Just a comment & thoughts on travel w/children

Oh Stephanie, what a lovely post :-). I wish I could hug you right now.

You are so right, and I am glad you had the chance to include them on your travels. It's so wonderful to read that your daughter wants you all to share her European vacation as well.

We have been travelling as a family since my children were little ones. My daughter's first trip was at 5 months old to Maui and Kaui. My son's first trip was on our move to Norway. He was 18 months, and we lived there for two years. We visited England, and several Greek islands at the time.

When my son was five, and my daughter two, they went with us to Dubrovnik, Austria, Germany, Switzerland and Leichtenstein. We've never stopped taking them. Our first trip as a couple was to Oahu a few weeks ago, and we did enjoy ourselves but it wasn't the same. There is something about sharing with your children that is so different, and so special.

I hope that once ours are grown and gone, they will want to continue travelling sometimes as a family. Best to you on your next trip, and make it work out!!!

Eli

I agree with you, Stephanie. We took our oldest son and his girlfriend (now fiance) with us to Sweden and Germany last fall, and we all had a ball. We took my younger son to Ireland with us a couple of years ago. It was really fun too, except that he hates getting up in the morning and we got annoyed waiting for him every morning! The only problem with taking the kids is the expense. With all the problems with the economy and stock market, it's a big issue for us. Fortunately, my husband and I really enjoy traveling with just the two of us too. I hope to do it with the kids again, but we'll have to see. You make a good point -- it would be good to doing before they start having kids.

Stephanie, so happy to hear you say that. I'm about to leave on a six week vacation to Spain & France with my husband, my mother and my two children (7 & 11 years). I am so excited to be traveling with them at such an early age & I am hoping our will be one that we all remember forever! We are hoping to do it again in 2011 (Italy). I hope your trip works out!

As a parent: I love traveling with my daughter. Granted she is only 2, but we've been traveling with her since she was 4 weeks old. We went to Bavaria. I've been lucky enough to live in Europe for over 6 years and we've taken every chance possiable to travel. I know my daughter won't remember any of the trips we've taken with her, but I think we have set a family habit of traveling. When we return to the USA we plan to keep traveling with our kids. My husband and I think that it is important that we be cultural tourists in our home nation just as we are when we are abroad. It makes me sad that many American families do vacations to theme parks rather than historical and cultural sites. Maybe that is why many American's don't know much about our history.
As a child: My parents have been to visit me a few times since we've been in Italy. I've had so much fun traveling with them. Memories from our family travels are some of my favorite as an adult.

Hi Stephanie,

Such a nice posting and a very big inspiration! My husband and I are about to embark on our first trip to Europe- France in September. We wish so much that we could take our 3 kids but it is so expensive. Your posting has furthered my resolve to save and take them the next time around! We are looking into cost-savings options. I agree with you and everyone else. Traveling with your kids is priceless! Have a fantastic time on your trip!

I agree about taking your children to Europe. You won't be treated like a tourist and your children will gain a much different view of the world than the average child who hasn't visited other cultures.

My caveat is don't bring kids until they are old enough to enjoy the trip. They should be able to stand a day of walking and be ready to eat what is in front of them and sleep where you stay. I have them carry their own daypack with their clothes, journal and a couple of toys (which they have all enjoyed).

It's about the same age as when a child is ready for a long day at Disneyland without being carried. For our children, it was 6 for our oldest and 5 for the others (probably because they followed the older siblings lead).

Taking an infant or toddler to Europe is counter productive. You spend extra and pack heavy to bring them. They won't remember any of it. They are miserable because their schedule is wrecked, food tastes different and they have to sleep in strange places. Meanwhile the parents are miserable carrying extra stuff and trying to placate the child.

For small children, leave them with their grandparents. The kids and grandparents can bond, grandparents are happy and the parents can enjoy their trip abroad.

