Travelling with Children - suggestions? advice?

Many of these big cities deserve more than 2 nights and others can be cut this time. Why Basel? That's an easy cut and so is Brussels. If you want to stop in Brussels for a few hours on the way from Paris to Amsterdam, that's do-able, but I'd rather have more time in both Paris and Amsterdam. And while we could say to sleep in a smaller town instead of Brussels, I'd still say skip it and do a smaller-town day trip from Amsterdam, where you have many options, or consider sleeping in Haarlem, which may be cheaper.

Are you open to fewer places and more time in each place? Have you included your kids in the planning process and what types of activities or sights they would like to see? We find a minimum of three nights in a place allows us to see things at a more reasonable pace so we can absorb what we see. Of course we never see everything and that’s okay.

We traveled extensively around the US when our kids were young and included them in the planning process. For example, when we took them to DC they each picked a museum they wanted to see.

Hi Silvana,
First I think you have over-planned. Too many places with not enough time in each. I would cut out at least one (Berlin and Prague because they are farthest out of the loop, and maybe Munich or Brussels because--). I understand that elated feeling of getting a cheap flight and wanting to take advantage of being in Europe to see as much as you can, but traveling from place to place is not how you want to spend so much time, nor do your kids. I would plan for a minimum of 3 nights per place, which will give you 2 ½ days of being there. Enough to settle and engage with a place before having to do a big travel day again. If you went Amsterdam, Munich, Basel, Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam -- thats 3 days per, minus the arrival and departure part-of-days.

As for traveling with kids, can you give me a little more of what you would like to know? I have three, around your kids' ages, and we've traveled a lot, in the US and now we've started in Europe. My kids are readers, so we bought a few extra Kindles and loaded them with books for all of us (3 kindles for 5 ppl), so the kids read on the plane and trains. They were also just occupied by watching out the window of trains, and being on a train at all (even though they've been on some here). I planned the most stamina-requiring outing in the morning because I knew thats when they would complain least (so museums like d'Orsay, Rijks, etc), and then in the afternoon I had a few things in mind depending on their energy and interest level, but I always had an outdoor option (which includes the Eiffel tower, Luxembourg gardens [which has a park to play in that my kids loved], Pere lachaise cemetery just playing in a playground, like the one behind the Rijks). If there was water or swimming accessible, I made a point of knowing how to access it and offering it to them (swimming opportunities go a long way toward getting museum time for me). The NEMO museum in Amsterdam can be fun, and there's a great rooftop deck and cafe (my husband and I sat on the roof drinking beer for 3 hours while our kids were in the museum!). There are books called "Mission[city name]". We used "Mission Paris" and Mission Rome". Im not sure what other cities are covered but you can look for these and read reviews on Amazon. Thats a start. Let me know if you have something specific in mind
Jessica

I have taken two of my three kids to Europe , separate one on one trips for each , aged 11 and 13 .

I literally glazed over when I saw your plan , TWO night stops !!!!

Two nights in a place is only one full day .
If you believe your destinations are only worthy of one full day may I suggest you find better choices or eliminate some of those stops .

Hi!

I only have one child, but I found some of these things to be true about both our our trips to Europe.

1. When we stayed somewhere only two nights, she got very tired. Not because of the moving, but because we tried to cram a lot of things into the short time we were in the place so it was go go go all day (this was particularly true for Paris).

2. Alternately, when we stayed in one city for 5 days, she also started getting "fidgety" because she got bored with the same hotel, slower pace through museums, etc (Rome).

3. We (probably by our choosing) didn't really find a lot of hotels to be kid friendly. She of course wanted kid things like pools or playgrounds. So try to go out of your way to plan that stuff in to your trip. For example, one of her favorite things ever was a ropes course in Germany. She also loved when we would let her go into a toy store. So we walked all over the Marienplatz in Munich and then spent 25 minutes looking at dolls in a toy store. Her dad wasn't excited but it helped get her through the next "adult" thing.

