Touring Europe with 1 year old
 

Hi,
My husband and I are planning a 20 days vacation in Europe End of august with our 13 months old daughter. our flight is to and from Paris, so we were looking at several options, my husband really wants to see Amsterdam, and I would like to see south of France (Nice or Cannes).
We first came up with this route:
Paris-Nice by Train
Nice-Venice by Train
Venice-Vienna by train
Vienna- Amsterdam By Air
Amsterdam-Paris By train

then we thought it is too ambitious considering we have to spend at least 7 hours in the train between Nice- Venice- Vienna. and we didn't like the flight in the middle.

we figured that one of us has to give up his destination in order to make a full round using trains only so we made another route:

Paris-Bern-cologne-Amsterdam-Paris. which is not that interesting to me.


considering that I have been to Bern,Genoa,Milan,Florence before, I wouldn't want to stop in them again, although I wouldn't mind Bern.

we've traveled with our daughter when she was 10 months old and she was very relaxed and sleeping on most of the flights/buses, and even during our walks in the city.

Any Thoughts or suggestions on how we can plan it would be appreciated.

then we thought it is too ambitious considering we have to spend at least 7 hours in the train between Nice- Venice- Vienna. and we didn't like the flight in the middle.>

Cut out Nice and you can take an overnight train Paris to Venice - get a private compartment and relax - bring food and drink on board - save on the cost of a hotel night and travel time, even over flying.

Amsterdam to Paris is by Thalys trains - www.thalys.com and you can score deep discounts if you book REALLY far in advance - like months to guarantee these limited in number tickets but you can save $200 or so over just showing up and buying once there.

For lots of great info on European trains check these IMO superb sources: www.seat61.com - great info on discounted tickets; www.ricksteves.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com - downlaod the latter's free online European Planning & Rail Guide for lots of rail itineraries in various countries.

<Paris-Bern-cologne-Amsterdam-Paris. which is not that interesting to me.> Well me either - Cologne to me is for most at best a few-hour stop to see the gargantuan Gothic cathedral right next to the train station - put your bags (and maybe kid!) in a station luggage locker - look around the church and Rhine boardwalk and go on to some place much nicer than to me blah modern Cologne (which I have spent weeks in off and on for business in the past).

Switzerland to me is the high Alps and not cities though pleasant as Bern and Lucerne, etc are - I'd say head for the hills and the fabulous Jungfrau Region around Interlaken. The dreamy Alpine wonderland perhaps etched in your minds' eyes - stay 3 or so relaxing days there.

Zurich to Amsterdam can also be done by overnight train.

See Amsterdam and Nice. I believe you can fly non-stop between the two cities.

What might be fun is plan to spend 5 days in Amsterdam and 5 days on the Belgian coast, and then 10 days on the French coast.

Just keep it simple and have a nice vacation that gives both of you want you want, and keeps it simple with the baby.

Don't do a circle - do open jaws flights - into the first city and out of the last to avoid wasting time getting back to paris.

Why not Paris, Amsterdam, Vienna, Venice and fly home form there? IMHO slower is better with a toddler who may not be happy being cooped up in a train for so many hours on multiple days.

Yes open-jaw ducats often do not cost much more if any than a round-trip sometimes as the case with London cheaper to return or fly into another city because of their steep landing fees.

If Amsterdam and Nice are priorities, and the Paris flights are already set in stone, then I'd suggest sticking to those three. cities. A week in each with your little one would be lovely.

thanks guys for the information and suggestions.