I would like to counter what Brad says. Traveling with an infant or toddler will get you 5 star treatment everywhere you go. My brother had a 6 week lecture course in Caen, France when his youngest son was 18 months old. The timing of the course meant that he would be in France over the Christmas holidays and while he couldn't take the family for the whole 6 weeks, they did come for Christmas (and my parents went, too). They spent a few days in Paris and when they went to the Louvre a guard noticed them waiting in the long line outside in the cold with my nephew in his stroller. He came out and escorted them to the front of the line because he couldn't stand seeing that baby in the cold. It was the same everywhere they went. That baby is now 15 and almost 6 feet tall and has since been to Europe at least 3 times, maybe 4.

I have been to Europe as a youngster,, with and without my parents,, and of course the long trip with a friend after school,, but then came the drought.. LOL

The getting married and having kids years. My hubby and I did a few trips with our young children, Hawaii, and a couple cruises,, but not Europe( it is a 12 hour flight minimum, plus hours to and from airports for us)

At 36 my father invited me to go to Europe with him for 3 weeks. Of course I said no,, I have three kids at home,,, 3, 7, and 9 yr olds. My hubby said "go don't miss this chance".. my dad insisted he'd pay for it( we were not in the position then for me to spend 5 thousand dollars on a trip just for me!)My mom said she'd help hubby with kids,and his mom insisted she'd stay at our home and help.

I went,, and I am so thankful... because I will never get that chance again. We drove around for 3 weeks, France and Switzerland. My dad , being French knew where to go,, we stayed with friends and family so had opportunity to reconnect with people. MOST importantly,, I had NEVER in my whole life had that long period alone with my dad.. and it was great.

My dad is almost 75 now,, and we notice the "forgetting " is happening ALOT more now,, a trip like we took over 10 yrs ago could not happen now,, so I am SO THANKFUL that I went, as an adult with my dad.

I wish I had done it with my mom,, but she passed away before we had a chance to enjoy travelling together as "friends" not just mom and child. I regret it alot.

I too tend to disagree with what Brad had to say. We have been traveling with our son since he was one (Asia, S. America, Europe) and wouldn't give up the memory of all the countries, places, towns we have been able to visit as a family. For us, vacation time is family time and we can't imagine being in Europe or Africa without the kids.

While the cost factor is there, it is offset by the memories and experiences. I always remember how excited my son was to ride the trams, buses, trains in Amsterdam and Brussels when he was 1. Because we started when our kids were young, they are expert travelers now who can endure a 36 hour journey to India or elsewhere.

My advice to folks is, if you can afford it, always take the kids even if they are little.

We, too, have always traveled together as a family since our daughters were babies, but only started going to Europe with them since the younger was nine and mature enough to appreciate art museums and architecture. I know that in a way, having them along would appear to double the price of the trip, but then again, we were probably spending about the same amount my husband and I would have alone, because I always met our budget goals by staying in simpler accomodations and picnicing more. So the price was probably about the same but we traveled more economically, which didn't do a thing to lessen the fun we all had together. One thing that I have always observed with both daughters is that whenever in high school and college they've written a paper or speech about their lives and/or families, it's always about our travels together. Our 6 family trips to Europe are treasured memories far greater than the money we spent. Our daughters are both very open minded, with worldly viewpoints that can be directly attributed to these life changing travel experiences. Travel is a crucial part of the educational experience in addition to making the best memories we've ever had as a family.

Honestly,, I think travel to Europe with kids under 5 or 6 is a waste of money,, but, I do realize for many people spending 1000 dollars for an airplane seat to Paris or Rome for a 4 yr old is not a big deal... I think its a waste because at that age you could go 100 miles away from home and visit a zoo, stay in a 100 dollar hotel room, and kiddies that age( under 5 or6) are just as happy, and are learning even from those trips. A four year old learns just as much from an hour spent on a nature walk near their home,, or even a cultural site nearby, as they do by subjecting them to massive time changes,, and standing in lines for hours to see the Vatican.. LOL

I do not think one has to leave kids at home, I think one just rethinks and puts the KIDS FIRST,, I have yet to hear a 3 or 4 yr old say " I want to see the Cathederals of Europe mommy"...LOL

Ps I live on west coast,, so travel time and time differences do figure in my thoughts alot.

