“Europe is not for kids” that was what my friends who had been to Europe advised me when I told them that I was going to Europe with my three young kids. Well, it’s true if you tell your kids “We are going to Europe. You will see lots of beautiful old buildings and visit lots of museums to see famous stuff from the past like paintings and statues. Oh, and be ready for long queues at each museum.” My kids would rather sit at home and play their computer games.
This was what I told my kids after I put together my itinerary. “Kids, we are going to Europe. You will learn how cheese and chocolates are made, how diamonds, the hardest material in the world, are cut, and see what goes on inside a windmill. You will also see someone blowing glass and making vases or animals out of glass. You are going to cut through the mountain on a funicular (train) ride and take a cable car ride to the top of the mountain. Rides on a boat, a tram, a fast train and the famous gondola are also part of our trip. How would you like to visit the Cinderella castle, a fairytale town and the Leaning tower of Pisa? Last but not least, you will get to take fun rides at Legoland and Europapark.” My kids were looking forward to the trip after I shared the adventures in store for them.
As a mother, I was a little bit worried about my ambitious itinerary with three little ones. I was especially worried about travelling to Italy after reading stories online about pickpockets and people harassing you. I was also a bit worried about travelling by train with my kids again. My first experience travelling by train in Europe to Switzerland and Paris was not without challenges. Fortunately, our European adventures in four countries turned out very well and my kids enjoyed it immensely. I felt safe in Italy as there were many policemen on foot making sure everything was in order. Our train travel went smoothly as well because we were more familiar and more prepared than before.
Click the button below to see the detailed itinerary. From there you can click on the links for each day to see photos and my blog.
Itinerary
I want to go back in Europe one day, and if that time comes I will be a kid again and play. 🙂