4. Really know in advance the food tolerance of your kids. It gets exhausting trying to "force" food into a little tyke. I find it easier to just give in and find her food she will actually eat. Hangry is a real thing and trying to eat "exotic" foods for several days can make a kid lose their patience.

5. Finally, one thing I have finally started doing is setting a budget for her "souvenirs" before we leave. Otherwise it was a continued debate at each stop about why she can't get one more stuffed animal or another pencil set. When she knows in advance she gets $X for the whole trip it is easier for her to decide if something is worth it and easier for me to convince her to save up for that one great thing.

Have a great trip!

Oy, so many issues here. Caution: unvarnished opinions follow...

First, I think you need to start being honest with yourself about how many actual, usable, full days you have in Europe. Do not count your arrival day or your departure days - those are consumed by the needs of arriving (and surviving) and departing. So, beginning with the day AFTER you arrive in Europe, and not counting the day you fly home, how many full days do you have? I'm guessing your flight from North America departs on 6/14 and your return flight departs on 6/29. If that's the case, then your flight arrives on 6/15, so your trip actually begins on 6/16. That would mean you actually have 13 days to work with.

The plan is a little bit ambitious, I have to admit.

Your plan is not just ambitious, I think it's unrealistic. As stated upthread, you are planning 2 nights everywhere, which means you get one full day in each place.

We are arriving in Amsterdam and taking a train straight to Berlin...

Not a good idea, IMHO. When you scrape yourselves off the overnight redeye flight to Europe, at least someone in the group (maybe everyone) is going to be cranky, exhausted, not in any shape to deal with getting to and riding a train to Berlin, and showing up there hours later. Maybe you were up for this kind of grinding schedule back in your solo backpacker days, but I doubt that all members of your group will be up for that. Don't brutalize yourselves. Arrive in Amsterdam, do your best to keep everyone awake for the day (get outside and keep walking in the fresh air) and try to stay awake until after local dinner time (it won't be easy). Then sleep deeply, spend a night there in Amsterdam before moving on. If you don't do this, and force everyone on to Berlin, at least some of your group (probably all of it) will be miserable zombies for several days as you struggle to recover.

We will spend 2 nights. Next, we will be 2 nights in Prague, 2 in Munich, 2 in Basel, 3 in Paris, 2 in Brussels and 2 in Amsterdam...

Ouch, ouch, stop! You will never recover from this pace. Remember: you do not magically transport yourselves instantly from hotel in City A to your hotel in City B. Whenever you pick up and move, you burn about half a day, at best - this assumes everyone is on their A game, you're all efficient, nobody gets lost, nobody has any real or manufactured crisis, there are no language or culture shock or food issues, everything works perfectly like a Swiss watch - then you just burn half a day each time you move. Does that describe your family after flying half-way around the world (and probably being wound up and stressed out before you even get on the flight over, due to all the pre-trip stresses)? For most of us, there are a few rough edges and challenges that keep us from executing like the proverbial Swiss timepiece.

Go back to the first issue: how many days you really have. Run the math again. I think you will find that this trip does not have enough days to do 7 cities. You need to cut some of them. With just 13 days, I'd limit it to 4 cities maximum - at least that gives you an average of 3 nights in each (you can do a couple day trips).

It's too bad you have tickets flying in and out of the same city, which forces you to circle back (wasting both time and money) but if you choose your cities wisely, at least the distances won't be huge.

With the time you have, Prague and Basel seem to be the outliers - I'd save them for another trip. That leaves:
Amsterdam, Brussels, Berlin or Munich (not both), Paris (then back to Amsterdam for departure). There are other ways you could slice this but I think you need to cut a few places, and most of all, s-l-o-w...d-o-w-n.

Sorry, I know this is brutal and not what you want to hear. Still hope it helps. Good luck.

