Traveling in Fall with 9yo Son - Favorite family itineraries?

Took my eight year old son to London and York. Amazing trip. went because he was a bus / train nut and wanted to ride the old fashioned double deckers. I had been to London twice on my own, but ended up going to different museums based on his interests.
What does your son love? Let that guide you.

thanks! He would love the double decker although he has been on one in NYC before. He loves trains, a bit of history and science. THanks for your suggestion!

We are currently finishing up a first time trip to Europe with our two boys (ages 8 and 10) and we have spent two days in Iceland, 6 days in France and are currently finishing up with 4 days in the Netherlands. We based a lot of our itinerary on their interests, which for the 8 year old happened to be art and VanGogh and for the 10 year old history, most especially military. This is one of the main reasons we spent so much time in France. As of dinner today these were the boys favorite experiences: for the 10 year old, 1) D-Day Beaches and Museums in Normandy 2) Napoleon's Tomb and Army Museum in Paris and 3) geysers in Iceland. For the 8 year old 1) seeing VanGogh and Monet at the Orssay in Paris 2) The Kroller-Muller Museum (lots of VanGogh) in Arnhem and 3) geysers in Iceland :)

They both loved French pastries and seafood and crepes in Normandy. In Paris the Jardin Luxembourg had an amazing playground (you pay 2 euros to enter but it had equipment that would never be allowed in the US and my boys loved it )

So even though France can seem a little obvious as a choice, it has turned out to be a family favorite for us, as it really does have amazing things for everyone. Btw you can take a train to Bayeux from Paris, and then do a guided bus/ car tour of D-day beaches and walk around that amazing town and never need a car. I really can't recommend that idea enough. It is a beautiful town, has a huge cathedral, the tapestry from 1066 (with a special audio guide for kids) great food and the D-day beaches right there.

Been taking my kids here for over a decade:
http://visitbudapest.travel/guide/budapest-with-kids/

http://travelwithbender.com/travel-blog/hungary/10-things-to-do-with-kids-in-budapest-hungary

http://welovebudapest.com/budapest.and.hungary/have.fun.10.great.activities.for.children.in.budapest

http://welovebudapest.com/culture/11.of.the.best.places.to.take.children.in.budapest

http://www.budapestbylocals.com/children-activities-in-budapest.html

http://www.budapest-moms.com/2011/05/mama-pea-pod-budapest-for-kids/

https://www.mupa.hu/en/events/calendar/06/2016?genre=family-and-youth-events

http://www.bfz.hu/en/young-bfo/programs/children-opera/

Have you thought about Switzerland? The Swiss transport museum in Lucerne is wonderful. Then there are the boats, trains, gondolas, cog wheel trains etc. However, I do have to say the county is expensive but there are half price passes than can help offset the costs. Because the country is small you can travel all over by train or bus or a combination.

Yes, Switzerland. You haven't been there and train travel is THE way to go.
I took each of my kids there at age 13.
In Lucerne, walk to the Dying Lion Monument, then right next to it is something called Glacier Garden (Gletschergarten). In there is a walk of mirrors that distort your body, and a mirror maze where you literally can't tell what's a mirror and what's the pathway. EVERYBODY walks thru it with their hands out in front of them to try to figure it out. Kids (and adults like me) love it.

Then tell your son you're going to Rivendell. Yes, Lauterbrunnen is the actual inspiration for JRR Tolkien's Rivendell.
Take these easy hikes: Mannlichen to Kleine Scheidegg (best one), Grutschalp to Murren, and First to Bachalpsee. On a rainy or misty day, visit Trummelbach Falls (Google image it), a 45 min walk (or quick bus) from Lauterbrunnen.
If your son likes camping, look into www.camping-jungfrau.ch , where you can rent a trailer.

If you fly into Geneva, consider climbing the bell tower in John Calvin's church, and look into the free bike rentals to ride along the lake. (see www.geneveroule.ch)
My kids are now in their 20's and they are returning with me to the exact same places this summer.
Allen

We are taking our 7.5 year old to Paris for two weeks this summer. We chose Paris, in part, because we have visited before and are looking forward to experiencing a city we love with her. Also since we are returning visitors, there is no pressure to pack our days with "must-see" sites. We have a short list of places/activities that are of interest, and will wing it as we go! Perhaps consider a return visit to a place you enjoyed! Have a wonderful time!

London because there's a lot to see and it's all in English. The City of London Museum is a hit with most kids, the Buckingham Palace guards, the Egyptian wing of the British Museum (and there are always gallery talks in English throughout the day in other parts of the museum) and that's just for starters.

It's easy to combine London with Paris or Amsterdam via Eurostar. Or skip London, since you've been there and go to Paris and Amsterdam. There are a few kid-friendly things in Paris. Amsterdam with its canals is a wow for everyone. You can rent bikes and ride around like the locals. The National Maritime Museum in Amsterdam has old sailing ship you can wander through and a fun virtual sailing experience. Windmills, wooden shoes, and Madurodam too.

Paris and Normandy and stay on Mt St Michel. He will love it

We are currently planning a rail your of Switzerland for next Summer. It is an escorted tour 9 nites and quite reasonable about 2100 -2200 pp. it's rum by a British tour operator. You depart from
st Pancras and take the Eurostar to Brussells then attain to Vologne for ghe first night. The next day is a hi speed train down the Rhine into Seitzerlsnd. You base Three days in one town with two or three fat train trips including the Bernins Express. You then take to Glacier Express to Zermatt, Matterhorn, cog railroad, inclufef. Jungfrau is optional excursion. Three night in Zermatt. The TGV train to Paris and back on Eurostar to return to London. Most of the days are NOT full day rides. Two free days but options for train rides on those day if you like.
Include. 9 breakfasts and 5 dinners.
Sometimes the train IS the destination. If you're interested I can send you more info and the links.

If he likes history and science, it's gotta be London-Natural History Museum, British Museum, Tower of London, Westminster Abbey. Best overview of history to be found anywhere! I bet he'd really like seeing where people were buried in the floor of WAbbey! I haven't been to York, but I think there's a rail museum there. And London will probably be less expensive for awhile.

I'd like to suggest Denmark. You haven't been there yet and there's much to offer a first-timer like your son.

Start in Copenhagen with the round tower, a climb up the steeple of Von Frelsers Kirke, a stroll down Nyhavn and perhaps a boat ride. Visit nearby castles: Frederiksborg for a "fancy" castle and Kronborg for its defence. And of course, there's a reason Tivoli is "the happiest place on earth."

There's a nice aquarium in Silkeborg and if you think he's old enough, you can see Tollund man (one of the preserved bog people) in the Silkeborg museum. Add in a small town with old world charm like Ribe and some beach time, and you've got yourself a family-friendly vacation. Finish with a day at Legoland, where he'll delight in seeing miniature Lego models of the sites you've been too. Not to mention the rides and ice cream!

I'd start in Paris (4 nights), then TGV to Provence - Avignon, Arles, Nimes (3 nights), before ending up in Barcelona (3 nights). Great diversity with Provence's Roman sights and Barcelona's Gaudi wonders.

Some of my friends have taken their grandkids to Europe in recent years, though they usually start when they are 11, and I'm sometimes surprised (as they were) at the things the kids liked most. The kids liked everything. 10 & 12 yo girls didn't want to leave the British Museum, in Paris they most wanted a second Seine cruise. 12-13 yo boys most wanted to see the Trevi Fountain once more before leaving Rome.

Prague & Budapest, with a stop in Vienna, especially if you could manage a little more than 10 days. Or central Spain, Madrid & Andalucia.