Some basic guidance please to narrow down the area
 

First of all please don't bring up a debate about traveling with kids because of health issues this may be a final wish kind of trip. So where would you suggest I begin looking for the following in Europe-

30 something fun loving couple
5 year old and 1 year old
multi-racial
only speak English
not rich, but like a bit of pamering
Somewhere warm enough for strolls in the early spring.
We love nature, museums, photography, outdoor cafe's, good food, history, art, music, cultures etc...

Thanks

It sounds more like an ad in the Village Voice than asking for assistance.

I'd suggest Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast, which is one of the most spectacular areas of Italy.

Sorrento has hotels available in every price range, and offers good transportation connections to Pompeii, Naples, Positano, Amalfi,Ravello, and Capri.

There's excellent reasonably priced restaurants in the old town, as well as lovely areas to stroll ( Marina Grande, where artists set up for the day) and savor a gelato-- or two!

Good luck with your plans, and all the best to you and your family.

Hi mom,

When are you going?

OOPs.

Early Spring.

April in Paris.......

Consider Rome, too. Even though the kids are older in this article, please read:

http://www.slowtrav.com/tr/TripReport.asp?tripid=288

On another thread, one of our regular posters kindly listed for someone else's request all the English speaking places in Europe. He said,

"There are four English-speaking countries in Europe - the UK, Ireland, Cyprus (at a pinch) and Malta"

Cyprus and Malta, both islands, would both pretty definitely be warm in early spring and have, I think, a modicum of your other requests. I would add the Azores, a group of islands off Portugal, where English is widely spoken as another possibility.

But if English is not a requirement, while I agree with Ira that Paris is a good choice, I think the South of France, perhaps Nice, would be even better. It will be warmer than Paris, spring is not yet high season there so prices will be less and there's everything else you require including some great natural beauty.

Fuengirola.

Best wishes,

Rex

I think Florence would match your interests well. Speaking English only is not a problem there, although it is courteous to learn a few words of Italian, such as please, thanks, do you speak English, etc.

Hotel rooms are usually small, so you might look for a pair of rooms, or even an apartment.

I think the Venice and Paris combination makes a great trip. Book plane tickets into one, take the overnight train in-between in a sleeper-cabin, then fly home out of the other. I have not encountered problems traveling either place as an English-only speaker. There is lots to see and do on this itinerary, but the logistics are not overly complicated, so I'm guessing would not be too stressful for family travel.

Go Holland. Stay in Haarlem. Everybody speaks English. Every race on the planet is represented and the people are very open minded about nearly everything. Not exactly warm in early spring but you can put on a windbreaker.

Some ideas for the kids which you won't find in many guidebooks:
Linnaeushof amusement park at www.linnaeushof.nl/ It's just south of Haarlem. Unfortunately the web site is only in Dutch.
Duinrel water amusement park at www.duinrell.nl/duinrell_en/index.htm. Duinrell is in Wassenaar, just north of The Hague.

Also, Madurodam (www.madurodam.nl) in The Hague is a fascinating place. Keukenhof (www.keukenhof.nl) gardens will be in bloom from late April to mid May.

Plenty of museums, outdoor cafes, music, etc. to last you a few months.

Thank you for your help. My dream is to go to France but friends keep mentioning the hatred towards Americans right now. Like cabs wouldn't pick them up etc. We wouldn't want the kids to be in a bad situation. Is it really bad? If I try to learn a few phrases in French would that be enough?

I will look up all the places mentioned above, thank you.

Have any of your friends who say there is hatred toward Americans in France actually been there? I have been in Paris three times in the past three years, and I never encountered any such thing. People were friendly and helpful, and many speak English at least as well as I speak French. If this is your dream, I would seriously consider looking into it more deeply.

We travel regularly to Europe with our little one. May I suggest to forgo a bit of pampering and rent an apartment. There are tons of choices on the internet. They are usually about half of the cost of a hotel, you can cook your own meals and there is usually about 3 times the space of an average hotel room. I also try to rent with a washer and dryer in the unit.

We have never had a probelm in Paris. A few pleasantries in french as well as the smiling (or tear stained) face of a child melts many hearts and political ideologies.

Definitely go somewher (Rome is a personal favorite) where there are playgrounds and birds to chase and you will all have a wonderful trip.
Bon voyage!

Amazing! I just looked up all those locations. If only time and money weren't an issue. Everyone should travel before they have families and responsibilities.

It looks like an ideal trip for us would be France, Italy and then Greece.

I feel my roots calling me home. My great-grandparents came over from Ireland, England, Germany and Spain. Are there any resources to find exactly where family lived with only names of the people?

