Europe With a Toddler: A Practical Planning Guide

Somewhere in Paris, our stroller stopped being a stroller. It became luggage, and we carried it up a metro staircase with no lift.

That was the day our plan met the pavement. We had chosen the city, the sights and the place to stay. We had not checked the journey between them. After almost three weeks in Europe with our toddler, that is the one lesson we would hand to anyone planning the same trip: research the journey, not just the destination.

How do you plan a Europe trip with a toddler? Fix your dates, budget and must-see places first. Then choose cities that work with a stroller, stay near public transport (ideally with a kitchen), plan one main activity a day, carry familiar food, and check every day trip door to door. Leave some afternoons empty on purpose.

This is Part 2 of our Europe with a toddler series: everything we learnt from planning and travelling, including the small things you only discover once you're there. Part 3, our day-by-day itinerary, comes next.

Plan a family trip, not a toddler-only trip

The trip that worked for us was a family trip, not a toddler-only one. Our toddler was part of almost every planning decision, but he wasn't the only person we were travelling for. We still wanted castles, beautiful towns, city walks and a Seine cruise. We also chose a zoo, the NEMO Science Museum, parks and riversides on purpose.

The sweet spot for us was things we wanted, plus things he would enjoy, plus enough empty space that nobody had to rush. This is the order we planned in:

Fixed constraints → must-sees → accessibility → practical stay → easy connections → family activities → downtime

Start with your leave, budget, flights and genuine must-sees. Then build around those constraints instead of trying to squeeze everything in.

What should you decide before booking anything?

Decide four things first: how many days each place gets, where convenience is worth paying for, which sights you would genuinely regret missing, and which friends or family you want to see along the way.

• Days: decide how much time you can realistically give each place. Frequent moves look efficient, but they add packing, check-outs and transitions.
• Budget: decide where convenience is worth paying for, especially on accommodation and transport.
• Must-sees: make a short list of things you'd be genuinely disappointed to miss. Everything else is optional.
• People: if friends or family are part of the trip, build those visits into the plan instead of treating them as an afterthought.

How do you choose European cities that work with a stroller?

Ask a second question after "Is this city worth visiting?" Ask whether it will work for you with a stroller, luggage and a tired toddler. Check step-free public transport, the walking distance between sights, and where you can reset when energy drops.

• Look at public-transport accessibility, not just whether the city has a metro.
• Check how close your stay is to transport and to the areas you want to explore.
• Look for parks, open spaces, riversides or playgrounds for low-effort reset time.
• Think about walking distances between attractions.
• Consider what happens when your child suddenly needs food, a toilet, a change or a nap.

The Paris lesson

Paris is where we realised we had underestimated accessibility. Some of the older metro stations we used did not have convenient lifts or ramps, so we sometimes had to carry the stroller. Some roads and pavements around major attractions were not especially smooth for wheels, and traffic meant a taxi wasn't always the quick fix we expected.

Before you book, search for [city] stroller accessibility, metro with stroller and step-free stations, and look up accessibility information for the specific attractions you care about. For Paris, the region's transport authority has an accessibility section and an accessible-route finder.

What should you look for in accommodation with a toddler?

Location beats a beautiful room. A stay that is well connected to public transport, has a kitchen and makes the return journey easy will save you more energy than any view.

• Prioritise connectivity: being well connected to main areas and public transport can save a surprising amount of energy.
• Consider a kitchen: an apartment or Airbnb-style stay was especially useful for us because we could prepare simple toddler food.
• Think about the return journey: how easy is it to get back when everyone is exhausted?
• Check the actual route: "10 minutes from the station" means little if those 10 minutes involve stairs, cobblestones or luggage.
• Check practical details: lift access, laundry, nearby groceries and food options.

A planning benchmark: we would start with roughly €150–€200 a night for a decent 3★ property, then adjust for city, dates and location. We stayed with friends for parts of our trip, so our own accommodation spend is not a benchmark.

