Children
 

This is my first trip to Europe and though my husband is an experienced business traveler to Europe, we're wondering if a trip to Italy is appropriate for a 5 year old boy. Do hotels and restaurants accommodate children? Any sightseeing for little ones? Thank you.

Donna,<BR><BR>I can't give you specifics, but my sister was 5 when we went to Paris for 6 weeks. I was 10 (and female also). We both loved it - including museums, restaurants and sightseeing. It was a wonderful gift my parents gave us that we still talk about.<BR><BR>I've heard about a sight called travelwithyourkids.com that you might want to check out. Not sure if it has info on European travel, but I would think it would.<BR><BR>Hope this helps.<BR><BR>JB

Thanks, JB, it helps alot!

Boys tend to be more physical then girls. How is his attention span? Behavior? If I had taken my son at that age, we would have spent the entire flight over walking up and down the isles as he wasn't interested in sitting and looking at a book for more than 5 minutes. He turned out to be a runner. So, all depends on the child. How has he done on recent weekend and car trips? How does he do at meal time?

Donna: My now 12-year-old boy's all-time favorite travel memories are of the trip we took to Italy when he was 5 years old. He's been to Europe many times, but that trip is still so fresh in his mind he can still remember particular meals he ate. Developed a lifelong love of calamari and penne al'arrabbiata while he was at it. <BR>We found on several trips that the Italians would go out of their way to accommodate children. At one restaurant in Rome, the waiters took my daughter out of my arms back to the kitchen where they gave her warm sweet milk with biscotti dipped in it while we enjoyed our meal. Numerous times people stopped us on the streets to pat a child's head or peer into the stroller and murmur. Just be sure to plan your trip around the child's schedule, take it easy, and don't expect to make it to everything you may think you want to see. An afternoon kicking a soccer ball around a fountain with Italian kids is sometimes better than another museum.

It has been my experience that Italians, in general, love having children as their guests in hotels and restaurants. At your son's age, he will probably enjoy Pisa, vapretto rides in Venice, St. Mark's Square (what kid doesn't love birds?), and all the wonderful fountains in Rome.

We have taken our children to Europe several times...including to Italy when our son was 5. Wonderful trip! Traveling with children can be so much fun...and they DO remember their experiences. Our son first tried calamari (grilled) in Portugal when he was 4....loves it now! <BR><BR>In Rome we stayed at the Hotel Miami...and the staff there was great with the kids...taught them some Italian and were great at making them feel at ease.<BR><BR>In Florence the Casci Hotel was super...the owners/staff are incredibly nice...especially to the kids. <BR><BR>In Venice the hotel we stayed at was the Hotel Canada...wouldn't stay there again...location was great, but the staff was very cold and the room/bathroom less than adequate. <BR><BR>All the restaurants we went to were wonderful with kids...we stayed away from typical touristy places for the most part...go off and find neighborhoods and let the kids meet other Italian children.<BR><BR>Enjoy!

My boys are 9 and 12 now, but I vividly remember our 'talk' before we left on our first trip to Italy with them four years ago. We didn't want them to expect 'Disneyland' and to realize that most things would be different than what they knew. We talked about trying new foods (my boys were picky eaters), learning about new cultures, etc., etc. It was a fabulous trip and they were better behaved than some adults we were traveling with. Every year since, we have had that 'talk' (they now know it by heart) before we leave for our summer vacation. <BR>To make things a little easier, we try to stay in a house/villa with a pool at least for a week. I think it helps for them to be settled and the pool is a nice treat after a busy day of sightseeing. Treat him with gelato after long walks. And most of all, don't let yourself get stressed out, he will pick up on it. <BR>Our boys loved Pisa, Vinci (Leonardo museum) and Venice. <BR>

Italy is very child friendly. A 5 year will probably not rememeber all that much down the road, but in any case, he'll enjoy spending the time together. Wherever you go, try to have some 'down' time for him just to relax or run around in a park or playground.

