Road trip across Europe with a 6 month old

I don't want to sound negative but my advice would be - don't do it. I only have experience with much much shorter trip and it was nothing enjoyable. We figured out that with this little baby we relaxed much better by renting a nice cabin in pretty nature.

Traveling with a six month old is certainly doable, and in some ways a road trip is ideal. You have a car for hauling diapers and baby gear, you don't need to worry about baby screaming on a long haul bus or train, and you can stop when needed.

I've done US road trips with kids under 1, but my European travels with very small children basically involved going to 1-2 places and staying there for a week or more. So a week in London, then a week in Paris. That kind of travel seemed easier. You don't get to see as much in a day, unless your child is extremely flexible and happy to sleep in strollers.

2-3 days per place will be a lot of unpacking/packing and much less seeing the place than you may be thinking. Honestly, I'd cut the destinations in half. That would make for a much more rewarding trip. Also, really figure in travel times. Something like this - leave Madrid in the AM, 6 hours drive to Seville means arriving at 4PM (or whatever), then see how much time you actually have to see the destination. I think it will be less than you think.

My main advice for road trips in general is to budget more time than planned to get places. You might be really fast - a sleeping kid tends to entice adults to keep driving - but things like diaper blowouts or general fussiness can really slow you down. Plan in stops you child will enjoy. Infants aren't fussy, a park or nice walking path will do just fine. Make sure you have the sleeping arrangements figured out - cribs may or may not be available. A pack-and-play or other portable crib is great if you don't sleep with your baby. Baby food is everywhere, as is formula, but if your baby needs something very specific, bring it. Honestly, I breastfed and gave my child regular food mushed up (talk to your doctor about what foods are appropriate). High chairs also may or may not be available. Basically, be flexible. In some ways, babies are very easy to travel with - they tend to just go along and are happy with playing anywhere.

For touring, a stroller is great but not always allowed in sights like museums. Have a sling, ergo, or other front carrier (back carriers are great for hiking but also not allowed in many sights). Elevators aren't always easy to find, so the carrier helps with that, too. Venice is full of stairs on the bridges so a stroller isn't great there.

With a baby, stay in places for 4-5 nights. You'll be much happier.

Travelling with a 6 month old is easier than traveling with a two year old.

See more tips and links for Traveling with Kids. You have mentioned several large cities that reward longer stays. I'd say 3 nights minimum (2 full days), especially after a full day of driving to get there, and most people here would want to stay longer. To estimate driving time and highway tolls (in France and Italy), see www.viamichelin.com. Then, fit these times onto a calendar before confirming that you really want to travel that far and that fast.

Do you already have flights booked into Madrid and home from Berlin, or is this flexible? If it's not flexible, then of course your route to connect those two cities still can be. The points that are furthest from the direct route and therefore easiest to cut are Andalucía and Rome.

Look into a long-term car rental/lease with http://www.autoeurope.com/long-term-car-rental/ or http://europebycarblog.com/. These programs are based in France but have relatively small fees for pick up and delivery in neighboring countries.

Thanks a lot guys that was really helpful.... yes im definitely planning everything thoroughly, every stop n everything in detail. I think its wise to stay for atleast 3 nights in larger cities where there is a lot to see and also at places where we get to after longer drives like from Granada to Barcelona (7-8 hours)

I know im getting a bit greedy about this trip and trying to squeeze a lot in one go but well what can I say Im just obsessed with seeing Europe :p

Thank you so much for all your suggestions :)

I will also say that sometimes driving in Europe can be more stressful than driving in North America (not sure how it compares to Dubai, though). It seems like European highways are more prone to traffic jams, the non-highway roads are narrower with more one-way streets, signage is in a foreign language and/or has different symbols that you may not be quite as familiar with, etc. If you haven't driven much in Europe or similar places before, you may find that a 6-hour drive there wears you out more than a 6-hour drive at home. Just something to keep in mind. It's definitely doable, but may take more out of you than you expect. Then again, maybe you've driven there a lot and are a pro!

On our first trip to Europe, we went with five kids under the age of six. My wise husband kept saying "we'll come back. let's take our time." He was right. Just finished our 6th international trip with our kids. That's my advice

Kaye

You may be underestimating the distances on your planned itinerary. And you also may be underestimating the hassle of traveling with an infant--and all the 'stuff' required to care for them.

Your planned itinerary would be close to impossible for a mortal man when traveling by a rental car. And returning a Spanish rental car in Berlin would be a major expense.

Many of the cities on your itinerary are absolutely great European cities that are worthy of 4 days time each. What you have here is essentially 3 major trips. You really need to simplify your trip and spend more time in fewer places.