Do you think a 8yr old child will appreciate europe?

[aznfayeth]

We are a family with a 8yr old boy. We have been on a few cruises before but mostly to the caribbean because we like beaches, snorkeling, and scenic island tours. I'm worried that Europe with all its museums and architecture will be a little boring for my son. I think it will be educational for him though. Do you think kids are too young for europe?

[sparkieplug24]

only ever cruised in Europe and have done it several times with a child and her first cruise was when she was five they have beaches in europe as well you know ;). In saying that though she loves going to places like the colleseum and Vatican city etc. So not sure if thats much help to you. What part of Europe where you thinking of as each place is very different

[epixx]

I think it depends on the child. We cruised in Europe 4 times with our younger child first at age 7, followed by subsequent trips at ages 8, 10, and 11. I would say that she enjoyed it at 7 and 8, but that she really didn't get much educational experience until she was 10 or 11. Also, we really had to adjust our touring days quite a bit when she was 7 and 8, both in itinerary and total time of tour. At age 10 and 11, she was much more interested in everything and had the stamina to tour all day from port.

[euro cruiser]

Each child is different, and only you know your own well enough to judge.

 

I've taken kids to Europe starting at about 6, and pretty much every year since then (the oldest is now 22).

 

It doesn't have to be about museums at all ... there's plenty to see in most ports without ever going into a museum.

[William Dean]

Europe is great for children. I certainly had a good time in Europe when I was eight.

 

WD

[lmg1230]

We traveled to Europe for the first time as a family when our younger daughter was 6 and our trip this summer will be the fourth to Europe in the last two years. My kids love Europe! We have been on a Baltic cruise, to London for 10 days, 2 weeks in Provence, France and this summer will be going on a Mediterranean cruise - and the kids have never been bored. If you really want to cruise in Europe and you are worried about your son being bored then you will just have to spend more time planning upfront in order to plan days that will appeal to him as well as the rest of the family. Traveling in Europe with children is definitely a different experience that traveling with adults but, in my opinion, the sacrifices that you have to make in terms of itinerary and pace on the trip are well worth the experience of introducing your child to the world.

 

Lisa

[rebeccalouiseagain]

To answer your question- kids like any cruise period. So if you are going to Europe for your 8 year old... then don't. If you are going on a family vacation to Europe because you want to see Europe- then take him/her.

 

My son did enjoy Europe but he also loves cruising to no where. So here is my suggestion... go and if he/she wants to stay onboard for some of the excursions that's fine. My son did and I got to do things that he wouldn't enjoy.

 

The best places for kids that they will appreciate are castles and ruins. My son really enjoyed this. I had to give him a bit of context but he really enjoyed these monuments. He did enjoy museums but I think alot of that has to do with the gift shops!

 

I have some wonderful pictures of my son when he was 8 years old in Europe. We have done 4 12- night Euro cruises (age almost 7, age almost 8 and age almost 9) He did some excursions. The other days I toured without him. So don't be afraid to leave him onboard if you aren't going too far from the ship or on an organized ship tour- where you know you'll get back on time. For instance, I did Santorini without him. You can see the ship from there.

 

I also did some land travel with him. He loved Northern Italy and Salzburg and still talks about this. However, dollar for dollar, the cruise is the best deal because there is unlimited food, entertainment- magic shows and comedy show are a hit with kids, babysitting, US outlets for charging games, dvd players and cameras and a doctor onboard which is really important. He was sick on land and that was harder for me.

 

My sons loved the Colluseum and Vatican, Pompeii, Ephesus, The Giants Causeway in Northeren Ireland, Loch Ness in Scotland, Venice, Paris, Lake Como, Merano in Northern Italy, Salzburg, Madrid, and Dubrovnik. So yes they do appreciate things at this age. Kids would love the Cinque Terre too and next time I'll drag him there!

