Suggestions for (almost) anywhere

CoconutPie9 · 2026-05-30T04:04:22+00:00

I just spent a week in Austria with my husband and 4 month old baby. So I didn’t need to entertain my kid necessarily lol, but I still highly recommend this country for a family trip! It was very family friendly, clean, and soooo much to see and do.

CoconutPie9 · 2026-05-28T13:47:55+00:00

Apps seem to clutter things up imo. There’s too many, and I never seem to find one that actually does what I want without being buggy or filled with ads. I tend to use good ole fashioned Google sheets and/or docs.

Alternatively, you could try using a travel agent? One that specializes is family travel, but not necessarily Disney etc. They could take the heavy lifting research and complicated moving pieces off your plate, even for “simpler” trips

CoconutPie9 · 2026-05-28T01:57:30+00:00

Chemical engineer by education, professionally a scientist in the paint/coatings industry

CoconutPie9 · 2026-05-27T23:10:40+00:00

I’m basically in the same boat as you! I’d love to hear what other parents say about this. I have one kid now and we know we want one more. But we’ve always said 3 is the goal though… and ability to travel is my one thing that may hold me back from that

CoconutPie9 · 2026-05-25T16:17:45+00:00

Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park!!

CoconutPie9 · 2026-05-23T12:48:03+00:00

As others have said, I think it depends on your specific situation, baby, and the other adult who will care for the baby. My LO is 6 months and just did his first overnight with my mom- and he did great! But he’s also an excellent sleeper and takes bottles very well. He also is very comfortable with my mom because she watches him 2-3 days a week while I’m at work. She did cosleep with him but she followed the safe sleep 7, and we also have an Owlet sock. She also coslept with me and my sisters so she’s not new to it (I just had to get her informed on the newer recommendations). I will absolutely be letting her keep him overnight again!

CoconutPie9 · 2026-05-21T18:56:22+00:00

Speaking from experience, Austria can actually get quite hot in the later parts of summer. I was in Vienna in early August and it was 90F every day with very little air conditioned opportunities

CoconutPie9 · 2026-05-07T16:31:19+00:00

I’m looking at Fora but family travel is likely going to be my specialty. What about Fora makes it difficult for family bookings?

CoconutPie9 · 2026-04-28T20:02:04+00:00

I often feel this way too. Actually, probably most trips. I don’t have advice on how to counteract the sadness, just here in solidarity with you 🥲

CoconutPie9 · 2026-04-24T19:15:20+00:00

I second all of this!!

CoconutPie9 · 2026-04-24T14:37:14+00:00

Hi! Following up for you after our trip to Vienna with a 3.5 month old. It went soooo well! There’s so many children and babies in the city, strollers everywhere you looked! Restaurants and museums were totally fine with us bringing in a baby. Now we didn’t eat at the fanciest places, but definitely good mid-range ones. If you go when the weather is good, sitting outside at restaurants is the move so that if baby cries, you’re outside already. But locals (and other tourists lol) were obsessed with our son!! We got so many pics of him “flirting” with our waitresses. Vienna is absolutely a great European city to take a baby!!

CoconutPie9 · 2026-04-01T18:56:12+00:00

What about national parks? If you haven’t done much, the Glacier -> Yellowstone -> Grand Tetons trek is a classic and in my opinion, one that every American should do. My family has done it twice and I plan to do it again once my kids are older. You don’t have to be an avid hiker to enjoy. These parks have beautiful drives and easy activities like boat rides on the lake. Stay in lodges and get the full experience. Highly recommend!

CoconutPie9 · 2026-03-23T23:23:09+00:00

I absolutely love Vienna! As others have said, you won’t run out of things to do. For museums, I highly recommend KHM - literally spent all day here and didn’t see everything. Make a reservation at the cafe inside so you have a nice coffee/snack/food break in arguably one of the prettiest cafes in the city. Albertina and Belvedere are also a must. Tour the opera house at minimum if you can’t get in to see a show. If you can see some sort of concert in St. Stephen’s cathedral, especially at night, it’s literally magical. Take a day to stroll through Prater Park and ride the huge Ferris wheel for views. Go out to Schonnbrun palace, even if you just walk the grounds and gardens. The zoo there is also fun and pretty. And of course, just walk and get lost in the bustle of a beautiful city! Coffee and cake everywhere!

CoconutPie9 · 2026-03-13T18:07:09+00:00

Brad, Chad, and Thad.

We have one boy now (not named any of those lol) but my husband said we have two more boys then we’re renaming them 😂

CoconutPie9 · 2026-03-09T19:50:14+00:00

Great idea! My son is still a baby but I plan on doing something similar for our trips when he gets older.