Having taken children abroad from 2 yrs to 20, I have a different view on this. Don't wait until it is "appropriate" for children to travel. We travelled when they were small, but minimized cultural trips thinking it would be more interesting to them when they studied European history. But lo, when they studied European history in highschool, first it was boring, then their interest were in hanging around with friends talking about same thing over and over. European trips, boring... I know there are teenagers with intellectual curiosity to benefit from the trip, but my recommendation is why risk not able to trips in the future when they are old enough to not want to go but too young to be left alone and need to make an arrangement? If he turn out to be travel nut in his teen? Enjoy your good fortune.

Others have reassured you about the welcome you will receive and the fun you will have when you get there. As for the plane issue, there is a rule of thumb: your little one will be well-behaved on the plane for exactly twice as long as he is in the car. If your plane flight is 7 hours and you have not yet had 31/2 straight (and peaceful) hours on a car trip, start practising now!

Everyone is so enthusiastic about you taking your five year old. Well, here's a different way to look at it. Will you have as much fun and get to do the things you want to do? If you have a safe place to tuck your five year old and you won't worry about him while you're gone, I'd use that criteria alone for the decision. <BR><BR>Let's face it. A five year old will NOT remember much from the trip and I don't care what the other posters say. I mean, how much of any vacation do you remember from when you were five years old? <BR><BR>What do you want to see and do? If you enjoy museums and want to tour historic places, see scenery from a car, and visit lots of little stores, I'd suggest you consider leaving the child at home, if that is an option. He'd be happier and so would you. <BR><BR>We've taken both of our children to Europe, but waited until they were in upper elementary school and had a better context for what they were seeing, and a greater attention span. I think it is a wonderful experience for children, but for a five year old, it's just another experience.

Those who have life-changing and indelible memories of trips taken when they were five may have been well prepared for their trips by intelligent, sensitive and enthusiastic parents. Perhaps unlike you or your children, they may also have been blessed with superior intelligence, a precocious sense of adventure, and parents who stimulated and nurtured their curiosity. You may discount their parents' accounts of their experiences, but please realize that we will place far less value on your opinion.

Sorry, above message was meant for "Another," not for any of the other people who posted!

Millions of children live in Italy. Of course you are welcome to bring your child to hotels and some restaurants. Of course there are parks, zoos, fountains, street performers and other sites to delight your son.

Well, Another, I actually have acute memories of the trip I took the summer I was 5 years old. In fact, I suspect it somehow instigated the wanderlust and, in particular, the love of France that have been such a vital part of my adult life. <BR> We crossed Lake Champlain on a ferry in the night. There were two cats on the ferry, and I played with them and became very allergic (it was my first exposure to one of the many things that was an allergen for me as a child). I remember sneezing a lot, and shadowy figures of cats on the deck, and the cold air, and my father speaking in French to the deck hand. The captain asked my name when we boarded, and when I told him, he said "And we're, what? About 12 years old?" just to get a smile out of me. We were picked up by my parents' friends who lived in Canada and driven in their '52 Chevy to their cabin in the woods. I sat in the back seat of the car with my head upside down watched the pale white line in the middle of the road and the upside-down pine trees speeding by lit up by moonlight. I can still smell the pine trees. I was put to bed in a small room with a big red plaid blanket and a small fireplace with wood burning in it. I was more tired than I'd ever been in my life. My parents friends gave me some medicine for my allergies and I went to sleep with the shadow of the fire licking my face. In the morning, I awoke to a cold room and went to investigate the kitchen. The first thing I saw was a cat sitting on top of the refrigerator.<BR>It wasn't "just another experience."

Donna should decide based upon what she desires for her first trip for Europe. A child changes the nature of one's trip.

