We Go With Kids!

Author: Catherine D’Cruz

  • 20 Free Things to Do in Rome

    20 Free Things to Do in Rome

    Rome is one of the most expensive cities in Europe, and we knew spending five days in Rome was not going to be inexpensive.  However, we were pleasantly surprised at how many of the attractions in Rome were free.  Additionally, although some attractions had admission fees for adults, most attractions were free in Rome for kids.  Here are our favorite 20 free things to do in Rome:

    Free Things in Rome – Pantheon Neighborhood 

     

    #1:  Pantheon With Kids

    The Pantheon was originally completed in 27 B.C. as a Roman temple dedicated to all (pan) of the gods (theos).  It is now over 2000 years old and the most complete ancient Roman building still standing.  The Pantheon’s dome is 142 feet high and wide and was the world’s largest dome until the Renaissance.  It remains the world’s largest unreinforced concrete dome.  The concrete walls supporting the dome are a staggering 20 feet thick.  Although it is considered the eighth wonder of the ancient world, there is no admission fee to enter.

    The Pantheon was converted to a Catholic basilica in the seventh century, and its preservation is likely a result of this conversion.  Because the method used to build the dome was not recorded, Brunelleschi and Michelangelo studied the support structure for the Pantheon’s dome, which includes pillars inside the walls, before building the Duomo in Florence and St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, respectively.

    When we arrived at the Piazza della Rotonda in front of the Pantheon, we spent several minutes standing behind the Fontana del Pantheon, the fountain at the center of the Piazza featuring a 40 foot Egyptian obelisk constructed from a single slab of granite by Ramses II more than 3,000 years ago.  Unlike the other obelisks scattered around Rome, this one featured a cross at the top.  Moving that obelisk from Egypt to Rome was clearly no simple task.  The Pantheon’s entrance consists of eight columns that are each 40 feet high and also constructed from a single piece of granite.

    There was a short line for security, but it moved very quickly.  We visited on a particularly hot day, but the Pantheon was nice and cool inside.  A beam of light shone through the oculus and illuminated the interior, which we explored in detail.  We learned that 80% of the floor tiles are original and are purposely slanted to let rainwater out through the small holes.  We also found Raphael’s tomb below the Altar of Our Lady of the Rock.

    • Pantheon Facts for Kids:  The oculus at the top of the dome is 30 feet in diameter and is the Pantheon’s only light source.
    • Time Spent Visiting the Pantheon With Kids:  On our first visit, we spent about 35 minutes in the Piazza della Rotonda and inside the Pantheon.  We walked through the Piazza della Rotonda several times later in our trip but only visited the Pantheon’s interior once.

     

    #2:  Santa Maria sopra Minerva Basilica With Kids

    The Santa Maria sopra Minerva Basilica is Rome’s only remaining Gothic church.  It is located in the Piazza della Minerva, which is adjacent to the Pantheon.  The ceiling of the Gothic interior was painted a brilliant blue in the 19th century and provided an unexpected contrast to all the other Gothic churches we’ve visited in Western Europe.  Michelangelo’s Christ Bearing the Cross statue and the tomb of Saint Catherine of Seina, my patron saint, are located in the Basilica’s interior.

    Piazza della Minerva, which is a small square right outside the Basilica, features the Elephant and Obelisk.  The obelisk was brought to Rome by Diocletian for the Temple of Isis in the 3rd or 4th century.  It is Rome’s smallest obelisk, standing at a height of only about 5.5 meters.  The base was designed by  Gian Lorenzo Bernini in the 17th century.

    • Church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva Basilica Facts for Kids:  The Basilica was built on the former site of a temple dedicated to the Egyptian goddess, Isis, which was mistakenly attributed to the Greco-Roman goddess, Minerva.
    • Time Spent Visiting Church of Santa Maria sopra and Minerva Piazza della Minerva:  About 20-30 minutes

     

    #3:  Church of Sant’Ignazio With Kids

    The Church of Sant’Ignazio is a Catholic church constructed in a classic Baroque style.  The most memorable feature of the Church of Sant’Ignazio was the false dome roof.  Plans for this church, which was completed in the 17th century, included a domed roof, but there were not enough funds to support the construction of a dome.  So, Jesuit artist Andrea Pozzo was hired to paint the roof to make it appear to be a dome.  The optical illusion is quite realistic.

    • Church of Sant’Ignazio Facts for Kids:  The original dome painting was destroyed in 1871 and was replaced with the current replica.
    • Time Spent Visiting the Church of Sant’Ignazio With Kids:  About 20 minutes

     

    #4:  Trevi Fountain With Kids

    The Trevi Fountain is a mammoth Baroque fountain that features statues designed by Nicola Salvi.   The fountain, which was constructed between 1732 and 1762 is 85 feet long and 65 feet high and is one of the world’s largest fountains.  Its construction celebrated the reopening of ancient aqueducts.  Trevi Fountain means “three street fountain” because of the three roads that converge at the Fountain.

    Our Airbnb was located only a short walk from the Trevi Fountain, and we were able to pass by many times during our five days in Rome.  We were always amazed at the sheer number of people all trying to capture the perfect shot of the Fountain.  We could tell we were getting close by the dull roar of the crowd and water streaming from the 24 spouts.

    The enormous fountain features 24 spouts, and the sound of the water cannot be mistaken.  While there is no fee to view the Trevi Fountain, romantic visitors love to throw coins over their shoulder into this fountain, hoping the gesture will secure a return trip to Rome.  Coins valuing approximately €3,500 are collected daily from the Fountain and donated to local Catholic charity, Caritas Rome.  The current Mayor of Rome recently withdrew a proposal to redirect the money collected from the Trevi Fountain for the city’s infrastructure.

    • Trevi Fountain Facts for Kids:  The central statue of the Trevi Fountain is Oceanus, who is commonly misidentified as Neptune.
    • Time Spent Visiting the Trevi Fountain With Kids:  We passed by the Trevi Fountain at least a half-dozen times while in Rome.  The first time, we spent about 10 minutes in the crowds.  The other times, we generally stopped only for a moment or two.

     

    #5:  Spanish Steps With Kids

    The Spanish Steps are a wide, curving, Baroque staircase, consisting of 138 steps in three tiers, that lead from the Piazza di Spagna to the Trinità dei Monti church.  These stairs were built between 1723 and 1725.  Another obelisk is framed between two Baroque church towers.

    At the bottom of the Stairs is the Sinking Boat Fountain, which is an aqueduct-powered fountain that was designed by either Gian Lorenzo Bernini or his father, Peitro, in 16th century.  The fountain is powered by the Acqua Vergine aqueduct, and doesn’t shoot up into the air because the water pressure is low here.

    We passed by the Spanish Steps several times during our time in Rome.  The amazing panoramic view from the top includes the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica and is brilliant at sunset.  It is also a particularly lively place at night, even in the rain.

    For tourists looking for designer boutiques, the area surrounding Piazza di Spagna provides prime shopping opportunities.

    • Spanish Steps Facts for Kids:  English Poet John Keats lived and died in the house to the right of the Steps.  His home is now the Keats–Shelley Memorial House museum.
    • Time Spent Visiting the Spanish Steps With Kids:  Our visits to the Spanish Steps varied from a few minutes to an hour.

     

    #6:  Piazza Navona With Kids

    Piazza Navona has served as a center of Roman life since the ancient times.  Piazza Navona was the location of Circus Agonalis, a sports venue built by Emperor Domitian that could hold 30,000 spectators about 2,000 years ago.  Circus Agonalis opened about the same time as the Colosseum when Rome was at its peak.  No trace of the stadium structure still exists, but the oblong shape of the square is the footprint of the arena’s competition space.

    Piazza Navona features three Baroque fountains.  Fountains depicting a Moor wrestling a dolphin and Neptune slaying an octopus are located at either end of the Piazza.  In the center is Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s Four Rivers Fountain, which features an Egyptian-style obelisk that was actually made in Rome.  The four statues that make up this 17th century fountain represent the four quarters of the world.

    Outdoor cafes line the Piazza, and we enjoyed lunch across from the Four Rivers Fountain and then made sure to pick up some gelato before continuing on our way.

    • Piazza Navona Facts for Kids:  Piazza Navona is featured in Angels & Demons, Catch-22, Coins in the Fountain and National Lampoon’s European Vacation. 
    • Time Spent Visiting the Piazza Navona With Kids:  About 90 minutes, including lunch.

     

    Free Things To Do in Vatican City

     

    #7:  Saint Peter’s Basilica With Kids

    St. Peter’s Basilica, the world’s largest church and the site of St. Peter’s tomb, is free to enter.  While most visitors arrive from the secret Sistine Chapel entrance, it is also possible to enter directly from St. Peter’s Square.  However, the security line is often lengthy.  Construction of St. Peter’s Basilica took about 120 years, 20 popes and 10 architects to complete and then it took another 200 years before the decoration of the interior was finished.

    We were overwhelmed by the immense size of St. Peter’s Basilica.  Michelangelo’s sculpture, Pieta, which is displayed at St. Peter’s, is a representation of Mary holding Jesus’ body that shows his skills as a master sculptor.  It is unbelievable to me that Michelangelo completed Pieta, his first major commission, at the young age of 24.  Michelangelo is not only considered one of the world’s best sculptors and painters 500 years after his death, but he also designed St. Peter’s dome, which rises 448 feet (longer than the length of a football field).  Michelangelo was named lead architect in 1546 and studied the domes of the Pantheon and Florence‘s Duomo before designing his plans.  The Basilica’s main altar is made of a marble slab and surrounded by Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s impressive seven-story bronze canopy and is located below the dome.

    See my full review of St. Peter’s Basilica.

    • St. Peter’s Basilica Facts for Kids:  In the 4th century, Emperor Constantine built the original church on the site where St. Peter was martyred, but by the 16th century, the Old St. Peter’s church was falling apart.  Construction of St. Peter’s Basilica took about 120 years, 20 popes and 10 architects to complete and then it took another 200 years before the interior decorating was finished.
    • Time Spent Visiting the St. Peter’s Basilica With Kids:  45-60 minutes (not including security lines)

     

    #8:  St. Peter’s Square With Kids

    St. Peter’s Square is one of the world’s most famous squares.  It was designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini and includes 284 Doric columns, each 56 feet tall and topped with sculptures of 140 saints.  The square is an elliptical shape to symbolize the arms of the Church welcoming all people.  In the center stands an Egyptian obelisk, which is over 4,000 years old and 90 feet tall.  Emperor Caligula brought the Vatican Obelisk to Rome in the first century.  It is made of granite and weighs about 300 tons and is unusual in that it does not have any hieroglyphs.

    See my full review of St. Peter’s Square.

    • St. Peter’s Basilica Facts for Kids:  The Vatican Obelisk is the only Roman obelisk that has not toppled since ancient times.  It was placed in its current site in 1586.  Bernini added the Chigi arms on the top and made it the centerpiece of the Square.
    • Time Spent Visiting the St. Peter’s Square With Kids:  30-45 Minutes.

     

    Free Activities in Rome – Colosseum Neighborhood

     

    #9:  Colosseum With Kids

    While there is an admission fee for adults to go inside the Colosseum, there are many amazing free viewpoints to see its famous exterior, and there is no admission charge for kids under 18.  I was in awe the moment I emerged from the Colosseo metro stop.  Visitors can walk around the periphery of the Colosseum and count the 80 arches without paying a dime.

    Find out more about Colosseum tickets.

    • Colosseum Facts for Kids:  The Colosseum was constructed in eight years and had capacity for 50,000 spectators.
    • Time Spent Visiting the Colosseum With Kids:  Our visit lasted about 2-2.5 hours, including our guided tour.

     

    #10:  Roman Forum With Kids

    Our visit to the Roman Forum let us step back in time and get a glimpse of the cultural, governmental and spiritual center of ancient Rome.  Although there is an admission charge for adults to enter the Roman Forum grounds, this ticket is a combination ticket with the Colosseum, and children under 18 are free.  Additionally, the views from the periphery are comparable to those within.  On our last day, we walked around the Roman Forum and took this picture without entering the grounds.

    Even from the ruins, we could see how detailed these ancient structures really were.  Our visit to this area provided an amazing hands-on history lesson, and we recommend a stop at the Roman Forum for any family visiting Rome.

    Check out my full review of the Roman Forum.

    • Roman Forum for Kids:  Arch of Titus, which dates back over 2,000 years and provided inspiration for the much larger Arch de Triomphe.
    • Time Spent Visiting the Roman Forum With Kids:  About 45 minutes inside the Forum, and we walked around the periphery on our last day in Rome.

     

    #11:  Palatine Hill With Kids

    The Palace of Domitian dominates Palatine Hill (which is also the origin of the word “palace”).  There is a fee for adults to enter the grounds of Palatine Hill (combined with the Roman Forum and Colosseum entrance), but children under 18 are free.  It is also possible to view the Palatine Hill ruins by walking around the periphery of Palatine Hill and not entering the grounds themselves.  While we were able to tour the grounds, we came back to the area on the last day and followed the periphery for a different point of view.

    The Palatine Hill buildings are largely in ruins and not as exciting as the Palace of Versailles or Doge’s Palace, both of which we had visited earlier in our trip.  But this area is where Romulus and many other wealthy Romans chose to build their estates due to the proximity to the Roman Forum.

    Check out my full review of Palatine Hill.

    • Palatine Hill Facts for Kids:  Palatine Hill is the center of the Seven Hills of Rome and sits about 130 feet above the Forum.
    • Time Spent Visiting the Palatine Hill With Kids:  About 45 minutes.

