averyjade

Booked our flights- into Paris and out of Rome this July for 3 weeks. Would love to hear your experience and advice with traveling with children. My husband and I have an active 5 1/2 year old, I am so confused what to do that I am thinking of cancelling. (have been reading prior post and travel books)
Cities or towns, hotels, castle, or gites/Agriturismo, by the sea or villa with a pool? Two home bases or moving around.

nessundorma

If your instinct is that your active child needs the countryside, there are many stunningly beatuful farm stays in both France and Italy where kids can be with animals, have a swimming pool and join activities while their parents eat the best food they've ever had, relax and make occasional forays to nearby towns with great historical and artistic sites. The Slow Travel website is a good resource for finding the right rentals.

That said, I've seen many happy children in Rome and Paris -- some happier than honeymooning couples. I think the key for 3 weeks in July is finding accommodations WITH AIR CONDITIONING in these cities (consider an apartment rental) and that ALL of you live like the natives -- which means a nice long rest in your cool apartment during the hottest part of the day (I'm talking naps for you all).

In the mornings, Paris if filled with delightful amusements for children: boat rides, towers, parks, funiculars, stinky markets. The French are quite kind to children. The Romans will practically adopt your child (he or she likes pizza and ice cream, yes?) and the Forum is really not a bad place to just run around. The piazzas of Rome -- espcecially piazza Navona -- are filled with performers. There are balloon rides, the hugeness of St. Peter's and other treats.

I would let my young child stay up late at night were I in the cities. Both Rome and Paris are likely to have outdoor movies and other summer festivals.

Have a good time. I've often wished I could visit Italy with little kids. They get the best treatment!

lincasanova

vomiting and diarrhea with lap held infant ( 20 years ago) on translantic flight next to businessman during one hour of turbulence.

lincasanova

oops. just read title, not question...

i have travelled with my children all over and some of the fondest memories are of trips with them.
things will go slower, but there are so many activities and parks, child orineted attractions that i am sure this will be no different than going on a trip in your own country.(except for the long plane ride).

so much of the experience of these grand cities, towns, is VISUAL, sipping a drink in a plaza and just watching the people move by with an historic cathedral or palatial home as a backdrop.

an active child is a handful anywhere, so why not enjoy some new, adventurous sites?

unless you are a beach freak, i don't think the sun is very healthy , especially for children.
but an agriturism or two in italy in diffrent areas would keep the day trip driving down to more minimum. you are going to want WATER for resfreshing in italy, i can guarantee you.

check into car seat regulations for each country. you might need a booster seat.

(and, not a bad idea to take some special medicine and extra clothes, for BOTH of you, on airplane in CASE you have a problem like i did!)

sfmaster

In last 12 months went to India and Croatia with my 5 year old and 2.5 year old.

All the tough part of travel fades and I remember all the good stuff.

I love the focus I have on my kids when I am not worried about laundry, bills, cooking, scheduling, checking email.

Kids love having their parents attention most and travel gives us that chance sometimes more than hanging out at home.

For me - too much time in super urban environments is tougher with kids. So I would have a couple of days in the cities for sure, but then be in smaller areas and for my kids throw in some swimming when you can. Renting apartments, houses is great, but I don't like to be ina situation where I end up cooking every meal - Agriturisimo could be excellent as many will serve breakfast etc.

My 5 year old is really starting to be an amazing traveller. When paced well (not too much in one day with occasional days to just hang out) she is a keen observer and it so fun to be with her out in the world.

They absorb YOUR energy though - so make sure you decide to be relaxed, take things slow, see the big picture.

The gift of a global perspective is invaluable. Relax and have a great time.

Roosters

We have now worsts--all four of our teens loved:

Costa Rica (fascinated with the monkeys, sloths and volcanoes--let alone the surfing)

Mexico--at a resort (they loved how they could eat as much as they wanted whenever they wanted--AND, loved all the water volleyball and sand volleyball games that took place all the time)

Maine--we drove in an RV to Maine from Colorado...although they liked the RV--Maine was col and rainy and the ocean was, too, of course..over there...so, they didn't necessarily like the Maine part

This summer we are going to Ireland with them. I think they will love it.

peppermintpatti

Hi Averyjade, We have been travelling with our daughter since she was 2 years old. She is now eleven.

We usually found it was easier to stay not in hotels, but in a place that had a seating area, perhaps with TV. Now since laptops are more popular, if she was that age, I would bring one, for dvds. We found that we would stay out all day, from 8 am until about 8pm, and then go back to the apartment, and let her wind down with a little tv watching.

Our major concern was avoiding disruption to other travellers. I think in both the cities you mentioned there are plenty of activities you will be able to partcipate in, and not just the ones geared toward children. For instance, I did not find the Louvre to be a particularly quiet place, so you could go enjoy some of the artwork, and not have to worry that your child was disruptive. My husband and I usually for these sorts of things would take turns watching our daughter, in a museum, while the other viewed the exhibits.

