Advice on Travelling to Europe with Kids

Blogging about Travelling to Europe with Kids

2012-03-28T16:37:00.001-07:00

So, you enjoy travelling,,,, or you did before you had kids.... argg... No,, just kidding.... Travelling with your kids as I have said before is an enjoyable experience while at the same time a trial in patience...... Good days followed by some bad.... It is just the way it happens.

Now,,, once those travels and experiences that you have had with your kids are done,,, you really need to share them. I do, and why not, they are the best experiences for me and I hope will be regarded as such in the future by my kids.

Safety , time, money, etc,, all items to think about and are of concern for parents travelling with kids. I know it has been such for me in the past, and likely will be for millions and millions of parents in the future.

I am going to be posting about my families experiences often, especially about past experiences and hopefully soon about new ones.

Please share your comments and reviews about your travels

Where to Travel to in Europe with kids ?

2012-02-06T16:11:00.000-08:00

Very interesting question, don't you think ? or problem ? Depends on who you are , who your kids are and what you want to do with travelling to Europe with your kids. For us, we have done many different countries, Czech Republic, Austria, Turkey, Greece, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Italy, Hungary, just to name a few.

So, where do you want to travel in Europe with your kids? Do you want a relaxing get away, educational experience, or just plain experiences ..... Here are some things to ponder when planning where you could travel to in Europe with your kids.

1) Do you want the Europe experience, but rather just an over the top vacation ? If so, travel at low cost for the flights and get where you want to get to as fast as you can. An example would be saying, we want to take the kids to Europe, but really want to relax, so lets' choose Italy. From that point, after you know your destination, book the easiest route and most cost effective flights. If booking a unpackaged hotel deal, start looking online. See what meals could be included. Pool or lake or beachside ??? Who knows, your budget will tell you. Is a restuarant or multiple restaurants on site ? All things to consider if wanting things as a place to go too and then stay at.

2) Do you want to give the kids a cultural experience ? If so, maybe the flights or flight components might be open-jaw, whereby you fly into one country or town and then fly out of another. A great idea would be to travel to ancient Greece as your travel trip to Europe with your kids. You could start in Athens, see many things, continue to another major city, travel by boats to Crete, Santorini or others. So much to see and show the kids in an experience based trip for your kids. This one is depending on the parents and the kids. The parents will have to have hight tolerance levels and alternative ideas if the kids say " no way " we want something else to do.

3) A life changing experience for the kids and you as a parent ? via.... travelling to a more impoverished part of Europe. Possibly some Eastern European countries. Yes, we know that some of you may say,,,, wait,,,, safety is going to be a concern as the parent. Well, I live in Canada and the news is flooded with the scare tactics over travelling down to Mexico over the last several months due to some unfortunate beatings and shootings. Well, I am not scared to go to Mexico, and just the same, I am not scarred to travel to Eastern Europe. We have been to Romania, Croatia, Slovakia, Poland, Russia..... And,,, we have been in small , small towns and communities... It all has to be surrounded with be sensible and appreciative of where you are, not the opposite. We have been in small towns and been very welcomed, even without being able to speak the language because we were nice and appreciative, vs arrogant and saying things like " oh, they don't have what I want or how I like it" This is the whole part of the eye opening experience trip for the kids. You want them to be respectful and to show them the struggles of others so they have a deeper understanding of how you provided for them as a parent,,, so utimately they appreciate the everyday things you provide,,,, a little better.

Happy travels to Europe with your kids. Make memorable experiences and bring this world closer together !

best,

Getting there..... the faster the better

2012-01-24T13:50:00.000-08:00

So, you have planned your getaway travel to Europe with your kids. What's next? Making the travel arrangements of course. Easy.... Well, it could be,,, or it could be a disaster.

Yes, focus on your budget and overall costs and plans associated to getting where you are heading. Remember, lowest ticket prices may not always be the best way to go or the most less stressful shall we say. When travelling to Europe with our kids, the first thing we look at is the price per ticket, then we look at the route, then we look at the total amount of travel time.

