# What would you do? Euro Family Vacation



## wags

Here is a challenge for you Euro-experts.  

If you were taking 4 children (ages 2-10) to europe for a 2-3 week vacation, what would you do?

There are an endless amount of choices for destinations, tours, activities, transportation, etc.  We would like to give our kids a nice overview of a few european countries (Italy for sure) and are having difficulty narrowing down our options. We could use the collective TUG wisdom to get us headed in the right direction.


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## DeniseM

Quite frankly - I would wait until the 2 year old, and anyone under 5 is older.  For a 2 year old, this trip will just be an ordeal, and they won't remember any of it.


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## gnorth16

They are kids after all, so keep it simple.  A beach somewhere, a pool, children's museum and anything with animals will keep them happy.  The rest is really to entertain and keep the adults happy.  I also agree with Denise that it would be more of an ordeal than anything...


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## LAX Mom

Our sons have traveled to many places and we started in Europe when the 2 oldest were in 3rd & 5th grade (9 & 11). We left the youngest at home that trip. The 9 year old had a jet lag melt down a few hours after landing and I thought we'd made a big mistake! He adjusted and the rest of the trip was great! The first night none of us slept and we gradually adjusted to the time change.

You know your children and their limits in travel situations. Go with your instinct and decide if it's really worth the time & expense to travel that far at such a young age. I would be hesitant to take children younger than 8 to Europe. I agree with Denise....they won't remember the trip and it would be a big ordeal!


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## stmartinfan

We've traveled extensively with our daughters but didn't consider Europe until they were about junior high age.  They had a great time, but before that just couldn't have handled the long flight and jet lag.  When they were younger than 8 they mostly wanted a swimming pool or a beach, and the Holiday Inn down the block would have been fine in their view!

If you feel you must do the Europe trip, I could limit the stops to 1 or 2, and spend enough time in each location to just relax and pretend you live there - do the grocery store, walk to the park, etc., rather than trying to really "see Europe."  You might even try a beach location; although the best seem to be in places like Majorca, rather than on the continent itself.   We spent a week in Costa del Sol, but I didn't think the beaches compared at all to some in the US or Caribbean. I can't imagine taking four kids that age to museums, cathedrals, etc., that are the focus of must European tourists.  

There's a good travel book we used called something like "Paris for Kids" - with versions for lots of different locations  It's a small book, and each page talks about an activity, museum, site, etc., that would be of special interest to kids.  We used those books to find appropriate attractions and would pick something from there that focused on kids over the more famous museums.  

In Italy, I wouldn't think of Rome as being very kid friendly, but they might like the canals of Venice.  Otherwise, I guess it depends on what kinds of things interest them.


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## amycurl

We're taking our 6 year old to Europe for two weeks over Spring Break. We're doing the first week at Marriott's Marbella, and the second week with family in a VRBO in Barcelona. She's an extensive world traveler, so I'm not too worried about the flight over, but was more concerned about the logistics of trying to country-hop with three of us, luggage, etc. 

I thought Marbella would be great because it will be low-key, with maybe just one or two day trips away from the resort. Multiple European aunties will be coming to us (we scored a 3BR,) and then we just need to get up the coast to Barcelona, which will be a much more "active" part of the trip. We've never been to southern Spain, and are excited to see that part of the country (have been to Barcelona before, but pre-kid.)

We'll see....we did ten days in Australia when she was 18 months and she was *amazing,* so my expectations are pretty high, I guess! :whoopie:


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## Pompey Family

It really depends on what you want to do.  We took our two sons aged three and five to New Jersey / New York and they loved it.  We spent two weeks mainly in the pool, beaches and bus tours in New York.  They were absolutely fine with the travelling, slept most of the time on the plane and adjusted quickly to the time difference.  Likewise this year to Hilton Head and Orlando where they are five and seven now.  Like stmartinfan suggested, treat it more as a relaxing break and immerse yourself in the day to day living.  Shopping for food and wine in France and Italy is always a joy.

