First European Trip with Preschooler
January 9, 2018 8:09 AM Subscribe
My wife and I intend to take our daughter on her first European vacation this year when she will be four. She’s been on a plane, but we haven’t tried time zones. Daughter likes the idea of London to visit Mary Poppins and Portobello Road (Bedknobs and Broomsticks) or Paris to see Madeline and Monsieur Hulot. Mom and dad are thinking the Netherlands because Amsterdam is fun and manageable, with side trips to see Madurodam and some friends in Rotterdam. Can you recommend other European destinations that are entertaining for parents and four year olds alike?
Not looking for a resort, or something that is exclusively kid focused (eg, we’re happy to go to Thomasland, but that would be just a small part of the trip).
Parents speak a smattering of French, Italian, German, and Swedish. Probably 1-2 weeks. Don’t mind renting a car, but don’t feel compelled to.
Not looking for anything too challenging this go round; we want to make this light lifting.
Not looking for a resort, or something that is exclusively kid focused (eg, we’re happy to go to Thomasland, but that would be just a small part of the trip).
Parents speak a smattering of French, Italian, German, and Swedish. Probably 1-2 weeks. Don’t mind renting a car, but don’t feel compelled to.
Not looking for anything too challenging this go round; we want to make this light lifting.
This is not the time to be driving around checking out rural village.
Having done a European trip with a 4-year old last summer, I came to say the (almost) exact opposite. Not that you should be sleeping in a different location ever night, but that "Parks good, Museums/Castles bad" is true, and it's more generally more interesting and relaxing for the adults to wander outside in a small town than in a big city. In the big cities, we'd head to the parks and playgrounds, which took time from experiencing the city. In the smaller towns, we could wander through the alleys and along the canals, then hang out in the central square - essentially, the town was the park.
With the great train networks and relatively dense countries, day trips from Paris and London, and especially Amsterdam, are very easy, or you could spend a few nights in a smaller town.
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 8:58 AM on January 9, 2018 [2 favorites]
Having done a European trip with a 4-year old last summer, I came to say the (almost) exact opposite. Not that you should be sleeping in a different location ever night, but that "Parks good, Museums/Castles bad" is true, and it's more generally more interesting and relaxing for the adults to wander outside in a small town than in a big city. In the big cities, we'd head to the parks and playgrounds, which took time from experiencing the city. In the smaller towns, we could wander through the alleys and along the canals, then hang out in the central square - essentially, the town was the park.
With the great train networks and relatively dense countries, day trips from Paris and London, and especially Amsterdam, are very easy, or you could spend a few nights in a smaller town.
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 8:58 AM on January 9, 2018 [2 favorites]
when we took my then-four year old to Rome we all had a grand time. What was key was having an umbrella stroller that was small enough that Dad could carry it folded up when necessary (eg up a flight of stairs) but sturdy enough that the wheels wouldn't come right off on cobblestone streets. Four-year-old walked along with us until she was tired, then settled herself into the stroller, enjoying the wanderings that way. I was very pleased in how it all worked out.
I didn't modify our destinations based on the kids' interests, I just made sure to add lots of gelato stops. Their assignment was to figure out which gelato was the very best. If they happened to absorb a lot of history and sense of place, well, I'm sneaky like that.
When they get a little older, ie when the stroller stops being useful, I recommend Venice. It's car-free so little ones can run around without worry, which is just fantastic. I wouldn't try it with a stroller, because stair-bridges.
posted by fingersandtoes at 9:10 AM on January 9, 2018 [2 favorites]
I didn't modify our destinations based on the kids' interests, I just made sure to add lots of gelato stops. Their assignment was to figure out which gelato was the very best. If they happened to absorb a lot of history and sense of place, well, I'm sneaky like that.
When they get a little older, ie when the stroller stops being useful, I recommend Venice. It's car-free so little ones can run around without worry, which is just fantastic. I wouldn't try it with a stroller, because stair-bridges.
posted by fingersandtoes at 9:10 AM on January 9, 2018 [2 favorites]
also it can be fun for kids to get an assignment that makes them look at stuff. Like in Venice, look for lions (St Mark's symbol) or in Rome look for bees - the Barberini crest that marks to much of Urban VIII's commissioned work. Kids like to find stuff like that and it makes it a little more memorable for them than, you know, "here is another fountain."
posted by fingersandtoes at 9:13 AM on January 9, 2018 [5 favorites]
posted by fingersandtoes at 9:13 AM on January 9, 2018 [5 favorites]
When my eldest daughter was a pre-schooler, she went everywhere we went, with great success: Bavaria, Cologne, Rome, Venice, New York, Paris, Brussels and other parts of Belgium. I think the key was that I talked a lot with her about what we were seeing/experiencing, and I paced our time to her time. Bring a stroller so she can have a nap now and then.
The Netherlands are a lot more child friendly than London or Paris, but it's not so much of an issue that I would changes my plans.
