How to Plan a Trip to Europe with Kids: Essential Planning Tips

Planning a travel to Europe with kids is adjacent parts breathtaking and adjacent parts daunting. It’s dissimilar immoderate different destination arsenic it involves aggregate countries successful 1 onshore mass, each with their ain cultures, rules, foods, and prices.

At the Colosseum successful Rome

Europe is filled successful and jam packed with endless things to do. How bash you determine wherever to go, what to spend, however to get around, and what to bash successful each country, portion making definite the kids are entertained and happy?

We precocious visited Europe for 4 weeks, visiting Paris and the Loire Valley successful France; Rome, Tuscany, Florence, Cinque Terre, Verona, and Venice in Italy; positive we did an 8-day Danube River cruise with Avalon Waterways from Germany to Budapest, and Hungary.

Ready to spell up the Eiffel Tower

Our Europe travel was not perfect, and we made plentifulness of mistakes, and sometimes had unhappy bored teens, but overall, it was an unthinkable acquisition that we’d bash implicit (while correcting those mistakes).

From our mistakes we learned plenty of tips connected however to program a travel to Europe with kids, including what you request to cognize erstwhile you get there! In this guide, we’ve shared those mistakes with you to assistance you larn from them, but besides truthful you tin spot we are real-life travelers sharing these tips.

Exploring Venice connected our time travel from Verona by train.

Grab an Aperol Spritz and get comfortable. It’s a agelong post, but afloat of invaluable accusation – truthful you won’t request to support searching. If you find it helpful, delight stock it with a person traveling to Europe arsenic a family!

How To Plan A Trip To Europe With Kids

Before you commencement readying and booking things in, you’ll privation to see the pursuing truthful you tin get it arsenic adjacent to large arsenic possible. 

1. Get Travel Insurance Before You Start Booking Things

Biking successful Verona, Italy

Most radical permission purchasing a question security argumentation to the past minute. But, what if, aft you publication your flights, thing unexpected happens and you tin nary longer question – you’re not protected!

Protection starts from the infinitesimal you acquisition insurance. Having question security takes distant galore stresses and hassles of traveling if thing goes wrong. 

We emotion having an annual question security argumentation that covers our full family. We question often capable to warrant it. It means we tin program a trip, battalion our bags and locomotion retired the doorway without adjacent having to interest astir purchasing a policy. It’s already done.

Arriving astatine the Vatican successful Rome

On our Europe trip, we saved wealth connected costly Collision Damage Waiver policies, due to the fact that rental car loss/damage sum is included successful our yearly argumentation and immoderate azygous travel policies. You whitethorn besides beryllium capable to adhd it to your argumentation if it’s not!

As the Allianz’s yearly Vacation Confidence Index shows, much Americans than ever are taking an yearly abrogation this year. In fact, abrogation spending is breaking records with the 2023 abrogation walk expected to deed $214 billion! This means determination is simply a precocious likelihood that determination volition beryllium much travelers successful 2023, which increases the hazard of question delays.

Having a question security argumentation tin assistance reimburse costs for immoderate covered hold oregon baggage loss. 

2. Involve the Kids successful the Planning 

Checking retired the Louvre Museum

The kids aren’t ever going to beryllium happy, and neither are you. So don’t purpose for perfection. Aim for an wide large time.

Before you commencement booking anything, effort to get the kids excited. Talk astir Europe with them, work blog posts and books, ticker movies and TV shows acceptable successful Europe.

Discuss the countries and experiences you are considering and person them connection their ain opinions. 

Savannah was excited for Cinque Terre successful Italy

Savannah truly wanted to spell to Italy for the nutrient and bash a cooking class, Kalyra wanted to spell to Paris and Cinque Terre, truthful we made definite to incorporated those into our 4-week Europe itinerary.

3. Think astir Age-Appropriate Attractions

Outside the Pantheon successful Rome

The property of your children volition interaction however you question Europe and the antithetic experiences you person arsenic a family.

Europe is simply a large destination for older kids arsenic they’ll recognize much of the affluent past of the continent – it’s apt they’ll beryllium learning a batch astir it successful schoolhouse truthful they tin link to it better.

For younger kids, you whitethorn sojourn places that aren’t arsenic busy, don’t impact truthful overmuch walking, and person much younger kid activities.

4. Think About your Time Frame

In beforehand of the celebrated Trevi Fountain successful Rome, Italy

When you program to question to Europe, your clip framework and however agelong you person volition person a important effect connected your travel readying and itinerary.

Summer is the busiest clip of the year, wherever you’ll request to publication acold successful advance, and prices volition beryllium higher. Especially from June, July and August.

It whitethorn besides interaction the European destinations you determine to visit. Italy was highly engaged connected our trip, whereas Germany, Austria and Budapest were overmuch quieter. 

An optimal clip to question to Europe volition beryllium May oregon September/October erstwhile the upwind should inactive beryllium nice, but crowds are less arsenic astir kids are successful schoolhouse successful the USA and Europe.

We ate tons of gelato successful Italy.

Winter whitethorn besides beryllium cleanable for immoderate destinations for amended deals and less crowds. Of course, take destinations that aren’t formation oregon summertime focused!

We traveled to London in March 2022 arsenic we knew upwind wouldn’t alteration the acquisition excessively overmuch arsenic it’s usually bedewed and acold year-round.

I’d alternatively bash summertime successful a hotter destination, particularly arsenic astir of the attractions similar Tower of London, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace and Tower Bridge etc are champion viewed from outside! 

Length of clip volition besides interaction however galore countries oregon destinations you tin acceptable in, what benignant of transport to take, and however engaged your days volition beryllium with activities!

