Traveling with 8 year old granddaughter

England then France.

England then Italy

When my daughter was 5 she saw episodes of Wonder Pets & Little Einsteins where they visited Italy. She decided at that time she wanted to go to Italy.

Having taken my daughter at 11 to Europe , my opinion is any country will do, but if there is one you love in particular it's usually the best choice as you can aquaint her with it easily by sharing your knowledge and affection for it with her . That's sort of the gray answer .

The black and white one , for me anyways , would be london and Paris , possibly Rome , depends on how much time you have ( sorry but I think cramming too many places into a short visit can be very wearing on children )

How long have you got ?

Does she have an interest in any country? Sometimes it is from a tv show or a book? I know my daughter was fascinated with Paris because of the Fancy Nancy series. Do you have any European ancestry that would be fun to explore?

If there is no particular interest, like others, I think London and Paris are good starting points.

Wherever you and her share an interest! Maybe pick a few places you would be interested in, show her some pictures and talk about the places and see what she likes. Hiking and nature? Maybe somewhere in the Alps. If she's taking Spanish in school then Spain. Prague has a cool fairy tale feel that some kids love. Venice can seem fascinating. Etc.

In general my first thought would be Italy. Kids are very welcome and a part of everyday life - a well behaved kid is welcome most places. Certain other countries have a more strict formality that can be a challenge to some children. There's plenty to do that would be of interest to both you and her. The food is excellent and familiar enough to a child (gelato! pizza! pasta!) There is plenty of English spoken, but Italian isn't too hard to learn a few phrases in so you can practice language.

But really the best place is one both you and her are passionate about. If you both want to go to...Luxembourg, to pick something at random, you should do so!

So, posters offer their preferences for the eight year old. The poster never indicated language, transport, etc. as concerns. How about exposing the granddaughter to all sorts of printed and video materials and gauge reactions? Many great materials have been created by Rick. What a wonderful experience it will be for both.

Whichever countries you choose, be sure to check out a series called "Mission [city name]". Mission Rome, Mission Paris, Mission London, etc. Read some of the reviews:

https://www.amazon.com/Mission-London-Scavenger-Adventure-Travel/dp/0989226727/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1517666373&sr=8-1&keywords=mission+london

Jessica

Perhaps one where you have an ancestral connection

My 7 year old loved Paris - and we've been just about everywhere in Europe together.

My kids loved things like the gondola ride of the canals in Venice. They loved going up to see Paris from the Eiffel Tower. There were fascinated with Pompeii. They loved the scenic Alpine scenery in Switzerland.

They will enjoy places more if you explain the history to them. My kids all remember how I once read to them from my pocket Michelin guide about key places of interest.