[momva]

As is true with any vacation destination, it depends on the kid. My sister and I loved traveling around Europe when we were young. My favorite, even at 4 years old, was Florence. We took our son on a Baltic cruise when he was 8 and are very glad we did. Admittedly, there were some days he begged to be left onboard but he always ended up having fun and would say "but I didn't know it would be like that..." Ruins and castles are great. Even some of the museums are interesting to a kid. But the most fun my son has when visiting other countries is meeting the people or wandering through a local market and trying new foods. We are doing a Med cruise this summer (he is now 10) and are very much looking forward to it. I have involved him in the planning which also helps. I am sure you know that traveling with a kid is very different from traveling with adults. You do have to make adjustments but that doesn't mean that you and the kids won't have fun. You will!

[bonnieg]

We started taking our son to Europe when he was 6 for both cruise and land vacations. He's now 16. It takes planning with children, especially on cruises. We would do our excursions at a more leisurely pace, not trying to see too much in one day. Each trip we would seek out different collectibles which made it fun for him. One trip we picked up pins from different places and he put them on his Yankees cap, another trip we bought those miniature statues found at different sites. The cap is still hanging on his wall and the statues line a shelf in his room. He still remembers all his travels and as an added bonus has been able to make intelligent contributions in the classroom while studying a place he's been.

[chipmaster]

Ah what does "appreciate" mean.

 

Will an 8 year old really understand Florence and David, Vatican and Sistine Chapel, art muesuems? I think most don't, won't or don't care, YMMV

 

FWIW I took my children 8, 12, 14 they enjoyed some things a lot, some things not much, but it was special and we exposed them to many things they only read about.

 

I wouldn't say "appreciate" but we had a great vacation and they enjoyed many things that when they look back hopefully will be meaningful and special. It was from the parents and grandparents point of view GREAT!

 

We are a family with a 8yr old boy. We have been on a few cruises before but mostly to the caribbean because we like beaches, snorkeling, and scenic island tours. I'm worried that Europe with all its museums and architecture will be a little boring for my son. I think it will be educational for him though. Do you think kids are too young for europe?

[tom_uk]

Part of it can be how things get presented, I think. For example, take the Pantheon in Rome. That can be presented as a 2000 year-old historical structure of great architectural significance. Alternatively, it can be presented as a building where they left a hole in the roof..... I think most children will be quite interested in visiting a building with a hole in the roof but not at all bothered about a 2000 year-old structure of enormous historical and architectural importance.

 

In addition, it's also the case that there some very good gelaterias in that area, and I know kids will like gelatos....

[chipmaster]

Holes in the ceiling were funny. Gellato stops a couple times in evey port were a hit too :D

 

Great suggestions!

 

Part of it can be how things get presented, I think. For example, take the Pantheon in Rome. That can be presented as a 2000 year-old historical structure of great architectural significance. Alternatively, it can be presented as a building where they left a hole in the roof..... I think most children will be quite interested in visiting a building with a hole in the roof but not at all bothered about a 2000 year-old structure of enormous historical and architectural importance.

 

In addition, it's also the case that there some very good gelaterias in that area, and I know kids will like gelatos....

[agabbymama]

I'm going to be honest here, and say I don't think so. At 8, they are too young to really get much out of the historical aspect of Europe. It's a lot of money to pay in my estimation I'd wait until a little older. JMO

 

My granddaughter wanted to travel with me from the time she was about 4, but I told her to wait until she was 10. In June she will be 11 and kindly reminded me I hadn't taken her anywhere yet. I planned a cruise in December, but had to cancel. So now we are thinking of Hawaii. There is no way I'd take her on the airplane for 11 hours to Europe. But again, that is just me.

[Bet & Peg]

Read this on a thread (from 2009) about traveling with children - thought it was a fabulous idea! Just passing it along for what it's worth.

 

Read especially post #2- it'd mean some research and work on your part but might make the whole trip into an exciting adventure for all!