Everyone experiences things differently. Although I don't doubt that your friends may have had problems about attitude towards people from the U.S., you'll probably find twice or three times as many that did not. We were there this summer, and I didn't see or hear any of this. It could have been because I speak French, but my husband doesn't and never expressed any discord the times he was exploring on his own.

There will always be people that hate you, no matter where you come from or what color your skin is. That should never be a reason to resist doing something that, as you say, could be a "final wish kind of trip". In fact, all the more reason to go!

Further, the attitude of the French towards multi-racial couples or families is -- I'm trying to think of the right word here -- heartwarming is okay, but doesn't really adequately describe what a non-issue it is. You will be impressed.

The south of France I think might really work for what you want to do. If you could make it a little later, I would be suggesting the jazz festivals, like Jazz a Juan (in Juan les Pins) or Montreux, since both offer a variety of music (not just jazz, but blues, R&R, etc.), which children and adults both love.

Thank you so much for all your help. Any books I should head to now?

My vote would go for Spain, but I've become a "Spain addict" (am even taking Spanish lessons), so that's my personal bias. We've been in Spain in April and the weather was very nice.

While I love Italy and France as well (an have never had any anti-American incidents directed towards me anyplace in France--quite the opposite, in fact, France and Italy tend to be a bit more expensive than Spain. Plus, the fact that you have roots in Spain would make it all the more worthwhile for you. Also, if you just learn a few words of Spanish, the people seem to really appreciate it. Most of the time we were able to find someone who spoke some English (or I managed with my very limited Spanish.)

Check out trip reports from here and some guidebooks and websites such as spain-living.com, okspain.org, red2000.com, etc. and see what would appeal to you. And then you can come back with more questions here.

I would encourage you to check out Lucca, Italy. It is in between Florence and Pisa in a wonderful valley. The city center is surrounded by a massive wall that has been maintained over the centuries. Currently, it is a major Park where you can walk and ride bikes.

Lucca is such a charming town. Have spent a week there and would gladly go back. It is not well known by many American travellers due most likely to the fame of the surrounding towns. It is a great place to station yourself to visit Siena, Florence, Pisa and the like. Check it out and find a gem!

I do know some Spanish, my dad is bilingual.

>My dream is to go to France but friends keep mentioning the hatred towards Americans right now.<

Nonsense. Hogwash.

(Not you, your "friends".)

Unfortunately, I think most of the hatred is going the other way -- from some segment of Americans toward the French. We have been in France twice the past two years and never encountered any sort of anti-American feelings. Anti-US-policy in the press, yes, but never on a personal level. Every individual French person we encountered was very friendly, and in fact did not want to talk politics, except that they were fascinated by "Arnold".

The short answer to your question is "anywhere south of Stockholm". If you're very sensitive to the occasional chill, find Orange on a map of France. Anywhere south of here, outside the mountains, will be warm enough from mid March for all but the most delicate to sit outside comfortably.

Your ancestors. Go to the Mormons' site (www.familysearch.org). Read its advice very carefully. Do exactly what it says.

<b> There are no short cuts in any of this (apart from paying through the nose to get someone else to do it). The Internet is awash with useless genealogy sites full of forlorn, unanswered questions like &quot;My grandmother, Jean Robertson, came from England. Where would she have been born?&quot; You have to do careful, meticulous work among your relatives and their surviving paperwork. If you're lucky, and do the work properly, you may find a great deal of detail about your ancestors (especially the English ones) actually on the Mormons' site, or on the odd Web-enabled national government record site. Try to do all possible homework - including getting birth certificates from Dublin or Southport - before leaving home. Even then, to be honest, few 30 yo parents have the time to pursue all this properly, unless their family has been unusually scrupulous about preserving documents </b>

I've answered your questions. Help me on some of mine. You claim that &quot;friends keep mentioning the hatred towards Americans right now. Like cabs wouldn't pick them up etc&quot;

How does a cab know a prospective fare's nationality? Has any cab, anywhere, ever thrown a customer out, once in, for any reason other than the driver's belief he wouldn't make money out of the fare? And what does &quot;etc&quot; mean anyway?

I think Ira's absolutely right: with the number of his posts, it had to happen sooner or later.

You've made a specific allegation of racism which several of us here think is simple hogwash.

Substantiate it.

Without getting too personal, is it a possible final wish for one of the adults or one of the children? Either way, it has to be a family friendly place but knowing the answer to this question may determine where you want the focus to be. In other words, who must have the time of their lives on this trip?

My vote is for Andalucia, Spain. Plenty of outdoors, seacoast, mountains, great food, etc. The Spanish also are very friendly to Americans so you have no worry here (NOT that I agree that the French have a problem with americans).

