Trip to euro first with time with kids 12 and 7 need help with plans

I think the tendency with first trips is to try to do too much in too little time. Especially since every move will take away at least half a day (travel time door to door) from your sightseeing time. So those 2 nights in Valencia will really only be a day and a bit of useful time.

Your first day in Paris will be marred by jet lag, and who knows how badly the kids will be affected. I'd stick with your initial idea.

I don't recommend adding Valencia. Paris deserves 5 nights. I would go with 4 and 4 for Barcelona and Madrid.

Suggest day trips from Madrid to Toledo and Segovia if you have time. Definitely Toledo.

There are high speed trains from Paris to Barcelona and Barcelona to Madrid.

Sorry, you can do Disney in Florida or California. Enjoy Europe.

Yes I agree above^ try a local French amusement park instead, like Parc Astérix (second largest theme park near Paris)

Valencia is a pleasant city for a later trip to Spain. It is definitely not a place I'd want to spend 2 nights if they have to be taken from 5 nights in Paris and 4 nights in Barcelona. Those are minimal times. I'd find the suggestion really odd, but I suspect there may be some very child-friendly sights at the City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia.

I think four nights is too long in Madrid unless you plan to get serious about the art museums (which I doubt, given the children's ages) or take 2 side-trips. The already-recommended Segovia and Toledo are very interesting to me (an adult). Other than the mind-boggling aqueduct in Segovia, I'm not sure how appealing they'll be to children.

When is the trip? Of the places you've mentioned, Barcelona is likeliest to have the best weather in late fall and winter.

Yes, Parc Asterix. Especially if you could find some of the comic books which led to the parc.

Adding a 4th stop makes for unneeded logistical challenges of in/out of a lodging and an additional day devoted, at least partially to traveling

The kids will more likely slow things down than speed things up at each change.

All my friends with kids rave about Puy de Fou, its ment to be absolutely amazing!!!!!

Sorry, you can do Disney in Florida or California. Enjoy Europe.

My youngest and my wife visited Disneyland Paris last weekend and having visited DIsney in Orlando last year I asked which one he preferred and he replied Paris, the reason given was that it was more compact and easier to travel around in, the rides aren't spaced so far apart so you feel that you can achieve more in the time given. Disneyland Paris is a completely different feel to the US parks and is worth taking the kids to. Europe isn't just about seeing old buildings and quaint villages, it's also about experiencing the culture and DLP definitely has a European spin to it.

I would also advocate Parc Asterix. Admittedly it doesn't have the Disney draw but the rides are just as good and without the queues. A classic example is the Dumbo ride at DLP, I've stood in line with the kids for over an hour for what is a very tame ride and in the queue were older teenagers and people in their 20's. Parc Asterix has an identical ride but instead of Dumbo it's aeroplanes. No queues, my kids were allowed to stay on it five times in a row until eventually they decided enough was enough and they wanted to try another ride.

Assuming you are American, if you want Disney, stay home. Cut Paris to 3 nights including arrival day & make Versailles one of the days-- see the palace, some of the fountains, and Le Hamau. Skip Valencia. From Paris go to Colmar, the Carcassone, Barcelona (you have too many days) where see Gaudi park & church & the medieval quarter. Then Granada-- Alhambra & the cathedral where Ferdinand & Isabella are bullied. Also the gypsy cave houses & the Baroque Jesuit Church. 2 days is enough for Madrid with kids.

Assuming you are American, if you want Disney, stay home.

Why? I wonder how many of the advocates of not visiting Disneyland Paris over its American cousins has actually been there. It's not the same, the parks are distinctly different and avoiding DLP simply because there are two Disney resorts in the US doesn't make sense particularly as the OP wants to go there and presumably so do the children.

Whilst I'm not an advocate of focusing an entire trip on children there is a balance to be struck and one day in fourteen at a theme park whether it's DLP or Parc Asterix is not exactly unreasonable. Far too many itineraries offered on this forum are too adult focused and few appear to consider much of what the children may enjoy.

