In this extract from her new book Europe with Kids ? How to travel Europe the easy way, Carolyn Schonafinger shares her top tips with fellow Australians planning a family holiday in Europe.
Find a good travel agent
Preferably one that specialises in European holidays or has visited Europe. If the agent has travelled in Europe with children ? even better!
Pre-book and pre-pay as much of your holiday as you can before you leave home
Whatever money you take with you (or load onto your credit card or pre-paid cash card) is then available for your everyday living expenses, fuel, sightseeing, souvenirs, etc. and you won?t be dipping into your spending money for larger expenses like accommodation.
Ensure you have a good travel insurance policy
Falling ill, having an accident or being robbed whilst on holidays is bad enough without having to foot exorbitant medical or repair bills. You can?t put a value on peace of mind when travelling to a foreign country.
Set yourself a realistic budget
Many things are more expensive in Europe than they are in Australia so allow for this when setting your holiday budget. Give yourself a weekly ?spending? allowance and try to stick to it. Running short of funds before your holiday is over is no fun.
Have a realistic, but flexible itinerary
Do a bit of research when planning your trip and know the distances between your destinations. Rushing through seven countries in a month is no holiday, and particularly for younger children, it can be very unsettling. Plan to spend longer at fewer places and have ?free? days in your itinerary for those days when everyone needs a bit of down time. Alternate your days of visiting castles, museums, churches and monuments with days at the park, on the beach, or just ?hanging out? at ?home?, so the kids can kick a ball around, watch TV or read a book.
Travel with an open mind
Things won?t be exactly the same as they are at home ? if they were, there?d be no point in travelling! Try new foods, cope with the shops closing between 12 noon and 2pm, stumble your way through a greeting in a foreign language. By embracing the local culture both you and your children will be the better for it.
Europe with Kids ? How to travel Europe the easy way is available online at holidaystoeurope.com.au/europewithkids for $19.95.
Source: http://www.kidstravelblog.com.au/3851/top-tips-for-a-successful-family-holiday-to-europe/
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