How do you feed a toddler while travelling in Europe?

Think in two layers: familiar fallback foods, plus local food when it works. Carry a few dry ingredients your child already eats, use a kitchen for breakfast and simple meals, and pack a small food kit for every day out.

• Carry a few familiar dry ingredients or snacks your child already eats if that makes feeding easier. We carried dal (lentils), ragi powder (finger millet flour) and dry snacks.
• An apartment with a kitchen makes breakfast and simple meals much easier.
• Keep a small day-trip food kit: snacks, water or a sipper bottle, wipes, tissues and a small tiffin (lunchbox).
• Don't make every meal depend on finding the perfect toddler restaurant.
• During our trip, restaurants generally had kids' options, but suitability varies.

The best food plan is the one that prevents a hungry toddler from becoming the deciding factor in your afternoon.

How do you keep a Europe trip fun for the adults, too?

Don't make every activity about the toddler. We paired the things we came for with things he would love, and left room for nothing in particular. The model is one thing we want, one thing he will enjoy, and enough time to do nothing at all.

Slot	What it means	What we chose
Parent priority	The experiences you came for	Castles, Hallstatt, Amsterdam canals, a Seine cruise
Toddler win	Space, movement, animals, water or simple exploration	The zoo, the NEMO Science Museum, parks
Low-effort reset	A spot kept in reserve for when energy dips	Riversides, playgrounds, open spaces

Avoid unnecessary queues too. The wait can be harder than the attraction.

What pace works for a family trip with a toddler?

A slower pace than you think you need. Aim for one main activity a day, leave buffer time for food, naps, toilets, tantrums and delays, and treat the evening as optional.

• Slow mornings when possible.
• One main activity rather than a packed list.
• Buffer time for food, naps, toilets, tantrums and delays.
• An optional evening plan rather than a mandatory one.
• Some afternoons with no real plan at all.

If your itinerary only works when nothing goes wrong, it's probably too tight.

Trains, flights or a rental car: what works best with a toddler?

For us, trains were generally easier than adding more flights within Europe. On a train you can move with luggage, stand up, settle the toddler and skip another airport routine. A rental car worked well for long day trips, especially with a child car seat.

Option	What worked for us	What to watch
Train	Room to stand and settle a toddler, luggage with you, no extra airport routine	Station access and stairs; book important routes in advance when practical
Extra flight	Covers distance quickly	Adds another airport routine to an already long day
Rental car	Flexibility on long day trips, especially with a child car seat	Confirm the seat type, availability and installation before you travel

• Book important train routes in advance when practical. National operators such as ÖBB in Austria publish timetables and tickets in English.
• Check luggage rules and station access before you travel.
• Don't assume a short distance means a short journey with a stroller and luggage.
• Leave transition time. A toddler does not move through a station at the speed of Google Maps.

The day-trip test: six questions to ask before you commit

Before you add a day trip, walk through the whole day door to door. Six questions catch most of the problems:

1. What is the real door-to-door journey?
2. What happens if the toddler sleeps during the journey?
3. Will you need a stroller, a carrier or both?
4. Where will you eat?
5. Where can you stop if the toddler needs a break?
6. What happens if the weather changes?

Our Salzburg to Hallstatt road trip reinforced this for us: flexibility can make a day trip much easier with a toddler. If you're planning something similar, Salzburg's official tourism site is a useful place to start.

What should you pack for the weather with a toddler in Europe?

Treat weather as a planning variable, not a surprise. Pack layers that work together, and keep at least one warm layer within reach even when the morning starts comfortably. That was the lesson our Netherlands and Austria days drove home.

• Light, windproof jacket
• Hoodie or full sleeves
• Comfortable shoes
• Cap or hat
• Umbrella
• Sunscreen
• Weather protection for the stroller and bag

What goes in a toddler day bag?

