Favorite Things-Baltics , Paris , London

[brazilgirl]

I´d love to hear your recommendations on "must-sees" and "must-dos" for the following cities with kids:

 

London ( 3 days)

Paris ( 3 days)

ST.Petersburg (2 days)

Copenhagen (2 days)

Helsinki

Tallin

Stockholm

Amsterdam

Harwich

Warnemunde

 

Any advice would be hugely welcome and hotel suggestions for Paris /London too would be cool.

 

Thanks,

Kim

[rebeccalouise]

We went to the Eye in London and it was interesting. I have vertigo and it scared the crap out of me but my son loved it. In the past I have done the hop-on-hop off bus and really enjoyed visiting the Tower of London.

 

In Paris- the city is fantastic. We did the hop-on-hop off bus and went to the Eiffel Tower at around 9PM and walked up to the first level. It took an hour to get tickets to do the walk up. However, I saw the people in the glass elevator while we were trudging up to the first level (you can go higher if you want to). The people were sandwiched in the elevator like sardines and I am glad we didn't go that route. It is a workout walking up but you feel a sense of accomplishment. It is lovely to see Paris from there at night. I wouldn't bother to book at "Altitudes" because it is only on the first level and it is just as easy to walk up and take in the view- no need to spend a fortune on a meal there.

 

They had some amusement rides in the Park and we stopped there and he had fun.

 

I have been to the Louvre before and we didn't go there but it is a spectacular museum and I especially loved the room with the crown jewels- oOO-la-la!!!

 

You can't do everything in one day. Just walk down the Champs Elysee. We took in an English speaking movie (most are in English with French subtitles)- unlike Germany where most are dubbed in German.

 

As for dining in Paris. I found the food pretty yucky and over priced. We did have a fantastic meal at an Indian restaurant off the beaten track near the Arc D'Triomphe and I must say that they are alway so nice to kids in Indian restaurants (we also ate at one in Salzburg). The food was better than the french crap and very reasonable. So don't go into one of the "traps".

 

My son loved swimming in the fountain in front of the Eiffel Tower. We went there two days in a row (it was August) and it was great seeing him swim there with Eiffel Tower in the background.

 

I wished we had had more time. If so we would have taken the train to Versailles.

 

I haven't been to Copenhagen so can't comment

[kitty9]

London: Definitely the London Eye, the Tower of London, the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, Madam Tusaud's, and the Hop on Hop off bus.

 

Paris: I think that's a tougher one for kids. The line to get into the Louvre can be VERY long and tiring. But don't miss the Eiffel Tower, especially at night and again like London, the bus. If you have the time, a trip to Rouen or to Giverny where the Monet museum is located is worth the time.

 

St Petersburg: A lot depends on the age of your children. If they're older than toddler age I would recommend Peterhof, a ride on the jet boats, Church of the Spilled Blood (there's a very nice market across the street from there with very interesting things for tourists), and perhaps a shorter visit to the Hermitage. I would also recommend a tour of their military museum to see the original Sputnik.

 

Copenhagen: Don't miss Tivoli Gardens. It's in the center of town and a really fun place for kids.

 

Stockholm: Definitely a visit to the Vasa Museum to see the original ships from olden days. The Vasa is actually the only surviving ship from the 17th Century. You can also take a ride through all of Stockholm's canals.

 

Amsterdam: The Flower Market just outside Amsterdam is beautiful and amazing. You could also take a tour of Delft and the pottery factory.

 

There is absolutely nothing in Harwich of interest for anyone. It's just a port.

 

Warnemunde is the jumping off port for Berlin. While they may offer tours to Rostock, there's nothing that would interest kids. The tours to Berlin are very, very long (I think they are 10 to 11 hours), but the kids might like the train ride.

 

To be honest, I've been to Helsinki three times and while a very beautiful city, I didn't find much of interest there, especially for kids unless you can find a children's museum. It's the same for Tallin.