Food was never an issue, sometimes we found something she liked on a menu, sometimes she had a bit of our food and a lovely desert. She enjoyed being with us (and after our divorce with me alone) all the time, rather than spending part of the day in day care.
People everywhere were extremely helpful and kind.
posted by mumimor at 9:20 AM on January 9, 2018 [1 favorite]
The Netherlands are a lot more child friendly than London or Paris, but it's not so much of an issue that I would changes my plans.
Food was never an issue, sometimes we found something she liked on a menu, sometimes she had a bit of our food and a lovely desert. She enjoyed being with us (and after our divorce with me alone) all the time, rather than spending part of the day in day care.
People everywhere were extremely helpful and kind.
posted by mumimor at 9:20 AM on January 9, 2018 [1 favorite]
We did a 2-week trip with our daughter to London and Stockholm when she was 5 years old and it was a big hit. In London, she particularly enjoyed the Science Museum and the Diana Memorial Playground. She also enjoyed the activity backpack that we got at the British Museum.
Stockholm had so many great things for kids, including the Vasa, Skansen, the Junibacken, and the Royal Armoury. In particular, my daughter's favorite things were Tom Tits Experiment (a short train ride from central Stockholm); we were there from opening to closing and we could have stayed longer, it was that much fun. Also, the Astrid Lindgren museum is small, but it has a replica of Pippi Longstocking's kitchen where you can play "Don't touch the floor" and we spent several hours there because she loved it so much.
posted by mogget at 10:52 AM on January 9, 2018 [1 favorite]
Stockholm had so many great things for kids, including the Vasa, Skansen, the Junibacken, and the Royal Armoury. In particular, my daughter's favorite things were Tom Tits Experiment (a short train ride from central Stockholm); we were there from opening to closing and we could have stayed longer, it was that much fun. Also, the Astrid Lindgren museum is small, but it has a replica of Pippi Longstocking's kitchen where you can play "Don't touch the floor" and we spent several hours there because she loved it so much.
posted by mogget at 10:52 AM on January 9, 2018 [1 favorite]
We went to Switzerland when my daughter was three and she absolutely loved it. There are playgrounds everywhere. We did a farm stay outside of Zürich and it was a great experience for the whole family. We also took her to Austria when she was a year and a half, and same deal with lots of playgrounds.
posted by gryphonlover at 1:12 PM on January 9, 2018
posted by gryphonlover at 1:12 PM on January 9, 2018
Paris is shockingly easy with a young child. There are playgrounds everywhere, like on the back of Notre Dame, or the sandbox right in the Place des Vosges. They can be a bit tricky to find, as they tend to be screened by greenery to avoid looking anachronistic, so do a bit of research. And when there aren't playgrounds, there are are fountains and parks and low walls and a hundred other places to climb. The gardens at Versailles are more impressive than the interior, and basically one big park, with a little train to take you around. Paris itself is so compact that you can get from one end to the other in 45 minutes by Metro, without having to worry about carseats or being cooped up in the car with a screaming kid. We had an inflatable carseat (the "BubbleBum") just in case we needed an Uber, which is way nicer than the US and just as affordable if you suddenly find yourself in need of a point-to-point ride. Mine was 6 at the time and he loved the city. There are a number of other threads for "kids and Paris" if you decide on that. We didn't really have a problem with food, the street food is pretty friendly and a shocking number of places had a kids menu with chicken tenders on it, and of course there's always MacDo (the largest market outside the US is France). Time zones stink for adults, I don't have any advice except that being outside when it's supposed to be light outside and in the dark when it's supposed to be dark is the only way to adjust.
That said, we also had a blast our second week in Alsace. It was during Easter, so we visited the Easter markets in Colmar (more street food!) and participated in the municipal egg hunt. Monkey sanctuary, German castles, tourist trains, there was a lot to do with kids.
posted by wnissen at 2:40 PM on January 9, 2018
That said, we also had a blast our second week in Alsace. It was during Easter, so we visited the Easter markets in Colmar (more street food!) and participated in the municipal egg hunt. Monkey sanctuary, German castles, tourist trains, there was a lot to do with kids.
posted by wnissen at 2:40 PM on January 9, 2018
Just wanted to say there are a few daytime flights from the east coast to London if the overnight flight is a non-starter for jet-lag reasons - presumably your young one would go to bed quite late on your arrival day but wake up a bit late as well having more comfortably slept in a real bed. It may also be a more familiar journey to her; she may have (say) woken up at home, driven to grandma's house, and then slept there. More on this here.
The best option for you all might be British Airways 238, Boston to London Heathrow, departing at 0730 and arriving at 1850 - an early wake-up for sure but you'd presumably be at your hotel by 2100 at the latest. Note that BA is full service transatlantic but only has buy-on-board food on short-haul/Europe flights.
A London base would also mean Paris/Amsterdam/Brussels are just a quick train away if you'd prefer to avoid another flight.
