Denisa Caldova of Daytrip shares how a private driver can take the stress out of traveling in Europe with kids (or anywhere abroad), from airport pickups with a car seat already installed to castle and lunch stops between cities. Daytrip has drivers in more than 130 countries, and Denisa shares the most-booked family routes in Europe.
For more family vacation inspiration, check out all the podcast episodes. Adventure Awaits!
What Daytrip Does
Daytrip is a travel platform for private, door-to-door car transportation with English-speaking drivers and optional sightseeing stops. We operate in more than 130 countries, mostly outside the US, and American families use us a lot when they travel abroad.
Picture it: you’ve just flown in, you’re jet-lagged, and you have two small children with you.
“The last thing you want to deal with is renting a car or going to a train station.”
Three Ways to Book
Most families book months ahead, but you can book as little as a week before your trip. There are three main options:
- One-way transfer. From your airport to your hotel, or from one city to the next, like Prague to Vienna. You can add sightseeing stops along the way.
- Day trip. Say you’re in Prague for a week of Christmas markets. You can go see markets in other towns, or even another country, and be back at your hotel that night.
- Hourly driver. Book a driver for up to 14 hours with no set plan, and shape the day as you go.
You choose your pickup time and place. If you want to leave at 9 AM from your hotel instead of catching an 8 AM bus, the driver is there at 9.
When you book, you enter your children’s ages, and the driver is required to bring the right car seats.
“…if you have a toddler, you don’t have to drag a car seat with you.”
You also choose the size of the car. If there are four of you with eight suitcases and a stroller, book a van. You’ll get messages about your transfer ahead of time, and when you land, your driver will be waiting at the meeting point.
When you book a transfer, you’ll see suggested stops on your route. Pick one, choose how long you want to stay, and the price goes up a little. It’s a chance to see places a train or bus would never stop.
Our drivers aren’t tour guides, but they’ll get you there and wait for you, whether that’s an hour at a castle with older kids or a long lunch in a small town. If your little one needs a bathroom or a nap, or everyone needs to eat, the driver adjusts.
Ask for lunch ideas, and they’ll suggest a restaurant that’s good for kids or one their customers love. And if the kids have finally fallen asleep and you want a quiet ride, that’s fine too.
Families are using us for those awkward in-between hours. Hotel check-in is usually around 3 PM, and checkout is around 11 AM. So what do you do if you land at 8 AM, or your flight doesn’t leave until 11 PM?
Book a one-way transfer from your hotel to the airport and add a sightseeing stop to fill the time. The kids have something to do, and you won’t be hunting for a luggage locker.
“You can leave the luggage in the car with the driver. It will be there when you come back…”
That goes for the stroller, too, if you’d rather use a baby carrier at the stop.
Italy is our most popular country for families, and I don’t think that will change. Naples to Positano is a big one. The Amalfi Coast is not easy to drive, and parking fees are wild.
Other family favorites:
- Florence to Rome
- Paris to Disneyland Paris
- London to Southampton (the cruise port)
- Lisbon to Porto
- Airport transfers like Paris Charles de Gaulle to the city, and Rome Fiumicino to Rome
Our website also lists popular routes for ideas, and we just launched a comprehensive Italy guide, with more city and country guides on the way.
Every driver is local to the region they drive in, and each one goes through a thorough vetting process. We confirm they speak English, review their car documentation, and our regional managers work with them directly.
Customer service is available 24/7 by phone or email. They stay in touch with your driver, so they can handle any delays in real time.
“At Daytrip, we want families traveling with children of any age to feel supported and comfortable when they travel abroad.”
Here’s how to book and learn more: visit our website, Instagram, Facebook, or the Daytrip app for iOS and Android.
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For more family vacation inspiration, tune in to all the podcast episodes. Adventure Awaits!