tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923455610592008152012-02-16T18:56:00.146ZTips and Reviews about traveling with kids, along with personal reviews about fun locations!Sandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10251773359312495570noreply@blogger.comBlogger351100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392345561059200815.post-83579343360909803692011-03-04T17:05:00.000Z2011-03-04T17:05:14.231Z

My husband and I had a chance to tour the Reichstag in Berlin.  It is a beautiful building, and has seen its share of history pass by.  It was nearly destroyed during the Second World War, and for along while was empty.  It now houses the German Parliament (since reunification).

Sandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10251773359312495570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392345561059200815.post-14447197817814980172011-03-04T12:43:00.000Z2011-03-04T12:43:51.164Z

Location: Luzern (Lucerne), Switzerland Time Frame: April, 3 nights, 2 days Lodging Type. We stayed at a holiday park, which included tent camping, caravan/motorhome facilities, and static caravans (think mobile homes).  The park's name was Camping International Lido - Luzern.  We stayed in one of the static caravans, called a Holly Cab. Cost. We paid 300 CHF (Swiss Francs) for our stay,

Sandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10251773359312495570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392345561059200815.post-75536169750512201662011-02-25T12:48:00.000Z2011-02-27T13:01:41.002Z

Triberg is located in the heart of the Black Forest in Germany.  I have been lucky to visit twice (once when my mother came to visit, and once with my husband and children).  Triberg is home to the highest waterfalls in Germany, and you can hike up along the falls (all the way to the top).  You can see some very friendly squirrels (let's just say that the squirrels have learned people have food)

Sandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10251773359312495570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392345561059200815.post-87107397501098877912011-02-18T13:14:00.000Z2011-02-21T13:20:43.902Z

Ever read Phantom of the Opera?  Well, visit Paris, and you can stop at the Paris Garnier Opera and see the place it is set. While we didn't get to see the infamous underworld of the opera, the building is beautiful. The outside of the building (excuse the construction). The grand staircase.

Sandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10251773359312495570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392345561059200815.post-55936584070109099122011-02-11T21:28:00.000Z2011-02-14T21:28:34.748Z

 Part of our family adventures has always been travelling to historical sites.  Being in Europe afforded us the chance to visit quite a few battlefields from both World Wars. We (like many people) watched the HBO mini-series Band of Brothers, and were fascinated by the story.  Already interested in WW II history, we took the opportunity to visit some of the sites of Easy Company's battles.  One

Sandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10251773359312495570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392345561059200815.post-38957310718071645082011-02-04T09:38:00.000Z2011-02-05T10:07:49.747Z

On our way to Italy, we drove through some of the most beautiful scenery in Switzerland.

Sandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10251773359312495570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392345561059200815.post-32862268768849110552011-01-28T12:50:00.000Z2011-01-29T12:53:40.818Z

This has to be one of the most fun experiences we've had in our travels with our kids.  They  love birds (especially their favourite sport of pigeon chasing), and the chance to be surrounded by a huge flock of "friendly" and eager winged friends was too much to pass up.  All out of food, but they just won't leave!  My 3 year old have fun holding out the food to her new friends.  My son,

Sandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10251773359312495570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392345561059200815.post-11911766215278231222011-01-21T10:36:00.000Z2011-01-21T10:36:47.456Z

This is a picture of Notre Dame Cathedral on Christmas Day.  We did go back the next day to tour the cathedral (and climb to the famous bell tower).  It was a lot of fun to sit and people watch, enjoy the tree in the square, and listen to the beautiful music from the church.

Sandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10251773359312495570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392345561059200815.post-6574041141716843202011-01-17T12:48:00.000Z2011-01-17T12:48:37.346Z

Location: Salzburg, Austria Time Frame: April, 2 nights, 2 days Lodging Type. We booked a 2-room family suite at the Hotel Wolf-Dietrich in Salzburg.  The booking was made through Expedia.com.  Cost. We paid $442.94 for the two nights. Amenities.  The room had two floors. A top floor loft with a queen bed, television, en-suite bathroom, and desk.  The lower floor had a sofa bed (double size

Sandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10251773359312495570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392345561059200815.post-24568925573020635492011-01-16T11:33:00.001Z2011-01-16T11:58:05.765Z