Geez, people, if the OP wants to see Disney Paris, that’s their prerogative. People’s interests do differ, ya know. :)

To answer your original question, yes stick with your original 3-City itinerary, esp. because you have kids. We have to travel a lot slower than we would as a couple when we bring our kids to Europe, who are similar in age to yours.

My kid travel strategy is to plan no more than 2 activities per day. Sometimes we do a third one on the fly if geography and serendipity allow, but I have to tolerate a lot more “laying around the hotel watching tv” when I travel with kids than my personal preferred travel style when alone or with adults, which is “stay out all day and see it all.”

Whilst I'm not an advocate of focusing an entire trip on children there is a balance to be struck and one day in fourteen at a theme park whether it's DLP or Parc Asterix is not exactly unreasonable. Far too many itineraries offered on this forum are too adult focused and few appear to consider much of what the children may enjoy.

My family likes theme parks, so we often visit one (if there's a good option nearby) no matter where we travel. I also try to involve the kids in planning our trips, which usually means one day is spent at a purely kid-focused activity. For our London trip this summer, I gave the kids a few options for "their" day and they chose Legoland so that's what we did. I also find that visiting theme parks and other kid-focused attractions is a great way to interact with locals. We stayed at a Travelodge in Windsor for the last two nights of our trip and most of the other guests we encountered were British families on holiday, taking their own kids to Legoland.

Thank you for all your replies. My trip will be in June. I live in Florida and we are avid Disney fans and would like to see the difference in the parks. And it is true that a friend recommended Valencia for a beach break and the aquarium for the kids. I Am just nervous that they would not enjoy Spain and wanted to experience something familiar like a beach. I will take all this advice into consideration. Perhaps add a day to Valencia, Barcelona, or Paris and remove one Madrid. That might work: 5 Paris, 3 Barcelona, 2 Valencia, 3 Madrid. What do you think?

I took each of my kids to Paris when they were 11 - During their 3-week trips each kid could pick one amusement park day and one opted for Disney Paris and we had a great day there. The boys chose Legoland (one in Windsor and one in Denmark - also very fun). I think its a great plan. The other thing the kids loved was doing a Fat Tire Bike tour to Versailles where we rode around the gardens, bought a picnic lunch, visited the Hameau and had a picnic. Way more fun for kids than just seeing the Chateau. We also did the night bike tour in Paris, but the traffic might be much for the 7 year old. One loved the Louvre, one loved Les Invalides, everyone liked the gardens at the Rodin museum.

I don't have any great advice about Spain since I haven't been there since I was in college in the 80s, but your plan sounds about as busy as our trips, which were just about right. The kids loved taking the trains - something we don't do here. We combined Paris with other cities they helped pick (Trip one: London, Paris, Lauterbrunnen, Salzburg, Munich, Trip two: London, Paris, Lauterbrunnen, Vienna and Munich, and Trip three: Stockholm, Oslo, Copenhagen, Paris, Lauterbrunnen and Munich). In every case, Lauterbrunnen was the bucolic vacation within our vacation. The beach could be that for you, and it's a good idea.

So not take a 7 yr old to Versailles .

I love Versailles . I have been there over a dozen times , I have taken both an 11 yr old and a 13 yr old ( separate trips ) - and I firmly recommend not taking a 7 yr old ! I can’t believe anyone thinks it’s a good idea - I can only assume they’ve never taken children there . The palace was a nightmare for my then 11 yr old - the crowds pushed her around , she mostly saw backs and elbows of adults ! Yes Le Hameau is nice - but it’s not worth a day out of Paris for ! Take kid to Disney .

You do realize that there is a beach in Barcelona ?

We are avid travelers domestically. They are used to moving around, but we are used to having an automobile and we will not have that. This will be their longest flight and their first time on a train. We have done 20 day and 23 day road trips and taken them to Canada but then we had long commutes in a car. By the way, should I bring a umbrella stroller for the 7 year old? Everyone says it’s better to bring it and not use it than need it and not have one? I am eternally grateful for all this advice.

