In this job you send people to Europe a lot, and I sometimes wonder what else there is to see. How can people who have been a hundred times keep going back? But every time I go I discover something new, find a cool new place and have some fantastic new experiences – even if it was my third time to Munich in 2 years… This was a family trip, my mum’s first time to Europe, and included two of my older sisters, one brother in law and my two nieces (8 and 10) and two nephews (also 8 and 10). This trip of a lifetime was extra special for me as it gave me the opportunity to show my mum what I love so much about travelling. I learnt quickly about the fun of travelling with 9 people, including me, ranging in ages from 8 to 68, all with different expectations and knowledge. We were away for 3 weeks together and then I got to add on a few more days by myself, so rather than writing a really long story about everything we did, I’ll try to say a few short things about each place.

Belgium - a first for everyone in my family, and I personally won’t be hurrying back. We stayed in Brussels at the Marriott Executive Apartments in the European Quarter. The hotel was fantastic for us, in a great location. From here there was a square, right next to the European Union offices, where there were a number of restaurants, and everything else in town was an easy walk away. We hired a car and made the day trip up to Bruges, and having heard how fantastic it was, I had high expectations, and unfortunately they weren’t met. It is a beautiful city, it’s lovely to walk around and there are some nice restaurants and chocolate shops, but it’s way too touristy for my liking. On the drive back to Brussels though we were able to come across some of the WWI army cemeteries, and in the area was Flanders Field which has a famous poem written about it that Mum knew.

EuroDisney – The happiest place on earth with the worst food options – I didn’t hold high hopes for the food though. We stayed at the Disney resort – I’d hesitate to recommend it as it needs a refurb, but it’s so close to the parks that the only better option is THE Disney Hotel (there’s several Disney hotels, it’s confusing) which is in the park, and twice the price – which meant we had no other option but to eat at a Disney property. I tried the restaurant at the hotel, places within Disney as well as places just outside the park, and everything was either fried or blah. At the end of the day though the kids had a great time, and I got the thrill of my life by meeting Mary Poppins. And I also had the scare of my life on some of the rides.

Paris –What I didn’t realise til now is how close and easily accessible Disney is to Paris, it’s only an hour from the Champs Elysees to the front of the parks. This wouldn’t be convenient if you wanted to do several days at Disney, but it made our transfer back to Paris very easy. One thing I have to say about Paris Metro is that there is a severe lack of lifts and escalators, which makes carting around suitcases difficult. Luckily we were staying on the Champs Elysees, so we had a direct train to a stop only a few hundred metres from our accommodation. One of the highlights for me was coming up one of the few escalators as we arrived into Paris and seeing the Arc de Triomphe only 10 meters or so away from us. Then I got to turn around and see the smiles on the rest of my family’s faces as they realised how amazing our location for the next few nights was going to be. We stayed at the Fraser Suites Claridge right next door to Tiffany’s and across the road from one of the best patisseries in Paris (or so Lonely Planet says). Paris was where we all went our own way a little and met up where we could. Mum enjoyed the hop on hop off bus with Jodi, while Sarah, Ben and the kids climbed the Eiffel Tower. We all had a day walking around, and enjoyed baguettes in a park before going to a fantastic play area at Luxembourg gardens where Ben and I watched the kids while Jodi and Sarah went shopping and Mum went for a wander. The highlights for me were going to The Opera – there was a bit of discussion about my desire to just refer to it as The (La) Opera, but that’s what it is, where else is The Opera? We were able to watch an opera at Opera National de Paris in Palais Garnier in celebration of Mum’s 69th birthday. You have to book months in advance and we got online the minute it opened for reservations and still didn’t get seats together (it was just mum, my sisters and I), but we all had fantastic views even if we couldn’t understand a word. My second highlight would be seeing the catacombs. I’d heard about them but just hadn’t had the chance to see them – so I’m glad I’ve done it. Oh, and the jacket I bought on the Champs Elysees, even if it was only from H&M, was pretty cool too.

