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Berlin centered trip with kids October 2015

Posted by (Washington, DC ) on

Hello! I have a business trip with a speaking engagement on 13 Oct in Berlin and my family is coming along. We've honed in on the following cities that, if we had just a little bit more time, we would visit. However, we are still deciding how long we'll stay in central Europe, but probably about 12 days total. Kids are young, 6 years old and 1.5 - both good travelers and flexible / easygoing kids.

  1. Vienna (This seems like an easy point to include because we have direct flights from Washington to Vienna)
  2. Budapest (While this is further afield, I really want to see Budapest if at all possible).
  3. Prague (friends in Czech Republic, although not Prague but they'd meet us, and I have always wanted to go)
  4. Berlin (I must include a trip to Berlin, as I have a biz trip there lasting 1.5 days and would also like to spend additional time sightseeing)
  5. Back to Vienna to fly out? Or Fly out from Berlin or elsewhere?

I realize I will probably have to take at LEAST one of these cities off, possibly two. However, we are budget limited travelers and won't be back to this area again soon, and I don't mind seeing highlights of the places without digging deep, even though I know others disagree with that approach. On the other hand, we don't want to feel like we've made that trek only to spend 2/3 of our time getting from place to place (though scenic train rides are great!).

While kid-friendly spots are helpful, i'm not looking for that exclusively. But I'd avoid spots where the music stops if you walk in with them. :) We're also not going to do concentration camps, because that would be too much for our two.

Of these cities, I'd probably strike Vienna first, albeit reluctantly. On the other hand, Vienna is the logical in and out point, because i can get a direct flight there from DC. We are open to other ideas.

Any suggested itineraries? Before kids, my husband and I did a lot of winging it, but we need to plan this one out more carefully than that!

Finally, I travel with a carseat, which I'm not exactly sure what to do about - the carseat will be a huge pain to lug around once there. Maybe there's an alternative...but I don't like to fly without it for safety reasons. It almost makes me want to rent a car for the travel, but, I don't know anything about insurance, driving within countries, etc. Thanks again for all of the help!

Posted by
565 posts

If you have to include Berlin, also include Prague and even Dresden and/or Leipzig because of proximity. Forget about the direct flight and cluster your activities together near Berlin. From Berlin, it's a 2.5 hr train ride to Dresden and an additional 2.5 hrs to Prague. Save Vienna/Budapest for another trip.

Berlin has lots of parks and green spaces and is extremely family friendly. The Prenzlauer Berg area in particular has lots of families with children and family-type restaurants everywhere. There's a Traubi driving experience and the DDR museum is hands on, with a typical model apartment of Soviet-era Berlin and a Mercedes belonging to the Honnecker dictatorship.

Dresden is beautifully rebuilt and has wonderful beer gardens and ice cream parlors.

Prague is very touristy. But also very beautiful. You can't go wrong with these three cities.

Posted by
20089 posts

With 12 days, I think Vienna, Prague, Berlin is doable. Just don't backtrack to Vienna to get a nonstop home. You can fly home with one connection in Munich. That will save a whole day of traveling and cost virtually nothing extra. I think a car would be a major hassle. Train service is excellent between these 3 cities.

Posted by
12040 posts

Berlin has a pretty good zoo, and Leipzig has one of the best in Europe.

The kids might also appreciate staying the night at Tropical Islands Resort. Easiest to reach with a rental car, because it's buried in the middle of nowhere deep within the Spreewald.

Posted by
2297 posts

Direct flights are REALLY nice when travelling with young kids. Backtracking isn't.

My suggestion is to fly into Vienna, fly out of Berlin. And do strike Budapest from the list this time as it's quite far out from the rest of the itinerary.

Posted by
328 posts

For the car seat, look for a backpack carry bag like this on Amazon. We picked one up a few years ago and have used it on several European trips now. It has been a lifesaver for keeping our hands free while carrying our car seats through airports, train stations, etc. I suggest you stuff a sweater or jacket into the bag at the back of the car seat to make it more comfortable to carry.

I can't speak to the other cities you mention but we took our 1 and 4 year old to Vienna last fall and had a great time. There are a number of good playgrounds and parks for them to have a play break in. The city is extremely walkable with a stroller and we had a fantastic time.

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