I too agree that traveling with children is great family time. It forces you to spend time together without being distracted by the everyday. I've also done things that I wouldn't have done if they were not there and had a great time because of it. While we went away without them a couple of times when they were younger, I would be miserable about 4 days into the trip. Now I take them everywhere with me, we just go a little less often b/c of the added expense, but the memories we make as a family are worth it!

We took our daughter to Germany to visit our extended family at 19 months of age. It was a fabulous experience, and though she doesn't remember the trip, everyone has felt so connected to her through the years because of that visit. Our best tip -- take a rectangular play pen to use as a bed. We took it to numerous homes and she could nap during lunch, "Kaffee," or dinner, as well as for overnight visits. The best thing was, she never slept in a "strange bed." There were no sleeping problems at all.

:)

I have yet to hear a 3 or 4 yr old say " I want to see the Cathederals of Europe mommy"

We did get to hear exactly that from our daughter! Granted, she was already 6 years old but it was her who dragged us into more churches than we had planned. It all started with the visit to the Cathedral of Amiens which was supposed to be just a pit stop on our way to Brittany. But it turned into a 2 hour visit as our girls couldn't get enough of those paintings of John the Baptist in all their bloody g(l)ory - holding his head in his own hands and all ... And afterwards they spent time in the gift shop and selected a Norman knight to take home.

You can adapt your travels so that the kids don't get too overwhelmed. And guess what - the parents automatically get protected from being overwhelmed by a too busy itinerary. You travel slower, get to experience an area more in depth. When we got to see the Transport museum in Lucerne I had to give up and sit down in the cafeteria after 4 hours - the kids didn't want to stop and explored for another hour!! Talk about having the stamina to travel ....

In our case those travels aren't entirely by choice. My entire family lives in Europe so we started to visit with the kids at an early age. It's true, they may not remember everything. But I DO! and I don't want to miss those memories for anything!!! To be honest, I didn't like travelling with babies and toddlers either. Mostly, because mine were of the non-sleeping variety. Jet-lag and nursing a baby 6-8 times a night don't go well together. But that may be entirely different for other people's babies. For us the real fun began at age 3-4.

And then you may be surprised what the kids do remember. Our youngest was 4 when we were in France and to this day buckwheat pancakes with ham and brie filling are her favourite.

continued

Don't forget that your kids may be able to open up your eyes in ways you wouldn't have expected. When we saw the Anne Frank house my 8 year old stunned me with the question as to why Hitler didn't respect Human Rights. There was nothing in the museum about this terminology and it gave me pause for thought and we discussed how that term didn't really exist during those times and that exactly because of this experience the world decided it needed to declare "Human Rights".

Watching my kids building Inuit style markers on the Niesen in Switzerland is another experience of that kid, with a happier note this time.

People mention the added cost for taking their children. It's undeniable that the flights will cost. Though if you shop around and book with an airline that gives discounts for kids under 12 that can help. But in the end the additional cost may be much lower than feared. By travelling slower with kids you may avoid costs usually associated with faster paced itineraries, especially extra transportation costs. Accommodation won't cost you anymore if you rent an appartment which can be found at the same price point as hotel room for a couple. Yes there will be extra food costs but that's not really more than if you were travelling closer to home. Again you can reduce these even further if you cook at your appartment.

When I compare our family trip to Italy (last summer at the worst exchange rate with the Euro EVER) with our family trip to the USA the per day/per person this spring costs were exactly $3 apart - flights included!!!

I am with you on the older kids travel thing,, and even you admit Beatrix that your child was SIX when things really started to click and work better,, its just toddlers and babies that I think are too young for overseas travel,, not all travel though.

I have not mentioned leaving the babies at home, I have suggested SEEING HOME areas first,, with your kids, THEN tangling the big trips when kids are out of diapers etc.. Someone made a comment about how little history of our own countries we show our kids,, and frankly that is very true.

I have never seen a discounted airline ticket for travel to Europe for kids,, , the most I got was 20 dollars off once I think,, LOL, hardly anything. Maybe if I lived where more discounts were available.

