Austria is actually full of very cool, very unique all-inclusive family resorts, the kind with kids’ clubs, farm animals, and meadows right outside the door. Spend your weekdays in Vienna while the kids are at camp, then escape to pure nature on the weekends. That’s where the core memories get made. (The movie was filmed in Salzburg, which is an easy day trip. More on that below.)

Getting There & Getting Settled

• Flying in: Nearly every camp on this list is in Vienna, so you’ll fly into Vienna International (VIE). There are direct flights from a few East Coast cities. From the West Coast, plan on one connection, usually Frankfurt, Munich, or Zurich.

• Airport to apartment: The CAT express train gets you to Wien Mitte in about 16 minutes. The S7 is cheaper and a little slower. A taxi takes around 30 minutes. After an overnight flight with kids and five suitcases, I’d book the car.

• If you’re going somewhere else: For Salzburg, fly into Salzburg (SZG) or Munich (MUC) and take the train. For Innsbruck, fly into Innsbruck (INN) or Munich and train it from there.

• Strollers: Vienna is easy where it matters. Wide sidewalks, low-floor trams, elevators in the U-Bahn stations. The cobblestones in the historic center requires a sturdier travel stroller.

• Scooters and bikes: Kid scooters are everywhere, and the car-free paths along Danube Island are made for them. Older kids can bike the city’s huge network of bike lanes.

• A car: Skip it. Most of Vienna is paid short-term parking with residents getting priority on the rest, and the trains go everywhere you’d want for a day trip. If you want to explore off the train lines, rent one for a single day.

Housing

• Vienna: A furnished 2 to 3 bedroom apartment in a central, camp-friendly district near a U-Bahn line runs roughly €2,500 to €4,500 a month in July. For a major European capital, that’s one of the more approachable numbers in this whole series.

• Salzburg & Innsbruck: Inventory is tighter and prices are higher in high season, roughly €3,000 to €5,500 a month. Salzburg gets especially packed during its summer festival.

Vienna has tightened its short-term rental rules, so look for furnished mid-term rentals (one to three months) through established companies, and ask for proof the unit is legal for a stay your length.

What I’d ask every Airbnb host:

• Is there an elevator? Many gorgeous older buildings don’t have one, and fourth floor with a toddler and groceries gets old fast.

• Is there A/C, or at least fans? Thick walls and high ceilings help, but a heat wave will be a struggle.

• Is there a dryer? Most places have a washer. Dryers are rare, so expect a drying rack in your living room.

The good news: Vienna’s tap water comes straight from Alpine springs and is fantastic.

July Weather

• Vienna: Hot and mostly sunny, usually 77°F to 88°F, with heat waves that can climb into the 90s. Evenings cool off nicely, and the sun doesn’t set until around 8:45pm. Expect the occasional afternoon thunderstorm.

• Salzburg: Cooler, around 70°F to 80°F, and one of the rainiest places in Austria in summer. Bring a light rain jacket.

• Innsbruck & the Alps: Warm in the valley, from the low 70s to the low 80s, cooler up high, with afternoon storms common. Pack real layers for mountain days.

What You’ll Eat (and When)

• Wiener Schnitzel: Thin, breaded, pan-fried veal with potato salad and a lemon wedge. It will become your kids’ entire personality by week two. Lots of menus offer a pork version too.

• Kaiserschmarrn: A fluffy pancake torn into pieces, dusted with powdered sugar and served with fruit compote. Austrians eat it as a full meal, so pancakes for dinner is culturally sanctioned.

• Palatschinken: Thin crepes, usually filled with apricot jam or chocolate spread. The safe bet at any café.

• Marillenknödel: Sweet dumplings with a whole apricot inside, rolled in buttery breadcrumbs. July is apricot season, especially around the Wachau Valley, so you’re there at exactly the right time.

• Würstelstand: Vienna’s sausage stands are an institution. Order a Käsekrainer (a cheese-filled sausage) with bread and mustard. Locals eat it at midnight. With kids, it’s a perfectly respectable 6pm dinner.

The daily schedule:

• Lunch, 12 to 1:30pm: The warm, substantial meal of the day.

• Jause, 3 to 4:30pm: The Austrian afternoon snack. Bread, cheese, fruit, or cake with coffee. It lands right at camp pickup, so pack one in your bag.

• Dinner, 6:30 to 8pm: Earlier and lighter than Spain or Italy, which means bedtime stays intact. This is a big deal if your kids are under five.

With the Kids

• Tiergarten Schönbrunn: The oldest zoo in the world, set inside the Schönbrunn Palace grounds. Do the zoo in the morning and the palace gardens after lunch.

• Prater & the Riesenrad: The Wurstelprater amusement park is free to enter and you pay per ride, so you can do two rides and leave without a meltdown over a wristband you overpaid for. Finish on the 1897 giant Ferris wheel.

• ZOOM Kindermuseum: A hands-on children’s museum in the MuseumsQuartier, built for kids up to 14. Everything is meant to be touched.

• Haus des Meeres: An aquarium and tropical house inside a World War II flak tower, with a rooftop terrace over the city. Save it for a rainy day.

• Donauinsel & Gänsehäufel: On a 90-degree day, this is where you go. Danube Island is car-free and great for scooters. Gänsehäufel is a huge Danube beach bath with pools, sand, and playgrounds.

