As our family prepares for our March trip back to France, we’re discussing what we’d like to do again and what we’d like to do differently. Our son will be 5 and our daughter (her first time to Paris) 3 so that will help us decide. Eiffel tower, check. Lourve and d’Orsay, probably. Ice cream whenever we can get it, of course. But there are also plenty of things we haven’t done in our previous two trips (2012, 2014): Montmartre neighborhood, regional parks, Picasso museum, and a more defined food strategy. The list continues to grow.
Second tier sights
Which brings us to another Travel Principle: Second tier sights and activities. You might also call these “under the radar” activities that while they might be found in a guidebook, they are likely to be overlooked by the casual traveler.
Depending on your family’s travel principles your first and second tier might differ from ours, which is perfectly fine of course. For us, art and history are usually go-tos for any destination so we often prioritize the Louvres, Prados, and Uffizis then go in search of big green spaces like Vondelpark (Amsterdam), Luxembourg gardens (Paris), and Retiro (Madrid). Then we fill in the spaces with a list of things we think are interesting or that we would like to learn more about.
In our experience, second tier activities are the new first tier. Don’t skip your top choices but really save time and energy for exploring things further down on your list, you might just find your favorite part of the whole trip.
Ostia Antica
One of our all time favorite “second tier” sights was Ostia Antica. We’ve had our eye on Pompeii since missing it on our 2008 trip and in 2016 we decided a 6 hour round trip plus on-site unknowns (how to get to mountain, are there bathrooms, etc.) made it an easier pass given a 3 year old and 1 year old, even with our then-13 year old niece.
Ostia Antica is a 30 minute metro ride from Rome (1.5€ ticket!) and was unbelievable. Sure, there’s no volcano terror but my goodness, you can walk (carefully) around acres and acres of 2000 year old ruins of a former post town. Old multistory apartment buildings line the streets. Our son and daughter ran around in search of mosaics and frescos (many still visible) and loved the flour-grinding-turntable-bread-making device in the bakery.
We made a half day of it and it was a great break from the hustle and bustle of Rome. A beautiful day with a packed lunch eaten high up in the magnificent theatre. Definitely worth a return trip our next time in Italy.
Second tier activities, ones that are seen as nice-to-haves can actually make a good trip great. Everyone sees the Vatican, the Colosseum in Rome but not everyone goes to the Borghese Gallery or take a bike ride on the Appian Way (we are dying to do this next time!). There must be some kind of personal connection to these often smaller, more intimate experiences that make travel feel instead of just think. Like unpolished diamonds, you don’t immediately appreciate their value.
When thinking about your next trip, go ahead and include your big must-haves but leave space and time for you to properly explore other activities that might have a hidden joy and interest for you and your family.
Family conversation topic: Any family favorites that are off the beaten path? Near your own home or in other locals?
Our family has brought up Ostia Antica and smaller activities at the dinner as much as any of the big sights. (One exception is the Eiffel tower. The kids cannot get enough of the Eiffel tower. They build it with Legos they draw it unprompted and it remains our 2 year old’s main reason for our upcoming France trip next March).
Talk soon,
Dan & Betsy
PS Want more? Just take a look at this place!!