Both children enjoyed Rome this summer, it's not all ancient history and museums.  Activities like pony rides in the parks, the childrens museum or the crypts (kids loved the mummified bodies).  Spain is really geared up for timeshares, Italy less so.  A week at Marriott Son Antem would be great for the kids, excellent villas with shared pools, a fantastic water park ten minutes away plus the sights of Palma and the coastline.  You can then combine this with a week in somewhere like Bournemouth where you're in easy travelling distance to London, Bath, Stonehenge etc but you're also on the coast should the kids simply want to spend time on the beach.

At such a young age traipsing them round to cram in all the must sees is too daunting and stressful and they won't enjoy it.  Yes you can stay in the US and do the beaches there but it's all about the foreign experience.  From the food even to the TV kids are fascinated with being in another country.

I say do it but take it easy.  My advice would be a week in Spain followed by a week in Southern England or if that appears to be too cold then Italy, Greece or Turkey.


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## beejaybeeohio

Our grandsons were 5, 8, and 10 when DD & DSIL met us in Austria for a timeshare week at Marco Polo Club Alpina.  They rented a car and started their European trip in Belgium and traveled through Germany before meeting up with us.  They included mini-Europe and Legoland in their itinerary which the kids thoroughly enjoyed.  In Austria, they took a mine tour and we all ventured to the Swarovski complex, Salzburg and hiked around the timeshare.

I'd suggest you plan using the hub & spoke method.  Have a base and do short day trips from there. Make sure your hub is well-centered. This past summer we stayed at Chateau du Maulmont in Auvergne France, an incredible t/s resort in an old castle, but a downside for a family was its remoteness.

What about England & Scotland, or England & France via Chunnel?  If you choose Italy, the Venice area is close to Austria.  Pack light (under 44# for a checked bag) and you can use Europe's low-cost carriers to fly from one region to another.

No poster has mentioned cruising as a way to get a great "taste" of Europe.  You unpack once, get a relaxing sea day or two, don't have to worry about where you'll have breakfast or dinner (finding a restaurant that offers something for everyone can be a hassle-try traveling with a relative with a very limited palate:ignore, there are kids' clubs so you can have couple time, and there are many varied itineraries to choose from.  We like Celebrity which reportedly has an excellent kid's program, but Norwegian and Royal Caribbean are lines that have amenities, such as bowling and rock-climbing, that appeal to the young.

Good luck & Happy Planning!


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## elaine

I agree that under 5 is just too young--but if you must (I took 3 yr old twins from East coast to HAwaii for 2 weeks), here are my suggestions (having done a tween/teen trip to Europe for 3 weeks):
Pick 2 places to "Base" out of and resist the temptation to see more places with more stops and more trains (mistake our 1st trip). Get places with kitchens and space to move around. We loved everywhere in Italy--so take your pick--I would stay in a city and day trip to small towns. Then, you can take a train to the next spot. There are also night trains that might work, as kids would sleep.
I would also consider a cruise. Royal Carib. has family rooms that are very reasonable that can sleep 6 persons--you can't book them online--you must call. When you price out food, hotels, etc., a cruise can be very cost-effective. My kids loved going to the kids club in the later afternoon when we got back on the ship and even the option of staying in the kids club one day while we went into port-(but this might not be available for under 3yrs old).
Our next trip is a Med cruise out of Rome for 1 week, followed by 5 days at Marrriott vacation club at Disneyland Paris, then chunnel to London for 2 days. Good luck. Elaine


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## Passepartout

beejaybeeohio said:


> What about England & Scotland, or England & France via Chunnel?  If you choose Italy, the Venice area is close to Austria.  Pack light (under 44# for a checked bag) and you can use Europe's low-cost carriers to fly from one region to another.
> 
> No poster has mentioned cruising as a way to get a great "taste" of Europe.  You unpack once, get a relaxing sea day or two, don't have to worry about where you'll have breakfast or dinner (finding a restaurant that offers something for everyone can be a hassle-try traveling with a relative with a very limited palate:ignore, there are kids' clubs so you can have couple time.



This would be my exact suggestions for a first trip to Europe with small ones. A fairly brief overview, then in subsequent trips (there will be more) a more concentrated stay in targeted locales. Like Alps, Paris, Italy, Holland, Scandinavia. There is waaay too much to see in Europe to do justice to in a couple of week trip.

