I just returned home from an incredibly overdue girls trip to Belgium with my friend Jenna. If you read my post Thai Islands in One Week, it’s the same Jenna that motorbiked with me down Thai back roads to find a Buddhist temple in the hills. We did Thailand and Vietnam together in 2018 and had an entire backpacking trip planned for China when Covid hit in 2020. It’s almost exactly 4 years to the day since our canceled trip and here we are crossing off another country.

Our trip was a short one.. two days in Brussels and two days in Ghent. Creating a travel plan wasn’t a top priority for either of us however, and it didn’t come together until 4 days prior. Ben and I are no strangers to last minute plans.. we once booked our hotel while standing in a customs line.. but typically, I’m quick to have some sort of itinerary in mind simply because I enjoy planning trips. When it came to this trip though, I was tired. Covid hit our house mid December, and although we were mostly okay for Christmas, the aftermath for me was exhausting. My energy was zapped, I had constant headaches, and the sinus pressure from congestion was intense. It also lasted weeks. Between not feeling well and pulling off Christmas for two small kids, hosting, and visiting family, I felt shot. Using my brain was the last thing I wanted to do.

Time doesn’t seem to slow down when you need a break though, does it? Luckily, once I sat down to plan, it came together pretty quickly. The process I use not only allows you to plan an efficient trip, but it also helps you stay organized and keeps the planning from feeling too overwhelming. Plus, it’s quick! Below, you’ll find exactly how I plan my trips and stay sane while trying to fit in all the things.

What Is an Efficient Trip

Planning an efficient trip in my opinion means squeezing in everything you’d like to do and experience and not losing or wasting time. It’s important to note that relaxing is not wasting time. You can plan a busy itinerary that includes all the “musts” and zero down time or plan a trip that focuses on some down time and relaxation. It’s mostly about deciding on how you want to spend your time and carving out a plan to execute your vision. Personally, I like to do all the things.. so I try to find a balance of fitting in as much as I can without feeling stretched too thin.

1.Read & Watch All the Things

One of the very first things I do when I decide I’m going somewhere new is start following tourism accounts in that city/country. Often enough, I do this before I even start to plan anything. It typically happens at the first mention of a possible trip. This way, as you begin to see things pop up on your feed, you start to create a vision for your trip. You’ll be able to picture certain sites you want to see or restaurants you want to try. On instagram, I bookmark a lot as I scroll. When you’re ready to sit down and make an actual plan, you can go back and see anything you may have saved for later. I also love to read other blogs and travel sites. I’ve found that even if you have a lengthy amount of time somewhere, it’s helpful to narrow down the “musts” by reading 24 hour, 2 day, or 3 day recommended itineraries. This is where you’ll find highlights and all the big ticket sites crammed into a short amount of time. Reading through a handful of different blogs, you’ll quickly find the same places and know what not to miss. You’ll also find worthy lesser known experiences that made on impact on that writer. These are the gems and where you get to decide what fits your interests and trip style. This first step is essentially building your own “must do” list. Starting it sooner than later allows you to see more possibilities and come up with a solid itinerary.

2.Bookmark Everything on Google Maps

My google maps is absolutely littered with color coded flags all around the world. You can choose to organize yours however you choose. I simply have everything saved in one color that I’d like to do -whether that’s sites or food- and then once I experience it, I change it to a different color. So when I look at my map, I have places I still want to visit and places I’ve already been. This is particularly helpful if you’re writing about your travels or often sharing recs with friends. It’s much easier to reference and scan. One thing to note- Google maps does limit your yellow starred places. You have about 500 before they start deleting in chronological order. I discovered this the unfortunate way. Use the green flag marker if you know you’ll be using this frequently.

3.Decide Where to Stay + How You’ll be Getting Around

When I have shorter trips planned, I aim to stay in the heart of everything. For a lot of European cities, that’s in the Old Town. This will cut down your travel time significantly to different sites since a lot of what you’re exploring will most likely be here. Longer trips, we sometimes will stay further out. When it comes to getting around, I tend to take public transportation everywhere with the random cab here or there. Since I usually rely on trains and busses, I always book my hotel/airbnb with an idea of how far I will have to walk from a train/bus station. Walking 10-15 minutes with bags is a lot easier than 25-30 minutes. This may not apply to you, but it’s something to consider. By having your bookmarks already on your map, you’ll be able to see where you’ll be spending a lot of your time. If you’re taking public transportation, it’s definitely convenient to be closer to a station.

4.Start Grouping Sites By Location

Bookmarking food and sites is helpful when starting to plan because you’ll be able to see where everything is located in relation to each other. Even if you don’t have a strict itinerary and all the details planned out, you can still reference your map and see what’s nearby. Exhausted and looking to rest and grab a coffee? Oh look, you’re right near that coffee shop you starred. Your fellow travelers want to stop for a bite? Oh look, that cute lunch spot is right around the corner. For me, it’s certainly been handy. Most importantly though, planning an efficient day becomes a piece of cake when you can see what’s close together. I bookmark picturesque streets I’d like to stroll down, graffiti alleys, famous statues, and so on. Especially if you’re doing a lot of walking, this helps with planning your route. Sometimes you walk a few minutes out of the way and are able to see so much more simply because you’re aware of your location and proximity to things. Google maps will show you your gps location and saved bookmarks with or without service and wifi. So even if you’re offline, you’ll have access.

5.Add in Your Meals

The difficult part about adding in your meals is there’s more of an emotional decision in what you’re eating.. and then certain places will be strictly breakfast where others will be dinner. This part takes both a bit of juggling and flexibility. To be quite honest, this is where having restauarants saved in your maps will be especially handy. I always find it’s best to have a plan and something in mind, but also accept the fact that it may change. Hunger doesn’t always strike at the appropriate time and what you’re craving could change as well. I usually have my top places I’d like to go, finagle them into my schedule, and then sometimes change the plan completely once I’m there. Maybe food isn’t particularly important to you and your itinerary and if so, I envy you. That makes your planning a lot easier. Food is a top priority while traveling for Ben and me and although we’ve found some gems by wandering, there’s something comforting in having a back up plan. It also adds to the efficiency of your day when you don’t have to spend extra time on the lookout.

Enjoy your efficient itinerary

1. safety

Italy is definitely a safe place to bring your family. The main thing to worry about here is petty theft, which can be avoided by staying vigilant and smart. Big cities and touristy areas are where you’ll hear of most pickpockets and bag snatching, but it’s important to exercise caution and beware of your surroundings in any new place. Traveling with kids can definitely make you vulnerable.. being a mom of two small kids I feel like I’m constantly digging through the diaper bag or rifling through a snack bag for something or other..it’s easy to get distracted when you have littles to constantly accommodate. I just try to be extra cautious about making sure all of our belongings are zipped up and tucked away. Throughout our entire month in Italy with the kids, I never felt unsafe or targeted though.