The price usually is the largest factor in many peoples decisions. Yes, you don't want to overpay, however, look at the route as well. Does a different route get you closer to your final destination ? or is there a better connection point. Sometimes, you can find different connection points to get to that will utimately have better inter-Eruope flights that you can buy as one offs. There used to be a company called Sky Europe that had unbeleivable cheap rates ,,,, before it went under. There are still lots though. Ryan Air is an example.

The shortest flight route is always best for Travelling to Europe with Kids we say,,,, especially when travelling during the day,,,,, if you were so unlucky to have to fly to Europe during the day. When we fly, we get night flights for the longest portion of the flight. Have the kids sleeping on their own schedule for more than half or three quarters of the flight is always a stress helper.

We travel to Europe with our kids and go for the night flights to Frankfurt, Heathrow or a few other easy to get from airports once you land.

Not to forget.... connection times and stay overs !!! Connection times can massively add to your stress levels when travelling for a long time to Europe with your kids.... for sure.... so try and get a short connection where if there are problems,,,, the airlines will compensate you with later flights.... Also,,, stay away from stay overs unless you plan to actually visit the place you landed in. If not, get through to your first destination as quick as possible. Why ??? because a night in a Hotel will add a large debit to your account that you may initally miss when booking your tickets....

So, be careful when booking , get a good price, good connections and the shortest route and fly / connections times....

Happy travels to Europe with your kids....

Sometimes you need to take a day off.... even when on vacation

2012-01-23T15:11:00.000-08:00

Some of the best vacations we have had with our kids and that we have heard about from our friends and family members are filled with all the stories of what they did, where they visited and most importantly what they saw.

But,,,, what about the part of relaxation ? Well, going to Mexico for two weeks is a time for rest from a your regular routine. A time to recharge your batteries as they say. But, when you go to Europe with your kids, it is a fun filled (and I mean seriously filled) adventure of visiting people and places. That continuous routine of visits and exploring will tire out even the healthiest and most adventurous of parents.

So,,, what about a day off ? Huh ? What ? I am serious... Now, what does this actually mean. Well let's take a look at some ideas that can be used to re-charge you:

1) When travelling through Europe I know many many times we either come into a piazza where young kids either play, have fun at the local water fountain or are kicking a soccer ball around. You know what, have your kids join in while you sit at the nearby caffe and relax. Most places, cities and parents in the foreign land you are in will greet you with open arms as you have kids too... you will see such fantastic smiles on your kids faces that you can take very memorable pictures of.

2) Travel through the country and you will see lots of areas, parks, etc. where you can just stop the car or get off the bus and hang out at. In Switzerland as an example, we have been there for their national holiday and went into the mountains. Nothing but lush grass, views and fun times. Always pack a flat soccer ball with a small carry along pump that you can bring out at any time. We did that in this situation and it worked out so well. Get to the destination and settle in, then let the kids go and have their fun. Chances are like us, you will get a good few hours of resting for you and the kids are doing something that the regular local kids are doing and will have some great relaxing times.

3) What else ??? Really anything. The main thing is to take a break from the routine of whatever you have planned is. Kids are good most of the time, but if your European travelling with your children takes on a long winded and tiring routine, the kids are going to let you know about it. Either verbally or through a well placed temper tantrum in a nice local place where everyone can stare at you..... Yep,,,, has happened with us too....

Travelling to Europe with your kids is such a great experience. You can educate them through taking them to new places, seeing history and just by being with your kids. However, all things have a shelf life, and as such, we as the parents need to remember that the kids are just that,,,, kids,,,, and they need to be that even on vacation.... so take that day off and get recharged,,,, and most of all create a new kind of European kid vacation memory that they may hold in their minds for many years to come.

Until next time, Hope you have enjoyed this new read on vacationing advice for travelling with your kids through my favourite place,,,,, Europe !

best,

Experiences travelling with kids... trial in patience or wonderful experience ?

