My family just returned from our first European city break with our two girls, ages 6 and 8. Up to this point, I’ve honestly felt pretty prepared for our long haul road trips in the U.S. with young children. The advice has been pretty standard: pack lots of snacks, be prepared with activities for the car, don’t stop if they’re asleep. However, now that my kids are a bit older and our circumstances have drastically changed. I quickly found out this advice was not going to cut it for a European city break. Here are three things that I wish I knew before our trip.
Prepare to Walk
My kids are past the stroller age, and while most cities in Europe have amazing public transportation systems which we did highly utilize, there was still a ton of walking involved. Most days we averaged at least 18,000 steps. Even though we walk a lot more living in the U.K. than we did when we could park in front of stores, it still wasn’t enough to prepare my kids for the multiple days in a row required when touring a city.
Start building your kids’ (and your) endurance before the trip. If they’re already used to it, there will be much less complaining about sore legs, and you’ll get to see more of the city!
Pack Lightly
This was a really challenging task for my girls who need 58 stuffed animals, 3 blankets, white noise, and an audio book to fall asleep at home. Spoiler alert: they don’t actually need that much to sleep.
When you’re flying instead of driving, it’s much better to limit the amount of bags you’re dragging around. Our family of four brought two checked size suitcases, two child size carry ons, and one backpack. We probably didn’t need the kids bags, but it did help give extra room for stuff we bought on the trip. Everyone was allowed two pairs of shoes (one pair of trainers, one pair of sandals), one coat, and just enough clothes for the week.
Yes, some of it had nutella stains on it by day two. But you know what? That’s okay. Kids are messy in other countries too. We did laundry when we got home.
Forget (most of) the Snacks
This one is budget-dependent. If you’re trying to save money, you might want to bring your own snacks. However, as a friend, I would also tell you that food is not where you should be cutting costs when traveling Europe. It’s too tasty to miss out.
When you’re flying with kids, there is a lot of waiting involved. You want to get to the airport early enough to not be rushed, but then you’ve got extra time before you board the plane. They’re going to want a snack. And yes, airport food is much more expensive than bringing your own, but there is a certain novelty about buying the snack that the kids also love. The same goes for when their legs hurt and they just can’t make it back to the hotel. Something about buying a croissant or an ice cream from a cafe is much more energizing than eating a snack from a backpack.
Enjoy the Experience of Traveling with Kids
Our trip was at a much slower pace because we were traveling with our kids. We definitely didn’t see as much as I thought we would. But we also saw things I never would’ve done without them. A highlight for my 8-year-old was going to a playground in a neighborhood by the hotel and playing restaurant. We took my 6-year-old to the city zoo because we were traveling over her birthday and learned animal names in German. We made sure to swim in the hotel pool every day. We built in things we all enjoyed, not just the tourist spots.
City breaks with kids aren’t always about seeing as much of the city as you can in a few days. It becomes about experiencing the city as a family, and building memories that will last a lifetime.
