We decided our first European trip with a one year old should be… four countries.
Austria, Croatia, Montenegro, and Bosnia.
Ambitious? Yes.
Would we do it again? Also yes.
Was it supposed to be five? Also yes. But we’ll get to that.
This trip solidified why we travel the way we do: start somewhere easy, pick a place you’re happy to be, and then explore out from there. All with the full understanding that some days you’re going to change your mind.
We started in Vienna. Why? Because it was easy. We’d been there, we knew the culture, and it paid off big time.
On the flight over, our daughter got sick. Exactly why soft landings exist. We were staying somewhere comfortable, everyone spoke English, and the hotel helped us get a doctor to the room.
His advice was simple: European Children’s Motrin is better. She’ll be fine. Go outside. No one was going to feel better cooped up in the hotel on a beautiful day.
Fresh air. Fluids. Let her sleep. Doctor’s orders.
We spent the day in Stadtpark, rotating between naps and sitting in the grass. By the end of the day she popped up, drank an orange juice (and beers for Mom and Dad) from Biergart’l im Stadtpark, and was chasing geese like nothing had happened.
Originally, this was supposed to be a five country trip. Bratislava was on the list. You know “just a quick 45 minute bus ride away.” On paper it made perfect sense. In reality, after the first day in Vienna that we had, we scrapped it.
By staying put in Vienna, we got to spend another day in the park, and made our way out to Pier 22 instead. More space, more water, more time to just be.
That’s the whole point of a soft landing. You’re not losing time. You’re giving yourself space to recover and enjoy so the rest of the trip actually works.
From there, we flew to Dubrovnik and picked up a rental car.
This was our home base for the week—the place we came back to after every adventure.
We rented a car and used Dubrovnik to explore Croatia, Montenegro, and Bosnia. One important note: you need a special permit from the rental company to cross borders. They’ll handle it, just make sure to tell them in advance. We also rented a car seat there, which saved us from dragging one through Vienna and airports. Highly recommend.
We stayed just above Old Town in an apartment off Ul. Ante Topica Mimare.
Which means… stairs. A lot of stairs.
At the beginning of the week it was very much a “have we lost our minds?” By the end of the week it was still that, with more confidence that it was worth it.
We leaned into it. Played music, made jokes, stopped to point out every cat (all named by the end of the week), and accepted that carrying a toddler up and down stairs was just part of the experience.
Honestly—worth it.
Once you were up there, you had quiet, space, parking for the car, and a balcony overlooking the city for a post-bedtime beer. Ubers will gladly bring you back up the hill in 5 minutes and not ask twice about a car seat.
Dubrovnik itself was one of those places where the whole city becomes the activity.
Car-free Old Town meant she could wander and explore without us constantly worrying about traffic. Stairs to climb, cats to pet, little alleys that opened up into restaurants and bars.
One afternoon, she fell asleep in the carrier as we walked around the city walls. She stayed asleep for two and a half hours. Naturally, it was time for happy hour. We stopped at Restaurant & Bar Rudjer, a plaza restaurant tucked into the walls. As we got our drinks, a different waiter came over with a blanket while our daughter slept in our arms at the table, so we could wrap her up and give her a soft place to rest her head…and give my arm a break so I could drink my spritz.
The kindness of this region really stood out.
It happened again and again.
At Konoba Nava, where she ate an entire squid and our only repeat of the trip because the food was so good, the staff took great joy bringing out little things for her to try. Cevapi was a huge hit.
In Mostar as my daughter and I tottered around Restaurant Šadrvan waiting for our food, a woman said something to her in another language (we later learned it meant “hello pretty girl”). Before we knew it, our daughter had climbed into her lap. The woman laughed, handed her a french fry, and offered to watch her while we finished lunch.
Everywhere we went people were kind not only to our daughter but to us.
From Dubrovnik, we explored, driving to Cavtat, Mostar and Kotor. Each one completely different, each one worth the time.
Mostar had some of the best food we had on the trip—lunch at Šadrvan, wandering the old town, then stopping in Mali Ston on the way back for oysters at Bota Šare. One of those “we should just pull over” moments. It ended up being a highlight of the trip.
Kotor was a full “buckle in kid” day. Two hour drive, crossing into Montenegro, all because we heard it was the Cat Capital of Europe. Well worth it.
Stunning medieval town, cats everywhere, a beach club, and a very happy toddler. We stayed twice as long as we had planned on and ended up eating snacks, bread, and cheese in the apartment for dinner.
One of the very few two-hour trips we’d do again in a heartbeat. But, not without a little chaos.
On the way back, we got stuck at the border behind a tour bus. What should have been quick turned into 30 minute stand still.
Which is fine—unless you have a one year old who would prefer the car to be moving.
We were playing music, handing over snacks, doing everything we could to keep things together. By the time we got to the front, she was crying and we were very ready to be done. The border agents saw us, moved us through quickly, and apologized for the delay.
Again, kindness.
Food-wise, this trip was incredible.
Oysters in Mali Ston. Lunch in Mostar. Endless ice cream stops in Dubrovnik.
Bread and fries became food groups. If you’re worried about picky eating while traveling: don’t. When in doubt, butter noodles. Anywhere in the world, if they have pasta, they’ll make it. No one blinks when you ask because there are toddlers everywhere in the world. It’s universal.
That said, she tried anything on our plate. Squid, seafood, whatever was on the table. Half the fun was watching her discover it all.
We didn’t do everything we planned. That’s the point. Plan more than you can do so when you have some extra time on a drive home, you can get the oysters. Or when the border takes too long you can go back for an afternoon instead of pushing through.
We skipped Bratislava. We split Kotor and Cavtat into separate days. We stayed longer in places we liked and scrapped things that were going to take away from enjoying where we were.
This trip is for people willing to go a little out of their comfort zone.
People who don’t mind a drive if there’s something good on the other side. Sometimes you luck out and there is something even better on the way back.
People who want great food, beautiful views, and the kind of travel that feels a little unpolished in the best way.
Probably not your first trip to Europe. But a good one when you’re sick of the overcrowded cities.
Would we go back? Should you go?
Absolutely.
Maybe stay a little lower on the hill next time. But also…the same stairs lead to the view.
Go for the food, the wandering, the cats, the oysters, and the moments you didn’t plan.
Go knowing it might feel like a lot because that’s kind of the point.
Somewhere between a good idea and a plan.
to wander - verb 