I was wondering if other fodorites have travel tips for a single mom traveling throughout Europe for a month with an 11 year old? I find so many wonderful ideas and tips from other travelers and hope you might have something to share on this topic. Thanks!

I have on disc notes on what parents have said in this forum about their children in Paris and in London. If you ask me I shall be glad to e-mail you copies.

Ben Haines
[email protected]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...051200562.html

As this article suggests... adjust your focus (and expectations). Science and industry museums instead of art for example.

Let your child help determine where you will be going. My 14 yr old and I traveled in France for two weeks. Week one in Paris was non-negotiable and I let him pick the other week's destination. He chose Normandy due to his 8th grade history class' study of the area.

Most 11 year olds can still be persuaded to play at playgrounds. It's very fun to sit on a bench and watch your child interacting with kids from other countries on the playground. In Florence, two younger boys "made" my daughter play with them (took her by the hand and led her to where they were playing.) It was a priceless experience.

My youngest (10 at the time) also LOVED feeding the pigeons at St. Marks in Venice. (The next oldest child did not want the pigeons anywhere near her.)

Kids love anything that can be climbed to the top of and looked out of. Climbing to the top of St. Peter's in Rome is like a funhouse.

Crepes in Paris. Gelato in Italy.

Let him or her bring a game boy and/or an iPod...that will buy you a few exta minutes in churches or museums that interest you but not your child.

Seek out a few live shows. We saw a tap dance show in Rome that my kids really enjoyed.

Don't be afraid of theme parks. Disneyland Paris was like a vacation from our vacation. It was fun for me to see families from Germany, Italy, Spain, England, etc. and how they interacted with one another.

Have him or her learn a few words of each language....hello, goodbye, please, thank you, and "I would like" (for ordering food.) Your child will get such positie strokes for attempting to speak the language!

Make him or her keep a journal...it will be priceless in the future.

It would be nice if you could rent apartments rather than always staying in a hotel. It's comforting to a child to be able to have familiar cereal and milk, for example, for breakfast...no need to be adventurous for ALL meals.

Have a great trip!

You need to go slower with kids and do let them get involved with the itinerary. We loved doing lots of reading for a whole year before our trip and brought the key books along.

I love the book " Storybook Travels" that uses good child's lit for making family itineraries.

We used it and made up our own! Just as reading will make the trip richer for you, the same holds true with kids.

DON'T skip the museums, just pace them more for kids. We did 3 art museums in a day in Paris, but did not stay too long at any of them and caught 2 of them at their least crowded times.

We have a 6 year old so we also stopped in parks along the way as well as meal breaks.The next day we had an easy day of lots of free play with a little French boy across the way.

You will have a wonderful time!!

You might find some more ideas on our website and blog which shows our journey thru Europe as a family for the last 6 months:

http://www.soultravelers3.com/

My son, who has been traveling to Europe with us since he was nine, stays interested by taking lots of photos. I would suggest a decent digital camera that gives him the ability to store hundreds of photos.

I have found on our trips to Europe that a deck of UNO cards comes in handy. Make sure your child learns the colors and numbers in the language of the country you are visiting. Also, many European children have learned the English words for colors and numbers. They have fun "showing off" their knowledge to each other.

Also, a soccer ball is alway a big hit. My son traveled through Germany and Italy this summer with his soccer ball and goalie gloves and found some kids to play with nearly every day.

I went to Europe the first time at Age 10. I remember almost nothing from that 3-week long trip. I went again at 11. Still remember almost nothing. I was fun though, and I got sad that vacation is almost over and it's time to go back to school.

So, it really doesn't matter where you bring the kid. They won't remember much, but they should enjoy it.

And tell them to watch the traffic when crossing the roadways.

Get her set up with her own small suitcase (on wheels) and carry-on bag (small day pack). Make sure she has her own entertainment (whatever she likes at home), books, music, etc.