I'm afraid your itinerary looks like an absolute nightmare! We have two boys, 13 and 10, and I could think of nothing worse than dragging them around on this trip. Far too many cities, not enough time in each one. Have you identified what you want to see and do in these cities because you certainly haven't devoted enough time to experience them by any stretch? Travelling between cities can consume a whole day, even just thinking about getting everyone up and ready and finding somewhere for breakfast can take a couple of hours. Having a decent, leisurely breakfast in Paris for example is infinitely better than grabbing a lacklustre croissant at the train station, after all, isn't the whole point of traveling to experience the culture? The same goes for lunch and dinner.

I would suggest sticking to Amsterdam, Berlin and Paris. There's plenty enough in those three cities to occupy your time, It will enable your children to experience three different countries and their culture properly rather than wasting time on trains, checking in and out of hotels, packing and unpacking, rushing around and being stressed.

Another mom of two ( 13 and 10) who thinks your itinerary is far, far too much. Your kids will be exhausted, therefore grumpy and no one will have fun. My kids love to travel and we have taken them to Europe twice. When planning, we all get involved and we all get to select things that we want to do. I always look have some things in my back pocket in case our plans don't work out, we need to change etc. For example, we were in London last summer during a heat wave.... I had already scoped out some swimming pool options so we ended up spending a late afternoon/early evening at the Olympic swimming complex.

I believe you should seriously reconsider this plan. IMO your itinerary is far too rushed for seasoned adult travelers, much less adding children to the mix. You are spending a large portion of your vacation on a train and not giving your kids (and you) enough time to settle in a bit and enjoy a city. The frenetic pace that you have planned will not be relaxing for anyone. If your objective is to "check the box" to say we've been somewhere, then go for it. Otherwise, slow down and savor a few places. Obviously you know your family best, but the idea of arriving in Amsterdam and immediately embarking on a long train ride to Berlin is a recipe for disaster. My children would not have been pleasant travelers, nor would we. Agree with previous posters that you should stick to 3 cities at the very most. I would definitely delete Brussels as we did not find it all that interesting. Prague is beautiful, but save it for another trip. When traveling with children, I would definitely set limits as to the amount of souvenirs they can purchase. Think cost and size, because they have to be packed to bring home. (Yet another advantage for less cities...one souvenir per place) Give them some say in restaurants; look for outdoor activities where they can run off some energy. Your post doesn't say what the children are interested in, so encourage them to do some research and find activities that are appealing to them.

My boys are 14 and 16 now and we began going to Europe when they were about your kids age. I agree with what a lot of people are saying. Too many stops with short trips. Trim your trip a bit to maybe Amsterdam Germany and Paris, although it looks like you have friends in Basel so maybe working that in would be good too. That 1st day after flying may be difficult for at least one person if they don't sleep well and it only takes one to make it hard for the family.

Get your kids involved in planning, if they pick some things that are reasonable and work well with your itinerary they can be more invested. Mix indoor and active things with kids. Too many museums and too much art can get them bored and overloaded. Our kids liked biking around Amsterdam for example, markets can be fun to let them pick out unique gifts and treats.

Most important have fun.

