What? When? How Long? Time Budgeting for Europe

One of the questions that lands in my inbox

on an almost daily basis 

revolves around how many days

people should spend

in each city

when they are traveling to Europe.

It's not an exact science,

but here's a general breakdown

to help out when trying 

to plot out your trip.

rome city map, $20.

REYKJAVIC - 4 NIGHTS

(allowing for 3 day trips out of the city)

LONDON - 3 NIGHTS

PARIS - 3 NIGHTS

(allowing for 1 day at Versailles)

FLORENCE - 3 NIGHTS

(allowing for 1 day in Tuscany on a day trip)

stockholm city map, $20

DUBLIN - 3 NIGHTS

(allowing for 1 day out in Wicklow National Park or Cliffs of Moher)

ROME - 2 NIGHTS

EDINBURGH - 2 NIGHTS

BARCELONA - 2 NIGHTS

SALZBURG - 2 NIGHTS

london city map, $20

MUNICH - 2 NIGHTS

(allowing for 1 day out at Neuschwanstein or Dachau)

VENICE- 2 NIGHTS

(allowing for 1 day spent out at Murano + Burano)

NORMANDY - 2 NIGHTS

(allowing for seeing the beaches + Mont St Michel)

amsterdam city map, $20

CINQUE TERRE - 2 NIGHTS

ST ANDREWS - 1 NIGHT

OXFORD - 1 NIGHT

oxford city map, $20

A FEW OTHER THOUGHTS:

Book your flights in & out of different cities so that you don't loose a day in traveling back to your arrival city. No bigger bummer than cutting your Spanish adventure short so that you can RyanAir back to a city you just left. The travel cost back to that city and the time you save will be more than worth it.

If you are planning on traveling from city to city by flight, splurge a bit more on the Airline to one that allows for baggage. Otherwise, you'll have to limit your luggage to a carryon the size of a small backpack. Airlines like British Airways or Alitalia can fly between countries for under $100, so while they are more expensive than the budget airlines- you'll save enough to compensate for their crazy costs of checking a bag with the other guys.

Stop throwing away your full water bottle at security because you haven't had time to drink it yet. Just dump it out in the trash can and refill it on the other side of security.

Read my tutorial for flying budget airlines here. (It's a whole new world.)

*     *     *

Any thoughts to add?

Toss them in the hat below

and add in from your experience!

*images via cartocreative

In case this looks too easy...

People always ask me 

how we travel with a baby.

Well, we just do.

It's possible...

and it's not too painful

at this stage in our life.

In fact, it's actually pretty fun.

But don't be fooled...

it's not always easy.

No matter how serene

our pictures may seem...

well, she's still a baby.

Have a great weekend!

*images original to Aspiring Kennedy

Maui, Hawaii: Betty's Beach Cafe (Lahaina)

I think that breakfast is one of the best parts of a vacation.

Or brunch, for that matter.

I'm an equal opportunist here.

Hear me out...

In your normal life,

when else do you get to lounge around

for the first meal of the day?

In our lives, breakfast is scarfed, slurped and solo

before we rush out the door.

But on vacation,

it's a meal that's shared

and the place to plan the day's adventures.

Plus, it's just so freaking delicious.

When we woke up on our first day in Maui,

the first thing I did was google

"best breakfast in Lahaina."

One of the places listed was for 

Betty's Beach Cafe

and, as we had nowhere else that sounded better,

we decided to check it out.

Oh man.

I'm so glad we did. 

I'm going to be pushing for a repeat visit before the week is over.

Not only is the beach setting gorgeous,

but, hey, the food is good, too!

Their banana & macadamia nut pancakes are the best-seller...

and we loved them, too!

If (and when) they ask if you want the coconut sauce for them, 

replying with a resounding YES.

It's a game changer, in my non-professional opinion.

Also add the huevos rancheros to your "must eat" list.

They're really, really good.

(And that's not a compliment this Texan hands out lightly.)

On the weekends, mimosas & champagne are $2...

Twist up the normal OJ + bubble combo

with pineapple, guava or POG juice in your mimosa

for the same price.

We loved this place.

I hope you get a chance to like it, too!

Betty's Beach Cafe

505 Front Street

Lahaina, Maui HI 96761

808.662.0300

Traveling with Babies- Here's What I Know.

I've been getting a lot of people asking me

for advice for traveling with kids.

First of all,

I feel the need to clarify:

traveling with a baby 

is an entirely different ballgame 

than traveling with a kid.

Kids seem easier than traveling with a baby

in a few ways

such as having their own seat,

carrying their own little animal-shaped suitcases,

and, generally, knowing to not poop themselves. 

Though the idea of going anywhere

(grocery store included)

with a toddler is completely terrifying.

None the less,

let me help offer what I know & have learned

traveling with Viola.

I'm not going to pretend to know all the answers,

but the kid did clock 8 countries by 8 months old…

If I'm not a professional,

I'm at least not intimidated by traveling with a baby.

*     *     *

First things first:

adjust your expectations.