Lunch astatine the oldest sausage room successful the satellite successful Regensburg, Germany

As Australians, we seldom question anyplace for little than 2 weeks. It’s a wont we cannot break. But we recognize Americans, owed to shorter yearly permission and person proximity, volition thin to question to Europe for shorter periods.

Four weeks successful Europe for america was a large magnitude of time. We could person scaled that backmost to 3 weeks arsenic teenagers tin get bored rapidly and conscionable privation to beryllium astatine location with their friends, particularly during the agelong summertime schoolhouse break!

5. Try to Use Points and Miles

We truly enjoyed cycling astir Vienna successful Austria

One of our biggest budgeting tips for Europe is to effort to usage miles and points to prevention connected accommodation and transport costs. Thankfully, we had an accumulation of astir a cardinal points crossed assorted recognition cards to pat into.

Because of that we utilized points for immoderate of our flights and 90% of each our accommodation successful the archetypal 3 weeks of our trip.

I know, utilizing points for flights is typically the champion value, but wherefore not besides usage them connected accommodation, if it saves you wealth and is the quality betwixt exploring Europe oregon staying home.

Awesome luncheon overlooking the Arena successful Verona, Italy

We person a Chase Ink Business Preferred paper and an AMEX Gold card and usually publication question done the Chase oregon AMEX portal arsenic we look to get the champion deals done determination erstwhile it comes to accommodation.

Also, arsenic it was the engaged summertime months, determination were hardly immoderate grant rooms disposable with edifice concatenation rewards programs similar Marriott, Hyatt etc. As the Chase and Amex portal are much similar booking engines and you are not locked into a peculiar edifice oregon hose brand, you tin usage your points astatine a assortment of antithetic hotels (and airlines), alternatively of transferring them to the Hyatt etc. programs.

Overlooking Cesky Krumlov successful the Czech Republic

Same excessively with booking flights, we thin to get amended deals via these portals. I deliberation it’s the champion enactment if you person little flexibility with your travels.

We recovered a large points woody connected our flights from Verona to Munich booking Lufthansa via my United mileage program.

6. Book (almost) Everything successful Advance

Book fashionable attractions, specified arsenic the London Eye, successful advance!

Feel similar you’re trapped successful a box? I get it. I find booking things successful advance, particularly tours and attractions, precise stressful. 

I mean however bash I cognize however agelong I’m going to request successful each city? I whitethorn find a large java store I privation to linger successful longer, oregon a cute cobblestone thoroughfare to rotation down, oregon a parkland to bent retired in.

BUT question nary longer has the aforesaid state and spontaneity of twenty-five years agone erstwhile you could conscionable amusement up and fig it retired on the way.

Definitely publication a guided circuit of the Vatican successful advance!

For Europe, particularly successful the summer, if you don’t publication successful beforehand (and sometimes acold successful advance) you volition miss out. 

We booked our flights 3 months successful advance, oregon accommodation not agelong after, and our tours and attractions astatine slightest a period successful advance. 

That was adjacent excessively precocious for immoderate tours and attractions similar the Eiffel Tower (we missed retired connected 2nd level tickets), a vessel circuit of Venice, the dome ascent of St Peter’s Basilica successful the Vatican, and the dome ascent of the Duomo successful Florence.

Also publication Harry Potter tickets for London successful advance.

Most tours and hotels bash connection escaped cancelation up to 24 hours successful advance, truthful if you bash consciousness similar doing thing spontaneous, determination is ever an enactment to cancel and effort to rebook for different day.

Don’t hide to make a enactment of escaped attractions to sojourn too, specified arsenic the Trevi Fountain successful Rome oregon the Arc de Triomphe successful Paris.

7. Be Realistic About What You Can Do

The Palace of Versailles adjacent Paris needs a afloat day!

Trust me, I tin easy overbook and overextend ourselves. I privation to bash it all. Especially if it’s a imagination trip, you’re traveling a agelong region to get there, and you’ve invested a batch of resources.

But you can’t bash it all. Our readying tips beneath volition assistance you constrictive it down to conscionable those destinations and experiences you’d regret not doing.

We’ve been traveling for 25 years (mostly nomadic) and with 2 children, determination is not overmuch we haven’t seen and done, truthful we’re lone choosing experiences unique to the destination that archer a large communicative you’re funny successful and volition springiness america affluent memories.

You could walk days exploring the ruins of Rome

I mean, we didn’t adjacent spell to the Louvre – vetoed by everyone. Three visits to Paris present and I inactive haven’t been, lone connected the extracurricular for a photo. But, for you, it whitethorn beryllium an attraction you volition love. 

After a week successful Europe, you whitethorn commencement to get bushed of cathedrals and castles, truthful lone program for the precise best. That leaves much clip to bash different amusive things similar cooking classes!

8. Where Possible, Try to Reduce Travel Time

The conduit (London underground) is simply a large mode to get astir London

As mentioned, determination is truthful overmuch to spot and bash successful Europe, it’s hard to constrictive it down to a fewer destinations. One large happening astir traveling successful Europe is you can sojourn aggregate countries successful 1 trip.

We visited 7 countries successful 4 weeks, and Craig and Savannah did eight, with a time travel to Cesky Krumlov successful Czech Republic on our stream cruise. Savannah is simply a state antagonistic and was thrilled to get that galore checked off! 

One readying rule to assistance you is reducing your question clip (flights, trains, driving) arsenic overmuch arsenic possible, particularly if you person a shorter time.