     

    #13:  Arch of Titus With Kids

    The Arch of Titus, which was constructed about 82 AD, appears to be largely intact over 2035 years later; however, parts have been reconstructed.  For example, the fluted columns are original, but smooth portions are reconstructions.  The 50 foot Arch was originally much more colorful, but the colored marble was unfortunately scavenged over the years.

    • Arch of Titus Facts for Kids:   The Arch of Titus was the inspiration for the much larger Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
    • Time Spent Visiting the Arch of Titus With Kids:  Just a few minutes.

     

    #14:  Arch of Constantine With Kids

    The Arch of Constantine is a triumphal arch located between the Colosseum and Palatine Hill that was completed in 315 to commemorate Constantine I’s victory at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge in 312.  The Arch consists of a large central arch and two smaller arches on each side.

    • Arch of Constantine Facts for Kids:   The Arch of Constantine is Rome’s tallest triumphal arch.
    • Time Spent Visiting the Arch of Constantine With Kids:  Just a few minutes.

     

    #15:  Victor Emmanuel II Monument With Kids

    The Victor Emmanuel II Monument is dedicated to Italy’s first king, Victor Emmanuel II.  This mammoth, white marble structure is 200 feet high and 500 feet wide, and dwarfs the Trevi Fountain.  The monument is a neoclassical interpretation of the Roman Forum that was constructed between 1895 and 1911. At the center is a 43 foot high statue of the King on his horse.  The monument has received criticism for being too ostentatious and pompous, but even for tourists who think it is over the top, the panoramic view it offers is pretty amazing.

    • Victor Emmanuel Monument Facts for Kids:  The Monument holds the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, a casualty of World War II.  The tomb is located under the statue of the goddess, Roma.
    • Time Spent Visiting the Victor Emmanuel Monument With Kids:  We stopped twice, with each visit lasting only a few minutes.

     

    #16:  Mouth of Truth With Kids (“Bocca Della Verita”)

    The Mouth of Truth is a large marble mask that has hung in the Atrium of Church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin since 1632.  According to its legend, the mask is the ultimate lie detector.  The mask has a small mouth opening that is supposed to bite the hand of anyone who is not truthful.  Tourists line up to get their turn sticking their hands into the mouth.  Luckily, tourists are a truthful lot, and we didn’t witness any hand injuries during our half hour wait for our turn.

    • Mouth of Truth Facts:  The Mouth of Truth received world-wide attention after it was featured in Audrey Hepburn’s 1953 Roman Holiday.
    • Time Spent at the Mouth of Truth:  We waited for about 30 minutes for our 30 seconds with the mask.

     

    Things to Do in Rome for Free – Via Veneto Neighborhood

     

    #17:  Villa Borghese Gardens With Kids

    The Villa Borghese Gardens are Rome’s “Central Park” designed in the English landscape style.  We picked up sandwiches for a picnic lunch at Borghese Gardens on our last afternoon in Rome.  It was a bit of a hike to reach the Gardens from our Airbnb near the Barberini Metro.  We entered through the old Roman wall at the Via Veneto entrance but later saw that there was a second entrance at the top of the Spanish Steps that may have been more convenient.

    It was the end of our second week of travel, and we thought a bit of relaxation in a park was exactly what we needed.  We were relieved to find park benches in the shade lined up along one of the roads that ran through the Gardens.  We sat down and were thoroughly entertained by all the visitors who rented bikes, multi-rider pedaled rickshaws single or motorized scooters to explore the Gardens. After we had our fill of lunch and people watching, the kids stretched their legs running around in circles for a bit before we headed out.

    • Borghese Gardens Facts for Kids:  Villa Borghese Gardens were commissioned in 1605 by Cardinal Scipione Borghese on the site of a former vineyard.  Borghese was the nephew of Pope Paul V and wanted to create the largest gardens since Roman antiquity.
    • Time Spent Visiting the Borghese Gardens With Kids:  About 1.5-2 hours.

     

    Free Things to See in Rome – Generally

     

    #18:  Obelisks in Rome

    The fact that Rome has more obelisks than any other city in the world was not something I expected.  Obelisks were popular among the Roman Emperors because Egyptians treated their rulers as divine.  There are eight ancient Egyptian obelisks and five ancient Roman obelisks, and we saw most of them.  Romans constructed enormous ships in order to transport the obelisks from Alexandria in Egypt across the Mediterranean Sea to Rome.

    The Elephant and Obelisk

     

    • Roman Obelisks for Kids:  Most ancient Egyptian obelisks have hieroglyphs while the Roman obelisks do not.
    • Time Spent Visiting the Roman Obelisks With Kids:  A few minutes at each one.

     

    #19:  Drinking Fountains in Rome 

    There are over 2,500 free, public drinking fountains available all around Rome.  The water is very safe to drink and ice cold, which we really appreciated during the hot July days of our visit.  The pipe system used to transport the water from the mountains above Rome to the fountains are the original aqueducts constructed centuries ago.  We carried our own water bottles to refill throughout the day and also used the water in the fountains to cool off on particularly hot days.

    • Roman Water Fountain Facts for Kids:  The letters SQPR, which commonly appear on water fountains and in stone and marble throughout the city stand for “Senatus Populus Que Romanus” which roughly represents the ancient Roman government.
    • Time Spent Visiting the Roman Water Fountains With Kids:  We visited public water fountains many times each day and rarely had to wait for more than 1-2 minutes for our turn.

     

    #20:  Metro With Kids (free for kids under 10)

    Kids under 10 ride the Metro in Rome for free when traveling with an adult.  This made Metro rides extremely affordable for our family.  Although we found Rome very walkable, the Metro was convenient when we needed to travel farther distances quickly.

    Rome Metro Facts for Kids:  Rome Metro’s driverless Line C is currently under construction to connect the city’s eastern quadrant with its northwest quadrant, and the construction zone was particularly noticeable near the Colosseum.

    • Time Spent Riding the Rome Metro:  During our five days in Rome, we took six rides on the Metro.  Each ride was approximately 10-15 minutes.

     

    Free Things for Kids to Do in Rome

    We were surprised that there were so many free things to do in Rome.  Planning a family trip to Italy, be sure to check out our other blog posts about Florence, San Gimignano and Venice and our listing of all destinations in Italy.

  • Renting a Car in Italy

    Renting a Car in Italy

    Families planning a trip to Italy often wonder if they should use trains or rental cars to travel between cities.  We are definitely big fans of train travel in Europe and definitely prefer to travel by train between large metropolitan areas due to the convenience and cost.  However, there are situations where train travel in Italy is impractical.  During our July 2018 Italian family vacation, the Lamborghini Museum and Ferrari Museum were high on our must-see list.  Both museums are in the Modena area and very challenging to reach by train. The cost of long taxi rides to and from the Bologna train station and in between the two museums was pretty staggering, and with a family of five, we would need to hire two taxis.  Additionally, we were skeptical that we would be able to store our luggage at the Bologna train station for this excursion.  We decided that by renting a car in Italy for a day and a half, we could visit the Italian car museums with flexibility, spend a night in Pisa and then visit a few Tuscan towns before returning the car upon our arrival in Florence.

    View of San Gimignano from the outskirts
    View of San Gimignano from the outskirts

    Booking an Italian Rental Car

    Manual transmission vehicles are significantly less expensive to rent in Italy, but we chose to stick with an automatic transmission and reserved our intermediate, five passenger car through Alamo/Enterprise.  The daily charge for the rental was €43.47, but with taxes and the rental of a car seat for our daughter (€45), the grand total for our two day rental came to €245.39.

    Renting a Car in Italy – Requirements

    An international driving permit is required to rent a car in Italy.  My husband obtained his permit from AAA before our departure, and the process was relatively painless and cost only $20 and required two passport sized photos.  He was actually never asked for his driving permit in Italy, but we did not feel it was worth the risk to not get it in advance.

    Renting a Car in Italy – Car Seats

    One of the trickiest parts of renting cars is figuring out how to handle car seats.  We chose to rent a car seat for our three year old daughter because she was less than 30 pounds and needed a convertible car seat.  We were traveling very light and definitely did not want to lug around a heavy car seat throughout our 18-day European vacation when we only needed it for a day and a half.  We considered purchasing the Ridesafer Travel Vest, but she had not yet reached the lower weight limit for use in the US, we were concerned that the vest would not be permitted in Italy.  While the €45 rental fee seemed pretty exorbitant, we thought it was the best option, and the seat we received seemed satisfactory.  We also carried two Bubble Bum booster seats with us to use for our eight and ten year old boys.

    Renting a Car in Italy – Insurance

    Worldwide car rental insurance up to $50,000 is a perk of our Costco Citi card for any car rental 31 days or less that is paid for with the card.  This coverage means we can decline the additional collision loss/damage insurance that is always offered through the rental company.  Because our rental included a car body package to limit liability to €1,800 in case of damage or theft at no extra fee, we verified with Costco that this included insurance would not negate our coverage in advance and did not have to pay extra for full rental car insurance.

    Renting a Car in Italy – Pick Up

    We were departing from Venice the day that we planned to pick up our car.  However, picking up a rental car in a car-free city seemed unnecessarily complicated.  We chose instead to take a train from Venice to Bologna and pick up our car there.

    Picking up a rental car always seems to take longer than we expect, and our experience in Italy was no exception.  It’s important to research the exact location of the rental car company as the descriptions online might not be reliable.  “Train station” could mean near the train station, and “downtown” might near downtown.  We thought that the Enterprise/Alamo desk was at the Bologna train station, but it was actually about a block away, and finding it was a bit of a challenge.  After completing the registration with the clerk, we were directed to a garage several blocks away.  We were offered a six passenger vehicle that was larger than we expected but manageable.  As always, we made sure to thoroughly inspect the exterior of the car for any damage and make sure any dents were properly noted before leaving the garage.  We then had to figure out how to install the car seats before setting off.  Our grand plan included a lunch in Bologna, but we knew our time was tight, so we headed out of the city without seeing even the Towers of Bologna.

    Renting a Car in Italy – Logistics

    After spending 10 days driving the Ring Road in Iceland in June 2017, renting a car for a day and a half Italy seemed like it should be no big deal.  However, it was significantly more challenging than our experience in Iceland.  We used our GPS with international maps in both countries but found that we were constantly being directed into restricted zones (zona traffico limitato or ZLT) in Italy.  Traffic, which is nonexistent in Iceland, was often heavy in Italy.  Road rules were also confusing, speed limits were often hard to determine, and Italian drivers are particularly aggressive.  As a result, I was really nervous that we would end up with a huge fine to pay at the end of the trip and generally nervous the entire time we were in the car.  Dropping the car off in Florence was particularly a nightmare as we had to do several U-turns before determining that the rental car return was located within a limited traffic zone; however, it was a huge relief to drop it off.

    Renting a Car in Italy – Benefits

    By renting a car in Italy, we were able to visit the Lamborghini Museum and Ferrari Museum, Pisa and San Gimignano in a day in a half, all without worrying about luggage storage.  The Lamborghini Museum, Ferrari Museum and San Gimignano are not easily reachable by train and were particularly enjoyable parts or our trip.  We would have been able to visit other Tuscan towns between Pisa and Florence as we had originally planned if we hadn’t decided that we needed to climb the Leaning Tower of Pisa and tour the Pisa Cathedral.  If we were traveling by train, we would have likely booked a mid-morning train journey and would have regretted not having enough time at the Field of Miracles.  So, we did enjoy the flexibility to easily alter our plans.

    Pisa Cathedral and the Leaning Tower of Pisa
    Pisa Cathedral and the Leaning Tower of Pisa

    Our Italian car rental also allowed us to have the most authentic, non-touristy experience in Italy, lunch at Glamour Caffe e Cucina near the Lamborghini Museum.  After skipping lunch in Bologna, stopping for a meal before touring Italian car museums was non-negotiable, and we happened upon the Glamour Caffe.  We were definitely the only tourists, and none of the servers spoke English.  Our order for fixed price lunches was complicated, and we were not clear on how much the meal would cost.  However, the food and authenticity of the meal was top-notch, and the price ended up being quite the bargain as well.  Because our trip focused on large metropolitan areas, this was really our only opportunity to get off the beaten path and a huge benefit to renting a car.

    Renting a Car in Italy – Recommendation

    We recommend traveling by train in Italy unless there is something on your must-do list that is completely impractical to do via public transportation.  However, it is possible for adventurous families to rent a car in Italy and truly explore the countryside.

    The Lamborghini Museum and the Ferrari Museum each hosted our family’s visits.  As always, all opinions are my own. 

  • Visiting the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill

    Visiting the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill

    A visit to the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill is a great way to step back in time and take a glimpse of ancient Rome.  The Forum is a rectangular plaza in the valley between the Palatine and Capitoline Hills. The only remaining structures, which were constructed between 500 BC and AD 400, are all in ruins, but enough remains to really spark our imagination of what the governmental, cultural and civic center of Rome looked like thousands of years ago.  The Roman Forum and Palatine Hill have separate entrances, but the two sights are interconnected.  So, it’s possible to start at one and end in the other.  For our family of five (including kids ages 3, 8 and 10), our visit to the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill was a complete history lesson, and we are glad we didn’t overlook these amazing sights during our visit to Rome.

     

    Visiting Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum

     

    Directions to the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill

    The Colosseum is conveniently located near the Colosseum Metro station.  We were staying near the Barberini station on the red A line and had to travel to Termini, the train station, and transfer to the blue B line and then travel two stops to reach the Colosseum.  The entire journey was probably about 15 minutes, and we had a short walk to the Colosseum area once we left the station.