When you travel with children, especially small ones, you have to consider transportation when those little legs wear out.  How to cart the kids around is even more important when you have little ones who can't walk on their own. Most of us pack around a stroller of some kind for our kids, and at least on our trips, it gets used quite often.  However, in some locations, a stroller may not be

Sandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10251773359312495570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392345561059200815.post-62250145808683685052011-01-16T11:05:00.000Z2011-01-16T11:05:01.050Z

Location: Naples, Italy Time Frame: May/June, 2 nights, 2 days Lodging Type. We had a family room (quad bed) at a hotel near Naples.  We booked with the Hotel Gauro - Pozzuoli through lastminute.com. Cost. We paid $200 for the two night stay. Amenities.  This room had one double bed and a set of bunk beds.  We requested a baby cot, which was provided free of charge.  Our room had a balcony

Sandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10251773359312495570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392345561059200815.post-91161722529788303962011-01-15T11:25:00.003Z2011-01-16T09:16:11.105Z

Most major cities in the world (especially in Europe), are prone to have travel cards and passes for tourists.  These cards can combine access to local transportation (such as subways, buses and trains), and free admission to museums and other sites. While these passes can certainly be handy, be aware of the prices.  Sometimes you may not be planning on visiting all the sites on offer, and there

Sandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10251773359312495570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392345561059200815.post-49290061825477130592011-01-15T10:56:00.008Z2011-01-15T14:53:32.661Z

Location: Venice, Italy Time Frame: June, 3 nights, two days Lodging Type. Venice has a variety of hotels, but for our family size, we chose a holiday apartment.  We booked with Cosy Apartments (through booking.com), for the Garibaldi apartment. This apartment had two bedrooms, one bathroom, living area, and a small kitchen. Cost. Our total cost was 360 euro for three nights.  We also had to

Sandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10251773359312495570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392345561059200815.post-57243413584633324952011-01-14T08:19:00.000Z2011-01-17T08:19:14.323Z

One of the most memorable and moving places our family has visited has to be Normandy, France.  Both my husband and I love history, and to be able to share this passion with our children, and show them a place so important to world history was amazing. These two photos are some of my favorites.  They aren't of the most sweeping sea views, beautiful monuments, or military relics.  They are two

Sandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10251773359312495570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392345561059200815.post-11744453035425329442011-01-14T08:07:00.002Z2011-01-17T08:09:39.854Z

In addition to reviews, advice, and tips, I'd like to share some photos from our travels.  So, every Friday, I'll post a photo (or a couple, if I have a theme) from one of the places we've been, along with a little commentary. Enjoy!

Sandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10251773359312495570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392345561059200815.post-49904276281440555802011-01-03T11:24:00.000Z2011-01-03T11:24:34.730Z

If you are travelling with kids, chances are one of them needs the all important diaper bag.  Like most parents, you probably have the big bag with all the pockets and zippers, that holds everything but the kitchen sink (and let's face it, if you could find a bag that would take the kitchen sink, you'd probably buy that one too). So, when you are out and about, do you want to be carrying that

Sandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10251773359312495570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392345561059200815.post-37805580169786457872010-12-29T13:51:00.009Z2011-01-15T14:52:09.464Z

Location: Rome, Italy Time Frame: May, 4 nights and 3 days Lodging Type. For this stop we rented a holiday apartment. We had the Apartment "Ponte Mammolo" from La Casa di Pasquino. Cost. It was a total of 420 Euro for the 3 nights, plus a refundable 100 euro desposit (which we did get back). Amenities. The apartment had 3 bedrooms, two with double beds, and one with a baby cot and a bunk

Sandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10251773359312495570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392345561059200815.post-41121241775786341382010-12-29T12:09:00.000Z2010-12-29T12:09:50.656Z

It never fails that on any family trip that someone will get hurt.  From scraped knees, to bug bites, to sunburn, with kids you see it all.  When you are travelling, you also don't want to be carrying an ambulance full of medical supplies. I like to limit my "kit" to what fits in a backpack, but keep in mind that includes my diaper bag, food, water, and other necessities. Since we always need a

Sandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10251773359312495570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392345561059200815.post-54647181639579172802010-12-29T11:52:00.002Z2011-01-15T14:51:02.622Z

Location: Pisa, Italy Time Frame: May, 2 nights and 2 days Lodging Type. We cheated a little on this one.  We stayed at at DoD (Department of Defense) recreation center, at Camp Darby, Italy.  The Sea Pines Lodge is for military members and DoD civilians.  So, this is not a facility that most people would be able to use.  There are plenty of B&B's and small hotels in the Pisa area. Cost.

Sandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10251773359312495570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392345561059200815.post-44254480578865590882010-12-29T09:54:00.000Z2010-12-29T09:54:42.040Z

It is every parents worst nightmare...You are out on a family trip and you suddenly cannot find one or more of your children.  I am having a slight anxiety attack now just writing about it, and remembering an incident we had while travelling in Venice, Italy. We were merely out and about for the day, exploring the canals and bridges.  I had charge of the stroller and our (then) 5 year old son. 

Sandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10251773359312495570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392345561059200815.post-47838618252249180402010-12-28T21:14:00.004Z2011-01-15T14:50:20.413Z

Location: Berlin, Germany Time Frame: June, 3 nights and 4 days....October, 2 nights and 3 days Lodging Type. We stayed in a hostel hotel near Postdamer Platz called Apartement Haus am Postdamer Platz on both of these trips.  One stay was in a three bed room the other in a two bed room.  Both trips were kid free. Cost. The three bedded room cost 77 euro a night and the two bed room cost us

Sandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10251773359312495570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392345561059200815.post-42164713178243720252010-12-28T19:29:00.006Z2011-01-15T14:48:05.573Z

Location: Munich, Germany Time Frame: April, 3 nights and 3 days Lodging Type. We stayed at a hostel hotel.  This gave us a room with 6 beds (set up in a bunk bed style).  The hotel was called A&O City Hackerbruecke, and we booked through Expedia.com (which helped to ensure that we got the bed linens and towels included, as otherwise they are at an extra cost). Cost. Total cost for the room

Sandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10251773359312495570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392345561059200815.post-54869853694126324912010-12-28T17:13:00.001Z2011-01-15T14:01:38.725Z

Location: Legoland Windsor, England Time Frame: August, 3 nights and 3 days Lodging Type. We had a hotel for this visit.  We stayed at the Holiday Inn - Slough Windsor, which was fairly close to the park (about 15 minutes away).  We had two double rooms, which were thankfully right next to one another (though not adjoining).  We split them between boys and girls (which means I got stuck with 3

Sandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10251773359312495570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392345561059200815.post-87018102104878269152010-12-28T14:21:00.003Z2011-01-15T14:11:30.309Z

Location: Legoland Deutschland Time Frame: April, 2 nights and 3 days Lodging Type. We stayed at a hotel about an 30 minutes from the park, called Park Hotel Schmid.  It was part of a holiday package with Legoland.  Legoland Deutschland also has it's own hotel on site. Cost. The total for our holiday package (2 night hotel stay plus 2 day passes to the park for each of us) was 289.00 Euros

Sandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10251773359312495570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392345561059200815.post-67490067216780566162010-12-28T14:00:00.002Z2011-01-15T14:14:01.362Z

Location: Legoland Billund, Denmark Time Frame: May, 3 nights and 3 days Lodging Type. We stayed at FDM Camping - Billund, which is a camping village about 500 meters from Legoland.  We had a two bedroom cabin with a parking space. Cost. We had an entire package which not only included our accommodation, but also 2 day passes to the park.  The total cost was 528 Euros. Amenities. Our cabin

Sandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10251773359312495570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392345561059200815.post-55909720925972062982010-12-28T13:28:00.005Z2011-01-15T14:46:56.413Z

Location: Copenhagen, Denmark Time Frame: August, 3 nights, 4 days Lodging Type. We choose to stay at the Radission SAS Scandinavian Hotel in Copenhagen.  We were able to get a family room, with a bedroom (double bed) and two twin cots in the living area (we brought our own baby cot). Cost. The room itself was 1545 DKK per night (about $275), and sadly this was a cheap price for Copenhagen,

Sandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10251773359312495570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392345561059200815.post-73750836008938471552010-12-28T11:55:00.002Z2011-01-15T14:45:23.033Z

