Walking or Cycling Europe With Kids Fact Sheet

Walking Tours:
Parents can carry babies and young children in a backpack on walking tours. To walk unassisted, however, Breakaway Adventures recommend children be 10 or older. All tours are rated by fitness level, and parents are urged to choose the easiest tours when bringing a child along.

Cycling Tours:
For cycling tours, parents can park their child (up till age 4) on a rear seat carrier, and kids 10 and older can ride their very own mountain bike. While cycling tours are generally not recommended for children between 4 and 10, the company can accommodate "tag-a-longs" that attach to an adult's bicycle.

Best Tours With Children:
"I usually like to talk to the parents about what the kids like to do and how active the kids are to help them choose something suitable," says Carol Keskitalo, co-owner of Breakaway Adventures. However, she does offer these recommendations, which are likely to hold both parent and child's interest -- and not wear out either:

1. Amboise to Chenonceau Walk in the Loire Valley of France -- "This is a relaxed holiday with very low key and kid-friendly hotels," says Keskitalo. The walk takes families past many castles, chateaux and interesting villages, likely to pique your child's interest. 7 days, 6 nights, starting at $1551 per adult.
2. Dordogne Gastronomic Walk or Dordogne Gastronomic Cycling in Dordogne, France -- "The region is really unchanged by time and seems just like it was 600 years ago," says Keskitalo. "I always tell parents that this is a very fun and educational way for kids to really feel and see a part of the world that is so different and untouched by modern society." On this trip, kids can go canoeing in the off days, visit prehistoric paintings in the Lascaux caves and check out a mechanical toy museum in Souillac. 9 days, 8 nights, starting at $1671 per adult.
3. Tuscany Cycling -- A good choice for older children and teens, as this trip is more mountainous and difficult. 8 days, 7 nights, $1821 per adult.

Cost:
The company can arrange for cribs in the rooms of each hotel or inn for approximately $300 per tour per child. Cost per child varies by trip, but is generally a 40% discount off an adult fare for the first child and 20% for an additional child. In some instances, a child may pay a full adult rate. Rates do not include airfare, but do include breakfast, dinner and all overnight accommodations.

About Breakaway Adventures:
Breakaway Adventures is a tour company that offers relaxed overseas getaways where guests can walk, cycle, trek or barge through the back roads of 30 countries, including Italy, France, Greece and Great Britain. Specializing in self-guided and full-supported independent tours, the company provides the highest level of service to its customers, managing all the details so they can focus on the adventure at hand. For more information about the company and detailed tour itineraries, visit www.breakaway-adventures.com or call 1-800-567-6286.