• Hellbrunn’s trick fountains (Salzburg day trip): About two and a half hours by train. The 17th-century fountains squirt unsuspecting visitors, and kids think it’s the funniest thing that has ever happened.

Without the Kids

• A Heuriger evening: Head to a wine tavern in the vineyards of Grinzing, Nussdorf, or Stammersdorf for a simple buffet, local white wine, and the city lights below. A bundle of pine branches hung over the door means they’re open.

• The Wachau Valley: Take the train or a Danube boat into the UNESCO-listed wine valley, with apricot orchards, terraced vineyards, and Melk Abbey along the way.

• Therme Wien: A massive thermal spa and sauna complex on the edge of the city. Book it for the Saturday after your first full week of camp logistics.

• The Belvedere or the Kunsthistorisches: See Klimt’s The Kiss at the Belvedere, or wander the Old Masters at the Kunsthistorisches Museum. A whole museum afternoon with nobody asking for a snack.

• A coffeehouse afternoon: Pick a traditional one like Café Sperl, order a Melange and a slice of cake, and stay as long as you want. Viennese coffeehouse culture is UNESCO-recognized, and nobody will rush you.

• Rathausplatz Film Festival: A free open-air film and music festival in front of City Hall, with food stalls from all over the world. It usually runs most of the summer, so it works with or without the kids.

Local Babysitting Support

• Babysits is the easiest way to find vetted, English-speaking babysitters in Vienna. A lot of the sitters are university students, and profiles show ID verification and experience. Expect to pay about €13 to €20 an hour, with most around €15. Book one for that Heuriger night.

Weekend Escapes

If your algorithm is at all family travel focused, you’ve likely been served a dreamy reel featuring one of these insane resorts. Austrians have perfected the family resort: meals included, a kids’ club that runs most of the day, ponies and goats out back, and a sauna for you once everyone’s asleep. After a week of camp drop-offs and laptop time, two nights where nobody has to decide what’s for dinner might be the best thing you do all summer.

A reality check: the good ones are out in the mountains and lakes, so plan on renting a car for the weekend. For anything three hours away, I’d skip the Friday-to-Sunday sprint and save it for a long weekend or the gap week between camps.

• Kinderhotel Appelhof (Styria): The easiest win from Vienna. It sits in the Mürzer Oberland nature park, roughly 120 km from Vienna, on about 8 hectares of car-free grounds, so the kids can roam while you actually sit down. Meals are all-inclusive, with afternoon coffee and a daily dessert buffet, and there are farm animals on site year-round. The kids’ club offers professional childcare for children and babies every day from 9am to 7pm.

• Kinderhotel Stegerhof (Styria): The farm-and-meadows fantasy. It’s in the Schladming-Dachstein region, and the list of what’s included reads like a kid’s wish list: a mini farm with ponies and animals to pet, a natural bathing pond, a 5,000 m² play area with a giant sandbox, plus bikes, go-karts, and mini scooters for the kids. Full board is all-inclusive, and kids get free ice cream, which will be the only review your kids give it.

• Dachsteinkönig Familux Resort (Gosau, Salzkammergut): The splurge. It’s a five-star resort with 105 family suites and 12 chalets, the chalets with their own saunas, and every room type has its own kids’ room. There’s a 2,000 m² indoor play area with a cinema and go-karts, at least 25 trained kids’ coaches running childcare all day, seven days a week, and they take babies from 7 days old. It’s about an hour from Salzburg and three from Vienna, so pair it with the Salzburg day trip and make it a long weekend.

• Waldhof Fuschlsee Resort (Lake Fuschl, Salzkammergut): The lake weekend, and the closest you’ll get to living inside the Sound of Music. It’s in the lake country right outside Salzburg. This one runs on packages rather than all-inclusive: the family package starts at €514 for two nights and includes 50% off for kids in their parents’ room, a packed lunch for excursions, and a boat ride from May to October, depending on availability.

The Austria Camp List

Below for paid subscribers: all six Vienna camps, with ages, dates, and pricing, so you can start mapping your weeks before the good ones fill up.

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The women I’ve had on this show who figured out what they wanted next mostly got there by stepping away first: a pause between roles, a sabbatical, or in my case, leaving the country for nine weeks in Portugal with my family, a year after I left corporate. It gave my husband and me real clarity on the values we want to build our lives around. I also know almost none of you have nine weeks to “figure it out.”

So this week’s Toolkit is the version you can do at home. It’s short, it’s specific, and you leave with something to do this week. And if you want to take the assessment behind it, scroll to the bottom for a discount.

Suzy Welch is the author of Becoming You and a professor at NYU Stern who has spent 15 years researching how people find their purpose. Her Values Bridge assessment has been taken nearly 200,000 times. I asked her whether “find your why” is even the right question. She didn’t say no, but she said we need “more than one why,” and then she walked us through an exercise that takes under an hour to give you way more clarity than you could imagine.

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Where the hour comes from

Suzy’s exercise takes under an hour, and the hardest part for most of us is finding that hour at all. Mine comes from a house manager. Outside of childcare, she’s the budget line I’d protect the hardest. She comes daily: cleaning, laundry, meal prep, organizing. She’s the one system in my house that never needs a prompt.