     

    Palatine Hill and Roman Forum Tickets

    We pre-booked a combination ticket to the Colosseum and the Roman Forum/Palatine Hill through Coop Culture.  The combined ticket cost €17 for each adult, and children under 18 are free.  Like the Louvre, which also cost our family €34 to visit, I found it pretty astounding how inexpensive admission was for these iconic sights.  In contrast, most museums in the US cost at least $75 for admission for our family.

    Our tickets permitted a single entry into each attraction on the same day or on two consecutive days.  Our priority was the Colosseum, and we weren’t sure how long our visit would take, so we headed there first.  We were inundated with tour guides offering us skip the line entry as soon as we arrived and were happy to have already sorted out tickets and not need to risk giving money to a con artist.  We needed to stand in line to exchange our pre-booked vouchers for actual tickets from a small booth outside the Colosseum.

    We loathe lines in general, but this one luckily took only about 15-20 minutes.  Even though it was mid-morning, the sun was already pretty hot.  So, we purchased water bottles for our entire family during the wait.  I discovered in the line that the fine print on our voucher allowed entry to the Colosseum only after 2 p.m. during the summer months.  But, we also found that we could book a 45 minute guided tour in English that cost €5 for adults (again, children were free).  We went ahead and planned a 2:30 p.m. entry and a 3:00 p.m. tour and then headed to the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill.

     

    Entering the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill

    A funny thing really did happen on the way to the Forum….  After we collected our Colosseum tickets, we asked the ticket agent for directions to the Roman Forum entrance.  She took one look at our stroller and suggested that we pass the Forum entrance and use the Palatine Hill entrance instead.  We had read that the Forum entrance often has a long line, so we thought we were getting valuable intel.  It turned out to be the worst stroller advice we have ever received.

    We got through the Palatine Hill entrance quickly but found the uphill pebble pathway nearly impossible with a stroller.  Palatine Hill is the center of the Seven Hills of Rome and sits about 130 feet above the Forum but really seemed like a trek. Our daughter reluctantly climbed out when it became obvious that we wouldn’t be able to push the stroller with her weight on the uneven surface, but it was hot, and the hard to find ruins were not exciting enough to captivate her attention and make her want to walk.

    The boys had watched Ben-Hur before our trip, and we were excited to see Circus Maximus, the site of the chariot races.   From Palatine Hill, we were able to see a panoramic view of the field where the stadium was located.  We actually had a better view of the site a few days later when we were walking to the Mouth of Truth.

    View of Circus Maximus from Via del Circo Massimo

    The Palace of Domitian dominates Palatine Hill (which is also the origin of the word “palace”).  But, it is largely in ruins and not as exciting as the Palace of Versailles or Doge’s Palace, both of which we had visited earlier in our trip.

    Checking out the courtyard of the Palace of Domitian
    Checking out the courtyard of the Palace of Domitian

    As usual, we used Rick Steves as a guide, and I narrated our visit by reading the short blurbs in Rick Steves Italy. Although Steves’ nuggets of information were interesting, I have to admit that we were underwhelmed with Palatine Hill.  Walking up the Hill was particularly brutal and really not overly exciting.

     

    A Visit to the Roman Forum

    We may not have been wowed by Palatine Hill, but the Roman Forum was pretty spectacular.  It is an impressive archeological site.  The population of ancient Rome reached a whopping 1 million, most of whom lived in tiny apartments or tents but spent their time in the Forum.  While none of the ancient buildings are intact, there is enough remaining to provide an image of what it looked like.  My son bought the book, Rome Reconstructed, at one of the gift shops that included amazing side by side comparisons of buildings then and now, and really helped the kids understand what ancient Rome was like.

    Although there were stairs here and there, the stroller was actually generally easier to maneuver in the Forum due to some paved walkways.  We weren’t fighting gravity on our descent, but there were some areas where cobble stones made it absolutely necessary for our daughter to jump out and walk a bit.

    Large stones in the Forum that were not stroller friendly
    Large stones in the Forum that were not stroller friendly

     

    Roman Forum Buildings

    My favorite building in the Roman Forum is the Arch of Titus.  The Arch, which was constructed about 82 AD, appears to be largely intact over 2035 years later; however, parts have been reconstructed.  For example, the fluted columns are original, but smooth portions are reconstructions.  The Arch was originally much more colorful, but the colored marble was unfortunately scavenged over the years.

    It didn’t surprise me that this 50 foot arch was the inspiration for the much larger Arc de Triomphe in Paris because I immediately saw the resemblance.

    Arch de Triomphe
    Arch de Triomphe

    I was also wowed by the three columns standing from the Temple of Castor and Pollux, which date back to 484 BC.  The columns were constructed in the first century AD.

    Three remaining pillars of Temple of Castor and Pollux
    Three remaining pillars of the Temple of Castor and Pollux

    The Temple of Saturn dates back to about 490 BC and is the oldest sacred monument in Rome.  Its enormous eight columns framed the Forum’s oldest temple and continue to stand out in the Forum landscape.

    The eight remaining pillars of the Temple of Saturn are pictured on the far left
    The eight remaining pillars of the Temple of Saturn are pictured on the far left

     

    Alternate Views of the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill

    On our last day in Rome, we followed the periphery of Palatine Hill and the Forum when walking from the Mouth of Truth to the Colosseum Metro stop, and I enjoyed the panoramic views of the Hill almost as much as our walkabout inside earlier in our trip.  We did not see the Forum illuminated at night, but I’ve heard that is a pretty spectacular sight.  If admission to the Forum is combined with Colosseum tickets, it is definitely worthwhile to make a quick visit.  However, for families pressed for time, the Colosseum is definitely the more impressive site.  Just make sure to take a walk around the periphery to appreciate the glory of ancient Rome.

    View of Palatine Hill from Via del Circo Massimo
    View of Palatine Hill from Via del Circo Massimo

     

    Best Way to Visit the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill

    If we were to do it again, I would definitely plan for no more than an hour visit to the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, enter at the Forum (even if the line was longer), focus on the Roman Forum and possibly just poke around the top of Palatine Hill before heading out.

    To find out more about family travel to Italy, check out our other blog posts about Rome, Florence and Venice and our listing of all destinations in Italy.

  • Tips for Visiting the Louvre With Kids

    Tips for Visiting the Louvre With Kids

    The Louvre in Paris is the largest and most visited art museum in the world with 400,000 art works and a permanent collection of about 35,000 on display.  It is housed in the Louvre Palace, a former royal palace that dates back to the 12th century.  The Louvre became a museum in 1793 during the French Revolution and has been expanded and renovated many times over the past 800 years.  The Louvre may not seem like a museum that welcomes children with open arms, but it is actually one of the most stroller-friendly museums we have ever visited.  So, there is no reason to skip it when traveling with children.  Here are our top 10 tips for visiting Musee du Louvre with kids:

    A Visit to the Louvre For Kids

     

    Tip #1:  Buy Skip the Line Louvre Tickets Online in Advance

    We booked a 9:30 am entry on our first morning in Paris directly through the Louvre’s website.   Pre-booked adult tickets cost €17 each, which is just slightly more than the €15 entrance fee for tickets purchased at the museum.  All visitors under age 18 are free.  Considering admission for our family of five to almost any US museum seems to cost at least $75, €34 to visit the Louvre seemed like an absolute bargain, and we didn’t think twice about the extra €4 necessary for advanced booking.

    Tip #2:  Eat Before Arriving at the Louvre With Children

    The Louvre requires a good bit of walking.  It is important to arrive with children who are well rested and well fed.  We stopped at Franprix for a delicious breakfast of freshly squeezed orange juice and amazing bread and pastries.  We didn’t stop to eat at one of the Louvre’s cafes or restaurants during the three hours we spent there, choosing not to risk long lines and instead enjoyed lunch at a British pub during England’s Quarterfinal World Cup match afterwards.

     

    Tip #3:  Arrive at the Louvre Early or Late

    Our flight arrived in Paris in the evening, and in hindsight, it may have been a bit ambitious to plan a 9:30 am museum arrival the next morning. But, we had a full night of sleep and arrived at the Louvre on time.  We definitely noticed that the Louvre became much busier by late morning.   The Louvre is also open until 9:45 p.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays, and it is typically less crowded during those evening hours.   When planning a Paris itinerary, note that the Louvre is closed on Tuesdays, January 1, May 1 and December 25.

    We entered through the Louvre Pyramid, the iconic glass and metal pyramid that was designed by the Chinese-American architect I.M. Pei and completed in 1989.  The Pyramid and underground lobby were created so that the Louvre could better accommodate its increasing number of daily visitors.  The Pyramid was designed for 4.5 million annual visitors, and the underground lobby had to be redesigned between 2014 and 2017 when the number of annual visitors rose from 4.5 million to over 8 million.  We talked about how I.M. Pei also designed the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s pyramid in Cleveland as we entered.

    View from inside the Louvre's Pyramid
    View from inside the Louvre Pyramid

    Tip #4: Bring the Stroller to the Louvre

    Even though it was necessary at times to carry our stroller up or down a flight of stairs, it’s understandable considering the building dates back to the late 12th century.  Nonetheless, the Louvre Museum gets high marks for being stroller friendly.   When we arrived at the Pyramid, we noticed separate lines for pre-booked tickets and visitors needing to purchase tickets from the box office, but neither had much of a line when we arrived.  It didn’t matter because as soon as the guard saw our stroller, he ushered us through the middle of the two entrances to wait for the next circular open air hydraulic elevator into the museum.  Our kids thought this was the coolest elevator we have ever been inside of and thought it looked like it belonged on a futuristic spaceship.

    Strollers are welcome throughout the museum, and we rarely felt crowded.  Elevators in the Louvre are reserved for the disabled (including children in strollers) and their accompanying parties.  This is in stark contrast to Versailles where we had to check our stroller at left luggage before entering the Palace and the Vatican where wall to wall visitors in many galleries made it extremely hard to maneuver the stroller and where we were not permitted to use the elevators, which were reserved for those in wheelchairs only.

    Tip #5:  Don’t Forget the Louvre Map

    The Louvre exhibits are seemingly endless.  It’s absolutely massive and not possible to explore every exhibit in a single day. It is essential to bring a map and formulate a game plan.  We should have downloaded and printed the Louvre interactive floorplan in advance, but we picked up a map underneath the Pyramid first thing.

    Tip #6:  Use Rick Steves as a Tour Guide at the Louvre

    We traveled with Rick Steves’ Paris guide, which includes a 30 page annotated tour of the Louvre.  This guide was perfect for us.  I read Steves’ descriptive overviews about an exhibit or selected major works for my husband and kids and found that it provided the perfect nugget of information to help enhance the experience for our whole family.  We otherwise would not have noticed the S-curve in Venus de Milo‘s back and the seam at her hips.  We also made sure to examine the glass case next to Winged Victory of Samothrace with her outstretched thumb and finger, which was discovered in the 1950s.

    Tip #7:  Prioritize the Big Three at the Louvre

    I vividly remember visiting the Louvre on my college backpacking trip and following pictures directing me to Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo and Winged Victory of Samothrace.  These seem to be on everyone’s Louvre must see list.  Because the Louvre is enormous, it takes some time to just navigate to each, but make sure not to rush through the amazing galleries along the way.

    We started in the Sully Wing and first visited the Near Eastern Antiquities, which was impressive and not very crowded at all.  My favorite was the Frieze of Archers from the fifth or sixth century B.C.

    We then visited the Egyptian galleries before reaching the Gallery of Statues with perfect anatomic Greek sculptures in natural poses.   Athena of Velletri stands at one side and Venus de Milo at the other.  Athena of Velletri is a Roman replica of a Greek statue that dates from the 5th century B.C.  Venus de Milo is an ancient Green sculpture created between 130 and 100 B.C.  I love the juxtaposition of the goddesses of wisdom and beauty.

    The statue of Athena of Velletri at the Louvre
    Athena of Velletri
    The statue of Venus de Milo at the Louvre
    Venus de Milo

    We then headed into the Denon Wing to Winged Victory of Samothrace, which dates back to about 190 BC.  This winged-woman standing on a ship commemorated a naval victory.   I love that this massive statue is exhibited in a large open area with high ceilings rather than crammed into a gallery.  We had a discussion about how fragile arms are on ancient statues and how they were often broken and lost.

    Statue of WInged Victory of Samothrace at the Louvre
    Winged Victory of Samothrace

    The Louvre statues were particularly impressive due to their age and preservation.

    Of the “Big Three”, we visited the Mona Lisa last and realized when we saw the crowd that we should have made a b-line for this gallery as soon as we arrived.

     

    Tip #8:  Be Prepared for Mona Lisa‘s Paparazzi at the Louvre

    Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa is virtually synonymous with the Louvre.  This early 16th century Italian Renaissance painting has been on display in the Louvre since 1797.  While the Louvre generally did not seem crowded on our Saturday morning visit, visitors line up to see the Mona Lisa, protected by bullet proof glass and guarded by guards.  It took us several minutes to work our way up to the front of the crowd to get a picture of her famous smirk.

    The word “paparazzi” comes to mind, and yes, Mona Lisa is much smaller than anyone expects (only about 21 inches by 30 inches!).

     It doesn’t help that the Louvre’s largest painting,  Paolo Veronese’s The Wedding Feast at Cana, is displayed on the opposite wall.  I was drawn to Veronese’s massive canvas and surprised at how little attention it received as the visitors focused solely on Mona Lisa.  The unexpected Venetian setting made me more excited about our upcoming trip to Venice a few days later.  The juxtaposition of these two paintings definitely was one of the most interesting parts of the Louvre.

