checkerspot

Hi.

Kids are never too old to travel...at least that is what my wife and I believe. Our kids have been to Europe twice already. First time when my son was 3 and daughter was 1. We went to the Louvre and guess what, my son actually remembered parts of it when we saw a Rick Steve's travel show on tv. My kids are now 11 and 9 and are both looking forward for their 3rd trip "across the pond" next week for spring break. They are both looking forward to going through new sites and museums. As far as the heat, they've been Asia about as many times as they have been to Europe...not sure if anyone has been in the Philippines at the height of summer....key is to really pace yourself. Planning never did work well for us. We have not joined any tours or follow a book or anything. We make a list of places we want to see prior to the trip (my kids love that part) and just go there. Some places we last about 10-15 minutes. Other places we stay a couple of hours sometimes more. In the Louvre, my kids lasted about 3 hours. Me? I wanted to leave after the 1st hour. Good thing they got hungry .
BTW...guess where the kids want to go for Thanksgiving?...

Jake1

checkerspot--I can well imagine that your 1 year old would have no problem lasting 3 hours in the Louvre. At that age it doesn't matter a whole lot where they are as long as they are fed and their diapers changed.

If your 3-year old lasted 3 hours and found it to be an uplifting and fulfilling and memorable experience, I would expect that he's probably graduated from university already at age 9 and is now working on his MA or MS.

Just be sure that his socialization skills are developing at a rate equal to that of his intellectual skills. It is not unusual for child geniuses to eventually fail in life because of an overemphasis on intellectual development to the detriment of social and emotional development.

checkerspot

Jake1 - unfortunately while my kids continue being interested in art, i have not seen anything that I would consider as genius . Sadly, my son is a happy 11 year old in 5th grade and is more interested in improving his golf game than graduating college right now. (by the way, I don't play golf so he did not get it from me). My daughter shares the same interest in the arts, but just as far as appreciating art like my son. I believe her to be a normal 9 year old who is more interested in beating his brother (and other "boys" in running). One thing they do love is travelling and museums. How I wish at least one of them were graduating college already.

ljf1958

Checkerspot - I'm so happy to hear your kids have continued their love of art and museums - I hope the same holds true for us.

We live in the city and have memberships to all of the museums - including the art museum. All three of my kids love going in and admiring the paintings and sculptures - we've been taking them there since they were infants (along with all of the local museums and zoos). I don't think it has anything to do with genius - maybe what they're used to. Since we live in the heart of a major city - we do not have back yards to play in and so our down time is spent differently than most people in the country (I believe).

Some may think it is not such a good upbringing but our kids get experiences in the city that are different and just as valuable as those in the suburbs. We think there are pros and cons to both suburban and city living.

By the way, we are driving out to the 'burbs this summer for some golfing lessons - hoping the kids learn to love that too!

frogoutofwater

Have you considered something like a family language holiday as an alternative? Here's a French option: http://www.3ponts.edu/family.htm

Stay in a chateau in a small town in France (it won't be as hot as Italy), take French lessons together as a family, as well as cooking lessons. There are activities in and around the chateau and a small town to explore. And since the experience involves learning a new language, you might be able to justify taking the kids out of school for a week.

If your heart is set on Italy, there might be something similar available.

daffy_traveller

Your are so NOT INSANE.
You can do anything with kids in Italy. I took an 8 and 10 year old for a month in 2006. They still talk about it with glee.
We had hotels in Venice,Florence and Rome and we rented villas in Umbria and Praino (near Positano) and that was by far the best choice. Your plan is PERFECT!
We are going back this summer and they plan on heading straight to their favorite granita stand in Positano as soon as we arrive.
A few things that helped: I let them make lots of choices...not too many museums, I bought them their own digital camera and let them use the video camera any time they wanted. They loved the Colisseum and they even insisted on entering every church once they saw the beauty inside. They found fun everywhere. They took amazing photos (better than mine) and their movies are the best! They made a movie about the house in Praiano they loved it so much

Enjoy!!

knickerbocker

I haven't the patience to stroll through all the responses but I'd use a friend of mine as an argument for the pro. He and his two younger brothers were taken around Eruope and Africa at around the ages your kids are and he revels in the experience to this day.

So there's the answer: do it for them and their memories going forward. They'll probably thank you later in life (even if they were driving you absolutely bats as kids during the trip).

HTH
Knick

constancelloyd

What a fun trip! You're children will have great memories and you'll get to see stuff you never noticed before!

We've been taking long vacations with our children ever since the oldest was a baby. Don't listen to the people who say you can't travel with children. You've taken the children into consideration in planning the trip, so they'll do fine. As long as you have fun and laugh at all the stuff that goes wrong (and it will!) they will too!

We went to Italy for 24 days in August of 2006. Our three children were 5,7 & 9. In Rome we rented an apartment near campo de fiori for a week and had a blast!

There is no shortage of adventures for children in Rome. Just getting a drink at the drinking fountain was an adventure. Some locals showed the kids how to put their finger under the bottom of the pipe and get the water to squirt out the top like a drinking fountain. The water squirts far enough that they could take turns squirting each other. My husband and I sat in the shade while they did that for almost an hour. Before anyone gives me a hard time for "hogging" the drinking fountain for an hour, it was in some piazza that hardly anyone goes to and whenever anyone passed by the kids stepped away from the water pipe in case they wanted a drink.