Jim


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## Carolinian

Try Schloss Grubhof in Austria.  They will enjoy staying in an old castle, and there are so many things to do nearby, Salzburg with its own castle on the hill and its old town, Bertesgaden with its salt mine, castle, old town and lake, Innsbruck, Munich, and of course the Alps.


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## Laurie

Also in Austria, the painted skulls in Hallstatt, and lots of lake cruises.  

Alps in Austria, Switzerland and Italy: cable cars and funiculars.

In Siena Italy, you can go see St Catherine's head (and many other body parts in various locales...) 

Venice and Paris: boat cruises on canals, lagoon and river.


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## Carol C

France! I would take them to Disney near Paris; if you're an II member and/or Marriott owner you could exchange into the Marriott near that theme park. Then you could tack on some days in Paris to show them major sites like Eiffel Tower. If they like castles you could take them to the Loire Valley to see some of the big chateaux, some of which still have moats and drawbridges. (Use Tours, France as your base.) If you want to experience more than just France, why not start the trip in London to see major sites like Big Ben and that ferris wheel thingie? Enjoy!


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## Denise

*I'll Second That*

Consider a cruise....the ease of visiting the different places with younger children will be great for everyone. There are many different options with all the cruise lines. The "unpack once" option and the numerous choices for dining and entertainment would make your life much easier.


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## Ron98GT

wags said:


> Here is a challenge for you Euro-experts.
> 
> If you were taking 4 children (ages 2-10) to europe for a 2-3 week vacation, what would you do?
> 
> There are an endless amount of choices for destinations, tours, activities, transportation, etc.  We would like to give our kids a nice overview of a few european countries (Italy for sure) and are having difficulty narrowing down our options. We could use the collective TUG wisdom to get us headed in the right direction.


I agree with others, their too young.  Go somewhere warm with beaches and pools.  Go to Florida or Hawaii, they'll appreciate that more, although you may not.  When they are older, then consider Europe.  Italy = #1


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## Talent312

My advice is not to take them. Your trip would be memorable for one thing - misery.
But if there's no choice, definitely I suggest hub+spoke with 3-5 days in one place.
You mentioned Italy, so I say - Rome, Florence & Sorrento (not Naples).

Rome: The Vatican, Colosseum, Forum, Pantheon, Spanish Steps, the
fountains, and a day trip or tour to Tivoli (Villa d'Este & Hadrian's Villa).

Sorrento:  Pompeii, Vesuvius, Capri, Amalfi Coast, Paestum (greek ruins).

Florence: La Acadamia, Uffizi Galleries, Palazzo Vecchio, Il Duomo, and
day trips to San Gimignano, Siena, Pisa, Cinque Terre, and winery-tours.
.


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## Ron98GT

Talent312 said:


> My advice is not to take them. Your trip would be memorable for one thing - misery.
> But if there's no choice, definitely I suggest hub+spoke with 3-5 days in one place.
> You mentioned Italy, so I say - Rome, Florence & Sorrento (not Naples).
> 
> Rome: The Vatican, Colosseum, Forum, Pantheon, Spanish Steps, the
> fountains, and a day trip or tour to Tivoli (Villa d'Este & Hadrian's Villa).
> 
> Sorrento:  Pompeii, Vesuvius, Capri, Amalfi Coast, Paestum (greek ruins).
> 
> Florence: La Acadamia, Uffizi Galleries, Palazzo Vecchio, Il Duomo, and
> day trips to San Gimignano, Siena, Pisa, Cinque Terre, and winery-tours.
> .


Hah, memories, good memories. But not with kids aged 2-10.

Italy is not ADA friendly, meaning lots of steps.  Lack of bathrooms: what are you going to do for the kids.  Lots of walking: LOTS.  Very little to amuse the kids.  Slow paced, not good for hyperactive kids.  Your looking at old things that are 700 to over 2,000 years old, not really interesting or amusing for kids.  You'll be going into museums and churches that require silence and that dreaded slow pace again.  Very little English is spoken. Little TV for amusement and probably only the BBC channel in English.  No video games. And oh, don't forget the lack of fast food: No Happy Meals except maybe in the train stations in Rome and Florence, but nothing in places like Siena, San Gimignano, Cortona, etc.  No 7-11's, Walgreen's, or other convenience stores to buy snacks and other goodies for the kiddies: it's old world.