    Even though I saw Mona Lisa 21 years ago, it was simultaneously exhilarating and slightly underwhelming to visit her on this trip.  Nevertheless, Mona Lisa was the most memorable part of our Louvre visit for our kids.  They remember the crowd, her auspicious smile and The Wedding Feast at Cana on the opposite wall.  My son is convinced she’s planning something evil.

     

    Tip #9:  Don’t Forget to Look Up While Visiting the Louvre

    Some of the most memorable art is located on the gallery ceilings.  It’s easy to be so mesmerized by the art on the wall and not fully appreciate the architecture and ceiling art.

     

    Tip #10:  Take Forced Perspective Pictures in front of the Pyramid at the Louvre

    The Louvre’s Pyramid is not only a world-renowned architectural icon but also a great place to take a forced perspective picture.  There are a number of strategically placed pedestals in front of the Pyramid to make it easier to capture the perfect shot, which we most certainly used.

    We loved our family trip to Paris and recommend the Louvre for kids.  Make sure to check out our posts on Planning a Trip to Paris, Top 25 Attractions in Paris for Families, Visiting the Eiffel Tower as well as our other posts about Paris!

  • Scott’s Cheap Flights Review

    Scott’s Cheap Flights Review

    Thank you to Scott’s Cheap Flights for providing complimentary premium membership.  All opinions are my own.

    I have had a Scott’s Cheap Flights premium membership for about three months.  While I was admittedly hesitant that the premium membership would be worth the cost of its $39 annual fee, I am already convinced that Scott’s Cheap Flights premium membership is well worth its annual fee for any traveler who makes at least one trip abroad each year.  With three kids, our family needs to purchase five flights anytime we travel.  We are constantly in search of discounted airfare to make international travel affordable. We use Google flights and monitor several fare deal websites and have taken advantage of several good deals that we have stumbled upon over the years, including round trip airfare to San Francisco for $130, to New Orleans for $80 and to Reykjavik for $370.  However, it’s so time consuming to wade through all the offers that aren’t available from our local airports that I have to admit that I often don’t even open the automated fare deal emails I received.  Now that I regularly receive Scott’s Cheap Flights’ ad free and filtered emails about amazing flight deals from only my desired airports, I have unsubscribed from the free services that used to send me automated emails and am certain that we will find better airfares through Scott’s than searching on our own as we’ve done over the past few years.

     

    Review of Scott’s Cheap Flights

    Scott’s Cheap Flights History

    After Scott Keyes took advantage of a $130 round trip flight deal from New York City to Milan in 2013, he built an email list to let friends and colleagues know about other deals he found.  Keyes partnered with co-founder Brian Kidwell in 2015.  Now, Scott’s team monitors airfares and notifies its 1.6 million members when they find abnormally low fares on a specific route.

    Scott Keyes and Brian Kidwell, relaxing on a the front steps of a home with a dog
    Scott Keyes and Brian Kidwell – Photo credit Scott’s Cheap Flights

     

    Scott’s Cheap Flights Limited Membership Review 

    Scott’s Cheap Flights offers free limited memberships with impressive benefits.   I tried out a limited membership before upgrading and found that limited members receive occasional cheap flight notifications from their geographic area but not filtered to include only the closest airports.  When Scott’s Cheap Flights send limited members deal notifications, they delay them about 30+ minutes from the premium members’ notification.  The deal alerts include ads, and Scott’s Cheap Flights makes sure to notify limited members of the amazing premium deals that they missed out on due to their limited membership.  These alerts could definitely be useful but reminded me of many of the other free flight deal notifications.  The emails and a few Scott’s Cheap Flights reviews definitely made me want the premium membership.

     

    Is Scott’s Cheap Flights Premium Worth It?

    Scott’s Cheap Flights Premium Review

    I upgraded to a premium membership about 10 days after starting my limited membership.  The welcome message indicated that premium subscribers receive three times as many deals and are “wayyyy” more likely to book a flight deal than limited members.  After becoming a premium members and setting my airport selections, every fare deal I receive includes routes from the airports our family would consider using.  Premium members also receive notification on fare deals to Hawaii and Alaska, peak season flights and mistake fares.

    Each deal alert includes an introduction, discounted routes, lowest fares available, time frame, airlines, baggage costs, normal costs, special notes, estimate on how long the deal will last and a link to a sample Google search.  Scott’s Cheap Flights does not earn a referral fee on flights booked.

    Scott Keyes lying in bed, working on a laptop
    Scott Keyes is always searching for low airfare – Photo credit Scott’s Cheap Flights

     

    Scott’s Cheap Flight Deals I Wanted to Book

    Due to our kids’ school schedule, our family does not plan to travel internationally until this Summer or Winter, and we don’t have a location nailed down.  Most of the flight deals I’ve received through Scott’s Cheap Flights have been for travel through May 2019, so we haven’t been able to take advantage of anything yet.  Nonetheless, when I an appealing fare deal shows up in my inbox, I often click on the Google Flights link just to test some dates around my kids’ Spring break. Sometimes, I am not able to find flights as low as advertised, which could mean that they already sold out.  Other times, I find deals that are so good that I’ve had to restrain myself from booking trips.

    My absolute favorite deal was a $276 round trip flight from Cleveland to Rome on Delta basic economy that included a full size carry-on and was available over our kids’ Spring break.  Even though we just spent five days in Rome last July, this deal seemed too good to pass up.  Similar flights were well over $1,000 each when I was looking last summer.  Rome was such an phenomenal city, and I was desperate to find someone who could take advantage of this amazing fare deal.  I didn’t have any luck, but pulling up one of my Scott’s Cheap Flights emails has been a cool party trick on several occasions when discussing bargain airfare.  One friend who was booking insanely expensive holiday travel between Memphis and Cleveland was actually annoyed to learn that the Cleveland-Rome flight was a fraction of the cost of her Memphis-Cleveland flights.

    Rome's Colosseum
    The Colosseum in Rome

    Here are some other sample fare deals that made me want to book flights:

    • $396 flight from Cleveland to Beijing on Air Canada, Delta or United with no baggage fees
    • $314 flight from Cleveland to Honolulu on American with carry on
    • $372 mistake fare flight from Cleveland to Zagreb on American, British Airways or Croatia Airlines

     

    Is Scott’s Cheap Flights Premium Membership Worth the $39 Annual Fee?

    Definitely!  Even though we have not booked a Scott’s Cheap flight yet, we hope to travel to Southeast Asia or South America this year.  I am certain that we are going to find a flight to Bangkok, Buenos Aires or somewhere else amazing through one of Scott’s Cheap Flights’ alerts at a savings of significantly more than $39.  Also, the alert messages make me happy knowing that it is possible to travel internationally without blowing the budget on flights.  I may have thousands of unread emails in my inbox, but I open every message from Scott’s.  I just wish Scott’s Cheap Flights included more domestic travel.  I’m itching to travel to Seattle or Portland and can never find any fare deals on my own.

  • Family Weekend Getaways in California

    Family Weekend Getaways in California

    We love taking family getaways in California!  With a handful of major metropolitan areas, the Pacific Ocean, national parks, wine country and plenty of sun, there are endless destination options.  We have spent many weekends traveling around California but are always looking for new places to explore.  We asked fellow family travel bloggers to share their favorite California family weekend getaways and came up with this amazing list:

    #1: Death Valley National Park

    Death Valley National Park is an amazing destination to visit with kids of all ages. From the lunar looking landscapes to the massive sand dunes and expansive salt flats, kids of all ages will be mesmerized!

    The top thing to do on any family itinerary at Death Valley is to spend some time at Mesquite Flats Sand Dunes. The furthest, tallest dune is about two miles out; however, families will have fun exploring the different dunes no matter how far they go. While visiting on this side of the park, take a detour to the only interpretive trail in Death Valley, the Saltwater Creek Trail. This is home to the elusive pupfish that families will enjoy searching for along the boardwalk trail. The best bet for pupfish sightings is during the spring. Heading deeper into the park, Badwater Basin is another must visit on any trip to Death Valley. This expansive salt flat sits 200+ feet below sea level and is considered the lowest point in North America.
    There is so much to do in the park, but no visit is complete without a stop (or two) at Zabriskie Point, which offers the most iconic views in Death Valley. View it from the top before heading out the Badlands Trail to see it from within as well!

    Recommended by Karilyn Owen from No Back Home.  Find out more from Karilyn about Death Valley with kids.

    #2:  Disneyland 

    Disneyland is just 40 minutes from Los Angeles International Airport and is a must-do family two-night getaway. Sure, there are plenty of crowds and high-priced expenditures that come with this particular holiday. But, a visit to the dreamland that Walt originally built also brings with it a sort of magic.  Here’s our recommended itinerary:

    • Disneyland: Day One
      • Book the Character Dining Breakfast at Plaza Inn. It gets you inside before the crowds, and kids can bust a move with beloved characters while enjoying a decent buffet.
      • Visit original attractions from opening day (1955) like Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, Disneyland Railroad, Jungle Cruise and Mad Tea Party.
      • Meet Mickey & Minnie in Toontown before or after a home tour.
      • Book lunch at Blue Bayou inside the world of the Pirates of the
        Caribbean and dinner at Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen
        for live music, adult drinks and NOLA cuisine in Downtown Disney.  (Note: Until the Star Wars Bar opens summer 2019, the general public can’t buy alcohol on property.)
    • Disney California Adventure (DCA): Day Two –
      • Casually stroll the boardwalk-themed waterside. Explore Cars Land.
      • Grab a cocktail. Enjoy rides as you come upon them. The feel is completely different here and can be done at a slower pace.

    We recommend staying at Sheraton Park Hotel, an off-property hotel that is a short 15-minute walk from the entrance. Guests get a break from the hustle and bustle and get more bang for their buck.  Families who book a Fireworks View Room on the Concierge Floor won’t regret it.

    Recommended by Brandy from Kid Allergy Travel.

     

    #3:  Hollywood

    Hollywood is an amazing city to visit with kids. We spent an afternoon to exploring Hollywood after visiting Warner Brothers Studios.  We parked on Hollywood Boulevard and walked the hall of fame listing all the Hollywood stars and took great delight in pointing out any Australians that made the cut. We briefly stopped at the Chinese Theater for a few photos. Next up was the famous Hollywood sign. We choose to view it from the Hollywood Bowl. The gates were open and we walked around and took some photos from the very rear seating area.   

    Warner Brothers Studios is a great tour, visitors see behind the scenes of many different sitcoms we have come to know and love. We did a quick skit on the Friends set sitting on the couch in the Central Peaks Cafe. Kids thought that was brilliant.   Universal Studios was also a big hit with the kids. Especially popular was the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and all the new 4D thrill rides. The Back Stage tram ride took us around many of the sets for different films that we recognized from some of Hollywood’s blockbuster movies.  Last but not least, we took a drive through Beverly Hills and down Rodeo Drive. Would have been nice to kick back in a convertible Mustang but our trusty Ford Mondeo hire car was more than fine! 

    Recommended by Sally Lucas from Our 3 Kids v the World.  Find out more from Sally about Universal Studios with kids.

     

    #4:  Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park

    Visiting the world’s tallest trees in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park with our family was like stepping into another planet. In fact, our kids often found themselves looking for Ewoks hiding among the massive tree trunks and head-high ferns during our visit. We later learned that George Lucas filmed his Endor scenes from Return of the Jedi right here in the Redwoods. Coastal redwood trees, which can grow up to 360 feet tall, are only found on the California coast, from Big Sur up to the Oregon border. There are plenty of redwood forests in California, but in our opinion, the best place to explore with children is Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park.

    The trails in Redwoods are very accessible for kids, and there are interpretive programs that provide a closer look at the area’s wildlife and ecosystems. During our three-day visit, we camped under the canopy of massive trees and were able to explore many of the trails without ever getting in our car. We spent our mornings hiking through the fog, and our afternoons swimming in the gloriously cold and clean Smith River — seriously one of our top five swimming spots in the whole USA. The park is also just a short drive from the ocean in Crescent City, where we witnessed some of the most beautiful sunsets we’ve ever seen. Our weekend in the Redwoods is a trip we still talk about, and we can’t wait to go back.

    Recommended by Tara Schatz from Back Road Ramblers.  Find out more from Tara about Redwoods with kids. 
     
     
    #5:  Joshua Tree National Park

    Joshua Tree National Park is often described as ‘otherworldly’ and indeed, its peculiar landscape makes it one of the most unique and distinctive places in California.

    Located about 3 hours by car from LA, Joshua Tree National Park lies where two different desert systems meet: the Colorado and the Mojave. The park is famous for the ‘Joshua trees’, big yucca plants stretching their arms to the sky, and giant boulders that erosion has carved into elaborate shapes that act as refuge for desert wildlife.

    Despite the inhospitable climate, Joshua tree is fantastic to visit with kids. Several hikes such as Skull Rock discovery trail and Cholla cactus garden are suitable even for the youngest explorers and the rangers organise excellent kids activities such as the Dr Seuss inspired ‘I speak for the tree’ events about conservation.

    The best way to visit Joshua tree is to drive to the area and spend a couple of days exploring different trails.  Make sure not to miss the junior ranger program.  

    Recommended by Marta Correale from Learning Escapes.  Find out more from Marta about visiting Joshua Tree with kids.