[Miss Jolly]

How old are your children please and that will help us to help you.

[brazilgirl]

My kids are 5 , 9 and 12 (boys 5 and 9-girl 12).

 

9 yr old is a history buff....loves everything history related. 12 yr old is very flexible and easygoing and has fun doing almost anything.

 

5 yr old is , well , 5 but already recognizes a Monet , a Van Gogh and a Degas.We will visit the Musee DÓrsay in Paris for sure.

 

The Vasa Museum is on the top of my list , as is Peterhof.

 

Swimming in a fountain sounds dreamy!!!They would love that!I will put there suits on under their clothes.

 

I plan to prepurchase tickets online to the Louvre and such to avoid lines(read this is possible.)

 

Has anyone visited the Catacombs with their kids in Paris? It looks a bit gruesome , but I think it might appeal to the children.

 

In Warnemunde , we plan to hang out at the beach area and avooid the tiring trip to Berlin.

 

After all the recommendations , I will reconsider the London Eye!I had crossed it off my list....

 

Love to hear more..thanks for all answers so far.

Kim

[Miss Jolly]

OK Now I know the ages that helps + the fact that the 9 year old is a history buff as are my son and husband!

Glad you have the Vasa, London Eye,Lovre down. Peterhof was fantastic - I can highly recommend Alla tours for St Petersburg. We kept this tour to a private one for our family so it was personnaly fine tuned to keep everyone happy. When you go to peterhof, make sure you find the rick fountain (there is a guy sping in a green hit and he will spray the fountain as the kids try to cross the path. My two were 13 and 15 but had a great deal of fun with this- especially as it was so hot there.) St petersburg was great but exhausting so we went for a very low key day next in Helsinki. We walked around the markets and then caught a sunline canal tour. This is the best company to use as their boats are lowere and so can go under more bridges. Our family loved this day after the hectic pace of St Petersburg. If you would like to email me at jennie1@exemail.com I am happy to pass on our St Petersburg itinerary as it was especially designed for my history buffs.:p My history buffs also LOBED Berlin but it was a long train ride back. However, train ride is very easy and inexpensive if you do it independently. Our ship was charging a huge amount just to catch the train. Once again, email me for details or ask heinbloed for help on the Ports of Call board. Tivoli in Copenhagen is fun for the kids but so is a day exploring the castles. Again, this is easy to do independently and inexpensive. Again, a canal ride in Copenhagen was inexpensive, easy and enjoyable for the family. We all loved walking around Tallinn's Old Town. My husband and son were amazed at what was available for sale in the antique stores - a great deal of military history equipemt.

[brazilgirl]

My son LOVES antique stores...I was thinking of visiting Portobello Market in London with him.Every Sunday we have this awful (reaaalllly awful) flea market near our house and he loves it.

 

 

I´d love to have your itinerary in St.Petersburg.My e-mail is kial@uol.com.br.I´d really appreciate it!I have also chosen to do a tour just for our family , as we will have more flexibilty.We have booked with Anastasia -she has good reviews ( I know Alla does too).

 

One of the things I am concerned about is sheer exhaustion!The itinerary is a bit overwhelming -luckily we have 4 sea days to relax .But we have 5 long days in a row-Stockholm , Helsinki , 2 days in St.Petersburg , then a day in Tallin.

 

We won´t go to Berlin for this reason , as it just seems too far and a day at the beach sounds like a welcome chance to relax.I have already "talked" to Heinblod(what a guy..so helpful) and he gave me some great tips.

 

Did you eat in St.Petersburg with a family?

 

 

Thanks ,

Kim

[Mego0427]

DF was born in Estonia, I asked him what there was to do in Talin and he said nothing haha. He did say the beach but I looked it up and it seems to be too far away for a day trip. He used to go to the ocean with his family to look for amber to sell. Maybe there is some tourest attraction where the kids can "search" for amber.