Sage Haus does the sourcing and vetting to find your perfect house manager. Use code NEWMODERNMOM for $100 off matching. Book a free 30-minute info call now.

In partnership with Sage Haus

Take Suzy’s Values Assessment

The Values Bridge assessment is 20% off with code NEWMODERNMOM.

🔥 Rapid fire with Suzy

I text every guest the same questions. Here’s what she sent back.

Professional superpower: I am constitutionally incapable of giving up on people or projects.
Cooking: If it’s pasta, I’m eating it.
Reading: Whistler by Ann Patchett and I never miss Chrissy Rutherford’s blog, Forward Joy
Listening to: I am a 90s grunge girl, and I have been listening to a lot of vintage Breeders lately
Wearing: I am addicted to High Sport pants and sweater sets. Also, I have been wearing clogs since I was 9 years old.
Daily routine: NYT crossword and Wordle. Addicted.
AI she’s testing: Claude
Non-negotiables: I talk to my four year old granddaughter Every. Single. Day.

You don’t need nine weeks somewhere else. You need an hour and a

Notebook.

Start here.

LISTEN NOW →

The next episode comes out in two weeks. Subscribe where you listen so you don’t miss it.

Barbara

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Today she’s a VP of Marketing at Ritual, a mom of two boys, a stepmom to three, and she has ADHD.

When I asked her what life looks like right now, she didn’t describe a routine. She described a rhythm with waves. Balance asks you to hold everything level. Waves assume some weeks you’ll be underwater, and that’s part of the deal.

What I keep coming back to is how unpolished her system is on purpose. A legal pad covered in chicken scratch. Three drinks on her desk at all times (I mean, same). A drive-through car wash she sits in on the hard days, just to get five more minutes with a podcast.

We also got into the very real stuff running her life: the 20-minute nightly reset that saves her mornings, the meal and meat delivery services she leans on, and the three skills she says took her from director to VP.

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The system behind the system

Sarah talks in this episode about what she’s chosen to outsource at home. Mine’s a house manager. Outside of childcare, she’s the budget line I’d protect above everything else. She comes daily for cleaning, laundry, meal prep, organizing, and she’s the one system in my house that never needs a prompt.

Sage Haus does the sourcing and vetting to find your perfect house manager. Use code NEWMODERNMOM for $100 off matching. Book a free 30-minute info call now.

🔥 Rapid fire with Sarah

I text every guest the same questions. Here’s what she sent back.

Professional superpower: Pattern recognition. I can quickly connect dots across people, strategy, and execution.

Cooking: Not much! I rely on delivery services like Hello Fresh, Blue Apron, and Butcher Box to help me feel prepared and eliminate some of the mental load of prep.

Reading: The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt and Quit Like a Woman by Holly Whitaker
Listening to: The Bright Method by Kelly Nolan
Wearing: Negative waffle knit sets, Agolde Riley Jeans, and Chord Baseball Cap
Daily routine: Paula’s Choice BHA Liquid Exfoliant, Salt and Stone body mist, Calm App for sleep
AI she’s testing: ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot
Non-negotiables: Sunlight, protein, skincare and iced coffee first thing. Slack after drop off, and moving my body.

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You don’t need to have it all figured out before you start. You just need to know what’s actually yours to carry, and what isn’t. Start here.

The next Toolkit episode drops in two weeks. Subscribe where you listen so you don’t miss it.

Barbara

And in the meantime, catch up on my latest guest episodes:

The two questions I get asked most are how we actually work from there and where we should eat, so this guide answers both. The real work schedule, the logistics and the Basque food culture are all free below. The full list of everything we loved (and the few things I’d skip) is for paid subscribers, because it’s the exact list I’d send my closest friend before her trip.

If you already know you want to do a summer like this, Summer 2027 is sold out, and the 2028 waitlist gets first access.

What’s inside

• Free: our real working day, the honest pros and cons of working on Spain time, getting there, getting around with strollers and scooters, the weather, and how the Basque eating schedule actually works

• Interactive map: 150 saved places to help you navigate and plan your trip

• Eat and drink: 30+ places with exactly what to order, the restaurants you need to book months ahead, and the Michelin star I’d skip

• With the kids: beach mornings, rides, music, our after-camp rituals and a full rainy-day plan

• Adults only: a sunset sail, the custom cocktail bar, a moms’ night out and how we found childcare

• Day trips: Rioja wine country, French seaside towns, a medieval Basque village and a sheep farm

• Wellness: the only barre and Pilates studios worth booking, and my exact weekly routine

• Settling in: the first two days, my 3-Day Rule for jet lag, how the kids adjusted, and what I’d pack

What a real working day looked like

The most common misconception about these summers is that we’re on vacation, and we’re not. We live somewhere else and work remotely, and the whole schedule is built around US time zones.

The first block is uninterrupted because the US teams aren’t online yet, and our coworking space cleared out by 6pm, which left a bunch of Roam Collective parents in the phone booths getting a ton done before camp pick-up. The evening session is for wrapping up the day, with no calls scheduled.

Honest expectations about work

• The pro: our teams aren’t online for the first half of our workday, so we get a ton of deep work done, and I’m actually more efficient there than at home.

