Hello, travel geniuses. My wife and our three little kids (10,8 and 4) are going to spend three months next summer in Europe. We want to live like locals in three different locations. We are looking for recommendations on where to stay. Here are our hopes:
1) Somewhere not too touristy. This probably rules out seaside places in the summer and some neighborhoods in touristy cities.
2) Somewhere with public transportation, as we don't plan on getting a car.
3) Great food and history- a new, drab suburb somewhere probably not interesting to us.
4) Preferably reasonably close to a variety of other places worth seeing. Probably rules out some remote locations and islands.
Ideally, it's a medium sized and compact town rich in culture, not too touristy, and reasonably close to cities and other sites. Somewhere we can quickly settle into a pleasurable routine and get to know locals. An example may be Girona, Spain. Any others? I wonder if something like that exists, but if it does, you will know!
Thanks!