Tour to Europe
Dec 24th, 2016, 04:46 PM
#21
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As I said - tour usually don;t allow kids under the age of 12. Yes, there are a few that do - but they are definitely at the higher end of the cost spectrum - and I'm not at all sure the kids enjoy them - but at least all of the other parents have kids too.
Dec 25th, 2016, 09:42 AM
#22
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Yes think of how many potential problems young kids on long bus rides could have- not nice for them or if really young perhaps for others.
Too bad there are not tours devoted to folks with young kids besides Steves and 8 is the cut off there.
Too bad there are not tours devoted to folks with young kids besides Steves and 8 is the cut off there.
Dec 25th, 2016, 10:19 AM
#23
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I feel like you should possibly book through gate one or fork out money for a travel agent. As someone else said, it takes a lot of work to plan a trip- the more people you have with you, especially kids, the more planning. I really enjoy the planning bit. I get consumed by it. But if relatives came up to me and said what you've said in this thread, I'd hand them off to a travel agent. Or convince them to stay in one spot- one hotel- the whole time. It's easier to wing it the longer you're in a spot and then there's also less of a chance something will go wrong- like transit connections or whatever.
The thing about both the kids and other members of the group being tortured...I don't think that's a given. People don't go on tours expecting things to be all about them, or at least they shouldn't. I've found that the people who thoughtfully travel with kids- they're the people you want on your tours, with or without the kids. The thoughtless ones- well, kids or no kids, I don't want to be on tours with them anyway. As a kid, I'd rather have been dragged through a bunch of museums and monuments than been subjected to an endless round of department stores. And I'd been on both kinds of trips before I was 8.
I suspect if it's not a liability issue, it's simply a practicality issue for those companies. Tours are largely for people who want to see a lot in a short period of time, and a practical itinerary with kids is not a fast one, heavy on museums and churches. Strollers would be obnoxious and time consuming to load on the bus. 8 would be my minimum cut off age too, and that still seems pretty young, but it's cool that Steves offers that option.
The thing about both the kids and other members of the group being tortured...I don't think that's a given. People don't go on tours expecting things to be all about them, or at least they shouldn't. I've found that the people who thoughtfully travel with kids- they're the people you want on your tours, with or without the kids. The thoughtless ones- well, kids or no kids, I don't want to be on tours with them anyway. As a kid, I'd rather have been dragged through a bunch of museums and monuments than been subjected to an endless round of department stores. And I'd been on both kinds of trips before I was 8.
I suspect if it's not a liability issue, it's simply a practicality issue for those companies. Tours are largely for people who want to see a lot in a short period of time, and a practical itinerary with kids is not a fast one, heavy on museums and churches. Strollers would be obnoxious and time consuming to load on the bus. 8 would be my minimum cut off age too, and that still seems pretty young, but it's cool that Steves offers that option.
Dec 25th, 2016, 10:34 AM
#24
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The questions you are asking, shakilhyd, indicate that you either haven't bothered, or don't want, to do any useful research on your own. Get some guidebooks and read them. Go on the internet and check the official websites for places you want to visit.
No one can tell you how much you will spend in Paris for a hotel. It could be 50 €, it could be 500 €.
We don't even have a clue what you mean by "economical," so start figuring out what your budget actually is and then find travel solutions that meet your budget criteria.
No one can tell you how much you will spend in Paris for a hotel. It could be 50 €, it could be 500 €.
We don't even have a clue what you mean by "economical," so start figuring out what your budget actually is and then find travel solutions that meet your budget criteria.
Dec 25th, 2016, 10:44 AM
#25
For those interested in what it's like to go on a RS Family Europe tour, go here:
https://www.ricksteves.com/tours/scr...lum-scrapbooks
and look at 2013 and 2014. One of the 2013 scrapbooks was done by one of the kids.
https://www.ricksteves.com/tours/scr...lum-scrapbooks
and look at 2013 and 2014. One of the 2013 scrapbooks was done by one of the kids.
Dec 25th, 2016, 04:30 PM
#26
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Shakilhyd, since you seem a little lost with all if this, keep it straightforward and simple.
Fly into London.
Stay five nights, either an apartment or family room in a hotel. Pick out lots of fun stuff for the kids: Hampton Court Palace, Tower of London, a play, canal boat ride, etc.
Take the train to Paris.
Stay five nights in a hotel or apartment style hotel. Visit lots of parks (buy little boats for the kid to sail), Versailles (rent a row boat and pretend your kids are royalty, eat in the little town of Versailles and go to the market there), a couple of short Museum visits, a couple of churches, a short river cruise.
Fly home.
Simple, easy, fun trip!
Fly into London.
Stay five nights, either an apartment or family room in a hotel. Pick out lots of fun stuff for the kids: Hampton Court Palace, Tower of London, a play, canal boat ride, etc.
Take the train to Paris.
Stay five nights in a hotel or apartment style hotel. Visit lots of parks (buy little boats for the kid to sail), Versailles (rent a row boat and pretend your kids are royalty, eat in the little town of Versailles and go to the market there), a couple of short Museum visits, a couple of churches, a short river cruise.
Fly home.
Simple, easy, fun trip!
Dec 26th, 2016, 10:52 AM
#29
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5. Any other advise to make this visit more memorable.>
don't over plan time- leave time for wondering - sitting at cafes and watching the world go by -just as nice as museums to me - all culture is not in museums but also in cafes - walking is great in Paris and what I see between the mega tourist sites is often as neat as the sites themselves.
Any hotel in central Paris is well located but especially anywhere near the Seine between say Notre-Dame and Tour Eiffel areas. The metro goes everywhere - no hotel will be more than a short stroll from a metro station and the metro can be fun too (but watch out for pickpockets in crowds!)
don't over plan time- leave time for wondering - sitting at cafes and watching the world go by -just as nice as museums to me - all culture is not in museums but also in cafes - walking is great in Paris and what I see between the mega tourist sites is often as neat as the sites themselves.
Any hotel in central Paris is well located but especially anywhere near the Seine between say Notre-Dame and Tour Eiffel areas. The metro goes everywhere - no hotel will be more than a short stroll from a metro station and the metro can be fun too (but watch out for pickpockets in crowds!)
