Next year, probably in May, my husband and I will be traveling to Europe for two weeks with our 10 and 11 year old sons. We are planning on flying into London for about 4 days and finishing up in Berlin. I have been researching where we should go in between. We would like to stay someplace that is not necessarily a major city where we could rent a car for some short day trips. We are also thinking about including Bavaria. I am trying to fit in a mountain hike for my youngest son, but I know it might be kind of early in the year for that. Any tips on somewhere for our "in-between" stop? Thanks for the input!
Posted by
Tilburg, Netherlands
2829 posts
You have 1/3 of Western Europe available. It is really, really hard to pinpoint a place. What you said about mountain hikes is right: probably too early.
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
"What you said about mountain hikes is right: probably too early." And completely out of your way, if you're thinking the Alps in Bavaria. A better fit for that time of year on your way to Berlin might be the Hartz mountains (in the Bundesland of Sachsen-Anhalt). I particularly enjoyed a weekend in nearby Quedlinburg. The hike to the top of the highest peak in the region, Brocken, offers some amazing views, but it's easy enough for young kids. And there's a heritage Eisenbahn then makes regular trips up and down the mountain.
Posted by
Bainbridge Island
3287 posts
Bavaria isn't necessarily out of the way. You could take the Eurostar train to Paris and on past there to Alsace ( maybe Strasbourg) for a couple of days. Then train to Garmisch-Partenkirchen via Munich. There is a really fun hike through the Partnachklamm ( gorge) and you end with a ride down in a little cable car from Graseck. Kids would love it. That is open in May. Then train ( 6 hours) or fly to Berlin.
Posted by
Frankfurt am Main, Germany
2779 posts
Hamburg is probably the most beautiful German city and it's got a lot of appeal to kids. The city has got more bridges than Venice in Italy has - so yes, you can take plenty of exciting boat rides even through the city... and you can visit the world's largest miniature wonderland that even comes with a to-scale version of the US West + Switzerland incl. cable cars, Scandinavia incl. cruise-ship sized ferry boats etc... Also a great weekend mini-cruise for kids when in Hamburg could be on the world's largest ferry boat (looks and feels more like a cruise vessel) from nearby Kiel to Oslo in Norway and back: Color Line
Posted by
OP
Avon, OH
6 posts
Thank you so much for your helpful suggestions. The guide books tend to talk about the major cities and skip over some of these other destinations. I am enjoying looking into these other areas for my family!
Posted by
Aalsmeer, Nederland
9 posts
We (my husband, my 2 small kids & me) are US expats living in the Netherlands and last spring took a really nice road trip going from the Amsterdam area to Bavaria. We stayed in Frankfurt and used that as our stopping-over point on the way to Bavaria. We really liked Frankfurt, though I don't know how many "kids" activities they have. For my two all they care is that our hotel had a pool! We went to Rothenburg in Bavaria for our "main" destination" and our kids had a blast. We took the Romance Road for part of it, and that was a beautiful drive... I'm sure there are plenty of opportunities for hikes in Bavaria, but that is not our thing. :) Good luck with your trip! Feel free to PM me if you want any specific details. We also visited Berlin and Hamburg in our travels to Germany, but liked Frankfurt the best.