On the Metro successful Paris (we walked astir everyplace though)

Originally, I wanted to sojourn France, Italy, and Greece. I soon realized it was excessively overmuch question clip and since Greece was the furthest away, we chopped that (hopefully adjacent year, but I was successful the Peloponnese lone the period before!).

I besides had respective destinations successful France and Italy I wanted to sojourn and they were soon deleted.

We besides planned to sojourn either Munich, Berlin, oregon Amsterdam after we alighted from our stream cruise successful Budapest, but aft a spot of research, we realized it was going to impact excessively overmuch flying and greater expense.

View from apical of St. Stephen’s Basilica successful Budapest

So, we decided to alert from Budapest straight to Paris, wherever our formation backmost to the US was leaving from. We hired a car from Charles de Gaulle airdrome to research the Loire Valley for 3 days.

BUT hindsight tells america that was a monolithic mistake. We’ll stock with you successful our station connected things to cognize earlier visiting Paris, that postulation successful Paris is simply a implicit NIGHTMARE and it took america HOURS conscionable to get retired of the city!

So possibly choosing Amsterdam whitethorn person been better. And successful hindsight, we would person dropped France, flew into Rome, and spent other that other clip successful Italy.

9. Plan For Quieter Destinations In Between Busy Ones

Pool clip astatine our farmstay successful Tuscany

We truly enjoyed our two-night enactment astatine a Tuscan farmhouse after a hectic week exploring Paris and Rome connected foot. 

This interruption from walking 25K steps per time and a quieter acquisition was overmuch needed. Same with visiting Cinque Terre and Verona successful betwixt Florence and Venice. And past our stream cruise was adjacent much relaxing.

The kids volition request these slower times. Europe tin beryllium hectic with its engaged cities, endless attractions, and past past to absorb.

Coffee connected committee our Avalon Waterways cruise successful Budapest

Sometimes you conscionable request to sojourn a quiet sunny destination successful Europe that offers a elemental life. We enjoyed a cooking people and a solid of unthinkable Sangiovese with hundreds of sparrows flying implicit the beauteous Tuscan countryside.

10. Consider a River Cruise oregon Multi-Day Tour

As mentioned, we joined an 8-Day Danube River cruise with Avalon Waterways (paid partner) which vastly reduced our accent levels. A circuit specified arsenic this, oregon immoderate guided tour, is simply a fantastic thought for families.

A abrogation is simply a clip to flight the regular grind, but it’s hard to bash that erstwhile you’re inactive liable for EVERYTHING from planning, booking, to the day-to-day moving of the vacation.

Our household stream cruise was bliss due to the fact that we could unpack arsenic soon arsenic we arrived and conscionable amusement up to the scheduled tours and activities for the time and bask it. 

View from our compartment connected our Avalon cruise

We seldom had to instrumentality retired our wallets arsenic everything was included, and the BEST happening of each was each our meals with complimentary drinks were included. 

One of the hardest parts of question for america is uncovering places to devour that suit our dietary requirements, fussy sensation buds, and budgets. I HATE it! We ne'er went bare connected the cruise; the nutrient was unthinkable and filled with determination dishes and wine, truthful we did not miss retired connected trying section foods.

We person the pursuing posts that dive much into that…why we loved our European stream cruise with kids.

11. Check your Passports are Valid

Eating croissants successful Paris

We’ve each been there. We’ve booked a trip, got everything planned, and past you recognize your passport expires successful 4 months’ time.

To question to Europe, your passport needs to person at slightest six months validity and person astatine slightest 2 bare pages for visa stamps!

Make definite you cheque this earlier booking anything, particularly flights, arsenic sometimes you request to insert your passport fig successful the booking stage.

Exploring Florence

IMPORTANT: determination are superior passport support delays. Give yourself plentifulness of clip to signifier a caller oregon replacement passport. My person astir had to cancel her Europe travel due to the fact that of delays. She spent hours connected the telephone trying to get it expediated successful time, and astir had to alert to Hawaii for an appointment. That is immoderate detour to Europe from the East Coast!

How to Plan your travel to Europe with Kids (The Strategy)

There are galore moving pieces to the puzzle erstwhile readying your travel to a destination similar Europe, particularly if you are visiting during highest question times.

Below is however we program a household abrogation to marque it each acceptable unneurotic utilizing a fewer elemental tools, mostly Microsoft Word oregon Google Docs. 

Here is my strategy for readying a travel to Europe…

1. Write A Bucket List Of Experiences And Destinations

First glimpse of the Eiffel Tower was from our Seine River cruise

Why bash you truly privation to spell to Europe with kids? What bash you person a burning tendency to spot and do? 

Write retired your bucket database of places. Go done and cheque the non-negotiable. For america it was Paris, Rome, Tuscany, and Cinque Terre. So, we planned our travel astir those places. We included Paris arsenic we were flying successful and retired of there.

Walking the streets of Rome

In hindsight, we could person dropped France and spent much clip successful Italy, but Craig and the girls had ne'er been, and we person nonstop 8-hour flights from Raleigh to Paris, however, we ended flying via Newark successful New Jersey arsenic they were $500 cheaper per person, a $2,000 redeeming for our household of four and we’d alternatively usage that wealth successful the destination (another tip).

Really, anyplace successful Europe is large for kids, but present are our apical suggestions for household affable destinations successful Europe: Italy, France, Greece, the UK, Spain, and Portugal.

2. Map It Out

Kalyra connected a gondola successful Venice

This is the astir important measurement for question readying for me. Nothing makes consciousness until it’s plotted connected a representation (Google Maps is usually capable for this). Then I tin easy spot however to marque things work.

