Travelling to France with a toddler

Wholeheartedly agree with Pat's advice. Train is way more fun for toddlers and way easier for parents. (My son's first trip to France was at 2 1/2.) That said, if you do rent a car, you will need a carseat. European car seat rules are now very similar to the US and toddlers definitely need one. I would bring your familiar one from home, but you can also arrange one with the rental company. We've never had a problem doing that, although I suppose there is the chance they might not have it when you arrive. Specific info based on child's weight here: http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/touring_tips/AA_France_Monaco.pdf

Oh, another thought for you. Prepare for toddler jetlag! He/she will wake up at 3:00 a.m. for the first 3 to 5 nights you are there, and will be STARVING. (It's dinner time at home!) You are just going to have to get up and deal with it. Toddlers can't really convince themselves to go back to sleep and wait til the sun comes up. Bring LOTS of nutritious snacks with you so you don't have to hunt for food your first day on the ground.
Also, their little clocks seem to take longer to reset. My toddlers would eat absolutely nothing during daylight hours for the first 3 days. I was sure they were ill, but no, just needed to adjust in their own time. About day 4, they resume eating like there was no tomorrow. So don't panic if the feeding schedule is completely wacky for a few days.

Yes, it will be the most difficult trip of your life. If you are already having second thoughts - arrange something with the grandparents (or an Aunt & Uncle) and go enjoy France. EDIT: Thought you were travelling solo with a toddler? TWO with a child, totally different situation. This will NOT be a difficult trip - Happy travels!

Kate,, my thoughts. I would ditch the rental car idea. Why, well I find when driving in a place I am not familiar with it really helps to have a navigator who can read maps and signs as we whiz down the roads! I would consider taking the trains instead, perhaps saving a rental car for exploring from a base city only.( so if you are interested in exploring the Loire Valley, train to Tours, then rent a car there for a few days, etc) The train systems are great , and your child will enjoy them , the ability to get up out of her/his seat, have a picnic enroute, going to a bathroom when they need etc.
I would also strongly suggest you do not need a rental car at all for Paris and that would be a real pain in the patootey .. pluse parking can be so expenisive ( normal is about 25 euros a day in Paris). I don't think it has be the most difficult trip of your life, I think it can be done and enjoyed, but really scale back expectations. Visit lots of parks and beaches.. keep the amount of 2 nights stays down( remember two nights in one hotel only equals one full day at a destination). Food will be easy, alot of French food is basic, roasted meat and potatoes. Tons of great yogurts to choose from, etc, . I always try and rent a hotel that at least has a mini fridge in it to keep snacks, juices and fruit etc. You know how kids want snacks at unusual times. How long is your trip and what is your basic itinerary.?

Dear Kate: Everyone has great ideas! I agree with them and would like to add my 2 cents: Will you have help or anyone to assist if your daughter needs watching, but you have to solve a problem or get directions? If yes, that's great. If not, then be sure your belongings can be secured, compact, manageable leaving you relatively free to watch your daughter & solve issues. Check with her doctor on items to bring for the unexpected which could happen in the middle of nowhere, in the middle of the night, whatever. And check with your own doctor too. My husband and I got food poisoning at 3 am in Lisbon with a bouncy toddler. No Pepto, nothing. That was hard. Highly recommended lifesavers: A foldable stroller & your daughter's sleep buddy. If she uses a pacifier, extras would be good. For your carryon: Besides your daughter's essentials, tuck in an extra shirt in case of accidents on the plane.
My friends always snort when I say this, but then come home with a story of wearing "it" all the way to Europe. Have a great and smooth trip!

caroles suggestion about bringing the meds you usually use for your child is spot on,, sure they have everything there, but if a fever or tummy trouble starts at 2 am ,, you are kinda stuck in a hotel room! Plus you know the stuff you are used to giving her and the doses.

No experience with toddlers in Europe but I have taken them all over the U.S. on long flights by myself. Do pack yourself and your child an extra shirt and a ziplock bag to put soiled clothing in. It's worth it anywhere you are more than one half hour from your luggage. Do take snacks everywhere. Do pack some compact busy toys for lines, buses, and trains. Don't try to get away without naps. Naps on trains and buses are fine. Remember sunscreen. A burned toddler is a cranky toddler. Make sure running or climbing is part of every day's plan.

My advice would be not to expect to have a really good time.

Take your own car seat with you. When you rent a car, you can stock up on juice, diapers (if still needed) and all kinds of supplies outside of towns at the hypermarches and keep them in the trunk. Parks are everywhere as are carousels. Your kid will have a great time! Be in the moment.

We've traveled all over Europe and back and forth to America with a toddler. Yes it's harder than just taking care of yourself, but really, if you currently live with the toddler, it's not a problem, you'll be prepared. My two bits of advice are: pack more than a t-shirt in that gallon ziploc baggie. You each need a change of clothes (undies, socks, leggings pack better than jeans, shirt). What are the odds the toddler throws up just on their or your shirt? Slim, so you'll want a complete change. Doesn't take up that much room, you'll be happy you have it if you do need it. Secondly, there are great combo carseat/strollers. It's a carseat that has wheels and a retractable handle on it. "Lilly gold sit n' stroll" is one brand. They're great. Don't worry about a child's menu. Most kids will eat a ham and cheese sandwich, omelette, etc. or bits and pieces from our meal no problem. Have fun!