Even traveling across the ocean,

I always think this phrase over & over 

during the day (and night) before we fly:

"Even if it's a completely awful day,

it's only one day

and then I'll be in (insert destination here)

and it will all be worth it."

I would exchange one crappy/miserable day

to spend a week pretty much anywhere, 

so that gets my eyes on the prize.

Second: Know your allies.

Airline employees = nice.

Fellow passengers = hate you.

I was pretty amazed at how sweet 

the airport staff & airlines treated us

and welcomed us on board.

They helped us board early,

snag empty seats,

and made our travel so much better.

I was equally amazed 

at how many mean looks

and snotty remarks we got

while traveling.

On our way home last month,

I walked to our row

and the man who was sitting by us

looked up, looked at me, and then snarled:

"Ugh, really?"

I gaped so loudly out of shock 

and then laughed in his face:

"Yup. Sorry dude."

Fortunately, all the people around us overhead

and went out of their way to compliment

what a sweet baby Viola was after her A+ performance,

but still.... wow.

Third: Manipulate the schedule.

I start planning the day before

how to make Viola's schedule line up

to need to feed as we take off.

I'm doing everything I can to make sure she is hungry

at the time our flight is scheduled to take off.

This not only helps her pressurize her ears

as we take off,

but it makes her sleep like a champ. 

If she starts trying to eat or sleep

in the gate, we play with her

and get her right near that edge of feeling crazy

so that she'll conk out once we start taxiing that runway.

Fourth: Get them to drink.

Babies can get crazy whenever they want on flights,

but they cry most often during the last thirty minutes of a flight

because the pilots start the descent

and their poor ears aren't able to pop.

They don't know all the tricks we grown ups know,

so you have to be the brain for them on this.

This can be a bit tricky, 

since it's a long period of time.

I'm not sure if this is fool proof, 

but it worked for me.

I think of the 20ish flights

we have been on, 

Viola has only cried once

and that was because it was such a short flight

and I couldn't time her feeds up for take off & landing.

Go ahead and nurse them

and then- once they are finished

and the world still looks a million miles away: 

pull out the secret weapon,

the bottle of goodness.

When Viola was really little,

I put a bit of sugar water in a bottle.

I would drop a bit in her mouth

every 30 seconds or so

and she would gulp it down and pop her ears.

As she got older, 

I've diluted juice with water and given her just little drinks

to help keep her curious until we touch down.

Sometimes I've used Smart Water, Apple Juice, whatever...

Heck, I'd even resort to Sprite, if I had to.

Anything to keep her from hurting.

The goal isn't for them to chug it down,

just something to intrigue them

into drinking a bit more

after they have already filled their bellies.

Fifth: Get to the airport two hours early.

Flights have bulk seating reserved

for the day-of travel.

The sooner you get there, the better options

the airlines can offer you 

for your seating.

Even if you don't get the bulkhead,

getting their early can help your family

make sure they are all seated together.

You can also hop to get an "infant block" seat, 

if there are a few unsold seats.

Five: Shop the unpopular flight times.

We try to skip peak travel times

in order to play the odds for a uncrowded flight.

Uncrowded flights means empty seats.

Empty seats mean that you + hubby

could score a row of three

and lay a baby down to sleep between you

while you do fancy things like read a magazine and drink coffee!

We look for midweek travel

at non-commuter travel times

like the early afternoon.

Six: Let the kid call the shots.

Airplanes are not the time to enforce schedules

and try to hem children into new things…

Don't fight the small stuff.

If they want to roll around and lick the tray table,

let them have at it.

Your baby wants to eat 365 puffs?

Great. What a time killer.

They want to squish the vomit bag into oblivion?

You go, Glen Coco.

Those things are not your battle today.

Your battle is getting to wherever you are going,

with your sanity in tact

and your baby happy.

The rest is, just… well, it's not important.

*    *    * 

Okay, those are my favorite tips.

Nothing mind-blowing,

but it works for us.

I hope that this can help you…

and please, if you have tricks that have 

made your travels easier with kids,

share them with us.

What are some things that have helped you

when you've traveled with kids?

*images original to Aspiring Kennedy

Pack Your Bags: Barcelona

Right after my crazy semester ended in Dublin,

Tyler & I woke up the next morning

and walked (read: crawled) out of our flat

headed towards a flight to Barcelona.

Some of my best friends from high school

were headed there for a weekend.

There's a bigger/emotional back story

to our get away,

but the bottom line is:

sometimes you just need 

to hang out with your best friends

in an awesome place.

It's healing for the soul.

By 11am, we were at our hotel

and ready to take on the day.

Or at least,

find a good place for lunch.

Thanks to the amazing people of Instagram

for the great recommendations.

We had such a good time

just taking it easy

and enjoying the sun

of this welcoming city.

Affordable, delicious, kind...

as crammed as it was in our schedule,

a weekend in Spain 

was really good for Tyler & I.

Excuse the iPhone/Instagram pics...

my camera charger is broken!

