Travel with Me; Fairytale Castles with Ashleigh from Simply Wright

Last week again we stayed with Travel with Me as Baby Boy gets settled and I continue to play catch up while night feeding, in the middle of the night I can barely think of what I am eating for breakfast let alone what holiday we took pre-Baby Boy.  I definitely can't imagine taking them both away together, but that is Septembers task.  

This week I caught up with Ashleigh from Simply Wright.  I met Ashleigh through a wonderful Facebook group we are both part of (though I have been slacking recently due to having Baby Boy) Ashleigh blogs over at Simply Wright a fantastic mix of parenting, lifestyle, travel and recipes, funnily enough not too dissimilar to Life with Baby Kicks...

Where are you taking us to today?  

Neuschwanstein Castle, Bavaria, Germany

What sort of trip was it, adventure, beach, relaxing, sightseeing?  

Sightseeing

Tell me all about it; where you stayed, food you ate, how the little person took it all!

We were living in Northern Switzerland at the time and drove 3 hours to the town of Hohenschwangau. From there, we parked and hiked up a trail that leads to the Schloss Neuschwanstein. It’s a good 30 minute walk. With small children, either bring a stroller or carry them on you. There are shuttles up to the castle but that does cost extra and the lines are a bit long. There are also biking trails for those interested.

We decided to pack a picnic lunch and eat by the lake, Alpsee, at the base of the mountain that houses the castle. We were lucky as the weather that day was cool but sunny, perfect for a hike and picnic.

The children loved seeing a castle that so closely resembled that of something out of a fairytale. Neuschwanstein Castleis huge up close and the details in the architecture are breathtaking.

Why did you choose to tell us about this holiday?

I think there is a lot of interest in Neuschwanstein Castlewhen people see a picture of it for the first time {I know I did}.  And many times, when someone finds out I’ve been to Germanythey’ll ask if I’ve seen any castles {Americans love castles}.  Also, people assume because of the journey up the mountain that it’s not a place to take small children; that couldn’t be further from the truth. This place is a great destination for a family made up of all ages, and for a family who likes being outdoors.

What is your favourite memory from this trip?

My favorite memory from this trip would have to be how my children reacted when they saw the views overlooking the valley from the castle. You can see Austria, the lake Alpsee, the neighboring villages, and so much more.  It was pretty impressive for me, I can only imagine how it looks to a child.

What did you learn about travelling with babies/toddlers/children from this experience? What is your top tip for travelling with little people?

I was reminded to be prepared for anything. Case in point, my four month old had wet himself mid-way up the hike and I had to change him outside on the trail {not so easy}. Of course, it’s important to always have a change of clothes, snacks and water anytime you leave the house when travelling with littles; they always seem to want everything at the most inconvenient times.

If you want to catch more of Ashleigh's adventures then I highly recommend popping on over to Simply Wright, you can also follow Ashleigh on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Google+.

Until next time!

As always if you want to take part in my "Travel with me..." series please get in touch with me by email on lifewithbabykicks@gmail.com don't be shy I'd love to hear from you.