Help Needed! - Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Italy, Germany Loop w/ Small Children

Posted by julianapiche on 05/21/24 08:29 PM

My husband and I are trying to plan a very last minute summer in Europe with our three small children (5, 2 and 6 months). We have ~6 weeks to play with ( June 4 - July 17) and want to rent a car for the duration of our travels to limit wrangling the family to multiple planes/trains, etc. Given the age of our children, the priority for us is more nature experience/sight seeing focused and less metropolitan (our kids are not old enough to care about museums or history so we won't spend much time on tours). We love the idea of staying in smaller towns that are very walkable, safe and not overly touristy. We love to be outdoors as much as possible and are very active. Constraints would be:

Spend first portion of trip in the warmest planned part of itinerary and include at least one coastal town with access to kid friendly beaches.
Plan to return rental car to origin city
Lake Como area June 16-19 to meet w/ family
Spend a minimum of 3 nights in each location but open to staying 1-2 weeks
Avoiding classic hotels, preference to 2+ bedroom accommodations including B&B or agritourism options
Preference to maximize time in comfortable temperature environments (Houston temps are often 100 deg F much of the summer so hoping to escape that and not spend the whole day sweating!)
minimal "day trips" where the kids would not be able to nap

Initial thoughts would be flying from Houston to Austria and then making a clockwise loop south through Slovenia, Croatia, Italy, Switzerland, Germany.

We are very flexible outside of these above constraints and are wanting to create a laid back trip where we are taking things slow with our kids and just enjoying the experience versus trying to cram a bunch of activities/sight seeing. Having never travelled to mainland Europe, would love any thoughts/recommendations from folks who have travelled these areas with their small children: where to spend the most time? what's not to be missed? unique stay opportunities?

Thank you so much!!

Posted by Pat

San Diego, California

05/29/24 03:10 AM

5383 posts

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/general-europe/1-month-in-europe-with-kids

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/general-europe/europe-with-toddlers

Perhaps the above Searches will have helpful info. I'll try to find other posts discussing travel with children.

What travel experiences does your family have?
Do your children all have passports-they are required.
Are you bringing your car seats?

I think a slow and flexible mode is the best approach. Safe travels!

Posted by Allison

CT by way of FL

05/29/24 04:32 AM

205 posts

If you have to be in the Lake Como area on June 16-19, then I would build out the itinerary from there. That means your plan of starting in Austria and moving clockwise wouldn't really work; you'd be rushing through three countries in a little over a week. I would also look into non-stop flights from Houston. It seems like the only city that would work for your itinerary is Munich, but that's okay; I actually think Munich would be a great place to start and end your trip.

What if you flew into Munich on June 4, took a day or two to get used to the time change, and then headed into the Alps. Innsbruck? Bolzano? I'm not sure how booked the Dolomites will be, given you are leaving next week, but it's worth a try. Or maybe somewhere in Switzerland? Rent a charming house and stay put until you head to Lake Como. Fill your days with little hikes and ice cream/gelato. After Lake Como, make your way across Italy to Istria and then to Lake Bled. I personally love Vienna, and there might be enough for your kids to do; there's a zoo, some palaces and the Haus der Musik is interactive and fun. Or skip that and just head to Salzburg and find a cute village. Return to Munich for the last week of your trip. My friends live in Munich and their youngest is about the age of your oldest. They take lots of trips out into the surrounding areas for weekend trips and hikes.

I would caution against trying to do too much or moving too often. I remember when my kids were that age; we had to pack the car just to visit Grandma's house an hour away. Diapers, change of clothes, all those little extras - It will be hard to unpack and repack all that every third or fourth day. I would suggest taking a deep breath and listing your priorities for this trip - and then start the hard work of killing your darlings. Is Croatia a coast too far for this trip? Would a lake be an okay substitute for the beach? Remember that Houston might reach 100F, but it also has a/c - something many of these place in Europe might not have. How important are the daily naps - and how might moving frequently disrupt them? Consider finding 4-6 locations and spending a week to ten days in each. Really think about the pros and cons of having a car, too. As Pat mentioned, are you bringing their carseats from home? And if so, do you want to deal with them all trip? Will all three fit in the back seat of a sedan, or will you need to rent a bigger car? How do your kids do on long car rides? Again, deep breath and think Slow Down.

This sounds like a fantastic trip for you and your family! I hope you keep us informed on what you decide; the Forum is better at giving more detailed advice.