Let's start with your travel dates and time. Is that 15 days not including flying days? What time of year?

Fall or Spring makes a difference. If it's fall, start in Lodon, then Paris, then Rome. Spring, just the opposite.

Get a good travel guide or two. Read Fodor's for their must do's in the 3 cities. Same thing with Frommer's and other websites.

We all have differing opinions, so use the experts first. I generally try to go back to the hotel in the afternon, rest up some, have a glass of wine, and then out to dinner.

For things to do, guidebooks may be the best bet. Try the Michelin Green Guides for each city, and, of course, Fodor's.

Um - if you have 15 days on the ground you have 4 days in each city - allowing the first day for jet lag and then then 2 days to travel from one to another.

Also, with a wife n the second trimester (when some women feel fantastic but others exhausted) and a small child - you will have to move at a fairly slow pace - esp in Aug.

My advice is to look at the things that will amuse you child at least part of the time, allow him time to just run around - and realize this will be a trip when less is more.

rasta: He is going in two weeks.

Lawrence888: You need to tell us more. Where are you staying? What sorts of things do you enjoy? How are you traveling between the three cities? If your whole trip is 15 days 'on the ground', you really won't have 5 days in each city. Depending on your transport, you will have between 4 and 4.5 days in each city.

Start by clicking on DESTINATIONS above and read up about London, Paris and Rome

was posting the same time as nyt . . .

It may also be helpful to know which area of each city you will be staying in. That will help with restaurant recommendations.

In Paris, there are many parks that the 5 yr old will enjoy...Luxembourg Gardens is my favorite. A river cruise on the Seine will probably also be good for a child and your pregnant wife will likely enjoy the time to sit.

Hi thank you all very much for such quick replies. I am sorry that initial question was so brief. I have 17 days minus 2 days fly that give me 15 days on the ground. I will be landed in London at 2pm and staying in the Holborn area. Will take train to Paris and stay near GARE D'AUSTERLITZ metro station and fly from Paris to Rome. I don't know where to stay in Rome yet. I really don't care what sorts of things to do as long as it deem fit for a pregnant lady and a 5 years old boy.

Hi thank you all very much for such quick replies. I am sorry that initial question was so brief. I have 17 days minus 2 days fly that give me 15 days on the ground. I will be landed in London at 2pm and staying in the Holborn area. Will take train to Paris and stay near GARE D'AUSTERLITZ metro station and fly from Paris to Rome. I don't know where to stay in Rome yet. I really don't care what sorts of things to do as long as it deem fit for a pregnant lady and a 5 years old boy.

Lawrence888--

It's nice that you are taking into consideration your wife's pregnancy and the age of your son. However, it's hard to believe that you really don't care what you do in London, Paris and Rome. But assuming that's really true, then surely your wife must care what you all do--what are her interests? Museums? Churches? Shopping? The fact that she's pregnant may rule out certain activities, but that doesn't tell us what she's interested in. To a lesser extent, the same goes for your son.

You should make your Rome hotel reservation as soon as possible. If you are interested in a hotel recommendation there, I can recommend the Albergo del Senato, a friendly, small hotel in a great location next to the Pantheon. However, I don't know if it's the type of hotel you are interested in or if it's within your budget. They have a website--you can google it. An apartment would be ideal, given your son, but I have not stayed in an apartment in Rome before. You can search this forum for other threads on Rome apartments, or perhaps someone else will have some recommendations.

Thank you RMMR2, I don't mean that I don't care. What I really mean is it will be our first time so anything will interest us. I think sight seeing and Museums but I think my 5 year old will be bored.

Your son will probably be a bit bored no matter what you do. 5 year olds have short attention spans. Try to find time during the day to go to parks where he can play with kids. And he and your wife will probably want to have a rest period each day. Apartments will be good for this.

Lawrence - Check out my blog, the link is below. It has all my trip reports with tons of information on things we did, where we ate,etc. Our kids were a bit older - 9 and 12 when we were in Rome and 10 and 13 when we were in Paris and London, so they probably had a slightly longer attention span for museums, but still not that long... And there were other things we did that might interest your son. It will be really hot, particularly in Rome, so be sure you get air conditioning - it will be very important for your wife. We have stayed twice at Albergo Cesari in Rome and love it.

www.fromhometoroam.com

Got it! Well, the area where the Albergo del Senato is located is in the historical center--so it's close to lots of popular historic sights, and the Pantheon itself is wonderful. The Piazza della Rotunda, which is the small square on which the Pantheon and the hotel are located, has a beautiful fountain in the middle that children seem to love, and there is a gelato shop there (and several others close by). So that's promising for a 5-year old. I can't think of any parks near there, unfortunately.

I think the ideal park in Rome for a 5-year-old would be the Villa Borghese Gardens, which are rougly near the Spanish Steps. The park is huge with lots of open green space, so there is plenty of room to run around, and benches and trees that provide shade. It is also where the Villa Borghese itself is located, which is beautiful and houses a wonderful collection of art and sculpture. It's very popular, as are the nearby Spanish Steps and the nearby Trevi Fountain. That area is also interesting to stroll down the narrow side streets. I don't know your budget but there are also several very nice large, fancy hotels near the Spanish Steps--they may have swimming pools or even children's activities--I don't know. But I'm sure their websites will have that information. The hotels I'm thinking of are the Hassler, Sofitel, Westin Excelsior, and the Rome Marriott Grand Hotel Flora.

But unless you can afford a hotel suite with a separate living room and full kitchen, I really think an apartment would be ideal for a couple with a small child, so I would look for one in those areas (the Pantheon or Piazza Navona areas, or the Spanish Steps area). Vacation apartments in Italy tend to be considerably less expensive than hotels and often only require a 3-night minimum. But by now there may not be many available. You might try Sleep In Italy or Flipkey, which has reviews of vacation rentals by people who've stayed there. Good luck.

In London, for food, I'd highly recommend any of the Pizza Express restaurants -- there's one on High Holborn -- don't know if it's close to your hotel. Ordinarily I don't suggest chains, but I'll make an exception in this case.

Also go to the Cheshire Cheese, but instead of going upstairs, go downstairs to the cellar. It's cooler down there.

Tower of London is a must for you and your child. Follow that with lunch at the Minories just down the street.

Take a look at this from David Lebowitz, and American who has lived in Paris for years now...

http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2009/04/ten-great-things-to-do-with-kids/
The palace of discovery might be really good!

Be sure to stay in places that have elevators and A/C, especially for your wife's sake.

For a first-time visitor for what attractions to see/do and how to get there within each city, I'd say get a copy of Rick Steves' guidebook to London, Paris, and Rome. (That will be 3 separate guidebooks.)

Yes, he is opinionated, but he tells you what each place offers and how to get there, then you make your own decision.

Fodor's offers free travel guides you can download for Paris and London.