My Experience Travelling with Kids

We have now been living in Germany for 18 months, and we have done quite a lot of travelling with our kids.  When my husband was offered a job here, the main reason we accepted was that we were ready for a big family adventure.  We wanted to push out of our comfort zone, and show our kids that a great big world exists and is just waiting to be explored.  I want my kids to learn about culture and humanity not only through books and Dora the Explorer.  And you know what?  My kids are so happy living here, and every time we travel, they have a blast!

Germany has tons of hiking trails!

My daughter is 5 years old, and my son is 8.  In the last 18 months we have visited Italy three times (Rome, Venice, Lake Como, and Tuscany), and gone to Innsbruck, Krakow, Salzburg, Berlin, Munich, Paris, and Strasbourg, just to name a few.  Every single one of these places was child-friendly, and we have never had a problem finding a balance between kid activities (playgrounds), and adult activities (museums).  Is is great all the time?  No!  They have meltdowns, I have meltdowns, and then we take a break and move on.  The only one who never has a meltdown in my husband.

Meltdown on the ferry in Lake Como

All smiles ten minutes later!

So, I was REALLY irritated when I was reading through an article on Yahoo! Travel called We Heard You! Yahoo Readers on the Worst Trips for Kids, and this was printed about taking your kids to Europe...

Please don't take your children to Europe. European people teach their children manners and how to behave in public. Americans are too stupid to teach their kids respect for others and the property of others. —Alan

I am so furious with this comment because it is complete nonsense that American kids are any worse behaved than kids from other countries.  I have seen absolutely no difference in the behavior of kids in any of the countries we have visited, and I have seen tons of German kids running around in restaurants.  Kids are kids, regardless of location.  I should also mention that I have also seen plenty of adults misbehaving in restaurants and other public places.

Ryan loved eating escargot in France!

I actually find that European cities and restaurants are more family friendly than in the USA.  European cities seem to be designed with families in mind, and there are play spots everywhere, as well as small parks and pedestrian only zones.  In the warm months all the restaurants put the tables outside, and it is family dining heaven!

Enjoying an AMAZING meal in Tuscany!

My kids have been into plenty of museums, and my son has asked me to take him to the Picasso Museum when we visit Barcelona in April.  Are they always angels in museums? Absolutely not, but I know how long their attention span is, and we plan accordingly.  

Imaginations fly when visiting castle ruins!

The purpose of family travel is spending quality time as a family, not to see every monument and museum in a city within 48 hours.  I don't even care if my kids remember all of these trips, because I will remember.  We have definitely found adventure through living in Europe, and I also see my kids growing and thriving through the travel experiences we share as a family.  I would encourage all parents to not think twice about taking their kids to Europe, or anywhere else for that matter.