2011-12-17T14:39:00.000-08:00

What a great experience travelling with kids. Yes, depending on the age of your children, you can have times or days of problems, complaining, etc... But,,, try to make the best of it. Put on the better face, re-assess the particular situation that has the kids in a fit and turn it around. A day grumpy, or complaining about something is always a day wasted I say.

We were in Switzerland and our kids were having a difficult time as the weather was bad, so the complaining started along with boys flighting,, great stuff. Yes, as a parent it gets on the nerves just a HUGE bit... But,,, take that step aside, compose yourself and re-enter the situation with a clear head, and hopefully so ideas on how to entertain the kids or at least find something new to change there attitude towards whatever the problem may be.

Sometimes with young, young children it is going to be very hard to get them out of a complaining mode, so the day unfortunately may need to go by the side, and you will just have to re-try the next day. We always found it good to talk with the kids you are having a bad day with at the end of the day right when the are getting off to sleep. Nothing major,,, just a re-visit of the day and make them aware that you feel the day was not good and that hopefully they ( the child) can change and be better as tomorrow is a new day. When doing this,,, we have always got a positive response out of our kids...

With the travels over the years we have done with the boys, it has been a mix, however overall, I think we are about 75% good travel days, and 25 % bad travel days.... I don't care what anyone says.... this is a great ratio ...... If you told someone who trades stocks that they would be having positive outcomes 75 % of the time,,,,, you would be considered a Wall Street Guru !!!! So,,, with travelling with the kids , the parenting and life lessons still continue... How we as the kids parents handle the situations in our travels and overall, will affect the kids in how they approach, or deal with their own future situations,,, but,,, it is also a test for you as the parent in the now of life...

All of our friends that have done extensive travel with their children always have stories to tell, both good and bad..... but once the trips are over and they are back to the regular grind,,,, one thing always happens and that is this. The next time after there trip that they look up and go through the old pictures on their Apple TV or product alike,,,, they smile and have vivid memories and flashes of all the good and great times on those trips,,,,,, they NEVER vividly recall and dwell on those bad aspects of the trips..... ok,,, ok,,, for those of you that actually due sometimes re-call those points,,,, you likely still smile and have a good little laugh.

Happy Travelling to you and your kids... Explore this world and bring it closer to yourselves...

best,

Dealing with sick kids

2011-12-10T09:38:00.000-08:00

The worst thing when your child gets sick, right. You may both work, need to arrange differennt plans to take a day off work or find someone to watch your child while you go and make your living. But,,, what about when you child gets sick on your vacation..... uggg..

Most people, in fact every traveller needs travel insurance,,,, if you don't have it in place when you are travelling,,,, you are just asking for your financial well being to be destroyed possibly if some of your travelling party gets sick,,,, or has a major injury,,, be it mum, dad, sister, or brother.

We recently encountered a bug both me and my son acquired thanks to a sick many on our BA flight to London this summer. This guys was so sick he was in the bathroom for three quarters of the flight. And,,,, yep,,, within 24 hours of landing we got it.... However my son was later than me and he timed things perfectly... Picture this,,, 10pm on the train platform getting ready for a 10 hour sleeper train.. Both kids tired,,, and neither showing signs of potentially becoming sick yet..

Then ,,, when loading on the train,,, our oldest times it without missing a beat... Throws up all over the train car.... luggage,,, himself,,, bed,, floor.... and the smell....

Oh boy,,, now what,,, We cleaned up and got ready for bed. Thankfully,,, that was it.. nothing else,,, no fever, no signs of something that was concerning.... But,,,, could you imaging if it was????? What would we as parents have done? Get off a night train in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night ?? Not an option...

This is a tough one though... I don't think with what happened to us,,, there is really anything you could have done more.. It would have been an emergency issue... I mean, no doctors, or places open or not knowing where to go or what to do.. In that case,,, suggestions welcome here.

As regular precautions though...

1) Take any regular medicine if you have a history of something with your children. This is a no brainer. You as a parent have all their medical history so when planning for a trip overseas, you need to have that all in order.

