Ideas for Europe with toddler - city plus relaxing

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What month of summer? I would suggest Crete, specifically Chania. Good combo of city and beaches, history and modern amenities.

Forgot to add--Crete is great in June, but too hot in July and August.

[Anonymous]

We did London, Bath, and the Cotswolds last summer with a toddler. It was great. All AirBnBs in cool locations. In Bath we sipped wine in the evening and watched hot air balloons float over the city while the toddler ran around the back garden. In the Cotswolds we stayed on a canal and chatted with boat captains as they went through the locks, while the little one played in the garden. In London we stayed near Princess Diana Playground, which was a huge hit.

We really appreciated having a single direct flight with a squirmy 1 yo. I wouldn't have wanted a longer flight.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are hoping to avoid a lot of driving - so it would be ideal to do half the trip in a city, and half in a nice hotel on the beach or in the countryside. I think our days of changing hotels every few nights are behind us (at least for now!)

Look for AirBnBs. With a toddler, you really want a kitchen. It's also nice to have separate bedrooms so you can still enjoy the vacation post bedtime and during naps. Places with outdoor playspaces and a view are the best.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for all the tips! We are going in August (could be hot, but that is what works for our jobs). Last summer in Europe we did an aparthotel, which worked great. I have never found a way to search on Air B n B for places that provide cribs. Am I misssing something? It is tedious to have to email each place to ask, which is why we have gone with aparthotels.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for all the tips! We are going in August (could be hot, but that is what works for our jobs). Last summer in Europe we did an aparthotel, which worked great. I have never found a way to search on Air B n B for places that provide cribs. Am I misssing something? It is tedious to have to email each place to ask, which is why we have gone with aparthotels.

We brought a travel crib.

[Anonymous]

We just did Ireland, which was pretty easy. Direct flight to Dublin then went to Kilkenny -> Kilarney -> Dingle -> Dublin. Stayed in AirBnBs for the most part. Country is very easy to navigate and you can easily do a mix of city and country.

Another idea is Milan and the Italian Lakes. I think it's about an hour and a half drive from Milan to Bellagio. We went in the fall when it was less busy. I imagine it's packed in summer but it is beautiful. Bergamo is another very cool regional city to check out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We did London, Bath, and the Cotswolds last summer with a toddler. It was great. All AirBnBs in cool locations. In Bath we sipped wine in the evening and watched hot air balloons float over the city while the toddler ran around the back garden. In the Cotswolds we stayed on a canal and chatted with boat captains as they went through the locks, while the little one played in the garden. In London we stayed near Princess Diana Playground, which was a huge hit.

We really appreciated having a single direct flight with a squirmy 1 yo. I wouldn't have wanted a longer flight.

Np. Sounds ideal! Do you mind sharing the locations of the Airbnbs? I never know which are the best neighborhoods with kids.

[Anonymous]

Netherlands

[Anonymous]

Thanks for all the great ideas! Definitely bookmarking for future trips! We ended up finalizing our plans this week - we’re going to do 4 nights in Barcelona (renting an apartment) and 4 nights at a resort with “family rooms” (Salles Mas Tapiolas) on the Costa Brava. Trip isn’t until August, but I will come back and let folks know how it went! Thanks again for the great ideas.