I can't wait to get back to Italy in 2014, but it's me and the wife celebrating or 30th wedding anniversary for 3 weeks: no kids in tow.


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## Pompey Family

Ron98GT said:


> Hah, memories, good memories. But not with kids aged 2-10. Very little English is spoken. Little TV for amusement and probably only the BBC channel in English.  No video games. And oh, don't forget the lack of fast food: No Happy Meals except maybe in the train stations in Rome and Florence, but nothing in places like Siena, San Gimignano, Cortona, etc.  No 7-11's, Walgreen's, or other convenience stores to buy snacks and other goodies for the kiddies: it's old world.



I'd disagree with you on some parts.  Yes, there is lots of walking in Rome and many of the sights are old and uninteresting to some children however we took our 5 and 7 year olds to Rome this summer and they loved it.  The 7 year old loved the colloseum, the Pantheon etc, they both loved the Trevi Fountain and the crypts.  They also enjoyed the childrens musuem and the villa gardens where you can hire golf carts to drive around if walkling becomes too much.  English is widely spoken and in varying degrees of competence.  There are McDonalds around, just not on every street corner thankfully.  What there is in abundance however are pizzerias, gelatoria and hundreds of little bars and restaurants selling good reasonable food.  Show me a child who doesn't like pizza, pasta and ice cream.  Italy is one of the better countries to feed your children in and of course there are convenience stores to buy snacks in, you'll not find everything that you find at home but that's part of the fun of going abroad.  I agree with you on the TV front but it's not a big issue.  I found my boys watching Ben 10 in Italian one morning and they'd been watching it for 20 minutes and still enjoyed it.  Also, it's probably quite rare that travelling parents these days don't possess a netbook or tablet stuffed full of kids films and games.  Rome is certainly a place to take young children if you're prepared to accomodate them and curtail some of the walking plus the Italian's absolutely adore children.  My kids have never been kissed or had their hair tussled by so many strangers.


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## DeniseM

Pompey Family said:


> I'd disagree with you on some parts.  Yes, there is lots of walking in Rome and many of the sights are old and uninteresting to some children however we took our 5 and 7 year olds to Rome this summer and they loved it.



Yes - but the OP's youngest is only 2!  NONE of it will be interesting to a 2 year old.


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## Ron98GT

DeniseM said:


> Yes - but the OP's youngest is only 2!  NONE of it will be interesting to a 2 year old.



Don't they refer to that as the terrible 2's?


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## Pompey Family

DeniseM said:


> Yes - but the OP's youngest is only 2!  NONE of it will be interesting to a 2 year old.



Yes but there are three other children aged up to 10.  Nothing is going to be much interest to a 2 year old anywhere but why let that stop the other kids enjoying a trip to Europe where they will enjoy the sights?


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## DeniseM

Pompey Family said:


> Yes but there are three other children aged up to 10.  Nothing is going to be much interest to a 2 year old anywhere but why let that stop the other kids enjoying a trip to Europe where they will enjoy the sights?



Because dragging along a 2 year old will make the trip far more difficult.  They would be much better off to wait until everyone is over 5.


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## Ron98GT

DeniseM said:


> Because dragging along a 2 year old will make the trip far more difficult.  They would be much better off to wait until everyone is over 5.



It's also going to make it miserable for everybody else at the airports, on the airplanes, in the hotels, at the restaurants, on the tours, etc.... 

Have some consideration for other people. 

Europe isn't going anywhere, wait a few more years.


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## Pompey Family

DeniseM said:


> Because dragging along a 2 year old will make the trip far more difficult.  They would be much better off to wait until everyone is over 5.



By that logic why take a 2 year old anywhere?  Why deprive the older children of a trip of a lifetime simply because one of their siblings is 2?  My 7 year old was fascinated by Rome and it really brought to life what he was learning at school, so much so that I am so glad that he managed to experience it and put it into context and it has resulted in a more immersive learning experience.

