Taking your infant to Europe--your thoughts, challenges etc

[BeachBum]

I was so impressed to see those of you that responded on a current stroller thread about taking your infant to Europe for vacation.

My husband and I would love to do this, but feel so apprehensive. I guess our main concerns are dining out, and what to do in the evenings after DS has gone to bed.
At home, we try very hard to respect his bedtime which is early (6:30). In Italy, restaurants aren't even open yet!

How did you deal with tourist attractions, churches etc. How did you modify what you would have done without a baby to include the realities of your child? What kinds of things did you skip?

When we went to Italy for 2 weeks (when I was preggo) this past summer, we each packed a carryon bag and a backpack. We did laundry at the hotel (or in the sink). It was awesome not having so much stuff. I'm having trouble imagining traveling with a car seat and stroller. We also stayed in small B&Bs instead of larger hotel chains. Are hotels a must?

I would love to hear more about your experiences, what worked, what didn't etc.
thanks for sharing.

[cmdunn1972]

Not hijacking your thread here, but I'm interested in reading some of the responses that you receive since we're debating the pros and cons of taking DS (who will then be just over 1 y.o.) with us to Germany next summer.

[american_mama]

First, I had a very flexible child who is a night owl. Second, she was 18 months old and older. Third, I skipped all art museums and only went to small museums; in fact, we went to many smaller tourist attractions. Fourth, DH and I sometimes played tag team at restaurants with one eating and the other entertaining DD, often outside. Fifth, we did nothing in the evenings after DD went to bed. We all usually went to bed at the same time at a hotel (too late for her, too early for us) and she often had a hard time falling asleep (but we all slept well after she did).

Probably the most successful plan of attack was to do something in the morning that was fun for DD (visit a train museum, a toy museum, a bicycle tour, a boat ride, an in-and-out-of-places all morning thing) and then one thing in the afternoon that was for me and preferably quiet enough that DD could nap in the stroller. This often worked well.

You do a lot less with a child in tow, but I enjoyed it greatly.

I should also add that we lived in Europe, so this traveling was weekend or week-long trips, but the disruption was less than if coming from the US.

ETA: In terms of sleep, I wish we had tried the approach of putting DD to bed in her crib, then going outside (if possible) to the hotel or B&B hallway with a book or journal or quiet conversation. DH thought she would feel abandoned in an unfamiliar place, but I wonder if not seeing us would have helped her go to sleep more quikcly.

And no, hotels are not a must. We stayed in many B&Bs or very small hotels and usually brought our pack and play with us. DD's crying at night never seemed loud enough to bother anyone. I did usually have to do a perusal through the room when we first arrived to remove any small decorative objects or breakables up to a higher shelf. I did read a recommendation to stay the first night or two in a big hotel so that if your child is screaming at night with jet lag, you won't feel as self-conscious as in a small B&B.

I was thinking it sounds like you are weighing whether it is worth is to travel with a child. You pass by some restaurants and attractions that you would otherwise do, and you see a lot fewer things. But you also see a side of overseas life that you'll never notice without a child, and this gives great insight into a basic human question: how do different societies treat children and families? Traveling together also helps bring your family together and show you that your favorite activities can be integrated with having children; you don't have to wait until grandma takes the kids or they graduate from high school for you to go out and travel.

[ciaobella]

We are planning on going to Italy this summer with our DS who will be almost 22 months old. Our DS is relatively laid back and flexible, so we are hoping that he will go with the flow. We are planning on doing the major attractions in Venice, Milan, Florence and Rome. I speak Italian and have family there, so I am hoping that will help. I am anxious to hear what others have experienced!

Good luck to you.

Anne

[newbelly2002]

We've done it at various stages: 4 months, 10 months, and 2 years.

