09/09/2026
🌍✈️ European Travel 🧳 🍷
I get asked quite often to help plan trips to Europe, and while I absolutely LOVE helping families plan vacations, European trips are a different beast. 😂
I’ve traveled to Europe with my own family a few times, and the planning that goes into each trip is extensive. Choosing the cities, figuring out what to do in each one, booking trains/flights between cities, finding lodging and coordinating transportation. And if you’re a family of 5 (or more), finding lodging in Europe can be ULTRA tricky because of their very strict room occupancy regulations. And no, you can’t just leave someone off the reservation and sneak them in. 😂 They are basically trained like CIA spies to catch this.
Even with careful planning, something inevitably goes wrong.
Storytime diversion: Did you know Liverpool has a few central train stations that are fairly close to each other but not close enough if you're running late and your train leaves in just a few minutes and 1/2 your family is dropped off at the wrong one? And that when you have to split into two different Ubers because European Ubers are often teeny tiny 🚗, you may just end up at TWO different central stations with half your family running 3/4 of a mile to the other one with luggage in tow to make your very timely train departure. 😂 Thankfully, the kind conductor saw what was happening and waited an extra 45 seconds to close the doors as my husband and son sprinted aboard.
And while that's a funny story now, the thought of a client being in a time zone 7+ hours ahead of mine and something happening that I may not be able to assist with? That panics me a little bit. So, planning European trips completely piecemeal — city by city, hotel by hotel, train by train — isn’t something I’ve really ventured into yet.
For first-time trips to Europe, I often recommend a cruise instead. 🚢🇪🇺
Why?
Because you get the convenience of seeing multiple European destinations without having to pack and unpack every couple of days to move to a new city. Most of the logistics that can make planning Europe seem daunting to a first-timer are gone when you're cruising.
Unpack once. Make the ship your home base. Wake up somewhere new.
Imagine eating breakfast at a picturesque Italian street café, exploring the ruins of Pompeii, grabbing authentic gelato from a corner gelateria and then letting the kids get their wiggles out in the youth clubs while you enjoy a drink with your spouse… and then waking up in Rome the next morning ready to explore the Colosseum or take a pasta-making class. 🌋🍨🍷🍝🚢That’s the magic of a European cruise. ❤️
Many European cruises visit 4+ different ports, and the possibilities are pretty much endless: Spain, Italy, Greece, France, Croatia, England, Ireland, Norway, the Netherlands, Denmark… and more.
And for families, you get another huge bonus: You get to make a lifetime of memories with your kids in a different historic city each day and then your kids have a familiar place to come back to each night. My favorite cruise line recommendations for families traveling to Europe are:
✨ Disney Cruise Line
✨ Royal Caribbean
✨ Norwegian Cruise Line
✨ MSC Cruises
Each offers family-friendly ships where the kids can enjoy pools, activities, entertainment and kids clubs — while you spend your days exploring some of the most incredible, historic cities in the world.
And you don’t have to choose between a cruise and really experiencing Europe. One of my favorite strategies is to add a few extra days before (or after your cruise). That gives you time to slow down, adjust to the time change, and really immerse yourself in the city where your cruise begins or ends.
So if you’ve always dreamed of taking your family to Europe but the thought of planning ALL. THE. THINGS. has you overwhelmed… a European cruise might be the perfect place to start. 🌍🚢
And if you’re wondering which itinerary, cruise line or European ports would be best for your family, that’s where I can help. 😉 If Europe is on your travel wish list, reach out to schedule a personal consultation with me. We can talk through your family’s travel style, the places you’d love to see, and what cruise options might make the most sense for you.
Let’s get you to Europe — without you having to spend days figuring it all out yourself. ✈️🚢🇪🇺