It had to be the hottest August on record when we were there(probably not, but it sure felt like it). It was over 100 degrees every day. Make sure you rent a place with air conditioning. You won't be able to sleep at night if you don't have air conditioning and then everybody will be cranky.

We did not have a washing machine and spent a fortune getting our clothes out of hock (they told us it would be 40euros and when we went to pick them up it was suddenly 80 euros. We tried to argue but they were holding all the clothes, so...we paid them.)

We went on 3 guided tours with Roman Odyssey Tours(the colleseum and forum; the Vatican; and a walking tour). We liked them and the it was nice to let someone else lead the way for a while (not all tour companies let you bring children, so check first).

OUr childrens favorites were the cannonballs and turrets in Castle st. Angelo; the giant marble bathtub in the Vatican museum (or somewhere on that tour); the fountains and puppeteer in Piazza Navona; going shopping for fresh produce everyday at the market in campo de fiori; getting a happy meal and a drink with ICE at the McDonalds by the spanish steps - it's really fancy inside; hard rolls and sugar jam for breakfast every day; pizza to go from Baffeto 2; getting gelato at a new place once (or twice) every day; going back to the apartment for a "rest" after lunch every day; etc.

Some tips: when you get tired of walking, take taxi's instead of the bus. We always caught them from the set taxi stands around the city.

Carry fanny packs that have two holders for water bottles - you'll need them.

Keep ALL your money and valuables in a money belt around your waste and under your clothes We were pick pocketed twice. Once they took the empty wallet our of my husband's pocket. Once they (they were good - they looked like tourists) unzipped my fanny pack and would have gotten what was inside. Luckily all I had inside was a little water bottle. Since they got nothing, it was easy to laugh about it later!

Keep lots of snacks in your fanny pack.

Laugh when stuff doesn't go the way you think it will!

Have fun!

wordsmith

I would make sure youor husband really wants the kids to come along or you could have a grumpy companion who may not be much help and you will need it. By the way, I would take kids alot of places, but not to Europe at that age---especially the younger one. Also, if there is any illness you can go to Americanized hospitals but not the same as in the states.

dgassa

Perhaps your husband would like to be alone with you. Did you ever think of that?

degas

Listen to the wise man.

ljf1958

Thank you again for your additional advice.

For those of you who don't want to read the whole thread - hubbie has agreed and is excited to go for summer 2009 (so the title is now misleading).

I appreciate all of the advice and first-hand experiences people are sending in. And will have plenty of time to plan and implement. . .

Thanks, Lisa

checkerspot

Hi Lisa,

Just got back from Italy...I will try to make a trip report in the next few days (I hope). I just wanted to tell you that my kids more than survived the 8km tour of the Vatican Museum. They also survived the Renoir Exhibit on one of the wings of the Monument of Victor Emmanuel II in Piazza Venezia. They however did not like the other exhibit on another wing (some modern artist)...they went through it but after that told my wife and I outloud that "we should have stayed with the Renoir exhibit". Also, gelato became a daily evening ritual...so we were at the Trevi Fountain every night just for gelato (why there?...Lizzie Maguire Movie...go figure!). Also pizza was a cheap snack whenever we need one...2 euros and they are good to go. Oh, and yes, the rain did not deter their spirit. I was surprised how game my kids were. By the way, we took a ridiculous amount of pictures during out trip...over 780 in Rome alone I can send you a link to my snapfish album if you want to look at them...

But Italy was gorgeous. Not as clean as Switzerland or Germany, but still awe inspiring. The pictures of Rome does not give it justice...the locals though were not friendly or helpful. Asking fellow tourists were more effective. We got lost a few times because of directions English speaking locals gave...

Despite these however, Rome is still a must see...even for kids!

ljf1958

I can't wait to see your trip report!

Thanks for the feedback. I will DEFINITELY be checking out your experience when I plan our trip in a few months.

Lisa

GiuliaPiraino

I second Degas on the heat issue, you couldn't pay me enough money to go to Italy in August. My girlfriend was in Rome in July and collapsed from the heat and humidity in the city (and we're from Arizona where it's 120 degrees so we're not wimps). For me, June is the last "acceptable" month when it comes to the weather, and that would have to be early June for my taste. But if you are from Florida or some place like that, you may not mind. It's pretty balmy and sticky at that time of year.

It's going to be challenging with 3 kids, even well behaved ones, so add on top of that when it's packed with Italian tourists, sweaty hot, and there's no AC, it's going to make everything that much more stressful. Also, in August many places will be closed. August is a very bad time of year to vacation in Italy if you're not from Italy.

If your kids are well behaved, a trip to Italy is likely fine. However, I would choose a month that's not so hot, when it's not the country's designated month for "holiday", and when more things will be open. And my number one choice would be to leave my kids with family and go alone with my husband! Will your children get more out of the trip than you and your husband would to have romantic time alone? I guess it depends, and this is just my opinion.

GiuliaPiraino

Sorry I meant that I second Danon on the issue not Degas.

LilyLace

On the other hand, we love the heat and always travel when we can at the warmest time of the year.

We always took our daughter everywhere (including several rough safaris) - kids learn so much and our now 23 year old is far more cultured socially than her counter parts. In fact we are so excited to be taking our 2 year old grandson somewhere soon!

The bottom line, is that if you know your kids pace yourselves to them. We are early risers so often will go out first thing and then back to the hotel for a late afternoon siesta before going out again for some dinner or dessert.

You mention picky eaters - to tell the truth I can't think of a better way to get over that! You will love how much more willing to try new things the kids will be if you start out travel young!

Have a ball!