in rooms of all kinds, from hostels (many have family rooms) to hotels. Choosing lodging close to your daytime activities is smart in case your little traveler needs to return for a nap or supplies. Ask for quiet rooms away from the street and bar downstairs. If your child is used to sleeping in his own space, look for rooms with a partition, large closet, or other area in which you can separate your child when it's bedtime (baby can even sleep in the bathroom). Until he was five, we were never charged for Andy, and while we always used our own bedding, many doubles had a sofa or extra bed that could be barricaded with chairs and used instead of the crib.
Childproof the room immediately on arrival. A roll of masking tape makes quick work of electrical outlets. Anything breakable goes on top of the freestanding closet. Proprietors are generally helpful to considerate and undemanding parents. We'd often store our bottles and milk cartons in their fridge, ask (and pay) for babysitting, and so on.
Every room had a sink where baby Andy could pose for cute pictures, have a little fun, make smelly bubbles, and get clean. With a toddler, budget extra to get a bath in your room — a practical need and a fun diversion. (Many showers have a 6-inch-tall "drain extension" — bring along a universal drain-stopper to create a kid-friendly bathing puddle.) Toddlers and campgrounds — with swings, slides, and plenty of friends — mix wonderfully.
Self-catering flats rented by the week or two-week period, such as gîtes in France and villas in Italy, give a family a home on the road. Many families prefer settling down this way and side-tripping from a home base.
Food
We found European restaurants and their customers cool to noisy babies. High chairs are rare. We ate happily at places with outdoor seating, at the many McDonald's-type, baby-friendly fast-food places, or picnicking. In restaurants (or anywhere), if your infant is making a disruptive fuss, apologetically say the local word for "teeth" (dientes in Spanish, dents in French, denti in Italian, Zähne in German), and annoyed locals will become sympathetic.
Nursing babies are easiest to feed and travel with. Remember, some cultures are uncomfortable with public breast-feeding. Be sensitive.
On arrival, we stocked up on munchies (market-fresh fruit, pretzels, and tiny boxes of juice — which double as squirt guns). While it's becoming easier to find in Europe, we always traveled with a small jar of peanut butter. Alone or paired with bread and a packet of jam left from breakfast, it made a familiar meal. Fresh milk can sometimes — and quite inconveniently — be hard to come by. Boxed milk travels easily and doesn't need refrigeration until opened. Plan ahead for holidays and other days when stores and markets will be closed.
A 7 a.m. banana works wonders, and a 5 p.m. snack makes late European dinners workable. Crêperies offer plenty of kid-friendly fillings for both savory and sweet crêpes, good for a light meal or snack. In restaurants, we ordered an extra plate for Andy, who just nibbled from our meals. No matter the culture, there always seems to be a potato or pasta option to suit even the pickiest eater's palate. We'd order "fizzy" (but not sticky) mineral water, call it "pop," and the many spills were no problem. With all the candy and sweet temptations at toddler-eye level in Europe, you can forget a low-sugar diet. While gelati and pastries are expensive, Andy's favorite suckers, Popsicles, and hollow, toy-filled chocolate eggs were cheap and available everywhere.
Plan to spend more money. Use taxis rather than buses and subways. Hotels can get babysitters, usually from professional agencies. The service is expensive but worth the splurge when you crave a leisurely, peaceful evening sans bibs and cribs.
With a baby, we arranged our schedule around naps and sleep time. A well-rested child is worth these limitations. Driving while Andy siesta'd worked well. You can also return to the hotel for some rest or let your child sleep in the stroller while you enjoy a sidewalk café or gallery. As a preschooler, however, Andy was up very late, playing soccer with his new Italian friends on the piazza or eating huge ice creams in the hotel kitchen with the manager's kids. We gave up on a rigid naptime or bedtime, and we enjoyed Europe's evening ambience as a family.
OK, you're there — watered, fed, and only a little bleary. Europe is your cultural playpen, a living fairy tale, a sandbox of family fun and adventure. Grab your kid and dive in.
Updated for 2009. For lots more tips, check out our best-selling Europe Through the Back Door travel skills guidebook.