Have you ever fancied a European break? You can visit so many countries and cities in such a short time. Everything is so accessible it really is possible to cover some of the biggest tourist attractions in Europe in one family vacation.
Don’t get me wrong, flying the entire family to Europe is not cheap. This is one of those vacations that will take a lot of planning and a lot of saving. It certainly is worth doing though, because there is so much to do and so much to see. If they are old enough, the kids will get some great history and geography lessons from the trip, not to mention a great deal of fun.
London is great for seeing something we don’t have here in Ohio – palaces! Buckingham Palace is enormous. It’s so grand they have guards outside that aren’t allowed to smile or move unless the Queen says so. Great fun for the kids to try and get them to giggle! This is definitely one of the photos you would need to get for your holiday memory box. This is one of the few places in the UK where you can survive using the Euro currency, but British Pounds are preferred.
There is a train from London all the way to Paris, and it only takes a couple of hours or so. In Paris, you can climb the Eiffel Tower and see the whole city. There are plenty of patisseries to stop at and refuel with a French cake too. Food is everywhere, and you can find some weird and wacky things on the menu, like snails and frog legs. French bread is great warm and fresh from the bakery too.
Spain is a warm and sunny country with vast amounts of coastline. There are also mountainous regions if you prefer a climb. The most famous city is Barcelona. Lots of people visiting this part of Spain like to rent private accommodation. You can try agents like Barcelona apartments with HouseTrip to sample Spanish living. They can then take advantage of the hundreds of day trips available in the area. There are huge water parks in the area to keep the kids going too.
Malaga beach picture courtesy of Flickr.com
Germany is home to beer and sausages. There are hundreds of varieties of both, and they go well together if you are an adult. For the kids, there is plenty to do and see. Most towns will have markets and street entertainers in traditional dress playing Oom-pah in the brass bands. Germany is a very clean place, and the parks and gardens are excellent for a family stroll.
Italy has so many beautiful cities to see, like Pisa with its iconic leaning tower and the historic Rome. Perhaps the most unusual city to visit is Venice. Venice is a city sprung up out of the water. You can travel through the watery streets on a gondola and see Grand Canal palaces.
Other countries of interest near Italy include Greece, Cyprus and Austria. There are so many wonderful places to see in Europe that it will be hard to squeeze them all in on one vacation.