For the poster who took toddler but stayed with extended family,, that is completely different.. I think staying with family is ideal,, I know my first visits to France were to stay my grandmother and other relatives,,I was so lucky.

Pat,

the last time we got a 25% discount with Air Canada/Lufthansa was June 2008 for Calgary-Rome and return. All flights this year have been on points.

I never said there is no history in the Western provinces. Nor that we don't want to see it. We've seen in fact every single site you've mentioned, most of them several times, and many more. I'm actually looking forward to every trip to Victoria to see the Royal BC museum as there's always an interesting exhibit to be found. Buchard garden I saw once 15 years ago and have no interest in seeing again.

But it is a fact that the majority of human history (more than 100 years old) is to be found in Eastern Canada. Native history is a bit different. However, the nature of their sites is not always "tourist friendly" for lack of a better term. Add to that that our kids groan when we want to drag them yet another time to Blackfoot Crossing (I've never seen a museum that uses narration as a interpretive tool as successful as this one) or Head-Smashed-in-
Buffalo-Jump after having been through the topic in school one too many times.

My teenaged daughter actually rediscovered a love for Social Studies finally again this year when the (Italian) Renaissance was a major topic and she could bring in her own experience.

Seeing your home and exploring the world don't exclude each other nor do they need to be prioritized, they need to go hand in hand.

I'm surprised that you haven't seen discounts, Pat. Air Canada and the other Star Alliance (Lufthansa mostly in our case) gave us a 25% discount for kids between 2 and 11. And I think all the charters we used as well, though my memory may be spotty with those as my main memories are around some horrible service (Canada 3000, Air Transat, Martinair).

The age where it "clicks" may be quite differently for each individual child. As I mentioned for ours it was around age 3-4. And at 6 it might be even easier to travel with them as with a teenager - our now 13 year old is horrified every time I tell her SHE DRAGGED US into churches "mommy please can we go in there?"

And Pat, living in Victoria you should know that in order to experience Canadian history which is mostly located in the East as soon as you need to fly within the country you're spending as much if not more than if going to Europe ... It's more expensive to visit my sister-in-law in Fredricton (we did it the year after we went to Brittany) than it is to visit my brothers in Germany.

We actually do fly out to Victoria to visit family quite frequently - with the points earned on travel to Europe. Flying on points to Eastern Canada has proven to be extremely difficult.

I'm taking my fourth trip to Europe this year with my daughter and her husband. We have an absolutely great time and already planning our next trip. My daughter is 42. She took her first trip to Europe with her dad on a RS tour. This year both her dad and I are going - - - by the way, we are not longer married but good friends. We are both in our 60's.
We have created special memories for our daughter.

When she was young, we traveled all over the US in the car. She has delightful memories of those trips.
While I have no biological grandchildren, my daughter has two step-daughters and she has already taken them on a Princess cruise and created their own memories.

Enjoy your children and expand their horizons! Happy travels to all.

Beatrix,,,, , our kids need to hearn about their local history also. We DO have historical sites,, I guess you are ignorant of them.

Fort Rodd Hill, Fort Langley, two name two. We also have a great B.C. Forestry Museum in Duncan , and a wonderful First Nations Cutural Center.. Our Royal British Columbia Museum is a must see for all our school kids,, shows the settlement and major industries that put Vancouver Island on the map.
We also have great interpertive Nature sites,, Goldstream for one.

So if you think the only history that matters is 500 + old churches,, good for you, but we did not just pop out of the soil like mushrooms yesterday,, and kids need to learn about their LOCAL history too!

I guees when you come to Victoria you figure its all Butchard Gardens and tea houses. ??

How long ago did Air Canada offer 25% discounts for international flights for kids, , becuase I sure did miss finding any on those.

As for truly ancient history,, what family doesn't hop in the car and drive out to the
Rockies, and most importantly to Drumheller Alberta,, one of the worlds finest "dinosaur" Museums in the world. Now,, let me tell you, my klids LOVED that place, ,and we all learned alot as it is a world class exhibit of finds from the area..

Do I dare post this?