If you want a bit more choice and don't mind getting there, look at New York too:
British Airways 178, JFK to London Heathrow, 0805-1950
Virgin Atlantic 26, JFK to London Heathrow, 0815-2010
United 934, Newark to London Heathrow, 0830-2030
Norwegian 7104, JFK to London Gatwick, 1120-2250
There are also some very quick overnights to Ireland and Scotland on Norwegian from Providence: Cork is just six hours, about the same as San Diego. They do Edinburgh, Shannon and Dublin too, I think. They operate these on a (nice, new, wifi-enabled) 737, and everything is unbundled, so do be careful when you book. The single-aisle plane means no doing laps of the cabin, though.
Also, intriguingly, there's also a very early flight from JFK to Casablanca on Royal Air Maroc: leaves at 0630, lands at 1830.
posted by mdonley at 5:41 PM on January 9, 2018 [1 favorite]
The best option for you all might be British Airways 238, Boston to London Heathrow, departing at 0730 and arriving at 1850 - an early wake-up for sure but you'd presumably be at your hotel by 2100 at the latest. Note that BA is full service transatlantic but only has buy-on-board food on short-haul/Europe flights.
A London base would also mean Paris/Amsterdam/Brussels are just a quick train away if you'd prefer to avoid another flight.
If you want a bit more choice and don't mind getting there, look at New York too:
British Airways 178, JFK to London Heathrow, 0805-1950
Virgin Atlantic 26, JFK to London Heathrow, 0815-2010
United 934, Newark to London Heathrow, 0830-2030
Norwegian 7104, JFK to London Gatwick, 1120-2250
There are also some very quick overnights to Ireland and Scotland on Norwegian from Providence: Cork is just six hours, about the same as San Diego. They do Edinburgh, Shannon and Dublin too, I think. They operate these on a (nice, new, wifi-enabled) 737, and everything is unbundled, so do be careful when you book. The single-aisle plane means no doing laps of the cabin, though.
Also, intriguingly, there's also a very early flight from JFK to Casablanca on Royal Air Maroc: leaves at 0630, lands at 1830.
posted by mdonley at 5:41 PM on January 9, 2018 [1 favorite]
If you go to Amsterdam, it's definitely worth taking the train to Utrecht and visiting the Dick Bruna Huis. While I was there I saw a few people cycling with a trailer for kids of a similar age to sit inside, so that may be an option if you're confident on the road. There's also a 'Grocery Museum' which is basically an old-fashioned sweet shop. I found it smaller and more manageable than Amsterdam which might be better for a small child!
If you go to Amsterdam in the spring or summer, avoid weekends. There are a LOT of stag dos from the UK in the city (although possibly less so this year given the crap pound). They tend to be concentrated around areas you wouldn't be going like the red light district, but I'd rather not have to deal with that kind of thing. That said, it's a beautiful city. It felt like somewhere that could be very child friendly.
I would recommend Tallinn as the old town has a definite fairytale feeling and you can get a ferry there from Stockholm or Helsinki, but it's quite hilly and might be difficult for a four year old.
posted by mippy at 9:01 AM on January 10, 2018
If you go to Amsterdam in the spring or summer, avoid weekends. There are a LOT of stag dos from the UK in the city (although possibly less so this year given the crap pound). They tend to be concentrated around areas you wouldn't be going like the red light district, but I'd rather not have to deal with that kind of thing. That said, it's a beautiful city. It felt like somewhere that could be very child friendly.
I would recommend Tallinn as the old town has a definite fairytale feeling and you can get a ferry there from Stockholm or Helsinki, but it's quite hilly and might be difficult for a four year old.
posted by mippy at 9:01 AM on January 10, 2018
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You have three big issues to manage -
1)sleep/time differential - you need to decide how you are going to manage that. This issue with BOS-LHR is that the flight itself is quite short, but is still an overnight. I generally think getting them on a the latest flight possible and finding fun engaging kids things to do on day one that keep them awake as long as possible are good ideal, but its a minefield regardless. You will be dealing with their jet lag regardless, and not only can't I predict how your kids will react, I can't predict how my own kids will react. You also need to ask yourself how you feel about using bendryl or what ever to get them to go down. Its a choice we've used more than once, and I feel no guilt about it.
2) eating - even kid-friendly places in other cultures will feel a little different to your kids. Ultimately we've come to the conclusion that renting an apartment and eating breakfast at home with foods relatively similar to what they get at home is really optimal. My kids are pretty good eaters, so we can generally eat out without issue after that, but something to think about.
3)travelling - I would encourage you to move around as little as possible. At most switch locales once. This is not the time to be driving around checking out rural village.
As far as location goes - think "Parks good, Museums/Castles bad" at that age. But beyond that I don't think you need to limit yourself. Go to where you want to go, and the kids will have a great time. Activities that are great here are great there, and vice/versa.
posted by JPD at 8:28 AM on January 9, 2018 [2 favorites]