Safety Ideas for Traveling with Kids to Europe?

Er.. those cards are sort of a good idea.. but seem a bit babyish the way you are wording them.. I would skip the " I am lost from my parents" that's kind of obvious. Address and phone numbers and perhaps your names .
I have taken both my 11 yr old and my 13 yr old to Europe.. and all I did is make sure they had 20 euros stuck somewhere on them and the hotel card for each place.. plus we always agreed to meet a a certain area if separated in a big crowd like at a museum or site.
When my hubby took our other son when he was 13 he got on the metro first and crowd kept hubby back and he didn't make it on. Train pulls away.. my son smiling at window at day on the platform ,, mildly panicing. But they followed the plan.

Kid on train gets off train at next stop. Parent boards next train and reunites with child on platform waiting. Trains come about every 1-3 mintues so not a big deal.
You kids are not that young.. in 5 years your oldest could be in Europe alone on a backpacking trip .

Just make sure they have addresses and numbers and some pocket money.
Always agree on a meeting point in busy places.. choose a big thing like a statue or fountain etc.
Suggest if lost they enter a big hotel for help and ask at desk.

PS we never travel with phones. .and my youngest is 19 now . and only brought hers last summer to use where there was wifi.. no phone service.

PS I assume you have already taught your children the basic obvious safety rules for home.. for instance.. you will NEVER send a stranger to get them.. if someone says your parents sent us.. they are lieing...or arrange a safety secret word.

We are staying apartments and not hotels, so giving them a key won't be possible. They are actually my stepsons and the oldest has been very babied by his Mom. He panics if someone is 5 minutes late to get him at school (and I mean really freaks) - hence the "babyish" cards. I think he would really panic without his phone, lost in a foreign city. We will of course say "if we get separated here is where to meet", but we have pretty packed days planned and may forget at one stop or another and just want to be safe. I've never been to Europe in the summer (luckily we have always been able to travel shoulder season) and I think i am just nervous because I keep hearing about the crowds during the summer and knowing I have one kid without "street skills". The 11 year old will be fine, the 13 year old not so much. Lol. Thanks for the train advice!

Cell phones with texting would make it a lot easier. If that would give them a feeling of confidence then for me it would be worth the cost. AT&T has a European plan for unlimited texting for $30 for a month. I have traveled with teens and it is easy to get separated, especially with crowds. One thing you can do is like Pat said, set up a meeting place. Also, everyone has to wait at the corner before crossing a street till all people are there. No making turns without everyone.
But, I think if you can do the phones it would be a relief and the teen would not have to go to a hotel and tell people he is lost... embarrassing and stressful especially if you don't speak to language. He could also text his mom with updates.

We traveled to Europe recently with a 10 and 13 year old. We told them ahead of time that places we were going would be more crowded than they are used to at home (and they are Bay Area girls). We told them that we'd need to wait for one another, cross streets and get on transportation at the same time, not wander off out of sight, communicate with an adult who was within their vision if they wanted to go see something, etc.

We too had kids of two different temperaments. One had her nose in a book and would have missed most of her transportation stops if we hadn't alerted her a few minutes before our stops. The younger one was more distracted and would have liked to wander off but she stuck with the plan and communicated to one of us and we went off arm in arm happily chatting on her adventures.

It worked very well for us. We really stuck together and didn't get tired of all that togetherness.

We aren't willing to do phones for a variety of reasons. Thanks all for the feedback!

Ah Sarah.. see a little more information will yield a different answer from me.

Since you have explained your 13 yr old is a nervous child I would recommend a phone for sure for him.. my kids were never nervous at all..different personalities.

Best plan is to give him a phone .

We have taken 2 of our 11 YO grandsons on separate trips with different itineraries and will be taking the 3rd this June. Basic rules are set before the trip; as said, if separated on the Metro, get off at the next stop and wait. We give them a "long leash" when we travel and since they know know this, they also keep us in sight. The neatest thing is that they are all Red Sox fans and all wear the RED Bosox cap their older brother wore on the their trip. The cap gets a lot of comments when in the EU and they enjoy it. We were only separated once, in London after being on the EYE, and we found him right where we told him to wait-for once the line to the men's room was longer than the one for the ladies. My bottom line is if you treat them like they are responsible, they act like it. We have one more coming up in' 17-being grandparents is a ball!

The oldest may have his phone but we aren't turning on the international plan (long story that I won't bore you with), so if worst came to worst he could find wifi and text us. As of right now he says he doesn't want to carry a backpack so if that's the case an iPhone in a shorts pocket sounds like a good way to lose a phone and too much drama for me on vacation! The little one won't have a phone. In all honesty if they get separated from us I think it would be a good life lesson to figure it out and have to ask for help. I am not a fan of being overprotective. I think the cards will serve their purpose...just looking for any other ideas. He went to NYC with grandma and grandpa last year and did fine, but again could speak the language. I know some of you are rolling your eyes thinking we are being over cautious and I'm sure we are, but it's peace of mind. Stuff happens and better safe than sorry in case of a natural disaster or just a minor separation.