     

    #6:  Lake Tahoe

    Lake Tahoe‘s laid-back vibe and abundance of outdoor activities make it my favorite place to visit with kids during any season. With stunning views of blue water and snow-capped mountains, the area is purposely underdeveloped to protect and maintain a pristine lake.  In the winter, Tahoe is a wonderland. There are several ski resorts around the lake. For families, I recommend Northstar, Heavenly, or Squaw Valley. All have excellent ski schools, plus activities such as ice skating, sledding, snow tubing, bungee trampolining, shopping, dining, and even crafts like candle- and pottery-making.

    The resorts are also popular spots in the summer, offering zip-lining, ropes courses, climbing walls, and gondola rides. But there’s so much more Tahoe offers in the summer. Every time we visit, we try to hike a new trail – and there are tons to explore! Tahoe also has beautiful beaches and every water sport imaginable. We have camped, kayaked, hiked, and biked. And Kings Beach on the north shore of Lake Tahoe has one of the best mini golf courses we’ve ever played!

    We also love exploring by car. Driving around the lake, with its winding roads and incredible vistas, is quite an experience! Driving non-stop takes about three hours, but we stopped at all the beaches and scenic viewpoints we could find. At each stop, we took pictures and collected cool rocks or some of Tahoe‘s gigantic pine cones!

    Recommended by Shannon Entin from the TV Traveler.  Check out more of her California adventures.

    #7:  Los Angeles

    Visitors could easily spend a week or more in Los Angeles with kids, however, it’s still a worthwhile trip for families who only have a few days. Weekend visitors will just have to be selective as to what they do.  International visitors will most likely fly into LAX, and it may even be their first stop before moving on to explore other parts of the USA.  LA is also the official end of the famous Route 66, so this a good place to start or end a road trip as well.

    As to family friendly attractions in LA, they are endless! Some of the more popular attractions include Universal Studios and the Warner Bros Studio Tour.   Other places I recommend for families are the Grammy Museum (great for music fans), Broad Museum (great for creative kids) and the Natural History Museum of LA County (great for little dinosaur fans).

    For free activities, spend some time on Santa Monica beach and stroll down to Venice Beach to watch the buskers.  For families who love to shop, check out the Grove a lovely outdoor mall and the Farmers Markets next door is great for lunch.

    Recommended by Melissa Delaware from of Thrifty Family Travels.  Find out more from Melissa about Los Angeles with kids.

     

    #8:  Malibu 

    Looking for an escape from the hustle and bustle of LA? Look no further than, Malibu, LA’s closest neighbor to the north. Stretching 21 scenic miles along the Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu is the stuff California dreams are made of. Malibu’s Mediterranean climate means warm dry summers and moderate winters. There are gorgeous beaches, world famous surf spots, fishing, hiking and plenty of dining, shopping, and museums to keep families occupied no matter the time of year. The best way to experience Malibu is in a car.  

    Experienced fisherman and first timers will both find the pier to be a great place to enjoy a day of fishing. We’ve been a few different times and have had great luck even enjoying an evening meal with our catch of the day. The Malibu Sport Fishing Pier is located at 23000 Pacific Coast Highway and is open daily from 6:30 am to sunset. Fishing permits are not required, and fishing rods, bait and tackle are available for rental on the Pier.

    Zuma Beach, located at the northern end of Malibu, is one of LA’s most popular beaches. The drive to Zuma is spectacular in itself, and there are almost two miles of soft clean sand, a wide variety of beach activities, restaurants, public restrooms and plentiful parking.

    An entire glorious day could be spent at Leo Carrillo State Park where activities at the park are many and include, exploring the tide pools, swimming, surfing, windsurfing, surf fishing, and beach combing. There are also caves and reefs for exploring, hiking trails, picnic tables and camping. Leo Carrillo is located at 35000 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu and is open from 8:00 am to 10:00 pm. The entrance to the park is on the East side of the Pacific Coast Highway. There are bathrooms and pay showers on site.

    I love the beach, but I don’t love eating in the sand, which makes Neptune’s Net, located just a few miles north of Leo Carrillo State Park, a great place to grab a bite to eat prior to hitting the beach. Since 1956 it’s been a favorite of motorcyclists, surfers, locals and anyone else looking for a delicious basket of golden fish and chips. Expect a crowd, especially on weekends.

    Recommended by Hilary from Hilary Style.  Find out more from Hilary about Malibu with kids.

     

    #9:  Marin County

    Marin County is a wonderful location for a family weekend.  It is separated from San Francisco by the world-famous Golden Gate Bridge but offers many great kid-friendly activities.  Our favorite is definitely Muir Woods National Monument.  This magical redwood forest features the Sequoia sempervirens, the Earth’s tallest living things.  These trees are around 250 feet tall and hundreds of years old.  A walk through these woods is nothing short of awe-inspiring.  We also enjoy visiting Point Reyes.  Point Reyes is the windiest place on the Pacific Coast and the second foggiest place on the North American continent, so it’s no surprise that its famous lighthouse had to work overtime and is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  Another great place to visit during a weekend in Marin County is the Marin County Civic Center, which was designed by one of our favorite architects, Frank Lloyd Wright.  Marin County is a great destination for a weekend trip.

    Recommended by We Go With Kids.  Find out more about Muir Woods with kids.

     

    #10:  Mendocino

    Mendocino is a fantastic city for families to visit in California. It is located just off the Pacific Coast Highway, three hours north of San Francisco. As a coastal small town, Mendocino boasts access to beautiful beaches, state parks and outdoor fun. Families can kayak through sea caves, bike or swim in Mendocino State Park, visit a museum downtown or hike Russian Gulch State Park. Those with smaller children may just enjoy wading in the Pacific Ocean. The dramatic cliffs make for a spectacular backdrop and one of the unique features here is that there are two rivers that meet the ocean – the Little River and Big River. Walking along the river bank and watching how the freshwater interacts with the salt water is fascinating.

    For those who prefer a more wooded area, Jackson State Park and Mendocino National Park are within 30 min to an hour away. Here families can enjoy camping, boating, and walking among the redwoods. Families looking for a continued adventure further north than Mendocino can check out the Pacific Northwest.

    Recommended by Margie from DQ Family Travel.  Find out more from Margie about visiting the Pacific Northwest with kids.

     
    #11:  Monterey

    Monterey is one of California’s most unsung treasures. Located just two hours south of San Francisco, Monterey is the perfect getaway for families traveling with children. On a recent trip, my family of four was blown away by the breadth of activities in Monterey – everything from California history, amazing marine life, hiking, and wine tasting is available!
    Every trip to Monterey should be anchored by the world-famous Monterey Bay Aquarium. Located on the bay, the aquarium is the perfect place to spend hours discovering and exploring marine life. We enjoyed, in particular, the amazing jellyfish exhibits, the beautiful views of Monterey Bay, and, the abundant marine themed play spaces for children, which came in particularly handy on a rainy morning.

    In addition to Monterey Bay Aquarium, families should absolutely take advantage of California’s beautiful outdoors. Visit the Dennis the Menace Playground and take a paddle boat ride on Lake El Centro. Take a walk alongside the Asilomar State Beach, where the boardwalk meanders along 25 acres of restored sand dunes. And if you’re feeling particularly adventurous, Jacks Peak Park is an ideal location for families looking to hike with young children as it is perfectly manageable for little legs and the heavy forestry provides abundant shade and cool on warm days.

    If time permits, be sure to check out an integral part of California history – the Carmel Mission. Built in 1770, the Mission provides a quick primer of California’s rich Spanish missionary history and is also the final resting place of Juniper Serra, the priest who founded the first missions in California.

    Recommended by We Go With Kids. Find out more about Monterey with kids. 

     

    #12:  Napa Valley

    When we planned a family vacation to Northern California, my husband and I did not want to miss an opportunity to visit some of the country’s best wineries just because we were traveling with our two young sons.  We regularly visited Grand River Valley wine country in Ohio with them, and the rare treat of drinking grape juice even more when it was served in wine glasses.  While none of the wineries served grape juice in wine glasses and only one offered them Capri Sun, they enjoyed taking winery tours and riding an aerial tram at Sterling Vineyards, watching grape stomping at Grgich Hills Estates, frolicking in the vineyards at Andretti Winery, picnicking at V. Sattui and even taking a nap during a tasting at Beaulieu Vineyard.  But, their highlight was really our suite at the Meritage Resort and Spa.  Napa Valley may not be welcoming, but we would definitely plan a repeat trip next time we are in the area.  The scenery itself is breathtaking.

    Recommended by We Go With Kids.  Find out more about Napa with kids.

     
    #13:  San Diego

    San Diego might be one of the best family-friendly destinations in the U.S. It’s great for a weekend stay – or longer. There are both unique activities and attractions as well as beautiful scenery and beaches. For animal loving families, it’s an ideal location with the world-famous San Diego Zoo, San Diego Safari Park, and whale watching boats.

    One of our family’s favorite things to do in San Diego was spying on seals and sea lions and inspecting the tidal pools at La Jolla Cove. Legoland California is a must-do for theme park junkies and is perfect for kids under 12. A trip via ferry (or by car) to Coronado Island offers a beautiful beach, but I’d also check out the grand old Hotel del Coronado and the cute seaside restaurants and shops. Gaslamp Quarter offers some great restaurants, and don’t forget to eat some fish tacos!

    Recommended by Lori from Maps, Memories and Motherhood.

     

    #14:  San Francisco

    San Francisco is an amazing family destination because there are endless things to do – literally. Our list of things to experience in San Francisco keeps growing because new places are popping up all the time! We live here, but if anyone wants to get here, families can fly into San Francisco or Oakland airport, or there are trains from all over the country into Emeryville, right across the Bay Bridge. It is about a 7-hour drive from Los Angeles area.

    In San Francisco, families can visit kids museums, aquariums, see sea lions at Fisherman’s’ Wharf, visit Alcatraz, eat the best dim sum in Chinatown, roam around the Golden Gate Park and spot bison. There are special events happening all year round – holidays are big here in San Francisco. Also, traveling families may not consider San Francisco as a budget-friendly city, but there are over 200 free things to do with kids in San Francisco! So don’t let the average hotel price is $397 per night scare you from coming. That’s not all – there are national parks and kid-friendly wineries in every direction within an hour of a drive!

    Recommended by Emily Jenks from Henry and Andrew’s Guide.  Find out more from Emily about San Francisco with kids.

     

    #15:  Santa Barbara 

    With it’s beautiful coastline, perfect Mediterranean climate and gleaming white mission style buildings Santa Barbara is one of the most beautiful, if not the most beautiful, coast city in California. Throw in great shopping, its many fascinating sights, including the Mission, botanic gardens, a renowned natural history museum and an adorable zoo with ocean views, it’s pretty much the perfect place for a relaxing family weekend. Just two hours from Los Angeles, Santa Barbara can also make a great day trip.

    My boys really love Santa Barbara’s many playgrounds. Many of them have fun interactive statues, great climbing trees, and there is even a beachside carousel.

    The Santa Barbara Mission is located within acres of beautiful gardens overlooking the city of Santa Barbara and the Pacific Ocean. Guided or self guided tours are available we enjoyed exploring the grounds on our own. I was most excited about visiting the final resting place of the heroine from one of my favorite childhood books, the Island of the Blue Dolphins.

    The city’s Natural History Museum may be small, but it packs a lot of punch.  surprised to learn that 150,000 people visit the Museum every year. We really enjoyed our afternoon here.

    The Santa Barbara Zoo is an absolutely lovely little zoo with a fabulous ocean view. The gardens are beautiful and finding your way around is relatively easy. There are many unique animals and if you’re interested you can even feed the giraffe.

    Santa Barbara is relatively compact and many activities are within easy walking distance of one another, including the zoo. However, the Santa Barbara Mission, Natural History Museum and Botanical Gardens are a bit further out and require transportation 

    Recommended by Hilary from Hilary Style.  Find out more from Hilary about Santa Barbara with kids.

     

    #16:  Santa Cruz

    “Keep Santa Cruz Weird” is a bumper sticker or t-shirt slogan often seen in the Central Coastal California region advertising this quirky Monterey Bay beach town. But is Santa Cruz really that… strange?  Bring your kids for a weekend and find out!

    A family weekend in Santa Cruz is probably going to start out with a trip to the famous Boardwalk. Here there is a small amusement park, arcades and every fried food imaginable and its right on the beach! Be sure to try the Giant Dipper coaster, which has been in operation since 1924.

    After riding the rides, head north along West Cliff Drive (Beautiful homes and stunning views) to my favorite Santa Cruz beach, Natural Bridges State Park. Relax in the sand, or take a dip in the {probably very cold} Pacific.

    After a beautiful sunset at Natural Bridges, head into town to browse the funky shops, eat at one of the cafes (I love the Saturn Café for all things vegetarian) or grab a treat or ice cream on Pacific Avenue. My kids also loved eating at Pizza My Heart, not just for the pizza, but to look at all the surf memorabilia and to score a $10 t-shirt!  For families spending more time in Santa Cruz, take a surf lesson (or watch the surfers at Cowell Beach), head to the Lighthouse at Seabright Beach, tour the campus at UCSC or hit up the famous Mystery Spot, which is a silly tourist destination, that well, I guess is a little weird!

    Recommended by Harmony Skillman from Momma to Go.  Find out more from Harmony about Santa Cruz with kids.

     

    #17:  Ventura County

    One of my family’s favorite places to visit in California is Ventura County. We get to play in the ocean, hike in the mountains, visit islands, and learn about California history. 

