To take a 3 yo backpacking/inter railing?

[FragrantBumFluff]

Is this a total crazy idea?

We have been invited to a wedding in Europe next summer. All of us including DD who will be just 3.

The obvious thing to do is fly there and fly back but it’s a nice destination so we were thinking making a short holiday out of it, then had the idea of going to another destination nearby and suddenly we are considering taking a month off work to travel around Europe a bit. I travelled a bit in my student days but it was a lot of drinking and partying so there are so many landmarks I’d love to visit again or for the first time as a family.

Is this a totally mental thing to do with a preschooler?

Well, I wouldn't, but I'm pretty uptight and so were my toddlers .
But I think it could be great for the right people!

We regularly take out 3 year old on 3/4 week road trips and we have a great time. Often it’s a new location every 1/2 nights with decent drives inbetween.

We love it and our little one has no problems adapting, just go with the flow and have low expectations.

Last year we did 3 weeks driving around Iceland and this year it’s a road trip around Costa Rica, all at relatively fast pace to get around the whole country. It suits us and our child but I realise that it wouldn’t for all families.

I don't think it is necessarily a crazy idea. I assume you wouldn't do it in the same way as you would have done as a student. I wouldn't do overnight trains. I wouldn't do very long train journeys and I wouldn't move on as often. I'd stay in nicer places, booked in advance. But no reason why you can't have a one month holiday in Europe with a 3 year old, travelling by train and moving on every 3-5 days.

We took our 5 and 6 year old to Japan. Travelled by train. Moved on every few days, for two weeks. Obviously not the same, but not that different either!

Personally I'd probably go for two fortnight holidays rather than a month, but whatever works for you!

Personally I found I worst holidays were often the ones that were supposed to be family friendly. The kind of simple beach holidays that we wouldn't really have done without kids. The problem with those were that if my children were grizzly (and they often were!) and we couldn't relax then it all seemed completely pointless. If we were a bit selfish and did city breaks, travelled about, saw new and interesting things for us, then it didn't matter so much if it didn't all go completely smoothly as at least we still got something out of it. We were realistic, both in terms of how much we could do, but also recognizing that it was mainly for us not them, and it was altogether much more successful!

I think it could be great OP. I was taken travelling for 6 months when I was 4. Everyone lived to tell the tale. I can still remember bits of it. We came home, I started school and holidays were restricted to term time for ever more.

If you don't do it now it could be a while before you get the chance again.

Enjoy!

Do it, you'll have the time of your lives

As long as you are prepared to do lots of toddler-oreiented things, such as explore all the playgrounds and zoos, it should work. It's not quite the same as an adult break , obviously, but I used to have fun doing that.

I remember taking our DCs to Kualar Lumpur when they were 1.75 and 3.75. I found a lovely art studio that allowed members of the public to have a go. The two DCs produced brilliant pictures on silk and they still have them framed in their rooms.

Also had a fantastic time in Switzerlwnd when they were toddlers. Lots of kid friendly activities.

Depends on the child, as PPs have said. Ive taken 4yo twins to Paris and Brussels on the Eurostar and lots of train trips in the UK

• it's not a mad idea per se, and certainly no worse than an airport at that age
• check out things like "family lounge" at KX, go find local Instagram accounts etc. You will not be having a cheeky glass of rosé on the concourse.... You'll be checking out European climbing frames 😜
• where's the wedding. Like if you're going to lake Garda with a couple of nights stopover, definitely yes. 3 weeks whole interrail trip? No way, it will be whinge-tastic by day 5
• look at man in seat 61
• aim for empty Corail/InterCity type trains in the middle of the day, not commuter ones at rush hour!

Good luck if you do it 👍

Do it!

Personally I think 3 is a great age to do it.

I think to be thinking about it, you must be reasonably comfortable with travel anyway.

Haha 50/50 split pretty much. I'm in the do it camp!

It depends on your child, if they are happy to amuse themselves whilst on transportation, not in a strict routine, fairly chilled, can stay up with out it being catastrophic.

My niece could easily have done that type of holiday, we used to get comments that people didn't even realise she was on the plane as she was so happy and quiet. Genuinely content to colour, play with little toys, watch a film.

My children at 2/3 more closely resemble the Tasmanian devil and must be in bed by 7:30 if we don't want to ruin the next day, so transport for us is the part we endure to get to where we're going and do short trips from there. Thankfully my almost 5 year old is now a lovely travel companion so there's hope our days of proper travel will begin again in the next couple of years!

It's one of those ideas that sounds nice on paper but would probably be horrific.

Absolutely do it! Just be prepared for all eventualities and do your research, but why not have an adventure with your little one!
And take photos, so your little one has those visions to help build their memories when they're older ♥️