help! where should our family go for our first europe trip?
I’m already losing sleep over planning our first big family trip to Europe. My oldest is about to graduate, and we promised her a special trip before she heads off to college. The four of us (kids will be 17 and 13) have never traveled internationally together, except for my daughter, who’s been to Switzerland and Germany and keeps raving about the chocolate and the trains. I’m the nervous one—I get anxious just thinking about airports, let alone navigating a foreign country where I don’t speak the language. My husband’s biggest concern? He refuses to lug winter coats around, so that probably rules out the magical Christmas markets I’ve always dreamed of.
We’re aiming for October to December, but I’m torn. I want somewhere that’s not too overwhelming for a first-timer, but still has enough to keep both our outdoorsy hikers and our history buffs happy. We’re not into the big tourist traps—no standing in line for hours at the Eiffel Tower for us. We want to eat real local food, maybe try a cooking class, and actually talk to people who live there (as much as our rusty German and French will allow).
I keep bouncing between Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Italy, Ireland, and Greece. Every time I think I’ve made a decision, someone in the family changes their mind. I just want a place where we can get a little bit of everything—good food, some hiking, a bit of history, and not feel like we’re running around with a checklist.
Has anyone else tried to plan a trip like this and ended up totally overwhelmed? How did you finally pick a destination? And is it even possible to pack light for Europe in the fall, or am I doomed to be the mom carrying everyone’s sweaters and rain jackets?
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