Beatrix and Pat --- enough is enough. I saw a bumper sticker yesterday that stated "Freedom of speech means freedom to disagree". However, You don't have to beat a dead horse. You are beginning to sound like war between the provinces.

If you want to argue, use the private message post.

Happy travels with or without kids!

Stephanie, I love your story and agree it is important to take vacations with your family. We took our son to amusement parks, zoos, and historical sites in the US (Washington DC, Valley Forge, Alamo, etc). As he got older he had less desire to see cultural sites, so we started taking ski and racing vacations. We went as a family a couple of years ago to Maui and he loved it. When we had enough money to go to Europe he was in his late teens and would have been bored to death, so he went skiing with the youth group at church while we went to Rome (his choice). He is now in the Coast Guard and travels cross country on his leave. He has also been to Canada and Puerto Rico. Hopefully one of these days he will go to Europe with us.

In 1998 we took our baby to Italy and he spent his 1st birthday in the town his daddy was born about 45 minutes outside of Naples. He was sung to by his Italian relatives. What a great way to spend a first birthday. Yes, the trip was exhausting and at times very stressful traveling with a baby & I never did get to relax on the patio overlooking the mediteranean at the villa we stayed in on Capri; but the photo's I have of my one year old sipping his bottle as he lounges on a beach on the Amalfi Coast or being held by the captain of a boat on our way to the Blue Grotto on Capri are some of cherished photo's and memories. This monday we leave for six weeks in France and Spain. This time we are traveling with my now 11 year old son and my 7 year old daughter. I've practically moved heaven and earth to make this trip happen for my family. Yesterday I went out for a chinese lunch and my fortune cookie said "all your preparations will soon be worth it". If that's not an omen I don't know what is.

Beatrix.. Fort Langley is almost 180 yrs old.

Many sites in western Canada are over 100 yrs old, ( we didn't just pop up in 1909 for goodness sake).

I do get that we are a "young" country.

Regardless the local history is important. My kids don't groan about it,, I guess your kids do.. whatever. How one presents things does influence how someone percieves them. If your attitude is that the " real" historical sites that matter are somewhere else,, then I guess thats how the local ones may be percievced,, as boring and unimportant.

What is riduculus is I am talking about 3 yr olds, and you keep on going back to older kids and teens.

I never read to my babies in utereo either,, but they somehow all score above levels in the provincial foundation skill asssessments. A three yr old who sees the Vatican is not going to be any smarter then a 3 yr old who learns about the fur trade...so penny for penny, I still think it is better to wait till kids are school age for Europe.. but , as serveral posters note,, if staying in family homes ,, for family visits, then that is different, relatives and babies go well together.

I guess I need to repeat it a THIRD time, my kids were around 3-4 when we realized that the travel experience really clicked with them. The fact that my now 11 year old still remembers the food she discovered in France (sorry, here again I seem to repeat myelf) and a very interesting museum in Vitre tells you that. She was 4 at the time.

I didn't say my kids groan about local history. In fact, they will be the first to shout "me" if you ask who wants to see the Tyrell for a 9th time ... What I said is that they groan about Native History because they've done soooo much about it in school. They just need a break. I mentioned my "teenaged" daughter because she shows that

a) it is sometimes easier to take younger kids than teenager

b) she lost her interest in social studies at school when the focus was repeatedly on local history and rediscovered her love when European history (Renaissane) and their links to our life today in Canada became the topic.

I guess printing it in bold letters wasn't enough to explain that I have nothing against exploring local history with your kids. It's as important as exploring the world with them. Where the heck did I say it's "boring and unimportant"? There are ways to make the exploration of the rest of the world a bit more affordable. But if you cannot afford the actual travel abroad there are other ways to explore the world as well.

There is no perfect timing in taking your kids travelling. Any time you can swing it will be important for your family.

Lovely post, Stephanie. I especially admire the close relationship you have with your adult children. Yes, we moved overseas with our kids and spend every school break going off to some corner of Europe or another. As they have grown, my daughters have become expert travelers. They also have an amazingly global perspective (Helps that they go to an international school with kids from many other countries.) But the main thing --a bonus that I didn't know would happen-- is that living overseas has brought us together as a family. We very much realize that "we are all in this together." As my eldest prepares to enter highschool, I am poignantly aware of how short our time with our kids is. In not too long, they will fly the nest. So, maximize every moment that you have with them. In our case, that definitely includes travel. Best regards,

Lovely post, Stephanie!