2) Get iron clad Travel Insurance. We were away for many months recently traveling to 7 different European countries and a few Middle Eastern countries.... Cost was almost $900 !!! Yep,,,,, expensive.... Those that have never travelled for that length of time may say I overpaid,,, or that you have and have gotten it cheaper... Well,, those that got it cheaper,,,, you should really look at your policy as I am positive it is not as Iron Clad as you may think it is.... Also,,, the reason for it being so expensive is simple.. The insurance companies look at it this way. The longer you are on vacation,,, the higher chance of a claim happening on the policy.. If you are out of the country for more than 90 days,,, the cost per extra day is going to really start accumulating..... as the actuaries at said Insurance company have calculated that the chances of an accident happening after that 90 day period is increasing at a much higher rate than in the time period before the 90 days.

3) Be prepared to have Travel Insurance,,,,, and still not have stuff covered... SERIOUSLY !!!!
We have been to a country in Europe where Iron Supplements for our kids you could not buy over the counter,,,, they had to be prescribed.... And,,, to be prescribed you needed to get to a doctor...... So how do you get to a doctor when you don't have a referral or anything. Well in our case,,, we went to the hospital and found a on call Dr, that spoke English. He told us to go to the equivalent of a walk in clinic, one where he knew the clinic had English speakers. Once there, we told them what the issue was and that we had insurance..... wait for it... wait for it.... The Dr. says,,, well,,, I can't help you out with anything to do with the fact you have travel insurance. He stated,,,, it was a huge inconvience for him and process that would hold up him actually even being able to prescribe the Iron Supplements for my son,,,,, however if we needed pay him direct right then,,,, he could prescribe what we needed right then to solve the problem. So,,, what do we do..... argue ??? decline ??? go elsewhere ??? Nope,,, you have to pay to get the issue resolved.... People reading this might say,,, oh I would not have paid.... or gone elsewhere.... Yeah right.... I don't think so. Why ? Because chances are if that was your first experience,,,, it would likely happen at the next place...

WORST PART:::: after getting our prescription filled and dealing with this..... even afterwards,,,, your insurance company will not re-imburse you for the transaction happening in this manner....

So,,, bottom line when dealing with kids... when sick on long staying vacation... is you'll need to go with the flow and seriously hope that when away you don't have a major health issue with your children....

Share you stories,,,,

Finding things to do....

2011-11-15T18:36:00.000-08:00

Now your adjust to time changes and you have an infant or young kids are they are saying " I'm bored, what can we do"..... where do you take them ????

With young kids,,,, seriously,,,, do not make the first thing you take them to a museum.... I am talking about young kids here,, say 3 - 6... Look for the easy outs,,,, the regulars that you would do around your own home town.

Like what you say ??? and more importantly how do I find out where these things are in a new city that you do not know ???

Easy........

1) Burn off some steam for the kids,,,,, find a great park. Ask the hotel desk for a map and have them help with pointing out where the nearest parks for kids are. If no map, ask if they know of a nearby park and have them provide you with directions. Better yet,,,, if you have young kids,,, get the directions,,,, make a map and make it a "secret agent" mission to get to the park. My boys love secret agent missions.

2) Waterpark,,,,, river, pond, seas, oceans,, etc... anything to do with the nearest water point you can get to. Same thing, ask who you are staying with or where you are staying at for directions. Make this a surprise,,, don't tell the kids where you are going. What kids don't like anything to do surrounding some body of water.

3) Indoor play centres..... We were in Switzerland a few months back and it was a rainy day. We went online ( yet another way to get quick information in the country you are in) and found great places to take the kids too. In Europe some of the indoor play centres are fantastic, where you can order warm meals after great playing. The one we went to was called Trampolina in Switzerland and it had small kids rides, swings, trampolines, slides, built structures that the kids can navigate through. A great time.

4) Indoor pool. So similar to # 2,,,, but for the rainy day. Something more than just a pool would be great like with slides, a river run, wave surfing or something like that. Usually would be great for a few hours of yours and the kids time.

hope you like these ideas... Comment and share your own.

best,

Once you have landed,,,, what now.... adjusting to a time change !!!

