Up, down, and around we go! I have been always been amazed at the quality and quantity of the playgrounds in Europe and parks for children. Visiting a children’s playground is not on most people’s agenda when planning out an European holiday. However, we have found the playgrounds in Europe to be a fun cultural experience and a wonderful break for children (and even adults). In Europe, as you are walking through the squares and down the streets you will bump into numerous parks, playgrounds, and carousels. And after a full day of visiting museums and cathedrals, the thought of sitting do ..read more

A trip to Rome is a bustling, beautiful, and chaotic city. Filled with ancient ruins, it truly is a delight amongst European cities. Upon our first visit, Rome quickly became one of our very favorite cities (it’s between Rome and Switzerland).  Rome has the feel of a big city-loud noises, buses and subway systems, and a lovely nightlife. For as much as we love Rome, we also love to describe it as, “brutal,” because it is an immersive experience. We love it, but the sun is very hot, you have to be a little more on edge crime wise, and there are crowds everywhere. As all big citie ..read more

Happy Friday! This past week we have been busy planning our itenerary for our upcoming trip to Europe. We are reserving campsites, making reservations, and giving our country reports (see more about that on this post). However, I just wanted to drop in really quickly and talk about one of our favorite places to visit in Italy: Cinque Terre. Cinque Terre is the charming town on the coast of Italy. Composed of five small cities, Cinque Terre is connected by various hiking trails and a train. The cities are bright, beautiful, and colorful beyond words. On our most recent trip we pulled in ..read more

When you visit, Strasbourg, France you will love the beautiful medieval churches, quaint half-timbered houses covered with flowers, beautiful canals, and cobbled lanes. Images that are straight from a Black Forest fairytale. For good reason, we like to think that fairytales are alive and well in Strasbourg, France.  Sitting on the border of France and Germany, Strasbourg has a beautiful cathedral. The Strasbourg Cathedral is a Gothic masterpiece that was once the highest Medieval building in all of Europe. Also, today it is still the sixth tallest church in the world. The cathedral w ..read more

Eating in Switzerland, a lunch-sized portion of spaghetti costs 27 Francs. For our family of eight, in Euros, that would equate to about 216 Euros for a simple lunch. A lunch, that probably would mean that everyone wouldn’t quite get enough to eat. A Happy Meal at McDonalds will cost you 7-11.00 Francs in Switzerland. That means our family could spend over a 100 Francs at McDonalds. After a short time in Switzerland we started to get the feeling that we were getting robbed and we weren’t even full after eating! We were spending money like crazy and we were still hungry. Then, we visite ..read more

Just popping in on this lovely FRIDAY (anyone else glad that it is finally the weekend?) to share one of favorite memories in Schilthorn, Switzerland 2017! We are currently preparing our itinerary for our trip to Europe this summer and Schilthorn is on our list to visit again this year.   One of our best discoveries last year was the beautiful city of Schilthorn in Switzerland. Starting out in Mürren, it requires one or two beautiful gondola rides up to the top of Schilthorn. I mean, just look at this view! From the top, you can see the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau mounta ..read more

Our First Day in Europe: Just dropping in quickly today to share these pictures from our very first day in Europe in 2015. When I look at these pictures I see some jet-lagged travelers who have no idea about the adventures that await them. That night, due to not understanding that campgrounds close early, we slept in the car. It might have been a blessing in surprise because all through the night, it was pouring rain. Although we now know how to best camp in the rain, I have a feeling that our tents would have been soaked due to our inexperience. Although we were squished in the van ..read more

All things considered, Europe is a relatively safe place to visit. It depends on the countries that you will visit, but there are a few things you can do to help you and your family remain safe in Europe. I would recommend taking more precautions in Italy, the Czech Republic, France, and Hungary. However, always be cautious in big cities. You don’t want a beautiful trip to be ruined because you simply didn’t take precaution beforehand. We have never been flat-out robbed (knock on wood), but we have had some things stolen and a few close-calls. Be Aware, Put Your Phone Away: This is the nu ..read more

I love to walk across the windy Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and feel the cool breeze whip my face and see the waves crashing below. In New York, I enjoy strolling across the Brooklyn Bridge. I love to feel the rumble of the traffic and gaze up at the towering cityscape. However, after visiting Hungary, one of my favorite bridges to experience is the Liberty Bridge in Budapest. There is nothing like grabbing a seat and enjoying the commanding views of the Danube River. The Liberty Bridge crosses the Danube River and connects the Buda and the Pest side of the city. It was origin ..read more

When you are preparing to head to Europe for the first time, you will already be purchasing lots of materials to prepare for your departure. When you are preparing, you do not need to spend a ton of money all at once. For your first trip you don’t need top of the line sleeping bags, pads, and tents. It’s not essential. Instead, each time you go camping in Europe, you should invest a little more money into your experience. To start off, your big purchase really should just be the tents. After the first trip, you can begin to gift more expensive and lightweight pads, sleeping bags, and other ..read more