I started travel (home or abroad) with my four kids when they were all babies or toddlers. They remember crazy little details you wouldn't expect, too (2 seems to be the earliest for them to retain anything). However, I just think that time together as a family is something you will always remember and cherish, even if they don't remember every time.

I definitely agree. In our family we have just completed a tradition where I take each child to Europe the summer that they are 11. My husband will take them on an outdoors adventure in the US the summer they are 16.

Why 11?

Our experience: Two of three times we got a 25% discount on international airfare, but you must do your research, then phone the airline and ask. This year we didn't get the discount because the airfare was ridiculously low - cheaper than 5 years ago.

At 11, the kids still qualify for numerous discounts. That seemed to be the limit between a "free child" and "student" rate - especially in Scandinavia. The kids were free on almost every form of transportation within Europe too. I love the Switzerland rail pass with the family card where kids travel for free. That's good up to 16, I think.

Also, at 11, our kids were still delighted to travel with Mom, but old enough to remember a lot and really weigh in on what they would like to see and do.

And, as for taking them one at a time. Well, it made the price less daunting, hotel rooms for two are easier to find than for 5, I got three trips out of the deal, and it was a great one-on-one experience with each child.

During this time, we took plenty of family trips within the US too - they have seen much of the country - as travel is a priority for our family, so we don't think they have missed out there either.

I find that vacation memories are more important to me than new cars, cable TV and all of the other stuff and things I might spend my money on.

Linda, I love your reasoning, that you got three trips! A little honesty, also about 11 being often more pleasant than 12, 13, 14, and 15. I took my daughters last year when they were 12 and 15. It worked out great, but I feel the hormonal gods were smiling on me and no one was feeling evil.

Unless you have the money, I don't think it's worth it to take younger children. They're often happiest at a hotel with a pool and vending machine. We went up the Arch in St. Louis when my youngest was 6. Not long ago we were talking about it, and she had no memory of it. She was angry that we took her some place cool when she was too young to remember.

My goodness I had no idea of all the responses to my post. I have read every one & so many different views on what age to take children to Europe. Personally I'm glad my girls were college age before taking them across the pond. Now I'm leaning towards places here in the US as it's easier for the daughter w/children.

Great to read all of your posts and opinions. We are taking off in a couple of weeks for the trip of my dreams with our children 10, 14 & 16. In a 3 week period we will see Amsterdam, Koblenz, St. Goar, the Romantic Road, Salzburg, Venice, Tuscany/Umbria, Rome and Paris. We are using all modes of transportation - plane, train, boat, bike, bus etc. Since I had children, it has always been very important to me to travel with them and show them other places in the world. They all love the adventures too and love to recount their experiences. We have been brushing up on our german, italian and french with CDs in the car and we're all looking forward to trying out our phrases on the locals. I can't wait to see Europe through their eyes!

We recently returned from our 10-year old son's fourth trip to Europe. Besides the "difficulty" of traveling with him at 18 months, 3, 7 and now 10, he also overcomes the "difficulty" of all that travel in a wheelchair. Those who fret about "wasting" money on a child's plane ticket would probably worry about spending money on someone who cannot negotiate stairs, or who cannot talk about his/her experience. None of that matters. Just go. Enjoy the adventure. If we can overcome obstacles of train stations and hotels without elevators anyone at any age can deal with any other kind of travel issue. Children of all ages enjoy art and music and museums. Some strategies that have worked for us are to schedule Mommy and Daddy sights like museums and shopping in the morning and little boy activities like parks and zoos in the afternoons. Also, don't be afraid to go to a McDonalds for a Happy Meal once a week to overcome home sickness. Get it to go and while you eat your picnic of wurst and cheese and brotchen, the kid is eating his cheeseburger and fries.

