About

Family Travel in Germany Here are the places to visit in Germany with kids. Looking for things to do in Germany with children? If so, then this week's guest has lots of ideas for you. From castles to museums to water parks, there are loads of cool places in Germany for family fun. Listen in and read on for more! ::: Like what you’re hearing? Then please subscribe, rate & review Epic Education Radio. We would be extremely grateful! iTunes is a search engine as well, and so when you rate and review us, you help others find us. Thank you! ::: Places to Visit in Germany with Kids Christine Leger has been living in Germany with kids for the last four years. In that time, she has spent lots of time seeking out great places to visit in Germany with kids. And in this week's episode, we discuss a lot of them. From castles to waterparks, there are countless places to visit in Germany. According to Christine, you'll never run out of things to do in Germany with kids! IN THIS EPISODE: Germany with Kids 02:10 Intro 03:26 Planes, Trains & Automobiles 10:08 SIM cards in Germany 13:27 Eating in Germany 16:05 Kids in Germany 19:22 Weather in Germany / Getting Around Germany 22:44 One-Week Itinerary: Places to Visit  in Germany 27:38 Fairy Tale Road & Romantic Road 28:55 Tropical Islands Waterpark 30:15 Berlin with Kids 31:49 Hamburg & Hannover with Kids 37:38 Germany: Not Open on Sundays ABOUT Names: Christine Leger, her husband and two kids (6 and 3 years old at the time of recording). Hold passports from: Canada Type of travel: Living abroad (Germany) and short-term travel A few places they've been: Western & Eastern Europe IN THEIR BAGS Travel Essentials & Recommendations  "I can’t go anywhere without my packing cubes. It makes the few suitcases we do travel with that much easier to pack strategically. And we know where everyone's things are. We also travel with a corkscrew; there is nothing better than blogging in the dark with a tall glass of wine after the kids have gone to bed. Lastly, we can’t forget our travel adapters. With all this technology in our backpacks, we want to make sure they are charged on proper cables that we can trust." Travel Gear for Kids  "The kids always carry their own child-sized backpack. This holds their in-flight entertainment, a change of clothes, diapers for the baby and any snacks or toys they want to bring. We always take at least one small packet of crayons, a coloring book, and a new Crayola Colour Wonder package. If they go nuts and try to marker the walls in the hotel, it doesn’t leave a mark. We also always pack their swimsuits, regardless of destination. You never know when you will find yourself near a pool. In addition, we take a Travel Cot with the kids, now that they have outgrown a crib. When the kids are too big for a crib but still too young for a big bed without railings, a travel cot is a great way to go." Travel Gear for Babies "Surprisingly, we don’t bring that much extra for the baby than we do for the toddler/big boy. Yes, she still has her stroller, and we always take the carrier for those attractions that don’t allow for strollers (or cities that aren’t stroller-friendly). When flying, we only bring enough diapers for the first few days and buy the rest once we’ve settled in. There is always a grocery store nearby and we don’t want to waste the luggage space. Unless we are traveling to Disney, which is hard to make offsite purchases, or an expensive economy like U.K, then purchasing on the economy is generally the best way for us." Baby Strollers "Personally, we have used a handful of strollers in the past six years when our first was born. We have found that BOB Gear was the best for our traveling needs. It doesn’t fold the flattest, but the rugged wheels and added accessories more than make up for it. We were able to adapt the stroller to hold our car seat when our baby girl was born. That made for one less thing we had to buy new upon her arrival." Luggage "With the hundreds of types of luggage out there, it really is hard to decide which is the best. We prefer to use hiking backpacks. We can store 7 days’ worth of clothes and toiletry bags for two people in each backpack — plus purchases at the destination. This now leaves us hands-free to push a stroller, hold a child’s hand, navigate with our phones or simply enjoy a coffee. Tuck in the straps and most airlines will check these backs right at luggage drop off. Rarely have we been asked to visit Oversized luggage. While this is a minor inconvenience, there is no extra charge for this feature." Electronics  "Even before we started blogging, we always took our fully loaded camera bag and cell phones. Now, we have added a GoPro and a handful more lenses for the camera. We still want to enjoy our vacation and can’t simply stop what we are doing in order to spend hours taking that perfect photo. Therefore we need the best gear possible and a little “this will do” attitude. We don’t claim to be professional photographers and while the kids are around, I don’t see that changing any time soon." FIND