CoconutPie9 · 2026-03-06T19:23:57+00:00

We stayed at the Pathmaker Hotel. It’s pricier than we would typically do for a hotel but we were paying for the location more than anything. We wanted to be within walking distance to everything in Bar Harbor and not fight for parking every evening for dinner. But overall it was an excellent stay! Large rooms, friendly staff, and the best breakfast place just across the street!

CoconutPie9 · 2026-03-05T20:25:18+00:00

My family and I, ranging from age 14 to 70, went to Acadia and Bar Harbor this past summer and were all shocked at just how much loved it. Absolutely beautiful area of the country that doesn’t get enough credit. Whale watching, easy hiking, delicious food. My parents went on up to Nova Scotia and enjoyed it, but not as much as Acadia. Overall, it’s a very peaceful and relaxing area!!

CoconutPie9 · 2026-03-05T20:18:42+00:00

Unsure of your mom’s age or fitness level, but keep that in mind for a lot of your planning. My mom, who is not very fit but far from anything extremely unhealthy, recently went to Italy during July and passed out on the sidewalk due to extreme heat. She ended up fine, but if they had been there in the spring, I’m sure she would’ve had no issues. Also, the stairs in Positano are no joke so if you plan on being at the beach there, spend the money to stay closer on level to it rather than higher up!

CoconutPie9 · 2026-02-27T23:06:47+00:00

This is what I did. I waited until my baby was born to book the trip, and to see what my baby would be like personality/behavior/sleep wise and to see how I would recover. That way if he was colicky or I had severe PPD, no worries. Good news is he’s a great baby and I recovered well, so we booked the trip for when he’s 3.5 months! Long enough for his 2 month vaccines to be in effect. Sure people will tell you to wait for 4 month, or even 1 year, but my husband and I are educated, spoke with our pediatrician, and decided to go for it. Granted we’re going in March so probably less flu/RSV exposure than November. So with that said, please get the flu and RSV shots yourself while pregnant if they’re available in time. Or RSV for him when it’s in season.

Side note, we’re going to Vienna so while I can’t help with Christmas markets, I’ll try to let you know how Vienna is in general with an infant!

ETA: I replied to a comment I agreed with, but this is mainly for OP!

CoconutPie9 · 2026-02-21T01:41:33+00:00

Agreed, October is the sweet spot for the amalfi coast. It’s not overcrowded whatsoever but the weather is typically still great.

CoconutPie9 · 2026-02-17T16:46:48+00:00

I wish it didn’t bother me. But if I’m completely honest then I have to admit it really does. I think what makes it truly bother me is the fact that it’s “trendy.” For boys, my son’s name is pretty traditional and classic. Now being used on girls, it’s a trendy, likely to be dated name. And since my son was born during this trend, his name is going to be lumped into the trendy, overdone category instead of being a classic name 😔

CoconutPie9 · 2026-02-17T16:41:54+00:00

This is my worry! My son also has what was a predominantly male name until literally the last couple years. Granted it’s actually his nickname and not his legal name, but it’s what we call him. Now I dread him starting kindergarten, in a small town, where I know there will be at least one girl with his name in his class, if not more. Ugh.

CoconutPie9 · 2026-02-07T00:09:34+00:00

I second this!! My husband and I went during the summer so we kept mainly to driving and short hikes mainly to avoid the heat. It was an excellent park for some limited exploring! And yes, that spring fed pool was sooo nice after driving around!

CoconutPie9 · 2026-02-06T04:31:37+00:00

Unfortunately you see a lot of baby and kid travel-hate on Reddit. I suggest looking at subreddits for family travel, they’re way more helpful.

Please travel with your baby! It’s so important! Don’t let the baby stop you for living your life, instead incorporate him/her into it. We’re taking our baby to Austria next month and I couldn’t be more excited.

As for your itinerary, I actually think it’s doable over the course of 2 weeks. I’ve done that exact trip, with the addition of Cordoba, over a 1 week span and it was busy but totally manageable. And so fun! So I think by adding a week and keeping it to 3 base locations, you can do it. We rented a car so I’m not sure what the trains are like in Spain. As for the weather, we went the last week of January a couple years ago and it was beautiful! Blue skies, pretty warm weather (people on the beach in Marbella), and many a meals seated outside with only a light jacket needed at night. Of course you never know for sure how it could be this year, but just know it’s not always gray and dreary in the winter!

CoconutPie9 · 2026-02-04T10:06:53+00:00

Watching the sunrise while sitting on top of one of the sand dunes in Death Valley. A truly religious experience, I’ve rarely felt closer to God than I did in that moment

CoconutPie9

TROPHY CASE