You might want to make sure the attachment system for your car seat will mate with what you're going to rent. I suspicion that it might not. I think it runs about five bucks a day to rent one. You've got a misconception of what a cafe is. It's more of a place to get a drink and watch people, it's okay for a roll at breakfast, other than that, the food sucks. At the bistros or brasseries, you can get an appetiser portion, feed the runt off of your plate - - all kinds of things - - it'll work itself out. Now for the real meat. Take the kid. I've lugged the little suckers all over the world and never found it to be a problem. They eat what's put in front of them and roll up and take a nap when they're tired. One was fresh-hatched in asia and we had to toss the blanket over her head to hide her age from the airline toads to get her home - - again no problems. One of the best trips I've ever taken was a guy-trip last year as a birthday present for a kid about to turn five. We went way, way, into the far beyonds of China (his idea). He never missed a beat, lost sleep, got sick, or went hungry.

Thank you all for your excellent advice! I really appreciate you taking the time to respond. I am excited to like Ed said live in the moment and just take it all in. My daughter will almost be 2 when we leave and I'm less stressed knowing she's with me. I fell that it will be a huge pain to take my car seat since it's so big and I'll already have my stroller to lug around so I think I'll rent one with the car like someone suggested. I'll make sure take take snack and toys everywhere...my husband is diabetic so I'm used to taking food with us when we travel. We're flying into Bordeaux and flying out of Nice. I think we may ditch the car in Provence and take the train to Nice unless you think it would just be easier to keep the car with everything we have to cart around. Again thanks for your suggestions!

I'm not sure what you're calling Provence, but it's only a couple of hour's drive from Aix to Nice. You might just as well keep the car rather than transfering all of your stuff twice.

I think I misunderstood original post. I though Kate was going alone with toddler to Europe.. hence my suggestion that renting a car was not such a hot idea. ( one adult in car with no navigator). If hubby is coming this makes trip 100% more doable in my opinion. Only one kid and two grown ups,, that will work out fine! Have fun guys!

Yes my husband will be with me so just the 3 of us. I agree Ed that I should just keep the car. Thought it may be less stressful to take the train since I'm scared about driving in Nice once we get there, but plan on returning the car once we get there. So the plan is 2 nights Bordeaux, 2 nights Toulouse, 2 nights Avignon and the last 2 nights in Nice. I thought the car would be nice so we can stop in St. Emilion and Carcassone...any other cities you may suggest that we might stumble upon on a drive to the next overnight destination? I've been all over Provence and this will be my 5th time to Avignon, but my hubby has never been so he wants to go there. Is there some town on the way to Nice that may be worth a visit even if it's just to stretch our legs or get a snack?

Toulouse to Nice with a stop in Carcassonne is going to be a full plate for one day. Carcassonne to Nice is about four hours on the freeway. Cutting across the Carmargue with a stop in Aigues Mortes would give you a break from the highways, add about an hour of driving time, and give you an interesting place to stop for an hour or so. On the Bordeaux to Toulouse day, if you kept heading west out of St Emillion to Domme, the driving time would only increase by an hour and give you a look at one of the better bastide towns. Driving within Nice is fairly easy, but if you want to dump the car right away, Avis is up by the train station and Hertz and Europcar are just a block off the promenade - - the turn's right about at the McDonalds, I think.

Kate, re your remark "scared of driving in Nice" - if you're driving in Atlanta, don't worry! Nothing can get much worse. Plus, in the cities, the driving is slow enough to give you a chance to get your bearings. Just don't go down the wrong way on one-way streets.....Have fun!

Two adults and one toddlerno problem. Assume you're going to have a great time, not a terrible one! People will dote on your little one endlessly. My son was 2 1/2 his first time in France and in many bistros and cafes they even gave him free food! And many sweets. You might have to watch out for that! The best final rec I can give you is to assume you will travel very slowly. This can be a good thing. Kids make you ease up and take time to smell the flowers, find the playground at the chateau, and relax on a park bench. It can be a nice change from racing around trying to cram as many sites as possible into each day. If you see one "big" thing and one "little" thing per day, you are doing great!

" Is this going to be the most difficult trip of my life?" Not knowing anything about your life to date, it is hard to say. Probably still a yes, imho. Minority view, for sure, but I would suggest leaving her with Grandmom. Enjoy the time alone with your husband.

"You've got a misconception of what a cafe is. It's more of a place to get a drink and watch people, it's okay for a roll at breakfast, other than that, the food sucks." I respectfully disagree... I've had hundreds of good meals at cafes.

