International travel with kids?

[Willis Jackson]

DH and I have decided that for our next trip, we're going to go somewhere we want to go and not see family when we get there. This will be a first since having kids, since our families are spread out and annoying.

I figure, why not go big and go somewhere international? Where would you recommend? Any horror/success stories to share?

Things to consider:
-I'm not a beach person
-I want to go somewhere new so no England, Scotland, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands, or Russia.

[Deleted]

I think Italy is rumored to like kids. It's definitely awesome.

[bunch]

Aug 12, 2012 9:30:21 GMT -5 @tokenhoser said:

I think Italy is rumored to like kids. It's definitely awesome.

. This is where I'll be going should we ever be able to afford a vacation again. Tuscany, Genoa and Cinque Terre

[keh2oblue]

My next international trip I would like to go to Czechoslovakia...Prague looks awesome!

[Willis Jackson]

Aug 12, 2012 9:43:24 GMT -5 namasteak said:

What part of the US are you in? Totally set on Europe or do you just want to go international?

We're in Ohio.

I'm open to anything.

[dulcemariamar]

Spain!!!!

The public transportation is great and you can easily travel by high-speed train between Barcelona/Madrid/Sevilla/Malaga. The food is fantastic and you can stay in a really nice hotel for A LOT less money than in Italy. There are great day trips to take especially outside of Madrid and you can also do a day trip to the beach for your kids.

Plus, just comparing to a city like Rome, it is not scary to cross the street. I felt like my life was on the line several times while in Rome

I do love Rome though and it is another great option but I think it would be easier to travel to Spain with kids.

Would you consider a cruise around Europe? So you dont have to carry out all your bags if you want to visit more than one city.

[Deleted]

anywhere in Europe.

My kids did Morocco just fine and had a blast. I'm thinking somewhere like Greece or Cyprus for next summer.

[Deleted]

I think Spain is super friendly for kids.

Have you checked out the globe toddling blog? (sorry I don't have the link, it's at work but if you google globe toddling it should come up.). She has good tips and ideas.

[Deleted]

We just got back from Paris with DS and he really liked it. Cool parks, playgrounds, crepes, Eiffel tower, carousels. I wouldn't want to spend more than 3 or 4 days there, but you could rent a house in the French countryside as well.

My Family did a week outside Barcelona in the countryside and had a great time too.

[frlcb]

I agree with anywhere in Europe. We have done England, Scotland, Spain, Portugal and Belgium with kids. Next spring we are doing Italy or Germany.

[spankswife]

What age are these trips being suggested for? I'd love to travel more w DD, but she is 2. So right now we do the domestic places. I'd like to wait until she is old enough to get more out of it, even if it's just a few more years...

[annieh2]

DS just turned two and we went to France earlier this summer. We were there with our 3 year old niece as well and both kids had fun. We did a few days in Paris and spent 5 days in Normandy. I really thought Normandy was a fantastic spot for the kids.

[frlcb]

Aug 12, 2012 13:56:03 GMT -5 spankswife said:

What age are these trips being suggested for? I'd love to travel more w DD, but she is 2. So right now we do the domestic places. I'd like to wait until she is old enough to get more out of it, even if it's just a few more years...

We started traveling early, my son went to Spain and Portugal at 3 months, he is 4 now, and dd did her first overseas flight at 7 months

[Deleted]

For North America, I'll throw out Quebec (Montreal and/or Quebec City) and the Rockies (Banff, Jasper). Both could be fun and kid-friendly.

[Saudade]

When are you thinking of going? If summer, I'd say anywhere in Scandinavia. But either way, Spain would totally get my vote. Last time we went we rented a house for only $500 for a week. Loved doing that and we will probably do that again.

[dutchgirl678]

We went to Italy with our 2. The youngest was 3 months and the older just turned 3. They loved it. The only bad thing was the weather since we had to go in August. There were a few 100+ degree days. We went to Rome and Florence and rented apartments using VRBO.

[wanderlustmom]

We took our five and seven year old to Italy for almost three weeks this spring and we loved it.
They enjoyed all of the travel and all that we did minus the Vatican. We went to Rome, Florence and Castlemuzio in Tuscany. We slowed our pace down for sure with kids and that helped.

[CloudBee]

Iceland! It's clean, safe, you can drive on the right side of the road, everyone speaks English, flights are fairly inexpensive as of late, the temperature is not as extreme as one might expect, and there is a ton to do with kids.

[ssmjlm]

Ireland - they are seriously so friendly.