[rebeccalouise]

Talin is supposedly beautiful. My son and father were there a couple of years ago and it was their favorite port.

[brazilgirl]

I think the kids will enjoy Tallin- it looks very charming and "medieval".They really liked Dubrovnik , which isn´t full of kid -geared things.It looks like it is easier to walk around in.My son will no doubt want to buy some military equipment (re-miss jolly´s post).

 

Finding amber sounds fun!

Kim

[rebeccalouise]

When you are in Europe the really cool things are the castles, ruins and forts. These are things that they can't experience at home. They are also places that kids can't "ruin" because they are already in shambles or are made to withstand anything. So it is a win-win.

 

The way I look at travel is that everything is new to me. So it isn't a hardship to go to a castle, fort or ruins instead of going shopping or to a museum. There is only so much you can do in a day and both experiences are new, interesting and informative. Sometimes I think it is fun to think like a kid. We love castles and imagining what it would be like to have lived in ancient times.

[brazilgirl]

I love what you said- castles can´t be ruined , so it is a win-win situation!!!

 

One of my kids favorites places in the Med was the Palantino (sp?)in Rome , cause they got to climb all over it. Telling kids not to touch or to be quiet gets old after awhile.Of course , there are times and places where that is fundamental , but kids need to be kids.

 

That is why I am really looking for a balance between art , castles , beach , parks etc.A little of everything! The parks in Paris and London look amazing and I want to go on lots of picnics.

 

I love to shop , but on these family voyages , that is at the end of my list , first because kids and DH don´t really share the shopping passion (except at Florida outlets) and second because I´d rather spend my money on experiences instead of things.

 

Rebeccalouise , your cruising history is enviable.Do you ever enjoy land vacations?While planning for this upcoming cruise , I started to feel a bit constrained by the time limits imposed by the "schedule".I will have to return to France and Italy on my own in order to really explore.

Obviously , cruising has huge pluses-childcare , ability to see a exciting variety of different cities and cultures in an easy manner , transportation taken care of.However , in places like Europe , one misses out on the chance to savor ...What do you think?

 

Tchau

Kim

[rebeccalouise]

To answer your question, I have done land based vacations in Europe also and I did enjoy them. In 2002 and 2003 the Euro was a bit more favorable than in the past couple years. There are fantastic places in Europe to visit. I loved Paris, Bellagio on Lake Como, Rome, Florence, Venice, a little known spa town, Merano in Northern Italy. I have also been to Switzerland, which was very expensive and the people aren't friendly. Beautiful country but I'd probably never go back. We spent three days in Salzburg, which is over-hyped but was an interesting place to visit. I've spent alot of time in England, where my mother is from.

 

If I didn't have kids, I might just go to one country and explore that country. I would really enjoy spending more time in France but I am saving that for a later date- when I would feel more comfortable leaving my son at home or when he is old enough to appreciate this kind of experience. Right now my son is eight and he is a great traveler but he isn't into sightseeing the way I am. Also, with kids, I feel safer on a cruise ship with English speaking people and a doctor 24/7. I also like having the American outlets in the room, access to the internet, laundry facilities and frankly the food on the ship is consistently good- which I can't say for the food I've had on land. We are spoiled in America by the variety of food and the relative low cost of dining out. After a while I get really tired off calculating the currency and the ATMs over there don't print your balance so its easy to get overdrawn on your account.

 

All in all, I like both types of travel and I like to incorporate land travel before and after the cruises.

[Mego0427]

I think the kids will enjoy Tallin- it looks very charming and "medieval".They really liked Dubrovnik , which isn´t full of kid -geared things.It looks like it is easier to walk around in.My son will no doubt want to buy some military equipment (re-miss jolly´s post).

 

Finding amber sounds fun!

Kim

 

Then I am sure they will! I think it was different for DF because he actually lived there haha. I hope they have some sort of place one can look for amber, I kind of want to do it when we go there lol

[epixx]

Hi again Brazilgirl!