I agree with goingwithbaby...rent an apartment or house whereever you go. You will spend less and have more room and can cook all the great foods you see in the market. Much of Andalucia can be explored from a single base. It's very easy to find an apartment on the internet. I always choose only one that has a very detailed description and pictures of every room, the exterior and the view. A final tip...never assume that the apartment will have something (heat, a/c, etc) always check first.

Hi Island mom, i hope you find an ideal trip for your family. i did not start traveling wioth my kids til they were older, but I wish i had starteed earlier!

While I enjoyed Venice, and Florence, I really think (early) spring there has too much of a possibility to be cool and rainy.
For Italy I would consider Rome and south .
Suggestions for parts of Spain and Portugal sound wonderrful too! A friend traveled to Portugal with her young son, speaking not a word, except plaease and thank you. and she LOVED it!

I think your two children will definitely be &quot;passports&quot; for you any of these three countries , as children are definitely welcome presences .

Enjoy your planning, have a fabulous trip !!! and I wish for you that this may be only the first of many......

One thing about apartments vs. hotels.
We have done both, and I really love the freedom (and price ) that apartments allow one.
If you rent an apartment, you are a bit more &quot;on your own &quot; than if you are at a hotel. So, that could be something to keep in mind when looking for an apartment.
some companies are more inclusive than others, and do provide alot of help, others could just give you the key and say arrivederci .

but, apartments or little houses are fun.

If your trip involves a final wish for a member of your family, I do not think any time should be wasted worrying about something as generalized and unsubstantiated as possible &quot;hatred towards Americans&quot; in any specific country in Europe.

If, as you say, it's your dream to go to France, then do so. I would consider Paris for the combined interests you listed. Great food, great cafe life, a rich mixture of cultures, amazing music, incredible museums, beautiful parks for strolling. You could then explore the South of France.

The third item listed in your profile, being a multiracial couple, is not a huge issue of any kind as far as I know, with regard to Europe.

Among my several friends in the UK, there is a multiracial couple. They never describe themselves this way, though. It's just not foremost in the way they present themselves to the world, and not an &quot;issue&quot;.
They travel in Europe every year on vacation with their daughter, and have a fine time. As I'm sure you and your family can if you want to. I think this issue can be whatever you make of it while you're traveling.

As far as not wanting your kids to be &quot;in a bad situation&quot;, again, this is such a generalized statement that it's difficult to know what your specific concerns are.

To try and answer a few of your questions/requirements:

&quot;First of all please don't bring up a debate about traveling with kids because of health issues this may be a final wish kind of trip.&quot;
Children are very welcome, indeed adored, in any part of southern Europe. I don't see why health should be an issue: health care is excellent throughout western Europe (and beyond). Indeed, France is ranked No.1 for health care by the World Health Organisation.

&quot;multi-racial&quot;
This is really an non-issue in western Europe.

&quot;only speak English&quot;
don't panic, Europe is awash with only engish-speaking tourists (us Brits for a start). A phrasebook, a smile and a few polite hand gestures will suit you fine.

&quot;not rich, but like a bit of pampering&quot;
Western Europe certainly isn't cheap, but good food, scenery, culture etc can be done on a budget. Spain and Greece are more reasonable than Italy and France.

&quot;Somewhere warm enough for strolls in the early spring.&quot;
Think Southern France, mid-southern Italy, and Spain. You won't be sunbathing, but it should be pleasant.

&quot;We love nature, museums, photography, outdoor cafe's, good food, history, art, music, cultures etc...&quot;
You could go virtually anywhere in Europe for these, so go with your heart. Everyone here has their favourites (mine's Italy, for instance, and Florence/Tuscany would capture all of these things).

As others have said, anti-americanism in France seems to be american press propogranda. The French have supposedly hated the English for centuries, but still make us very welcome. Go wherever suits you.

Another point in favor of Paris -- if your kids get tired of museums and culture, you could always make a side trip to Euro Disney. Of course, there are plenty of parks for the kids right in the city.

I vote for France, Paris in particular. I was there last November and encountered nothing but charm (OK ... a surly waiter or two but that is part of the Parisian experience...they are surly to Parisians as well..!). I don't speak French very well - but if you decide on France, you'll read the advice about learning the most common, crucial polite phrases. Otherwise, I believe they are very open minded, with a &quot;live and let live&quot; attitude which is often misinterpreted as &quot;cool&quot; or &quot;inattentive&quot; and other &quot;hogwash&quot;.
To my experience, they are not uncaring, they just want to mind their own business and in so doing, not mind others!
The apartment Idea is VERY good and will save you some euro's in which to pamper yourself.
There is a carousel in the middle of the Tuileries that the children would enjoy, I believe little boats the 5 year old can sail in the Luxembourg.
I believe Paris is a must see in life.
How would a cabby know if I were an American or not?