Thanks so much for your responses!! No, nobody hurt my feelings. I agree with everyone that I should cut. I will have to sacrifice Munich and probably Brussels, since some of the others are non-negotiable. Basel as well as Prague are our downtime since we will be visiting friends with family and we will be watching 4 soccer games on those days (remember that the original plan was to go to Russia to see the World Cup). So these days mean a lot of time with people not walking much and just hanging out.
The reason I planned such a crazy itinerary is because I know what my children can endure. I am from Argentina and my husband from Peru, so we have been travelling to and from our countries extensively in the past 12 years (since they were in diapers!), though I know that this plan would be pushing them too much though (lol). We are not afraid of long trips since going to my country, for example, can take up to 28 hours from the moment we leave home till the moment we arrive, which sounds insane, but is real. That is why I had planned to catch a train from Amsterdam to Berlin the day we arrive. Our flight is only 7 hours to Europe. We arrive the 14, not the 15, like somebody asked, since we depart on the 13th. Besides, staying in Berlin is cheaper than in Amsterdam...
We are very outdoors oriented people. My kids are super athletic and active. I'm including them in the planning and they are already reading and researching the different cities. My youngest says "I want to meet new people, try the food and visit places that teach me history". The last person who answered was spot on!! We prefer museums that are hands on or that show history artifacts, more than fine arts for example. My kids love city tours, parks, architecture, walking around, markets, street vendors, and eating. They eat anything and everything!. They prefer picnics to sit down dinners or lunches. The biking in Amsterdam sounds awesome. Do you think is safe for a 10 year old? Anyways, like another person suggested, I might plan ONE museum only in the morning and the outdoor activity for the afternoon.
Thanks on the advice on souvenirs! Although my kids are saving for the trip, they might find themselves limited on space to bring a lot back since we are going with a carry-on each. That will teach them to make wise choices.
It hurts me to cut Munich, I had found this super hosts couple who rent the top floor of their home. Also, my kids wanted to visit Dachau...
My next trips to Europe will be one country at a time... My dream is Italy by car next year!
Thank you all again and happy travels!

My kids are 8 and 11, and we’ve been traveling with them (North America and Europe) since they were infants.

I agree - too many places! We have a rule of thumb of 3 nights minimum per place. Check in/out, transit, and packing all with 4 people just takes too long to go with less. MAYBE once a trip we’d do 2 nights but then balance it with 4 nights after. I can’t say where to cut...but cut something.

Don’t over plan each day. If you find a park on a sunny day and your kid wants to play soccer with some local kids...that’s the joy of Travel, don’t miss it because you are scheduled to the second. Sit on the grass, grab whatever food and drink is sold in the park kiosk or the cafe across the road and enjoy!

Walking tours are hit or miss. I’d do a couple for things of real interest to you and the kids. But in general I find my kids get interested in random things so having the freedom to wander and follow their interest vs. a set tour is better.

Pack super light - kids have a habit of spreading their stuff all over and the less there is the easier it will be for them to find it and repack it. Not just clothes, also light on books and entertainment things. If the suitcase is stuffed full when you leave there is no way they will be able to get it back in when repacking at each hotel. The neat, space saving folding is hard for kids in general, and hard for anyone to repeat every 2 days. Note I said for THEM to repack it - help them know they need to manage their own bag. As a parent you will have to help, of course, but it’s so much easier once kids are old enough to take care of their own stuff. I speak from experience, having just recently crossed this milestone ;)

Yes, Mira, I agree with you! Once I cut a couple of cities, I will have 3 days for the others. My kids would love to play soccer with locals and of course I have to include visiting famous soccer stadiums per their request. I bought them each a carry on bag and yes, they will have to be responsible for their belongings. Once my oldest left a bag unattended at an airport and it got confiscated! He learned his lesson there, since we almost missed the flight trying to retrieve the bag. I always check their baggage before we left home since my youngest tends to pack stuffed animals (lol).
Thanks for your advice!

Well, you are saying that the following cities are non-negotiable:

• Amsterdam (you fly in and out)
• Prague
• Basel

OK, then...that's your trip - that list. The other cities on your wish list do not really fit. The three cities you say are non-negotiable form a large triangle - unless you're flying between each, you picked the three cities that are pretty much farthest from each other on your list. If that's what's most important to you, then I would suggest that you drop all the other cities from your list - they just do not "fit". Or, put another way, Amsterdam is where you start and end your trip. If you insist on going to Prague and Basel, then that choice means you need to exclude Paris, Berlin, Munich, Brussels.

It's a long way from Amsterdam to Prague. It's almost as long from Prague to Basel (and then back to Amsterdam). Given the time it's going to take to connect those cities, you should investigate flights rather than trains.

