Where to go...one month w/a one year old

Old Apr 28th, 2017, 06:00 AM
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Where to go...one month w/a one year old

Hi - My husband has his sabbatical this year and wants to take a month to "live" somewhere. Right now, he's thinking either Galway or Rome. Totally different spots, I know. Our one year old daughter will be joining us, so definitely need to consider her in our decision.

Thoughts on either of these locations? Or ideas for another location?

Thanks in advance.
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Old Apr 28th, 2017, 06:07 AM
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At what time of year?
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Old Apr 28th, 2017, 06:10 AM
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Sorry. Should've mentioned it would be for the month of September (give or take a few days).
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Old Apr 28th, 2017, 06:41 AM
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Do you have any interests.....history, museums, nature, hiking, photography, cycling???? Do you have a budget in mind?

If Galway, will you rent a car or will you be dependent on public transport? Your question is too vague I'm afraid.
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Old Apr 28th, 2017, 07:12 AM
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please be more specific with the details and your personal preferences. It really depends.
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Old Apr 28th, 2017, 07:15 AM
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If you're not an Italian speaker then the idea of being in a country with a 1 year old for a month where you can't speak the language is either an attractive prospect or it isn't. Obviously 1 year olds can enjoy each other's company without language barrier but negotiating a baby's other needs if you lack the vocabulary has some challenges to it. Another peculiar difficulty of Rome is much of it has intense motor traffic & no sidewalks, or if there are walkways they are blocks of stone that make using a stroller quite a chore. If everybody is comfortable with the baby going into a papoose, then that might work out. If you really are stroller dependent, then some of neighbourhoods of Rome are definitely more stroller friendly than others.

The other thing to consider it heat & sun. For most of September Rome is typically quite hot, and the sun beats down fiercely if you are out touring things like ruins. If you don't like hot weather, that might seal the deal for Galway.

Never having been to Galway I don't know what the attractions are, but in Rome some of the most famous attractions are not baby-friendly -- although that still leaves a huge number that are, including many churches, where no one minds if a baby makes noise. But if the attraction of Rome for your husband is the opportunity to do research and visit museums, you'll be doing a lot of babysitting.

If the idea of living somewhere is really about the foreign experience of another culture, rather than the specific features of Rome or Galway, other cities in Italy that are flat & stroller friendly but are still rich with sights include Florence, Torino, Verona & Bologna (the last if you count some train rides to neighbouring towns).
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Old Apr 28th, 2017, 07:54 AM
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Thanks for the replies thus far.

Here is a little more info. My apologies for being so vague.

This is pretty much a vacation, no research or work. My husband and I have always wanted to live abroad, but for many reasons haven't taken the leap yet, so we figured taking his sabbatical to live somewhere would be exciting. We've been to both Galway and Rome previously and enjoyed them immensely. We've seen many of the major sites in Rome so probably wouldn't be in total tourist mode.

We're looking to rent an apartment for ~$100/day. We'd prefer not to rent a car, if possible. We stayed in Chianti a couple years ago and it was great, but a little too slow for us requiring daily adventures in the car which were great, but enjoy having things to do at our doorstep. We enjoy walking, people watching, happy hour, seeing the sites, etc. That said, we understand it'll be different with a one year old. I have read that Italy is very child friendly, so hoping she won't be an issue in restaurants, etc.

Another thought was that both our parents want to see Italy and we thought giving them a "home base" of knowing they have us in Rome would help it make it easier for them to finally visit (they're all a little nervous to be abroad and not know anyone). That said, we're open to other places, just thought Rome would be a good starting/ending point for them.

I know I'm rambling and I apologize...not much sleep last night.

Basically, wondering if we're nuts and/or if you think Rome or Galway would be fun places to pretend we live for a month or if you have other spots you think would be better suited to our situation.
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Old Apr 28th, 2017, 08:39 AM
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Perhaps, another easier to navigate city in Italy?
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Old Apr 28th, 2017, 08:43 AM
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I think both Galway City and Rome are child friendly.

I'm not sure I would want to be in Galway City for one month w/o a car. I would want to venture out to County Mayo and other areas, and a car would be beneficial in Ireland. I've been to both Galway and Rome and think public transport would be better from Rome.

Hate to add to the confusion...have you considered London? If you have never been it would be quite fun to explore for one month with lots of great daytrips.
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Old Apr 28th, 2017, 08:47 AM
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Well you still haven't really given any criteria that would narrow down the possibilities much beyond it perhaps being a city location. The interests you mention are simply generic and fit anywhere. Why would you not consider Edinburgh or Barcelona or a Greek island or..........

The one thing you do mention that could narrow it down is your budget but you fail to say enough about it. First, what kind of $100 are you talking about? ie. USD, CAD, AUD, etc. What about the rest of your budget?

You should also make sure if you are looking to rent an apartment, that it is a LEGAL rental. Many rentals found on sites like Airbnb are in fact ILLEGAL rentals.
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Old Apr 28th, 2017, 12:37 PM
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I don't think you're nuts and I think you've got good reasons to pick Rome. It should be easy for you to find an apartment within your budget, especially since you are staying a month. You'll have some negotiating power with the landlord. AirBnb is perfectly legal in Rome. Other good agencies are Rome Loft and Sleep in Italy, and you can look up more but you should always read reviews and ask around the internet about other people's experiences with specific agencies.

HOWEVER: September is still a very popular month for tourism in Rome, and nice apartments tend to get booked, so you will need to start making decisions very soon.