2. Italians love kids

I have never seen anything like it. Everything I read online before our trip said the same thing about how Italians love kids.. nothing prepares you for this actual reality though. The very first restaurant we dined out in, the server took Maggie (our 9 month old at the time) out of Ben’s arms and bounced her around while chatting. I remember being completely caught off guard and thinking something like, “..omg do not touch my kid.” It was hard to stay annoyed when he spent the entire duration of our meal doting on both kids and trying to make them laugh though. We realized very quickly that is what everyone meant by Italians love kids. It was constant throughout the entire trip too. Izzy would be given snacks while we waited for takeout, Maggie was given a free baby sized gelato, total strangers would come up at train stations to talk to the kids, and everyone was quick to help us. We do a lot of public transportation when we travel and Italians do not ask if you need help trying to lift your bags or stroller onto the train.. they just do it. Every city we were in someone would just casually grab the front of the stroller and help us off the train and then continue on their way. It was quite shocking initially, but by the end of our 4 weeks in Italy, we really appreciated how kind and helpful everyone was to us. Traveling with kids can certainly be tough, but everyone loving on our kids took an incredible amount of pressure off and was a huge reason why we loved our trip so much.

3. Italian food is super kid friendly

Pizza, pasta, focaccia, cheese, salami, GELATO.. not sure I need to say more. I know these aren’t the foods we want our kids eating everyday, but vacation isn’t everyday. To be completely honest, one of the main reasons we ended up in Italy for a month instead of anywhere else, was the food. We had initially thought we were going to Germany and then changed our minds maybe a month before leaving for Europe. Italian food was already something they were familiar with and loved.. taking them abroad for a month was already daunting, it was nice to not worry about a possible food struggle.

4. Great Climate

This was the other reason we changed destinations. Of course it depends on where in Italy you go and when, but for the most part, it’s going to be warmer than several other European countries. We were going for the month of May, so it was a pretty big swing from the beginning of the month to the end. But when comparing average temperatures, Central Italy was 5-10 degrees warmer than Germany that month. We aren’t generally a family that needs warm weather, but for our first international trip with the kids, we wanted to make sure we could spend a lot of our time outdoors comfortably. We rode bikes, explored new cities on foot, visited beaches, did scenic hikes.. anything to keep us outside.

5. Variety

Whatever kind of vacation you and your family enjoy, you can find it in Italy. You like skiing? Head north to the mountains and shell up at one of the numerous ski resorts. It’ll be incredibly cheaper than surrounding countries and Italy’s laid back ski resorts are known to be super family friendly. More of a beach person? You’ll find the most gorgeous and world renowned beaches throughout the south and up the coastline. Delicious food, wine, art, culture, history, the outdoors, the list goes on. Italy absolutely has it all.

6. Italian wine

Family vacations are not actually vacations for parents. They’re just parenting in different places. And in a lot of ways, they’re even more labor intensive with busy itineraries, long travel days, an upside down routine, and if you normally have help at home in the form of daycare or grandparents, on vacation you’re at it alone. Totally worth it, but it’s still a lot. Wine definitely helps, lol.

7. Public Transportation

You can totally pull off an entire Italy vacation without spending time in a car. Not saying you want to, but it is possible. The train and bus system covers a lot of ground and it’s nice to know you can rely on it for most destinations. They’re also very easy to navigate and kids under 4 travel free on Trenitalia. It doesn’t guarantee your toddler his/her own seat, but the trains don’t usually book up. We only had our toddler on our lap maybe once and had loads of travel days. Most trains do offer a child rate from ages 4-11 as well. One thing to note: if you’re mostly thinking about small, Tuscan villages, they most likely won’t have train stations or bus routes. You can do organized tours or hire a driver if need be. Check with their policy about car seats beforehand.

8. walkable

Italians walk everywhere and Italian cities are absolutely set up for the pedestrian. A lot of small villages in Italy don’t even accept cars into their Old Towns. It’s pretty great if you plan on doing most of your exploring on foot. You don’t realize the luxury of not worrying about cars until you have a very active toddler on your hands. If you’re planning on using a stroller most days, keep in mind that a lot of the roads are old cobblestone, which can pose a challenge depending on your stroller. We brought a single jogger for both our kids and couldn’t be happier with the decision. You can read a post here detailing how and why it worked for us.

9. Old Cities feel like Giant Playgrounds

Small kids might not care about history, but they do care about castles, piazzas, fountains and fairy tales. Our toddler loved exploring “hidden” alleyways and stairwells throughout villages and running after pigeons in the open piazzas. I’d be lying if I said my husband and I didn’t enjoy it just as much though. It was so much fun wandering through medieval roads and feeling like we stepped back in time. We definitely appreciated experiencing a piece of history while Izzy enjoyed how many Elsa castles there were.

10. Museums

Museums are everywhere in Italy and loaded with the most fascinating things. Since we were traveling with small kids, we were hesitant to visit them though. Expensive entrance fees and bored/cranky little ones make for a giant waste of time and money. However, the cool thing about Italian state museums is that kids under 18 are free. You still have to obviously pay for your own entrance, but it makes museum visits more affordable and less of a bummer if you need to end your tour short. Keep in mind this is only for State Museums.. “Museo” and sometimes city owned museums.. “civic” or “municipal”. Privately owned museums most likely will not offer a discount.

Last week I flew to Barcelona for a 3 day girl’s trip and it was the absolute best. It was my very first trip away from Ben and the girls at the same time so it was a lot.. but in a refreshing, “I need to feel like a human, not just a mom” kind of way. It was my friend’s first time to Europe and although I have been trying to convince her to travel for years, it was Harry Styles in the end that got her overseas. So needless to say, attending a Harry Styles concert was pretty much the main event of the entire trip. We did all the Barcelona things we could fit in of course, but while I was mostly excited to knock out sights I didn’t do last time I visited Barcelona, she was mostly excited when she saw other “Harries” wandering through the city. I learned a lot about Harry Styles on this trip if you didn’t guess, lol. I should also admit that I have in fact been listening to more of his songs since getting home. I’m sure my friend would be so impressed. But getting back to it being my first trip away from Ben and the girls, I was weirdly emotional at the strangest times. Like, for instance.. I cried the entire concert. Legit cried. Whole concert. It wasn’t ideal, but it happened. There was a mother and young daughter seated right in front of us and I just could not shake mom energy while there. I kept watching these two have the time of their lives dancing together, singing, and hugging each other and I was standing behind them creepily tearing. I kept thinking about how I hope I’m that mom with my girls some day. So anyway, if you’re looking for tips to combat mom feels while away, I do not have any. Except maybe skip the 3 stadium sized vodkas. I do however have a few tips on making a short European trip much easier on you though.

