My husband and I plan to spend next September and October in Europe with our then to be 6 month old (I am sure there are lots of opinions on that...we have heard them all! Ha)
We are looking at two weeks each in London, Paris and Amsterdam. (Our goal is to have lots of time to see and enjoy without my normal "go go go" attitude)
We are left with two additional weeks and I am stuck for where to chose. We want our travel distances to be minimal as we will likely be on trains and don't want to make ourselves suffer too much with a baby. So...where in that area would you suggest? I'd be happy to break our time into one week sections, as I realize smaller cities may not captivate us for two whole weeks. Any favourites? Or places that we will tire of quickly?
Thanks a million!
Posted by
Edmonds WA
249 posts
I'd go to Belgium. Its an easy train trip from Amsterdam to Bruges. You would not need two weeks there but a week would be great! You could also spend time in Ghent and Brussels. That would be my vote.
Posted by
1172 posts
That is a perfect age to travel. You can wear them, they can sleep anywhere, they will just go along with no opinion ;) So much easier to travel with a non mobile baby.... enjoy as it completely changes once they get mobile.
Have you thought about Prague, Budapest, Krakow etc.?
Posted by
victoria, Canada
11507 posts
Start with northern countries and work your way south as September will likely be ginenin norjtern cities , but by October they start to get rainy and cooler .
So personally I would start in Amsterdam , then hit London or Paris , and then finish south in Rome !! Cheap and easy flight from Paris ( only 1.5 hours ) , then fly home from Rome ( don't back track )
When booking flights to Europe look for "'open jaw "'or "multi destination " tickets , they are often very reasonable and save you time and money backtracking!
Book trian tickets ( Thalys between Amsterdam and Paris , the Eurostar to London or vice versus ) . Lots it flights from London or Paris to Rome , flying from London may add an extra 1/2 -1 hr however .
Posted by
Tunbridge Wells
6113 posts
The weather isn't going to be noticeably different in any of your locations. Difficult to advise as you haven't said what your interests are.
I would start in Amsterdam (2 weeks is quite a long time here as there is less to see than in London or Paris) then head to Paris by train. Take the Eurostar to London for 2 weeks. Take the train to Scotland for a week. Edinburgh would be a good base. Take the train back south and stay in York for a week to use as a base to see some countryside. Head to London and home.
If you want some beach time at the end with reasonable weather, mainland Europe maybe borderline in late October, so take a flight from London to the Canary Islands for 1-2 weeks. Fuerteventura has a very different environment to the rest of Europe, being volcanic.
Posted by
San Antonio TX, United States
2393 posts
I would have to agree that two weeks in Amsterdam is a long time. You might consider a week there, then a week in Ghent or Bruges.
The last two weeks will be getting chilly that time of year - you might want to go farther south - Barcelona or Rome.
Posted by
🏝️ Hobe Sound, FL⛱️
3299 posts
Consider the Veneto region of Italy. Laid back, great food and sights, easy travel by train between Venice, Padova, Vicenza, Verona, Bologna, Ravenna for wonderful day trips. I would use Vicenza or Padova for my base. And you could opt for an overnight in Bolzano.
Posted by
OP
2 posts
Thanks for taking the time to reply everyone. You have given me some great ideas to consider! Choosing will be the fun part ;)
Posted by
Vienna, Austria
5523 posts
By the time my son was 6 months, he had been to three continents, including Africa.
I really like your laid back approach as it allows for nap times and bad days.
For a third destination, I'd choose somewhere Mediterranean as kids there are treated as a joy rather than an annoyance. Our favorite place in the world is Croatia, specifically Istria.