Travelling with children

First of all
When programming a trip do not think of children neither as problematic appendixes nor as the fulcrum around which the whole vacation must gravitate. Simply attempt considering them as components of the group in which each member must enjoy itself, learn something and not be exposed to excessive fatigue, all in the respect of the needs of the other components of the group.

Programming the trip
If used to adventurous unorganized trips in which you simply threw into your knapsack toothbrush and pajama, and now wish to travel with your children, you must realize that for some years, accurate programming is instead necessary as to avoid uneasiness and discouragement for all.

Some practical suggestions by Vagabondo

When programming a trip with children try to single out places they may be interested in, this being careful not to overestimate them: even the most intelligent and curious child will not stand visiting two museums the same day. They tire more easily than adults and need more hours of rest.
Do not underestimate them: they are tougher than most parents believe and can stand some hardships. Often school and television have made some even apparently complicated things familiar or have created unsuspected curiosities.
Create expectations and involve them in the programming of the trip. When traveling underline the curious or exceptional characteristics.
Always go to the top of all the towers, cupolas, bell-towers and funiculars possible: the best way to give them a synthetic idea of the surrounding city or landscape. If you must go by foot, transform it into a game: make them count the steps so that they may boast about how many they've done and make comparisons with the others climbed.
Program with them beforehand as much as possible the itineraries, children love seeing and recognizing things previously seen in books, brochures or movies. Well provided libraries will certainly have different books regarding the places you intend visiting.
Try to gain as many informations as possible on both guides and internet before leaving as to be able to give them, once in vacation, the necessary informations yourself and answer to their questions. Few children can stand through the often long explanations given by the official guides (and I can't say I blame them).
Remember children today are often solely used to mooving by car and practically all other vehicles, street cars, ferries, busses and steamboats, may therefore be lived as small adventures.
If you want to spend a week or weekend in a city, prefer, when possible and if well connected to downtown, a residence to a hotel. This will allow you to solve different meals in a practical and economic manner without obliging you to eat out even when you would prefer not to. Besides a small home may be a better "playground" than a hotel room.
Try not to arrive in new places late in the evening. It is better if children have time to familiarize with new environments before going to sleep.
If you bring them in residences or resorts which supposedly provide games or entertainment for children make sure it is not solely a place where they are "parked" and if during low-season that the service is nonetheless active.

Traveling by car.
Long car trips with very small children may be very tiring. Some expedients may help:

try traveling as much as possibile in those hours during which they habitually sleep, be it the afternoon or the night;
try transforming the rear seat in a sort of enclosed bed so that they may not fall from the seat or hurt themselves in any way;
bring with you those objects they normally sleep with such as favorite toy, blanket, etc., and not too many toys;
bring some tapes or cds with their favorite music;
try not to travel during the hottest hours if you do not have air conditioning, while if you do, do not keep the temperature too low as to avoid excessive temperature changes when you stop;
avoid itinerant vacations: continuous changes in "home" can be disorienting for small children. If you wish to explore a region it is better to stop in a single central place and alternate excursions all around to days in place. The location chosen for the stay must therefore be pleasant, confortable and must have elements of interest (animals, beach, park, etc).

Traveling by car with with older children...

avoid excessively long non stop trips. Program the journeys as part of the vacation, with peaceful stops to eat, play or see something (even sheep, cows or hens may be an amusing diversion for children grown in the city);
keep some clothes you may change them in at hand: children love playing with water and surely, sooner or later, will find the way of drenching themselves;
a pic nic always seems like a small adventure and may be the best solution when there are pleasant places in which one may stop. If stopping at the motorway restorant is necessary, try pretending it is a reward for their good behaviour;
bring CDs or cassettes of their favorite tails so that they may listen to them especially while on the motorway;
involve them in the preparation of the luggage, make them pack their own things and take part in the loading of the car;
translate the distances in terms they are familiar with: such as "like from our house to grandmas", or "twice as much as the one we do to go to the sea", etc.
on the motorway make them read the signals and check the distances: this responsabilizes them and may at the same time be useful to you as well so long as you avoid trusting them blindly.

Destinations
Destinations parents are traditionally interested in often offer different opportunities for the younger visitors as well.
Lets take Rome as an example and view some of the possibilities offered:

Il Colosseo If in school they have already studied some history of ancient Rome.
San Pietro The tour of the terrace and of the cupola, the Treasure.
The Museo della Civilta' Romana - Piazza G. Agnelli 10 (EUR) - 06 5926041
It has a huge plaster model of Ancient Imperial Rome, perfect for helping them envision how the city must have been before bringing them to visit the ruins in the Fori Imperiali.
After visiting the museum one may also go to the nearby lake (laghetto dell'EUR), which dists solely approximately 500 meters, and rent a pedalo for a pleasant diversion.
Il Museo della CarrozzeVia Andrea Millevoi 693, 06 51958112 - 5073500
Museo delle MuraVia Porta San Sebastiano - 06 70475284 A suggestive walk, high up on the inside of the city walls.
Castel Santangelo Lungotevere di Castello 50 - 06 6819111 A fascinating tour, children will be impressed by the ancient prisons and the armoury.
Museo Francescano della Chiesa dei Padri Cappuccini. Via V. Veneto 27, 9-12 and 15-18 closed on thursdays. For those interested in macabre: the internal decorations are done using the bones of the dead friars.
Piazza NavonaApart from the beauty of the square, on the corner of via Agone there is one of the biggest peluche stores of Italy.
A ride on the street car 30b, a beautiful street car with new coaches. It should be taken at the terminus in Piazza Thorvaldsen as to find confortable and panoramic seats. It crosses Piazza di Porta Maggiore and Porta S. Giovanni, passes near the Colosseum, goes along Viale Aventino and ends near the piramid of Caio Cestio: very interesting tour and an hour rest.

Note:

There are no comments attached to this item.