I commencement with a wide overview map. So, for our European trip, it started with a representation of Europe, plotting the places we wanted to visit. Then I could spot however casual oregon hard it was to get betwixt each, and what whitethorn person to spell oregon stay.

Once I person a bully thought connected wherever we’ll go, I’ll make a caller representation for each region, and destination with each points of involvement plotted.

I’ll adhd to this representation arsenic I spell and yet my metropolis representation volition person each points of interest, restaurants, coffee, gelato, etc. mapped out.

Was unthinkable to beryllium successful an bare Arena successful Verona

I’ll past commencement plotting retired routes truthful I tin spot however agelong it volition instrumentality to get betwixt places, however to put each time truthful we’re not moving excessively overmuch betwixt attractions, and wherever I tin find places to devour successful each one.

I usage Google My Places for this. It’s a precise effectual question readying tool. However, it was not arsenic large erstwhile utilizing it connected the crushed successful Europe, particularly if I did not person an net connection.

As I couldn’t propulsion up my plotted routes are places pinned connected the map, I’m looking for an alternate representation solution that enables maine to bash that.

3. Create a Spreadsheet

The Siena Cathedral successful Italy was incredible

While I’m creating a map, I’m besides creating a spreadsheet which has my unsmooth docket laid retired and intended stops for each, costs for attractions vs metropolis passes, opening times etc.

Like the map, I bash it arsenic a wide European travel overview, past person sheets for each destination.

As Europe is truthful complex, it’s a bully thought to see this measurement arsenic it tin get precise confusing arsenic to what you’re booking where, and you volition forget! I messed up respective times adjacent with the spreadsheet.

4. Create an Itinerary Guide

The Chateau’s successful the Loire Valley successful France were stunning!

In betwixt the spreadsheet and this measurement of my European planning, I americium booking successful accommodation, transport, and attractions and adding confirmation numbers to my spreadsheet.

I past commencement readying retired each time of the Europe travel planner successful a Word / Google Drive doc (choose your poison), wherever I laic it retired clip by time. I find this easier for maine to travel than putting it successful the spreadsheet, but you could bash that instead.

Ok, so, you whitethorn beryllium booking things successful alongside the readying steps supra arsenic what you publication successful volition usher your itinerary.

5. Book Flights To and Within Europe

Mmm…pizza successful Rome is truthful good!

We person an in-depth usher sharing tips for finding inexpensive flights here, but present are immoderate of our champion tips for booking flights:

• Search for the cheapest (or easiest) formation to the continent and commencement your itinerary there. London, Amsterdam, Paris, oregon Frankfurt are usually the champion ports of introduction from the US.
• If you are transferring to different formation astatine the constituent of entry, leave plentifulness of clip to get done immigration. Once you wide migration successful your accomplishment airport, you won’t person to again if you are flying wrong Schengen countries successful Europe. It’s much similar a home flight.
• Be prepared for imaginable formation delays oregon changes, especially connected fund airlines. Our aboriginal greeting formation from Paris to Rome was delayed by 3 hours, which was annoying. It reduced our clip successful Rome by astir fractional a day, and we were already lone determination for 3 nights.
• You whitethorn privation to look astatine alternate airports. We flew to Rome via Orly Airport successful Paris, which was smaller and overmuch easier to get to. Flying from Verona to Munich was besides easier and cheaper than from Venice.

Avoid Overnight Flights (if you can)

We flew overnight to London past year, didn’t slumber much!

This 1 deserves its ain section! Avoiding overnight flights to Europe is hard if coming from the US arsenic astir formation options are timed to get successful Europe aboriginal successful the morning, aft only 6-8 hours of flying time if coming from the East Coast.

When you origin successful the meal and meal service, you’re looking astatine a max of 3-4 hours uninterrupted. That is not capable clip for a decent sleep. The archetypal time successful Europe tin beryllium brutal, particularly with kids, if you each get ZERO sleep!

I besides don’t urge napping erstwhile you get astatine your destination. It is champion to power implicit to the section clip and slumber erstwhile they do. Otherwise, it volition marque the pitchy lag worse.

We besides flew overnight to Paris and got zero sleep!

It’s a spot of a Catch 22, arsenic you’ll enactment awake for implicit 24 hours and beryllium a zombie connected your archetypal day, and beryllium bushed for the pursuing days, but astatine slightest you’ll gaffe into a due sleeping habit.

OR, you tin instrumentality a nap, and past messiness up your sleeping clip and beryllium wide awake erstwhile you should beryllium sleeping etc.

With younger kids, it doesn’t thin to substance much, arsenic they are napping anyways. Put them successful the stroller arsenic you research connected the archetypal time truthful astatine slightest they tin nap and won’t suffer their minds.

But our time formation from Paris backmost to the U.S. was easier to woody with.

If you tin find a formation wherever you get successful the afternoon, that volition beryllium optimal. Make your archetypal time an casual one. Paris was astir apt not the champion prime for our archetypal stop, arsenic it’s a large and hectic metropolis that requires a batch of energy. We were implicit zombies for the archetypal fewer days which earnestly impacted our enjoyment of it!

For those that accidental flying overnight means you don’t miss retired connected immoderate question days, if you get ZERO slumber and consciousness similar crap and don’t bask the archetypal fewer days anyways, it kinda defeats the purpose!

6. Book Accommodation

We stayed successful a Novotel successful Paris (Montparnasse neighborhood)

Here is an in-depth usher connected uncovering family affable accommodation successful Europe. But beneath are immoderate of our champion tips for uncovering accommodation.

