Taking our granddaughters to Europe

Sounds exciting! But why not ask the kids what they would like to see in each place? Get some guidebooks from the library and let them get involved in the planning - always a good idea with teens.

Start by having the kids watch videos featuring the destinations they are headed to - travel shows like Globetrekker are available online, and there are movies and books that they may have read or watched that contain places they want to visit. Have them flip through some guidebooks from the local library. They don't need to be 2013 editions, but just something to give them a decent framework to start their search online. What do they like to do at home? Art, sports, fashion/shopping, hiking? Check the requirements for bringing them out of the country as it sounds like neither parent is going. My friend is divorced and even though she's the mother, she was questioned and had to show proof from her ex that he agreed to let her take their kids outside of the US.

Yes, we are definitely going to let them be part of the planning - for sure. Never thought about it being a potential problem taking them out of the U.S. without their parents. Will have to check into that. Thanks!

You will want to have 2 notarized statements (signed by both parents) for each granddaughter. One should specify that you have permission to take the girls (list dates- giving yourself a bit of leeway on the return by saying , for example, August 15th if you are returning on Aug. 2. Also list the countries you will visit)
The second statement should say that you have permission to 'seek, obtain, and authorize' medical treatment for the girl. Hopefully you won't need this, but if you do it can be a real timesaver in an emergency. You'll also want copies (or originals) of their insurance card(s) and lists of their medications, allergies to medications and/or foods, medical conditions, etc. It wouldn't hurt to take the name and phone number of their doctor and pharmacy, too.

What a great opportunity and you will have so much fun! It will be the experience of a lifetime for them and a bond they will always share with you. As you can tell I am rather emotional about this as I have had the chance to take 3 of my grandsons to Europe, each one on their own and it was amazing. One of them I did take to Copenhagen, among other places, and we had fun just wandering around, enjoying the ambience and the food, went to a few small museums. It was near the end of our trip so we were a bit tired, but Copenhagen is beautiful. As far as the planning of the trips there are different ways to introduce the kids to it. While I understand the idea of having them involved, I sometimes feel if the trip is overplanned and their are no surprises, there is some of the magic lost. I might come home having missed something, but I am truly awe-struck by most of the new experiences. I never watch the RS videos of a location until after I come home... it's just how I travel. I will read about the locations, but I love the surprises. Some people like to travel knowing everything they will do, and you have to figure out what works best for your family. I do have the kids fill out a trip log that I devised for them because it all goes by so fast and I always want them to remember as much as they can. If you message me I will send you a link so you can see if you want to make up a journal for them. Have a wonderful trip...

I stayed at this place in Copenhagen: http://www.ibsenshotel.dk/ It appeared to be popular with families. It sits about a block away from a metro station, directly on line from the airport.

Thank you, Tom!