Travelling Round Europe with a 4 year old

I've just had a random thought that I'd like to go travelling with my 4 year old before she starts school in September, but I don't really know where to start planning and I'm not entirely sure where to visit.

I am thinking that it would be nice to take 3 months and maybe spend 3 weeks in 4 different countries.

Any advice on travelling around Europe would be greatly appreciated as would travelling with a small child.

Any recommendations as to where to visit and what to do would also be useful...

Initial thoughts include Spain (as she's learning spanish at preschool), France and maybe Greece and Turkey, but I'm open to any ideas and suggestions!

Wow, big subject.

Basically there's so much variety to Europe, you know what you like and what you want to see. Have you been? What interests you?

I will say that southern Europe gets very busy and very hot in July and August. If you want to visit Greece, southern Italy, Spain, France, etc. plan to do that as soon as you arrive. June is really ideal for seeing Europe. Most European schools don't get out till July so you basically would have it all to yourselves for the first few weeks. The weather is good, everything's open and the crowds are yet to come!

That's especially true if you want to see "famous stuff". Go do the Eiffel Tower and the Vatican right away, if you want to include them. Standing in line for ages with a 4 year old is not fun. Experience speaking!

I would then recommend heading north, if that's where you want to go. Scandinavia? Germany? Baltic countries? Low countries? Your call.

If you want to do beaches, select carefully. I'm not a big fan of Spanish beaches but do your homework. Take your daughter to see the amazing places in the interior and Barcelona is probably the most kid-friendly city I've visited here. For beaches, you might want to go elsewhere...

Even then, you'll want to be sure to reserve and plan for July and August. It's not the best time in Europe to be spontaneous unfortunately. I love being spontaneous myself but please don't risk it with a child in tow. Seriously, there can be no room at the Inn.

She's a good age to go and you may find she's still free for a lot of perks.

I'm big into promoting train travel with children. Driving in Europe can be dodgy, the gas is expensive and in summer, it can be grim, hot and exasperating. The train is calm and you can get up and move around. The scenery is better and the network is great in Europe. There are passes but I can't tell you more. It can get complicated (by country, time frame, etc.) but it's usually budget-friendly to get around this way.

Low-budget companies are the new, hot thing here in Europe now. Ryan Air and Air Europe are the biggies but there are others. I would keep this in mind if you want to do a big leap, like go from Spain to England or over to St. Petersburg. It might cost less than taking an overnight train, depending on the train travel package you have. I took my kids to London last summer from Germany and it was cheaper than going by train. Also good if your train pass expires and you still want to hop around.

Happy planning!

As the previous poster mentioned, this is a big question. I agree that following the weather is very important in Europe and the south gets crowded and hot.

We've been on an open ended world tour as a family for the last 5 years and started when our child was 5, so many of the things on our blog might be of interest to you.

http://www.soultravelers3.com/</a>

We think a small RV is the best way to see Europe as a family, especially if you are doing extended travel. That way there is no packing and unpacking, your child will have many friends,pools, and free kids clubs etc to entertain her when not touring.

One of the best things about traveling with little ones is just doing ordinary things in extraordinary places. Go slow and you will enjoy it more. Families need to have rest and play days along with travel days.

There is much that you can do to prepare her and make the most of the educational opportunities. I have lists of many kids books that enhance her experience, help her connect to a place and remember it better long afterwards.

Have fun!

I'm travelling longterm with my son, who's nine, and one thing I'd say is go with the flow.

Three weeks in four countries is a lot of ground to cover, though it's certainly do-able. Rail passes are an affordable way of getting around, and fun with a little one. Island-hopping in Greece, with the ferries and catamarans between the islands is an experience that will stay with you for a long time, as are the amazing landscapes around Delphi, for example, and the crater of Santorini.

EuroDisney in Paris is a must-do with littlies, if you haven't done Disney: took my son there for his fourth birthday, and he adored it. Eiffel Tower is cool to look at, but doesn't necessarily need to be climbed. River boats are lovely.

Consider spending the hot part of the summer in the Pyrenees, between France and Spain, or the Alps, rather than at a beach. Finland's lakes are also beautiful in summer, and it's always cool, though the nights are short, short short. Or think about E. Europe, if you're on a low budget.

I'm a Brit, so I don't have your perspective on Europe, but if I was going to do the big Europe trip and bag a lot of countries it would be France, Greece then either the UK or Italy. I remember seeing the leaning tower of Pisa and visiting Pompeii and Herculaneum and Vesuvius when I was tiny, tiny, and Italy and Greece are the foundations of our modern civilisation, with Paris for food and culture, maybe England for London and Shakespeare.

Alpine landscapes are gorgeous in high summer, also. So do try and get into the mountains. Hope this helps!

Theodora
http://www.travelswithanineyearold.com