My latest adventure was our family's trip to Europe. My kids are now ages 17, 15 and 11 and I thought this might be a good age to introduce them to all the wonderful things I love about European cities. My two oldest children had taken French in school and had both studied European history so they were really excited to go. My youngest was a bit apprehensive about the trip thinking it would be a lot of boring museums and cathedrals.We started our trip off in London. After recovering a bit from jet lag we enjoyed the walk around Parliament, Big Ben, Westminster Abby and the National Gallery. The kids all loved the audio tour of Westminster Abby. The next day we were off to the Tower of London, 
which was probably everybody's favorite part. The tour guides really make this tour fun for all. They have a lot of great (and sometimes a bit gruesome) stories about the royalty who made their home the Tower. My daughter and I went for tea at Claridges while the boys visited the London Aquarium. Tea at Claridges is great fun! We dressed up and enjoyed a variety of teas, finger sandwiches and handmade desserts. It is a must for any London visit. Our remaining 
days found us at the Tate Museum, St. Paul’s and the Globe Theater. We also really enjoyed the Thames River cruise, which a great way to learn a bit of London history and at the same time see some major sites. Because we were on a bit of a budget we took the Tube everywhere and loved it. Our fourth day was spent taking the Euro star from London to Paris. It was a great, quick ride. We found ourselves enjoying the Louvre and Eiffel Tower the first day. My youngest was a bit tired of museums at this point so we made sure we visited the major works of art at the Louvre and then called it a day. I am hoping some of the wonderful things he saw will stick in his mind someday when he takes art history. We all had a great time visiting Notre Dame, Sacre Coeur, St. Chappell (my favorite) and D'Orsay 
Museum. We took the Metro everywhere and for fun each kid had to pick our metro route every day to our destination. They made a few mistakes here and there but overall really figured out the system well. The last night in Paris was highlighted by a visit to the top of the Eifel Tower at midnight.After two big cities it was great to rent a car and drive north to Normandy. We loved our visit to the Caen Memorial Museum. This is a fantastic museum for young and old. There is some wonderful memorabilia, like a wedding dress made from parachutes, and some great movies that illustrate the importance of D-Day and how this historic day turned the course of WWII. There is such a wonderful reverence about Normandy that makes you so grateful for the men and women that sacrificed so much. We loved our accommodations in a fun little B&B farmhouse. The owner's husband cooked a delicious, traditional Normandy style dinner for us that evening. We visited the American Cemetery, which 
was touching and beautiful and the D-day beaches. The coastline in Normandy is amazing. I wished for more time in Normandy.We then were on to Bruges. This is one of my favorite European cities. It looks like a medieval town stuck in time. There are historic Flemish buildings, beautiful gardens, canals running through it all and of course the fabulous chocolate. We walked and ate and ate and walked! Our last stop was Amsterdam. The Van Gough Museum was definitely a favorite for my kids. They loved the layout and the audio tour is a must. We all had a huge appreciation for Van Gough and his amazing works. We did a bit of shopping and lots of walking. The Canal cruise was very interesting and a good way to get off your feet for a while.It may not have been the best time to visit Europe because of the weak dollar to euro ratio, but it was good timing for us and sometimes that is the most important factor. Overall we had a great time and some fantastic pictures and memories. A few tips I can give on traveling in Europe with children: 
· Don't over plan your days. Save some time for sitting and people watching or strolling in a park.
· Limit time spent in museums. Talk a bit about the important works you will see, and then visit those. Total limit in the Louvre for our youngest was 2 hours. (Actually that was the limit for my husband too!)
· Don't just spend time in big cities. Be sure and go off the beaten path a bit. It is the best way to get to know locals. The people in the smaller towns tend to be friendlier and like families. Our favorite destination in all of this was Normandy.
· Make a game out of museum or town tours. Have a check list of important art works or historical sites. Our game of having each kid find a metro route to our destinations was a lot of fun for them and a great learning experience.
· Don't be afraid to travel like a local. Stay in locally operated hotels, eat in local restaurants. The Marriott and McDonalds are great and familiar but you might still feel like you are in the US!
· Give your kids disposable cameras. They loved having their pictures developed when they got home. It meant more to them than looking at our pictures.
I would love to help you plan your customized family trip to Europe.
