Europe travel with baby
 

My husband and I have been married for over 7 years and have done a fair bit of travelling in Europe without kids. We finally decided to start a family and we now have a baby girl. We are wanting to go to Europe again in April, but this will be our first trip there with a baby. She will be 7 months old then. We live in Canada and took our baby on a trip/flight to the USA in December and she was great. She rarely cries and is a very good baby. Does anyone have any advice/suggestions as to where to travel in Europe with a 7 month old? I am sensitive about avoiding museums etc. (don't worry, DH & I will be careful not to annoy people without kids; we have travelled without for enough years to know about this!) Any recommendations? Thanks in advance.

Hi Kelti,

>...advice/suggestions as to where to travel in Europe with a 7 month old?<

Anywhere you want. Your daughter won't care. :)

((I))

I don't have kids so I can't really offer much advice, but I did make one observation on the London Underground that you should be aware of...

A young couple was traveling with a baby in one of those baby backpack things. The dad had the backpack on and he was rather tall. They hopped on the train and didn't realize for a minute that the baby's head was bumping against the ceiling of the car. The baby wasn't hurt, but if you have a tall husband and use one of those backpacks, you may want to check for overhead clearance on public transportation. :)

Advice from the mother of a 2-year old: get a babysitter and enjoy a well-deserved holiday. You'll be glad you did!

Advice to counter RSSmith's. :)

There are lots of threads here about people who have traveled to Europe with children of all ages, including babies. Search and you'll find so much useful info. I, too, would love to travel the US and Europe with my children from a young age. Not everyone would prefer to leave the kids at home, and you can have a splendid trip with the little one with a little extra planning! I've already started reading threads on it here, and my baby isn't even coming till this summer!

Italy would top my list. England would be near the bottom.
Don't get too hung up on the nap schedule and there's no telling how easy your baby will adapt to the change in time. Go for it .

There is absolutely no way to rank one country over another. You aren't going to need todler/child-centric attractions because your daughter will be so young.

You can go absolutely ANYWHERE, your only concessions will probably be fewer high end restaurants (unless you arrange a local baby sitter through your hotel), and avoinding cobblestoned streets if you use a stroller. But a baby carrier pretty much eliminates that problem.

People in Europe have babies, too you know :)

Go where ever you want - the baby will be oblivious to whether you are in Paris or London or Rome . . . . . . .

Meant to add - it is really easier to travel w/ a 7-month old than w/ a toddler that can run/hide or insists on walking on their own.

Actually, while I can be bothered by screeching babies on planes or misbehaved and noisy children in restaurants (which are usually not babies, but older) -- I don't mind babies in museums at all. They usually just sleep in a stroller or one of those baby slings or something, I think museums are one of the better and easier things for parents with babies to do. If a baby did start crying a lot in a museum, there would be areas where you could go to tend to the baby easily enough, they are large places. So, I'd go to all the museums I wanted if I were you.

Kelti,
Despite my earlier posting, I have taken my child on 6 or 7 trips involving long flights, including one transatlantic flight, from ages 4 months up to now (2 years). (Maybe that's why I need, and am looking forward to, a 2-week trip to Spain and France with husband only!!) My advice:
1- bring a sturdy but lightweight stroller that folds up quickly/easily for the airports
2- if you're renting a car, make sure it comes equipped with a baby seat. If you bring your own seat, be prepared for difficult installation/possible incompatibility with the rental car's seatbelt system
3- put plenty of extra clothes, toys and snacks in your carry-on
4- if possible, fly business class -- the extra room is definitely worth it on long flights, especially if your child likes to be mobile.
5 -if flying coach, buy your baby a ticket (this will be 1/2 price) so he/she can have space to sleep and play
6- bring your own packable crib. The baby will be more comfortable and the cribs provided by hotels are sometimes cheap and unsafe.
7- if your child has special dietary needs, bring plenty of those items with you - there's no guarantee you'll find something comparable overseas
8- bring a well-stocked first aid kit
9- don't try to do too much
10- it IS easier to travel with a baby than a toddler, so enjoy it now!
11- Your baby won't know England from Greece so go where you want.