Take a later flight

THIS! Okay, so this may be the most incredible recent discovery for me in awhile. I know it makes total sense, but if you travel often, you’re probably aware that later flights are actually scarce. I feel like they’ve been starting to pop up more recently for U.S based airlines though and I do hope it continues. I’m mostly used to taking afternoon flights, landing in Europe in the morning, not having slept much at all, being insanely tired, and having to wander around and kill time until I can check in at my hotel. Sound familiar? Well, last week I flew to Barcelona on a 10:10PM flight on Delta and it was an absolute dream. No, I did not sleep the entire way, but I did sleep for maybe half the flight, which was about 4 hours. This alone doesn’t sound too exciting, but paired with arriving later in the day, it’s a game changer. Since we arrived later, we were able to shoot straight to the hotel, drop our things, freshen up and head out! We managed to get a whole extra half day of exploring and crossing off extra sights too. By the time evening rolled around we were ready to crash and viola, we were synched up with Barcelona time. Especially with shorter trips where time already feels like it’s fleeting, I definitely suggest trying to find a later flight to your destination. It’ll not only give you more productive time, but it’ll help you get on track for the rest of your trip. When later flights aren’t an option, you can even consider upgrading your seat if it’s doable and an affordable option. Getting that rest is just so important.

Stay Regular

Bring something to keep you regular if a disruption in your routine easily throws your system off. You might be thinking, “oh, I’m like clockwork.. I’ll be fine..” But you’d be surprised how fast a shift in hydration, different foods, and an upside down sleep schedule can impact how you feel. Short trips are absolutely amazing for so many reasons, but not if you’re uncomfortable the entire time. Three products I definitely recommend would be Oxy-Powder, Dulcolax Suppositories, and Calm products. The Oxy-Powder is great and will definitely help you when you haven’t gone in awhile. You take it before bed and by morning, you should be all set and feeling loads lighter. I recommend testing it out before your trip though. The directions range and you may have to find the right number of capsules for your body. “Dulcolax suppositories” may have you wondering what you’re doing reading this blog post. I get it. But these suppositories work pretty instantly and if there’s something I’d like to have control of while traveling it would probably be bathroom time. Unlike the oxygen capsules, you don’t have to wait around hoping you took enough of a dose.. but also terrified you may have taken too many. There is no wait time at all with the suppositories. So in my opinion, they are king. A more natural approach would be the Calm products. This is powder that you stir into water before bed and by morning you should be making your way to the bathroom. It’s a magnesium powder that is also used for many other issues, including stress relief. I started using this when I was pregnant to help with constipation and it was super helpful. It even comes in different flavors and capsules as well.

Hydration

I usually bring a reusable water bottle on all my trips and completely forget to refill it. One day I’ll be better, but in the meantime, I’ll emphasize how important it is to drink water to everyone else. Seriously though. Staying hydrated will benefit you in all the ways. Flights dehydrate you immensely. So loading up on water during the flight is huge. When I was flying regularly for the airlines, drinking enough water was my daily goal. And honestly, airlines do not hand out enough water to passengers. So this is the main reason I always have a water bottle with me for trips nowadays. It’s really the only part of the trip that I’m good about finding water bottle fill stations and making sure I have enough. Depending on where you’re heading though, you can even fill up at outdoor fountains in certain cities. When we stayed in Lucca, Italy there was a giant fountain outside our airbnb and we would line up with locals to fill all our bottles. Barcelona was rough last week though. It was hot and humid and we were often realizing too late how thirsty we were. So I definitely recommend planning ahead and having even a small bottle in your bag with you for those hot touring days.

Make an Itinerary

Having an itinerary is not for everyone, but if you’re heading all the way to Europe, chances are you’re someone that already has a plan in mind. Especially if you’re going for a short few days. My friend and I had a plan for each day we were in Barcelona, which checked off most the things we wanted to see and do. We also left a little wiggle room though in case we were jet lagged, hungover, or just wanting to chill. I think it’s important to leave room for some downtime and then make the decisions in those moments. If you decide to rally instead of rest, you have your backup sights you can visit. This happened to be the case for us the day we arrived. We left the evening open to relax, but did some sightseeing instead. This allowed us to essentially squeeze in two additional activities over the 3 full days we had. It’s always nice to feel like you got in some bonus sights instead of falling short of your too packed itinerary. So make a list with all the things you want to do/see and make a realistic itinerary prioritizing your top picks.

Maximize Your Time

This is something that varies from person to person and definitely goes hand in hand with having a plan. In my opinion, there are two ways to best maximize your time while traveling. The first is efficiently squeezing in more sights and activities. The way I like to do this is by mapping out what I hope to see and do and grouping things by location. It’s also nice seeing what else is around when you pull up google maps. You may realize a beautiful cathedral you saw on instagram is right around the corner from a museum you have booked. Or maybe certain sights are near the brunch spot you found and you can go to brunch and then bang out all the nearby sights before the afternoon caffeine/cocktail fuel up. It sounds easy enough, but planning efficiently is sometimes challenging. The other way to maximize your time isn’t so much squeezing in all the things, but rather focusing on a smaller list of things and spending more time appreciating them. This could look like guided tours or even guided experiences. Airbnb has a great selection on their site and they’re typically done by locals. In Barcelona, we maximized our time by doing both. We efficiently squeezed in everything we could, but also chose to add on a couple audio tours and take our time in certain places.

Which stroller we were bringing to Italy was probably the hardest decision we made for the entire trip. Not destinations, or what accommodation to book, but strollers. We currently own two strollers- the Baby Jogger City Mini GT, which is a single jogger, and the Mockingbird double stroller, which is a tandem. I had thought about purchasing a travel stroller for our trip, but I was reluctant to buy something without having enough time to use it beforehand. Sounds funny, but you don’t realize how obnoxious a stroller can be until you’re pushing one with a crying baby, the wheels are getting caught, the ride is bumpy, and the seat doesn’t recline enough. Plus, we were going for a month. So whatever we were bringing, we were stuck with for awhile.

In addition to our two strollers, our friend also offered up her Evenflo tandem double with carseat. This was tempting since it would open up some options for us. We hadn’t considered taking a carseat.. Maggie would be listed as a lap child on the flight, and we planned on taking public transit while traveling. But with a carseat/stroller combo, we could potentially take a Flixbus, which requires a carseat (flixbus is essentially like a greyhound bus in the US.. larger charter buses for longer trips), we could pop it in and out of cabs, and also already have our own for a possible rental car while in Tuscany. So it was intriguing. In the end though, we decided against it. It was just too much to take and we were trying to simplify.