• The con: there are fewer hours. I typically work 10 to 12 hours a day in San Francisco, and in San Sebastián it was more like 6 to 8.

• The reality: I felt very behind in all three of my businesses after the travel days, the setup days and the shift to an afternoon-and-evening schedule. By the end of the first week I was in a much better groove, but I still felt stretched trying to be in the moment while carrying a lot at work.

• What helped: swapping camp drop-offs so one of us could get an extra hour or two in, coworking alongside the Roam community, and a standing admin night on Fridays or Sundays paired with movie night for the kids.

Getting there

San Sebastián has three airports to choose from, and none of them is a big hub, so arrivals are easy but usually involve a connection.

• Bilbao (BIO): the most common choice, with the widest range of European flights, and a little over an hour’s drive to San Sebastián.

• Biarritz (BIQ), France: under an hour away, and a taxi runs about €80 to €120.

• San Sebastián (EAS): tiny and mostly domestic, and handy if you connect through Madrid or Barcelona.

We flew in through Paris, so we landed in Bilbao, and Roam Collective organized a driver for us, which was seamless, but it was a long drive after an already long trip from San Francisco. Flying home we connected through Madrid out of San Sebastián’s own airport, and it was super easy.

Getting around

San Sebastián is a walking city, and most locals get around by foot, bike or bus. Strollers work well with the wide, low sidewalks and buses with ramps, and the kids took their scooters everywhere (we honestly couldn’t have lived without them). You don’t need a car, since city buses cover everything and take contactless cards, so skip it unless you’re planning a lot of countryside day trips, and even then just rent one for the days you need it.

The American reality check

• Air conditioning: don’t assume it, because it’s not common there. We landed in the middle of a heat wave with multiple days over 95°F and no A/C, and what got us through was fans in every bedroom (one per person, even), plus 5pm beach swims. If your rental doesn’t have fans, find the closest “bazaar” on Google Maps, which is basically a tiny store that carries literally everything.

• Laundry: most apartments have a washing machine, but dryers are still uncommon in Spain, so plan on a drying rack.

The weather

July typically runs 70°F to 82°F, but this is the Atlantic coast, so pack for a little of everything. July is the driest month with about five rainy days, and we still had one very rainy day and a whole rainy weekend, so bring a rain jacket. The water warms to around 70°F by August, which was plenty comfortable for the kids, and the sun doesn’t go down until nearly 10pm!!

The Basque food scene

San Sebastián is a food city, and the schedule is part of the experience.

• Pintxos: the Basque version of tapas, small bites on bread or on a toothpick. You move from bar to bar having one drink and one pintxo at each.

• Txakoli: the local white wine. I’m not a white wine girl, and I became obsessed with how light, crisp and slightly effervescent it is, to the point that I’m still craving it every single evening.

• Seafood: monkfish (if it’s on the menu, get it!!!), clams, octopus and tuna crudo were on all of our favorite tables.

• Peppers and mushrooms: order the guindilla or padrón peppers every time, and say yes to anything with wild mushrooms and an egg yolk.

• Steak: grilled over fire, and worth planning an entire lunch around at a traditional Basque steakhouse.

• Basque cheesecake and pastries: the creamy, burnt-top cheesecake is the signature dessert, and the bakeries are dangerous.

• Cider: you can order it just about everywhere, and a cider house meal is a long, multi-course tradition. Honestly, it wasn’t my favorite, because it’s more bitter than the sweet ciders in the US, but it’s fun to try.

The eating schedule

• Morning: light, with coffee at the center. For us that meant a workout, then brunch, plus a €5 bottle of fresh-squeezed orange juice.

• Lunch (2:00pm to 3:30pm): the main meal of the day, and restaurants often close between lunch and dinner, so plan around it.

• Pintxos hour (4:00pm to 9:00pm): the pre-dinner bar-hopping window, which we often squeezed in with friends before camp pick-up.

• Dinner (8:00pm to 11:00pm): later and lighter than lunch. We’d eat at 8pm, and on camp nights the kids had a “second dinner” with us after 9pm pick-up (they are served dinner during camp).

There’s one restaurant in San Sebastián you need to book minimum three months out (July had exactly one open day when Jason booked it), and one Michelin-starred meal I would never pay for again, and both are on the other side of this line.

Below is the full list for paid subscribers: 30+ places to eat and drink with exactly what to order, the dinners worth planning your week around, our favorite things to do with the kids and without them, the rainy-day plan that saved our weekend, the day trips, the only workout studios worth booking, how to find childcare, and how we settled in. Paid subscribers also get my months of research on summer camps all across Europe, plus my deeper thoughts on tools, systems and mindset for working moms.

If you’re even thinking about traveling to San Sebastián with or without kids, this is the list you want saved before you go.

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Well… our “full-service” movers turned out to be anything but. We walked into a home with boxes piled to the ceiling, drawers dumped out, broken glasses, and more disarray. So calling the new house disorganized doesn’t even begin to cover it. Oh, and did I mention when we arrived home, we were also in the final stretch of launching MNTSTUDIO Mission Rock? (Yes, our another new location.)

I didn’t realize how much I relied on the “silent” organization systems in our old house until I was standing in the new one, completely overwhelmed, with no idea where anything should go. When your days are already split between kids and work, not knowing where the scissors are is the thing that tips you over.