Besides, the OP was after suggestions on Europe in general not specifically Rome and my earlier suggestions centred more around beach/pool holidays.  I really don't see where the difficulty lies in taking a 2 year old on holiday.  When our children flew long haul at that age they spent almost the entire flight asleep.  Our youngest was three when we went to New Jersey and a walk around New York City and through Central Park in a pushchair suited him and everyone else, we experienced no problems whatsoever.  Likewise with the bus tours.  Simply because the Statue of Liberty might be lost on him the zoo certainly wasn't.

It all boils down to how you cater for the children in your party.  Only the parents know what their child would be interested in and for the younger ones you just have to adapt your sightseeing itinery.  Personally I would have liked more time to stroll around The Forum in Rome however I knew that my youngest was desperate to go on a pony ride at the Villa Borghese so that's what we did.  The Forum will still be there in a few years and fortunately, so will my son's memories of his time in Rome.

A 2 year old isn't a burden and is actually more easy to travel with than a hyperactive 5 year old.


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## Pompey Family

Ron98GT said:


> It's also going to make it miserable for everybody else at the airports, on the airplanes, in the hotels, at the restaurants, on the tours, etc....
> 
> Have some consideration for other people.
> 
> Europe isn't going anywhere, wait a few more years.



Aren't you a bundle of fun.  Why is travelling with a 2 year old going to make life miserable for everybody else?

I suspect that you're one of those people who tut tut when we take our children into the business lounge and yet become acutely aware of their ignorance when the kids sit at the computers quietly and politely without pestering anyone else.  The same can't be said about some of the boorish adults who proceed to guzzle as much alcohol as they can and bore everyone within listening distance with their 'just too loud' conversations.


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## geekette

Pompey Family said:


> Aren't you a bundle of fun.  Why is travelling with a 2 year old going to make life miserable for everybody else?
> 
> I suspect that you're one of those people who tut tut when we take our children into the business lounge and yet become acutely aware of their ignorance when the kids sit at the computers quietly and politely without pestering anyone else.  The same can't be said about some of the boorish adults who proceed to guzzle as much alcohol as they can and bore everyone within listening distance with their 'just too loud' conversations.


The title of the thread is What Would You Do? and clearly, most would not wish to travel with their toddlers for many reasons.  It's great that YOUR toddler can sleep all through a transatlantic flight, YOUR toddler can be quiet and well-behaved through whatever life brings, but that is not ALL toddlers.

I think those of us that have been on an transatlantic flight can say with certainty that Not All Young Children will sleep through it, nor will they be easy to comfort or keep occupied.

I would not want to travel that far with my own toddler.  And so, I, like many others, when asked What would you do? would not take a 2yo.  Clearly, your mileage varies.


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## DeniseM

Visiting Europe is a very expensive trip for most families, and it is really difficult to do justice to it, with young children.  I'm not suggesting that they never go - I'm just suggesting that they wait until all the children are old enough to appreciate it.

And yes, even though I'm a teacher, I'm one of those mean people who doesn't enjoy going somewhere, if there is a toddler having a melt down at the next table.  I particularly don't enjoy sharing space with small children in bars and casinos, and other adult venues.


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## geekette

DeniseM said:


> Visiting Europe is a very expensive trip for most families, and it is really difficult to do justice to it, with young children.  I'm not suggesting that they never go - I'm just suggesting that they wait until all the children are old enough to appreciate it.
> 
> And yes, even though I'm a teacher, I'm one of those mean people who doesn't enjoy going somewhere, if there is a toddler having a melt down at the next table.  I particularly don't enjoy sharing space with small children in bars and casinos, and other adult venues.



unless they are buying my drinks or providing my stake.  

The expense would probably be the first knock-out factor for me, honestly.  Difficult to justify for a wee one bringing back no memories.


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## sml2181

Wow. I thought the op was asking what to do WHEN taking the kids to Europe. Obviously, English is not my first language. 

Just in case the op is still around - I'll add some resorts I would consider myself. Please do keep in mind that I do not think Europe has many great timeshares and I think hotels are a better option in many places. 

