Diary of a five year old backpacker!
In and around World
Taking your five year old around the world...yes we are nuts!!!
Our trip involves flying from Melbourne, Australia (our home town) to the US, on to London, Tunisia, and then Europe.
How will we cope with a bored five year old? Is our schedule too tight? Will we see all we want to? Will we have the experiences we expect and hope for? Will our other kids kill us before departure?
An adventure of a life-time awaits!!
Route taken and entries by Real Traveler Will and Kimmy
-
1
Planning!!
Introduction
Our trip will take my partner Kimmy, our 5 year old son Billy and myself from Melbourne, Australia to the USA,... Continue reading »
-
2
Day 1: Melbourne-Denver
The day to leave arrived quicker than expected. Everyone was excited at 6.30am beginning our journey, cheerful rather than tearful goodbyes and by... Continue reading »
-
3
Day 2: Elitch Gardens
Today began with Kim and Billy sleeping off the flight while I went in to work for a couple of hours. Thankfully it didn’t take too long. I may not... Continue reading »
-
4
Day 3: Georgetown
Today started with a small sleep in, and we were out the door by about 10:30am. Everyone is still a little jet lagged, and Billy is not sleeping pr... Continue reading »
-
5
Day 4: San Francisco
We woke early this morning to meet our flight to San Francisco. We were surprised again at how long everything took, I’ve flown before in the State... Continue reading »
-
6
Day 5: Walnut Creek
Today began late as we headed out of the very poor hotel the Ramada Limited. A quick stop on the way at the data center to fix something I accident... Continue reading »
-
7
Day 6: Ontario
Today we started out at 10am and headed from Walnut Creek (near San Francisco) to Ontario (near LA). The drive was about 400 miles and took about 6... Continue reading »
-
8
Day 7: Los Angeles
I got up early this morning and did some work via the laptop in our hotel room. Billy had a sleep in, and we headed out the door about 11:00am. Bil... Continue reading »
-
9
Day 8: Los Angeles
Today we started out late, a planned sleep in for all, although Kimmy got up a bit earlier than Billy and I, and was reading her book. When we did... Continue reading »
-
10
Day 9: London
We checked into the Ascot Hotel near Paddington Station in London about 9pm. The room is extremely small and we don’t have enough space to lie our... Continue reading »
-
11
Day 10: London
Today we started very early again, and had breakfast in the hotel basement (Billy had cornflakes which is a step up from his regular consumption of... Continue reading »
-
12
Day 11: Tunisia
Today we set off at 4:30am to catch the train to Gatwick airport. After a few train changes we made it to the airport in time to grab a coffee and... Continue reading »
-
13
Day 12: Hammamet
Today started off well. We were up early and having a buffet breakfast. Rice Bubbles for Billy was great, as he hadn’t had a great deal of proper f... Continue reading »
-
14
Day 13: Hammamet
We ate a healthy breakfast this morning, rice bubbles, toast, croissants etc. A couple of coffees and then we were off. We walked to an ATM at Yasm... Continue reading »
-
15
Day 14: Hammamet
We woke up this morning and had a quick breakfast and both Kim and I were feeling better after a good sleep.
We decided to go into Hammamet M... Continue reading »
-
16
Day 15: Hammamet
For the first time in a while, we didn’t really get moving until about 9am this morning. We had a quick breakfast, and headed out to Carthage Land... Continue reading »
-
17
Day 16: El Jem
We hired a car this morning to drive to El Jem, to see a Roman amphitheatre. This is apparently the largest amphitheatre in Northern Africa. Of cou... Continue reading »
-
18
Day 17: Hammamet
Today goal was to avoid the manager in the foyer who keeps trying to sell us stuff and to get to make it to the ferry to Palermo.
We spent th... Continue reading »
-
19
Day 18: Palermo
We arrived via the ferry in Palermo, and cleared Italian customs with no issues at all. Only one passport check which was nice!
After spendin... Continue reading »
-
20
Day 19: Taormina
Scusi for not posting for some time, we have been flat out and without internet for a few days.
Today we got up early as we had to drive to T... Continue reading »
-
21
Day 20: Amantea
We woke this morning in Taormina, anxious to keep moving with our journey as we have to be in Rome on the 18th to pick up our lease car.... Continue reading »
-
22
Day 21: Pompeii
Today we set off initially for Pompeii. The journey from Amantea was very uneventful. We drove on the Autostrada which meant we went about 160kms p... Continue reading »
-
23
Day 22: Rome
Today we did bugger all!! We got up in Fiumicino and went to get the Peugeot. This was very uneventful and thankfully was no trouble. Once we had o... Continue reading »
-
24
Day 23: Rome
Today we headed out to Rome city. We drove into the city and found a parking garage. This was right at St Peters in Vatican City which was great. W... Continue reading »
-
25
Day 24: Pisa
Today is Kimmy’s birthday…Happy Birthday Kimmy Jayne!!!!
We slept in until about 9am then set out for Florence. McDonalds for breakfast was a... Continue reading »
-
26
Day 25: Venice
Note to self: Make sure you room has air-conditioning to enable three people to sleep in 30oC.
We left Pisa after Billy’s orange juice and po... Continue reading »
-
27
Day 26: Venice
Today we got up at about 8:30am and headed for breakfast before 9:30 (when it finished serving). We then headed into Venice.