I'm assuming money is not an issue, right? Oftentimes cost is a factor in deciding whether or not one can afford to take along a small child.<BR><BR>You said this is your first trip, right? I say, if you can afford it, and you will enjoy gearing your trip to the interests and limitations of your five year old, then go for it. As xx suggested, only you know your son. <BR><BR>PS Sometimes the hardest part of traveling is leaving one's children with someone else. Again, this is only something you know.

StCirq - nice story! I hope my kids will remember the nice little details of their travels.

Candide, Wow! Why did you get so upset with me? Sorry if I offended you. I did not mean to speak for others. I thought they were speaking quite clearly for themselves and were presenting thoughtful points of view.<BR><BR>My point was to give Donna another perspective, something else to consider. Of course Italy has a lot for children to do in it and she will have a fine trip if she takes her five year old. <BR><BR>We had many wonderful family vacations with our children when they were little. But Europe for four wasn't within our reach financially, and I don't think my kids missed anything by not going when they were five.<BR><BR>And, were it my first trip to Europe and I wanted to visit art museums, go on tours of historic places, drive the Amalfi coast, maybe even have a romantic moment with my husband, I'd leave my five year old back home with family, if I had the opportunity and felt comfortable leaving my child. <BR><BR>I might do differently, were I wealthy, and had time for multiple vacations...<BR><BR>Or if I were like Candide, who is, in her own words, a more intelligent, sensitive, enthusiastic, superior and nurturing parent than I could ever hope to be. And, if my children were like hers, and had been blessed with superior intelligence, a precocious sense of adventure, and parents who stimulated and nurtured their curiosity. <BR><BR>We're the original Family Moron, I'm afraid, and my kids, when they were five, were just as happy at the beach in Chicago, where we'd visit family, as they would have been at the beach in Italy. And, the Art Institute of Chicago wasn't even on our itinerary until they were older. Like I said, the Family Moron. Mea culpa!<BR><BR><BR>

How odd. "Another" from the 12:25 post is not the same person as "Another" from the 4:37 post. I'm also not the same "xxx" who posted before. So there. That's the internet for you.

xxx<BR><BR>Say what?

What assumptions people make. Since when is Candide a "she"?

Cunegonde, You have a point. But he/she is such a b****! Well, well. I'm going to sleep on this one!

Can I spank his/her bottom?

I have lived abroad as a child and as a parent have taken my children to Europe and must say that I rather agree with "another".

What was obnoxious about Another was saying that she didn't care what anyone else said about their child getting something out of it and remembering it, but it just wasn't true. if your experience is different from the people who got something out of their childhood travel or whose children did I think people would want to know about your expereince becuase you're not just saying that others can't be telling the truth and only you are.

xxx thats a very run-on sentence and another may have been obnoxious all right but candide outdid another altogether with a very rude reaction showing candide is even more obnoxious are you candide perhaps?

My parents took my brother (then 6) and me (3) to Europe for 18 months. (My Dad is an illustrator, and therefore had portable work.) It was wonderful and enriching for us, and we have always appreciated travel and history and art very much because of those trips. When I went to Catholic school, I had unique insight and appreciation for the stuff they were talking about, having seen all of the images and places first hand. I am so very grateful for that first excursion! We returned and toured around every year since then, and when I was a teenager, I never felt l like I didn't want to go for my friends' sake: I knew that they'd be there when I got back. <BR><BR>This is not to say that the travel will be easy. My husband and I are taking our 3 and 7 year old boys to Italy for three weeks, and I expect it to be fantastic and daunting all at once. We have done shorter practice trips. They both have been to Europe before, even at 4 months. They probably would have been just as happy staying home at that age, but they're essentially high-maintenance luggage at that point, and I'd have been miserable without them! <BR><BR> As far as planning the trip, don't expect to go to a lot of buildings or places where you're expected to sit still and quiet. There are so many outdoor things to do that you shouldn't have much trouble keeping the whole family entertained. Switching off childcare duties works, as long as you allow a realistic time for the museum-going adult to really see stuff: 45 minutes is just not enough time to go through a ticket line and really see the art, while 90 minutes is better, and not so long that the babyitter feels abandoned. There are often parks adjacent to museums. When I told my Mom we were considering staying in Florence for a week, she said that cities are tough on children: long walks on hard streets and across blindingly bright piazzas, and you spend half your time searching for patches of dirt to play in. We opted for Rome, so we can just taxi to the hotel, and I chose a hotel that has a garden (and patches of dirt!)From there we're going to stay in self-catering houses in the countryside, which we've done all our lives. You can choose when to eat out or eat in, which is a major time, cost and stress saver, and you can take a day off from traveling. My parents were dirt-poor when we did the first trip, and we camped all through Europe. We probably ate out three times. Once in France we woke up with a cow in our tent. I remember this well, and I was 5! Take the children and realistic expectations and no one will regret it!