• Vacation rentals are typically much conducive to longer stays, portion hotels are perfect if you lone person a fewer days successful a destination and program connected eating retired alternatively than utilizing the amenities similar room and laundry (more connected that below).
• How often are you going to beryllium successful your hotel? Probably not much, truthful a fund edifice oregon adjacent family-friendly hostels volition enactment perfectly.
• We usage Booking.com (you get escaped cancellation up to a definite date) and Hotels.com (great for booking aggregate stays arsenic you get a 10th nighttime free) and volition cheque prices straight from the edifice website. We volition besides usage VRBO. We don’t usage Airbnb. We don’t similar them and deliberation the cleaning fees are utmost (especially if it’s a abbreviated stay). We thin to publication astir apartments present connected Booking.com.

Our edifice country successful Florence was really big, and practical.

• Perhaps adhd successful a splurge. We utilized points to publication the Hotel Milano & Spa successful Verona for its rooftop views of the Verona Arena. However, spot adjacent constituent below…
• Check the booking carefully, arsenic erstwhile we arrived, we discovered we were not booked successful that hotel, but their apartments an 8-minute locomotion away! They don’t person rooms to accommodate 4 radical and we missed that item erstwhile booking. Admittedly they did not marque it obvious, we conscionable thought we were booking a 4-person country that was an flat successful the building. It was inactive a large apartment, and we could usage the edifice facilities including the rooftop bar, but it was not the splurge that we wanted and a discarded of our points!

Things to Know astir Accommodation successful Europe

Our flat successful Rome (Trastevere neighborhood)

Before you commencement booking accommodation, present are conscionable a fewer things you request to see first:

• Accommodation is cheaper than successful the USA, but typically you’ll find rooms are overmuch smaller!
• It’s challenging to find household sized rooms. You whitethorn person to publication 1 with a sofa bed, 2 rooms, oregon flat rentals.
• Look for flat rentals successful much section neighborhoods. We loved our flat successful the Rome vicinity of Trastevere. It truly enhanced our acquisition successful Rome, it was cheaper and easier to locomotion everywhere. As accommodation was hard to find successful the Cinque Terre towns, we stayed successful an flat successful La Spezia, which was lone 10 minutes distant by train.
• Book accommodation that is centrally located, preferably successful walking region of apical attractions oregon metropolis centers. This volition trim the outgo and clip progressive getting around, which tin beryllium peculiarly cumbersome with kids (and much expensive)
• You won’t find arsenic galore American chains (wahoo, though not large for utilizing points.) Using section hotels tells a amended communicative anyway!
• You won’t person arsenic galore in-room amenities though similar assemblage lotion and coffee. Some will. The assemblage lotion is mostly a no!
• There won’t beryllium a batch of elevators, truthful be prepared to transportation luggage up stairs!

Our Rome flat did person an aged elevator, but we took the stairs.

• If you person an flat rental, and determination is laundry, beryllium prepared for dryers that don’t enactment oregon aren’t there. The washing machines tin beryllium confusing to enactment excessively with nary English instructions, and ours had nary laundry pulverization included!
• Not each volition person parking options. There volition beryllium immoderate valet parking astatine hotels for a higher price, thoroughfare parking if you’re lucky, oregon paid parking garages. We had occupation uncovering parking for our apartment successful La Spezia and took a gamble parking successful what looked similar a lodging analyzable close adjacent wherever our flat proprietor told america determination would beryllium escaped parking. It ended up being okay, but arsenic we were leaving, we were pulled implicit by a worker and told we were successful a subject portion and could not beryllium successful there! We were truthful lucky!
• You volition beryllium charged a edifice metropolis taxation at the extremity of the stay. Some places volition only instrumentality cash. They volition mostly forewarn you.
• Not galore hotels volition see meal – our Florence edifice did, and it was lovely. I don’t urge you acquisition it anyway, arsenic you tin get overmuch cheaper breakfasts from a bakery oregon lacal cafe.

7. Book (or Plan) Transportation for Getting Around

The iconic buses of London

Once you person your main flights booked and your program mapped retired for destinations you’ll sojourn and however agelong you’ll walk connected each one, it’s clip to publication successful different transportation, oregon program however you are going to get around. That is trains, immoderate different interior flights, buses, and car rental.

Do the mathematics comparing each of them and determine which volition be, not conscionable cheaper, but astir businesslike successful getting you to your destination.

It’s a tricky balance. If you person a shorter time, you whitethorn privation to pay a small other to get determination faster!

Which is what we did with our car rental successful Italy. We needed 1 for Tuscany and could person rented it conscionable from Rome to Florence, arsenic we didn’t truly request it successful the different destinations. 

Outside a Metro presumption successful Paris

But aft moving the numbers for 4 of america connected bid tickets betwixt 3 much destinations (and the clip it would take) we figured it was amended to support the rental car and driblet it disconnected successful Verona. 

We did person to wage for parking successful Florence, but it inactive worked retired better. The biggest crushed was it was rather clip consuming to get from Cinque Terre to Verona arsenic it progressive 2 trains, 1 going backward into Milan. We were abbreviated of clip and did not privation to messiness astir with this other hassle!

Car Rental Tips

As mentioned, renting a car tin beryllium a large thought to prevention connected wealth and clip and summation much flexibility particularly if wanting to spell disconnected the beaten path. It’s easier for managing luggage. 

Note: Fuel is much costly successful Europe though, truthful origin successful those costs.

Who Can Drive successful Europe?

Don’t urge thrust astir the chaotic Arc De Triumph!

You typically won’t request an planetary driver’s licence (but cheque connected that arsenic it varies from state to country) and I wouldn’t urge driving if you don’t consciousness confident.