Finally...I would urge you to consider this: it sounds like you are going to Europe primarily to watch a football (soccer) game on TV, with friends who live there. Nothing wrong with that. But to me, that seems like it's kind of missing the point of being in Europe. Watching a sports event on TV is pretty much the same in your living room or someone else's - except for who's in the room with you. Personally, I like to go to Europe to experience the things there that I can't really experience at home. I get it that many people are passionate sports fans (hey, I will watch some of the world cup games, too, but I'll do it from home). If a trip to Europe is not something that you get to do often, you might take a step back and think about your priorities. If "the big game" rules everything, that may be a perfectly valid choice, but recognize what you are trading away. I would rather enjoy what's unique about being in Europe, and watch the big game at home, maybe while Skyping or FaceTime-ing with friends far away who were enjoying the same game. Of course, it's your trip so you decide what's best for you and your family. I'm just saying - be realistic and give some thought to what the trade-offs are.

Good luck.

Maybe you are US citizens but if not you should check into visa requirements.

"you are going to Europe primarily to watch a football (soccer) game on TV, with friends who live there. Nothing wrong with that. But to me, that seems like it's kind of missing the point of being in Europe. Watching a sports event on TV is pretty much the same in your living room or someone else's - except for who's in the room with you. Personally, I like to go to Europe to experience the things there that I can't really experience at home."

I disagree it's the same. I'd hardly call myself a die-hard fanatic over soccer, but catching a game over in Europe even if it's playing on a TV in a cafe, restaurant, bar or public square is something that you aren't going to experience at home - it's the atmosphere and being around truly die-hard fans that makes it really fun. I was in Dublin once when World Cup was happening - for one game, I bumped into a group of Brazilians out on the street with drums and dancing and lots of shouting as the game progressed. For another game that same year, I had worked my way over to Western Ireland where I have family who live in a small village with a staggering 12 pubs. We hit up several of the pubs during the game and again, lots of excitement - entire families there with the kids playing right outside while the adults shouted and enjoyed their pints. I was in Paris when UEFA Euro 2016 was happening and was in multiple venues watching the games - including down in front of the Eiffel Tower and to see people from all over Europe sporting their team colors made it very festive. I also spent time just sitting at a table with my friends on the outdoor terrace of one restaurant where all of the patrons were just watching the game, eating and drinking.

For the OP, not going to pile on about eliminating a stop or 2 for a more relaxed experience, but will just point out that since you are hosteling with your kids, I do hope you have looked at the reviews carefully for your Amsterdam hostel. There are a few decent hostels in Amsterdam, but there are also a good amount that attract lots of hard partying people. Even though you are likely booked in a private family room, I'd still just see what kind of reviews your place is getting if you haven't already done so - check sites like hostelworld.com where you can read through some of the comments and get a sense of the place. Actually, with boys that age, I'd be looking to see if I could book a houseboat as that might be a lot of fun for the kids to experience a couple nights sleeping on a boat. It's a splurge, but could be worthwhile. If you are finding lodging options are just a bit too pricey in Amsterdam, then there are plenty of places outside of Amsterdam you can stay that aren't quite as expensive but still a really easy train ride to/from Amsterdam (Utrecht comes to mind as an option and it has some really beautiful canals). As for a 10 year old biking in Amsterdam, there are some heavily trafficked parts of the center that I'd be quite nervous letting a kid cycle through - between the way some locals tear through the bike lanes, the motorcycles, Vespas, moped, cars and trams, I'd prefer my kid stick to biking somewhere a little less frantic (like maybe inside Vondelpark), or I'd get him out in the countryside to bike (maybe go to the windmill park and let them bike there).

Among others Emily and Mira have given you great, specific advice! We took our sons to London and England the first time when they had just finished 7th and 2nd grades. In the planning process I had all of us read and list our top choices of things to see. There were some crossovers which was good. We all got to see our top 6 choices, so everyone was happy.

The way I read your itinerary is that you have as many travel days as sightseeing days and I don't think that's very efficient. It also makes for spending a Lot of money on transportation.

I think everyone will have a better time with less locations, and at least 3 nights per location.

Please let us know what you decide and then after the trip, we'd love to see a trip report. It could help others planning trips with children.