Sarah iam not rolling my eyes . The new information yo provided does make a diffrence. All kids are different. I have a child with special needs, but he was ( and is) not nervous,( he was the one smiling as metro pulled away) it actually made him very hard to keep safe as he had no natural fears.

My hubby & I get separated from each other in a crowd sometimes. It helps to establish which person will stay where they are, and which one will search for the other; otherwise, we're both moving in possibly opposite directions. Seems elementary, but we've had experience circling around - ha!

Whatever method you decide, enjoy your trip & time together!

I think the cards are a good idea. You/he should still be able to use the phone for calls/texts even if you don't put the international plan on it. Its just a higher rate per minute. I know you have your reasons for not turning it on or maybe him carrying ut in his pocket but I always think its a giod idea. If he's wearing cargo shorts you should have a pocket he can put it in and not easily fall out of.

Some of the things we do between my husband and I, our daughter is 4 so we don't have to do this with her yet or other ideas for you:
Pick a certain time and/or place to meet if we do seperate intentionally or not in large crowds.
If we get seperated on the metro/subway the person who gets on the train gets off at the next stop to wait on the other to arrive on the next train. This actually happened to us in London and this is exactly what we did. Make sure you explain that if he is the one following on the next train to get off at that next stop to search for you unless you get lucky and see each other and whoever can quikly get on their car.
Don't be afraid to approach a policeman for help. I have found most of them speak english And are wiling to help.
Make sure they know the nearest metro stop to where you are staying. I know you said they won't have a key but at least they can make their way back and wait at the door until you arrive if needed.
Make sure they both have a little money in their pocket just in case
I would probably also get a city map from the TI office and highlight or mark the route, metro stop or area where the apartment is. The can always carry it in their pocket and use it if necessary. I plan to do something like this with my daughter later since she loves looking at maps.

I think the biggest thing is to talk about it and give them confidence that they can handle themselves the right way should it happen. I have never felt uncomfortable just as you said and have found that almost everyone is wiling to help.

this is super helpful! we are traveling with our twin four-year-olds in a few weeks and will definitely make up some cards.

Hi Sarah

This is probably not necessary as your sons are no little children and they can speak by themselves. Although English might not be widely spoken in certain parts of Spain, there are a lot of people that do speak it well enough for basic communication, especially in cities, but if it gives you peace of mind I'd go ahead with the cards.

Since this is the Spanish forum I'm assuming you're visiting some Spanish cities... Spanish society is very caring of their young ones and their elderly ones so should they 'get separated' rest assure they won't be left on their own if someone notices they're lost. Either someone will immediately call the Police for assistance or, if they carry your mobile number on a card or the hotel's number and address, either you'll get a phonecall or it wouldn't be strange that whoever found them personally accompanies them to the hotel to make sure they get reunited with you. If anything know that Mediterranean people is (in general) very caring about others so the same would apply to Italy or to Greece for example -hey, not implying here Northern Europeans are heartless, huh, LOL!

<"and not sure I want the older carrying his with pickpockets etc.)">... this is not the den of Alibaba and the 40 thieves, you know... don't go hook, line, and sinker trusting all the exaggerated distorted posts out there about this issue. These days pickpocketing is as much an issue here as it can be in any other major tourist destination, namely Paris, Rome or London... it can happen in very popular tourist attractions and/or certain very crowded metro lines near the centre but you don't go getting 'pickpocketed' every day if you catch my drift. It's more likely that if your son does normally go about clueless he'll lose it rather than being a victim of pickpockets.

Enjoy your trip!

I understand the reluctance to give kids a phone. In many ways it is the easiest option, but for some kids it just won't work.
So your idea of a card is a good one. Also, teaching the kids to SAY "I can't find my parents, can you call them?" and then hand the person the card with your cell number would be good. Easier to turn away a kid with a card you didn't read (thinking maybe a beggar!) than a kid politely trying to use a foreign language to ask for something, even if their pronunciation is poor.

I am not fluent in Spanish, but I do speak a bit. This is what I would say (people with stronger language skills, please chime in!)
Perdón, no puedo encontrar mis padres. Por favor llame a ellos para mí. Then they hand the card with the number. Google has voice so you can hear the pronunciation. Won't be perfect, but will be understandable.
I always teach my kids to go to either someone behind a desk in a store or to a mother with kids. On the thought that a mom with kids is less likely to turn away a kid in trouble.