P.s I do know that Barcelona has a beach, but I heard it’s not that spectacular.

My kids behave way better on trains than they do in automobiles. A lot of it has to do with the fact that they can get up and walk around as opposed to being strapped in. I agree with previous poster that Versailles may not interest a seven-year-old. I didn’t find it all that fabulous as an adult and it does take up pretty much the whole day getting out there and back. Central Paris has plenty to entertain you and the kids, especially if you are already doing a day trip to Disney Paris.

bring umbrella stroller for the 7 year old?

Would he/she even get into one. ???

Traveling by auto, where you can walk out the motel door and toss everything into a car and leave when it is convenient, is not the same as having to have everything properly packed and ready to move everyone and everything to a train station at a specific time.

Stick with your original plan, do not cut days from Paris. Fewer cities, NOT more. Your losing a great deal of time with the town changes.
Take the kids to Disneyland Paris. Kids is kids. They will enjoy seeing the differences and will probably spot more of them then the adult in the group. And that does not foreclose seeing a local French amusement park- steal an extra day from Spain if necessary. Again, more compare and contrast for the kids- learning while having fun.

Edit: Not addressing the stroller issue except to ask if the child has a handicap or medical condition that requires it? If so, then yes, bring it. If no, then no, as no child after 4ish should be anywhere near a stroller.

Travel safe,

One Fast Bob

I would not bring a stroller . Many streets are bumpy paving stones , and they don’t seem to have drop down curbs like we do for wheelchairs and strollers . Some places will forbid them inside so you will be forever storing and retrieving it .

And lastly , a 7 yr old in a stroller is an uncommon sight in Europe - as strollers are not that fun to push around ( crowds bumpy streets and stairs ) most parents get their kids walking without them as soon as they can.

I would not bring a stroller . Many streets are bumpy paving stones , and they don’t seem to have drop down curbs like we do for wheelchairs and strollers .

There are lowered kerbs for wheelchair and puschchair (stroller) access all over Europe. Admittedly some of the cobbled streets make things a bit more difficult but in reality there's not that many of them about. I agree about not bringing a stroller, not because of access but because a seven year old shouldn't be in one (unless there are medical/physical reasons).

We go to Disney a lot because we live in Florida and it makes it much easier to transport her around versus her walking and whining five to 7 miles per day but I’m going have to start weaning her off the stroller to make it easier for us to be able to move with her though Europe. I have realize that it’s important to spend five days in Paris so I’m going to do that. Does anyone recommend any specific itinerary that I take in Spain that starts in Barcelona and ends in Madrid? It definitely looks like I should just keep the four and four nights Barcelona and Madrid or should I try a 3, 2, 3 Barcelona, Valencia, Madrid?

We go to Disney a lot because we live in Florida and it makes it much easier to transport her around versus her walking and whining five to 7 miles per day but I’m going have to start weaning her off the stroller

The footprint of Disneyland Paris is far, far smaller than Orlando that you really don't need to wheel your daughter around. It's far easier to walk around than it is in Florida.

We spent 3 weeks in Europe last summer. What worked for us was: see a sight in the morning, lunch, a break back in the apartment in the afternoon, then back out in the evening for dinner and sightseeing. Treat it like a trip to WDW, pace yourself.

I would not bring a stroller. European cities are not as stroller friendly as WDW. Pushing a stroller with a 7 year old in it on crowded or cobble stoned streets sounds like a nightmare. We took an umbrella stroller for our 9 month old and that was a challenge! You will be walking more than 7 miles most days, so start training now!

We are doing a similar trip in November: flying into Madrid and out of Paris. We are only spending 1 night in Madrid, because we’re not into art. Then we are heading to Granada for 3 nights. Then Normandy for 3 nights, then Paris for 5 nights. I wanted a mix of small towns, culture and history. Without too many museums that will bore my kids!

You have plenty of time to plan. Spend some time figuring out what you want to see, and how you would spend each of your days (museums, castles, travel between cities). Then find time in your schedule for relaxing a little so your not exhausted and sick of each other when you get home!