Ideas for Europe with toddler - city plus relaxing

[Anonymous]

Hello, looking to pick your collective brains for summer travel ideas. Last summer we did Paris and Lake Lucerne Switzerland with our then 9 month old son. It was great! A perfect combo of city site seeing and relaxing. Any ideas from the group for this summer? We’ve been to most of the most popular destinations but don’t mind repeat trips - it would definitely be different with our son, ha! Rome plus something, Barcelona plus something? San Sebastián is appealing to us but seems tricky to get to. We just did Portugal so would prefer not there. We don’t mind renting a car or taking trains, but would prefer not a ton of travel or location changes. Open to any ideas! Thank you!!

[Anonymous]

Cavallieri Hilton Rome -- its a five store resort sitting on top of the city (on Monte Mario).

[Anonymous]

I was just about to recommend switzerland but saw that you have already been. You could do a trip from barcelona to bilbao (for the wonderful guggenheim and pintxos) and do san sebastian on the way perhaps. It is also easy to drive to basque france(biarritz, bayonne) from san sebastian. I have been to bilbao many times but all pre-kids though.

Or how about Croatia?

[Anonymous]

San Sebastián is lovely and has a nice beach, but it is crowded in summer and in winter it is more of a day trip. I was there a few weeks ago...it is pretty small but beautiful. If you are willing to move around you can put together a nice trip by also going to, say, Biarritz, Lourdes, Pamplona, Bilbao, etc. I don’t love a lot of driving with kids, though.

[Anonymous]

We've taken our toddler to Vienna and Mallorca so far, and both were great - Mallorca more relaxing but also more boring (for us), more of a resort experience with some road trips into the mountains. I'd like to go to Paris next, then the Amalfi coast when my kids are a little older. Barcelona would also be wonderful, and you can combine that with a few days in a beach town nearby.

[Anonymous]

I really enjoy the Netherlands with kids. The Hague turned out to be one of my favorite European cities to visit with kids. Laid back, charming, and the Dutch are my faves.

[Anonymous]

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!)

[Anonymous]

I am the poster who was just at SS -- the Croatia suggestion is really good. We went there a few years ago and I would not hesitate to take a child. They are very welcome, people seem to love kids. Also the old cities are incredible, and there are beach opportunities too.

[Anonymous]

Croatia is great idea.

[Anonymous]

I don't recall great beaches in Croatia. There are some small ones outside Dubrovnik, and some on islands off Hvar, and maybe Opatija-- we skipped that.

I might be inclined to do Rome and an Italian beach town. Sicily has some great beach towns (and you could spend a few days happily in Siracusa too).

[Anonymous]

Annecy, France. Could stay in Geneva for a few days if you want a bit of city.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the replies! We have been to Dubrovnik (pre baby) but will look into other areas! Italy (Rome) is appealing too since that would be a new city for me. My understanding is the beaches in that area are kind of rocky, though? Is that right?

[Anonymous]

Copenhagen was fantastic with our young kids. Loved it. Could do a trip to the country too.

[Anonymous]

Salzburg--although the countryside around is not unlike Switzerland, since it is the Alps.

[Anonymous]

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