Our decision to take our single jogger basically came down to sturdiness. Both strollers had great wheels for cobblestone and uneven ground, but the tandem aspect of our double had me doubting it’s durability. It’s a solid stroller for sure, but seats that clip into attachments worry me with the flight. Something could just easily snap if mishandled. And then we’d be stuck with a broken stroller or a seat that doesn’t clip in securely. The single jogger was way smaller than the double as well.. still big for European standards, but loads smaller than the tandem double. Which looking back is hysterical that we even considered taking the tandem double.. it would've felt like maneuvering a cruise ship there. But anyway, the jogger worked beautifully for us and we plan to take it again on our next trip abroad in September.

This is also not by any means a post to deter you from purchasing or using a travel stroller. People love them.. they were honestly everywhere in Italy, and there’s a reason they’re called travel strollers. I’m only sharing our thoughts and experience because I don’t want you to feel obligated to buy a travel stroller if you already have something that can easily work for you. I included below the four big reasons why and how the single City Mini GT worked for us as a family of four going to Europe for 5 weeks.

The Flight Over

One of the big sells of a travel stroller is that it’s lightweight and collapses small enough to fit in the overhead bin of an airplane. People love this. I’m actually not into though. Traveling with children means we’re already traveling with more bags, which means we need more overhead bin space already. Securing that extra space means getting down to the plane in the earlier stages of boarding. This is typically easy to do when you have small kids in tow by the way.. gate agents are usually pretty accommodating when they see you have littles. If you aren’t able to get down though, you risk losing out on those overhead bins near your seat. Not a huge deal, but something to consider. I very much dislike finding and making room in overhead bins so adding a travel stroller sounds miserable to me. Instead, I like to use our stroller through the airport and then gate check it at the plane. You literally drop it right outside the boarding door and once you land they unload it for you and hand it back as you’re deplaning. You don’t have to check it at the check in counter outside security or get it at baggage claim. Of course, this is an option, but I prefer to keep it and do plane side checked.

The WHEELS

Jogger stroller wheels are king in my opinion. They’re always bigger, the ride is smoother, and I never have to worry about any kind of terrain. It’s a win win for parents and baby. Yes, I know we’re talking about strollers and not cars, but keeping a baby happy and sleeping while on the go is such a beautiful thing. We even took the stroller on trails outside San Gimignano and it was a huge success. At one point, Benjamin was pushing the stroller up a rocky, dirt trail. I highly doubt anyone else has taken a stroller up this stretch, but it worked for us!

Storage

The basket underneath the stroller was so helpful! To be honest, our double stroller’s underneath basket is even bigger and it was one of the few reasons we were considering taking it. But our single held for for sure! Traveling for such a long amount of time means we are going to grocery stores often. And in addition to groceries, we’re grabbing diapers, giant water bottles, and wine (lol). Having a decent sized basket to stow the bigger and heavier items was a total game changer.

Additionally, since the jogger is bigger than a travel stroller, it holds more in general. You don’t realize clipping a diaper bag to a stroller is luxury until you are lugging extra weight around with you at all times. On travel days, we moved through towns and on/off public transportation with two large backpacking backpacks, a diaper bag backpack, a jansport backpack, a roll abroad suitcase, the stroller, and two kids. While on trains, and sitting in train stations, we had Maggie in the baby carrier, Izzy hanging out in a regular seat or bench and we were able to stack a few bags in the stroller. This was so helpful just to keep better track of everything. Touristy areas in Italy are known for pickpockets so consolidating our things was a bit relieving.

One Stroller Two Kids

Having one stroller for two kids was the main thing we were worried about and it didn’t even come close to being an issue for us. Obviously all kids are different so I can’t say you’ll have the same experience.. but hopefully you do. Our toddler was mostly in the stroller and our 9 month old was mostly in a carrier. When our toddler insisted on walking or exploring, we would move our baby into the stroller for a change of scenery. If we were out and nap time hit for the little one, she would take the stroller and Izzy would either walk, or one of us would carry her. Basically, whoever needed the stroller, got the stroller and there seemed to be some weird understanding about it.

Traveling with little ones is tough. It doesn’t matter how prepared you are, literally or mentally, a toddler or baby will always bring the element of unpredictability. We’re currently just shy of three weeks into our 4 week vacation, and although everything is going relatively smoothly, every time I seem to let my guard down, chaos ensues. Isabelle seems to have an accurate radar for when I’m starting to feel comfortable and confident.. and every time, she has a meltdown to even me out and keep me on my toes. It’s absolutely infuriating. We knew this “vacation” would not be a leisurely one, or relaxing in the slightest.. but I didn’t think my anxiety would be this revved up. Don’t get me wrong, the good has outweighed the not so good, and I would and will (possibly regretfully) do this again, but the tension I feel some days waiting for the shoe to drop is definitely present. We traveled from San Gimignano, Italy to Lucca yesterday with a bus ride, two train rides, and a 40 minute trek through town. It was a long day to say the least, leaving one airbnb at 10am to arrive at our other at 330pm. If you’re new here, we have a 9 month old and a 2.5 year old. So it felt extra long to them, I’m sure. They actually did great though! That is, until my husband and I started discussing how they killed it and how lucky we were.. then, like clockwork, Izzy erupted with a gigantic meltdown. The best part was we were already in Lucca when she melted down. We literally had just gotten off the train and stepped into the elevator at the train station when she screamed the most horrific blood curdling scream ever. We legit thought the elevator door had ripped her little arm off and started to freak out ourselves. Both of us, wearing double backpacks, front and back (except my front was a 9 month old in a carrier), a stroller with a big ole diaper bag attached, a suitcase, and the frantic 2.5 year old were crammed into a shoebox elevator with zero room panicking and yelling and trying to figure out what the ef was going on. But don’t worry, her arm was fine.. we just forgot to let her push the elevator button. wtf. The meltdown did last awhile.. it mostly carried on during our 40 minute trek through town.. but it was a pretty big mistake on our end so who could blame her. Totally kidding.. toddlers are the worst. But it was a long day, she was totally out of routine, we were traveling through lunchtime and nap time and it was just too much for our little one. Definitely wasn’t fair, so even though she was a bit dramatic, it was totally understood.

Although it’s not always the perfect execution (is it ever with children?), we try to do a few things differently on travel days to make it easier on all of us. It mostly comes down to throwing expectations, limitations, and any kind of schedule out the window. And sometimes, no matter how hard you try and prepare, you fall short anyway. You just have to go with it.. put your head down, grit your teeth, and just keep moving forward.

Snacks

The biggest thing that always works for us is snacks. On a typical day we try to do healthier options and will limit quantity as to not impact their next meal. Travel days are different. You want 487 cheese poofs? You got it. Not our finest snack time, but those cheese poofs are currently acting as comfort food and their little world is upside down right now so.. choose your battles. Both our little ones feel much better with a snack in hand and that’s enough for us. We’ll even it out when we get where we’re going.