Each time has required a different set of calculations and adjustments, and a good sense of humour. With an infant it was the easiest. DS slept in the stroller during the day and evening (we had a carrycot on the stroller) and late evening we enjoyed a drink or coffee on a balcony/veranda/nearby lounge. At 10 months, we took a 9 day trip to Sicily. We rented a small house/apartment for a week. During the day we planned one adventure (museum/ruins/beach etc) and then would find a wonderful butcher or fish store, buy our food, put DS to bed and cook our meal and eat on the balcony (notice a pattern? :)). We also occasionally sent one of us out to pick up a pizza/calzone or other take out item to be brought back to the house. Yes, it was a little sad to not be able to enjoy the "night life" but the memories of a family vacation more than made up for it.

I actually have found that big hotels are the least accomodating when it comes to kids and traveling. The rooms are small which requires you to be out and about, there are no kitchennettes which makes restaurants a must, and most verandas/balconys are onliy in the super expensive suites. In Europe, people are much more willing and open to the idea of renting an apartment or house which personally I find better. Also, bakeries will become your friend. You can use them for both breakfast and lunch, on the move or there at the cafe if Junior is on good behavior. We really tried to limit restaurant time to once a day maximum. Anything more was really just asking too much of DS.

For the poster who mentioned Germany, where are you going? Let me know if I can help. We've lived 4 of the last 5 years in various parts of Germany.

GOod luck and have fun!



Paula
Mama to Dante, 8/02
And 2 sweet peas in an April pod

[jasmine_bay]

DH and I took Emily to Amsterdam when she was 9 months old. She was still taking two naps, so we would go out for breakfast then come back to put her down for her morning nap. Our day revolved around her naps/bedtimes. We didn't do or see as much as we would if she wasn't with us, but we still enjoyed the trip.

As for your question about dining out, I had forgotten the reality that smoking is prevalent in Europe. This was probably the biggest downer for us since we enjoy eating out. We ended up eating a lot of take out in our hotel room because of the whole smoking situation. We didn't want to expose Emily to so much second-hand smoke. We usually ate early (like 5:30pm) to lessen the chance that there would be smoking patrons in the same restaurant.

After Emily went to bed at 7:30pm, we would sit outside the hotel door. Pretty lame I know. Next time I would opt for a suite or a small bed and breakfast. We took a trip recently to San Jose for my husband's work and we had a suite which was very nice. She could be asleep in the bedroom while we still have the living room to ourselves.

Emily got her first fever on our trip, so I had to make an emergency call to her pediatrician. I had packed Tylenol for her but couldn't find Motrin in any of the pharmacies. Then I came down with a terrible cough and couldn't find the right cough medicine. It was tough to figure out what I was taking since the label was in Dutch. I had to trust that the pharmacist was giving me the right thing.

[cmdunn1972]

That was me. :)

We're planning on visiting the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer river valley. I'm thinking about renting a "holiday apartment" for a week in a little village along the river and taking advantage of the off-dry rieslings in the area. It'll be just the three of us.

I thought that spending the entire time in one village somewhat centrally located between Trier and Koblenz would be easier on Sean. I was thinking about Urzig, but do you think that Traben-Trarbach would have better accomodations for children? I'm worried about making reservations for a place only to find that there are no cribs. What do you think?

[schatje1]

You are so right about the smoking! We were in Amsterdam over the holidays and it was the most unpleasant part of our trip.
As far as evening entertainment, we usually splurge for a suite. Considering we aren't spending money for fancy dinners, it isn't that big of an expense. We would go out for a nice lunch and then have take out for dinner in the hotel. After we put Dylan to bed, we would have a bottle of wine and read or watch TV. It was a really relaxing way to end the day.
And I wouldn't expect to see too many sites but if there is a place that you really want to visit, ask your husband to stay with her during nap time and you go out alone. This worked out great for us since it gave him a chance to actually rest on vacation.
Finally, I am much more flexible about bed time. At home, he is in bed at 7:30 99% of the time. However, since there is little to do at 7 am, we kept him up until 9. It was so nice to sleep in until 8:30 everyday!!!