Interval: 
All Marriott resorts. Although I am not a huge fan of the Spanish locations, I love the resorts and I don't think you can go wrong with any of them. Beaches at the Costa del Sol are not great as mentioned before by another poster. I think the French resort is a great spot to explore a part of Northern France. There is so much to do in the area - apart from Paris and Disney. 
The Royal Savoy (Madeira), Golden Sands (Malta). The De Vere resorts in the UK.

RCI: 
San Lawrenz resort (Gozo) which is part of the Kempinski San Lawrenz hotel. There are only 9 timeshare units so this may be very hard to get. 
Some of the Pestana resorts in Portugal/Madeira. There is a resort which is part of the Le Meridien in Cyprus, but I forgot the name. Some resorts in Greece, like the Classical resort at the Marine Palace Suites. 

If you would consider hotels: 
Keep in mind that Hilton offers a 2nd room for children for 50% of their best available rate, or any flexible rate. They offer this at many European and Asian hotels. You might have to call HH or the hotel. 

Accor (Novotel) is pretty good when it comes to connecting rooms and rooms which sleep up to 4. So is Holiday Inn. 
Hilton is good with connecting rooms as is Starwood, but they will mostly accomodate 3 per room - which may be still good for your family. 
Marriott is not very good with connecting rooms; they are there, but not at all hotels. 

Some hotels my kids like: 
Hilton Sorrento - not luxurious but very kid friendly. Italians love bambino in general, and it does show at this hotel. 
WA Rome Cavalieri - but you may want to have HH diamond status in order to use the pool loungers without any additional fee. Especially when taking kids to Rome during summer - they will be very happy having that pool.
Starwood and Marriott have hotels in Italy too of course, but my kids love the 2 Hiltons.
Hilton Malta, Westin Malta. 
The Romanos and Westin Costa Navarino (Greece) - location is wonderful especially if you want a more "authentic" taste of Greece. Blue Palace (Starwood, Greece)
There are so many more options; I am sure I missed a few great ones.

Turkey has some great options for children. When my kids came to the Atlantis for the first time, they were disappointed with the pool features at first because their expectations were set too high. Turkey has many hotels with terrific waterpark-like features. Turkish people love kids and their hospitality is very hard to match. Hilton has 2 new resorts, but I don't think they have these waterpark features. Marriott has the Renaissance Antalya Beach resort which is great but older. 

Just a general tip for traveling with your 2 yrs old: make sure you have a stroller which folds in/out easily (think taking cabs and such), and which has a recline feature. Just bring some favorite snacks and keep them for "special occasions". 

For all kids: Keep a small bag for each kid with a few of their favorite ... (fill in the blanks). Hand it to them only if they are getting bored and you need them to be quiet for a little while. Let the kids return the goodies to you every time, so you keep control over when where and for how long. The contents don't have to be large or expensive and they don't have to be new. In fact, sometimes a few small things from home will do.  

And please do keep in mind that not all kids are happy when traveling to various places during 1 vacation. My kids never had a problem, and they had visited all continents by the time they were 2. But our friends went on a 3 week tour through California, Nevada and Arizona this last summer. Their youngest, 11 at the time, had a hard time adjusting to the various hotels they visited. She ended up hating that vacation and she now refuses to go back to the US anytime soon. This wasn't her first time visiting the US, and she had been to Asia and Africa before. It just happened, and I think it had a lot to do with their itinerary. 
Just to show that your 2 yrs old may not be your biggest concern at all. :ignore:


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## BocaBum99

wags said:


> Here is a challenge for you Euro-experts.
> 
> If you were taking 4 children (ages 2-10) to europe for a 2-3 week vacation, what would you do?
> 
> There are an endless amount of choices for destinations, tours, activities, transportation, etc.  We would like to give our kids a nice overview of a few european countries (Italy for sure) and are having difficulty narrowing down our options. We could use the collective TUG wisdom to get us headed in the right direction.



Good question.  We were faced with a similar challenge, so we decided to take a 12-night mediterranian cruise.    Adding a couple days before and after the trip and 4 nights in London to go to Wimbledon.