    Weekend visitors to Ventura County should make sure to visit Channel Islands National Park on one day. The boat leaves from Channel Island Harbor, and it takes about one hour to get to Anacapa Island. During the journey, it is possible to see whales, seals, and other marine wildlife. Once there, families can explore this tiny island on foot, easily covering the two miles of trails before the boat ride back.

    On the other day, we recommend visiting the San Buenaventura Mission and learning about the Spanish influence in this state. Ride your bike (or rent one) along the bike path next to the beach, or stroll through Ventura Harbor Village and enjoy the shops, restaurants, pedal boat rentals, and Channel Islands National Park Visitor Center. Make sure to get ice cream, too!

    Recommended by Melynda Harrison from TravelingMel.com.

     

    #18:  Yosemite National Park and Sequoia National Park

    Our family loves U. S. National Parks and decided to take a detour to two of California’s most visited parks during a recent family road trip. These parks are massive, and visitors could easily spend a week at each. With proper planning and research, it’s possible to enjoy many of the amazing views while bringing little ones along. Our family of six embarked on a family trip along the California coast and decided to maximize our cross-country flights by starting our adventure by visiting both Sequoia and Yosemite National Parks. We were not disappointed.  A key to successfully taking on these national parks in one weekend is extensive advance planning.  Key accommodation decisions are whether to stay onsite or offsite in a nearby town and at a hotel or camping. Advance lodging reservations are a must, especially during peak season.

    Our itinerary: We arrived in LA on an early morning cross-country flight from Boston and drove to Sequoia, making a pit stop at Salty’s BBQ for lunch).  At Sequoia, we visited the Giant Forest and hiked the family-friendly Big Trees Trail.  We left Sequoia after sunset and drove to Fresno for the night.  The next day, we spent a full day at Yosemite with an early start (a must to secure parking in the park) and visited Yosemite Falls and Half Dome.  Lastly, we drove to San Francisco for the night. Pro tip: pack water, snacks, sunblock and insect repellent and arrive early or late as mid-day is crowded and can be particularly frustrating with cranky children.

    Recommended by Ruth Mendes from Have Kiddos Will Travel.  Find out more from Ruth about Yosemite or Sequoia.

    Ready to plan a weekend trip in California?  Check out all of our posts on the Golden State.

  • Visiting the Eiffel Tower With Kids

    Visiting the Eiffel Tower With Kids

    The Eiffel Tower was a major inspiration for our family’s European vacation this past summer.  Seeing the Eiffel Tower has been #1 on our eight year old son’s bucket list ever since he saw the half scale replica in Las Vegas at age four.  He wasn’t even sure why he was so enamored with Gustave Eiffel’s wrought iron lattice tower, but it was something he had to see.  Whenever we discussed potential vacations, he made sure his desire to see the Eiffel Tower had not been forgotten.   My husband and I consider a wide range of factors including air fares and our personal desire to visit a location when deciding on where to spend our family vacations, but our son’s unwavering insistence on the Eiffel Tower was persuasive.  When we found that round trip airfare from Cleveland to Paris was about half the cost of flights to any other mainland Europe destination, it seemed that our visit to the Eiffel Tower with kids was destined.

    Las Vegas’ Eiffel Tower

    Why is the Eiffel Tower So Popular with Kids?

    The Eiffel Tower is one of the world’s most famous landmarks.  It was designed to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution and also to be used as the entrance to the 1889 World’s Fair.  The Tower took less than two and a half years to construct and was the tallest building in the world until the Chrysler Building surpassed it in 1930.  It was named for Gustave Eiffel, the engineer whose company designed and constructed it.

    Favorite Viewpoints of the Eiffel Tower for Kids

    We first spotted the Eiffel Tower as our plane was landing at Charles du Gaulle Airport.  It was small but noticeable in Paris’ skyline.  My eight year old was pretty excited.  We arrived in the early evening, and after checking into our VRBO in Montorgeuil, we strolled to the Seine River, where he got his first close up view of the Eiffel Tower dominating the skyline.  Even though the Tower was off in the distance, it was a magical moment.

    Boy meets the Eiffel Tower

    The Eiffel Tower is visible from so many spots in Paris that we saw it multiple times each day during our two weekends in Paris.  Each bridge across the Seine offers a slightly different perspective, and it was fun to find it in the skyline.   On our second evening in Paris, we took a classic Seine River boat cruise with Vedettes du Pont Neuf and got to see the Eiffel Tower up close for the first time.

    We could also see the Eiffel Tower from the Arc de Triomphe.  While we didn’t climb to the top of the Arc, I’ve heard that those who do enjoy one of the best views of the Tower.  Another favorite view of the Tower was from Sacre Coeur where we saw it lit up with sparkling lights at night.  This light show occurs on the hour every hour between sundown and 1 a.m. and lasts for about five minutes.  The entire Tower sparkles, and a spotlight shines from the top.

    Booking Tickets to the Eiffel Tower With Kids

    Many visitors to Paris are satisfied viewing the Eiffel Tower from one of the many stunning viewpoints. I had visited Paris twice previously but only not gone inside.  Visitors who want to go into the Eiffel Tower need to book tickets well in advance during peak tourist season.   There are many tours companies that include an Eiffel Tower visit, but we booked our tickets directly through the Tower’s official website.  We secured our tickets three weeks in advance of our visit, which was necessary as elevator tickets to the Eiffel Tower summit were ultimately sold out for all five days we were in Paris.  We settled for elevator tickets right before sunset to the second floor for our family of five (two adults and kids ages 10, 8 and 3) for a total of €40.  We printed out our emailed tickets and waited patiently for the final night of our European vacation.  Because there is no way to predict weather conditions so far in advance, we kept our fingers crossed for blue skies.

    It is possible to purchase tickets to the second floor or summit via elevator or stairs at the Eiffel Tower itself, but lines are often quite lengthy.  Our goal was to avoid lines at all cost during this trip, so we didn’t even consider “day of” tickets.  However, friends of ours went a few weeks before us with their four kids and reported that the trip to the summit was worth the wait down below.

    How Much Does it Cost to Visit the Eiffel Tower?

    The adult rate to visit the Eiffel Tower ranges from €10,20 for stair access to the second floor to €25,50 with elevator access to the top.  There are separate children’s rates for those age 12-24 (ranging from €5,10 to 12,70) and 4-11 (ranging from €2,50 to €6,40).  All children under age 4 are free.  Check up to date Eiffel Tower ticketing information.

    Visiting the Eiffel Tower With Kids

    On the last night of our European vacation, we took the Metro to Trocadero and arrived about 45 minutes before our timed elevator tickets.  At the Gardens of the Trocedero, we were treated to our best view of the Eiffel Tower yet – complete with a rainbow created by the mist from the Fountain of Warsaw.

    Due to construction in the area and limited pedestrian crossings, we had to take a roundabout path to get to the Eiffel Tower entrance, but we followed the crowds and arrived at the security check point about 15 minutes before our entry time.  We cleared security a few minutes later and were directed to the elevator entrance and another short line.  We checked out the view from underneath the Eiffel Tower on the way from one line to the next.

    We were not permitted to enter the elevator line until 10 minutes before our 9:00 p.m. entry.  A tour group accompanied us on the elevator, so we heard the guide’s commentary.  I found this informative and interesting, but my husband would have preferred if tour groups were separated from other tourists.

    Second Level of the Eiffel Tower

    We exited on the second level, which consists of an upper and lower observation deck and were wowed by the views.  Free bathrooms and a bar are located on the lower of the two observation decks.  Jules Verne, a Michelin star restaurant is located on this level and accessible through private access from the south pillar.  A meal at Jules Verne was not in the cards (or budget) on this visit, and the restaurant is now temporarily closed for renovations until Spring 2019.

    Sunset was approximately 9:45 p.m. that night, so we watched as the sky turned from blue to yellow and orange.

    We had hoped that there would be a way to secure tickets to the summit on the second floor but learned that was no longer possible.  We fully explored the second level until after the 10 p.m. light show when the entire Tower illuminated with flashing gold lights, and a beam spun around from its top.  We decided to walk from the second floor to the first floor for a different experience.  The 341 stairs really weren’t bad, even with three kids and a stroller.  The journey took no more than 10-15 minutes.

    First Level of the Eiffel Tower

    The first level includes a glass floor, a gift shop and several restaurants, including the 58 Tour Eiffel and The Buffet.  We wandered around this floor as the sky turned black and then decided to head down.  My husband and the boys chose to take the remaining 328 stairs down, while my daughter and I took the elevator.  We thought that we would easily beat them down, but finding the elevator exit was more challenging than I expected.  We found them waiting on the ground level in the center of the Tower when we exited the elevator.   As we admired our last up close view of the Eiffel Tower, the 11 pm light show began, and we got to see the dazzling Tower from underneath before heading to the Metro.

    Eiffel Tower Review

    The Eiffel Tower was a highlight of our family’s visit to Paris.  While it is possible to enjoy many breathtaking views of the Eiffel Tower from all around Paris, going up into the Tower was an unforgettable experience.  It’s essential to book early during peak season, even if though it means a chance of less than ideal weather.  We were lucky that we had perfect weather conditions, but we all wish we would have booked early enough to secure tickets to the summit.  It was a bummer for sure to miss out on that view, but on the bright side, we all have a reason to return to the City of Lights.

    Our Eiffel Tower Review

    A visit to the Eiffel Tower with kids really was a bucket list opportunity, not only for our eight year old but for our entire family.  My daughter, who was three during our European vacation, regularly mentions that the Eiffel Tower was one of the highlights of our trip.

    Planning a family trip to Paris?  Check out our entire series of blog posts on visiting Paris, and don’t miss our guide to planning a trip to Paris.

     

  • Spotlight: Great Lakes Science Center With Kids

    Spotlight: Great Lakes Science Center With Kids

    Thank you to the Great Lakes Science Center for providing complimentary tickets for my family.  All opinions are my own.

    My boys’ favorite museum in Cleveland is the Great Lakes Science Center.  On a recent day off school, I suggested a “field trip”, and they requested the Great Lakes Science Center without hesitation.  My kids (ages 4, 8 and 10) especially enjoy the Science Center’s hands on exhibits and projects, the NASA Glenn Visitor’s Center, the Dome theater, the special demonstrations and the rotating special exhibits.  My parents decided to join us, and I was grateful for the extra hands and the luxurious 1:1 adult-to-child ratio, especially in a museum where each kid constantly wants to explore something in a different direction.  The Great Lakes Science Center in Cleveland offers so many opportunities for fun STEM learning, and we can’t wait for our next visit.

    Visiting the Great Lakes Science Center With Kids

    The Great Lakes Science Center is located next to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Lake Erie’s North Coast Harbor.  The Science Center is typically open from 10 a.m. to 5. p.m. every day during the summer and Tuesdays through Sundays during the winter.  Note that due to its proximity to FirstEnergy Stadium and the large number of tailgating revelers in the area, the Great Lakes Science Center is closed on the Browns’ regular season home game dates.  (I presume if the Browns had a home play off game that the Science Center would close as well, but my dad’s research indicates that the Browns have not had a home post-season game since the current stadium was completed in 1999. His fingers remained crossed that a home playoff game inconveniences the Science Center sooner rather than later).

    Great Lakes Science Center Parking

    Parking at the Great Lakes Science Center is conveniently available in the 500-car attached garage, and visitors receive a reduced $8 rate with validation.  I paid for parking at the Box Office and avoided looking for a pay station or fumbling with my credit card when exiting.  Visitors entering through the parking garage arrive on level 0.  There are also meters in front of the Science Center, but the two-hour limit really does not provide enough time to fully explore.

    Great Lakes Science Center Box Office

    The Box Office is located on the first level, and we immediately noticed that renovations since our last visit in the Spring included the removal of the enormous escalator that previously dominated the main lobby and addition of a much smaller staircase.  My mom, who struggles with stairs, took the elevator, while the rest of us raced up the new stairs to check out the view out of the enormous window.  The Great Lakes Science Center is a member of the ASTC passport program, so members of most reciprocal ASTC museums receive free admission. 

    The Rotating Special Exhibit 

    After we collected our tickets, we headed back down to Reinburger Hall on Level 0 to check out the current special exhibit, Grossology:  The (Impolite) Science of the Human Body.  Grossology explored the science behind phenomena that kids find fascinating, like flatulence, boogers, burps and stinky feet.  My kids all had permanent grins as they literally ran from exhibit to exhibit.  Considering this exhibit focused on typically “inappropriate” topics, they felt that they were getting away with something while exploring.

    My daughter was particularly enamored with the GI slide, a 30-foot long 3-D model of the digestive system.  She got to slide down the esophagus into the stomach and then climb through the small and large intestines.

    Great Lakes Science Center - Large Intestine Slide

    The 12-foot skin climbing wall was another highlight.  This fiberglass replica of human skin included skin blemishes like pimples, warts, hair and moles. I’m not sure how much my four year old “learned” about dermatology making her way from one end of the climbing wall to the other, but she was definitely thrilled to reach the end.

    Great Lakes Science Center - Grossology - Skin climbing wall

    Great Lakes Science Center - Grossology - Skin climbing wall

    My kids have also enjoyed previous special exhibits featured in this space, including All Aboard! The Science of Trains and Build It.  All Aboard focused on the science and engineering of rail transportation and included a ride-on train for kids of all ages, and Built It! offered visitors many opportunities to build with LEGO and check out amazing LEGO art reproductions.

