For various reasons, we don't anticipate being able to travel much over the next few years, but we have the opportunity to take a trip this coming April. We've been planning a trip to Italy for ages, but we're second-guessing taking that trip now simply because so much of what we want to see is museum-oriented. Our son will be 21 months when we take this trip, and he's FANTASTIC when he's out and about - very observant, loves to people watch, etc. - but I don't think museums and the like are going to hold his attention or help him maintain his good behavior for hours on end. We don't want to make this trip about him and what he wants to see because, frankly, he's not going to remember it and I don't think he cares, but we DO want to try and plan so that he doesn't ruin OUR trip... =)

So if you had up to 2 weeks to go virtually anywhere in the world with an almost 2 year old, where would you go? We love castles, old houses, museums, local food and markets...We have a very tight budget and we don't particularly like tour groups, so public transportation or possibly a single car rental is the way for us (by single I mean we're not going to hop to this city, rent a car, hop to another, etc.) DS gives us a 2-4 hour window of staring at strangers and generally being adorable before he needs food, nap, change of scenery, so that's why someplace like Paris where we would want to spend all day in the Louvre is out - we need to gear our sightseeing for 2-4 hour blocks. We've been to London, Paris/Brittany, and most of Ireland and so far have discussed for this trip: returning to Ireland to see more of the West and North, Scotland or Wales, Portugal, Germany...but we're open to suggestions. Thoughts?

I don't think finding the 'perfect' destination is the solution to traveling with a small child. You know your child's tolerance/interest levels, and, as long as you schedule your days accordingly, where you are is less important. Stay in apartments rather than hotels.

Italy doesn't have Louvre-sized museums, so it's very easy to limit your time to blocks of 2-4 hours.

I have done UK and Ireland with an infant of 1 yr 8 months. Both countries are fantastic in terms of child friendliness - possibly the best in Europe. I did manage Italy as well when he just about turned 2. Though I had to skip quite a few museums - also I would not rate the country high on child friendliness. Can be a little rough at times.

I am currently doing Austria with my son now just under 3 years and he is loving the countryside - trains, boats, scenery. The country is child friendly but again i did not find it as much as UK.

What makes a country "child-friendly" anyway?????

It's interesting, I've had almost the exact opposite experience to suneet! I found my little one was tolerated in Britain but adored in Italy! He was also pretty popular in Paris as well. In Rome one night we started to count the number of people walking past that would just reach out a touch his head as he walked past. He was about 2 1/4 at the time. In Paris, at 11 months, we had waitresses taking him out of his stroller to give him cuddles!

You don't mention Italy in your op -- is there a reason?

We visited Bavaria when he was 4. It was more like the UK where he seemed to be tolerated, but not adored. One man in a model car shop (as in small, little cars) practically had a heart attack when he realized we were buying a car for our son!

Will your son sleep in a stroller? If he does, any city would be fine. Even the ones with cobblestones -- we've found the vibrations put our son right to sleep! If you combine his nap with exploring a city you can extend your site seeing hours. Added bonus -- you've both tired at his bedtime!

I also agree with staying in apartments rather than hotels.

Hi thursday,
This could be completely off base for what you're envisioning, but I thought of Kyoto, Japan, for a young couple with a young child - interested in historic buildings. You could spend days visiting all the gorgeous temples and gardens about Kyoto, and the city feels very compact to me. Maybe a day trip to Hiroshima and Miyako Jima. And Japan is in love with babies -- also lots of benches (for Japan's elderly population) and playgrounds for you to take a load off.

I love the UK's castles and grand estates, too -- and there's something about the temples in Kyoto that pluck my heartstrings in a similar way. Just a thought. Have fun planning!

I could not spend more than 4 hours in the Louvre; the museum shuffle would get to me. So perhaps having a 2 year old might be a good way to limit museum time and not overdo it.

Italians love babies and small children, perhaps because the country's birthrate is so low and people there don't see many. Or maybe it's just hard-wired into the Italian psyche.

Some Italian cities are difficult to navigate with a stroller. Narrow sidewalks, no sidewalks, cobblestones, Venetian bridges, etc., might leave some parents with an impression that it wasn't a 'child-friendly' experience.

@BKP - I didn't mention Italy only because we had such a planned itinerary for the trip we haven't taken that we were thinking of tabling it until he's older - Florence, Rome and a night in Venice; the Uffizi and long nights with bottles of wine and I could spend a whole day at the Vatican easily... I've been to Italy before and am dying to show DH, but the languid expectations are so high I worry it will be frustrating to temper it with a toddler. It's still in the running though.

He's not big on sleeping in the stroller, so I hate to count on it. We've had better luck with simply exhausting him with activity and then putting him down for naps rather than letting him ride around all day and hoping he'll nod off... =)

@ChgoGal - we hadn't considered Japan, but Kyoto sounds lovely! Adding to our research list as we speak...thanks!

Loving the replies so far - thanks everyone! Keep the ideas and opinions coming!

Basically you can go anywhere with a two year old. I travel with my urchin who's nearly 4 now all the time - since she was 4 weeks.

I guarantee he'll fall asleep in the stroller. Tire him out early with lots of sights walking etc. Have an early lunch, then go some where quiet, like the vatican, or a museum and he'll be comatose. It's the excitement, bit of jet lag etc...

I was in Rome a few times last year with my little one, and in the morning we would do things of more interest to her - particularly outside "sight seeing", which included a lot of pigeon chasing. We walked her miles - walk in the mornings as much as possible and don't use the stroller much. I'd fit in the odd playground too in the morning. Then give a heavy lunch and set off for whatever you want to do. ZZZZZZZZZZ

I always let my daughter nap as much as possible during the afternoon on holidays, so then she could and can stay up quite late at night, and withstand the long dinners.

She's a super traveller now at less than 4.