THEM ON Tapped Out Travelers | Facebook | Twitter  | Pinterest Travel In Germany with Kids: The Basics Before Christine detailed the things to do and places to visit in Germany with kids, I asked her to about a few practical questions about travel in Germany. For example, I wanted to know about a few nuts-and-bolts issues related to family travel in Germany. Topics like transportation in Germany, German food, the weather in Germany, and other issues. Here are a few points from our conversation. Planes, Trains & Automobiles Germany has three main international airports: Berlin, Frankfurt, and Munich. Christine suggests flying into one of them and out of another. That way you don't have to backtrack the same area. Considering all the things to do in Germany with kids, she has a point. We discuss rental cars in Germany, as well as German train travel. She highly recommends taking the trains and explains the different train systems and how many of the train cards work. Rental cars in Germany are an option, but roads can be narrow. Eating in Germany & Expectations of Children Christine says you'll find plenty of good food in Germany — especially if you like sausages. Finding pork on the menu is not a challenge. There are some German restaurants that don't allow children or only allow them until a certain time in the evening. In fact, these restaurants don't hesitate to tell you this, either. This was not a big deal for Christine — she understands why some places would like to maintain a certain ambiance. And screaming kids would ruin that ambiance. Besides, there are plenty of restaurants in Germany that are great for families. We also discussed the German cultural norms around children. Christine explains that there is a very "It takes a village" type of mentality in Germany. Children go out on their own from a young age, she explains. Therefore, in German society, there’s an expectation that responsible adults around the child will take care of the child in your absence. For example, let's say that your child is misbehaving and you are not around to reprimand them. It's quite possible that a nearby adult will speak to the child, or bring it to your attention if you haven't seen it. It's never done with ill intent, Christine stresses. That's just how things are done. Weather in Germany / Getting Around Germany If you visit Germany, bring waterproof clothing. Christine says that the weather in Germany can turn rainy frequently, so be prepared. In addition, she also mentioned that many of German roads are cobblestone. This can be rough on small-wheeled strollers. It can also destroy certain wheeled luggage. More on this in the podcast. Places to Go & Things to Do in Germany with Kids   There are loads of things to do and places to go in Germany, so I started my questions with a one-week itinerary. What are the top things to do in Germany if you only had seven days? Things to Do in Munich: Germany with Kids According to Christine, there are lots of things to do in Munich within a short distance. The southern German city has a Legoland, and a fantastic zoo. Just outside of town in the Neuschwanstein Castle, which inspired the design of the Disney's castle. It's only a 90-minute drive from Munich towards the Austrian border. Things to Do in Berlin with Kids Looking for things to do in Berlin? Christine suggests Checkpoint Charlie. She also speaks highly of Tropical Islands, an indoor waterpark just outside of Berlin. At Tropical Islands Waterpark, the weather always stays warm and balmy even on a frosty January night. This is one of the best places to visit in Germany in winter. Have You Been to Germany with Kids? Christine had great tips on things to do and places to visit in Germany, but I'd love to hear your tips, as well. Do you know any great places to visit in Germany? Things to do in Berlin? Things to do in Munich? Or things to do in other German cities? If you know any great places to visit in Germany, please fill us in! Let us know in the comments! Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. This means, at no extra cost to you,  we might receive a small commission if you make a purchase or book using those links. My opinions are my own and I only recommend places/services that I believe will genuinely help you find the best places to visit in Germany with kids. Do you know of fun things to do in Berlin with children? Do you know any family-friendly Munich attractions? Tell us in the comments! Full-on family travel fundamentals. Epic Education Radio is interviews, stories and advice for people who decide to make travel a priority in their family's life...and for those who want to. Tune in each week to hear stories and advice from new traveling families, and hear how they've handled various family travel-related issues like education, socialization, working, budgeting, accommodation, road-parenting, safety, technology and more. We talk gear, websites, apps and other resources for traveling & nomadic families, and answer questions from those who would like to do something similar.