City break with 1-2 year old

[Toddletoddler]

My toddler is 18 months but I'd love to take her on a city break in Europe (with DP). I don't want a beach holiday and I'd like the city to be easily accessible to the airport via public transport as we probably wouldn't hire a car - or maybe we should? My concern is that I'd have to book an Air B&B so we don't wake DD in the evening (we would wake her in a hotel room). I'd appreciate any suggestions! Thank you.

My daughter is 3 and i have avoided citybreaks at all costs with her as it's not an enjoyable experience. No patience in shops, no patience with the sites. Wanting to run around when there are no playgrounds. Won't sit still in restaurants.

I've been on a few city breaks myself since she was born Riga, Prague, Krakow and they were all great because she was at home!!

It can be done but i don't want to compromise on my trips so it's not for me.

Berlin definitely, great transport system and it’s very child friendly; playgrounds on every corner, cafes with play areas. I took my son when he was a little older than your DC and he loved it.

Around that age we did Rome, Turin, Berlin, Barcelona, Paris, and enjoyed all of them. City breaks are great for toddlers, but we live in London so it’s pretty much home from home!

We’ve done a few - Bergen great because you can get a train from the airport directly into the city center. Then we walked to our air BnB (by the aquarium) and the city very walkable. We were with DSs 3&1 at the time.

Also done Copenhagen but that was more of a Christmas thing so didn’t see the whole city. Stayed in great child friendly hotel.

Did Venice with DS1 in a pushchair….. not recommended 😂 lovely air BnB though but out of the city (we were visiting friends) so hired a car and all that entails - car seats etc. Bergen was so straightforward in comparison!

I think she'd enjoy a city break. If we went to a beach resort then she wouldn't be old enough to fully enjoy the facilities. I also wouldn't want to go on holiday without my DD.

We have done lots of city breaks with ours as babies : toddlers.

You can find hotels with affordable suites or connecting rooms, or a big bathroom to put the travel cot in can work.

Alternatively if it’s the summer, a balcony or terrace works so you can sit outside while the sleep.

Agree with PP to be a bit thoughtful about where you go if using pushchair a lot, as some of these old cities are all cobbles and stairs. We have a backpack carrier which works well (and they can sleep in it).

Many cities would work though - what kind of time of year : what do you want to do there?

Nice selection! Which city did you like the most?

I never considered Bergen but I think I'd like to visit! I am nervous about using Air Bnb.

We’ve done a few with our now 3 year old from when he was about 6m as neither me nor DH like a beach holiday. We found Copenhagen and Stockholm were the best for young kids - easy transport system, everything is designed with children in mind and playgrounds and kid friendly museum areas are everywhere. We’ve also done Amsterdam, Maastricht, Brussels and Vienna which were also good, but not as good as the Scandi countries.

Yes I need to avoid places with loads of stairs! Obviously some are fine, but not if the city is known for its stairs and steep inclines.

Adding Copenhagen, Stockholm and Vienna to the list!

You can get apartments etc on booking.com- I feel more protected with that than Airbnb after a disastrous trip to Venice.

Thank you!! I would feel safer going through a company rather than a random person.

... I can also add Munich. Great transport links, lovely walkable city centre and a easily accessible park (Englisher Garden) for some space to run around.

Great idea! We've done:

Bologna (with side trips on the train)
Granada
Sicily
Cornwall
Vienna

All with a child aged three or under and all were brilliant :) With Vienna we also had our three month old daughter.

This year we're doing:

Santorini and Paros (not quite a city break but we're not going to a resort either, we're off exploring the ancient sites)
Florence (with train side trips)

Most of the time we book apartments (we've found some on booking.com that also include breakfast!) for the extra space but a few times we've done hotels in hot places that have balconies or adjoining rooms so we have somewhere to sit in the evening. We also mostly eat out in the evening rather than cooking (Vienna and Cornwall being the exception there)

I'm the same as you in that I wouldn't go away without my children but we also don't do AI/beach holidays so they just come along on the types of holiday my husband and I enjoy. As my son has got older we've chosen more child friendly/interactive museums and also included a few park visits and a beach day to split up all the walking.

I'm about to go to Amsterdam with my 3-year-old. I think the key is to make sure you are staying in a family-friendly neighbourhood, plan and book activities in advance, research good places to eat with kids, definitely book an apartment rather than a hotel. We are staying in one where a family with kids normally lives so all their toys etc will be there.

I definitely agree that Nordic/Scandinavian countries and Germany are the best options - steer clear of Paris and Venice! Italy is also great by the way as the Italians are so family-positive and very welcoming to children.

It’s really peaceful and very beautiful. Lots of lovely playgrounds and a great science museum. We did a fjord tour (3 hour one as had 3 & 1 year old). Took the fernicular up the mountain for great views and troll themed playgrounds.

Air BnB has always worked for us but I am absolutely sick of self catering so at the moment favour a hotel.

I was going to suggest Berlin. Lots of fun interactive attractions and parks in lots of locations. Each day we planned a couple of park stops near where we were.

Barcelona- we stayed in Castelldefels, which is along the coast a bit. This meant we could have lazy days/ half days and get the train in to the city. Lots of playgrounds along the beach.

Both cities have good transport, so if you stayed on the outskirts, you can easily travel in.

Forgot to add, we never hire a car*. Vienna, Granada and Bologna were particularly great for public transport.

I also make an Excel spreadsheet before we go away that itemises things we want to do and things we already have booked. It includes a separate tab with loads of pre-vetted restaurants and links to their menus so we can pick somewhere good to eat really quickly. This is so helpful with a hungry toddler.

*For Cornwall we drove our own car so I guess discount that one if public transport is your aim!

I know Airbnb gets a bad rap sometimes but I’ve stayed in dozens with my DC across Europe with no issues. It worked for us because I was often able to find ones that had little gardens and some even provided toys, which helped so much.

That's a great idea and I like the look of Vienna. It's good that it has great public transport. I live in England so thinking of going to places outside of the UK.

This post is perfect. We have an 18 month old and we have been so divided about what to do this summer. We have so much anxiety that travelling with her is going to be too difficult and not fun or relaxing (all just fear I think though).

How do you guys keep to nap schedules when you travel?

Do you all prefer city breaks over anything else? I'm debating between a city break or maybe a break in a small town near the countryside in some European city.

My DD loves just being outdoors. She also loves exploring new places, she entertains herself essentially.

However, she is not good at being confined in buggy or chair for more than 20 minutes. She also isn't good at just napping anywhere. She needs time to settle down for a nap.

What is THE easiest place to go when travelling from London UK?

I did London with my daughter and it was brilliant, some people just don’t like there kids, that’s all. Either bring them along for the ride or don’t

She’d enjoy a trip to your local park and an ice lolly more than any city break in the world

I did city break with my children when this age
but it was definitely more of a “me” holiday than my children!