Traveling to Europe with kids is more fun than you can possibly imagine. But if this is your first trip to Europe with kids, then fine tuning the itinerary, planning which countries to visit, how to keep kids interested and what to expect in those countries can be quite daunting ! 

Three Tickets in Prague, Czech Republic

Almost scary enough to make you cancel a perfectly fine trip to Europe with kids. Don’t let that happen ! A vacation to Europe is so enchanting, that your children will talk about it for the rest of their lives!

N Playing in Sparkling blue beaches of Croatia

The mere mention of Europe, conjures images of dreamy castles perched on hilltops, alpine meadows speckled with fairytale villages, music from accordions drifting in air and flaky croissants crumbling on your lips.

Fairytale castles of Estonia in Europe

If you live far from Europe then brace for long haul flights with kids and if you are an Indian passport holder, then take a look at the visa requirements before heading to Europe.

Europe with Kids : 5 Easy Itineraries

These 5 are our favorite itineraries which are best suited for families with children.

1. 1. Uniquely Eastern : PRAGUE → VIENNA  → BUDAPEST
   2. Romance of Europe : ITALY → CROATIA
   3. Iconic Europe : PARIS → BELGIUM→ AMSTERDAM
   4. Scandinavian Flavors : DENMARK → SWEDEN → NORWAY
   5. Fun in the Sun: SPAIN → PORTUGAL

TIPS WHEN TRAVELING TO EUROPE WITH KIDS

1. Go Solo or Combine a few countries?

Europe is so magical , that you will be tempted to cram too much.  But if the kids get exhausted or bored, they will never ever get excited for a family trip again! 

Playing in the old town square of Prague – Disney Castle’s inspiration

The key is to keep it simple and interesting. 

Most of the times, a trip to Europe means combining 2 – 3 countries in your itinerary. This is because it is a compact continent, and you can reach a new country in lesser time than most people commute to work daily. 

For example, you can get from London to Paris in about 2 hours in a Eurostar train.

 Snuggling in undulating meadows of Norway with Fjords and mountains

                     In streets of what N calls “Lego Country” – Denmark

Of course if you are interested in road tripping across Iceland or hop the Greek islands, then it is best to just stick to one country because they are geographically isolated and the travel time may tire the kids.

For us, a combination of 3 countries in continental Europe works the best. 

2. Factor in Age when going to Europe with kids

Choose destinations according to age of your kids. With squirmy babies, it really doesn’t matter where you go since they are too small to enjoy anything related to travel.

But as your child begins to understand their world through books and stories, they will delight in their planet’s diverse beauty. And through their eyes, so will you.

Playing with original Pinocchio in Rome, Italy

For example, your 4 year old son will enjoy meeting original Pinocchio in Rome, while your 12 year old daughter will relate and remember her visit to Anne Frank’s Museum in Amsterdam forever.

In Italy, visit the real Merchants of Venice or relive your own childhood stories of Hansel and Gretel in the Black-forest region of Germany. 

Who is this with uncanny resemblance to mamma ? 

In the Alpine slopes of Switzerland, frolic like Heidi or live your own Sound of Music moment in the Austrian alps. 

Some of the things that will appeal to ages are Disneyland in Paris, Tivoli gardens in Denmark or simply playing in the company of majestic Fjords in Norway.

Fun at a Theme park in Norway

3. How to keep kids excited and interested in Europe travel ?

Pique their curiosity :

Watch kids movies or read adventure books based on your travel destination a few days before heading out on your family trip to Europe.

The Three of us exploring Transylvania in central Romania

Watching movies like Hotel Transylvania before going to Transylvania in Romania, movies like Frozen and Trolls before going to Norway or Iceland and watching Ferdinand before going to Spain was not just fun but also got us revved up for our Europe trip.

When your kid wants a playground in the middle of nowhere – thats what he gets! Playing in South Iceland.

Involve Them

One of the things I often do to keep N excited during boring parts of travel like airport waits or cab rides, is involve him in planning.

(trying ) to read maps in Spain

I often hand him out city maps and guide books (with images)  and talk to to him as if he were an adult.

At first he is surprised, why is mom suddenly interrupting my ritual of begging for phone!  But soon gets a fair idea and starts giving his own opinion on where we should eat and what we should see.

4. Why Europe with Kids is a great idea?

A trip to Europe is more than magical architecture and delicious wine. The whole continent is a living breathing open air museum.

On our way to Italy, I told N stories of gladiators and wild beasts and he never wanted to leave Italy !