 

In addition to what I mentioned on the Northern Europe/Baltics board, we stayed 2 days in London. Kids found the science museum exceptional. Their other favorite activity was the boat ride down the Thames.

 

Have a great trip.

[brazilgirl]

Epixx-

 

Science Museum and Natural History Museum are actually at the top of my list-they sound amazing!!Very hands -on and best of all free!!

 

London really sounds exceptional for kids-I think I could stay a year there!Paris too.I bought a great book about Paris for kids and i am getting lots of neat ideas.

 

Miss Jolly- I got your delightful e-mail and I really appreciate your kindness and great input.Thank you so much.

 

Rebeccalouise -thank you for your thoughtful response.

 

Kim

[brazilgirl]

Epixx-

May i ask where you stayed in London? What ship were you on?

 

Your post on the Baltic board was very helpful!How were your logistics as far as where you left from and such?

Thanks.

Kim

[Miss Jolly]

Epixx-

 

Science Museum and Natural History Museum are actually at the top of my list-they sound amazing!!Very hands -on and best of all free!!

 

London really sounds exceptional for kids-I think I could stay a year there!Paris too.I bought a great book about Paris for kids and i am getting lots of neat ideas.

 

Miss Jolly- I got your delightful e-mail and I really appreciate your kindness and great input.Thank you so much.

 

Rebeccalouise -thank you for your thoughtful response.

 

Kim

 

Glad to help. By the way, we were pleased with our stay at Victoria Thistle Hotel in London. We had a large.clean family room that was reasonably priced for London. We found it to be a great location as it is right at Victoria station and the buses and just down the road from Buckingham Palace. In Paris, we stayed at Le hospital Hôtel Dieu. This is actually a small hotel run from 6th floor of the hospital which is across the road from Notre Dame. All the rooms are equipped with a bathroom with private toilet, television, direct phone, air-conditioning, Wi-Fi, and safe. It was cosy, clean, well located and again reasonably priced for Paris. My family chose to eat in the hospital cafe where the doctors eat. Great food at cheap prices. Grab some freshly made baguettes to take with you on your days of exploration.I actually ended up being admitted to the hospital (unplanned saga) and the staff were very helpful and kind to my family. They have their own website and are great with email contact. If you look into it, tell them the Australian family with the lady who had DVT in hospital in September 2007 has recommended you. In Paris, grab the crepes from the little caravans along the footpaths. They are delicious and inexpensive. If you order the same in a cafe and sit down to eat them, they become VERY expensive.

 

Just thought of something else for London. We took a full day "Harry Potter" excursion in a black london cab. It was fantastic! Our kids were right into Harry Potter and around 11 and 12 years old then. We got to see London, Oxford etc on an adult level and they were not bored at all because the were shown so many sights from Harry Potter movies. We chose the full day and it was very long but each family member was enthralled for the whole day. My military history family also enjoyed a day down to Portsmouth on the train to see the Victory ship. London is also fun for the kids as the monopoly board comes to life. we all enjoyed a tour through the houses or Parliament. My kids were learning about Australian Parliament at school so it was very relevant to them at the time.

 

If Stockholm is on your list, make sure you take the kids to the Changing of The Guard - even better than Buckingham Palace. But make sure you get there early as it becomes extremely crowded with rather less than polite onlookers.

 

Have fun!