I took my 9 year old last year by myself to Europe and we planned the trip together and did and saw the things we both wanted to. He loved the down times the best ( going to the hot springs in Budapest, playing tennis on clay courts in Germany, and trying ice creams in each and every country!) We had a blast and he talks still talks about the trip. I don't think he'll forget it. Paris was fun but with museums try to find the few things they want to see and just do those. Picnics were much easier for food then fancy restaurants. Have a great time.

Thanks so much for the great advice with the exception of "he won't remember anything so it doesn't matter"! Geeze...don't answer if you aren't going to address the question

I did answer your question. Too bad you don't appreciate my effort. It means you don't have to bring them to all these "must sees" for adults. As long as they enjoy the trip, that's fine. They can always go back to revisit those places when they grow up, like I have.

rkkwan-you are correct I do not appreciate posts that are critical in nature. I do appreciate your articulation of staying away from adult "must sees", though I'm not sure what you are referencing.

Sounds like a great experience for you and your child. This past summer DH and I took my brother-in-law (14 yoa) to Spain for a week after the rest of the family had gone home.

Initially, he was very passive about what he wanted to do when we got there, but since he had picked the country, I insisted that he go through the guidebooks and pick some stuff that he wanted to do. This resulted in our taking the "Tour of Modern Architecture" in Barcelona which was one of the highlights of my trip!

I would say, definitely get your 11 yr old's input. You might end up doing something you wouldn't have expected and love it!

P.S. "adult must-sees" I would assume are things that some people say you can't miss while you are there. (In our trip, it was the Prado in Madrid. I enjoyed it; DH was fine with it; BIL could have taken it or left it, but some people say you can't leave without seeing it.) Definitely plan WITH your kid, and you will both have a great time.

MP

Thanks MP! I do appreciate your suggestions.

Well, everyones memories are different ,but I think she will definitely remember the trip forever and it will have a profound impact.

I have very clear memories back to when I was 2 and very clear ones from 5 on.

My niece did 2 weeks in Japan at barely 5 and still has very strong memories of that trip.

Take lots of pics and video and keep those wonderful memories alive forever!

You also keep it alive thru books for prep and books afterward and movies showing places that you saw. Our trip has made a world of difference in my 6yo reference points.

I am in my 50's and we still talk about famous family trips that we took as young kids...the highlight of our lives.

Now thats a 1st, Giggles36kd not liking things "critical in nature"
It seems you feel free to meet out criticism when it suits you, whether here or in Florida.
AS you americans say.
Its all about u isn't it????

Maravich999

When you happen to get to Amsterdam: http://www.e-nemo.nl/index.php?id=5&s=85&d=551
This is an interactive scientific museum for kids. Most kids love it!

Plus if you want to get away from hotel-rooms; you could spend a few nights at a holidy village. The best holiday-villages in Europe IMO are the villages from Center Parcs (www.centerparcs.com). You can rent cottages for 2/4/6/8 persons, for a weekend, mid-week or week. The cottages come fully equiped. Best part of this villages are the giant glass covered domes in the center. This domes contains really cool subtropical swimming paradises (slides, wave pools etc) and a village center with restaurants and shops.

wow (rrkwan) you don't remember things when you were 10 and 11 years old? how unfortunate.

(giggles36kd) certainly that doesn't hold for everyone. i have memories from family trips from 3 years old on.

to your original question, besides my backpack/suitcase idea, get the kid involved in the planning. have them look at the book at pick things that they want to see or do. get some "buy in".

Yes, I do remember some things during my trip to Europe when I was 10. It was a 3-week bus tour, so there must be some stuff I remembered. Things I remember include:

- Some Paris Metro lines use rubber tires

- There's lots of water in Stockholm and some subway stops are very deep with extremely long escalators

- Long walks along the canals in Copenhagen. And the hotel we stayed where the front desk gave us a room with someone still inside - scary!

- I remember our coach and our German coach driver, Dieter, very well. I sat behind him for basically the whole journey

- Topless sunbathers along the canals in Amsterdam. I didn't actually see her/them, but I remember all of a sudden, all of my tourmates from Hong Kong suddenly turned to look at something/someone.

and so on...

So, I guess my memory wasn't as bad as I thought!