Watching a street artist bring a masterpiece to life with chalk in Florence, Italy

In your itinerary for Europe, include theme parks and zoos to keep the young ones happy but don’t let that define your Euro trip entirely. Because Europe has so much more to offer like fascinating history and jaw-dropping scenery.

Playground near the world’s deepest and largest fjord – Norway

A mosaic of infinite knowledge – art, history and science. When you walk it’s cobble stone streets, you walk in the pages of an encyclopedia. Its free education ! Not to mention a whole lot fun.

Learning through play in front of Copernicus Monument in Warsaw, Poland

5.  Keep enough wiggle time

Loosen your itinerary to keep enough time for the little bundles of energy.  To run and play around means a happier holiday for everyone. Europe has the most beautiful expansive plazas. Often with ornate fountains and surrounded by cute cafes.

Running around and burning some energy in Europe

6. Tips while Eating in Europe with kids

Restaurants in Europe are very kid friendly. From upscale restaurants to road side trattorias, the servers are warm and friendly towards little ones.

Relishing the world’s best spaghetti in Italy

Most restaurants in Europe don’t have a separate ‘kids meal’ but will accommodate any special request.

Food in most of Europe is delicious and safe for kids. There are drinking fountains scattered all over famous European cities like Rome and Zurich that have clean drinking water flowing in them. Kids will remember the lip-smacking food and delicious ice creams, gelato and chocolates Europe is famous for.

Since wine is an integral part of their culture, in countries like Italy, France and Spain, drinking alcoholic drinks in front of kids is not a big deal.

 Parents toasting with mimosas in Latvia  while Orange juice sits forgotten

Grocery stores are stacked with yummy local produce and are a cheaper alternative to restaurants.

If your kids are allergic to certain foods, make sure you practice saying that in the local language. In Europe meals are eaten much later than in U.S. so keep some snacks handy. For example in Spain, lunch doesn’t start till 2 pm and dinner not until 9pm.

7. Cost

Lets face it, this continent is expensive. But your epic family trip to Europe doesn’t have to burn a hole in pocket. Since traveling as a family is always costlier, there are ways you can explore Europe on a budget.

Tips to save money on your trip to Europe with Kids

Soaking the sun and Lisbon’s beauty – Portugal, Europe 

1. 1. Simple actions like picking cheaper countries such as Portugal, Hungary and Romania over expensive ones like Iceland, Switzerland and Norway will cut the overall cost.

1. Choosing AirBnBs over fancy hotels.Sharing a kiss in Iceland- one of the most expensive countries in Europe
2. Cooking at least a few meals yourself.
3. Renting a car instead of private tours can save quite a sum of money while giving you a great European experience.

We often mix things up – A combination of fancy hotels and budget AirBnBs gives our pockets a rest and souls a rejuvenation.

Staying in an AirBnB works the best if your kids are really little as the convenience of a kitchen outshines glamor of luxurious hotels.

Soaking at an indoor Pool Spa in freezing winters of North Europe

In European restaurants, dinners are always more expensive than lunches and tap water or ‘carafe’ water is free (and perfectly safe to drink)  instead of pricier mineral water.

Fixed price Menus or Prix Fixe as they are called in France are cheaper than A la Carte menu.

8. Strollers or no Strollers ?

This is totally your call, but I will share our experience.

Europe is full of cobblestone streets so pushing the stroller over those was not fun. Also the metro and RER stations in cities like Paris have many stairs. The elevators are far and out of the way. We had to hurl the strollers over the automated turnstiles each time.

In public transport like buses, there is space for strollers. After our first (rather uncomfortable)  trip to Europe with strollers, we have left them home ever since.

9. How to travel within Europe with kids ?

Train is the best and most scenic option to travel between cities and countries in Europe. Kids aged 0-11 travel for free on Eurail and 0-5 free in many regional trains.

There are electric sockets to charge your iPads and phones to keep your kids happy. Light snacks like chips and juices will be available onboard.

10. Familiarity – One of the most important things while traveling to Europe with kids

If this is your first time traveling with kids or toddlers, then don’t underestimate the power of comfort brought on by familiarity.

Beautiful scenery and colors of Croatia

Familiarity could be something that reminds kids of their routine back home. It could be anything – their favorite toy, favorite blanket, favorite snack, favorite cartoon series downloaded on their iPads etc. Make sure you carry a combination of those beloved items.

As a traveling mom, I noticed the psychological comfort brought on by such things, reassured and grounded N, every time he needed to get his bearings in a new place.

There is nothing more gratifying than traveling with your little ones. Its truly rewarding when they appreciate fascinating cultures and beauty of mother nature around the world. So what are you waiting for ? Go ahead and book your tickets to Europe with kids !