[ShayleighCarsensMom]

We went to Germany and Italy when my DD was 2 months old. It was probably the best trip we have ever taken.
We too, are very obsessed about bedtimes ;)
The good thing about the time change is that when you get there, just adjust your child to going to sleep later...and when you get home, they can return to normal pace.
You should go!

[daniele_ut]

Amy - sorry to hijack, but I just had to comment on your user name, since I hadn't noticed before. Schatje is DH's pet name for me! He lived in the Netherlands for 2 years and speaks fluent Dutch.

To the OP, thanks for posting this query, as we are also contemplating a spring trip back to Amsterdam with DS.

[newbelly2002]

oh, you're killing me!! We lived in Bonn about 5 years back and went wine tasting at least once a month. Sometimes we rode bikes, trains, hikes. The mosel was just gorgeous in the fall. After chatting up one winemaker I ended up walking out with an over 30 year old bottle of wine from my birth year.

If you're into reds at all, and have any time to spare, you might want to check out the Ahr Tal. It's the best red in Germany. And while I know that sounds like not much of an endorsement, really it is. They have a spatburgunder varietal that rivals some of the best wines I've ever tasted. They also have some great "therman" for saunas and swimming that the kiddos might like. They're not as well known, and thus not as touristy, as the Mosel but well worth the trip.

I don't know much about Urzig, but if it's smaller than Traben-Trabach you might want to stick with the latter. As for kid-friendly, most places should be. *should* being the key phrase here. You'll be hard pressed to kind a place with a crib, but most have pack-n-plays available (reisebett fuer kinder, if you want the German). Also, if you are renting an apartment be sure to ask for a high chair (hoch stuhle) too.

I'm insanely jealous. Berlin has many things, wine is not among them.


Paula
Mama to Dante, 8/02
And 2 sweet peas in an April pod

[cmdunn1972]

Europe isn't the only place in the world where the smoking is outrageously common. DS was born in Japan last year, and most of the men smoke like chimneys. Also, DH travels to other parts of Asia, such as China, Korea, and India, and the same is true for those countries.

In Japan, Sean's baby blanket was covering his face for two reasons. One was to shield his newborn, sensitive skin and eyes from the elements. The other was to shield him from the smoke!

Funny. Japan otherwise seems so clean since they don't eat or drink while walking on the sidewalks. There's no litter, but my god, the smoke!

[cmdunn1972]

Well, I didn't mean to make you jealous! Honest! ;)

Urzig is tiny. It's tinier than Traben-Trarbach, from what I can tell. However, I am aware (from researching on the web) that many of the guest rooms/hotels that are available in these towns are located at the weinguts themselves. For that reason, there are at least 3 hotels in Urzig as well as one or two guesthouses that advertize on the internet. I guess it's just hard to know exactly what you're getting into when you plan trips like this sight unseen. I also don't want to make the mistake of making improper assumptions (such as whether or not there will be a bed appropriate for the baby).

I like your suggestion about giving ourselves some time to try some of the German reds. One thing we're trying to stay away from is "touristy" places. German reds are pretty much unknown except in Germany.

By the way, since you've spent some time in Germany, you might be interested in the 15 Dec, '05 issue of "Wine Spectator" magazine. The front page article features rieslings in both Germany and elsewhere in the world.

Thanks for your help! I'll have to bring our camera and upload all the pictures when we get back so that you can see them (if that offer doesn't make you even more jealous). ;)

[cmdunn1972]

"I did read a recommendation to stay the first night or two in a big hotel so that if your child is screaming at night with jet lag, you won't feel as self-conscious as in a small B&B."

That's a fantastic suggestion! :) We'll definately keep that in mind when making our travel plans. It might make things easier. We had thought about flying to the closest airport since the drive to our small-town destination region would be long. But, now I'm wondering if we should simply fly to Frankfurt and spend the night there before traveling to the Mosel River area.