Europe Itinerary - Sugggestions Please
 

Hi All,
We will be travelling with 2year old for 10 days in Europe. Here is a trip we came up and hoping someone can suggest something..

Day1: Depart USA for London
Day2: Arrive London, PM: Picadilly
Day3: London Day Tour - Palace, Westminister, London Eye, Tower of London
Day4: British Museum, PM: Travel to Paris
Day5: Paris (Louvre, Eiffel), PM: Boat Ride
Day6: Paris (Notradamme, D'Orsay), PM: Arc De Triomph
Day7: Versaille, PM: Travel to Switzerland
Day8:
Day9:
Day10: PM: Travel back to Zurich/Paris/London

I am really struggling on where to go from France...so help really desired.

Thank you
Liz

Hi Liz

Have you bought your air tickets yet? It sounds like you haven't - so first suggestion is an open jaw airfare, i.e fly into one city, out of another, to save doubling back. For example, into London, out of Paris; or into London, out of Zurich, if your heart is set on Switzerland.

I would caution that you are trying to do a lot, even without a 2 year old to consider. I do understand the urge to see what you can, when you can, but consider that a 'vacation from your vacation' every 4th day or so would not be amiss - use it to catch up on what you didn't have time or energy to do thus far, or take your little one to a local park to see the ducks, etc. etc.

If your heart is set on 3 countries in 10 days, then do speak up --- and we'll go from there. But otherwise, that's my second strong suggestion - stick to 2 cities and their immediate environs, max.

I have to agree with the above. I made that mistake on one of our first trips to Europe and regretted it because I "saw" a lot out of the train windows but didn't really get to do or see much of anything overall. You will be jetlagged when you arrive in London and probably won't be over it when you get to Paris. I would probably suggest just doing London and Paris with maybe some daytrips if you need a break from the city.

If you do want to see three countries, I too highly suggest booking an open jaw flight so you would at least save the trouble of backtracking.

Good luck!
Tracy

Your first sentence mentions a two year old -- and the rest of your post seems to neglect that important variable. Unless your child is very unusual, I would not plan on spending much time in museums and galleries.

Ten days, starting and ending by moving through a number of time zones: I think two major destinations are enough.

Liz, are you going to Switzerland because you want to see Switzerland, or does your plane depart from Zürich? If the former, do you have an idea what you'd like to see there?

With a 2-year-old, I would build some "down time" into this trip, and a car-free village in Switzerland is perfect for that---there's room to run about safely. Plus he or she might really enjoy the trains and cable-cars, and the chance to see cows on a short walk from the village. Look into the villages of Wengen and Mürren, each perched on a bench above the beautiful Lauterbrunnen Valley.

There is easy access by train to Zürich from this area if that is your final stop.

agree w/ all of the above. Have you already bought the tickets? if not - I'd cut back to 2 destinations and make things MUCH easier on yourselves.

Hi Liz,

You may also want to take note that toddlers usually take longer to get adjusted to the new time zone.
As for your London plan, I'd scrap London Eye--rather claustophobic and not much 2yo can see from his/her eyesight in the buggy. Ditto for the Palace. You also don't need to spend the whole afternoon at Piccadilly, which is just a busy hub. (Say, would you take your 2yo to Times Square for the afternoon?) On the other hand, British Museum is doable with things that can appeal to young visitors. (My 5yo and 2.5yo love the place).
You might want to include parks if the weather is good. You can get some quiet time if your toddler can nap in the buggy. My recs would be Regent's Park (feed the ducks/swans, see the rose gardens, you can combine with London Zoo) and Hyde Park (don't miss Princess Di playground).

Also, in Paris, don't miss some of the parks and wonderful ice cream at Berthillon.

I also agree with the previous posters that 2 cities would be far more comfortable with a young child. (Less travelling between cities, less packing/unpacking). Though if you really want to, I found Switzerland is quite child-friendly. We spent past summers near Gstaad and our kids liked cows, hot chocolates and local playgrounds. I won't recommend cable cars--altitude and height may not be appropriate.

I don;t mean to be rude but there is no way you can do the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre in 1/2 of a day. The former will take half a day. The latter can take days - but you can hit a couple of high spots in a half a day.

Similarly in London - what you have listed for Day 3 could easily take 2 or 3 days (depending on if Buck Palace is open or not - or if you're planning onn just doing the Royal Mews/Picture Gallery).

You're trying to do way to much in a very few days. I would do just London and Paris - esp with a child who will need frequent breaks to avoid constant whining and crying. (Sitting in a stroller on a long line to see something you don;t understand is not a whole lot of fun.)

I've can;t tell you how many times I've seen kids screaming because they had to wait 5 minutes in the drug store - even though mom was giving toys and snacks - because they wanted a nap or a drink - or just to be somewhere else. What do you do if this happens as you get on a 30-minute line for the Eiffel tower elevators?