Three medieval towns in Northern France to tour with kids

Paris may always be a good idea, but families can't go wrong exploring the French countryside as well. While charming medieval towns, many of which are UNESCO sites, dot the map across France, travelers will find plenty to choose from within reasonable driving distance from the capital city. Rent a car and plan to spend 2-3 days exploring the following small to medium-sized medieval cities in … [Read more...]

Harry Potter road trip: UK filming sites worth visiting

There's are many filming locations for the Harry Potter movie franchise scattered over the UK and Scotland, but frankly, not all of them are visit-worthy. For instance, the campsite Harry and Hermione find themselves in during the last book and movie is really more of a sewage treatment center with some grass outside. Other sites, however, have been destinations in their own right for years, and a … [Read more...]

Best restaurants in Rome for non-foodies (plus eating in Italy tips):

Eating in Italy? You’re in for a treat! After eating our way through the country, I am here for you with tips for dining in Italy with kids, plus our picks for the best restaurants in Rome. Note: for Florence dining recommendations, read our Three Days in Florence with Kids article. Best restaurants in Rome (by category): Pizza: Pizza Forum: This restaurant has a boring name, and looks and … [Read more...]

Normandy in a day: What to see with 12 hours by car

If you can carve out a free day during a visit to Paris, it's well-worth your time to explore Normandy. While this region of France deserves a week or more of your attention, families can hit some highlights with just a day. We've written about taking kids on a D-Day site tour from Paris with Viator, and while I highly recommend going this route if you can't rent a car, it does take longer to … [Read more...]

Guide to Villa Borghese with teens who want to do everything extreme

We’re a very active family who spends significant time outdoors when we travel. In Rome, we noticed the lack of green spaces right away. Luckily, our apartment rental was located directly across the Tiber from Piazzo Popolo with an entrance to Villa Borghese. This sprawling green space and garden is Rome’s version of Central Park, and if you have active kids and teens who need to burn off energy, … [Read more...]

Three days in Florence with kids

I’ve heard it said that Florence is not an ideal destination for kids, but I couldn’t disagree more. Our three days in Florence were among our best in Europe. Even with only a basic education in Renaissance art, which Florence is known for, we found plenty to do in this charming and picturesque Tuscan city. For us, the key to enjoying Florence with kids was to temper museum visits with lots of … [Read more...]

Exploring Pompeii with kids

The ancient city of Pompeii, under the looming shadow of (what remains of) Mount Vesuvius, was not precisely as we imagined it. The layout, exhibits, and interpretive materials were not clearly marked, and it took some persistence to find what we were looking for (and even then, we missed things). It’s also most certainly a lengthy and expensive commute from Rome. All this said, we were glad we … [Read more...]

Louvre vs d’Orsay museum: why you should visit both with kids

If you’re visiting Paris with kids ten and up, both the Louvre and the Musée d'Orsay are probably on your short list. When I created our Paris itinerary with kids, I initially left the d'Orsay off of it. This was a big mistake! On recommendation by our Fat Tire Tours guide, we ended up spending a morning at this museum and it was our most enjoyable museum visit in Paris. In the battle of the … [Read more...]

Getting from Pisa to Florence with a side trip to the Leaning Tower of Pisa

If you're flying into Pisa's airport and then getting from Pisa to Florence Italy, you have several options, all of which are pretty cheap and pretty fast. However, if you want to take advantage of your time in the town to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa, there's really only one way to do it. Here's how (and why it's worth the time): From Pisa International Airport (PSA), also called Galileo … [Read more...]

Guide to surviving (I mean enjoying) the Vatican Museums with kids

You can't go to Rome without seeing the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica, but make no mistake, the Vatican Museums are difficult to tackle, with or without kids. With over 2000 rooms and nine miles of art, these vast and imposing buildings within Vatican City are overwhelming on the best of days...on the worst, you'll be wading through crowds that make Disney World on New Year's Day look … [Read more...]