My wife has always dreamed of going to france together. We didn't get the chance to go before we had our first baby. I am going to surprise her with a trip, but we are going to have to take the baby with us. We are very experienced travelers and we love traveling with our baby but have never been to Europe with a baby. I need some advice on hotels, and anything I should pay special attention to or consider before going. Any advice is appreciated.

Can't help you with baby travel, but I have to say that your post title made me think immediately of the film "Bringing up Baby"!

I hope you get some real responses soon. You'll find that the French are quite baby-friendly. Where in France do you plan to travel?

We just went to France this year and left the baby (11 month old) at home. It was the best decision for us. Maybe you want to postpone this trip a bit until you can leave the baby with some in-laws while you are gone?

A friend of a friend took their baby to Ireland for two weeks and the first week was spent getting the baby over jetlag and figuring out what it could eat, and the second week was spent finding a doctor and eventually taking it to a foreign hospital for the cold and ear infection it caught on the plane. Then the next two unplanned weeks were spent by the mother and baby with very distant relatives in Ireland while the baby recouperated enough to fly home.

I hate to be a wet blanket, but I know that our trip was very romantic and would have been incredibly spoiled by taking the baby. The whole trip would have been about meeting her needs and none of ours. Maybe travel in the U.S. to places you've never been and save France for later?

Here's a useful thread on the subject:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34613278

You might also find this article helpful:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servl...NCE18/TPTravel

It's a bit tricky even with an 8 year old. I'd really suggest that you forego your trip until baby is at least a toddler or leave the baby at home.

I am a little concerned that you plan to surprise your wife with this. Are you sure she will be thrilled to take a baby to Europe? Babies generally require so much attention to their needs that having fun on a trip to Europe WHILE meeting the baby's needs might be difficult. I would wait until the baby is old enough to leave with close relatives. At the very least I wouldn't "surprise" your wife with this trip.

I'm sure if both parents are used to caring for the baby, they could easily have fun going to Europe with the baby, but definitely not as a surprise! Many people travel overseas with infants, but a happy trip takes preparation. (And bad luck is still a possibility.)

I hear 6 months old or so is about perfect for traveling with a baby. They can hold their own heads up, but they're not walking so they can't leave you, and they're generally happy in a Bjorn or other baby carrier close to you (and they're still light enough to carry).

It also depends heavily on your kid's temperament. Some kids are happy to just snuggle and go where you go, some will scream the second their "routine" is interrupted. Evaluate what kind of kid you have, and make your decisions accordingly. Personally, unless you've got a screamer, I'd go now.

The French are very baby friendly, and I'd suggest making a very loose list of what you want to see so you don't feel rushed, and that way any time you can spend sightseeing will be happy time, not trying to rush around with a kid who may not want to play along.

I would also suggest staying in a hotel in the 7th or so if you go to Paris -- close in to the heart of the city, easy walking and short bus/taxi rides to the sights, and lots of parks and other fun stuff to stroll as a family in.

Happy travels

Jules

WE have, and will continue to take our kids to Europe. We have been with a three year-old, four year-old and 4 month-old, five year-old and 13 month-old, and a six year-old and 18 month-old. We have had great experiences, but our children travel really well regardless of the mode of travel(part of it, I think, is that we start them young). We have some much fun with both of them, but the trips are different than if we went by ourselves. I do not forsee a problem if you are prepared and are thoughtful n your planning. There are many threads on this. CLick on my name and you should find a few. The one linked above is very good.

I would imagine that going to France will be much the same for the 3 of you as it would be just you and your wife. How old is the baby? Still in a crib?
I think the baby paraphenalia is the most difficult, bottle warmers etc..but if you are past that, I think it will be much the same as when you travel anywhere with Baby
I am sure you know your wife better than we do , lol, so I just want to hear how she took it.
I personally, LOVE surprises like that!!
Perhaps the one thing that might be more difficult is the long flight, but then, flying overnight, the baby will sleep ( cross your fingers...If you keep the baby on the same schedule, jet lag might not be such a problem, since babies nap anyway..but then, how old is the baby?
Good luck, and I think you will be fine, they have babies all over France LOL

..the age of your baby is impt. an infant is really easy esp if you (whoops) your wife is breast feeding though I would not travel with any infant until about 6 weeks old abs minimum and preferably 3 mo...easy until about 14 mo. I hate travelling from 21 mo to just under 4..then I find it easy until the teens (difficult home and abroad). I think when travelling with a child you must modify the trip so everyone has a good time though for the itty bitties the will just sleep in their stroller or back pack. A hotel room is ok with an infant (with a small fridge"..with a toddler and apt or apt hotel really helps..

Have you flown with your baby yet? I would advise a short trip somewhere before booking the dream vacation.

We were SOO miserable flying to a wedding halfway across the country when my oldest was four months old. I saw many of the problems that can arise firsthand. Everyone seems to have different stories about traveling with a child. It definitely seems like more of a gamble.

We enjoyed out trip to Italy -- I have begun my trip report. If interested, click on my name with my kids, who are 10, 7 and 5. But I am glad they were old enough to enjoy it too.

France with a baby may not be the France your wife was thinking about for you two together. This may actually turn out to be a dissapointment for everybody, including yourself who may have the expectation that such a surprise trip ought to turn out just wonderful. Not necessarily. Traveling with a baby may not be nowhere near your wife's idea a trip to France together. Consider that.

I agree maybe a surprise is not the best idea in this situation. Make sure she'd like to do this. If yes, use apts. rather than hotels. More room, kitchen facilities etc. Lots of info here on apts. in Paris. If the baby is a good flyer, you're set.

You might enjoy reading "Paris to the Moon."

More food for thought here

http://parents.berkeley.edu/advice/going/europe.html

My husband and I have sometimes traveled with our two children and sometimes left them with grandparents (even having to fly to another city to drop them off with the grandparents). Our children have traveled on airplanes from as early as 8 months of age.

As a mom, I sometimes felt like taking the children with us, and sometimes really needed to get away from them for a while.

My advice? Please do not buy any tickets without talking to your wife first. Ask what she wants.

Also, please ask yourself whether you are willing to do half the work involved in having your child on the trip with you. I don't know how much you take part in the childcare usually, but traveling with a child is wonderful and exhausting at the same time. As a mother, I have always found myself doing about 80 percent of the childcare when my husband and I travel with them. I do resent it a bit that I wake up early to wash and dress the kids and myself while my husband only wakes up just in time for breakfast!

I think your intentions are good, but please don't surprise your wife with nonrefundable tickets.

I'm in a similar position. We're planning a trip to Paris when my baby will be 1 year. Is it going to be hard? Of course! Will it be different than if it was just the two of us? Of course! However, those statements apply to pretty much EVERYTHING about our lives right now -- and I wouldn't want it any other way. I don't have any advice for you -- but I am supportive and hope you do get some really helpful tips soon! Good Luck! Oh and by the way -- if my husband surprised me with a trip to Paris I'd be overjoyed. Nobody gets a surprise trip and thinks "No thanks, sounds like to much work!"

chef, you might want to take a look at this post from the Asia board about a couple who backpacked through Japan with a 6-month old child:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34736225

Sounds like they were very successful.

Anselm

topping

I hate it when we all take time from our busy day to pour our hearts and minds out to people seeking advice, and then we never hear from them again.

So what happened Chef?