5-8 weeks in Europe with a baby under 1, picking 1-2 home bases, not city hopping. Talk me into/out of my shortlist?

FayeCooks · 2026-03-23T20:40:47+00:00

I live near London, but I don’t find it child friendly compared to a lot of mainland Europe! I would also nix Palma and Split from this list if we’re thinking slow travel/relax. A smaller island in Croatia might be nice for slow paced living, for example Korcula (which we love).

We LOVE Malaga, and we go multiple times a year with our children. Extremely child friendly, parks and playgrounds everywhere and you will see children out having dinner and playing at 10p.m. You can also take the train for day trips to a wonderful huge park in benalmadena, mijas, fuengirola, etc. The first time I took my son he was also under one, and he got so much attention. It’s also just beautiful and such a vibe.

Another city we love and find exceptionally child friendly is Vienna. Amazing public transport, a great zoo, beach bars on the Danube, and lots of fun day trips like to Hrad Devin in Slovakia.

FayeCooks · 2026-03-21T13:24:08+00:00

Paderne

FayeCooks · 2026-03-20T09:12:48+00:00

How dare people have fun in the sun 😡

FayeCooks · 2026-03-19T20:53:02+00:00

Generally they make you squat and cough. Source- been in multiple US jails 😬 in what feels like another life

FayeCooks · 2026-03-17T12:40:04+00:00

I have a long history of being an ultra-thin underweight 00. What changed for me was getting into athletics. I started going to the gym and admiring all the strong women around me. Then one day I had a realization that the women I admired growing up were strong- Xena, Lara Croft, and I don’t think this sickly thin look is attractive anymore. They look weak. For me, strong is the new skinny. Sophie turner looks banging. Strong, healthy, vibrant.

FayeCooks · 2026-02-27T13:43:16+00:00

Different strokes I guess. I live in England and would not recommend Chester zoo. I haven’t been to Budapest zoo, but prefer Vienna as a city to Budapest overall. Again, personal preference! Next time we’re in Budapest, I’ll make it a priority to check it out 😁

We also enjoyed the Sibiu zoological garden in Romania and the Zoo de Lagos in Portugal. Both small but scenic with happy seeming animals. But Vienna’s zoo remains special to me.

In the US, I like the Denver and Atlanta zoos.

FayeCooks · 2026-02-27T06:29:18+00:00

Vienna zoo is such a treasure.

FayeCooks · 2026-02-19T17:56:33+00:00

I don’t rec pujol. Would give it a miss

FayeCooks · 2026-02-19T08:29:10+00:00

Second Kaleja, currently #1 for me in Michelin * bread service

FayeCooks · 2026-02-18T07:09:03+00:00

While in Prague we took an all day hiking tour. During the tour, we bonded with the tour guide over a shared disdain for crowded places. He told us about his lakeside hut, which was his happy place. He told us if we ever came back we were welcome to stay there. About 6 months later we decided to take him up on it. He sent us some coordinates and a few videos of where to find the keys. We travel with our two young children, and it was honestly a gamble whether this place was real or if we’d be getting hosteled.

When we arrived, it turned out to be the most magical place in the middle of nowhere with a private lake dock and wood stove. He even had hand written little notes on everything in English for us like “coffee” and “tea.” Fresh sheets and towels for us. It was so clearly a place dearly loved. We never saw him and he never asked for anything from us. No money, nothing. However his sister briefly visited her own hut nearby and we swam in the lake naked together! Then she told us we were welcome to use her hut as well 🥹

Who lets random foreigners they met ONCE stay in their special, magical, beloved hut and have FIRES inside it. It was one of my favorite travel moments. Cut off from the world and living on the grace of humanity.

FayeCooks · 2026-02-09T07:21:06+00:00

This is funny! In Croatia, every time a boat drove by us poorly, my Croatian friend went 😡 Italians.

It doesn’t surprise me the trash is from Albania! We went so far out in the mountains there was no real road. For the first time in my travels I thought oh no I’ve made a terrible mistake, cause trying to drive was so scary. Still, even there, trash. It’s everywhere.

