Hey guys, In your experience, do you prefer to start a multiweek trip with an infant/toddler in the countryside or the city (i.e. Agriturismo vs. B & B in Rome, or French Equivalent)? We're either heading to Italy or France next summer, and are wondering where it's best to weather the jetlag. Thanks for the input.
Posted by
Calgary
2297 posts
Get reservations for an agriturismo with a pool and your kid will be in heaven. Or a place close to the beach - water has much more appeal to little ones than the Louvre or the Uffizi. And it will force you to slow down your exploration. The city pace is not really kid-friendly.
Posted by
victoria, Canada
11507 posts
In my experience parents are the most exhausted the first few days.. the plane ride alone is long, and usually stressful with a little one. So, in the interest of everyone enjoying the vacation, start off in country for first few days,, you will not feel the same need to get up and go start sightseeing right off the bat. A nice swim in the pool, and walk through local village, perhaps a nice drive and lunch out,, way more relaxing then standing in lines at museums or filing through multiple cathedrals ,, at least until everyones body clock is readjusted. Its my own experience that as I get older jet lag hits a bit harder,, as a child I don't even remember getting jet lag( although I was likely tired first day or two).Our family didn't travel intercontinentally till my sister and I were a bit older, sister was 8, I was 10, so perhaps infants are quite a bit different. We did take our children to Hawaii, and on cruises,, when youngest was only 6 months..but as I said, thats not as far as Europe.
Posted by
Hendersonville, TN
98 posts
If you have the option I would go with the country first. This is exactly what we did on our first trip to England and what we are doing next summer in France. We are spending a week in a gite in Brittany (with pool). We can sleep in and not worry about getting to all the museums, sites we want to. I know myself and my boys and we will take about 4 days to adjust to getting out of bed before 9am. We'll spend our second week in Paris going, going.
Posted by
Atlanta
1358 posts
I'd definitely recommend starting in the countryside, give you and your child a chance to adjust to the time change and the differences of being in a different country. We had the best time at an Austrian farmhouse with our (then) 3-year-old. We picked one with lots of animals and other apartments, so there'd be other kids. He had a great time, and so did we.