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1077265&highlight=traveling+with+children

 

An 8 year-old in Europe ~ if you can afford it and it isn't going to "kill" your budget then I'd say "go for it"! If it's a matter of now or later then. IMHO, I'd say wait a few years. (I wish I could have exposed our kids to Europe at an early age - although they've all turned into travelers!!)

[chipmaster]

Really, I think it depends on a lot of things. If you don't do something because they won't remember with that argument why take kids to Disney whatever or anything? Just leave them at home till they can remember, they won't remember a thing so why bother at all :D

 

My daughter had her first trip to Taiwan when she was 4, came back with some memorable pictures and experiences. We went again when she was eight took pictures at the same place and visited a few new and repeats. I think those will be memories that she might remember a looong time, maybe not but special times regardless of what we remember. The experience itself mold us even if we don't remember. Now was it the picture or memories, don't know but we wouldn't have traded those vacations for anything regardless. Of course if one can go only once or have limited funds its a very personal decision.

 

 

I'm going to be honest here, and say I don't think so. At 8, they are too young to really get much out of the historical aspect of Europe. It's a lot of money to pay in my estimation I'd wait until a little older. JMO

 

My granddaughter wanted to travel with me from the time she was about 4, but I told her to wait until she was 10. In June she will be 11 and kindly reminded me I hadn't taken her anywhere yet. I planned a cruise in December, but had to cancel. So now we are thinking of Hawaii. There is no way I'd take her on the airplane for 11 hours to Europe. But again, that is just me.

[donaldsc]

You will have to go at a different pace, perhaps see different things, and relax but your child will probably enjoy Europe. He may not see it as a great cultural enlightening experience but he will enjoy it. It will also be neat for you to see Europe through the eyes of a youngster. You may learn something.

 

DON

[junglejane]

We are leaving in just over a week to fly to Rome with our kids, who are now 10 and 14. This will be our 3rd time taking them to Europe for a cruise vacation. The first one was in 2008 when they were 7 and 11. I especially agree with everything said above by Rebeccalouseagain and Chipmaster.

 

Our kids have loved all of our cruise vacations. Our cruises to the Mexican Riviera have been our relaxing cruises where we just kick back and enjoy the ship. The European cruises obviously are the port intensive ones when we are on the go all the time. Cruising has been a great way to travel with the kids because they have a chance to relax and have some down time on the sea days. Also, for our family it is good when we all get a little break from being together 24/7.;)

 

Take your kid to Europe, but do so with reasonable expectations. Don't build up your expectations too high that it will be the trip of a lifetime for the 8 year old. Our younger DD is now 10, and she definitely remembers some fun stuff from the 2008 trip when she was 7, like riding the gondola in Venice and chasing pigeons in St. Mark's Square. She also remembers Santorini, the Parthenon, Pompeii, the Colosseum, and throwing coins in Trevi Fountain. But there were definitely times when she was a little bored and would rather have been swimming or playing in the Fun Factory than, say, visiting the Vatican Museum. But that's just life.

 

We try to balance things on our family vacations. It's not "all about the kids" versus "all about the adults." With four people you can't please everyone 100% of the time. (I always feel that we don't spend enough time shopping!) But we feel that we've had very fun enjoyable trips and are counting down the days until our next one.:D

[SuiteTraveler]

I grew up in a family that was ALWAYS traveling and by the time I entered school, I had been to most of the locations that I later studied in history class. Although I might not have understood everything I saw and experienced, having actually been there was very helpful to me in my studies and caused me to want to know more. In Naples, I'd recommend you go to Pompeii and in Rome, the Colloseum and the Trevi Fountain. My parents always made it a point to eat local food on our trips, which I greatly enjoyed and as a result of this constant travel, I grew up an adventurous eater, willing to try almost any food and have great respect for and interest in locally sourced ingredients. I also loved going through local markets and buying local ingredients such as bread, pastries, cheese, salumi, and chocolates (such as the Bouqueria de St. Joseph in Barcelona or the chocolate stores in Begium). We went in many museums - which I actually enjoyed and even to the opera and ballet - both of which I enjoyed. Don't sell your 8 year old short. Adventurous world travelers are made from these types of family experiences.

