Take Your Kids to Europe, 5th; How to Travel Safely (and Sanely) in Europe with Your Children

by Cynthia W. Harriman

• ISBN13: 9780762710300
• ISBN10: 0762710306
• Format: Trade Paper
• Copyright: 2001-11-01
• Publisher: Globe Pequot

Summary

Visit the house of Anne Frank in Amsterdam, make faces at the guards in London, gorge on chocolate in Belgium -- and yes, bring the kids along! This comprehensive and entertaining guide for parents traveling to Europe with school-age children offers a chance for kids (and their parents) to learn and experience culture rather than memorize facts. From planning and survival tips to youth hostels, restaurants, camping, language, and renting homes, Take Your Kids to Europe makes it possible to do so safely and, perhaps more importantly, sanely.

Author Biography

Cynthia Harriman's travel articles have appeared in the San Francisco Examiner, the Washington Post, and the Chicago Sun-Times

Table of Contents

Introduction	vi
Why Take Your Kids to Europe?
All the rationalizations you could ever need for taking this trip	xi
BEFORE YOU GO
Planning	1	(10)
Balancing your and your kids' interests for a successful trip
Planes, Trains, Boats, and Cars	11	(8)
How to make the smart choices that save the most money
What to Bring	19	(8)
One suitcase per person-what are the essential clothes, gifts, and toys?
Managing Money	27	(8)
The new Euro, using credit cards, money safety tips
Long-Term Stays	35	(12)
How to get off from school and work, rent your house, and stay longer
ON THE ROAD
Sight-Seeing Survival	47	(10)
Foolproof family decision-making strategies---how to get the most from any site plus special strategies for cities
Restaurants	57	(16)
Get your picky eaters to trade McDonald's for snails---tips for finding good inexpensive restaurants all over Europe
Budget Hotels and Bed-and-Breakfast Inns	73	(12)
Sort out the deals from the dives---how to find low-cost family hotels, B&Bs, and bungalows
Youth Hostels	85	(10)
Sleep in family rooms, not dormitories; meet other travelers
RV Camping	95	(12)
How European camping is different from U.S. camping---where to get the gear, rent an RV, and find a campground
Road-Trip Survival	107	(10)
Agreeing on a daily schedule, dealing with privacy issues, driving in Europe
HOME BASE
Renting and Exchanging Homes	117	(28)
Live like a traveler, not a tourist---home exchanges and how to find rentals all over Europe as cheply as possible
Home Cooking	145	(10)
European food sources and attitudes; cooking and shopping tips
Communicating	155	(14)
Ways to meet the locals and overcome the language barrier
Homestay Survival	169	(8)
Coping with teenage tensions, visits from relatives, and overblown expectations
Can We Afford This?	177	(16)
Four best ways to cut back, plus Ballpark Budget worksheets you can fill out
THE TOTALLY BIASED GUIDE TO WHAT TO SEE AND DO
The pros and cons of more than 200 of the best-known sights in Europe---plus a list of 73 additional bonus ideas	189	(4)
Great Britain	193	(26)
Fifty-two activities, including hedge mazes, ancient henges, brass rubbing, punting, coal mines, model trains, and more
France	219	(28)
Prehistoric caves, Roman ruins, eagles, monkeys---and even Europe's largest sand dune! Forty-two kid-tested ideas
Benelux and Denmark	247	(18)
Dikes, windmills, wooden shoes, and cheese, and the chance to experience life in an Iron Age settlement; twenty-nine sites in four countries
Germany, Austria, and Switzerland	265	(20)
See chocolates and BMWs made, visit salt mines and castles, plus over a dozen museums (toys, dolls, watches, etc.) and zoos
Italy, Spain, Greece, Gibraltar, and Morocco	285	(26)
Marble quarries, Mt. Olympus, Pinocchio's birthplace, plus a unique walk on the roof of Milan's cathedral---four dozen options!
Resources	311	(18)
Page upon page of addresses and phone numbers for the resources---books, rental cars, friendship programs, home rentals, and more---to make your trip a success
Index	329