Our family vacation to Europe is fast approaching, and we’re still finalizing the details. We’re all so excited. It’s difficult to choose from all the great things that we could do and see. The trouble is, there are so many countries. Each of them has a wealth of great tourist attractions. Picking out the best of them is pretty hard!
Some of the countries that really interest me are quite close together, though. I think the kids and I would love to see Buckingham Palace in London. I’ve seen videos of the changing of the guard on YouTube. It looks like something you need to see in person. The trouble with London is that there are so many other things to see while you’re there!
England is such a tiny country. How have they packed in so much to keep tourists entertained? You can find an amusement park, zoos, beaches, monuments and museums in reach of most of the big cities. And there are plenty of great countryside locations to visit too, like the Lake District, or the Yorkshire Moors.
France is another country we’re keen to visit. Paris looks so beautiful in the pictures and movies I’ve seen. The Eiffel Tower is certainly worth a look. Then there’s the food. Even the kids will love sampling some French food if we can find a good restaurant. It’s quite easy to travel between France and England. And from France, we can move throughout the rest of Western Europe really easily. Trains, planes, and even rental cars are plentiful.
Thanks to AlexandreHenryAlves for the pic
The South of France sits on the Mediterranean. This means it’s warm and sunny most of the year. Lots of activities on the water are ideal for my family. I think it’s quite easy to sail to each of the different countries that sit on the Mediterranean, like Italy and Greece. Hiring a yacht is something I’ve thought about doing for a while. I think the whole family would love the glamor of it!
Of course, there is so much to see in mainland Europe too. Italy is another place that has fascinated me. It is so rich in history and the architecture there is fantastic. I’m not sure how interested the kids would be, so I need to pack in lots of things for them to enjoy as well. I can imagine them giggling right now if we took a Gondola ride in Venice. And who wouldn’t love taking a selfie trying to push the Leaning Tower of Pisa back up?
Austria and Germany also intrigue me. There is a lot of history there from World War II that I think the kids should be aware of. But it might be quite a stoic part of the trip if we did that. Vienna is full of musical history too, so one of my children may be keen to find out more. Although we’re quite health-conscious, exploring Germany’s beer and sausage culture could be fun one evening!
Greece is home to some of the oldest structures in Europe. I know the kids have touched upon the Ancient Greeks in school. I would love to see parts of Athens myself. Of course, these excursions can take up a whole day, and we only have a limited time for our vacation. There are just so many choices! Perhaps the kids would like to choose some of the places too.
Northern Europe is home to Santa Claus and Lapland. Norway and Finland are still really cold at this time of year. But that means there are plenty of snowy activities to take advantage of! Dog sledding and snowmobiles certainly excite certain members of the family. I have to admit that hearing the wolves howling under the moon excites me too. It’s not really the right time of year for us to visit Santa, but if you’re in the area in December, it looks like an awesome thing to take your kids to.
Our trip is almost fully planned, but there are so many things we hope we can fit into our visit. There are things we’ve been wanting to see. And Europe is often a good place to find out more about your heritage too. There are a few towns that mean something to us personally, so I hope we can fit those in. I know I need to keep the kids entertained too, so we’re on the lookout for lots of fun places too. If you’re off to Europe this year, let me know what you get up to!