    Space Exploration and the NASA Glenn Visitor Center

    Next, we headed up to the NASA Glenn Visitor Center on Level 1.  The Visitor Center prominently features Ohio astronauts, including, of course, John Glenn.  My boys both dressed up as astronauts for Halloween during preschool and are interested in the planets and constellations.  We love the National Air and Space Museum and Cleveland’s Shafran Planetarium, so it’s no surprise that the space-themed galleries are a huge hit with my kids.  The 1973 Skylab 3 Apollo Command Module dominates one room of the exhibit.  It traveled almost 40 million miles in space, and its move from the NASA John H. Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field in 2010 took over a year to plan.

    Great Lakes Science Center - 1973 Skylab 3 Apollo Command Module

    Cleveland Creates Zone With Kids 

    In the Cleveland Creates Zone, kids use design and engineering skills to create rockets and parachutes.  Each area includes all the materials needed to create and test designs.  My kids enjoy the Creates Zone every time we visit the Great Lakes Science Center and could create and then test and tinker with rockets and parachutes for hours.  The projects were a bit advanced for my four year old, so we worked together, and I found that making a cone for our rocket was not something that came naturally to me.  I had to ask my boys for help, and the results were not overly successful, but my daughter insisted that we bring her rocket home anyway because she loves mementos.

    My boys enjoyed watching a special physics program in the Cleveland Creates Zone.  The program focused on force and motion. My 10 year old was chosen to be a special volunteer for the program and test a catapult on stage.

    Great Lakes Science Center - Physics Demonstration on Force and Motion

    Polymer Funhouse 

    The Polymer Funhouse is an exhibit designed for children under age 8.  Because I had my parents as extra chaperones, I was able to take my daughter to the Funhouse while the boys watched the physics demonstration with their grandparents.  There were many exhibits for younger visitors, but my four year old spent most of her time in the ball pit waiting for balls to drop on her head.  She’s not quite ready for molecular biology, but she definitely has a concrete understanding of how fun it is to play with a heap of colored plastic balls.

    Great Lakes Science Center - Polymer Funhouse

    Eating at the Great Lakes Science Center

    We ate lunch at Spark Kitchen on Level 0 due to its convenience and the frigid temperatures outside.  We ordered a large 18 inch pizza and a some hot dogs for our crew.  The pizza took about 15 minutes to bake, but my parents were ready for a break and sat with our buzzer in the Kitchen while I took the kids back to the interactive exhibits and felt like a yo-yo as I bounced from one kid to the next, trying to keep an eye on each of them.  There must be some connection between STEM learning and appetite because the kids seemed famished as they gobbled their meals.

    The Cleveland Clinic DOME Theater 

    After lunch, we headed to the 1 p.m. showing of Natural Parks Adventure at the Cleveland Clinic Dome Theater.  This six-story theater takes “going to the movies” to the next level with its giant dome three-projector, laser-illuminated projection system (the world’s first!).  My boys excitedly climbed to the seats near the top of the theater.  My daughter, who had a stimulating day and was due for a nap, was a bit scared of the height but also did not want to sit lower in the theater and clung to me until she fell asleep in my arms.  It was a rare treat that I fully enjoyed, and the rest also gave her the energy she needed for a bit more exploring before we headed home.

    Great Lakes Science Center - Cleveland Clinic Dome Theater

    National Parks Adventure was my favorite part of our visit to the Great Lakes Science Center.  The film included footage of many of my favorite National Parks, including Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Canyon and Bryce Canyon.  Watching the film in the Dome Theater made me feel like I was actually there with the cast or at least made me realize how much I would like to be visiting the National Parks right along side the cast.  It was also certainly nice to rest my feet for a bit and enjoy some unexpected snuggle time with my youngest.

    The Science Phenomena Exhibits

    My kids enjoy the hands on Science Phenomena exhibits on Level 2 each time they visit the Great Lakes Science Center.  Perennial favorites include the pitching cage where kids can see how fast they can throw a ball and the shadow room, which uses phosphorescent paper and a strobe light to produce shadows that last 30 to 60 seconds.

    Great Lakes Science Center - Pitching Cage Exhibit

    My daughter could attempt to make giant bubbles for hours, but the temptation to watch the bubble pop never ends.

    Great Lakes Science Center - Bubble Maker

    The Science Center also takes spirograph to the next level with paper on a moving platform.

    Great Lakes Science Center - Spirograph

    Why We Love the Great Lakes Science Center With Kids

    Our trip to the Great Lakes Science Center was inspired by my sons’ request to visit on their school holiday.  My kids love all the hands-on opportunities to explore science, technology, engineering and math.  Looking for more fun family activities in Cleveland with kids?  Check out our favorite Northeast Ohio activities.

  • Review of Thello Night Train from Paris to Venice With Kids

    Review of Thello Night Train from Paris to Venice With Kids

    Our family had a lovely journey on the Thello night train from Paris to Venice.  My husband and I had each taken overnight trains as young backpackers in our 20s, and we were hesitant at first to travel on an overnight train as a family with kids ages 4, 8 and 10.  But, we considered this travel option when researching how to get from Paris to Venice.  We discovered a number of complications with the budget flights from Paris to Venice.  Arriving in Venice at night is challenging because Airbnb hosts charge hefty late check in fees, and late arrivals also require an expensive water taxi ride into Venice.  At €35 per person for a couchette with bedding, the cost of Thello tickets was a particularly affordable option, and the sleeper cabin looked much better than any I had taken during my backpacking days.  The Thello night train also allowed us to travel from the city center of Paris to the city center of Venice without losing much valuable sightseeing time.  The Thello sleeper train turned out to be a fun and convenient way to travel from Paris to Venice with kids.

    A Trip on the Thello Night Train

     

    Thello Train Booking

    We booked our Thello tickets directly through Thello’s website.  We printed our confirmation and brought it with us.  We chose the smart fare, which is non-refundable and available as low as €29 per person.

     

    Thello Train’s Gare de Lyon Departure 

    In order to prepare for our Thello night train’s departure at 7:10 p.m. from Paris’ Gare de Lyon, we condensed our family’s luggage into our large suitcase and one backpack before checking out of our Airbnb.  We knew that it would be totally impractical to lug around our suitcase and backpack as we explored the Champs-Élysées, the Place de la Concorde and the Musée de l’Orangerie and knew luggage storage was essential.  We did some research about area luggage storage and decided that it made the most sense to store our luggage at Gare de Lyon rather than near our Airbnb and have to return to the area before continuing on to the train station.  We took the Metro to Gare de Lyon, and I waited with the kids inside the Metro station while my husband exited into the train station with the suitcase and backpack to the luggage storage facility we found online.  After he safely stored the bags in a locker, he used another billet to get back into the station to meet us and continue on to the Arc de Triomphe.

    Luggage Storage at the Gare de Lyon

    We had an unforgettable, luggage-free day of sightseeing that included McDonald’s ice cream and Monet’s Waterlilies galleries, the two best rooms of art my sons have ever seen and not a roller suitcase.  We returned to Gare de Lyon about an hour before our departure, picked up our luggage, purchased dinner and waited in the beautiful, bustling station, which was built for the 1900 World’s Fair.

    Waiting for our Thello Night Train at the Gare de Lyon

    We boarded our train upon its arrival on the platform.  Even though my three year old did not have to pay to ride the train if she used existing seats, we did not think that we could comfortably have two people share a couchette in one of the four person sleeper cabin.  So, we chose to book all the couchettes in a six person sleeper cabin at €35 per seat to make sure that no other passengers were placed with our family of five.  The overnight train cost us a total of €210, which was roughly the same as our average accommodation cost!  Similar smart fares are available for this route starting at €29 for adults and €20.30 for children ages 4-14.  Considering the low cost, it was not surprising that our cabin was located in pretty far down the platform in coach 86, but we didn’t mind the walk.

    Thello night train

     

    Thello Night Train Ride With Kids

    When we reached coach 86, we located our sleeper cabin and were pleasantly surprised to find that it very closely resembled the pictures we had seen online.  We specifically chose a cabin in the middle of coach 86 so that we would not be right next to the bathroom and really were not disturbed by other passengers at anytime in the journey.  There were three seats on each side, and the highest bunks were set up with six sets of bedding.  There was luggage storage available over the door and under the seats and six water bottles in specifically designed holders in the wall.  Had we known that water bottles were provided, we would not have stocked up on beverages in the train station.

    We were pretty sure that our kids would enjoy the overnight train as a fun family sleepover experience, and they definitely did.  The three level bunk beds were a particular hit, and the Thello couchettes were more comfortable than we expected.  As the train journey got underway, we ate our dinner and had a relaxed evening in our sleeper cabin.  We enjoyed watching the French countryside that we passed by until the last bit of sunlight bid farewell for the day.  Our boys chose the top bunks, and our daughter quickly mastered climbing the ladder up and down to “visit”.  We explored a bit but mostly stayed in our seats.

    Thello train corridor

    When the conductor came by to check our tickets, she also took our passports.  Many train passengers worry about this, but we knew from our previous night trains it was common practice to expedite passport control when crossing borders.  There was no WiFi, so we read about Venice in our guidebook and all slept for at least nine hours of the journey.  We were able to keep all our luggage with us and lock our compartment from the inside.  We felt very safe traveling with kids.  Although we would have enjoyed seeing the Swiss countryside, it was dark for our entire journey through Switzerland.  Our kids will have to wait for another trip to be dazzled by the Alps.

    We somehow managed to sleep right through the alarm I set and woke up when the conductor knocked to return our passports as promised after Milan.  It was not long before our scheduled 9:35 a.m. arrival in Venice, and we were a bit frantic to get packed up until we discovered that the train was running late.  Breakfast bags with pastries and more water bottles were delivered as an unexpected surprise before our arrival in Venice at about 11:00 a.m.

    Checking out the view on the Thello night train

     

    Our Thello Night Train Review

    Taking the Paris to Venice train was a fun and convenient way to travel, and we saved at least $800 by avoiding flights, travel to and from airports in Paris and Venice and late Airbnb check in fees.  One main negative was that we did not have a private bath or the ability to shower.  Two and three person premium sleeper cabins with private bathrooms are available on Thello night trains, but my husband and I were uncomfortable splitting our family into two rooms.  The only other negative was that the train arrived in Venice about 90 minutes late, which meant we were late for our scheduled Airbnb check in, but that luckily worked out seamlessly.  While we flew from Rome to Paris at the end of our time in Italy, it took seven and a half hours door to door, which meant that we lost almost an entire day of sightseeing en route.  We will definitely consider a night train as a travel option in the future and would recommend considering the Thello night train with kids.

     

    Find Out More About Visiting Paris or Venice With Kids

    Considering a family trip to Paris or Venice?  Check out our posts on planning visits to Paris with kids and Venice with kids.

  • Things to Do in Venice With Kids

    Things to Do in Venice With Kids

    A visit to Venice was an essential part of our family’s itinerary for our summer vacation in France and Italy.  My husband and I had each visited Italy previously, but neither of us had been to Venice and were intrigued by the City of Canals.  Even though it was hot and crowded at times during our mid-July visit, Venice lived up to our expectations and more.  Our gondola ride was definitely the highlight, but St. Mark’s Basilica, the Rialto Bridge, Doge’s Palace, shopping and exploring the narrow pedestrian streets were all unforgettable.  Visiting a pedestrian-only city requires some special planning considerations, but there are so many things to do in Venice with kids.

    Chasing Pigeons in St. Mark's Square
    Chasing Pigeons in St. Mark’s Square

     

    Planning a Family Trip to Venice

     

    Traveling to and from Venice, Italy With Kids

    We booked our trip to Europe a mere 5 1/2 weeks before our departure due to scheduling issues.  We had discovered while booking flights that flying from Cleveland to any major Italian city cost between 2-3 times the total of our round trip flight on WOW air to Paris.  However, because there were plenty of budget flight options from Paris to Italy, we booked round trip flights to Paris and planned to spend 10 days in Italy in the middle of our trip.

    After securing our flights to Paris, we wanted to finalize our transportation to Italy.  Before we booked our planned evening flight from Paris to Venice, we discovered that arriving into the Venice Airport at night is particularly challenging with local transport limited to expensive water taxis.  Most Airbnb hosts meet their guests upon arrival and require hefty late check in fees, and we wondered if we would be able to check in if our flight was delayed.  On a whim, we looked into overnight train options.   Almost immediately, we found Thello’s night train from Paris to Venice that fit our needs perfectly.  The train was scheduled to leave Paris at 7:10 p.m. and arrive in Venice at 9:35 a.m., so we would lose very little sight-seeing time in transit and avoid travel time to and from airports.  At €35 per person for a couchette with bedding, it was a particularly affordable option, and the sleeper cars looked much better than any I had taken during my backpacking days.

    Thello night train

    Even though my three year old did not have to pay to ride the train if she used existing seats/couchettes, we did not think that we could comfortably have two people share a couchette in one of the four person sleeper cars.  So, we chose to book all the couchettes in a six person sleeper car to make sure that no other passengers were placed with our family.  The overnight train cost us a total of €210, which was roughly the same as our average accommodation cost!  I figured that we also saved at least $800 by avoiding flights, travel to and from the airports in Paris and late Airbnb check in fees.

    Thello nigh train sleeper car

    We were pretty sure that our kids would enjoy the overnight train as a fun family sleepover experience, and they definitely did.  The three level bunk beds were a particular hit.  We bought dinner in Gare de Lyon before our departure and had a relaxed evening in our sleeper car.  Our boys chose the top bunks, and our daughter quickly mastered climbing the ladder up and down.  We all slept for about nine hours of the journey.  The main negatives were that we couldn’t shower and the train arrived in Venice about an hour and a half late, which meant we were late for our scheduled Airbnb check in.  Otherwise, taking an overnight train from Paris to Venice was a fun and convenient way to travel.  While we flew from Rome to Paris at the end of our time in Italy, it took seven and a half hours door to door, which meant that we lost almost an entire day of sightseeing en route.  We’ll definitely consider a night train in the future.