Screen Time

Another cringe. We bought our toddler headphones for this trip and I’m still side eyeing myself about it. That said, it’s been amazing having her content with her show on. She knows the headphones only come out on travel days and that adds to the novelty. It’s unlimited screen time when we’re dealing with planes, trains, and automobiles and she totally knows it. It gives her a sense of responsibility too since we tell her she’s in charge of making sure she has her own headphones with her at all times.

Stimulation

Such a no brainer, but easy to forget. Something new and different is always engaging. Even if it’s only for 5 minutes. Before our trip, I had packed Isabelle a big activity folder and didn’t let her see it until we boarded our flight. It had three small puzzles, a coloring book and crayons, stickers, etc. Separately, I stashed different stickers, action figures she had never seen, and coloring pads with the invisible marker (no mess!) Eventually we were circling back on activities and coloring pads, but the new aspect lasted well through our first week. I clearly held onto the goods as long as I could. Our current go to is “I spy” though and it’s quite effective.

Break up the Day

Pit stops, lunch breaks, transfers.. anything to break up the day and get them standing or walking. Not only can they stretch a bit and move their body, but the stop/change of scenery creates a bit of stimulation as well. A direct train or bus always sounds like the best option, but if you’re stuck on that form of transportation for an extended period, it could feel never-ending. We’ll always stay longer on a train since you can move around a bit and there’s usually a bathroom. A bus however, consider your options. Our bus ride yesterday was 20 minutes to Poggibonsi train station from San Gimignano.. it was short enough that neither kid was phased and I don’t think Izzy even had her headphones on. From there, we had two 1.5 hour train rides with a transfer in Florence. The transfer was short, but it at least got them off the train.

Sounds

Some people swear by using a sound machine on the go and I think it can really be a great tool. We’ve used ours on our stroller for our 9 month old, but not so much elsewhere. I’m very apprehensive to intrude on other people’s peace and space.. so I tend to stick to the less offensive and usually more tedious way of dealing with things. Bouncing and shushing is my go to unless our little became inconsolable.. then I think people would vote for a sound machine lol.

Timing

Obviously you are the only know who knows how to navigate this one, but it’s an important one to remember. Depending how we’re traveling that day will dictate when we’re heading out and if we’re squeezing in a nap beforehand or matching up our start time with naptime. Maggie will sleep in her carseat, but not so much in the carrier or our laps.. so if we’re planning a roadtrip, we usually plan to leave right at nap time so Mags will sleep during the ride. For trains and buses, we’ve been trying to squeeze in a nap before heading out. Even if we have to cut her nap short, we know she’ll be loads happier with having had a little rest beforehand.

The best way to totally prepare for a travel day though is to just lower your expectations. It’s going to be what it’s going to be and either way, you’re doing it and you deserve a pat on the back. It’s not easy and you already knew that when you decided to do it. So keep killing it and offering cheese poofs.

ONE MONTH IN ITALY WITH A BABY + A TODDLER

It’s been a minute since I traveled.. let alone wrote about it. To say it’s been a pretty crazy couple of years is a bit of an understatement. I’m not quite sure where all the time has gone and how it’s 2023 already. The last time I traveled internationally was January 2020 and it feels very strange even writing that. Obviously 2020 was weird and hard and devastating for most of the world, and when I remind myself that, I can’t really complain. But it was a dark time none the less. I started the year like everyone else, naive and so unprepared for what was to come. I had just found out I was pregnant and had a trip to Vienna with my best friend planned. The following month, February, I even had a 3 week backpacking trip with another friend worked out. Full itinerary and everything booked and set. China. Of all places to have booked for February 2020. I remember sitting watching the news days before I was scheduled to fly out, texting my friend and monitoring our flight. “Should we go?” “There’s no way this Coronavirus is going to be a big thing.. Can it?” I was a week outside the second trimester mark not only preparing to backpack through China, but about to embark into the epicenter of a virus that shut down the entire world. Obviously we ended up canceling. And then days after our initial flight plan, all flights to and from china were halted. I have no idea what our trip would’ve looked like if we had flown over there. Not to mention, again, I was pregnant. I did get to Vienna in January however. That was my last trip overseas and I suppose my first with Isabelle.

The rest of the year was an absolute disaster. But we did meet our little girl, so some good came out of it for us. We’re lucky. Cut to 2023.. we have two beautiful little ones (Marjorie *Maggie* joined us in 2022), we’ve updated quite a bit of our house, life feels really good, and now we’re looking at doing our first family trip abroad. I’d be lying if I said we’re totally pumped to bring a 9 month old and a 2.5 year old overseas, but we’re mostly excited. So there’s that lol. I’m focusing on the actual trip experience and I think that’s what is propelling me forward and motivating me to plan and brainstorm all the ideas and read all the things. Ben, I think, is focusing on the 8+ hour flight with two little ones, the actual getting to the airbnb with two little ones, moving around between cities with two little ones, and probably all the in between.. with two little ones. See the trend? There’s definitely loads to consider.. especially if you want to not only have an easy enjoyable time in general, but you also want your spouse to be up for another European vacation in the not too distant future, lol. So I have to make this look easy is what I’m saying.

TIME

The first thing we considered is time. How much time do we have to make this trip worth it. This question is different for everyone. I should actually preface with the fact that what worked for us may or may not work for you. I’m just sharing what helped us get into planning mode and made us feel a bit more confident (sorta?) to travel abroad with two little ones.

Now, we have time on our side for this trip. Ben’s job allows him to take a bonding leave for our second baby anytime within the first year of life. So we’ll be spending a month of his leave away. In my opinion, there’s nothing more bonding than long flights and uncomfortable train/bus rides. This time will either fly by or have us wishing we cut the trip in half. But for now, we’re super grateful for the time and hoping it’ll allow us to get to know a couple different cities and not feel rushed. I think time is the most important thing to consider when planning a trip with little kids. Especially if it’s your first big trip. You want to give yourself wiggle room for things to not go as planned. Or even just time and space to watch how your kid adapts and thrives in a different setting. I’m not suggesting taking an entire month to travel.. I know that’s not realistic. But “considering time” could simply translate to spending your vacation in one place. It’s mostly about not stretching yourself too thin and trying to cross too many things off your list. It’s also about considering jet lag and transportation once you get somewhere. Both of these cut into your time tremendously. Even though we’re spending a month traveling, we plan to land in Rome and stay in the city for three days. It’s not so much about seeing Rome as it is about getting ourselves and our kids into a bed as soon as possible. I have no idea how my kids will deal with jet lag.. it could be a day of misery and then totally fine for all I know. But three full days will allow us to recharge and rest a bit before continuing on. At the end of the day, you know your kid and if they’ll be pretty flexible and down to go with the flow or not. Having a toddler and a baby, this is our trip to test the water.