All the entertainment for the kids are provided.  We get to experience a sampling of all the cultures we want the kids to see.  

I guess its like a floating timeshare.


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## Ron98GT

BocaBum99 said:


> Good question.  We were faced with a similar challenge, so we decided to take a 12-night mediterranian cruise.    Adding a couple days before and after the trip and 4 nights in London to go to Wimbledon.
> 
> All the entertainment for the kids are provided.  We get to experience a sampling of all the cultures we want the kids to see.
> 
> I guess its like a floating timeshare.



Sounds like the best way to take kids on a European vacation:  a Disney European Cruise:

http://disneycruise.disney.go.com/c...DCLBrandEuropeGoogle|G|4133701.CL.AM.01.01K3P

Now, if there was just a Disney Airlines.


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## Talent312

The solution to the "Terrible 2's" -- Have a birthday party, so they'll think they're 3.
..... Source: The TV Show "Dinosaurs, 1991-1994.

Having been myself described as a "miserable child," I must wonder what would possess
a coulple to put their time and expense to such a risk. Seriously, leave rug rats at home.
<ducking>


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## Ron98GT

Talent312 said:


> The solution to the "Terrible 2's" -- Have a birthday party, so they'll think they're 3.
> ..... Source: The TV Show "Dinosaurs, 1991-1994.
> 
> Having been myself described as a "miserable child," I must wonder what would possess
> a coulple to put their time and expense to such a risk. Seriously, leave rug rats at home.
> <ducking>



I totally agree, leave'm home.

:hysterical: :rofl: :hysterical:


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## Ron98GT

Pompey Family said:


> Aren't you a bundle of fun. (Yep, that's me , a bundle of fun because I don't want to be around snot-nosed kids, or any kid for that matter) Why is travelling with a 2 year old going to make life miserable for everybody else? (I tremble just thinking about it)
> 
> I suspect that you're one of those people who tut tut when we take our children into the business lounge (Yep, that's me.  And what are your kids doing in the business lounge anyway ) and yet become acutely aware of their ignorance when the kids sit at the computers quietly and politely without pestering anyone else hysterical: Give Me a Break, that's a good one. :hysterical: Kids in the same sentence with polite and quiet :rofl: ).  The same can't be said about some of the boorish adults who proceed to guzzle as much alcohol as they can and bore everyone within listening distance with their 'just too loud' conversations (Yep, those nice, quiet, polite, and innocent angels, and us loud, boorish, and drunken adults :hysterical.



 Excuse me while I pour another drink, I'm boring myself


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## Pompey Family

Ron98GT said:


> Excuse me while I pour another drink, I'm boring myself



Oh dear, it looks like this site has finally succumbed to the scourge of the internet..... trolls.  A shame because on the whole it's a very informative site and it really doesn't benefit from idiots whose sole purpose is to go out and try and wind other posters up.  Unfortunately Ron98GT your efforts are wasted on me.


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## Talent312

Pompey Family said:


> Unfortunately Ron98GT your efforts are wasted on me.



Ron98GT is no mere troll. He is a dues-paying TUG-Member troll.  
What Ron98GT did here is a time-honored literary device called satire.

With whom would you prefer to spend your time...
-- A loud, boorish, and drunken adult; or 
-- A nice, quiet, polite, and innocent angel (2 year old)?
... _Ha! As if that's the choice._
.
.


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## lprstn

If money wasn't an option I'd take a cruise which offers childcare, food and transport to different stops. I believe Royal Caribbean is reasonable. Or I'd do 'Adventures by Disney' tours.


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## sml2181

I think MSC cruises have specials: kids for free! (As I said before, Italians love children!)

But you can expect many Italian families with lots of kids so be prepared. 
(Not that there is anything wrong with that, but as Americans (or western Europeans) you would be better off when knowing what to expect.)


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## Ron98GT

Pompey Family said:


> Oh dear, it looks like this site has finally succumbed to the scourge of the internet..... trolls.  A shame because on the whole it's a very informative site and it really doesn't benefit from idiots whose sole purpose is to go out and try and wind other posters up.  Unfortunately Ron98GT your efforts are wasted on me.