Location: Oslo, Norway Time Frame: July, 1 night, 2days. Lodging Type. Since we had 3 kids and were only staying one night, we opted for a holiday apartment at the Catalina Apartment Hotel.  It was a two bedroom apartment located in a residential area of Oslo. Cost. For one night at this apartment, the cost was 1590 NOK (about $269). Amenities. We had two bedrooms, one with a double bed and

Sandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10251773359312495570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392345561059200815.post-59624182206355577952010-12-28T10:54:00.003Z2011-01-15T14:44:29.439Z

Location: Stockholm, Sweden Time Frame: July/August, 2 Nights Lodging Type. At this time, we only had three kids, and, especially in Europe, we were generally required to get two hotel rooms. Sometimes, one room was possible (if the room limit is at least 4 people), since our youngest was still in a port-a-crib. We were able to find a hotel in Stockholm that allowed us to use just one room. 

Sandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10251773359312495570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392345561059200815.post-75422302184709699272009-01-12T09:25:00.019Z2011-01-15T14:43:16.826Z

Location: The Netherlands Time Frame: April, 3 nights and 4 days Lodging Type. With three kids, especially in Europe, we are generally required to get two hotel rooms. Sometimes, we can get one room (if the room limit is at least 4 people), since our youngest is still in a port-a-crib. We were lucky to find a great hotel in Leiden, Netherlands. The Holiday Inn Leiden, offered us a double

Sandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10251773359312495570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392345561059200815.post-39858591526064704432008-10-09T15:01:00.018+01:002011-01-15T14:42:03.780Z

Location: Normandy, France (near Cherbourg) Time Frame: June, 7 days Lodging Type. We opted for what Europeans call a "camping village". Our camping village, Camping l'Anse du Brick‏, was situated just south of Cherbourg on the Contenin peninsula in Normandy. Cost. We paid a total of 362.40 Euro for a week (at the time about $550), in one of their "cottages". Amenities. The site boasted

Sandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10251773359312495570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392345561059200815.post-69735512855783574402008-09-14T12:30:00.003+01:002008-09-14T12:35:35.876+01:00

Okay, any treat will work here, I just happen to love Jelly Belly Jelly Beans, and they are perfectly kid sized. You will notice when travelling with young children that at some point they will just be "done". Whether you get the "I'm bored" or "I'm tired" or "I don't want to walk anymore", you'll know they've reached their peak. Sometimes, this will NOT conincide with when you are done.One

Sandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10251773359312495570noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392345561059200815.post-76727489678781560132008-06-27T07:51:00.002+01:002008-06-27T07:56:37.507+01:00

We've found that lodging is often the hardest part of planning our trips, especially with our European trips. Since European hotels often have lower guest limits (usually 2 to 3 people per room), we either have to book several rooms or find a hotel offering a "family" style room.I've found several sites that have offered great deals and have accommodations that meet our

Sandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10251773359312495570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392345561059200815.post-78978168573307021922008-06-27T07:47:00.002+01:002008-06-27T07:51:26.771+01:00

When we are traveling, we are inevitably out and about during snack times. Since are children are still pretty young, snacks are still important. Not wanting to spend a fortune on buying something while we are out (at least all the time), especially since Europe is so expensive, we came up with snack packs.Each of our older children (ages 3 and 5) has their own hip pocket (very retro I know).

Sandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10251773359312495570noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392345561059200815.post-71093333497168896082008-06-16T09:34:00.016+01:002011-01-15T14:41:06.566Z

Location: Paris, France Time Frame: December 2007, 4 days Lodging Type. With three kids, especially in Europe, we are generally required to get two hotel rooms. Sometimes, we can get one room (if the room limit is at least 4 people), since our youngest is just a year. We found a decent hotel called the Hotel Migny Opera Montmartre. Cost. We paid about $150 a night (we booked through Last

Sandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10251773359312495570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392345561059200815.post-1838439037503783092008-06-06T20:37:00.003+01:002008-06-16T09:53:28.265+01:00

Hello all! I know that there is plenty of travel advice out there, books, websites, fliers, companies....you name it. I have used many of these resources myself when planning trips. One thing I found, is that many travel resources lack information and advice in traveling with children.Having three small children myself, I know that there are many challenges to overcome when traveling with kids

Sandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10251773359312495570noreply@blogger.com0