2011-11-03T16:53:00.000-07:00

On our first trip to Europe with our first son at 6 months old we had finally arrived. We survived 24 hours from door to door travel. Our friends (who did not have kids at the time) all thought we were nuts for travelling so far and with such a young child.

Dealing with time changes can either be a huge issue or really none at all. For us it has been the latter. Really can't explain why some people have huge issues with time changes for their children. We have found it all works as long as your timing is set in place. Where we travel to in Europe it is a 9 hour ahead time change for all of us. That first time with a 6 month old, likely a lot of people would think it can really mess with the sleep pattern. Here are some ideas we used to help us out.

1) When on the flight, as usually almost all flights to Europe are night flights, make sure you are watching the clock.... Keep your infant up longer than usual. Don't keep the schedule you were normally keeping from the place you are leaving. First,, you are on vacation and you (the parent) need to settle down and relax... Second,,, your child won't know they are up longer than they should be,,, and this is a good thing if you are on a long flight. You'll have to possibly wake your child earlier or outside of a normal sleep pattern to help them get adjusted for when you land.... even if you are tired,,,, don't miss this opportunity,,,,, if you do,,,, you pay for it later on your trip.

2) So you have landed and are tired, and maybe your infant is a little awake, asleep or slightly starting to be adjusted to the new time. What do you do now ??? Well, depending on what time of day it is where you arrived,,,, likely you should go straight to your hotel or place where you are staying. In our case, many times it is to friends homes or family member homes. It is best to go and get settled with the kids at where you will be staying. Wherever you end up, get settled and then eat, go to the pool (if one) or for a walk, to a local park ( ask a hotel clerk). Main thing here is to start the new routine and it starts are where you will be staying on your vacation.

3) Stay up as late as you can on that first night and keep the kids up too.... Seriously,,, the largest mistake you can make on your first night in a new time zone is falling asleep too early.... IF you do this, you will be waking up with the kids early, early , early in the morning ad be stuck with nothing to do as nothing likely will be open. Keeping yourself up and the kids can be relatively easy... You can use the games , pocket games or small toys that you have from the plane as a form of entertainment to keep them up that extra bit. With the kids up that late, they will likely crash and sleep a good solid 8 - 10 hours without many problems and you'll wake up at a better morning hour when more services are open.

4) Drink water !!!! No beers or wines for you parents after arriving . No matter how hard friends or family will push them on you to celebrate your arrival, don't do it..... You'll pay. You'll become tired faster and be in the situation where you may not keep the kids or infants up long enough on that first night to help in that crucial time adjusting period.

Hope things here help you. Get out there and travel with your young children and show them the world.

Comments , likes, suggestions are always welcomed.

Best,

Travelling with newborns or infants

2011-10-12T16:32:00.000-07:00

Wow ! Travelling. We likely have all done it. We usually all want to do it...... however, most people with newborns or infants would not even consider doing it. Well, as someone with two young boys who has travelled with them to Europe every year since they were born..... you need to have a few golden rules in place.

Our first son was born back in 2005. After the initial oh my gosh we now have a child phase, we were presented with an interesting (and to then become frequent) situation. One side of the grandparents lived in Europe..... Well, we were in the position to travel from a health perspective and monetary perspective so we filled our duty to go and visit the grandparents.

Total time from door to door was 24 hours...... YES<<<<< 24 hours with a 6 month old boy... and my wife was breastfeeding and having a tough time with being a new mother.

Here are some ideas and suggestions that are good for new parents travelling overseas to consider.

1) You don't need to get to the airport for an international flight within the "defined 3 hours " before the flight leaves. Seriously,, when you are seen in the line with a young infant, most good, competent airlines will see you there and help you out by fast tracking you thru check in. For us we don't get to the airport but 2 hours before takeoff.

2) Pack any and all needs on the plan carryon. Diapers, suplements, medical supplies, frozen breast milk, food, wipes,,,, etc,etc... Even with airport security,,, and going thru screeners,,, you will open your carry on and any security guard will assess the situation that you need these things, so don't be afraid of airport security in advance and not pack these items. You need them on the plane !!!!