LOCATION

This sounds like an obvious one, but you’d be surprised. The more planning and reading I do, the more I want to throw a curveball into our itinerary. For example, will it be an absolute disaster bringing my kids to the Almalfi Coast? Probably not. Will it be super enjoyable bringing my kids to the Almalfi Coast with lots of cliffs, steps, cobblestone, etc? Again, probably not. And since this is our first trip it’s about setting ourselves up for success and not making things more challenging.. we’re trying to keep it simple. Our initial plan was Germany. We love it there, the people are always friendly, and if we’re shelling up with small kids, a place with good beer on tap sounds great! The more we tried to nail down cities and towns though, the more I was just overwhelmed and unsure what our actual days with the kids would look like. We wanted places we could hunker down for at least a week. We were hoping to get to know different towns and relax instead of being constantly on the move. We wanted to have a bit of breathing room, but be close enough to a downtown for essentials (and stimulation). A grocery store/market, park, a couple of restaurants, and a pub were on our list. There are so many cute German villages that hit all the marks and would leave us quite content. But something was just missing and neither Ben nor I were getting super pumped about the trip. It was almost like there were too many small towns to choose from and there was a hovering pressure to pick the right ones. I think we were both scared to park ourselves somewhere that maybe didn’t have enough going on and would leave us bored and feeling stuck. The key to choosing the right location for us came back to picturing what our actual days would look like with the kids. I wanted us to spend most of our time outside. Whether that was exploring, going for walks, hitting up the local playground, it didn’t matter. I just saw us out in sunshine. I started thinking about Italy mostly because it was more south and a bit warmer. From there, everything just seemed to fall into place. We were both pretty excited about it too, which was the biggest clue that it was the right decision for us. Not to mention, Italian food! Izzy is already telling people that she’s going on vacation to go eat pizza, lol.

When it came to narrowing down our itinerary, we knew we wanted to start in Siena. Benjamin has childhood memories of a summer in Siena when his Dad was teaching a law program at the University in town. He remembers spending his days eating gelato and heading into the market with his mother to gather fresh ingredients for dinner. His description of these memories are not only the most quintessential Tuscan experience, but also exactly what we wanted for our first family trip with the girls. This was pretty much everything we were picturing and the theme for finding places we wanted to visit. Big cities were out (with the exception of a couple days in Rome when we arrive and Milan when we depart) and quaint, pretty towns were in. Since we aren’t renting a car, we do have to rely on public transportation to get everywhere. This helped narrow down our search of not only ‘where to next’ but also, how long we want to spend on a bus or train between destinations. So keeping this mind, we started researching towns that could accommodate our vision, but didn’t have us sitting on public transit for too long of a stretch. Although absolutely stunning, we crossed out cliffside villages and places that have lots of stairs, hills, etc.. nothing is more annoying than carrying a stroller up a bunch of stairs.. except maybe a toddler screaming “I CAN DO IT” and taking all the time in the world to walk up themselves. That’s not to say we won’t visit these places at all.. it’s possible we may venture out to Cinque Terre for a day trip or something.. but knowing that we aren’t lugging all of our things and children up steps and hills and cliffs only to dread leaving the Airbnb with our little ones make all the difference.

OUR ITINERARY

So! After considering all the things, Italy is where we landed. Rome, Tuscany, Italian Riviera, Milan. We will be initially flying into Rome and staying 3 full days. Delta flies into FCO, but once the warmer months come around, flying standby in and out of FCO gets a bit difficult. Flights definitely do book up and last time I was in Italy I had to buy a ticket to Edinburgh, Scotland and then catch a flight home from there. I’m hoping that leaving in the beginning of May is early enough to get there without any issues. If not, that’ll be a whole other experience to be had with the kids. We can take our chances circling back to Rome and leaving out of FCO, but we figured since we’re heading North we could just continue on and leave out of Milan. After Rome, we’ll be heading to Siena for 8 days. Our Airbnb is right outside the city walls, but only a few minutes walk to the wall. There’s a yard for the kids to play in, a beautiful ivy covered pergola casting shade over the patio table, a grill set up, and a playground basically right across the street. From Siena, we head up to San Gimignano for 6 days. The medieval hilltop town is about an hour and a half outside Siena, which I think will be a nice and quick ride for the kids. And once we arrive in town, our Airbnb is only a 6 minute walk from the bus station. San Gimignano is one of the more well known Tuscan villages, but a lot of tourists tend to do day trips into the city. We’re hoping that staying there for 6 days will allow us to get a better feel for it. And to be perfectly honest, staying in Tuscany without a car I was a bit worried we wouldn’t get the full effect of the countryside view. I’m dying to see rolling green hills as far as the eye can see, cypress trees perfectly spaced apart stretching into the distance, rows of olive groves and vineyards layering the hills and just blowing my mind with their elegance. Well, San Gimignano delivers that. The medieval village is plopped right in the middle of exactly all that. The view from our Airbnb and obviously throughout the village is Tuscan landscape for miles and I cannot wait. Lucca is the next stop on our trip and we’ll be there for 5 days. Still considered Tuscany, Lucca can be found on every family friendly Italian city list. I’m still a little unsure what there is to do there.. everything I read really only talks about renting bikes and riding along the city walls.. but it looks cute, we like riding bikes, and it’s on the way to our next stop. Plus, it’s location also makes it a great spot to take day trips to Pisa and the beach. Not sure if that’s the plan just yet, but it’s nice having the option. From Lucca, we’re heading to the Italian Riviera and staying outside Genoa in a town called Sori. We’ll be there for 7 days. It’s only a 25 minute bus ride into the city, which will be nice being so close, but also much more relaxed and quiet. Our Airbnb has a nice sized outside space that is partly covered and overlooks the sea. This is where we spend the last stretch of our trip before heading up to Milan. We have 3 days in Milan, but will be traveling that first day and flying out the third. So it’s really only enough for the tiniest taste of the city before heading home.