On continental Europe they thrust connected the close (same arsenic successful the USA). However, successful the UK they thrust connected the left, aforesaid arsenic successful Australia. 

The cheapest rental cars volition beryllium manual transmissions, which is what we booked arsenic Craig was the operator and much assured with manuals. 

Always publication the car in the sanction of the idiosyncratic driving the car. I did not cognize this and booked the Rome car successful my name. We past had to adhd Craig arsenic an further driver, which was a mistake that outgo america €80 euro!

You should besides hunt for inexpensive car rentals utilizing examination sites specified arsenic Discover Cars, arsenic these sometimes propulsion retired the champion deals!

Watch Out for Additional Fees For Pick Up / Drop Off Locations

 Champs-Elysées in Paris

Watch for the pickup location. With Discover Cars you tin prime filters truthful lone cars look that are picked up from the airport. 

I thought I did that, but erstwhile we arrived successful Charles de Gaulle airdrome successful Paris to prime up our car to spell to the Loire Valley, we discovered the pickup was a 15-minute thrust away.

And we had to hold 40-minutes for the shuttle operator we had to telephone upon arrival. That added adjacent much clip to our Loire Valley mistake!

Likewise, if you are dropping your car disconnected astatine a antithetic location, you often person to wage a “drop off” fee. It could beryllium much outgo effectual for you to thrust it backmost to the aforesaid car rental prime up constituent and get a bid oregon autobus to the adjacent destination.

Book Cars that tin beryllium Canceled

View from apical of Arc De Triumph

Prices alteration often with car rentals truthful support checking. And conscionable similar however we bask booking hotels with Booking.com arsenic they tin beryllium cancelled for escaped up to a definite date, if we find a amended woody oregon alteration dates we bash the aforesaid with cars.

For our Loire Valley rental, I archetypal looked astatine prices and they were €500 which I thought was expensive, truthful I waited. Bad mistake. Next clip they were €750. I booked 1 conscionable successful lawsuit I knew I could cancel. 

Craig and I came up with a strategy to publication a smaller car and permission our luggage astatine Charles De Gaulle to prevention connected costs, which worked.

Exploring a Chateau successful the Loire Valley of France

HOWEVER, the adjacent clip I checked Discover Cars and recovered a bigger car astatine only €400 I could easy cancel the rentalcars.com 1 and get this one.

Sigh, this is wherefore we marque mistakes, truthful you don’t person to.

Watch Luggage Space

European cars are tiny and the trunk abstraction is tiny. It’s 1 crushed we packed 3 carry-on bags for our European vacation. Also see soft luggage versus hard-suitcases arsenic they tin acceptable successful tighter spaces easier!

DiscoverCars.com has a useful diagnostic that tells you however overmuch luggage the car tin take. You tin besides google the marque and exemplary and find the dimensions. 

We had an contented with our Italian car rental, wherever we’d booked a car with a smaller trunk space. Discover Cars were fantabulous astatine getting connected the telephone and helping maine alteration that looking to a bigger car and the aforesaid price.

Pick up astatine Train Stations

Walking the streets of Rome

It mightiness beryllium easier to prime up a car rental from a bid station. They thin to beryllium cheaper astatine airports (which is cleanable if flying successful and out) but if you’re successful the city, similar we were successful Rome, and request a rental, that’s a atrocious thought for the clip it takes to get retired of the airdrome and the outgo of a taxi. 

We picked up our Italian car rental from the Rome bid station. Get determination aboriginal though arsenic it was engaged and got worse erstwhile we picked up our car.

Watch for City Fees

Rome, Italy

Europe is acold much eco-conscious than the US. Some cities volition person restrictions connected driving successful the metropolis halfway and tin complaint hefty fees and taxes if you do. Research that earlier you publication your rental. You mostly don’t privation to thrust successful these metropolis centers anyhow arsenic they are chaotic. 

In May, I rented a car for my Peloponnese roadworthy trip and had to thrust done the Athens metropolis halfway – it was an adventure!

Public transport is truthful bully successful Europe you don’t request a car successful the cities.

Trains successful Europe

Catching a bid from Bath to Oxford successful England was casual and cheap!

Getting astir Europe connected a bid is easy, popular, and typically affordable. 

We caught the bid regular successful and retired of Cinque Terre from La Spezia and from Verona to Venice. As Venice is brainsick busy, and you lone truly request a time there, we decided to enactment successful quieter Verona (which we similar better) and drawback the aboriginal greeting bid for the day. 

You tin usage Omio oregon Trainline to publication your tickets. The European obstruction passes are different enactment for aggregate destinations. I’ve heard from others it’s not arsenic bully arsenic it utilized to beryllium but inactive mightiness prevention you money. Check Rail Europe for terms comparisons and casual booking.

Kings Cross Station successful London

We besides took the subway successful Paris and the bid down to Versailles without hassles.

On erstwhile Europe trips, we’ve caught the bid from London to Bath and Oxford. Now that’s a spot wherever you’d alternatively drawback the bid than rent a car. And if you are visiting London, don’t miss our guide to get astir London!

What astir Taxis and Ubers?

Crossing implicit the Pont de Carrousel bridge successful Paris

Y’all cognize the worth of a taxi oregon Uber. Often, for families, catching an Uber whitethorn extremity up the aforesaid terms oregon cheaper than idiosyncratic bid oregon autobus tickets – particularly for shorter distances. So, we ever cheque it first.

Uber is not recovered arsenic overmuch successful Europe arsenic the US. Verona did not person it astatine all, truthful you volition beryllium utilizing taxi meters.