That’s when, like fate, Lana from Organize with Lana sent me a DM. She spent a full day with me tackling our primary bathroom and the kitchen pantry cabinets. In my husband Jason’s exact words, “this is a real game changer.” (Bay Area moms, keep reading for 2 free hours with her.)

I know a professional organizer isn’t in everyone’s budget, so here are the three rules she taught me. I’ve since used them on my closet, the kids’ closets, and our entryway closet, all on my own.

1. Empty everything first. Pull out every single item in the space. Toss anything expired or unused, then group what’s left by category.

2. Everything needs a home. Nothing sits loose on a shelf without a container or basket.

3. Label it all. We use 3/4” tape because the larger the better when a child is yelling at you and you’re trying to get out the door quickly without leaving a disaster behind. It’s the step that keeps the system working for the long haul.

Today I’m sharing everything we used to get organized (and, more importantly, stay that way).

My home organization must-haves

1. Mounted Shelf System- the level of obsession I have with this hidden “drop station” in our entryway closet is embarrassing

2. Clear All Purpose Bin - for our closet & kitchen

3. Clear Drawer Organizers how I’m organizing my makeup in my bathroom drawers

4. Stackable Clear Bin with Drawer countertop bathroom storage

5. Clear All Purpose Bin with drawer - use these for under the bathroom sink storage of “backstock” items

6. Rotating Desk Organizer for the kids play room

7. Caraway Tupperware Set *technically not home storage, more food storage but threw these in because I upgraded my tupperware after the move and these are sooooo good

8. 3-Tier Under Sink Organizer using under our kitchen sinks

9. Rectangular Wire Baskets for our pantry

10. Square Wire Baskets also for our pantry

11. Bluetooth Label Maker and Transparent Label Roll - a necessity for anyone undergoing a home organization project

12. Labels for wire baskets - easily attaches to anything without a flat surface

13. Expiration date labels - self-explanatory, don’t forget these for your pantry!

P.S. Bay Area moms: DM Lana on Instagram or fill out her contact form and mention my name for 2 free hours of home organizing. I can’t overstate the difference she made. Start with one room and see for yourself.

ICYMI The Podcast Is Back 🎧

Are you still feeling buried by school forms, inbox deluge, and overlapping schedules? On the latest episode of The New Modern Mom Podcast, I’m joined by and Shreya Gulati of to talk about how to make AI take off the pressure during the school year. We skip the basic app lists and break down their real tech stacks, the simplest time-saving shortcuts, and how to build resilient systems that survive the everyday chaos.

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Thanks for joining me on this journey,

Barbara

P.S: I’ve spent months researching European summer camps, and all of that research lives in the paid subscriber archive, along with my deeper thoughts on tools, systems & mindset for working moms. I’m also sharing all my San Sebastián recs, plus the real story of living abroad with my family for 6 weeks.

Subscribe now

Jing Gao is a chef, an entrepreneur and a mom. She started Fly By Jing as an underground dinner club before welcoming her son.

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So I asked which one stretched her…

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After my third summer abroad, it hit me all over again why this work matters. Because you deserve a slow, magical, expansive summer. Living and working abroad with your family isn’t a fantasy only reserved for people with unlimited time or money. It’s doable. It just takes the right information, and that’s exactly what these guides are for.

We’re picking this series back up with Germany. It’s less romanticized than Spain or Italy, less discussed than the usual European summer hotspots, but its moderate temperatures and city energy might be exactly what you are craving. Germany doesn’t ask you to figure it out as you go. It hands you a schedule, a system, and a really excellent bakery on the corner, and lets you build your summer around all three.

Logistics: Getting There & Staying There

Ease of Getting There:

• Your city choice dictates your entry point:

  • Berlin: fly into Berlin Brandenburg (BER)

  • Frankfurt: fly into Frankfurt (FRA), one of the busiest hubs in Europe and often the cheapest transatlantic fare

  • Munich: fly into Munich (MUC)

  • Hamburg: fly into Hamburg (HAM)

• Frankfurt and Munich both run frequent direct flights from major U.S. East Coast and even some West Coast cities. Berlin and Hamburg may require a connection through Frankfurt, Munich, or another European hub depending on your origin city,

• The commute from the airport:

  • All four cities have excellent train or S-Bahn connections directly from the airport into the city center, typically 25–45 minutes depending on where you land relative to where you’re staying

Getting Around: Stroller vs. Scooter Realism

• The stroller: German cities are stroller-friendly in the way you’d hope. Lots of wide sidewalks, curb cuts, and elevators in most train stations (though not universally, so check ahead if you’re relying on one). Bring something sturdy but not oversized; cobblestones exist in older neighborhoods, especially in Berlin

• The scooter: Kid scooters are everywhere here too, though not with quite the religious devotion you’ll find somewhere like Switzerland. Bikes are the bigger cultural fixture. If your kids are old enough, a rental or borrowed bike opens up a lot of the city, especially in bike-obsessed Berlin and Munich.

Is a Car Necessary?

• No, and in most cases it’s actively a liability. Berlin, Frankfurt, Munich, and Hamburg all run on excellent, extensive public transit that actually show up when they say they will. Parking is expensive and often restricted to residents. Unless you’re planning day trips deep into the countryside on a regular basis, skip the car entirely.