If there is a troll to be found it's you lady.  You barged into this thread, pushing your kids in our face, and started calling us names.  YOU started the name calling lady, not me.  You've been hanging around your kids for too long protecting them and acting like them, a spoiled child that can't get it's way.  Grow up troll. 

Now where were we, o'yeah having another fine glass of red Italian wine and planning that next adult trip to Italy, including 3 nites at the Molino Stucky, with no kids screaming and crying.


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## elaine

Ok, everyone, we've all seen/heard toddlers/kids gone crazy and totally well-behaved kids (same can be said for adults).
OP---as many have said, the younger age range can make for a tough trip--but if you have a reason for going now (such as a reason to be in Europe, FF miles expiring, or just really wanting to go next year), then have a great trip. There are lots of good ideas from this post---if you choose a cruise as part of it, there are varying rules for under 3 and whether (or not potty trained), so keep that in mind when choosing a cruiseline.
I took my 15 month old from DC to Pacific NW for 2 weeks--my sitter took 2 weeks off and I would have been home with her and I had FF miles. My mom met me and we had a great time. Good luck. Elaine


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## Pompey Family

Ron98GT said:


> If there is a troll to be found it's you lady.  You barged into this thread, pushing your kids in our face, and started calling us names.  YOU started the name calling lady, not me.  You've been hanging around your kids for too long protecting them and acting like them, a spoiled child that can't get it's way.  Grow up troll.
> 
> Now where were we, o'yeah having another fine glass of red Italian wine and planning that next adult trip to Italy, including 3 nites at the Molino Stucky, with no kids screaming and crying.



Actually, I'm a bloke but lets not allow such arrogant assumptions get in the way of a good rant shall we.


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## npey

wags said:


> Here is a challenge for you Euro-experts.
> If you were taking 4 children (ages 2-10) to europe for a 2-3 week vacation, what would you do?
> There are an endless amount of choices for destinations, tours, activities, transportation, etc.  We would like to give our kids a nice overview of a few european countries (Italy for sure) and are having difficulty narrowing down our options.



Speaking from my own experience…My parents took my brother (7) and me (9) to a 1 1/2 month trip to 5 European countries and Morocco that gave me, like you said, a “nice overview of a few European countries”. It was fabulous and I enjoyed every site and experience. Jet lag didn't affect me and I remember a lot of places I went to. But I am a great observer and I love history, even at that age, and arts and foreign places interested me. My dad’s appreciation of culture, knowledge of history and arts, combined with great narrative skills, guided me through the sites of the Old World. I vividly remember, from Rome: the Catacombs, the Coliseum, riding the famous Via Veneto (my parents mentioned it over and over), Ostia beach (cold for me even in the summer), the Vatican and the Sistine Chapel. Paris: the Louvre and being mesmerized by the Mona Lisa for a long time, Notre-dame, the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs-Elysées, Paris Zoo, the Seine. Madrid: the Prado, the ample Gran Via, the Madrid Zoo, a Madrid circus, the Corte Ingles  (girls will be girls), train trip to Algeciras, London: Buckingham Palace and the immobility of the Queen’s guard, Hyde Park, Big Ben, Madame Tussauds, London Zoo, Harrods, the double decker buses and the rain. Morocco: eating sitting on the floor at a restaurant, the style and decoration, an enchanted cobra around my neck, the fez hats; from Lisbon, unfortunately, I don’t remember much except the zoo and vaguely, the city. We also went to other iconic attractions I can’t remember if it isn't because of the photos as well a lot of churches and cathedrals (my mom had to go to all of them), the central market of each city, gardens and plazas. For some adult attractions, we were left with a hotel babysitter, my parents didn't own resorts. The only drawback is that we think my brother was too young to really appreciate the different cultures and he wasn't interested in history or paintings but in playing or to go to Disney Paris, which fortunately for me, wasn't opened at that time. My daughter wasn't interested in any European sightseeing until now that she is 16, so taking her to Europe before this age would have been a waste of educative trip, so you should consider your children personality and interests when deciding to take them to Europe and/or choosing the European must do’s.


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