lovexhappiness

Hi, all!
I am getting ready to begin planning our 2019 Spring Break trip to Europe but want some help deciding on a destination!

Side info;
it will be my husband and I, our 7 year old daughter, and potentially a 2 month old. (We are trying to get pregnant now so we could have an infant).
We will have to fly out of Chicago and plan to take a red eye flight, if available.

I want to pick a fun destination that has some fun history related things to see but a place that also has some fun things for a 7 year old girl. My husband loves history, some museums, etc. I love outdoor things to explore, castles, and I’m not a huge museum person.

I know some people might think I’m crazy for doing a European trip with two kids, and potentionally a young infant. But the 7 year old travels really well (longest flight has been 5 and a half hours) and a young infant won’t be mobile yet and won’t require much food to be brought if nursing and hopefully will like baby wearing, because that’ll help walking.

Thanks for your recommendations!

PalenQ

Well how long is your sojourn?

Have you ever been to Europe before?

car or train?

Any places you are more interested in than others?

For first-timers wanting to see cities they've dreamt about visiting their whole lives:

Land in Rome
Florence
Venice
night train to Paris
Train to London
do day trips from bases to smaller towns.

But yes a zillion possibilities. For lots about train travel and where to go by train (trains better for a wide-ranging tour - cars a liability in many big cities but great for counryside) check BETS-European Rail Experts (especially their online European Planning & Rail Guide which gives many rail itineraries); www.ricksteves.com and www.seat61.com.

lovexhappiness

My husband and I went to Ireland in March of 2017 and loved every minute of it.
We are flying to Italy this August and taking a Greek Isles Cruise (with no kids!) so we are so looking forward to that.

We will have 8 days total, but that includes travel time, too. We are hoping to take a red eye flight leaving Chicago Friday evening and a flight back home 2 Saturday’s are that...

the place I have a spiked interest in is Paris. We love traveling to Disney World/land once a year and I know there is a Disneyland in Paris, so I think that would be amazing; and obviously the kids would love it. But we would only do two days there, max. (Maybe even just one...) so there obviously has to be more to offer for the Family trip than just Disneyland.

Im also interested in London, Amsterdam, and Scotland. Honestly, I’m willing to consider anywhere except for Ireland or Greece, as we are wanting to travel to Places we’ve never been.
We plan to travel to the country by plane but aren’t opposed to renting a car to travel to a couple smaller cities. (When my husband and I went to Ireland, we stayed in a different city every night and it was so cool. But we didn’t have kids with us so knowing we’ll have kids this trip, we’ll probably stick to a major city and two or three smaller ones)

janisj

Spring Break time - do you mean over Easter? If so it will be late April next year. From Friday night to the following Saturday gives you 6.5 days free on the ground and at least some of you may have jet lag the first day or two. With that short a time I'd pick either London OR Paris. Both cities have TONS of things for Children. Me personally -- I'd forget about DL Paris. I've been and it is fine but if you have been to DW multiple times it will underwhelm.

Scotland is my very favorite place on Earth, but IMO/IME you would want more time and maybe a little later in the year.

Either London or Paris would be wonderful -- I'd tip just slightly towards London because there are so many kid-centric museums and parks.

Kristina

I agree with janisj on picking one destination when in reality you only have 6.5 days. If it were me, given the time of year, I'd pick Paris or Rome, rent an apartment, and do day trips from there. An apartment is especially nice with kids. The farther south you go, the better the weather will be. I'd probably pick somewhere in Italy for that reason. Personally, I love Rome and have spent several full weeks there over the last decade or so and there are endless things to see and do. You could also split Florence and Rome, but you might want to avoid moving luggage and kids more than necessary. Paris is also a good choice with several excellent day trips and lots of outdoor things, but it will likely be colder.

justineparis

You say you have 8 days and that includes travel days.. so really only 6 days ( as we don't count arrival or departure days) and then you list all these things you want to do.. rent a car drive to different towns.
You can easily do Disneyland as a daytrip from Paris ( so no need to switch hotels) .. its only 45 minutes away by train (give or take) . So that leaves 5 days in Paris.. well .. 4 if you decide to do Disney for two days.
Four days isnt much time at all.. .