    We departed Venice by taking a Trenitalia train from Venice to Bologna.  We planned to rent a car to explore Northern Italy, but found renting a car from Venice challenging because the island is pedestrian only.  It seemed easier to take a train to Bologna rather than travel to Venice’s Marco Polo Airport to pick up our car.

    Trenitalia train on platform

     

    Accommodations in Venice 

    Although we booked our 2 days in Venice only a few weeks in advance, we found an amazing Airbnb in Venice.  We stayed at La corte di San Marco, an Airbnb close to Saint Mark’s Basilica and the Rialto Bridge.  This authentic, air-conditioned Venetian apartment was updated and had two bathrooms and a washing machine.  The host, Jenny, was extremely responsive and had lots of tourist information available in her clutter-free apartment.

    The master suite featured its own attached bathroom with a unique arched doorway.

    La corte di San Marco Airbnb master bedroom

    The kids slept on a pull out couch and single bed located in the apartment’s large living area.  This room featured exposed ceiling beams, a kitchenette and dining table.  We did not eat any meals in the apartment, but it was well-equipped with all the necessities and even offered children’s silverware.

     La corte di San Marco main living room  La corte di San Marco kitchenette

    The apartment also had an adorable enclosed outdoor patio connected to the master bedroom, the main living space and the laundry room.

     La corte di San Marco outdoor patio

    Jenny asked that we place a barrier in the door frame of the apartment’s front door every time we left the apartment due to possible flood waters.  With the recent severe flooding in Venice, the danger is clear, and we hope that La corte di San Marco did not sustain any damage. We would definitely recommend La corte di San Marco for families visiting Venice and would not hesitate to book this Airbnb again ourselves.

     

    Local Transportation in Venice

    We found most of Venice very walkable but did need public transportation to get to our Airbnb.  With no roads in Venice, buses or taxis are not an option.  The public transit system consists of water buses, which are known as vaprettos.   One way tickets for riders over age six cost €7 each, which is substantially higher than typical public transportation costs in other metropolitan areas.  We are experienced mass transit riders, but found the vapretto system somewhat confusing.  After purchasing tickets from the kiosk, riders need to validate at the electronic ticket reader before boarding.  Typically, no one checks tickets on the vapretto itself, but a rider without a validated ticket could be subject to a hefty fine.

    Lines 1 and 2 follow the Grand Canal, and Line 1 makes 14 stops between Santa Lucia Railway Station and St. Mark’s Square while Line 2 is the express option that makes only 5 stops.  Lines 4 and 5 circumnavigate the main island.  Upon arrival, we purchased tickets and were directed to Line 4 because it is the shortest journey from Santa Lucia Railway Station and St. Mark’s.   However, we had to wait quite some time for a Line 4 vapretto to arrive and didn’t have the most scenic route.  On the way back to the train station, we chose to take the slightly longer but much more aesthetically enjoyable route on Line 1 through the Grand Canal, which we definitely recommend.

     

    Packing For a Trip to Venice 

    Our entire trip to Europe was 17 days and 17 nights.  Because we were primarily staying at homestay apartments with washing machines, we packed approximately five to six full outfits for each person.  It was definitely more than we really needed, but I always worry about washing machines not working and want to avoid visiting a laundromat on vacation at all costs.  Wow air charges for each carry on larger than a personal item (e.g. backpack) and each checked bag, which cannot weigh over 44 pounds without incurring overweight fees.  So, we chose to check one bag and also bring two backpacks with us and also carried an extra bag inside our checked suitcase, knowing that we would likely be returning with more than we brought with us.

    With a three year old who would need to nap on the go, a stroller was a necessity.  While we did need to carry our small umbrella stroller up and down stairs at times, especially over Venice’s many bridges, we found that much easier than carrying our daughter, especially when she was sleeping.  She typically hopped out whenever we reached stairs to make the stroller easier to manage, and my ten year old was an expert in helping when she was sleeping.  We do look forward to being stroller-free soon but will miss the built-in storage and bottle holders.

    I’ve never tried packing cubes, mostly because I don’t want one more thing to store and search for before a trip, but I have been intrigued by the organization of separate packing.  It’s amazing how challenging it can be to choose outfits from a large suitcase.  As an experiment, I rolled and packed each person’s clothes in zip lock bags and had separate bags with our pajamas and first day clothes packed into one of the backpacks.  This helped with the organization of the large suitcase and provided a back up in case our suitcase was delayed at the beginning of the trip.

    Ziplock organization

    My packing was efficient, but it was far from perfect.  I forgot a few easy to purchase items like soap and shampoo and found that our converter was not compatible with my flat iron.  I had read that cathedrals and churches in Italy require visitors have covered knees and shoulders, so we also each brought a few pairs of pants, and I decided not to bring any sleeveless dresses.  The rules may have been relaxed because of the July heat, but the covered knees rule was not enforced at any church we visited.  We probably visited two dozen churches and cathedrals, and covered shoulders were required only at the Sistine Chapel, Saint Mark’s Basilica and the Basilica of Saint Mary in Cosmedin.  At Saint Mark’s, coverings were available for a small fee at the entrance to the church.  Shorts and sundresses were appropriate outfits for the unseasonably warm weather we experienced, and I wish I brought more sundresses and a scarf and left all the pants for me and the boys at home.  And, next time, we’re definitely going with  a maximum of four to five outfits each.

     

    Eating in Venice With Kids

    A major benefit of using our feet as the main mode of transportation in Venice was that we could enjoy amazing Italian meals guilt free.  We typically sat down for lunch and dinner.  Even during peak tourist season, we never had to wait more than five minutes for a table.  Hosts or hostesses often stand outside to encourage anyone passing by to take a look.  A few times, we were put off by a hard sell and moved on.  We noticed that chicken was not really available at any of the restaurants we visited in Venice, but we all tried a variety of dishes.  My older son was particularly adventurous, and my younger son developed a love of margarita pizza.  I enjoyed amazing daily seafood dishes, including of seafood risotto and salmon pasta.  At dinner, my husband and I regularly shared house wine and were never disappointed.  We found that restaurants did not provide tap water, so we always had to purchase a large bottle or two with every meal.

    We had some fabulous meals during our two days in Venice and visited one restaurant that we would not recommend.

    Trattoria da Nino.  Following our arrival in Venice and some relaxation in our Airbnb, we headed out for our first Italian meal.  We settled on Trattoria da Nino and sat on the outside patio.  My husband ordered squid ink pasta, a Venetian specialty, and we had a lovely time watching people pass by on the narrow pedestrian street.

    Squid ink pasta
    Squid ink pasta

    Ristorante Agli Artisti. On the first night, we headed out to find a restaurant showing the France-Belgium Semi-Final FIFA World Cup match.   We stumbled upon Ristorante Agli Artisti, which had an available table with a perfectly situated television.  Service was impeccable, and the food was wonderful.  The eclectic decor included exposed wood beams, grape vines and grapes and other interesting objects affixed to the walls and ceilings, and I especially liked the Murano glass water tumblers.  We thoroughly enjoyed our meal and celebrated France’s win.

    Watching the France-Belgium semi final FIFA world cup match

    As soon as we paid the bill, my husband asked to reserve the same table for 8 pm the following night for the England-Croatia Semi-Final FIFA World Cup Match.  A family from New Zealand with a father who also grew up in England reserved the table next to ours for the same reason the following afternoon.  Their three young daughters were not at all interested in the game but excitedly invited our daughter to join them in watching Netflix on their iPad as soon as we finished eating.  World Cup soccer might not be a can’t miss activity on everyone’s European vacation, but my husband and sons are soccer fanatics, and that England-Croatia match was England’s first time in the World Cup Semi-Finals since 1990.   Unfortunately, the ending was a devastating loss.

    Watching the England-Croatia FIFA World Cup semi-final match

    Rio Venice di Chen Weili.  On our final afternoon in Venice, we ate lunch at Rio Venice di Chen Weili, which was unfortunately our least favorite meal in Italy.  Service was slow, the food was mediocre and we were charged a much higher service fee than anywhere else in Italy.  Had we had data to check reviews before we entered, we would have avoided this restaurant.  Note that we had been warned that many menus (including Rio Venice’s) feature seafood platters priced per 100 grams, which some tourists believe to be a fantastic bargain and order.  The surprise comes at the end when they discover they are charged 10 times the advertised price for a 1000 gram meal.

    We did not prepare any meals in our Airbnb apartments but occasionally warmed up leftovers for breakfast.  We made sure to have a daily afternoon dose of tasty gelato.  The most creative presentation were creative flower-shaped cones.  Check out this guide to the best gelato in Venice.

     

    Shopping With Kids in Venice

    We generally enjoy peeking into local souvenir shops while traveling but particularly enjoyed checking out all the gorgeous Murano glass in Venice, and our next visit to the city will definitely include a trip to the Murano, a Venetian island.  Ever since I purchased a stone turtle on Bavaro Beach in Punta Cana, I’ve looked for the most unique and traditional decorative turtles during our travels.  We probably visited every glass shop, looking for the perfect turtle, and of course, ultimately settled on the first one we saw.

    One shopkeeper gave us a mini-lesson on how Murano glass is made.  My daughter loved the glass and carefully looked at all the pieces while keeping her hands glued to her sides.  She chose one of the Christmas trees on her left from this shop.

    While the island typography clearly made transportation of goods more challenging in Venice, prices for shoes, clothes and souvenirs were not dramatically inflated.  I even found a pair of Geox sandals significantly reduced from what I would have paid in the US.

     

    Restrooms in Venice With Kids

    Restrooms are not as widely available in European cities as they are in the US.  Free restrooms for customers are often available in restaurants, hotels and museums, but public restrooms typically require a fee.  My three year old and I visited a public WC in Venice.  The €1.50 fee was only charged for me, continuing the glorious European trend that kids under six are never charged for admission.   The restroom fee may be an unnatural phenomenon, but the facilities were clean.

    Cell Service in Venice

    We researched relatively inexpensive options to add voice/data to our Verizon mobiles while in Italy but used only WiFi service in Venice.  WiFi was available at all of the Venetian restaurants we visited, and we were able to mostly unplug during the day and use WiFi in the evenings.

     

    Currency in Venice

    We definitely needed to use euros at times in Italy, so it was essential to get some local currency.  We traveled with about €200 in cash and then withdrew money twice from ATMs during the trip.

     

    Language Barrier in Venice

    Most people in the Italian tourist industry speak English, and almost all menus were translated into English as well.  My husband and I both learned some key Italian words and phrases, which were helpful in exchanging pleasantries but were rarely necessary.  The only time we truly experienced a language barrier was at lunch outside of Modena where no one spoke English.  We thought we ordered three fixed price, three-course meals but wondered when the large portions of delicious food were brought to our table if we misunderstood the pricing scheme.  It turned out to be an amazing and unbelievably inexpensive meal.

     

    Pickpocketing Warning in Venice

    We had read many reports of pick pockets active in Italy and were extremely cautious.  I carried a Travelon anti-theft messenger bag (review), and diligently kept the clasps locked.  Our valuables were all safe during our visit to Venice, and we did not have any run ins with likely pickpocketers as we did in the Rome train station.  But, with three kids, I’m often distracted and felt much more secure with my belongings secured inside of anti-theft bag.

     

    Planning Our Italy Itinerary for Venice With Kids

    To help get our kids involved with planning our five nights in Italy, I borrowed some children’s books on Venice from our local library, including 13 Architects Children Should Know, which featured Venice’s Andrea Palladio’s Church of the Most Holy Redeemer.

    Church of the Most Holy Redeemer
    Church of the Most Holy Redeemer

    We prebooked our visits to St. Mark’s Basilica and Doge’s Palace, but made errors in each.  We scheduled the 4:30 pm entry into St. Mark’s Basilica without realizing that the Basilica closed at 5:00, making our visit very rushed.  And, we mistakenly made reservations for a special exhibit at the Doge’s Palace opening in September instead of general admission entry.  These mistakes were unfortunate, but luckily our only booking missteps.

     

    Best Itinerary for Venice With Kids

    We spent two days in Venice at the beginning of 10 days in Italy and planned to take a slower pace, sit and enjoy meals, watch World Cup games and really explore each city.  We really didn’t acclimate to waking up early, and it was always late before we got into bed.  Even though we weren’t in full tourist mode, we saw many of Venice’s top sights during our 48 hour visit.  We didn’t have time to visit Venice’s other islands, including Burano or Torcello or the Lido beaches, but next time we hope to explore beyond the main island.

    Here is our basic daily itinerary:

    Day One – Venice

    • Train arrives in Venice at 11 a.m.
    • Take vapretto to Airbnb
    • Explore Venice streets
    • Saint Mark’s Square
    • Rialto Bridge
    • Gondola ride
    • World Cup Game

    Day Two – Venice 

    • Doge’s Palace/Bridge of Sighs
    • Explore Venice streets
    • Return to Saint Mark’s Square and Rialto Bridge
    • Visit Saint Mark’s Basilica
    • World Cup Game

    Day Three – Depart Venice 

    • Vapretto ride up Grand Canal to train station
    • Train to Bologna

     

    Venice For Kids

    We highly recommend a trip to Venice for kids.  Make sure to check out our listing of blog posts on visiting Italy, including posts about Florence and Rome.