[spankswife]

Aug 12, 2012 14:58:25 GMT -5 frlcb said:

Aug 12, 2012 13:56:03 GMT -5 spankswife said:

What age are these trips being suggested for? I'd love to travel more w DD, but she is 2. So right now we do the domestic places. I'd like to wait until she is old enough to get more out of it, even if it's just a few more years...

We started traveling early, my son went to Spain and Portugal at 3 months, he is 4 now, and dd did her first overseas flight at 7 months

Very cool...One time I was looking at the Disney tours they do in Europe and it recommended 6+, so I guess I always just thought a little older.

Btw your little girl is so cute! Love her hair!

[frlcb]

Aug 12, 2012 20:24:49 GMT -5 spankswife said:

Aug 12, 2012 14:58:25 GMT -5 frlcb said:

We started traveling early, my son went to Spain and Portugal at 3 months, he is 4 now, and dd did her first overseas flight at 7 months

Very cool...One time I was looking at the Disney tours they do in Europe and it recommended 6+, so I guess I always just thought a little older.

Btw your little girl is so cute! Love her hair!

Thank you!

I think you can travel at any age, just know that they won't 'get' anything from it until they are older. But we are okay with that, we figure we want to expose them young, I started traveling overseas really young, I was 2 I think, and I love to travel!

[spankswife]

fricb - very cool POV. She loves to travel domestically, so she'd prob love intl...

[anna7602]

Paris is AWESOME for kids. We live here now (DD is 4), but I also came with DD when she was 15 months old. I thought it was great for her then, too.

The parks are phenomenal. The merry-go-rounds are so poetic, I can't even do them justice by describing why. Just walking around is nice. Eating crepes and pastries and good ice cream will please any kid.

Plus, there are ten billion kids' books set in Paris, so it's easy to get a child excited about visiting- Madeline, Adele & Simon, the Red Balloon (maybe that's just France and not Paris specifically), the book about Adele the Kangaroo (maybe just called Adele?), Everybody Bonjours, etc. And ten billion more books written about things to do in Paris with a kid.

Not sure what part of the US you are coming from, but there are direct flights to Paris from NY, Boston, DC/Baltimore, Philly, Miami and Atlanta.

[anna7602]

Aug 12, 2012 20:32:59 GMT -5 frlcb said:

Aug 12, 2012 20:24:49 GMT -5 spankswife said:

Very cool...One time I was looking at the Disney tours they do in Europe and it recommended 6+, so I guess I always just thought a little older.

Btw your little girl is so cute! Love her hair!

Thank you!

I think you can travel at any age, just know that they won't 'get' anything from it until they are older. But we are okay with that, we figure we want to expose them young, I started traveling overseas really young, I was 2 I think, and I love to travel!

I think they do "get" something from it, they just get funny things you would never think about beforehand. DD still gets excited talking about the time she saw the Backyardigans singing in Spanish on Argentine TV. We were in Buenos Aires over a year and a half ago (she was just shy of 3) and remembers this. She also remembers the awesome bookstore we went to (El Ateneo) and the kids' room they had there down an escalator. For months after, she played with her dolls that they were going down the escalator at the bookstore.

On a larger awareness level, DD learned that it was summer in Buenos Aires when it was winter at home and this gave her a new perspective on the fact that seasons and even time of day are different for people all over the world at any given time.

[frlcb]

Aug 13, 2012 4:10:35 GMT -5 anna7602 said:

Aug 12, 2012 20:32:59 GMT -5 frlcb said:

Thank you!

I think you can travel at any age, just know that they won't 'get' anything from it until they are older. But we are okay with that, we figure we want to expose them young, I started traveling overseas really young, I was 2 I think, and I love to travel!

I think they do "get" something from it, they just get funny things you would never think about beforehand. DD still gets excited talking about the time she saw the Backyardigans singing in Spanish on Argentine TV. We were in Buenos Aires over a year and a half ago (she was just shy of 3) and remembers this. She also remembers the awesome bookstore we went to (El Ateneo) and the kids' room they had there down an escalator. For months after, she played with her dolls that they were going down the escalator at the bookstore.

On a larger awareness level, DD learned that it was summer in Buenos Aires when it was winter at home and this gave her a new perspective on the fact that seasons and even time of day are different for people all over the world at any given time.

I can assure you my 3 month old got nothing from going to Spain and Portugal, that is what I meant He talks all the time about our trip to Belgium and England over Christmas, before he was 4, so they do get stuff earlier than you would think.