Pack what you may suddenly need, not a second suitcase. Twelve items covered almost every situation we met:

Feed	Change and clean	Comfort and health
Sipper bottle or water	Diapers	Light layer
Two or three familiar snacks	Wipes and tissues	Basic medicines you already use
Small tiffin	Disposable bags	Prescribed medication
Bibs	Extra clothes	Small comfort toy

Which baby gear is worth bringing to Europe?

Bring gear that solves a real travel problem, and leave the rest at home. For us, that meant a stroller small enough to fit in the cabin. It was useful in airports, stations and on long walking days, not just for sightseeing.

• Choose a stroller based on how you will move: flights, trains, stairs, cobblestones and public transport.
• A carrier is a useful backup when the stroller meets stairs or inaccessible transport.
• Don't bring every piece of baby equipment you own.

The pre-booking checklist

Eight questions to answer before you book anything:

Before booking	Ask yourself
City	Is it practical with a stroller? Are there low-effort toddler options?
Accommodation	Is it connected, practical and easy to return to?
Food	Can we feed our child reliably without a restaurant hunt every time?
Transport	How will we move door to door, not just station to station?
Activities	Which are must-dos? Which are optional? Which involve queues?
Pacing	Have we left enough empty space?
Weather	What layers and rain protection will we need?
Day trips	What is the real door-to-door time?

What we would do differently next time

• Research accessibility earlier. Check stroller access at the city and transport level before finalising plans.
• Protect downtime. That "one more thing" can change the whole day.
• Think door to door. A short train ride becomes a long one once you add walking, stairs, luggage and a stroller.
• Keep food backups. Familiar food can save a difficult day.
• Don't over-plan the toddler. Some of our best moments were open spaces, wandering and time together.

Our simple planning template

Nine steps, in order:

1. Fix dates, budget and must-sees.
2. Choose cities that work for the family, not just the bucket list.
3. Check accessibility and how you will move around.
4. Choose accommodation for location, transport and practical needs.
5. Identify two or three things each person will enjoy.
6. Plan one main activity per day and leave room around it.
7. Add day trips only after checking the door-to-door reality.
8. Pack familiar food, weather layers and a functional day bag.
9. Leave some things completely unplanned.

You don't need to see everything. You need enough time to enjoy what you came to see, without spending the whole trip trying to keep up with your own itinerary.

What's next: Part 3, our actual three-week itinerary

Part 3 breaks down where we went, how long we stayed, the day trips we took and what we did in each place, so you can see how these principles played out on a real trip. Follow @thesanechaos on Instagram so you don't miss it, or watch the planning reel in the meantime.

Frequently asked questions

How do you plan a trip to Europe with a toddler?

Start with fixed dates, budget and must-see places, then choose cities and stays that work with a stroller and public transport. Plan one main activity a day, carry familiar food and weather layers, and check every day trip door to door. Leave some time with no plan at all.

Is a train or a plane better for travelling within Europe with a toddler?

In our experience, trains were generally easier than adding more flights. You can travel with luggage, stand up, settle a toddler and avoid another airport routine. Book important routes in advance when practical, and check luggage rules and station access before you go.

Is Paris easy to visit with a stroller?

It was harder than we expected. Some older metro stations we used had no convenient lifts or ramps, so we sometimes carried the stroller, and pavements near major sights were not always smooth. That is our experience, not a universal verdict. Research step-free routes before you book.

How much should you budget for accommodation with a toddler in Europe?

We would start with roughly €150–€200 a night for a decent 3★ property, then adjust for city, dates and location. Prioritise a stay that is well connected to public transport and, if possible, has a kitchen. Treat the figure as a starting benchmark, not a rule.

What should you carry in a toddler day bag?

A sipper bottle or water, two or three familiar snacks, a small tiffin, wipes, tissues, bibs, diapers, disposable bags, extra clothes and a light layer. Add basic medicines you already use, any prescribed medication and a small comfort toy. Keep it functional, not a second suitcase.