But prevention is better than a cure...so talk about ways not to get lost in the first place! Of course you need a back-up plan, but first line of defense should be discussions about staying together, arranging meeting places, and the like.
At a museum or other sight, show them where the ticket desk (or some other major point) is and say that if you get separated, no one is leaving the museum until you are all together and to go wait near the desk. Give them their own map of the museum so they can find the desk or point to it on the map and ask.
On trains/busses, my husband and I each take charge of one kid and we do not get off the train unless we are touching that kid - my husband and I have gotten separated when one of us was able to get off and one wasn't, but each kid still had a parent with them so it was no problem. My kids are younger, but I think the same rules will apply, at least to make sure the child is right in front of us, if not literally touching them like you need to do with a littler kid. My oldest is 9, but he's an immature 9.

Thank you all! Yes we are going to try to learn some phrases with the kids - but with Porteguese, Catalan, Spanish, and French all in our trip I think they may get confused between the 4 on what to use where. Assuming they can retain all 4 as well. Of course, through my travels, I am aware there are lots of English speaking people. However, we are going to some offbeat spots as well and like I said "better safe than sorry". I appreciate all the feedback very much!

Right then... feel free to post the final text you'd like in the card and I can translate for you into Catalan (and also into Spanish) if you want.

Also, you should let your sons know that while in the European Union (any of the 27 countries!), should they need to contact the emergency services for any reason (police, fire brigade or ambulances) they should remember this number 1-1-2 It's the emergency phone number and can be dialed from any phone regardless the provider's SIM card. And they can speak in English to the operators.

Sarah,

If you Google "Get Going Guide" from Easter Seals and the Fiddle Foundation, you can download a copy. There's some good information there designed for children, teens, and anyone of any age who may be a little anxious about using public transit and/or getting lost. It provides ideas for what to discuss before the trip.

We always drilled our kids that if they got separated from us on a street to go into a store, preferably one with a older woman, to ask for help. Easier than wandering around looking for a police officer, and a little safer than walking up to random people on a street.

Also, when in places like train or metro stations especially, one parent would be the caboose (usually me, because I'm not a great navigator), and the other would be in front leading the way.

A different thought regarding your packed itinerary........
What sites of specific interest have been selected for the kids?
For example, in Barcelona there is an excellent amusement park and/or a beach.
In Granada there is an excellent waterpark.
Just wondering.

Marbleskies - this sounds terrible but our agenda isn't super heavy in typical kid stuff. We are lucky enough to live in the Bay Area where amusement parks, zoos, aquariums, etc. have been part of their lives since they were born. We feel like we have some of the best in the world of those things right where we live, we don't want to travel for 12 hours to do things we can do here. Additionally they aren't going to "wow" the kids and we really want them to get that travel bug on this trip! Some of the stuff we do have planned:
- a tour of Lisbon in a motorcycle with a sidecar (which they will think is very cool)
- a sunset boat cruise
- a sweets food tour in Barcelona
- trip up to Sintra to see some of the palaces and hang at the beach
- Tapas tour
- day at the beach in Cadiz
- checking out the bullring in Sevilla
- FC Barcelona stadium tour
- the typical history tours (3 of these for the parents which the kids know they are just going to have to suck it up and deal with - one in Lisbon, one in Sevilla and one in Barcelona). However also booked these because they all include skip the line access to the major sites and I know if they stand outside in the heat to get in somewhere we will lose them right there and then attention wise
- trying to get euro cup tickets for when we are in Paris
- an after hours tour of Notre Dame through a company that focuses on kids -europe4kidstours.com
- celebrating St. Joan day on the beach in Barcelona
- Catacombs, Eiffel and boat on the Siene in Paris

Mostly trying to do and see things we can only do and see in the 3 countries we are visiting. Like I said not really typical kid stuff. That's a snippet. We have sleep in mornings and beach afternoons in there etc.

If anyone wants the template of what I've created, I'm happy to share when its completed. I can email it to you. Just message me.

I see no one addressed this question: Is the appropriate way to write our cell numbers +001- and then the area code and zip?

You should write your number as +1-215-555-1212. This can be dialed directly as is on any cell phone (in any country), and a local will know how to translate it to a land line (in Spain and most of Europe, it would be 001-215-555-1212).

You can also input numbers into your cell phone in the same format, with the plus:

US phone numbers: +1-area code-number (no spaces or dashes)
Spain phone numbers +34-full nine-digit number (will start with 9 for land lines or 6 for cell phones).
Other countries: +, then the country code, then the phone number as it would be dialed from abroad.

This way, you can press "send" from wherever you are, and the call or text will go through with no modifications. And you don't need to change the number when you get home; your phone will "know" whether it's a domestic or international call, and charge accordingly.

Sarah,
Thanks for the response. You might be surprised as tontge number of travelers w kids who have given no thought to tailoring any part of their trip to meet a kids interest.
Have fun and stay hydrated.