Remember when you had your first one and you would be able to nap with it when it napped.. well that isn't going to happen anymore with another child already here.
Also.. perhaps your first one was an angel baby ( Ive had three kids.. one was an angel, so easy, one was average.. and one was a terror.. and you don't have any control over which one you'll get next) what if this baby is a colic baby.. its so not fun being in the apartment or hotel room next to the baby crying all night. This doesnt mean dont travel.. this is just me warning you that you are making plans when you don't even know this baby yet.

Why not do an easy beach vacation for that week.. then in the summer take 2 weeks and hit europe , baby would still be very young and portable.

StCirq

There are too many unknowns, and possible pitfalls, in this scenario for me to offer realistic comments, really, but all in all, if you have only 6 days and an infant of 2 months, I'd scrap Europe in favor of a simpler (and less expensive) destination. It's a given that you would plan to travel to Europe by plane, but certainly you don't have time to fly into a city, get over jetlag, pick up a car and drive "to a couple smaller cities." Even without a car you wouldn't have time for that. And I sure wouldn't go all the way to Paris with that crew just to see Disney.

ToujoursVoyager

I have travelled with babies before but honestly a 2 month old in Europe is pretty young. The immune system of an infant is very naive. A fever at 2 months demands serious attention.

My suggestion would be to travel during April when you are in your second trimester. Or travel this summer to Europe when the baby is 4-5-6 months. You right about nursing; you won't need to bring/buy any food for the baby. If you nurse when the plane departs and lands, your baby's ears will not hurt. Nursing really makes life simple when traveling.

PalenQ

Just pick two cities and later when kids are older come back when you have more time and do a motoring tour.

xcountry

If someone handed me a two month old now and said take the baby to Europe I’d faint.

Back when we had a two month old, and another one, and another one (and I was home with each of them) travelling was zero big deal - except the one time when junior screamed on a plane for a bit. Eventually I put the soother in my mouth to relax.

I’d go to London. Have fun.

Tulips

I wouldn't plan that far ahead, if you are planning to have another baby. Anything can happen between now and 2019 springbreak. Complications, difficult baby.
How you eldest child was at that age has nothing to do with how your next child will be. With my second baby I was dead tired when she was 2 months old, since she had very erratic sleeping times, and at the same time there was my elder child to look after, so I couldn't just sleep when the baby was sleeping.

If you really want to do this, take the advice given by others to choose 1 destination and rent a flat.

PalenQ

London would be great - and they speak English in case complications arise. also shorter flight.

Lots of nice parks for kids and boat rides on Thames. Nice zoo.

Sassafrass

Go this year, with only your six year old to concentrate on. She will have great memories of a trip with you before a baby is part of the picture, taking so much of your time.

London is everything for kids!

KTtravel

I could have never traveled with my daughter when she was two months old. She was so colicky then and usually didn't settle down until midnight (after screaming for most of the evening.) Our son, second child, was easier but still would have been a challenge at that age. My two SILs had easy first babies but more challenging second ones. I would encourage you to rethink your plans.

mocha_dolce

If it has to be Europe, do it this way. Make some special memories as a threesome. Choose one big city for spring break week. Rome would be warmer but be conscious of Holy Week and Easter and the tourist schedule impacts.

For the first vacation after your second baby is born, I recommend you wait until the newborn is 6 months plus and rent a beach house somewhere within driving distance of your home. Maybe invite grandma/grandpa or a babysitter along to give you some relief and allow you to do some fun things with your older child. Traveling with kids is great but don't forget the parameters it imposes or you'll make yourself miserable. Remember all the baby paraphernalia? And naps (for parents too)?

Cowboy1968

There is a lot in favor of London, IMO.

Lots of choices - no guarantee for good weather regardless where you go in Europe, but London has tons of stuff to explore indoors as well as outdoors. Many of the London museums are not boring collections of something displayed behind glass.

Town and country - if you feel like hitting the country, London is a perfect spot to see something different, from Hampton Court or Kew Gardens to Oxford or Brighton. Nothing you had to plan in advance, and you'd always return to your "home" at night. And won't have to worry about luggage.

Ease of mind re. health issues - if there are problems, no worries about finding an English-speaking doctor or a drugstore/ pharmacy where you can easily communicate.

Language - while it's also fun to experience a foreign language, your 7yo may feel more included if she can also communicate and read displays, menus, etc.

PalenQ

Plus just playing with other kids in the many children's parks' play areas they can speak English to each other. Same with touring sights and things like the zoo.

ivankladinov

With kids, i'd recommend Spain or Slovenia

PalenQ

Why Spain and Slovenia especially for kids vs other countries - just curious.