Taking granddaughter to Europe?

folivier

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Our first granddaughter graduates high school in 2027 and we are planning to take her on a trip probably to Paris and Rome for a couple weeks. The destinations are pretty much her choice, within reason. Her school usually does a trip with EF Education First and is planning one next year. We've offered to pay for her trip and would plan to meet her in London on the last day of the tour for our part of the trip. She'll turn 18 in June 2026 while in Europe. The EF trip will be a fast paced tour while our part will be slow travel. Not sure if she'll want to go on this school trip or the next one when she graduates or just take her on a trip with us. We plan to do this for her younger sister. Unfortunately our age probably won't allow us to take our other 2 grandkids, 3 years old and 4 month old, due to our ages. I'll be 71 in March but we'll set aside money for their trips.
We'll probably rent an apartment for 5-7 days in Paris and Rome. Unless she'd rather see other areas.
Has anyone done a trip like this? Any tips to travel with an 18 year old young lady?
 
That sounds like a great idea. Will she want to do back-to-back trips though? Or two separate trips?

On the last part, I dunno, it might be a good long term objective to be fit enough to take the younger grands on their trips when they are 18 and you are in your late 80s. I'll be 85 and 87 when our two grandchildren turn 18.

I would consider a leisurely trip from Paris to Rome by train... perhaps Paris/Geneva/Milan/Florence/Rome spending 2-3 days in each stop.

Back in 1986, DW and I traveled for 3 weeks in Europe by train with only a roller carryon and a backpack.

Sounds like planning the trip would be a good "project" for you to do together.
 
If Granddaughter just got off a fast paced trip I think your plan to slow down is great. I might encourage a smaller town in France or Italy to have a different experience. I'm assuming the EF Tours are hitting the bigger cities & museums & art galleries. She may be exhausted from that. Stops might not be as magical in a B2B2B experience. But ask her what kind of experience she wants
 
What a wonderful experience for all of you!
Definitely involve her in the planning, and utilize the EF trip guide as a resource to what she has already done.
 
Many years ago while on a tour, one of the participants ws an older women of about 70 and her 17 year old granddaughter. Previously she had traveled with her husband but he had passed away. She had six grandchildren and each year offered to pay their way on a tour. She gave them a tour company catalog and let them pick the tour, reserving veto rights if she had already been there with one of the others. The tour company was one that required you to heft your own suitcase up and down stairs, hills, etc. so bringing a teenage grandkid was also a convenience for her. I thought it was a great idea.


Yes, she had a significant financial stash. But one could dial down the scope of the trip and still do the same on a smaller less costly scale.
 
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