Have a Great Time!

About watching soccer. We were just in Edinburgh and by total accident the New Zealand Rugby team was in town to play Scotland. Not a rugby fan at all, just not exposed to it much here. But it was very fun in the city. To experience a city when the home country is involved in something like that can be very fun. A short walk away from our lodging was a place that had set up an outdoor big screen and it was a big party and met a lot of locals there watching, so something like that may be fun if you are in Amsterdam and the dutch are playing even if your team is not playing that day. Or in Prague and the Czechs are playing.

Ceidieh, reading your post was very refreshing. When you are a soccer fan, the World Cup is a must see. It is a shame that prices went up 5000% in Russia and accommodation is not enough, otherwise, it would have been great to take my kids there. Like I wrote before my husband is from Peru and his country is going to the World Cup after 34 years. In the qualifying match, we went to a bar here, and we almost turn it upside down with all the drums! It was so much fun! I hope I get to be in one of the countries playing certain matches because it will be cool to see, like Keith mentioned. I was 8 years old when Argentina won the World Cup held in my own country, and 40 years later I still remember the celebrations we had. Thanks Ceidieh on your advice about biking in Amsterdam, and I rechecked the reviews of the hostel there and it seems to be fine. Why is Amsterdam so expensive!! Wow!! The boats are out of my league...
Thanks for asking Karen. There are no visa requirements for us even if we are not American.
Mimi, I will definitely post a trip report!
Thanks everyone!

hi silvana
enjoyed your posts, especially the love for soccer. nephew was semi-pro and from peru. i have sent you a private message in your inbox (PM)
aloha

I agree with everyone who says your trip is overbooked. I am planning a trip from June 5-19th with a 19 mos old & a 16 yr old and am worried I might do the same - even with spending 5 days in Paris, 4 days in Vevey Switzerland & the remaining days in Italy (city is yet TBD). One of my favorite forums & magazines is ALMOST FEARLESS - it’s all about families who travel the world with their kids. The advice is fantastic - I NEVER thought about seeking a playground near my hotel or apartment until I joined this group. Their FB group has given me the best advice as far as entertaining a baby on a flight & Baby travel accessories that won’t weigh us down (too much.) I hope you will join this group & benefit as I have from the forums! Traveling without kids is NOT impossible - you just have to take more time, slow down, have more patience, be more flexible & more creative with some of your planned activities. We won’t be spending as much time as I’d like at the Louvre & won’t be taking any wine tours on this trip, for example. We will, however, visit playgrounds, push sailboats at the Luxembourg gardens & take a boat ride on the Seine while renting Air BnB to ensure we have the most authentic experience possible. (And bc there’s no way the 4 of us could afford a large enough hotel room to hold all of our gear + room to sleep!)

Don’t think of this as your LAST trip to Europe EVER. Consider it the first for your kids - what will inspire them to want to come back over & over again?? I can assure you it won’t be time spent on trains, early check-outs & feeling like you rushed through a city, without ever getting to know it.

PS - those cheap fares will happen again!

We were in Europe for the last World Cup. We are not soccer fans but so enjoyed that every town we went to would have an outside big screen showing the games. It was exciting to see how Europeans enjoyed the games and had a great time celebrating with whatever team won. SO ENJOY! \

Thanks Shevwan!
I will definitely check those forums and I already requested to join the facebook page.

Gee Brad , I know who you voted for because who else would call children "wussies"

I am so glad I have gotten my children involved , there are a few sights that I wouldn't have thought of visiting except for my kids suggestion , like my then 11 yr old daughter wanting to visit the Shoah Memorial in Paris because she had just finished reading Sarah's Key and Hiding Edith .
I respect my children's opinions , doesn't mean we always did what they wanted , but all input is welcome .

None of my kids are "wussies " and I don't keep track of who in my family has earned "advanced degrees" , sorry I would edit that out of my comment if I made such a remark after one too many scotches .