ACCOMODATION

All of our accommodation is already booked for the entire month! We have 6 different places we’ll be staying and chose to do Airbnb for all of them. Airbnb has been hit or miss for us lately, but it made the most sense for this trip. We wanted an entire home for starters.. a full kitchen, living space, an outdoor balcony/terrace, and separate bedrooms. We want it to feel like our home away from home. We’ll probably be eating most breakfasts in our airbnb and cooking a lot of dinners as well. Both kids go to bed for the night between 7-8 and although we aren’t sticklers and know some nights will be later, we plan to stick to our normal routine for the most part. A balcony/terrace will allow us to put the kids to bed and sit out with a glass of wine or late dinner and still feel like we’re doing something out of the ordinary for us.. something that still feels special and like we’re on vacation. We’ve done plenty of road trips with Izzy and having an outside space has always been a game changer. Having separate bedrooms is huge for us too. Maggie will most likely be in our room, but we would like to keep Iz in her own room. She’ll be able to sleep uninterrupted and it won’t be too different than at home. Izzy has been sleeping in a twin bed recently so that allows us a bit of freedom in that we only need to request one crib for Mags. Initially we were thinking we’d have to take our travel crib, but decided against it. It narrows down the Airbnb search results needing a crib, but the luxury of not lugging extra stuff is so worth it to us. A few other obvious things we considered is where in town is it located.. we don’t plan on renting a car so we’ll be walking from the train/bus stations with all our bags and the kids. All our accommodation is within a 15 minute walk and we have some kind of idea what the walk entails.. hills, busy road, etc. For the exception of 2 of our stays, we made sure to have a washing machine as well. After living in Thailand for a bit, I’m no stranger to hand washing my clothes, but with two kids this will save us time and energy for sure. A couple other less obvious things we considered when picking our accommodation was lighting and decor. Before children, both of these were high on my list also.. but for different reasons, lol. As a parent, I’m considering lighting for nap time and decor is mostly about ‘less is more’ these days. I do love big windows and natural light does wonders for a space, but not so much in the bedrooms when my kids are trying to nap in the daytime. I found the cutest attic apartments in Genoa with gorgeous skylights and then remembered the children, lol. There would be no way for us to cover those windows. You won’t find many Airbnb listings that advertise black out curtains, but we managed to randomly find one, which was great! There are travel black out curtains you can buy and bring with you and also travel crib tents that block out light as well. I haven’t decided if we’ll be bringing any of these yet, but they are nice options to have. I’ve linked them below. I think we’ll assess closer to our departure date and decide. The less is more on decor is hard for me. I love a beautifully styled room and I’m definitely a sucker for plants and art and all things pretty. But I also don’t want to worry about my children touching or breaking things in someone else’s home.. Let alone helicoptering them to make sure they’re handling things with care. Lastly, if you’re in an apartment building check on the elevator situation. A lot of times in older buildings lifts only go up a couple floors and you have to walk 1-2 stories.. or sometimes there is no lift at all. A few of our Airbnbs are like this, which is fine.. I just like knowing what I’m walking into.

PACKING

We obviously haven’t done any packing yet. Dealing with a baby under 1 and a 2.5 year old, I can’t really let myself plan too far ahead. They develop so quickly that what they may be needing/wanting one month could be totally different the next. So for now, I’m doing as much reading and preparing as I can and then will assess my kids closer to when we’re leaving. I’ll be sure to post an updated summary of what we’re bringing when the time comes. That being said, Ben and I both plan on bringing our backpacking backpacks and a roller board suitcase.. our backpacks will be for us and the suitcases for the kids and all of their essentials. Also, as of now, we do plan on bringing a double stroller, a travel highchair for Mags, a fold up booster seat for Iz, no travel crib, and no car seats. We’ll be bringing a baby Bjorn carrier for Mags and possibly some sort of carrier for Izzy as well. Items that have been intriguing me however are: Tushbaby Hip Carrier, Travel Blackout Curtain with suctions for the window, Toddler Inflatable Bed for the flight over, and a Blackout crib tent for Maggie’s naps.

Okay, so trip planning can be super daunting. Even more so if you haven’t really done it before. Whether it’s the affordability aspect or simply the unknown, there’s lots of decisions that can leave you feeling overwhelmed and second guessing yourself. But honestly, try your best not to worry. Taking the leap and deciding you are in need of a trip or new experience is the biggest step.

When I travel, I’m all about creating a balance of all the things and nothing at all. I like to allow some room for my experiences to organically fall together as much as I can. The memories that always tend to stick with me are the ones I didn’t plan- so leave room for spontaneity. This doesn’t mean you should plan less however. I always have plans for the day and lists of what I’m trying to see and do- I just may wake up one morning and decide I’d rather sit in a cafe all day instead. And that’s what I’ll do. Without any guilt whatsoever. All about the options in my opinion and the more you have prepared and thought out, the more options you get to choose from. So plan the trip and then let your heart decide if you want to follow it.

But let’s get you there first. When to visit, where to stay, how to get around.. these are all things that can cost us precious time and money. So I’ve compiled my top tips to help you navigate through the tricky decision making. If you have questions or comments, reach out! If you need some help putting together a trip, hollerrrrr- I love a good trip planning project. And most of all- follow through and go!

Where you going

• Where and When?

  Don’t let the climate kill your good vacay vibes. Once you have a destination in mind, know what to expect weather-wise. Traveling during Summer is typically more expensive for obvious reasons. So if you’re on a budget but desperate for a trip, look at flying in the fall months- and if you’re really brave- winter is always a good option. But make sure you can still enjoy your vacation- don’t head to Barcelona in February if sitting outside with your coat and a blanket on sounds horrible. Likewise, Scotland tends to be rainy.. well.. always.. but slightly less in summer. So know what to expect during the time of year you’re planning on visiting.

• How Easy Is It To Get There?

  Depending on your time restrictions, you may not want to add too many stops. Same goes for choosing a destination that has you on multiple trains, a ferry, and then a 2 hour bus ride to your location. Keep in mind that adding too many cities or different hotels/airbnbs to check in and out of will suck up precious time. I know it’s tempting to squeeze in as many places as you can, especially when making a far trip, but sometimes you don’t get that much more out of the experience. A entire day can be spent just moving around- and that’s cool if you’re okay with that. Just make sure you’re accounting for the time.

• Is Your Flight Too Expensive?

  If you have your sight on a specific location, but those flight prices just won’t come down, there are two things you can look into and try. First, be flexible with your dates. Not only does the time of year play a key role in pricing, but prices also fluctuate day to day. If you can tweek your dates even just slightly, you can sometimes save money. It can literally be as easy as changing your flight to Wednesday versus your original Tuesday plan and there you have it- saved 200$. There are quite a few sites that help you compare prices day to day. Google flights is one of my personal favorites, but Skyscanner and Momondo are great too! Secondly, remember that flights throughout Europe are A LOT cheaper than flights throughout the USA. If your destination is looking a little pricey, I recommend checking out a European hub- Amsterdam and Paris (among others) are good ones to start looking into. Then you would take a European airline to your destination from there. Yes, you’ll have to connect, but you can potentially save hundreds of dollars. I once purchased a flight from Paris to London for only 60$ and Dublin to Glasgow for 38$. It’s crazy. You can do this for Asia as well, but it’s not always a big saver like Europe typically is. And South America- don’t even bother. Flights between South American countries are usually pretty high.

Where you staying

• Hotel or Airbnb?

  There are loads more options- hostels, couchsurfing, housesitting, the list goes on- more in another post about this. But! Typically, the main decision is- do you want to stay in a hotel with amenities probably located in city center or beach front orrrr do you want more of a local experience staying in a neighborhood WITH A KITCHEN (usually) and pretending you aren’t the tourist that you totally are. I think you know my vote.. a kitchen always gets me. But you do you!

• Read Descriptions Carefully.