Jen

[SelectSys]

I´d love to hear your recommendations on "must-sees" and "must-dos" for the following cities with kids:

 

Below are all things that my kids have enjoyed:

 

London

- Eye

- Tower

- Cruise on Themes to Greenwich

- Kid friendly musical in west end

- Hamleys toys on Regent

- Parks in Central London

- Madame Tussads

- Liecester Square for ice cream after dinner or show

- Windsor or Hampton Court

- Riding in the tube

- China town

- Zoo

- Thorpe Park (my kids like roller coasters)

- British Museum - mummy collection + many other exhibits

- WARNING - London Dungeon is a terrible waste of time

 

Paris ( 3 days)

- Batobus on the river

- Notre Dame

- D'Orsay (perfect size for kids)

- Tower

- Arch Tour via metro - start at the Louvre, next to Arch de Triumph and end at the Grand Arch

- Versailles

- Hop On Hop Off Bus

- Parc Astrix (did I say my kids like roller coasters?)

- Sacre Coeur for the view and picnic lunch or sunset

- Latin Quarter

- Wandering the streets and shopping

- Eating and cafes

- Tuileries Garden - really nice to hang out in and a few rides for the kids on one side of the park (at least when we were there)

 

Everything below was via cruise ship

 

ST.Petersburg (2 days)

 

- Peterhof

- Hydrofoil to Peterhof

- Tourist Flea Markets at Church of the Spilled Blood and Peterhof

- WARNING: Hermitage became overwhelming for the kids but they endured

 

Copenhagen (2 days)

- Canal tour

- Tivoli Gardens

- Little Mermaid

 

Helsinki

-Speed boat harbor tour and trip out to some holiday islands for lunch.

 

Tallin

- Heritage park and village

- bike ride

- Central old town

 

Stockholm

- Nothing specific for kids.

 

Amsterdam

- Have never been their with kids. I think the Van Gogh museum is a must see for any fan of impressionist art. I would think that the Anne Frank house would be interesting to most any kid.

 

Harwich

- Nothing that I could see of interest.

 

Warnemunde

- Never been to this port

 

Hotels - I have mostly stayed in Marriott properties in both London and Paris. If you want recommendations on these I would be happy to provide some input.

 

BTW - Are you taking the Eurostar between Paris and London? The kids liked going through the channel tunnel.

[brazilgirl]

Miss Jolly-

A hospital hotel!!!So cool....however , my husband is a doctor , so on vacation he probably will want to avoid hospitals! DVT is one of my greatest fears. Good thing you had on hand help.

 

SelectSys-some excellent suggestions. Did you go on the Dragon´s Breath roller coaster in Tivoli Gardens? My DD loves scary rides too.I am originally from California-my sister lives in Oakland.

 

 

My initial game plan is:

 

Arrive in Paris (around 12 noon). Crash at hotel for a little while (plane trip is 11 hours direct). Go for a walk , check out the sights and take a Seine night time boat ride to get an overview of the city. On days 2 and 3 , want to visit Luxomberg Gardens for the kids to play with the remote control boats and playground , have a picnic in the Rodin Gardens next to "The Thinker" , climb Notre Dame and say hi to the gargoyles , see the Egyptian collection in the Louvre , see the impressionists at the Musee D´Orsay (and take a picture next to the huge clock) , Eiffel Tower and Carroussel.

 

Eurostar to London Friday afternoon...then we will stop at the smallest town in England to sleep (Manningtree) at a charming B&B.

 

Saturday , we proceed by train to Harwich.Will check out harbor and lighthouse.Embark the Constellation.

 

 

 

Amsterdam-Very short visit(leave at 2 )...plan to go to Ann Frank´s house as my kids have studied lots about her.Will have to miss Van Gogh Museum , but Musee DÓrsay has great works by Van Gogh (of course , not the same as The Van Gogh Museum)so I want the kids to soak up a bit of the atmosphere ot the canals (we´ll avoid the famous red light district!)

 

Warnemunde-beach , beach , bike ride , visit to lighthouse.

 

Stockholm-Skansen Open Air Museum and Zoo and Vasa Museum(the ship sounds amazing).

 

Helsinki-Suomenlinna Sea Fortress (see submarine), maybe go to the beach

 

St.Petersburg-Private tour with Anastasia.Hydrofoil ride , Peterhof , Church of Spilled Blood , Gold Room at Hermitage.