We found that the different surroundings kept her interest, and had no problem taking her to sit down restaurants. Quite often strangers in restaurants would compliment us on her good behavior.

The one problem I would wonder about is the walking. You said your child is active, so hopefully would be up to the challenge of alot of walking.

Our child seemed to enjoy the sea, over the pool. Shell collecting, frisbee, kite flying, sand castles, etc. seemd to hold her interest longer.

My suggestion since you have 3 weeks, is to take it easy, not plan too much for each day, and try to plan around your childs routine.

If your child falls asleep easily in the car, I bet he/she would fall asleep easily on the plane. THat has been my experience. We were in Paris last fall for a strike, and ended up a total of 13 hours on the plane coming home. There was no whining, grabbiness etc, only many questions, and I attribute this to much travelling experience for her, and a laid back attitude from us.

I hope you won't cancel your trip. If you wait for the perfect time to travel with children, it will never come! IMHO travel is the best education. Your child may not have the same opportunities as an adult, and you will be making great memories that will last a lifetime.

travelgirl2

Can you slip in a week in Tuscany at a villa with a pool? We took our 5 and 3 year olds for 3 weeks of touring Italy/France/Germany and found the break in the middle to be relaxing. We would go out for the morning touring and have a late lunch then go back to the villa and swim and relax and make a simple dinner. (The Italian restaurant dinners were to-o-o long for the kids.)

We also stayed with friends in France for a few days. Other than that, we stayed in cities for 3-4 days each. The cities were fun, but I think it was because we weren't in them for the whole 3 weeks.

We all have the fondest memories of this trip.

averyjade

Thanks for the ideas and encouragement. Would love to hear more about your travel experiences. I agree with not planning too much in a day and staying put for awhile. I am back at doing more research for the trip. (3 days Paris, 7 days Ile de Re, the remainder in Tuscany, 3 days in Florence, leave Rome for another time.
p.s. traveling back from the Rockies, sitting between my husband who had just broke his arm on the last ski run and my daughter who had the stomach flu both vomited on me. The flight attendant gave me a couple of napkins and compt my wine.

Scarlett

The one thing that you can almost count on is that a child will get sick sometime on that trip..or right before it. That is what mine did. I was a walking medicine cabinet every time we traveled

I would cut down on the travel, spend more time in a few places and go at a more leisurely pace. Food and sleep and as close to a schedule as you can keep will work best with a 5 1/2 year old.

I would choose as few home bases as possible and a villa with a pool sounds better and easier on you.

I had two small ones one year in a villa by the sea and we all took turns getting sick, that pool and yard were life savers for those who were not sick.

Good luck, it will all work out and you will have a wonderful time.

weasel

Hi, I have 3 kids and we have taken them everywhere. My oldest is hyperactive, we got tired just watching him. My suggestion is always pack extra food/snacks/water. A hungry child is never a happy child. Take every day as it comes and don't try to cram too much in or then you have cranky adults too. Italy is great for kids because the Italians are very family oriented. The agriturismos are great with kids because they are more laid back and usually have open spaces for the kids to play while you and your hubby relax over a bottle of local wine.

ErinS

We are doing a family trip to Rome in 3 weeks...me, my mother, my 5 year old son, my sister, her hubby and their 15 month old daughter. The good thing is that my sister and I have been to Rome before so most of the major sites, we have already done.

This will be my son's third trip outside the US (he has been to London & Cancun). My "rules" are...for every adult activity, you must do something kid friendly. When I took my son to London, it was perfect because there are parks and playgrounds everywhere. So we could do the Science museum and then walk a couple blocks to Kensington Park. Rome is going to be more of a challenge, but I've already made notes of the zoo, the playgrounds, the children's museum...plus there's pizza and gelato everywhere!!

We are city-people, so renting a villa with a pool would stifle all of us. My son loves the hustle and bustle of the city (he loves going into Manhattan and walking around), so Rome is going to be very exciting for him.

Just remember, be patient and be flexible!

missypie

One tip: Don't ride public transportation during the morning commute. A small child can almost literally be crushed on the Paris metro.

Do spend a day or two at Disneyland Paris with your child.

travelbunny

most miserable trips were when my kids (and I have 3) were about 2..diaper changes on trans atlantic flights..the memories still are there!! At 5 my kids were great travellers. I would suggest NOT moving around but rather making sure each of your stays 3-4 days though preferablely a week with day trips but this isn't as key given your little ones age. Suggest apt or apt hotel (or minimum a small fridge in the room). Try to do something for everyone. If you are hubby has a must do which isn't child friendly, then each of you take time to do that activity while the other stays with your child and does a more child friendly activity. Pace yourself and if something isn't working just try something else...a rigid schedule is a receipe for disaster with kids.