Housing:

• Berlin Rent: Family-sized 2–3 bedroom apartments in central, camp-friendly neighborhoods run roughly $2,800–$4,800/month in July, making it one of the more accessible major-city options on this list.

• Frankfurt Rent: Expect $3,200–$5,500/month for a comparable family apartment, slightly higher given the concentration of corporate housing demand.

• Munich Rent: The most expensive of the four, with family apartments running $4,000–$7,000/month. Munich has some of the highest rents in the country.

• Hamburg Rent: A reasonable middle ground at $3,000–$5,000/month, with the added bonus of being near water.

The “American Reality” Check:

• Air Conditioning: Still mostly absent, though slightly more common than a few years ago as summers heat up. Ask specifically when booking a rental, and don’t assume. A listing showing a “cooling fan” in photos is not the same as A/C.

• Laundry: Most apartments have an in-unit washer, but dryers are far less standard; a lot of German households air-dry laundry on a rack or a shared line, even in cities.

The Weather: What to Expect in July

• Berlin: Warm and mostly dry, typically 70°F–82°F during the day, with long daylight hours. Sunset doesn’t happen until closer to 9:30pm.

• Frankfurt: Slightly warmer and more humid than Berlin, often in the mid-70s to mid-80s, with the occasional summer thunderstorm rolling through in the evening.

• Munich: Similar range to Frankfurt, but with the Alps close enough that afternoon storms are more common. Pack a light rain layer even on sunny mornings.

• Hamburg: The coolest of the four by a noticeable margin, usually 65°F–75°F, with more cloud cover and a breeze off the water. Bring a real jacket even in summer.

The German Food Scene & Typical Schedule

What to Eat:

• Currywurst: Berlin’s iconic street food — sliced sausage doused in curry ketchup, served with fries. Not fancy, extremely satisfying, and a genuine cultural institution.

• Spargel (White Asparagus): A springtime-into-early-summer obsession across the country, served simply with hollandaise, ham, and potatoes. If you catch the tail end of the season, don’t skip it.

• Döner Kebab: Technically Turkish-German, but functionally a national food at this point, especially in Berlin, which claims to have invented the modern döner sandwich.

• Weisswurst: A Munich and Bavarian staple — a mild white sausage traditionally eaten before noon with sweet mustard and a pretzel, ideally with a beer.

• Kaffee und Kuchen: The mid-afternoon coffee-and-cake ritual that shows up everywhere, from bakeries to family kitchens, and is worth building into your own daily rhythm.

Typical Eating Schedule:

• Lunch (12:00pm–1:30pm): The main meal of the day in a lot of German households, often warm and substantial.

• Kaffee und Kuchen (3:00pm–4:30pm): A genuinely built-in afternoon pause — coffee, cake, and a break, often timed right around camp pickup.

• Dinner (6:30pm–8:00pm): Earlier and lighter than lunch, frequently a cold spread of bread, cheese, and cold cuts (Abendbrot) rather than a full cooked meal — a nice, low-effort option on a summer evening.

Things to Do With Kids

• Zoo Berlin (Berlin): One of the oldest and most species-diverse zoos in the world, right in the middle of the city, easily a half-day outing.

• Deutsches Museum (Munich): A massive, deeply hands-on science and technology museum. There are mine tunnels, cockpit simulators, and enough interactive exhibits to fill an entire day.

• Miniatur Wunderland (Hamburg): The world’s largest model railway exhibit, with an airport that has planes that actually “take off.” Genuinely mesmerizing for kids and adults alike.

• Palmengarten (Frankfurt): A sprawling botanical garden with a playground, tropical greenhouses, and enough open space for kids to run off camp-day energy.

• Europa-Park (near Frankfurt/Stuttgart): Germany’s answer to Disney, a full-scale theme park with country-themed zones. Worth the day trip if your kids are ride-age.

• Legoland Deutschland (near Munich): A reliable, well-run option for younger kids, about an hour outside the city.

Things to Do Without Kids

• Vabali Spa (Berlin): A serene, adults-oriented thermal spa and sauna complex tucked into the city. It’s an easy antidote to a full week of camp logistics.

• Rheingau Wine Region Day Trip (Frankfurt): A short train ride into rolling vineyards along the Rhine, with tastings and terrace lunches overlooking the river.

• English Garden Beer Garden Evening (Munich): Grab a table at one of the classic beer gardens in Munich’s massive English Garden park and settle in for the evening. A sacred Munich ritual.

• Elbphilharmonie (Hamburg): Catch a concert at Hamburg’s striking waterfront concert hall, even if it’s just to see the building and the harbor views from the plaza.

• Museum Island (Berlin): A full evening (or several) of world-class art and history museums clustered on a single island in the Spree.

• Städel Museum (Frankfurt): A stellar fine arts collection along the riverside “Museumsufer,” ideal for a quiet afternoon without a stroller in tow.

Local Support

• Betreut.de: Germany’s largest platform for finding babysitters, nannies, and au pairs, with a solid base of English-speaking caregivers in the major cities.

• Care.com Germany: A reliable option in Berlin, Frankfurt, and Munich specifically, with reviews and background-check features similar to the U.S. platform.