Note: It won't be possible for your parent's to stay with you in the same apartmenet unless you double the budget.

Air con is a necessity in Rome at that time of year so that you can close windows. Tiny children are always welcome in restaurants, and you can bring your own food for the child and no one will mind. You'll need to get used to the fact that very few Italian eateries have a high chair. Once you've booked a place to stay, you might ask for some guidance on Chowhound or some other food site about where to eat and shop in the neighborhood, and you can ask here or on Tripadvisor for practical information about where to get other things you might need.

But don't forget to ask your parents if they want to go to Rome! If they tell you they've always dreamed of seeing Venice, Florence, Portofino & Milan, you might want to pick a different Italian city!
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Old Apr 28th, 2017, 12:42 PM
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One more thing: I am sure you will do this but you need to ask about child-friendly features or hazards before you book an apartment. For instance, I don't think Italy has a law requiring window guards when it comes to vacation rentals. Stuff like that. Many many people take toddlers to Italy and no bad thngs happen! But since you are going to be there for a month, discuss with the landlord...
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Old Apr 28th, 2017, 01:08 PM
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I would vote for Galway of the two options you have given. It will be easier to find foods your child is familiar with if only because of the language, and it will offer you are slower pace.

Why not consider somewhere else entirely since you have already been to both Galway and Rome? Edinburgh? Somewhere in Germany or the Netherlands or Belgium? A provincial French town? Or Denmark or Sweden perhaps, though they would perhaps be too expensive for you.
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Old Apr 28th, 2017, 01:12 PM
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Thanks to all for the feedback.

Dogeared - Thank you for your response. As I mentioned, we are not completely set on Rome (or Galway) and are open to other locations. Basically looking for other locales we may not have considered. Our $100/night budget is USD and the rest of the budget has not been defined, but know we will have airfare, public transport, etc. My interests I've mentioned may be generic and would fit anywhere, and that is the point. We know what to expect in Rome and Galway, we've been there. Do you have other suggestions?

In a nutshell, we basically want to settle down in one place for a month and pretend we live there. No need to be on the go for 30 days. We'd like to take some time to smell the proverbial roses.

frencharmoire - Thank you so much for your feedback and thoughts. Good call in checking to see if apartments are kid-safe. Appreciate the insight on the restaurants, too. Have never used Chowhound. Will check it out.

Bette- Thanks for your response. London may be an option! Thanks!
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Old Apr 28th, 2017, 01:19 PM
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I guess I'm wondering if there are better places to go like Barcelona or another place with good restaurants, sites, etc. that may be more kid friendly than Rome and may have more going on than Galway.
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Old Apr 28th, 2017, 01:23 PM
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To inject a dose of realism into your plans, a month is a very, very short period of time to pretend you live somewhere. It will fly by, you realistically won't have time to get involved in the local culture or time to make friends, get known by the local butcher, and so forth. All that takes years, and then some.

So really, you could throw a dart at a map of Europe and choose just about anywhere.

Do you speak any languages other than English? That always makes life easier.

Just off the top of my head, if I could choose to spend a month in any European city or area, I'd probably look at Sarlat and Rennes and Toulouse and Lyon and Strasbourg and St-Jean-de-Luz in France; Bologna and Torino and any lake district and Vicenza/Padua in Italy; San Sebastián and Bilbao and thereabouts in Spain; Cornwall and the Cotswolds in England; Copenhagen or Aarhus in Denmark; Reykyavik in Iceland; Amsterdam or Rotterdam in the Netherlands; Antwerp in Belgium; or Fes or Marrakech in Morocco.
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Old Apr 28th, 2017, 01:44 PM
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No, I don't think Barcelona is more kid-friendly than Rome. And you don't need to speak another language to go for a month in Italy with a baby. Torino & Bologna are not going to be as interesting as Rome for a month -- plus if your parents aren't going there, it would be a miss. You've aleady had the experience of being in semi-rural but toursty Italy and didn't like it. Padova hasn't got anything over Rome in terms of destinaton (it's got less, plus mosquitoes, and a day trip to Venice with a baby is no picnic with all the stairs, the tourists and the heat of September.

Of course people can toss out all sorts of names and pretend they'd love to go to Reykyavik for a month with a baby. (Puh-leeeeze). They're just pulling your chain and showing off. It's the drinking hour in Europe for the alkies.

You might want to ask your questions on a forum like Slow Europe or Slow Travel.
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Old Apr 28th, 2017, 01:57 PM
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frencharmoire - Thank you!!! I needed the levity this afternoon. Have a great weekend!!!
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Old Apr 28th, 2017, 03:53 PM
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Visiting another city for a month sounds like a great adventure! And having your parents come out sounds perfect! I prefer much smaller places than you, so I would choose Annecy in France as I love the outdoors like hiking and swimming. In Italy I would go with Florence, for the endless art. But you mentioned Rome: make sure you choose an apartment close to a park where the little one can play in the grass and you can picnic. Think of what your routine would be day in day out. Good luck!
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Old Apr 28th, 2017, 05:08 PM
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Just a slight correction to Dogeared' statement that many of the Airbnb rentals are illegal. That is only true in a few cities that are cracking down on short term rentals as the City government feels landlords are taking longer term rentals away from actual residents. NYC, Paris, San Francisco are a few of the cities that come to mind. For most of the rest of the world Airbnb can be a relatively risk free choice.
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