Okay, not friends... coworkers of my mom. They got into 4 cabs and were kicked out of 4 once it was known they were American. And etc. is she mentioned just general hatred, that it was a bad experience and didn't ask more. That's the story I got when mentioning my desire to go now. And just in general my friends are scared. I'm sorry if that hurt anyone's feelings. I just really wanted to know.

Not that I should have to share but, I'm losing my ability to walk and each day I am weaker. All the tests aren't back yet. Could be MS, tumor or something that will be fine down the road. It's progressing very quickly though. I want happy family photos of active adventures in case I am limited soon.

Thank you for the advice.

Islandmom: The story your mother's co-workers told doesn't sound right. With repeated trips to Paris, we've never been mistreated because we're Americans.

Could it be the number of people trying to get into the cab? Sometimes cabs won't take more than three people or they have a luggage limit--it could be that the language barrier prevented an explanation. I saw such an incident once--four large men were trying to get into a taxi with lots of luggage. The poor taxi driver was trying to explain and the guys were getting insulted because they couldn't understand. Luckily, a man near us who was fluent in English explained to the men before things got really bad.

I love France, and it upsets me when people make extended assumptions out of simple misunderstandings. Not long ago, I posted that a friend of mine hated France for years simply because she didn't understand that it is the custom to ask for the check at dinner. She assumed that the waiters--every single waiter in France!--were purposely trying to insult them by not bringing the check because they were Americans.

That said, given your physical condition,I think you'd be better off weatherwise further south than the Riviera or Florence. Our spring break in Nice and another one in Florence were quite cold and rainy.

Our Rome weather was mild one half the time and quite sunny, pleasantly hot the other half. That was the weather norm for spring.

There is one caveat: we have always found it easy to economize in Paris (supposedly an expensive city). Rome was a tad more difficult.

As long as you aren't Jewish, it's unlikely (though not impossible) that you would run into unmanageable problems in Paris because you are American. Somewhat more of an issue if you are Jewish.

Go to your dream place - France. I agree with the &quot;hogwash&quot; comment. We experienced no negativity and we spoke English the entire trip.

Perhaps you could do a few days in Paris and then take the TGV to Provence or the Riveria?

By the way, (on a much less serious note) my sister almost cancelled her trip to Disney World with the little ones because of back troubles and difficulty walking. Her doctor said to go and use a wheelchair even though she felt she didn't &quot;need it&quot;. The trip turned out great. The wee one could hop in her lap for a ride when tired. A side benefit (that my sister tried to refuse) was that they were whisked to the front of all the lines.

Do take a cane - or buy a great one as a souvenir. Enjoy whatever mobility you have at the time and do make adjustments without embarrassment.

Hi mom,

Sorry to hear about our health problem.

I still suggest Paris.

I took my mother (87) at the end of April, 2004. She loved it.

The trans portation system is excellent. You don't have to walk if you are tired.

There are plenty of benches upon which to rest.

There is more than enough to see and do in a month of Sundays, for the adults and the kids.

You might find my trip report helpful.
Ira?s Mother?s Trip to Paris
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34497442

islandmom, I too am sorry to hear of your health problems and hope that a diagnosis and cure are forthcoming quickly.

If Paris is where you choose to go, by all means go! I am an american jew who went to Paris this past April and had not one negative experience. Just like everywhere else, when you treat people with respect, your are generally treated with respect in return.

I saw an American woman in the Louvre (ahead of me in line)trying to rent an English audio guide. She was treated poorly by the attendant, because SHE was being so rude.

As for language, study some basic phrases. You shouldnt have trouble communicating. Many people in Paris speak English.

All that said, I'd like to suggest that you consider visiting Italy! Last year, my family went and we found the Italians so warm, friendly and welcoming of children. Whatever you decide, best of luck to you.

I certainly wouldn't want to support unfair stereotypes. Paris and South France is our first choice then. Italy and Greece as money allows. We aren't Jewish. I'm white and my husband is black, Cheerokee and Chinese. I'm off to research all your suggestions.

We just returned from France: Normandy, Burgundy, Provence, and Paris. Nowhere did we experience any anti-American sentiment. In fact, most of the villages and towns in Normandy that we visited were flying American flags along with the French, and quite a few areas were having commemerations of the D-Day landings--with French taking the part of Americans, wearing vintage uniforms. At the American cemetery near Omaha Beach we saw at least as many French as American and British visitors.

Please don't think that the French attitude toward the war in Iraq means a hatred of Americans. It does not.

Hi Mom,

May I also suggest the Dordogne region of France.

Look up StCirq's reports and get from your library Freda White's &quot;Three Rivers of France&quot;, Arcade Publishing Co, NY

The Brits have been going there for centuries.