[rebeccalouiseagain]

I'm pretty selfish... I take my son because of the guilt of leaving him at home! He loves traveling and we are actually considering doing a major trip to Europe and beyond in 2012. So it is a great way to expose kids to culture, art, history, music and scenery.

 

Personally I would rather travel with an 8 year old than with a 15 year old. Once they hit their teens its all about friends and girlfriends/boyfriends. They aren't really into hanging out with parents anymore. I have great photos of both my kids in Alaska, Hawaii, Europe, etc. These I treasure. Life is too short!

[Keith1010]

We are a family with a 8yr old boy. We have been on a few cruises before but mostly to the caribbean because we like beaches, snorkeling, and scenic island tours. I'm worried that Europe with all its museums and architecture will be a little boring for my son. I think it will be educational for him though. Do you think kids are too young for europe?

 

Your child should really enjoy the ship.

 

If you plan to spend a lot of time touring museums, and other related places I think that will be very hard on the child.

 

If you spend a lot of time doing other things that an 8 year old child would enjoy that is a different story.

 

I am one who always notes that like adults all children are different but realistically at 8 years old there are very few children I have ever known who would want to spend a lot of time touring museums and the like. Some adults don't enjoy it either.

 

Keith

[SuiteTraveler]

One other thought - really, you don't have to go in museums in Europe. They are there, but there is so much more to see in visiting towns and markets and touring historic sites like the Coloseum. I would save the visiting museums part for when you do a land trip to Europe and have plenty of time to visit museums. On a cruise, I'd skip the museums and see as much of the towns and cities as possible.

[rebeccalouiseagain]

We have great museums in the US... what we don't have is Castles, Ruins and 2000 year old towns. This is why you go to Europe- to see history.

[GlendaleCruiser]

Just came from there and I would have to say that your 8-year old can have a great time but there are some constraints you need to accommodate. We are adults and were exhausted so make sure you take a pace that allows for plenty of rest and sleep for your child. No cat naps for 8-year olds in my experience. (We have one at home, too).

 

Beach in Barcelona was easy to get to and fun.

 

Intersperse the museums with other things like cable car rides, gelato, beaches and time at the hotel for the pool and relaxing.

[itsjb1]

We did a cruise with our kids when they were 13 and 9 and they did enjoy it. If you can, do private tours off the ship, as it will give you more freedom. For example, we had many gelato breaks. The drivers also knew places that the kids would be interested in. Our son was in to cars, so we stopped at the Ferrari store in Rome, where they has a ferrari in the store.

 

If you are going to Venice, book the secret itinerary tour at the Dodge Palace. Among the places that you go is the attic, where Casanova was jailed. The 9 year old(now 16) still remembers it.

 

IMHO, an 8 year old can ejoy Europe. I think that the key is to not overdo it and to do it at their pace.

 

Also, if you are going to stay pre or post cruise, book a hotel that has a pool.

[tricialee]

My kids were just shy of 7 and 11 when we cruised the Med for the first time. They both loved it. We are going back to Italy (Rome and Amalfi) next month and they can't wait.

 

We made sure they were involved with the planning and even got to pick some places we stopped at (Capucchin Crypt). Lots of Gelato stops during the day helped of course, and never planning 2 very heavy days in a row was good too.

 

One thing that may help kids that age is the Magic Tree House books. There are several on areas that you may get to visit on a Med Cruise, (colisseum, Pompeii, Greece, Pyramids) This gave my boys lots of history on some of the places we visited and they even knew some tidbits of info that I wasn't aware of.

 

We did private tours for the vatican and Colisseum and also for Pompeii, and Athens, so we could operate at a speed that worked for the kids.