We went on our honeymoon to Europe and loved it. I had never been before and we did a lot of things we couldn't have done with my six year old. (My Mom took care of her, and I was real comfortable with that.) I think its nice so many other posters have taken their children since they were very young, but it seems like most of them have been a lot and have probably seen some of the things already that I had been waiting all my life to see. Maybe next time we'll take her along, but I don't regret having gone without her!

We went to Venice, Florence, Rome and Sicily with our 5 year old son last May. We were treated very well by all the Italians because of our son. They are much more accomodating for kids then Americans are. All meals can be ordered in half portion for the kids or your son can eat off your plate. My son ate pizza, tortillini, pasta with red and pesto sauce, bread gallons of gelato and tons of fruit. Never an issue. <BR><BR>Before we went to Italy I got alot of books from Amazon.com for him such as coloring books in Italian etc. We also rented videos from the Library which showed where we were going. We taught him some basic Italian such as please, thank you, hello, goodbye and how to order chocolate gelato. <BR><BR> We made reservations at the museums ahead of time by booking at Weekendinflorence.com and didn't have to stand in line to see the David or go to the Iffizi. Prior to going into the museum we would get a children's book at the museum gift shop about the museum. This helped. My son went on all the tours with us--Doge's palace in Venice, Iffizi, Accademia and Borgello in FLorence, the Coliseum, the Forum and the Vatican. there was enough history regarding battles that he was always fascinated. However, his most memorable event was the David. He also was thrilled when we took him to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa (so was I)<BR><BR>The trip was fabulous for all of us. My son talks about it all the time. It will definitely sink in. He talks about the Arno river, the Piazza Novona, the David and the Coliseum <BR><BR>We are planning another trip in two years. If you want any further info, please e-mail me. <BR>We also went to

I just saw this thread, which I thought had ended long ago. What ever makes you think I was speaking about MYSELF? I did not have a privileged childhood, did not travel as a child, and have never had the pleasure of taking children to europe. Nevertheless i would not dismiss the thouyghtful comments of people who DID travel as children or who HAVE taken their children to foreign countries, with positive and meaningful results. For that reason, I found the comments by "another" rather rude and offensive, not designed to offer "another" point of view, but rather to deny the validity of the point of view that others had already articulately expressed based on their personal experiences. There were some intersting parents who posted here and their comments deserved respect.

I WISH I had had some of these experiences and for the right kind of parent I think taking young kids can be a great thing to do.

I'd love to afford to take the kids to Paris, and will one day! I have only been there once, but it will help me in making their trip memorable. Some people are better travellers with or without kids. <BR>It's a very personal decision to make on whether to take the kids or not. I remember being shot down on this site last year when I was planning my trip and said I wanted some time alone with my husband! <BR>What I would like to know is if I should take a stroller for a 5-6 yr old? She doesn't use one these days, and I know the roads can be bumpy, but I'm thinking of her little legs getting tired in museums, etc.

I can't advise based on experience, but are you sure strollers wouldbe allowed in musums, and would she use one?