There was a paper on my desk and two plane tickets "We're going to Europe!" 
This was something Josh and I had been talking about doing for a long time but it meant so much more than just a trip... We sold our 4 bedroom home and everything that was in it. Quit our jobs (hence the baby bottle when we had no kids :)) We said goodbye to our families and had no plan when we returned... It was so hard to choose what Countries to visit on our budget but we will just have to return one day! A few quick tips:

* Highly recommend knowing some of the language. A wonderful resource to learn right along with your kids is, TalkBox.Mom !
*Stay in one place at least to evenings in a row. Your exhaustion hits at different times during the trip, so be able to know where your place to rest at night will help immensely! *Learn and prepare for the countries you want to travel to Monetary System . *There are many ways to get around Europe that will be more enjoyable and cheaper. Be sure and check our what is best for the areas you want to go to. We used Rail Europe 

 MORE BASIC TRAVEL TIPS FOR TRAVELING TO ANOTHER COUNTRY HERE! 

 Our Month long backpacking trip: IRELAND 
5 days- Rolling greens and ancient castles on almost every corner? Yes this was the most amazing European country to be able to start our adventures in! 

 ENGLAND 5 days were packed with surprises. We had to check out Care's favorite - Downton abbey castle. We may have 'stumbled' upon a parade of the royal family. Just crazy! NETHERLANDS / AMSTERDAM 
4 days trip packed with adventure. Being this is where Josh's ancestors are from we decided to take a trip down history lane :) Yes, there is even a "Willink Straat" involved! 
 ITALY 5 day trip. What an amazing country. Travel with us as we go to Rome (saw the pope!), AUSTRIA 
3 day trip. We had one day to enjoy this beautiful Country! 
 GERMANY 
1 day trip. We had what we thought would be enough time to see Care's dream castle - Neuschwanstein . This did not happen because we didn't plan enough time for traveling to Switzerland. Learn from our mistakes! 
 SWITZERLAND 4 day trip. Officially this place won over our heart. The beautiful views and majestic waterfalls are one-of-a-kind. We also had a chance to fly! FRANCE 
5 day trip. We hit all the main attractions and they are just as amazing as expected. We also randomly came up on a red carpet event - see who's cheek Care kissed! 
 BACKPACKING AND OUT OF COUNTRY TRAVEL TIPS & TRICKS 
 
Europe may be a completely different experience for you but we hope these tips and ideas help make your time more enjoyable!