Guided vacations in Europe - with kids

[Anonymous]

We have a 2 year old and 10 month old. In the next few months we'd like to take a trip to Europe (we've never been). Not sure which country yet, but perhaps Italy. Is anyone aware of any guided tour companies that would accommodate young children? I just don't want to deal with the actual logistics of planning everything - would much rather have someone else handle all details.

[Anonymous]

I have not taken a guided tour with children but the ones that are adult oriented are just that. Its not going to work well with your nap schedules or even the interests of your children. Perhaps you can find a company that simply books your airline and hotel accomodations, airport transfers etc and helps get tickets to various things rather than a day by day guided tour. We took our 5 year to Italy without any tour and he was miserable in city settings, didn't like musuems or cathedrals and we ended up switching our focus half way thru the vacation to better suit his needs and keep us all happier. I think perhaps having a in between style trip would be easier for you. I haven't used a travel agent in years but maybe you can start there. Think about how long you want to go for, what cities you want to see and what types of things you might want to do. Many things are focused on art and history which can be a little tough for kids. Growing up we did tours but I was much older and they were coach tours - you picked 3 cities and everything was managed for you. It worked fine for older kids but I doubt that style would work well for younger kids who have naps or need to move more.

[Anonymous]

I think Abercrombie and Kent and Tauck Tours have kid tour divisions, but probably for kids a little older than yours.

[Anonymous]

Disney has packages geared towards families.

[Anonymous]

Yeah, actually Disney is a good idea. The Disney cruises go to Europe nowadays.

[Anonymous]

The Adventures by Disney look amazing, but are extremely expensive.

[Anonymous]

If you are planning to take kids to Europe, why don't you rent a house, stay in one location and do a mix of stuff like you would anywhere else? A trip with two young kids is probably ly. OT the time to hit the art and culture hotspots. Guided tours are tedious for many adults, never mind subjecting a kid to endless hours in a museum with hundreds of other tired tourists.

[Anonymous]

We lived in Europe with a toddler for three years and went on many trips but I can't imagine any of you would have fun as part of a tour group. It will not be geared towards kids and ou won't get anything out of it either if you are always tending to such young kids. We only took my 1-4 year old on vacation with us because we had to but I never would have traveled with her in Europe otherwise. Our first mostly successful trip with her was to Italy when she was almost four and I planned most of it around her, going to the aquarium in Genoa, lots of gelato, carousels, and Italian playgrounds. I always advise people to wait till the kids are older...

[Anonymous]

I don't believe in the "wait until they are older" to travel idea. We have been traveling regularly with our kids since the oldest was 9 months old. I wouldn't do a guided tour with them but I have found its been really good for all of us to learn to travel together. Prior to kids my DH and I traveled a lot and we had our "system", well kids come along and you have to change that "system" to make it work for everyone. I agree that renting a house or an apartment when you travel with kids will make things go much smoother. Trying to do less in one place is also easier. We rented a car and a house in Tuscany - having the house meant we could eat the majority of our meals at home, we had laundry for the dirty clothes and we had a lovely place to unwind or hang out if we didn't feel like site seeing. Gelato, playgrounds, beaches etc go a long way to making kids happy - even just chasing pigeons. We found our kids were less enthusiastic about going thru museums or churches and in fact anything that meant waiting in lines, walking a lot or not being able to "touch" turned into a night mare. We adjusted our expectations and found ways to entertain ourselves that was low key. To be honest not rushing around trying to see and do everthing meant it was much more like a vacation - we spent time TOGETHER and relaxed and enjoyed the trip. Sure kids won't remember everything but the love of travel is cemented in our kids - they are very comfortable in different cultures, they know all about getting thru security, overnight flights, jet lag and gelato. All things that we started at a young age. Sure it gets easier as they get older - less to bring, they are more self sufficient but I'm glad we experienced so much with them - they allow you to see a new place in way you might not have before. Plus so many European cultures LOVE children and its a great way to feel welcomed.

[Anonymous]

8:10 summarizes many of my thoughts about traveling with kids. I think the hard thing for you will be adjusting your expectations about what you will see and do -- particularly since it will be your first time in the places you visit. But if you do that, you can have a fabulous family vacation.

I will say that I have had good luck with my daughter (now 5) in castles/cathedrals/museums/stately homes when there is a kids "trail" to do. I've found this more in the UK -- the National Gallery has a set of kids audio tours to do through the gallery (she picked the "royal tour" featuring paintings of kings, queens and princesses), the cathedrals will often have a "quiz" of things to find in various parts of the building, etc. Hampton Court Palace has some Tudor re-enactors wandering around and you can either just see them on your visit or kind of step into their world for a bit. That kind of stuff has been a big hit. It may not be how I would like to go through the National Gallery, in comparison to seeing the Turners or a special exhibit, but it works well enough that we both enjoy ourselves.

Plus, I have a far more thorough knowledge of which playgrounds in several European cities have cafes with good espresso than I ever anticipated before having kids.

[Anonymous]

Disney is super expensive and they have a minimum age requirement (it's 4 years old for their tour of Italy). It looks amazing, but the 9 day Italy tour is around $8k per person (not including air). Who can afford that? We're a family of six...I guess we'll never make it to Italy.

[Anonymous]

We have really loved all of our travels with our kids. There are challenges to overcome - dealing with set lag, helping find food for a picky eater, etc. But if you go into the experience with a good set of expectations for you and your family, a willinginess to be flexible you can make the most of just about anything. We use Tripadvisor a lot to research background on apartments/rental house, things to do with kids while there, questions on transportation etc. We haven't done any tours with kids but we typically select one location - or plan to stay in one place for a min of 3 nights. Preference being a week at a time. It allows you settle in and get to know your surrounds. We like renting apartments or houses so we can make ourselves at home. Depending on where we are we might rent a car or simpy rely on public transporation, walking etc. We try not to do too much - have one objective each day and make sure it coincides with the time that works best for kids. We might not always get to see everyone a place has to offer but slowing things down for the kids means we've come back pretty relaxed. Lovely evening walks along cobblestone streets in search of the best gelato? Pastry? Yummy. So many European cities have lots of open green spaces for kids to run around and be kids. Our kids love botancial gardens, feeding ducks, eating breakfast at a cafe. We also check out what types of festivals, open markets etc might be going on - that has always been a fun activitiy for everyone in the family. Disney tours do seem overpriced - I have a hard time envisioning my idea of Europe being mixed with disney, but that's just me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Disney is super expensive and they have a minimum age requirement (it's 4 years old for their tour of Italy). It looks amazing, but the 9 day Italy tour is around $8k per person (not including air). Who can afford that? We're a family of six...I guess we'll never make it to Italy.

Not with Disney. You could try Go-Today though. Their vacations are very reasonable.