Nine Day Trip to Europe (camping, cruise, rent, cycle)

[markg91359]

Please suggest the best sites for us to see on a trip that will take us to London, Paris, and Amsterdam. We will spend three days in each city. My wife and I are bringing our ten year old daughter with us. My preference would not be to focus too much on museums and history, but more on things to see, boat cruises, bus tours etc.

[mawipafl]

Ok, so I'm envious!!

I wish I was more well-traveled to be able to give some personal experience advice. I can suggest doing some 'net searching or bookstore perusals for guides specifically on traveling with children in those three cities.

Here are a few examples:
Family - What's on For Kids in London - Visit London
Travel for Kids: Paris, France
Things to Do in Amsterdam with Kids - What to Do in Amsterdam with Children - Family Fun in Amsterdam

Be sure to take a lot of photos during your vacation, and when you get home put them in some sort of album or scrapbook or on a DVD. When your 10-year-old is in high school and college and studies the histories of these places, her dry textbooks will become more alive because she will visually be able to remember and will say "I saw that when I was there!"

[BlueWillowPlate]

If you ask your daughter to do a bit of research of what she would like to see, her interest might be sparked and so might yours. Have you figured out transportation yet? Have you already accounted for travel time between cities? You might enjoy the Eurostar from London to Paris.
I am just going to offer a few suggestions because I have no idea what you like or what time of year you will be there. You would probably find a Rick Steves guidebook helpful.

London ~ the hop on/hop off bus tour will let you get off the bus, see what you like, and get back on. That way you can choose what you like from what London has to offer.
Many London museums are free. Your daughter and wife might at least enjoy the clothing section of the Victoria and Albert museum.
Speaker's Corner at Hyde Park is free, entertaining, and the story of democracy.
Go to the London flea markets. Go to Shakespeare's Globe. There is the London Eye, the kind-of-scary Millennium Bridge, there are boat trips on the Thames.

Paris
Walk. Paris is so walkable. Take a day trip to Versailles or Rouen.
There are cruises on the Seine.
Get a sandwich from the corner shop and hang out at Notre Dame.
Watch the buskers.
Hang out in rue Cler.
The Metro is easy and fun to use. Walk up and down the Champs-Elysees, the window shopping is amazing. Check out the sewers and the catacombs.

Amsterdam
There is another hop on/hop off bus there for the basic sights.
To me, the Anne Frank House is a must-see, and so is the Van Gogh Museum as well as Rijksmuseum. (I can't imagine going to Amsterdam and not viewing Rembrandt or Van Gogh, but that's just me.)
Also, there is an interesting place called Museum Het Noorderhuis, which displays historic Dutch everyday life.
Plenty of canal cruises. Renting a bicycle is fun.

[Jezer]

When our daughter was eight years old we spent a few days in central London.

She loved the open top bus tour and the place she loved best was the Natural History Museum, oh, and Harrods!

[Chava61]

In London, I suggest the Museum of London (Museum of London - English) which is a great museum to take kids to and very interesting history of London for adults as well.

[irman]

Originally Posted by markg91359

Please suggest the best sites for us to see on a trip that will take us to London, Paris, and Amsterdam. We will spend three days in each city. My wife and I are bringing our ten year old daughter with us. My preference would not be to focus too much on museums and history, but more on things to see, boat cruises, bus tours etc.

No idea what to do with your ten year old in London or Paris (my kids did not care for either place), but in The Netherlands, let's not just stay in Amsterdam only , but do the surrounding areas.
In Amsterdam, do at least one canal boat trip (there are three main routes), and then get out of Amsterdam and go to the old cities all around (Marken, Volendam and the canal cities. Rent a small boat (with outboard .... rowing gets old fast ...). You say, no *history*, but looking at old stuff, could be called history. Go north a bit along the Zaan, and visit some old windmills, some of them still working.
There are gobs of *hands on* things to do in Holland for young kids especially. Just visit one of the VVV kiosks and get your info what is available for you at the time you are there. Many things to do, are seasonal ... (DaysOut.NL - Flevoland attractions, travel guide Flevoland, hotel Flevoland and reviews..)
If you will be looking for a a fun park to take your ten year old, go south to Wassenaar and visit the best fun park (Duinrell Holiday and amusement park Duinrell, a fun daytrip or a great family holiday) in Holland (includes a camping area and a great (park sized) swimming pool complex).
The Netherlands is not that large, so most trips are a one day affaire.

[chilaili]

If you visit London you might enjoy a sightseeing tour on the River Thames, eg; City Cruises - London Sightseeing on the river Thames or London Cruises - Sightseeing Boat Tours and Dinner Cruise Tickets.

[Snowblue]

I remember enjoying the Tower of London when I was a child. Looking at the Crowne Jewels, listening to all the dramatic stories that has taken place in the towers ... Really exciting. I know you didn't want to much museums and history, but this is somewhat different. It's a fun place for the entire family.

In Paris, eating lunch while sitting on a park bench is nice. Visiting Notre Dame and Sacre Coeur can also be interesting for a child as long as it is just to sniff at the atmosphere more than walking slowly through the entire church. They are really big and impressive to look at. We have also visited EuroDisney a couple of times, but that's not exactly something one has to do when in Europe. I have been on a couple of boat cruises on the Seine, I guess it takes about two hours. That's been a bit boring to me, but a lot of people enjoy it.

[yankinscotland]

Take a boat trip to Greenwich and see the National Maritime Museum. National Maritime Museum: sea, ships, time and the stars : NMM

[DewDropInn]

Madam Tussaud's wax museum in London would have my vote. Very interesting. Not sideshow-ish.