My only suggestion would be to possibly add one of the smaller towns in Provence in place of Avignon. It will give you a different feeling and a bit more peace and quiet... possibly St. Remy or the beach town of Ste. Maxime. I think you will have a wonderful time... she might not remember the trip, but you will. Obviously you will have all the hassels of traveling with a toddler, but you will have all the joys as well. The car will give you the freedom and spontaneity to change your mind in an instant if you need to. Lots of European families (as well as American) travel with their children all the time and somehow they manage... and many love it.

IMO, I think car travel is less stressful than taking trains with a toddler. Trying to manage the toddler and luggage on public transportation can be difficult. The rental car gives you much more flexibility. Bring your OTC meds. By law, restaurants have to post their menus, so you'll be able to tell whether they have a kid's meal. But with a 2yo, I don't think any restaurant will have a problem with you feeding her off of your plate. Also, don't be afraid to try a French chain restaurant. Some of them are quite good and offer really good, low-cost children's menus. Flunch and Courtepaille pop in to my mind first. It will be more work, but it doesn't have to be the worst trip of your life. It can be a nice vacation, just different.

Thank you all for your comments! I really feel better and will be more prepared this fall. I'm really looking forward to taking my family and will take it slow as you all say which will be a ver different trip for me since I'm used to going full speed and seeing as much as possible. Thanks again!

We just got back from a 2.5 weeks of backpacking with two 8 year old boys. We chose to do the train thing, and the boys loved it. They enjoyed the Metro, Inter-City, the high-speed TGV, etc. Family drove us around Marseille, Cannes, Nice, and Monaco. If you are a poor navigator, driving can be soooo confusing. Road signs are not displayed properly and some signs are just confusing. You just don't know what the hell it means. You need to review what these signs are telling you before getting in that car. The streets are small, cars zipping by you, the round-abouts are confusing, lanes are not defined. I'm sure after a week or so you will be a pro at it, but get ready for a learning curve. I admire those who drove in the big city over there. I could not have driven in Paris without some proper training first.

A lot of good advice. We almost always rent a car in europe. For our family of 4, it is cheaper and gives us flexibility that trains cannot. Once you get to the city, you gotta get to the hotel, which can be difficult with a family and luggage. When kids are this little, road trips are hard with kids. You know what your kid can tolerate. Build in useful enjoyable stops to your itinerary. Must for cars: GPs either on your phone or a separate model. We typically use our smart phone with a SIM with data that we buy in that country. Euro street signs can be difficult to read and interpret. Learn traffic rules: some places have limits on driving and parking. Do the research before you go or make sure have access to the Internetwhile there. You don't need big fines mailed to home.
We stay in flats/apt with kitchen (added space) as much as possible and we do not move much. We rarely stay in hotels. Once we found Legos in our flat for my toddler. We have a philosophy that we want to enjoy our vacation more than seeing all there is to see. When kids were little, we spent a lot of time hanging out at playgrounds. You end up seeing different things with your car than traveling on a train, no different than at home. Do the research so that your trip is enhanced with the access to a car. You may not be seeing as much of museums but you can see many small romantic towns and sit and drink coffee while watching your child running in the mideval town square. Once we stopped to see a local antique car show on a road trip in Germany. This was my kids favorite part of that trip.

I've been to Paris (and London) with a toddler (18 months) and a 4 year old. I didn't see children's menus anywhere in Paris. Sometimes we split things with the kids, but picnics or take out were more common. Not very French, but we managed. It will be difficult, and people here will think you're insane, then when you come back with happy stories they will think you're super mom. Honestly, I didn't find it much harder than the myriad trips we've taken in the US with the kids. You just have to relax your expectations a bit. Three Michelin-Star restaurants are out, the local deli is in. Five hours lingering over art at the Louvre is out, but you can easily take your child in see how excited they get about certain things. I would highly advise printing photos of things you plan on seeing, anything from monuments to specific paintings to trains, BEFORE you go. Put them in an album and discuss them with your child. They will be so impressed to recognize something from their book. Also, if your child is fairly verbal, teach her "bonjour". My little one wasn't too verbal yet, but the 4 year old loved saying it and the French people adored him.

Continued... Also, pick a few things you really want to see without kids and have your partner do the same and then switch off who watches. Plan on a rough first day (jet lag, adjustment) and don't really count on that being a major sightseeing day. I took our carseat seat on the Paris trip, even though we didn't rent a car, because my son was crazy wiggly. There was absolutely no way he'd stay in an airline seat without the restraint of his carseat. But we drive a lot so he knows car seat = stay happily and sleep. So I lugged a car seat from airport to hotel, hotel to train, train to next hotel, then hotel to airport. Luckily both hotels kept it in the luggage room. The only option for my son at that age, but I'm avoiding cars until they don't need seats, or only need small boosters. I suppose if you pick up your rental car at the airport and have it the whole time you can just keep the seat in the car, so it would be easier. My philosophy on traveling with kids is basically to just do it. Plan well, then just jump in. My goal in this area is for them to be excellent travelers when they are older kids, and that's easier if they've been doing it forever than if you just throw an 8 year old into a totally new experience. There will be tantrums, there will be things you just can't do, but it's so worth it.