Be cautious of traffic. We thought it would beryllium cheaper and easier to get a taxi from Charles de Gaulle successful Paris to our edifice successful the metropolis aft our reddish oculus flight. MISTAKE! An other 2 hours successful postulation and 30 Euro aboriginal we arrived!

Are European cities walkable?

Rome is champion explored connected foot

Most European cities are walkable, which helps trim costs connected regular explorations of a city. We locomotion astir everywhere.

In fact, we were clocking up 20-30K steps each time successful Paris, Rome and Florence. We would beryllium disappointed successful ourselves if we went beneath that. 

It’s cheap, a large mode to spot the cities – due to the fact that successful Europe determination is thing astir each corner- and it tin assistance support disconnected the pounds from each the delicious nutrient and Aperol Spritz you’re consuming.

Walking the cobblestone streets of Montmartre successful Paris

Our regularisation is if the nationalist transport is 20-minutes successful duration oregon less, we walk. By the clip you get down to the subway presumption and hold for the train, you’d astir beryllium determination by walking. 

TOP TIP: Get a comfy brace of walking shoes for factual pavement and cobblestone streets!

8. Book successful Tours

Now your transport is sorted out, it’s clip to publication those tours and attractions. Before you publication attractions, present are a fewer things to consider.

Kids are often Free

Kalyra astatine the Seine River successful Paris

In Europe, galore attractions are escaped oregon astatine a greatly reduced terms for kids nether 12.

Research each of this earlier you commencement booking things, particularly if you are booking via online booking sites oregon purchasing attraction passes. See much connected that below.

Do 1-2 Major Activities per day!

Try not to overload your itinerary, particularly traveling with younger kids. Book conscionable 1-2 attractions and tours per day, past let for rest, escaped exploration, and sampling delicious treats.

If you person younger kids, you whitethorn request to acceptable successful nap times and playground stops arsenic well.

Skip the Line Passes are Essential

View from the Eiffel Tower (we walked up the stairs)

I’m shocked each clip I get astatine an attraction and spot radical waiting successful agelong lines to acquisition a summons connected the spot. 

Book the summons successful advance – timed slot oregon skip the line. You past locomotion consecutive up to the gross astatine your clip slot and enter. You whitethorn person a hold getting done security, but mostly you spell consecutive in. 

One premier illustration of wherever this comes successful useful is if you privation to sojourn the Vatican Museums successful The Vatican City. If you don’t get your walk successful advance, expect to queue for up to 3 hours!

The lone clip we had a agelong hold was for the Accademia successful Florence and the Eiffel Tower which was a implicit schmozzle with delayed openings and ineffective directing of crowds and mediocre signage with their antithetic summons options for the Eiffel Tower.

Book The First Tour of the Day 

Amazingly, we had nary crowds astatine Juliet’s balcony successful Verona

If you can, publication the archetypal tour, oregon timed-entry slot, of the time for the astir fashionable attractions. 

I could not judge that we had The Hall of Mirrors successful Versailles, Doge’s Palace, and the Verona Arena and Juliet’s balcony successful Verona almost each to ourselves utilizing this strategy.

It won’t ever enactment but instrumentality the chance! The further the time goes on, the larger the enactment gets due to the fact that of domino effect delays. 

Use Tour Booking Platforms

In Athens, Greece

I similar to publication tours and attractions done booking portals like Get Your Guide (preferred) Viator, oregon Tiqets.

They usually person book present & wage aboriginal options, and up to 24 hours cancellation protection, Plus, if thing goes wrong, it’s easier to speech to someone. 

Some of the attraction websites are hard to recognize due to the fact that they’re foreign, and their booking process is hard to follow. 

This happened to maine successful Athens visiting the Acropolis and assorted attractions successful Verona, and the Eiffel Tower. It was mode easier to publication via Get your Guide.

Plus, your tickets are stored successful your app and precise casual to entree and scan astatine the attraction.

Join a Guided Tour

Our nutrient circuit successful Rome was fantastic!

I emotion love emotion guided tours for galore reasons. Here’s a fewer reasons why:

• They see skip the enactment passes.
• A metropolis circuit gives you a large overview and starting point. You’ll larn what you privation to spell backmost to and research much of, and insider secrets connected champion pizza, crystal pick etc. Try to bash 1 connected your archetypal time for this reason.
• You’ll larn truthful overmuch much than doing it connected your own.
• It engages kids much than you ever will.
• As a genitor funny successful learning, I get to learn. If it’s conscionable maine and the kids, they’re doing everything they tin to propulsion maine distant from speechmaking that accusation committee and taking it each in.
• Guides volition stock with you the astir absorbing things, redeeming you hours looking astatine everything and trying to fig retired what is important. Many are creation majors and historians and cognize a lot!

We besides did a food circuit successful Paris

• They cognize however to steer you astir crowds, truthful you person a amended experience. I would person hated the Vatican if we did it connected our ain (it was inactive pugnacious anyways arsenic it was unbelievably chaotic), but our usher steered america astir and showed america what was astir fascinating. In comparison, we hated the Colosseum due to the fact that we did it connected our own, did not cognize what we were looking at, got nary penetration connected it, and got swept up successful the chaotic assemblage and spit retired astatine the extremity missing fractional of it. As it was 1 mode only, they would not fto america spell backmost to sojourn the conception we missed due to the fact that of the intelligence crowds!
• For tiny radical tours successful Europe, we highly urge Take Walks (includes Devour Tours) and LivTours.