Here is my "list" from our trip

to Barcelona.

HOTEL MARKET

We loooooved this hotel. 

It was about a 10 minute walk to La Rambla,

but we like to walk

and it was just around the corner from the MANGO outlet.

The restaurant was lovely,

the rooms were huge,

and the price- amazing: €61 a night.

Holler. 

*   *   *

THE BORN

This isn't a shop or a cafe,

but an entire area of town

in the central part.

You won't have to go far 

to find this gem of a neighborhood.

It really reminded me of Paris' Marais.

Cool shops, great eats, and a really good vibe.

You'll like it, I just know it.

Here are some of the places we loved in the Born.

*   *   *

MUNA- This tiny shop has baby clothes that make me want to cry.

Someday, when I'm a big time blogger (read: sarcasm),

I'll go back and buy the place out.

The clothes are gorgeous.

Even Viola knew it was some place really special.

HOFMANN- This is a gorgeous bakery has amazing cakes, cookies, 

and- what did you say? The Crofre? 

A croissant & belgian waffle's love child?

Indeed.

TANTARANTANA- This tapas place....

just perfect for your daily dose of

patatas bravas, peppers padron & jamon croquettes.

And with glasses of cava for €2.50

and most of the tapas plates from €2-4 each,

you'll walk out with some cash in your pocket 

to buy a souvenir at...

DR. BLOOM- Just down the street from Tantarantana,

this is one of the cutest boutiques I've been in

in a long, long time.

I bought a scarf.

The sweaters are dreamy, 

but I was shopping in a little lower price range

with Christmas coming up.

When I go back with my Scrooge McDuck millions

to buy out Muna,

I'll be sure to go back here

to loot the place, too.

It's great stuff.




* * *



Okay, The Born is great,
but there is life outside it, too.

Another little cluster of good spots
comes on the coast,
right off the Barceloneta metro stop.

MakaMaka Beach Burger Cafe-  This is a great burger place
right along the beach of Barcelona.

Not only does the setting have a great atmosphere
(Spanish hipsters + surfer chill),
but, whaddaya know,
the food is great, too.

I went big:
The Big Maka.

Bacon, onions, grilled peppers, cheese, BBQ sauce.

So good.

LAS FRITAS- After you've had your burger & fries
at MakaMaka,
go across the street to Las Fritas,
where you can get (more) french fries.

This stand sells only fries...
obviously.

On a sunny day,
walking along the coast
with a paper cone of fries
would be, well, muy bien.

{Editor's Note: There Is also a realllly good churro stand across the street from Las Fritas.
Go getcha some (their enormous "small" is €5 + €2 chocolate sauce.)

___________


Obviously, I didn't even mention
most of the tourist attractions
in Barcelona...

Or any actually,
so let's do a quick recap of those, too.

Those, most well-known are:
Park Guell, La Sagrada Familia, La Rambla, Picasso Museum
and the lush food stalls of La Bouqueria....

Barcelona,
you're beautiful.

See you soon, I hope.

*all images original to Aspiring Kennedy

Pack Your Bags: Carcassonne France

We were eating dinner tonight

and in the middle of my (second) bowl of soup,

a thought appeared in my brain

out of nowhere:

I never blogged about Carcassonne!

I'd been so excited to share 

this hidden gem

tucked in the Southwest of France

with you & the rest of the blogging world...

I edited the pictures,

I put them in a folder on my desktop,

and then...

well, honestly, who knows.

But here it is today!

Better late than never, right?

With a place this special,

the answer is: absolutely.

*      *     * 

It was about 1.5 hours drive

from where we were staying

(remember the crazy-gorgeous-yet-affordable Chateau Les Carrasses?)

to Carcassonne....

On our way towards the Spanish border,

I grew increasingly allured to drive

to Barcelona for dinner.

{Tyler did not, however, or this Carcassonne adventure would have ended here.}

All I knew about Carcassonne before arriving

was that it was a medieval city...

which, to me, meant

it was a city during the medieval times

and not today.

So imagine my surprise when 

we walked through the city gates

and then realized:

it's still an active/real place!

The flavor of the city

(and yes, I believe that cities have distinct flavors)

was undoubtedly French...

with strong Spanish notes.

A crepe stand would sit next 

to a store selling handmade espadrilles...

A cafe sign would have the price

for une biere & una cerveza.

It was one of those days in traveling

when you are left totally refreshed

even after a long day out.

The four of us

(Tyler, Lauren, Viola & our dear friend, Kyla)

wandered through the cobblestone streets,

explored the gorgeously preserved castle overlooking the valley,

and, obviously, ate enormous crepes

stuffed with nutella, coconut & almonds.

I've tried to say it in previous posts,

but I'll say it again:

the southwest of France

is one of the best-kept secrets there is.

Affordable, stunning, rich with history & gorgeous.

It's waiting for you.

*   *   *

More Southwest France posts here

for your drooling pleasure!

Chateau Les Carrasses | Baby's First Swim