Luzern – I only had a night here and we only really stopped to catch up with family friends. Christiane was a fantastic host and helped us catch a ferry, then the famous cogwheel train up Mount Pilatus where we had lunch of baguettes and Swiss chocolate. Once we arrived back into Luzern, Christiane took the others around town, and I headed off to Freiburg to meet a friend. I have to say that if it weren’t for the cost to stay in Luzern I’d definitely go back; it’s a beautiful city and I’m sure there’s more to see that what I saw…

Bad Toelz – I love Bavaria… It may just be the beer, or the pretzels, or the traditional outfits but there’s something lovely about this part of the world. We stayed in a small town called Bad Toelz, 45 minutes by train into the heart of Munich. Oktoberfest was on which was part of the reason we didn’t stay in the city, but also we wanted a bit more of the small town charm. It was a very different experience being in Munich with kids and family from the last two times I’ve been, but it was nice to just hang out a bit, having been go, go, go up until this point. I did go up to Dachau, which was a humbling experience – the audio guide is ok, but my favourite part was listening to the stories of people who had been imprisoned there, using the same device. I wish they had more in English, but they don’t use translators for it, so it makes sense there’s not many. I also did some more shopping in Munich and enjoyed lots of different beers while people watching.

Berlin – When I left Berlin two years ago I swore I’d be back; there was more for me to see, do and experience. After another two days there I still feel like I want to go back with so much more for me to see and do. I want to say that it was unfortunate the marathon was on, but really this is the main reason we went to Berlin. Sarah and Ben (who is Jodi’s husband) both not only completed the marathon but both achieved personal bests – I’m very proud.

The reason it was unfortunate though is just because I wanted to see and do so much more, but we didn’t have the time and it was difficult to get around with roads blocked off. They used the same track the day before for a rollerblading race. We did however find a cool way to get around the day before the marathon, a 6-seater bike – and we had the runners on the trailer to ‘rest their legs’ (see picture). We stayed at two different properties a street away from each other, and I’d recommend both. Adina is an apartment complex that is fantastic for families and they have a great happy hour. Mercure is a hotel with massive rooms, but very odd, caged-in balconies. Both have ‘Checkpoint Charlie’ as a part of their names if you are looking for them, and that’s because we were only a couple of blocks from the famous site, and also only a few blocks from shopping. My highlight in Berlin this time (in case I haven’t told you before, my previous highlight was the wall museum where you can climb a tower and see some of the wall and guard towers still standing. It makes the wall’s history more understandable) was climbing the Reichstag dome with the view over Berlin. We went relatively early, and the dew on the windows was still present, so maybe if going in the cooler months, aim for later in the day. The audio guide here was fantastic: no buttons, it knew where you were (and even which direction you were going) by sensors under foot. If you’ve just been to Switzerland and are enjoying carrying around your new Swiss army knife, this is the day to leave it behind, Ben! Luckily if you do take it, you will get it back at the end.

London – I said goodbye to my family in Berlin and flew to London for the first time in 7 years. I booked myself at the Radisson Edwardian Berkshire, which is the only hotel with an Oxford Street address. If you are going to stay here then don’t make ridiculous promises about not doing any more shopping, as it’s impossible. I had work to do while in town so I went for a few quick walks for an hour here and there to fill in time and every time came back with several bags… I’m still unsure how I got it all to fit (and still be able to lift my suitcase). This hotel and sister property the Radisson Edwardian Sussex are fantastic hotels in great locations; there’s a bit of construction happening next door to the Berkshire, but I didn’t notice it when inside. The restaurant onsite is fantastic and all of the rooms are much more spacious than I expected for central London. Last time I was in London I did the sights so I didn’t do any this time. instead, I ate (and walked and shopped). I caught up with friends every night and enjoyed amazing meals with them, as well as visiting Heston Blumenthal’s newer restaurant ‘Dinner’ at the Mandarin Oriental (including ice-cream made at the table – see picture), and had high tea at the Dorchester Hotel. London is really a food destination now, and the Mayfair area that I stayed in is fantastic for so many different options of food. Let me know if you’d like some recommendations!

I had a night in Shanghai on my way home and LOVED the Shangri-La Pudong. There was a typhoon that hit China south of Shanghai so the weather wasn’t great, and it was a national weekend also so it was crazy busy. I’ve added this to the list of places I need to go back to.

Now I’ve done the travelling with children thing I know that I could do it again when I have my own so the future is filled with endless possibilities.

Europe Family Adventure