 

Tallin-walk around old city , find amber!

 

Copenhagen-go by train to nearby castles/gardens , Tivoli for amusement park

 

Arrive in Harwich-go to London by train.Arrive around 11.

 

Go to Diana´s Memorial Park to play and for lunch at Orangerie.Go on HOHO bus to see the sights.Go to bed!

We have reservation at the Rennaissance Chancery Court ( a Marriott property-have you been there SelectSys?)

 

Day two-Science and Natural History Museums , Duck Tour ,London Eye

 

Day 3-hang out in hotel til lunch and rest , go to Madame Tussards after lunch , go to airport , flight leaves 9:15 p.m.

 

After 21 days , home sweet home.

Kim

[epixx]

Epixx-

May i ask where you stayed in London? What ship were you on?

 

Your post on the Baltic board was very helpful!How were your logistics as far as where you left from and such?

Thanks.

Kim

 

We stayed at the Premier Inn Kensington and were able to walk to Science Museum/V&A. Two tube stations (Gloucester and Earl's Court) are within close walking distance, and one of them is on the Picadilly Line with direct routing to LHR. We found the tube trip to LHR really fast and easy this way. We flew directly to LHR and arrived the morning that the cruise (Carnival Splendor) departed. We were unable to leave any earlier. Because of our arrival the day of the cruise, we elected to use Carnival's transfers to Dover, which turned out OK. On the return, we took cab from port to Dover, and train from Dover to Victoria station, London. Train was great and cost 33 pounds for the 4 of us. At Victoria, we transferred to the underground to reach hotel. We had no problems with luggage. Each of us had one rolling suitcase and a small backpack. Ship and itinerary were fabulous. You will have a wonderful time, and kids will learn a lot.

[epixx]

Here's what we found to keep the kids entertained while riding around in Russia. We explained to them a bit about the history of the Soviet Union. As we drove around St. Petersburg and its environs, the kids played a sort of scavenger game where they would look for symbols of the Soviet regime. They became very good at identifying buildings from the Soviet era, Lada cars, and pointing out the hammer and sickle on various edifices. When we rode the metro (don't miss, kids will love this), they correctly distinguished the Soviet station (carvings of workers in stark stone) from other stations (very ornate with glass chandeliers). They found the guide's information about current Russian life much more interesting with a rudimentary knowledge of its earlier form of government.

[lmg1230]

Kim,

Wow, it looks like you have done a lot of planning for your cruise already! We are going on a Baltic cruise with our two daughters (12 and 5) in August. Our cruise leaves from Copenhagen and visits Helsinki, Stockholm, Oslo, Talinn, Gdansk and St. Petersberg. I'm just starting the planning and am going to start by looking at many of the places you and others have suggested. We are spending 3 days before and 1 day after the cruise in Copenhagen so I think we'll be able to get to everything we want to see in that city. I'm envious that you are going to London and Paris as well. We debated doing those as part of this trip as well but decided (despite how desperate I am to get back to both cities) to wait and perhaps do a land-based trip to those the summer of 2010.

Lisa

[brazilgirl]

Epixx-

What a wonderful suggestion about Russia...I will have to copy your idea! Ihave some neat books about Russia , so will work with them.

 

Img1230-I looked at the Eurodam-nice ship and lovely itinerary. Too bad we aren´t on the same ship-I have a 5 yr old and a 12 yr old.So far , no one with kids is on our roll-call. Copenhagen seems like a great place to stay in during a few days. Check out the visitdenmark homepage for some neat ideas.

 

kim

[lmg1230]

Kim,

Thanks for the recommendation about the visitdenmark website - will take a look. We are actually going onthe Emerald Princess for the Baltic cruise and are going on the Eurodam to the Caribbean for march break. We were hoping that there might be more kids on a Princess European cruise - hardly anything on the roll call yet so we'll keep hoping!

Lisa