• Average Rates: Expect to pay roughly €12–€18/hour (about $13–$19 USD) for a babysitter

The Germany Summer Camp List

A quick note on how to read what’s below: Your base determines your camp options, not the other way around. Pick the region that fits your family’s summer first. Then pick the camp.

The full list of camps with ages, dates, and pricing, is below for paid subscribers.

Subscribe now

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This year it landed right at the retur…

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Three years of letting them eat in their car seats with no rule about it left crushed snacks worked so far down into the seat rails that no vacuum was ever getting them out, and a full archive of Trader Joe’s stickers pressed onto the inside of the doors by two kids who understood the car to be an art project.

We are in our car constantly, between driving to our studios all over the Bay Area, the road trips up to Tahoe, the 35 minutes to my parents, the hour to Jason’s parents, the activities, the play dates and exploring the city.

We’re also the kind of family that keeps a car until it is completely, undeniably done, which is how we were still running a 2005 Highlander this year at about $2k a year in maintenance that we just kept paying because the thing still started.

That was the car our au pair drove, which made it the car my kids were in most weekday afternoons. Then this spring I drove it myself for the first time in a while, and the accelerator was jerky, the whole car creaked, and when I went to brake I genuinely questioned whether it could keep handling the hills we live on.

I got out and went to Jason immediately. I wasn’t going to wait around for it to fail with my kids inside.

So it was time for our au pair to take over the 2022 Highlander, and for us to get that all electric SUV we’d been eyeing for years. It’s by far the most we’ve ever spent on a car and I’m not going to pretend otherwise. (Keep reading past the list for the full breakdown of the car we landed on and why.)

My biggest hesitation was whether a new car was going to survive our kids. Buying nice also meant handing them something new to destroy.

We bought it anyway, with new rules, products and systems that have kept it squeaky clean so far… and with way fewer arguments between them, which was a surprising result.

The rules: The only snacks allowed are carrots, cucumbers, and apples, which is to say nothing that crumbs and nothing that gets sticky. And no stickers, or anything else that leaves proof it was ever there. Both kids understand both rules and both kids still ask me for a snack every single time we get in the car, which I have convinced myself to read as optimism rather than defiance to save myself from constant annoyance.

The thing that stopped the fighting isn’t something I bought from Amazon. The second row in our new car has tray tables, like actual airplane tray tables. The whole war these past three years was apparently about territory.

Four months in, the car is still clean. Everything below is what’s keeping a very nice car alive with a 6 and 4-year-old in it every single day.

My car must-haves

1. Seat Protector placed underneath the car seats

2. Mini Vacuum This is weirdly satisfying to use

3. Car trashcan instead of “throw it on the ground” they now have a spot for trash

4. Caddy to put in between the kids to store their toys

5. Magnetic Tracing Pad and Magnetic Alphabet and Counting Pad no-mess kid entertainment

6. Magnetic Tiles we have a pack of these in the car

7. Clixo Itsy Magnetic Building Toys magnetic toys >> anything else for car toys

8. Mini Magnetic Cars a twist on magnetic building blocks

9. Stainless Steel Baking Tray I know, this seems so completely random… and it is. But it’s the perfect surface for all of the above magnetic toys and regardless if you have tray tables or not, trust me your kids need these in the car!

10. Chicco GoFit Booster Seat after extensive research, this is the one I landed on because of the latch

11. Slim Convertible Car Seat I actually sold my Nuna for this one, way slimmer and less bulky

💬 What's your one car rule? Give me the crazy ones.

The Podcast is BACK 🎧

The podcast is back, and I started the season with Jess Jacobs, CEO of Coterie. We chat about what actually keeps her household running, why "divide and conquer" may be making things harder for both parents, and the very good opportunities she's saying no to right now.

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So which car did we get?

I’ll tell you, but the car itself is just the first useful part I’m sharing.

What I also want to hand you is the thing I couldn’t find anywhere while I was researching this: the six criteria we shopped against, a side-by-side of our two finalists from someone who test drove both with a 6 and 4-year-old in the back, what it actually costs us to charge (about $15 at home!!), what the self-driving genuinely does and doesn’t do, and the one decision we made that contradicts everything I just told you about how our family buys cars.

I hit the Substack bestsellers list last month. And I credit it to sharing the months of research on European summer camps, along with my deeper thoughts on tools, systems & mindset for working moms. Curious what’s on that side of the paid subscriber archive? Only one way to find out.

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“I don’t know how you do it.”

I hear it constantly. So here’s the honest answer: I’m exhausted, and I’m more fulfilled than I’ve ever been. I know my why, I know my priorities, and I’ve built systems around both.

The skills I sharpened over 12 years in tech turned out to be the superpowers that make this life work. That’…

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You guys… this may be my worst adjustment yet. And yes, it’s a very-much self-inflicted wound.

Here’s the math: we came home from 6 weeks of a slow Spanish summer to a brand new house in complete disarray, boxes everywhere. The MNTSTUDIO flagship opens at the end of this m…

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Not just what we packed, but the actual system. What goes in the bag, what stays home, and the one $15 item that changed how easy beach days can be entirely.

Every item here has survived multiple summers, multiple kids, and multiple countries o…

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“Wait, you’re working while you’re there?”