We just got back last night from a trip to Ireland and Germany with our two kids, ages 3 and 7. Plus, we met up with my sister and her 5 kids while in Ireland and traveled around with them. They all had a fabulous time. For my sister's family, it was their first trip overseas (first time on a plane for most of them), and I'm really hoping they all got bit by the travel bug.

Our trips have definitely changed since having kids, but I wouldn't dream of not sharing these experiences with them. Our trips are much more about playgrounds and petting zoos than about museums and churches (although we do take the kids to museums, mom and dad need to see things they want to see, too, but churches in Europe are very echo-y when you have little ones). Some of our best memories of the trip are playing in a sandbox with the girls who lived next to our rental cottage and going on the zipline at the playground.

Did my 7-year-old love the Book of Kells? Probably not. But he was nuts about the double-decker buses.

Many of our friends think we're nuts for taking kids to Europe, but they think of Europe as being all museums and churches. I think a lot of Americans forget that Europeans have kids, too. We've seen some of the best playgrounds overseas.

We are very fortunate in that my husband works for an airline, so it's very cheap for us to travel to Europe with the kids. I don't know if we could do it if we had to pay full fare (or even kid's fare) for their tickets.

We took our son to Europe for his first trip when he was 13 months old. He's been back 4 more times since then, turns 9 in March, and all three of our kids are going with us in summer 2011.

There is no such thing as 'too young' to go. It is easy to travel with infants, babies, toddlers and children if you just plan accordingly.

I have no intention of stopping being an adventurous man, and a travel-providing husband, just because I also became a responsible father. Those roles are not conflicting.

I agreed with the poster who said the kids will likely benefit the most from the trip once they are about 11 years old.

That said, we are including all three of our kids in planning our upcoming trip (Iberia, June 2011). The younger ones (girls 4 and 6, will be 6 and 7 at the time of the trip) are learning some Spanish and Portuguese, and are learning to make a few local foods -- so they can appreciate the cultural experience at a level that makes sense for children -- sensory. Our older one (boy, 8, will be 10 at time of trip) is helping to research two of our stops: he is to learn the history of Gibraltor and basically plan our day that 1 day, as well as learn the history of the Alcazar in Seville so he can be our 'mini tour guide' there.

No age is too young, all those challenges can be met -- but at a few years older kids can really contribute to, and take learnings away from, travel abroad.

Jim- You sound like a wonderful parent. As a former educator, I appreciate the "tasks" you have given your children. They will not only enhance the children's experiences on the trip, but will add to their learning experiences (reading, math, communication, history, geography, etc.....) I hope to someday be able to take my grandchildren (Justin, 1, and Joshua - on the way, due in June).

Toni -- Thank you for your kind words, but most of the credit has to go to my wife. She's taught me in our 14 years of marraige that involvement is the surest road to confidence and enduring relationships. I've just tried to support what she has put into place.

I hope you get to take those grandbabies over as soon as possible --

Nothing taught me more nor broadened my thinking more poignantly than the fall of 1992 when I first traveled overseas. I was 22 then, and thought I was pretty smart and open-minded. I learned then just how much growing I had left to do.

What a wonderful gift to a young person is the realization that they still have lots of growing to do, and travel is in my opinion the best way to do that.

Have traveled only once to Europe with a child, but he was in utero at the time so really only enjoyed the food. Now, he and his sister (15 and 12) are coming with us this summer. We expect a few headaches (France and Spain, uncommon food, need to wean them off ketchup, sometimes a tortilla is not a tortilla, etc.), but are also expecting magic, and hoping this will be the first of many.

Ray,, one of my sons is the most picky eater ever,, such a dull eater,, meat and potatoes,, period,, and an occaisonal grape or corn on the cob,, LOL

France was easy for him.. he loved having steak and fries almost every single night,, and ocassionally he would even have roast chicken and fries( what a dare devil,LOL )

Steaks tend to be a little less cooked then he likes,, here he can eat what we consider med rare to medium,, but in France we always ordered medium to medium well. Roast chicken is roast chicken( well seemed tastier to me there) and fries are fries,, actually no,, their fries are usually better then what you get here.