Bonjour, I am a Francophile who has always dreamed of living abroad but I never knew it could actually come true. Our family of three planned to move to Paris for one year abroad so our daughter could attend French public school and we wanted to explore as much of Europe as we could. We loved the French lifestyle so much we ended up selling our house in Los Angeles and staying in Paris permanently. We traveled almost non-stop for two years before COVID slowed us down for the last year and a half.
Our highlights were attending the magical masquerade Carnival in Venice, Italy, sleeping in a glass igloo and seeing the Northern lights in Finland, and visiting Tokyo, Japan after finding the best flight deal out of Amsterdam for $400 per person. We used to only take one vacation per year and half our budget would be spent on airfare. Now we can find budget flights all over Europe for under $100 and we use house swapping websites to save even more money for our trips. French schools have ten weeks of vacation time during the year so we take advantage of that time to travel.
We spent Christmas vacation traveling via train through the Swiss Alps and I finally got to see the magnificent tulip fields in Amsterdam during spring break. Our daughter speaks fluent French so she serves as our translator. I share our travel/expat stories and my travel tips on my Instagram and my blog. You can also check out the commentary of our trips on our daughter's YouTube channel: Liv in Paris.
Thanks for reading our story! Elizabeth @sunkissis
Our daughter's first trip to Paris in 2014, her favorite method of travel is by train. Gare du Nord Paris, France
So far we have visited 14 countries. We are excited to start traveling again next year. Eiffel Tower Paris, France
Give your kids their own camera to document their travels. I make a photo book for our daughter as a keepsake. 10ème arrondissement Paris, France
The Hall Conley's in the incredible Hall of Mirrors at the Château de Versailles
Meeting a Beefeater at the Tower of London (they are much sweeter than they look!) London, England
We try our best to sleep on our flights so when we arrive we can stay awake to avoid jet lag. So far, we haven't had any issues. I recommend bringing your own travel pillow and sleeping mask for the plane
My favorite travel tip is to always bring a gift (fancy chocolates) for your flight attendants. They will be delighted for the kind gesture and in turn
We have received loads of freebies, have visited the cockpit, and even been bumped up to better seats! Kindness always is rewarding.
Liv has sat in dozens of cockpits, politely ask your flight attendant for a visit once the plane has landed
These are my must-haves for our daughter's carry-on backpack
Comfortable headphones are recommended for keeping our kid entertained, she uses them on planes to watch movies and even during long car rides so we aren't subjected to "Let It Go" for the hundredth time! I also keep sunscreen, coloring books, and colored pencils, and a few toys in her bag. Save room for a scarf, water bottle, and small travel pillow.
Another travel tip is instead of spending money on cheap t-shirts and plastic souvenirs, we hire a local photographer and have a photoshoot during our vacation
This gives us an extra special memory of our trip and I don't return home with a bunch of poor quality selfies. Tokyo, Japan
We look for off-the-beaten-path locations which are less crowded and offer a more meaningful and calm experience
We wake up extra early to have places like this Lucky Cat shrine (Gōtokuji Temple) all to ourselves. Setagaya-ku, Tokyo.
I make sure to book our activities and make dinner reservations as early as possible. This way we don't have to waste time during our vacation waiting in long lines. Tokyo, Japan
After many trips of trial and error, we have worked out a fail-proof packing system
We only check one bag (my husband's huge multipurpose duffle bag which also doubles as a backpack) and we pack our own bedding and towels wherever we go. Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort, Finland.
Coming from sunny California makes seeing this much snow extra special. We caught the Northern lights from our glass igloo!
Find a fun tradition your family does every trip
Our daughter loves to jump on hotel beds, we buy a souvenir landmark from each country we visit and we always go to the local cemetery, it's not as morbid as it seems. We have found cemeteries to be beautiful, quiet places that feature tons of hidden historic gems. The American cemetery in Normandy was one of our favorite places.
We try to carry on our luggage as often as possible and I travel with a thick scarf that can double as a blanket
Traveling with kids means staying prepared so I always have an empty water bottle, a bag of snacks, and wet wipes in my backpack. Kids are cranky when they are tired and hungry so I keep snacks and distractions handy.
Keep those young minds busy by researching local customs and festivals of the places you visit. We love this MAPS book that has beautiful, informative illustrations of countries around the world
We happened to be in Austria during Almabtrieb which is an annual cattle drive festival full of these flower-adorned cows, polka bands, and dancing. Mayrhofen, Austria
I have always dreamed of going to Carnival in Venice and it was everything I dreamed it would be
I wish I could post all the photos here but there are more on my Instagram highlights. The Grand Canal, Venice, Italy.
One of our photoshoots at St. Marco Square in Venice, Italy. Remember, the earlier you go the fewer crowds! St Mark's Basilica Venice, Italy
Our daughter loves Marie Antoinette so we visited French chateaus and of course, she wore her gown (I bought it from the gift shop at Versailles). Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte, Maincy, France
Our daughter feels lucky to live so close to these gorgeous castles and chateaus. Chateau Vaux-le-Vicomte, Maincy
This is what happens when you pull over on the side of the road in Iceland
We hiked for almost two hours in the rain to find this abandoned plane that crashed on the beach in Iceland. Our best memories are often places we find that aren't your typical tourist attraction. Vik, Iceland
Go to Iceland, just do it! Skógafoss, Iceland
It's okay to be cheesy! We have been fortunate to have kind strangers offer to take our photos during our travels. Seljalandsfoss, Iceland
Our photoshoot in Rome, Italy. We booked a walking tour and photoshoot which was fun and we learned so much from a local expat. I ask friends if they can recommend a tour guide rather than book a large impersonal tour with a huge group
Another photo tip is to find the back door. Most tourist attractions are crowded and you won't get a nice shot because everyone is posing next to you
I look for another area with fewer people and take the shot from a different angle away from the crowds. Chateau de Chaumont-sur-Loire, Loire Valley, France.
We loved visiting the Voorlinden contemporary art museum in Wassenaar, Netherlands. Swimming Pool by Leandro Erlich
We found this amazing field of flowers just driving through Amsterdam. I made sure not to step on or pick any of the flowers
Celebrating Halloween/Day of the Dead in Paris, France
Last summer we stayed local and rented a charming house in the French countryside. Normandie, France
Our last trip before the Covid lockdown was a road trip to Cologne, Germany. Be sure to involve your kids in your trip planning, I make sure to include a picnic in the park or a fun place like the colorful SuperCandy Pop-up museum
We adopted mask wearing a year prior to Covid after traveling in Asia
Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed our story
