Best Countries with a Toddler

We are in the same boat. I don't have any recommendations, but we will be traveling next summer with our toddler, who will be two. We are looking at spending some time in Italy and Slovenia. I have some ideas about how to handle things like food, diapers, etc. but I suppose we will learn by experience next summer. Good luck!

From my recollections, it seemed Ireland and Italy were the best countries as to toddlers. Others may have more current information.

Everyone is different, so will just speak to my own experience travelling with littles ones when they were ages 9 mo & 2 yrs (to Germany, Austria, Eastern France) and 3&4 yrs (to Austria, Northern Italy, Slovenia, Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic).

You're wise to consider the age of your toddler to help guide the destination; we also favoured natural settings and smaller towns during the toddler stage. When in the country, our kids loved staying on farms, going to the beach, riding on boats and little trains. When in towns or cities, we always looked for an apartment or hotel near a park or green space and visited a few times a day. It also helped to be in the town/city centre so that one parent could stay in at nap time and the other could sightsee for a bit on their own. Apartments give the flexibility of extra bed rooms so that you can put the little one down and still stay up yourself - also useful during jet lag when one of you will be up early while the other gets a bit more sleep. We still look for apartments with a washing machine.

Also essential to us was the freedom of a rental car ( with a big trunk ), with our own car seats; when possible we made our transitions between destinations during nap time - tried to keep drives under three hours. Diaper bag essentials for us were lots of snacks/picnic supplies, extra wipes and a Tide to Go pen! We did bring a playpen, but found it wasn't essential for us (you can book one at each stay and save carting it around.) We had a double stroller (with tires, not plastic wheels) and also brought a carrier for the little one. We always bring a custom first aid kit with us - has come in handy more than once! I also find different guidebooks/websites that cater to travel with kids to be very helpful in helping to map out local activities that match our families' interests.

Of all the places we've been in Europe, if I were to do a trip during the toddler stage again, I'd choose from Germany (Romantic Road), Austria (Salzburg has an excellent playground beside the Mirabell Gardens, marionette theatre, Hellbrunn Palace trick fountains etc.), Slovenia and Northern Italy (Alpe di Siusi). Lots of natural settings/hiking/water, nice small towns to visit, easy to navigate, short distances between destinations.

Have a great trip!

I don't believe there any "best" countries - all the items and services you list are available everywhere, after all Europeans have their own toddlers and cope perfectly well.

What you might bear in mind is the local weather - how does your nipper cope with the heat for example if you're enjoying the outdoors?

I remember being in Spain and watching a local family having dinner - the youngest was happily getting stuck into the most exotic seafood - heads and tails and everything. Now's the time to make sure yours doesn't grow up a fussy eater!

Thanks for the responses.

I don't believe there any "best" countries - all the items and
services you list are available everywhere, after all Europeans have
their own toddlers and cope perfectly well.

Yes, I completely agree. However, Europeans have a degree of familiarity that I do not. My original question wasn't one of wondering if Europe had these products and services (of course they do), but I was trying to ask if there were places that Americans would find easier to navigate in terms of familiarity (brands, products) and in terms of placing yourself in a good location where there's a lot to see, but not having to move around too much. This is very different from the way that my wife and I typically travel. Usually we try to use public transportation, but now renting a car seems like the better option. Usually, we are up and going and out all day long. That will be very difficult when considering nap time. It will be better to have a base where we can do multiple short trips out.

Personally, I am not worried so much about all the details. I just assume that we will manage as we always do. My wife does all the worrying for the family and I just simply don't have the answers when she asks all of her "what if" questions. :) She'll come around eventually.

Based on the additional information you just posted, I would suggest Ireland is a really easy place to navigate with a toddler and it lets you do the things you enjoy (like hiking, lots of coastal areas). Plus it has the added benefit of everyone speaks english so if there is an unexpected illness for your child, there are no language barriers to overcome. You will definitely want to rent a car with the amount of stuff you would need for a trip with a toddler and also because the train system in Ireland is not really extensive. But the country is small enough that you can easily base yourself out of a region and explore for a few days. Depending on how long your trip is, 1 to 2 places to base should be sufficient for a trip of say 7 to 10 days in length.

The Irish are very welcoming of families. Having my own relatives who live there in a relatively small village in the West, I've seen plenty of young parents gathered at tables outside of some of the local pubs having a pint and chatting while the kids play nearby. Lots of lodging options for families as well - cottage rentals, Bed & Breakfasts, guest houses, and hostels with private family rooms with their own bathrooms plus the added benefit of being able to use the shared kitchen and laundry facilities which comes in handy when traveling with a small child.

I had a friend who had very young twin boys not much older than toddlers and took them to Ireland and had a great trip. In subsequent years, she took them to Iceland and Spain as well. Not Europe, but New Zealand is also a great place to do this kind of a trip with a young child - but the flight is extremely long.

One thing I look at is a culture that is fairly kid-friendly. For example, I have not been there with my kids but I seem to remember Vienna at least as being more formal which to me translates as harder. I'm sure someone will be around to contradict that but that is my impression ;) The more rigid the expectations the more likely you run into difficulty.

On the flip side, Spain and Italy are very open. Kids are welcome most everywhere and not just tolerated but enjoyed. That goes a long way to managing any logistical difficulty. Barcelona is a very kid friendly city (good infrastructure and availability of stuff, beaches, playgrounds all over, sights of interest). Rome is more difficult logistically but the people love kids.

One tip is to rent apartments via air bnb or a local service or an apartment-hotel. More space for kids to play, more privacy, a kitchen.