3) Fast tracking thru customs.... Most airports have a fast track for frequent and business travellers.... But did you know that with infants any young kids you can use fast track lanes when connecting to more flights. Heathrow Airport is a great example. Fast track counters are usually at the far end of a customs pass thru and connecting flight checking area. So, when you arrive and have to connect with your young kids,,, look around and see for the fast track lane. If you don't see one,,, look to catch eyes with a porter or airport attendant so they see you have kids. Worst case, kind the airport attendant and ask if you can be fast tracked as you are with young tired kids... It always works and saves huge time and crankiness with young kids...

4) In flight entertaining of kids is easy these days ,,,,, if you don't mind you child watch upwards of hours and hours of tv or videos. But,,, what if you are a parent ( like us ) and you don't want your kids watching all this tv on the plane.... how do you entertain them. One of the best ideas is one my wife started before any long flight. She would go to the Dollar Store several days before our flights and buy the easy traveller and cost effective pocket games. We would pack them in our carry on luggage and pull them out once the boredom started to show up. Usually we found the attention span was a about an hour a game, or you could play a game with them for an hour before needing to either start something new or pull out a new game. Honestly,,,, this has worked many many times for us and our kids are always happy. It is something new and a small little present at the same time. As if flying on a plane isn't cool enough.

Hope you found this helpful. If you have comments or generally found this helpful or like it, please let me know.

Best,

Meals, meals and more meals

2011-10-11T09:37:00.000-07:00

So what a great thing to travel with kids overseas. One of the best things in my opinion. So much to learn and explore. I saw an ad in a magazine once and it said " what's your return on Life".... It was a quote in a travel magazine..

So many times we are focused on the rat race and the worries of the world and life for us and our families. I saw that quote and it hit me that things in life are not just based on what you can accumulate via money but rather what can you accumulate via memories and experiences.

So,, you are out and about with your kids,,, and whoa,,,, hunger hits.. But,,, you have no idea what's good to eat yet alone where to get it.

I remember being in Hungary searching for a place to eat and we came across a simple and small restuarant, where no English was being spoken. Thru a variety of hand gestures and smiles,,, we were served a wonderful and memorable meal. Now,,, that was before we had kids,,, so if you have hit the meltdown stage what do you do..

Sometimes with the kids,, just the simple handheld foods can be a good lunch fix.... Pizza, calzone, or something like that is quick to get and you can carry on or sit on a bench to enjoy. If you do have time and kids are relatively ok, ask someone for a recomendation, or quickly hop into the hotel lobby if near a hotel and ask them where to go. Ask if kids are allowed... things like that can be helpful in finding a place quickly.

As an idea for insurance purposes, we always have some snacks on hand in case lunch becomes and issue,,,, even dinner for that matter. Breakfast is usually an easy solve as if you are staying in a hotel you usually will eat at the hotel as lots include breakfast.

However,,, back to the insurance purpose for food idea..... We would grab snack bars or pastries if we see a shop and possibly grab a few extra and pack them along for continuing on our outing or for the next days outing.. It always helps to have them as you never know when hunger hits with the kids... Drink boxes are also good to have on hand as well.

If you are eating at a restaurant,,,,, let you expecations go.... seriously.... the last thing you need or want is expecations for restaurants you are regulars at.... if you do this you will likely be dissapointed..

Now,,, we always ask the waiter what locals eat and or drink and start from there. For the kids, we ask the same,,, what do kids usually have at your restuarant... If nothing comes for kids,,, usually snitchzel, or something thereabouts works well with a side to go with it. Chances are you won't get a grilled cheese sandwich .... so don't bother asking for it or even trying to explain how you would want it made for your kids.

Sit someplace quiet or a little bit out of the noise or traffic area so in case the kids do act up.... you are seperated not only for the other patrons of the place you are at,,,, but also for yourselves....

Hope this helps. Please comment and post other great ideas.

Best