Europe with 7 month old and 4 year old?

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thanks for all the thoughts so far. My oldest has always traveled well with us and has enjoyed doing what we wanted. It's more adding the baby that worries me. I will be going with my spouse, so not alone. If we do London, are there taxis with carseats? I would worry not having them in carseats, even for a short, slow city drive. Does London have Uber with carseats? Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went on a Mediterranean cruise with a 4yo and 6yo. It really wasn't enjoyable. We got some good pics but the trip itself was exhausting.

I am now pregnant with a baby. I love to travel and considering both Asia and Europe trips with a 6m old baby and 6yo and 8yo. We probably won't do it.

Really? I have found this to be a great age to travel. My kids are 4 and 7, our trip this past summer was the most easy and enjoyable vacation we've had. We have a big international trip coming up and I think they will be great ages. It is so nice ot have kids at ages where you can travel without bring any special gear other than car seats.

I think OP is crazy for doing this type of trip with such young kids and while others have suggested "keeping expectations low" I kind of disagree.. why travel all that way with low expectations?

PP here. Our kids travel very well. We have gone to the Caribbean, Mexico, Canada, west coast, up and down the east coast. The Europe trip was not as enjoyable as none of the attractions we went to were geared towards children. It was hot and a lot of walking. Time difference did not help. It probably would have been better if we didn't do the cruise because we went on these excursions that started early and we were all exhausted. Cabs weren't as easy as we anticipated. Many are cabs that you phone so we had difficulty waving down cabs.

If I do London/Paris next summer, I would probably do an apartment and be close to metro station that is easily accessible to major attractions.

[Anonymous]

Ugh, the jet lag alone with a baby. Sounds miserable.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thanks for all the thoughts so far. My oldest has always traveled well with us and has enjoyed doing what we wanted. It's more adding the baby that worries me. I will be going with my spouse, so not alone. If we do London, are there taxis with carseats? I would worry not having them in carseats, even for a short, slow city drive. Does London have Uber with carseats? Thanks!

OP,

Why, why, why?

There are so many places you could go that would be great fun here in the US--places you can pack your car with everything you need and drive. Drive to Nashville. Stop at Dollywood. or go to Ashville and do the Biltmore. Take a trip to a lake or a beach. Niagara Falls. Pittsburgh is interesting and has some good museums. Sure, it's not London--but you have a baby and a four year old.

[Anonymous]

I've done both European cities and the French countryside with young kids. My vote is France if you're going to small villages. My DD thinks Alsace is paradise.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't do it. They will NEVER remember it anyway. Why put yourself through it?

I travelled transatlantically with my two who were 1 year and 2 years old at the time.

And then we put a moratorium on flights for 4 years until I could face it again and they were old enough for me to feel like it wasn't going to be insane.

[Anonymous]

I would not go to London for a week with a 7 month old. Can you go like 10 days instead? I would go to France- rural vacays are always better with small kids. London is huge and polluted and frankly deathly boring for a baby. No worries on jet lag going- sleep in and try not to adjust time too much.