Embarking on a European adventure with your little ones in tow can be a fantastic opportunity to create cherished memories and expose your family to rich cultures and stunning landscapes. While the thought of navigating new cities, Google Maps, a foreign rental car, and jet lag with kids might seem like a dream, or a nightmare, to you, fear not! We’ve rounded up some practical tips to help you make the most of your European journey, ensuring a smoother and more enjoyable experience for everyone. If we can do it, so can you!
1. Choose Family-Friendly Destinations:
We carefully planned out our cross country road trip with two kids under 5. It was a little exhausting at times, but overall we planned well enough that we allowed space and time for the kids to get plenty of energy out at every stop! Our road trip took us from Barcelona to Rome over about 2 weeks. We stopped for 2-3 days along the way so the kids didn’t get too overwhelmed with all the driving.
We opted for destinations that offer a blend of kid-friendly attractions and cultural experiences. Our favorite European cities for traveling with kids are Rome, Barcelona, and Paris. These cities boast picturesque scenery, interactive museums, and open spaces perfect for family exploration. They are big enough cities that you can explore easily while having a “home base” hotel or AirBnB.
2. Balance Your Itinerary: Avoid the temptation to cram too many activities into your days. Balance sightseeing with breaks for rest and play to prevent fatigue and crankiness, ensuring a happier experience for both parents and kids. Google Maps is amazing for finding kid-friendly activities. Initially, we wanted to save money so we opted for free playgrounds, but honestly the kids loved the playgrounds more than any paid activity we did! It was so amazing seeing the kids make friends with kids who don’t even speak English. It is wonderful to see the connection kids can make through play.
3. Accommodation Comfort: For this entire trip, we booked AirBnBs. This was the best option for us because our top priorities were: 1. Kids having their own room 2. Space to be kids 3. Cooking at home for most meals. Our initial budget for our accommodations were about $300 a night, but we ended up spending a lot less simply by searching on AirBnB. Scroll through these photos to see some of our AirBnBs.
4. Engage Kids in Planning: Involve your children in planning parts of the trip. Show them pictures of landmarks, let them choose an activity, or even research a local dish to try. This involvement can spark their excitement and curiosity, and get them on board with the time and energy it will take to get to these places. My kids favorite spots were the giant squares in Rome where there are street performers, musicians, and the famous “Big Bubble Man” who makes the biggest bubbles we’ve ever seen!
5. Pack Wisely: My initial “great” idea was to only pack a backpacking backpack for myself and the kids. Wow, what a bad idea! Just a few days into the trip I ended up ditching the backpack and getting a large rolling suitcase. Don’t be a hero. For the sake of time and energy, we opted for taking taxis whenever we weren’t driving (before we snagged the rental car). Rolling suitcases over miles of cobblestone streets is NOT how I wanted to spend my trip. Once we got out luggage to our AirBnB, then we set out on foot.
My biggest packing tip is to use packing cubes! Seriously, this is a MUST-HAVE item for traveling with kids in Europe, or anywhere for that matter. I linked my exact packing cubes in my Amazon storefront in my “Europe Travel with Kids” list found here.
Conclusion: Traveling in Europe with your family is an incredible opportunity to introduce your kids to new cultures, languages, and experiences. By planning thoughtfully, prioritizing comfort and engaging activities, you can create a vacation that’s both enriching and enjoyable for everyone. Embrace the sense of wonder and curiosity that your children bring to every new destination, and savor the moments of togetherness that will become the heartwarming memories of your European adventure. Remember, the trip is always going to be a great memory. I promise you’ll eventually forget – or find humor- in the long travel days. Take lots of photos and videos so you’ll have those memories for you and your kids to cherish long after your flight has landed back home!
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