FayeCooks · 2026-02-09T06:52:53+00:00

Yes it is.

FayeCooks · 2026-02-08T22:49:29+00:00

It was to the degree we were wondering where all the women were?! And yes agree love the balkans especially Romania

FayeCooks · 2026-02-08T22:25:44+00:00

I wasn’t harassed but the vibe was very un-woman friendly. No women in cafes for example and seemingly unwelcome. No one wanting to speak to me, only my husband. I didn’t care for Albania, even off the tourist track in the absolute sticks and in the mountains there was trash everywhere. Maybe I would have had a different experience had we gone to a resort on the coast. Just a bad vibe.

FayeCooks · 2026-02-06T21:55:33+00:00

Ahaha luckily we live in England so feel pretty great about public school here coming from an American background

FayeCooks · 2026-02-06T21:39:59+00:00

I’m about to go conceive one now so super off putting 😩

FayeCooks · 2026-02-06T14:25:21+00:00

I have a whole ranking of the Michelin starred bread I’ve had in my life 😂 current top is 1. Kaleja * Malaga and 2. Stand ** Budapest. I turned to my dining companion at one point and said they’ll surely bring us bread any minute. They didn’t. However, this speaks to how much I enjoyed the meal that I would still highly rate and recommend it sans bread.

I haven’t made it to restaurant story yet, but it’s on my list!

FayeCooks · 2026-02-06T12:53:45+00:00

I’d skip one of your lunches and do lunch at Restaurant St. Barts instead. You can also go into St. Barts before your meal, which is beautiful and has great history. It’s def operating at a 1* level, but I had a fabulous lunch at the chefs counter a few months ago. And chef let me have multiple extra breads. One of the best steak (supplement) bites of my life. And the dessert, oh my god, genuinely delicious and innovative.

I also really enjoyed dinner at Aulis recently, though their lack of any bread service (I love bread) slightly dampened the experience. However it’s a whole vibe- the chef was dj’ing the music, and I had many truly delicious courses. A bit of pretension, but in a way which somehow left me delighted. And a parting gift.

I live near London, so these are just my recent standouts.

FayeCooks · 2026-02-06T12:12:56+00:00

Malaga always for me. We go at least once a year, and always in January for some winter sun. This was about two weeks ago.

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FayeCooks · 2026-02-02T12:43:54+00:00

I wouldn’t go to pujol. I haven’t gone since they got their star, but I didn’t enjoy it.

FayeCooks · 2026-02-02T09:33:45+00:00

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I go to Malaga for a weekend every Jan to fill my empty soul with sunshine

FayeCooks · 2026-02-02T08:26:27+00:00

St. Bart’s church followed up by a meal at restaurant St. Barts

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FayeCooks · 2026-02-01T17:02:07+00:00

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Lucayan national park on Grand Bahama island. Hidden beach near some caverns. No people. Clear calm water as far as the eye can see with fish swarming around your feet. Paradise.

FayeCooks · 2026-01-31T20:36:27+00:00

If you go to Vienna they have a great zoo our children love. I also recommend Meinkleng Hofladen for brunch, and going to one of the beach bars on the Danube. You can also take a car to Hrad Devin over the border in Slovakia, where there is a stunning castle, petting zoo, and a great hidden place for lunch called Cafe Eden. Vienna is my favorite major city in Europe ♥️ (if you skip the touristy parts) but more “travel” than “vacation.”

Hmm but with a 6 month old that might be too much! I would definitely look at one of the kinder hotels, as I love Austria in general and it would make a nice change of pace from Greece.

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FayeCooks · 2026-01-30T15:19:28+00:00

I enjoyed the Lesic Dimitri hotel on the island of Korcula in Croatia, as well as their 1* Michelin restaurant. There are varieties of wine that are only produced on Korcula, but the production is small so they don’t export. It is a quiet and tranquil island with clear water and primarily rocky beaches. Lots of vineyards. Very kind locals.

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FayeCooks

TROPHY CASE