Consider a Food Tour oregon a Cooking Class

We did a amusive cooking people astatine our Tuscany workplace stay!

We did 5 nutrient walking tours and a cooking people connected our Europe trip. The girls perfectly loved them, arsenic did we.

There is nary amended mode to link with a overseas civilization than with their nutrient and Europe is 1 of the champion places for this. 

Apart from trying delicious food, yummy treats, and good wines, you’ll besides larn a batch astir the past of the destination.

Choose nutrient tours that are tiny groups and person a absorption connected local. We cannot urge Devour Tours (Owned by Walks of Italy) precocious enough. They are each astir supporting and preserving section civilization and nutrient traditions.

Yummy eclairs connected our fantastic nutrient circuit successful Paris

What kid would not emotion learning however to marque gelato, macarons, oregon pasta? Our cooking people astatine our agritourismo enactment successful Tuscany was 1 of our favourite experiences connected our Europe trip.

We besides loved our nutrient circuit of Montmartre Paris; the street nutrient and past circuit of Rome; and the food and vino circuit of Florence.

Purchase Go City Attraction Passes

Outside the Colosseum successful Rome

Go City has attraction passes for aggregate cities successful Europe. We usage them often erstwhile traveling with kids astir the world. They tin beryllium a large mode to prevention wealth if you mean to sojourn aggregate attractions successful a destination. 

They often person your emblematic tourer attraction introduction tickets (with skip the enactment passes) arsenic good arsenic much interesting, and lesser known tours and attractions.

Once you commencement figuring retired what you volition spot and bash from your bucket list, you tin bash the mathematics to fig retired if a Go City attraction walk volition prevention you wealth vs booking them separately.

Visiting St Paul’s Cathedral was a London highlight

Note that if you bash acquisition a Go City attraction pass, you volition inactive person to reserve a timed introduction to immoderate attractions – I urge you bash this if you tin anyway. All these details volition beryllium successful the Go City app erstwhile you acquisition your ticket.

We utilized a 3-attraction Go City for Rome and person besides utilized a Go City for London connected a erstwhile Europe trip.

Check Attraction Opening Times

St. Peters Square, Vatican City

Some tours and attractions whitethorn beryllium closed connected definite days which tin interaction however you program your itinerary. For example, successful Verona astir are closed connected a Monday, and the Vatican connected a Sunday.

In Austria, each retail stores are closed connected Sundays, lone a fewer restaurants and attractions are open. You whitethorn besides person to navigate wide times successful immoderate of the cathedrals.

On weekends, the Pantheon successful Rome requires a reserved summons erstwhile connected weekdays you tin conscionable amusement up.

What astir booking restaurants?

Lunch successful Verona overlooking the magnificent Arena

I was told aggregate times to publication successful restaurants successful Europe during the summertime oregon I won’t get in. 

This was 1 portion of proposal I could not follow. Mealtimes tin fluctuate truthful overmuch depending connected what you are doing each time and what unexpected things popular up. 

Plus, I whitethorn person recovered a beauteous vicinity to rotation astir and unknowingly ended up 30-minutes from that edifice I booked, erstwhile I’d alternatively devour successful the neighborhood. I ne'er booked 1 edifice and ne'er had overmuch of an issue!

Dinner successful the Latin Quarter of Paris

In Europe you person tons of options, you tin edifice to thoroughfare nutrient snacks oregon market stores if you get wholly stuck. 

If you are a foodie intent connected exploring Michelin prima restaurants, you volition request to book. I’m guessing arsenic a household traveler this is not the lawsuit for you.

We would wander, look astatine a fewer restaurants, and typically take ones that didn’t person agelong lines. In Europe the nutrient is mostly bully everywhere.

9. Write Out Your Itinerary

Walking on the stream successful Florence

Now you’ve got everything booked in, you tin commencement to program retired each time of your Europe trip, which I highly urge you constitute down determination oregon usage the spreadsheet I mentioned earlier. 

I emotion having a regular program to follow truthful I tin beryllium contiguous and bask the acquisition more. Each time volition beryllium busy, truthful you won’t get clip to bash it connected the run.

On my map, I crippled retired my stops, nutrient and portion places that look interesting, my hotel, and bid stations and airports.

I volition often usage that to program retired each day, arsenic I tin easy spot however casual it is to get astir and however to radical things together.

I planned for a full time astatine the Palace of Versailles

Of course, this has to beryllium centered astir those tours and attractions you’ve booked, but successful having attractions booked it gives you a determination and clip framework to enactment with and fig retired the remainder of the day. 

Take that accusation and successful a word, doc database retired a little itinerary with times, and immoderate different important accusation you privation to remember. Make definite you tin entree them connected your telephone oregon people them disconnected if you similar that better. 

Final Thoughts

Piazza Navona successful Rome

Thanks for sticking with america until the end! We anticipation you recovered it invaluable with tons of accusation to assistance you program your travel to Europe with kids.

So present you cognize however to program a travel to Europe, what happens next? Well, it’s clip to battalion your suitcase and get acceptable to commencement exploring!

Of course, we each cognize it’s ne'er arsenic consecutive guardant arsenic that, truthful to assistance you out, we’ve prepared this different usher connected tips for visiting Europe (coming soon) which covers things you request to cognize erstwhile you’re really there.

Be definite to cheque it out, arsenic it covers everything you request to cognize to person a creaseless trip.

If you person immoderate much tips for readying a Europe trip, delight permission them successful the comments conception beneath arsenic good arsenic immoderate different questions you whitethorn have! And we’d emotion it if you could stock this station with a person oregon to your societal channels! Have a fantastic household vacation successful Europe!