Two way radios for communications

You need to check the laws of the countries you are going to. I checked on this several years ago and found that using personal radios was not allowed in most countries, especially by foreigners. In all cases I checked special licenses were required.

I agree with Bob. Check your provider's plans, especially for texting. You may want to buy sim cards in Europe if your provider doesn't have a good plan.

North American radios of that type interfere with government and emergency services radios and are not permitted, at least in the countries I am aware of in western and northwestern Europe.

wb,

Two way radios are NOT a good idea for travel in Europe. One major issue is the fact that some of the frequencies used on North American radios may be used by emergency services in Europe. They tend to take a dim view of people operating on their frequencies and disrupting operations. I have the option of using higher power amateur radio transceivers, but I'm still required by law to conform to European band plans and frequencies.

Another point to consider is that many of the two-way radios only use low power, so range is somewhat limited especially if attenuated by buildings or other structures. Best range is usually "line-of-sight" (ie: over water or whatever).

In the same situation, I wouldn't be letting children of that age be "separated" too far. If you and your wife are both on AT&T, you might check with them on their international roaming plans, as some of them are reasonably priced. If you use App's such as Viber, that provides free texts using Wi-Fi.

Thank you so much for your replies! We will not be using walkie talkies then. Seemed innocent but we don't want to end up in a French or Dutch jail :) We will work on our cell phone coverage. I really appreciate your time.

I believe you're supposed to use Whats app. Get local SIM cards or sign up for the cheap T Mobile international plan before you leave home and cancel afterwards.