Take Your Kids to Europe, 7th; How to Travel Safely (and Sanely) in Europe with Your Children

by Cynthia W. Harriman

• ISBN13: 9780762738922
• ISBN10: 0762738928
• Edition: 7th
• Format: Trade Paper
• Copyright: 2005-11-01
• Publisher: Globe Pequot

Summary

From planning and survival tips to youth hostels, restaurants, camping, language, and renting homes, this guide makes it possible to take the kids to Europe safely and, perhaps more importantly, sanely.

Author Biography

Cynthia Harriman is a writer and a self-employed marketing consultant in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Her travel articles have appeared in the San Francisco Examiner, the Washington Post, the Chicago Sun-Times, and various European magazines. She spent four months exploring Europe with her husband and two children.

Table of Contents

acknowledgments	vi
introduction	vii
why take your kids to europe?	xi
All the rationalizations you could ever need for taking this trip
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	(10)
One suitcase per person---what are the essential clothes, gifts, and toys?
managing money	29	(6)
The new Euro, using credit cards, money safety tips
long-term stays	35	(10)
How to get off from school and work, rent your house, and stay longer
on the road
sightseeing survival	45	(10)
Foolproof family decision-making strategies---how to get the most from any site plus special strategies for cities
restaurants	55	(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	71	(12)
Sort out the deals from the dives---how to find low-cost family hotels, B&Bs, and bungalows
youth hostels	83	(10)
Sleep in family rooms, not dormitories; meet other travelers
rv camping	93	(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	105	(10)
Agreeing on a daily schedule, dealing with privacy issues, driving in Europe
home base
renting and exchanging homes	115	(28)
Live like a traveler, not a tourist---home exchanges and how to find rentals all over Europe as cheaply as possible
home cooking	143	(10)
European food sources and attitudes; cooking and shopping tips
communicating	153	(14)
Ways to meet the locals and overcome the language barrier
homestay survival	167	(8)
Coping with teenage tensions, visits from relatives, and overblown expectations
can we afford this?	175	(16)
Four best ways to cut back, plus a Ballpark Budget worksheet 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 72 bonus ideas	185	(6)
great britain	191	(28)
Fifty-three activities, including hedge mazes, ancient henges, brass rubbing, punting, coal mines, model trains, and more
france	219	(30)
Prehistoric caves, Roman ruins, eagles, monkeys---and Europe's largest sand dune! Forty-eight kid-tested ideas
benelux and denmark	249	(18)
Dikes, windmills, wooden shoes, and cheese, and the chance to experience life in an Iron Age settlement; thirty-two sites in four countries
germany, austria, and switzerland	267	(22)
See chocolates made, visit salt mines and castles, plus over a dozen museums (toys, dolls, watches, etc.) and zoos
italy, spain, greece, gibraltar, and morocco	289	(28)
Marble quarries, Mt. Olympus, Pinocchio's birthplace, plus a unique walk on the roof of Milan's cathedral---more than four dozen options!
resources	317	(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	335