The train statio... Continue reading »
-
28
Day 27: Gardaland Theme Park
Today we headed from Marghera to the Gardaland Theme Park (about 125 kms inland). We checked out of our hotel at about 10am in search of a laundrom... Continue reading »
-
29
Day 28: Binasco
We let Billy sleep through breakfast while we went into the Gardaland buffet which was full of families fueling up on CocoPops and croissants befor... Continue reading »
-
30
Day 29: Monaco
Genoa exit was not easy to find, but we do have maps, a computer guide/autoroute and a keen desire to get out of here as the port of Genoa is spect... Continue reading »
-
31
Day 30: Nice
Nice isn’t nice…….had to say that. It was packed with hot looking tourists probably cranky having to sit on rocks on the beach. Bathing tops are op... Continue reading »
-
32
Day 31: Marseille
Did I mention how dreadful finding directions is to anywhere. Cars travel bumper to bumper, street signs are either minute, discrete or non existen... Continue reading »
-
33
Day 32: Avignon
Exit out of Marseille with little confidence of us actually getting out without getting lost. Our hotel had a small swimming pool for us to cool of... Continue reading »
-
34
Day 33: Carcassonne
We woke up in the most beautiful village called du Bois du Four, population 10!! Will figured if our family moved in it would nearly double the pop... Continue reading »
-
35
Day 34: Chateau de Pegrepertuse
Carcassonne is one of our favorite places. We walked back to the castle at 10.30am as it was getting set up for a long, hot Sunday. First stop was... Continue reading »
-
36
Day 35: Barcelona
Barcelona: population 7 million people, each owning one animal, and, for two nights three Aussies. Our arrival was assisted by the GPS successfully... Continue reading »
-
37
Day 36: Port Aventura
We headed towards Solou which is South of Barcelona, having booked our hotel San Costa Daurada which must mean something in Spanish. For us it mean... Continue reading »
-
38
Day 37: Logrono
Up and off to our Spanish buffet breakfast to locate a coffee, fruit and some half decent scrambled eggs. Billy has decided coco-pops are no good,... Continue reading »
-
39
Day 38: Leon
We found a great three star hotel in Logrono, Spain called the Condes de Haro and because it’s a small city, we have to pay for a garage parking un... Continue reading »
-
40
Day 39: Ferrol
We woke up in Leon, got dressed, packed and out of the hotel by 10.30am, with Felix buzzing helpfully around with bags and tickling Billy. Our prio... Continue reading »
-
41
Day 40: Oviedo
We woke refreshed with a bell ringing at a civilized 9.00am. We parked our car in the Mercado car park a few blocks away last night and it hadn’t b... Continue reading »
-
42
Day 41: Bilboa
Driving along the slower roads heading east we passed through some wonderful small coastal towns including with postcard houses, rolling hills, cli... Continue reading »
-
43
Day 42: Guggenheim Museum
We wake up and head up to the Terrace in the glass atrium lifts which Billy enjoys, always taking command of the buttons. Sitting out having omelet... Continue reading »
-
44
Day 43: Pau
Another morning in Bilbao. Billy spent over an hour in the bath mucking around last night so he slept really well. After getting woken and dressed,... Continue reading »
-
45
Day 44: Toulouse
Toulouse, France today is warm, about 28oC and sunny. With our map we walk to the Saint Serin Basilica. The lanes and avenues twist and curl throug... Continue reading »
-
46
Day 45: Cite de L’Espace
Waking to discover that we slept in, and we had less than one hour to check out put us in a flat panic packing and dressing, loading the car etc..... Continue reading »
-
47
Day 46: Lyon
We travel to Lyon by tram, which was fun as Billy stood on the turning plate for the second carriage. Lyon is a large old city with two rivers feat... Continue reading »
-
48
Day 47: Vezelay
We left Lyon, having our hotel booked ahead for us by the Citadenes Apartments. This chain is quite reasonable and has parking which is a big issue... Continue reading »
-
49
Day 48: Paris
Waking up in Paris was very exciting knowing how we had planned our day. Our hotel’s location to the Metro makes places easily accessible an, impor... Continue reading »
-
50
Day 49: Paris
Today we had a” day off” in Paris. We are staying in the Latin Quarter of Paris so walk through the narrow streets and lanes towards d’Italie. Once... Continue reading »
-
51
Day 50: Parc Asterix
We all enjoyed Paris, another of our favorite cities. The damp, cool weather didn’t affect our days here and Billy is keen to race up the Eiffel to... Continue reading »
-
52
Day 51: Rouen
We head off to Rouen which is back past Paris and west. If you want to check out Rouen visit Continue reading »
-
53
Day 52: Arromanches
Bayeux, after rain overnight is just beautiful with its narrow streets, cobblestone roads and shopping/café strips lined with massive baskets of fl... Continue reading »
-
54
Day 53: Mont Saint Michel
We wake up in our farmhouse with views across the paddocks and trees, right across to the bay and out to Saint Michel. After a quick shower, pack-u... Continue reading »
-
55
Day 54: Berck
We are now ramping up to come home to our lovely, much missed girls who are counting down the hours until Tuesday evening 22 August. Getting from C... Continue reading »
Would you like to comment or ask a question?