  Once you decide on which direction youre leaning towards with accommodation, make sure you read the decription carefully. Hotels tend to range in more than just comfort level overseas. Some may have shared bathroom options similar to a hostel, some don’t have tvs.. just make sure youre getting what you want/need and don’t assume all hotels are the same. Bathrooms are definitely something to scope out wherever you’re staying however. They can be a bit different by American standards. And by different, I mean small. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but something to be aware of. One of my personal requirements is finding a shower that does not have a handheld showerhead. You’ll discover that these are quite common in Europe. Again, not a bad thing, but you’ll have to become skilled in lathering your body and hair with one hand and spraying yourself down with the other.. All while not spraying water all over the bathroom floor. It’s fun. Or not at all. During one visit to France, I stood on top of the toilet and held the showerhead above Ben while he was in the shower.

• Book Near Public Transportaion.

  If you’re staying in a city center, it’s always a bonus to book a place near a subway or train line. When staying in a new area, I always try to walk everywhere and get a feel for the neighborhood, but after a few days, having public transit zip you around is pretty nice and saves on time- especially that first day trying to find your accommodation. I’ve spent many hours over the years walking for what felt like miles with a giant backpack looking for where I’m staying and it’s exhausting. Some places are worth the trek, others, not so much. Either way, having public transit nearby is really nice.

• What Else is Near Your Accommodation?

  If you can, an area with a couple restaurants and possibly a grocery store or bodega is a plus too. This will be helpful on those late nights when you’re tired, but still up for a glass of wine or picking up quick food near home. As much as you want to think you’ll have energy every minute of the day, it sadly doesn’t always happen. This tip may sound a little unneccessary to mention, but sometimes we find the cutest place to stay and completely forget to check out if the location is ideal. So whatever you think you may want nearby, just remember to scope it out before booking.

What to Do

• Sights and Activities.

  Start with lists! What do you want to see and do? Museums? Vineyards? Walking tours? Cooking class? Whatever it is, write it down. Don’t feel obligated to see everything either. Only write down the things that truly interest you. Just because something is well known does not mean you have to see it. Unless it’s the Eiffel Tower in Paris or something. You should probably see that. But seriously, it’s your time, your trip, you can decipher between the must see and the not so must. After you have a list of what you want to do and see, start looking at a map and your calendar. Which places are located in the same area? Group nearby sights together and you’ll be able to efficiently get through your to-do list. Don’t forget to consider how much time you want to give these places. Is this a half day plan of just a few hours? If I’m visiting a couple places in a certain area, I will also look into what else is cool or worth seeing while I’m in that specific neighborhood. You may discover that an out of this world bakery is right around the corner from the museum you were planning on visiting.

• Food.

  When it comes to food, I start similarly with my lists. What is this country or city known for? What am I dying to try? And then where do I find those dishes. I usually look for hole in the wall places that locals frequent. In my opinion, you’ll find the best stuff. Certain restaurants/cafes will stand out more than others, and those, keep them at the top of your list. But I take every place that interested me (even just slightly) and save them in my google maps as “want to visit”. The App will work even when you don’t have wifi. And so this way, wherever you end up exploring, if you realize you’re hungry you just pull up your map and see what’s nearby. A lot easier than getting back to the hotel and realizing you skipped over one of your saved spots because you didn’t know where it was. I like to keep my lists in a notebook as well and will have it with me while I explore. This way, when I don't have wifi I can still reference my notes and see why I saved certain places. Nothing like swinging by a place for lunch and realizing it’s a gelato stand.

• Day Trips.

  Are there nearby cities or places you were hoping to see? And do you have the time to squeeze them in? Try to avoid cramming in too much, but if you have a free day without plans yet, consider adding a day trip here and there. Preferably somewhere that’s an easy train ride, no more than an hour away. When you’re restricted with time and only plan on visiting a place for a day or so, I find it’s easier to keep your initial accommodation as your home base instead of lugging your things from place to place.

• Tourist Cards.

  Check out if tourist cards are available in the city that you’re visiting. They’re super beneficial if you plan on doing a lot of sightseeing. Many of them even cover bus or train rides as well. If you already have your list of what you want to do and see, look online and see if any of your list is covered on the local tourist card. Sometimes it’s huge savings, but make sure it’s worth it for you. Don’t just buy it hoping you’ll use it.

Getting ArounD

• Public Transportation.

  Using the local bus and train system will not only save you money, but it will also provide its own experience and have you zipping around like a local. A lot of cities have their own card that you can put money on and tap yourself through every time you want to ride. Some destinations have public transit day cards geared towards tourists for unlimited rides for a certain amount of days. It’s usually a good deal and they will save you money if you plan on doing a bunch of exploring. If you plan on just using it once or twice a day though, you may be better off paying as you go. Make sure you pick up a map of the train and/or bus lines while in the station. I usually make sure to take a screenshot of this map from their website as well. This way, you always have access to the system map and can track your ride.

• Ride Share.

  If you’re an avid Uber or Lyft user, you may just opt for using ride share for your transportation. A lot of countries have the same app, but look into the local ride share as well in case it’s different. For instance, Thailand has the app GRAB and you can actually pay cash instead of it charging a card on file.

• Tourist Cards.

  Again, some Tourist Cards cover transportation- so before buying a train card or booking a bunch of Ubers, and thennnn realizing you may want the Tourist Card, look into what makes the most sense for you.

Additional Quick Tips

• Download APPs.

  You probably already have Google Maps on your phone. But if you don’t, go ahead and download that now. Look into what other apps are available for your destination. Local public transit and ride share apps, some places have free walking tour apps, Viator is good for tours, a currency converter is always handy, and a good ole translator app doesn’t hurt as well.

• Portable Charger.

  With all the apps, navigating, and picture taking, its always good to have your charger with you. I usually take a midday coffee shop break to recharge myself andddd my phone. But for the times that you’re amped and not looking to slow down, it’s always nice to have a portable charger. It took me years to finally buy one and it really has changed my life. There’s all different kinds to choose from, but I went with the Anker PowerCore on Amazon. It’s small and doesn’t weigh my bag down.

• Stop at the Grocery Store.

  This is more of a personal preference, but I find it really helpful to have a few grocery items in the house. I usually *try* to cook one meal a day at my airbnb, which cuts down on my spending and usually turns into my downtime for the day. I’ll go to the closest grocery store, load up on water, coffee, fruit, cheese, eggs, and a baguette. I mean, what else do you need? Oh, a bottle of wine and maybe a chocolate bar. Cadbury if you’re in the UK. Having the fixings for breakfast will help you get out of the house and start your day a lot earlier than heading over to a restaurant. The cheese and baguette.. well that’s good for your house snack. On nights when Ben and I have specific dinner plans, we’ll head back to the airbnb, relax with a cheese plate and wine, and then get ready for dinner.