This was published 8 years ago
Travelling to Europe with children and on a budget
Michelangelo's statue of David.Credit: Getty Images
"Mum, why are there penises everywhere?"
Ah, Florence: The city of art, the Renaissance and Michelangelo.
Or, if you have children, a city soiled by genitalia.
We're in the Uffizi Gallery, staring at the famed sculpture, The Wrestlers, after seeing the statue of David in the Accademia Gallery.
I wax lyrical about the idealisation of the human form, as Taj stifles a yawn.
How do you expose the kids to the great works of art and architecture, without boring the pants off them?
Well, after five weeks of dragging Taj and Grace through every museum, gallery and church in Europe, we've learned a thing or two.
The Vatican has a kids' guide, which is handy to navigate through the Egyptian section with its 3000-year-old mummies. ("Hahaha, she looks just like you, Mum!" the kids mock.)
The Nintendo DS guide in the Louvre has a built-in GPS, so let them lead the way. Start at the Mona Lisa, because it's hard for little ones to see through the crowds.
Buy tickets online to go straight up the Eiffel Tower. Download the app Monument Builders: Eiffel Tower, which explains its construction.
The British Museum is free, and has activity backpacks for toddlers, kids and tweens.
Arrive early at the Tower of London to avoid the huge queues to see the Crown Jewels.
(Honestly, this will probably put them to sleep, but the gruesome stories in the dungeons will wake them up again…)
Our best advice is this: Book a tour with Context Travel.
An academic, who speaks to kids in their language, takes the family around historical sites.
Our guide describes the Colosseum as, "a giant Lego building, made of blocks and metal spikes".
The other challenge is where to stay. Many hotel rooms in Europe – especially Paris – are "rabbit cages", in the words of one tour operator.
You're better off booking a house, or large apartment, through Airbnb.
(We stay in a two-level, three-bedroom apartment in The Marais, with a view of Notre Dame, for about $250 a night.)
The company has just released a series of Disney-inspired homes throughout the continent.
"Boasting soaring turrets and secret gardens, these magical homes allow families to plan their ultimate fairytale getaway," the blurb says.
For $91 a night, stay in the Enchanted Italian Castle in Cisternino, near Brindisi on the south-eastern coast. The town is known for its wine, olives and meatballs. (Need I say more…?)
Or there's the Windmill by the Sea in Tinos, a 20-minute boat ride from Mykonos. That's $213 a night.
And there is the charming Cave in Sacromonte. It is $76 a night and it's not a real cave. But this rustic home, with a garden and terrace, is near the Alhambra, the palace and fortress in Granada.
Moorish poets describe this as a "pearl set in emeralds", rising out of the forests of southern Spain. I remember being brought to tears by its beauty. The kids tell me to, "Pull yourself together, Mum…"
It is possible to take the kids to Europe on a budget.
Just remember to explain the finer points of Renaissance art beforehand…
tracey.spicer@fairfaxmedia.com.au
See also: The best way to tackle the Louvre (and avoid the crowds)
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