Getting kids involved in the planning process prepares them for adulthood. My kids are adults now. I get such pleasure watching them choose where they will take a trip and put all the pieces together. And Brad, they all have advanced degrees!

I’d like to weigh in on the “getting kids involved in planning” debate. No offense is meant - there are so many ways to do things that work well for different families!

We do let the kids pick/guide a lot of what we do. Not the whole trip or every thing in a day but their input is important. Firstly for practical reasons - if kids have a say they enjoy it more. Secondly because kids are people and all people have their own interests. I can’t drag my kids to art museums all day and expect them to be happy - but I can bring them to the art museum in the morning and go to a sight/activity they chose later. They are more likely to enjoy the art (and they do enjoy it in shorter bursts) if they know a beach/hike/sewer tour/soccer stadium/violin concert comes later. Yes, one of my kids would choose a violin concert - something I’d never pick (im not musical) but am more than happy to encourage. If I didn’t give him a say I wouldn’t know that and we’d all be worse off. Going where someone else wants to (even if that someone is 10 years old) is beneficial to YOU as well - you get out of your interest bubble and see a different side of things. I could spend 2 weeks going from museum to church to food tour each day and love it. But the trip is richer when I step out of my food-and-art world and go run around a castle ruin with my 8 year old.

That’s actually the beauty of Travel with kids in general - they open doors. We always find a park with a playground or sports field and let them play. Then stop at a grocery for snacks to eat in the park. It’s a more immersed experience than running from museum to cathedral all day. Some squares have kids running around playing with balls or bubbles. Some kids are tourists, some are locals, and it doesn’t matter. It gives you an excuse to slow down and relax. Which paradoxically means you experience more.

We've travelled each summer to Europe with the kids for the past 5 years. Our kids are now between 10-15. Honestly, I can't imagine how your schedule could possibly work. My kids are fantastic travellers but 2 nights in each of 7 places would kill us all. The best thing about bringing kids to Europe is experiencing the culture of each location. Expect you'll bring them back. We've been to Basel. Probably more than other locations because my hubbie has business there often. Our first trip to Europe was 5 weeks in Basel. I explored with the kids while he worked. Don't skip it. Its wonderful. During that trip we took 5 nights and visited Paris. We knew we'd want to return. The following year we visited London for 9 nights, Paris for 4 nights and Belgium for 6 nights. The following year Rome for 5 nights and Basel for 2 weeks. The next year Spain: 3 nights Barcelona, 4 nights Seville, 1 night Granada, 3 nights Torremolinos, 4 nights Madrid. It was our shortest trip and we decided at the end it was was too many stops, even though it was all in one country. It was 15 nights five stops. Only one 1 night, all others at least 3 nights. This upcoming trip will be 3 nights Prague, 1 night Cesky Krumlov, 6 nights Budapest.

By having 2 nights in each location, you have no down time, no time to do laundry, no time to just stop (because you only have a few hours there), no time to taste a variety of foods, no time for the kids to learn history of the area and truly, no time to spend long enough to remember. You'll have about a day in each stop. Then you're off to the next. Please consider changing your plans to include only 4 stops or less.

Silvana, go to Flyertalk.

Flyertalk's robust forums SPECIFICALLY has an entire forum dedicated to providing advice & suggestions regarding Traveling with Children.

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/travel-children-221/

Just had a look at other posts. Probably should have done that before posting :-)

If you'd like any suggestions for Basel, just let me know. While there, we took one week and explored the Jungfrau region, Vevey and Gruyere. It was fantastic! We also did a few daytrips to Lucerne which I'm sure your kids would love.

Perhaps, travel from Amsterdam to Paris after your flight (you mention being able to travel on and its about 4 hours I think), enjoy 5 nights in Paris, then travel 3 hours by train to Basel, spend a few days there and then 3-4 nights in the Jungfrau region (I can recommend reasonably priced accomodations for a family of five) , then travel 3 or four nights to Amsterdam to explore before your flight out.