It’s been a month since we returned from our family trip to Europe and I still can’t stop reliving the memories. We traveled with our 3 kiddos and it was a trip of a lifetime that none of us will soon forget! 

Even if our oldest did order a Dominios pizza that took two hours to arrive and cost $75. But that’s a story for another day. Haha! 

In case you missed it, I shared my number my travel planning tip last week so be sure to check that out here (link to blog) if you’re planning a trip soon! 

But as for our time in Europe, I thought it might be helpful if I created a little travel guide around our experience. If you’ve had a trip to Europe on your bucket list for any amount of time, the time to plan it is now! 

You will never regret the time spent exploring such a beautiful country. 

So where should you go?

Gosh, where shouldn’t you go should be the real question. There is so much beauty to experience but unless you’re planning to move in for a while, it’s impossible to see it all. The good news: you can’t go wrong with anything you choose to see. But we were incredibly pleased with the places we visited so I’ll list them here for you to check out! 

OUR FAMILY TRIP TO EUROPE

A few places we explored: 

While in London we visited: 

-The London Eye

-Trafalgar Square

-Buckingham Palace + changing of the guard

-Harrods

-The Lion King theatrical show

-Harry Potter Tour 

-Westminster Abbey

-Tower of London

-Warner Brothers Studio 

-Churchill War Rooms

-Black Cab

And we still managed to take a train ride, experience high tea, and enjoy all the scones, clotted cream, and strawberry jam. 

Then we journeyed to Scotland and continued the fun while experiencing: 

-A trip to Edinburgh (which is utterly amazing)

-Walking the Royal Mile 

-Edinburgh Castle

-Another Harry Potter tour because Harry Potter is life. 

-a Scotland dinner show (so fun, highly recommend)

-The Royal Yacht

-Sterling Castle (so much gorgeous history)

-Driving through the Highlands

-Invergarry (again, gorgeous)

-Fort William train (for all the Potter fans)

-Lochness (so cool to see, we took a boat tour and learned that the “monster” is probably just a really large eel)

– And of course lots of castles

This wasn’t the extent of our trip, but rather the highlights of the beautiful countryside. I highly encourage you to check them out and plan to visit as well. 

And if you have kids, TAKE THEM WITH YOU! 

I mean, I may or may not have googled, “boarding schools for boys” a time or two during our family trip to Europe. But hey, they would have been at each other’s throats at home too, so why not listen to their arguing in a beautiful place? 

A FEW TIPS FOR TRAVELING WITH KIDS

-Have them share rooms to save money. 

The kids shared rooms most of the time. There were a few places where Aiden (16) got his own space but Liam (12) and Sydney (9) shared a room the whole time and they all survived. 

-Prepare your picky eaters. 

Aiden ate most of the food but Liam and Sydney were more particular. But the good news was the food was really easy to navigate with particular eaters. If you have picky eaters, prepare them ahead of time to keep an open mind about trying new foods. That’s part of the adventure of it all, trying different cuisines. 

-Don’t try to keep their clothes organized. 

If they are in charge of their own suitcase, they will not keep it neat and tidy. Let the urge to keep everything organized go and let them handle searching for the match to their socks. 

-Set a budget for souvenirs. 

Because trust me, they will “NEED” everything they see. Give them a budget for how much they can spend on souvenirs and when the money is gone, it’s gone. 

AND FOR MORE GENERAL TRAVEL TIPS

-Pack clothes that can be a capsule wardrobe and be worn multiple times with multiple things. 

-Pack a light rain jacket because it will rain, especially in Scotland. 

-If you can plan out where you will do laundry ahead of time that is helpful. Most bigger hotels have laundry services, but the smaller towns won’t. I brought some soap and we did laundry in the bathtub one day. 

-If you have fancier things planned like dinners or shows, pack some formal clothes, but otherwise pack for comfort. And don’t over-pack shoes. A pair for comfort and a pair for style is all you need. 

-Be mindful of bag weight with souvenirs. You don’t want to spend all the money on things that will cost you even more money to get home. Some larger shops can ship home if you don’t have room, so be sure to ask.

-Hydration is key. Bring a water bottle and make sure you are drinking your water every day. It’s easy to get dehydrated and no one wants to be exploring the countryside with a headache.

-Take photos and videos of everything. You will be so happy you have them later. And get your kids involved in the photo taking. It’s really fun to see the trip from their perspective.

I could write an entire novel about our experience and all the things I would do again or do differently, but for now, I hope this serves as a helpful travel guide to get you started on your planning. We had such a fantastic two weeks. I honestly could have stayed there forever.

Our family trip to Europe was unique to the things we wanted to see and experience, but you honestly can’t go wrong. It is such a beautiful country with rich history and stunning landscapes. Even if you just rent a car and drive around, you’ll be more than pleased! 

So book the trip, buy the plane tickets, and explore all this world has to offer. You’ll never regret it. I promise.