“How do you just... move to Spain for the summer?”

“Who watches your kids?”

I’ve answered some version of these four questions every day since we landed, usually more than once. And I get it. Four years ago I would have asked the same things.

This marks our third summer packing up our lives in San Francisco to live and work remotely from Europe, and I don’t see us ever stopping. There is something magical about trading our familiar home routine for a few weeks of total immersion, watching our 4- and 6-year-old adapt to a new culture, and finding our footing in a brand-new city.

But this summer is different. This summer, 30 other families came with us on my dream summer abroad program.

Just one week into living in San Sebastian, Spain, with Roam Collective, the company I co-founded last fall, and we have fallen in love with this beach town. We may have been exhausted and overheated those first few days (yes that heat wave throughout Europe was brutal), and there were a few travel moments I’m still processing. But I can confidently say this is my favorite destination yet.

For the next six weeks, I’m swapping my usual Summer Camp Research programming for something more personal: a weekly, unfiltered log of our life in San Sebastian. Not our vacation… our real, working life. The work calls, the restaurant exploration, the wins, the meltdowns (theirs and mine), and the behind-the-scenes of running a scaling business remotely (we just opened our 4th MNTSTUDIO location two weeks before leaving, and #5 is deep in construction), as well as preparing for Roam Collective Summer 2027 from the city where its first cohort is living.

Here’s what’s inside this week’s edition:

• Every restaurant and beach we visited in week one, with exactly what to order

• Our real first-week routine, including what Roam handled that was one of the best perks I could have imagined

• The airport incidents that have me fired up about kids in public spaces

• My 3-Day Rule for beating jet lag with young kids

• The backstory: how a 3.5-week trip to Tuscany with an 8-week-old became a written-down, non-negotiable core tenet of our family (and eventually a company)

Alright. Let’s get into it.

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Here’s what three years of living and traveling abroad with my family has taught me, I call it my 3-Day Rule: it takes kids three full days to adjust to a major time change. For those first 72 hours, you lower every expectation, assum…

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But let’s be real: Switzerland is also one of the most expensive places on earth. There is no hidden-value angle here, no cheap-living hack I can offer you. You are paying a massive premium for this level of flawlessness. Worth it? You be the judge. Here’s everything you need to make that call.

Logistics: Getting There & Staying There

Ease of Getting There:

• Your camp choice dictates your arrival hub:

  • Geneva-area and French-Swiss mountain camps (Verbier, Villars, Les Crosets) → fly into Geneva (GVA)

  • Zurich and Basel camps → fly into Zurich (ZRH)

• Both hubs handle direct daily flights from the U.S. East Coast (NYC/Newark). West Coast families (LAX/SFO): expect one quick stop in London, Frankfurt, or Paris.

• The commute from the airport:

  • Geneva & Zurich Camps: A seamless 15-to-30-minute train ride from their respective airports.

• Alpine Valley Camps (Verbier/Villars): A scenic 1.5-to-2-hour drive or direct Swiss rail trip from GVA.

Getting Around: Stroller vs. Scooter Realism

• The Stroller: Swiss pavements and train platforms are perfectly flat and accessible, making strollers easy. However, skip the heavy luxury model and bring a durable, compact travel stroller with all-terrain wheels to handle mountain gravel or cobblestones. For mountain valley trails, a high-quality hiking baby carrier backpack is essential.

• Kid Scooters: Pack them immediately. Switzerland is the global capital of micro-mobility. Sidewalks, pedestrian paths, and lakeside promenades are immaculately paved. Kids ride scooters everywhere, it is the easiest way to manage camp drop-offs without a vehicle.

Is a Car Necessary?

• Geneva, Zurich & Basel: No, absolutely not. A car is an expensive liability in Swiss cities due to $8/hour parking fees and highly restricted zones. The Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) tram and train network is so hyper-efficient and accurate that you can commute flawlessly using just an SBB Family Pass.

• The Mountain Valleys (Verbier, Villars, Les Crosets): Yes, conditionally. While trains connect major valleys, managing specific mountain camp times, erratic high-altitude weather shifts, and major grocery runs requires a reliable vehicle. Rent early, as automatic transmissions are limited.

Housing:

• Geneva & Zurich Rent: Premium city apartments or lakeside 2-bedrooms range from $6,500–$12,000/month in high-season July.

• Basel Rent: Slightly more approachable, with family flats averaging $4,500–$7,500/month.

• Alpine Resort Chalets (Verbier/Villars): High-end mountain chalets can be priced extremely high, ranging from $10,000-20,000 /month for July blocks.

The “American Reality” Check:

• Air Conditioning: Virtually non-existent. Stand-alone A/C is extremely rare. While alpine nights stay cool, a city heatwave will require you to use cross-breezes and heavy fans. Always ask your rental host to confirm fan availability.

• Laundry Restrictions: Standalone tumble dryers are rare inside individual Swiss flats. You will likely use a shared building laundry room (Waschküche) that runs on a strict, assigned calendar rotation, or use a balcony drying rack.

• Groceries match Manhattan. Or exceed it. Meat and dairy carry heavy agricultural tariffs, expect upwards of $15/pound for basic chicken breast. Dining out matches or exceeds San Francisco budgets.

The Weather: What to Expect in July

• In the lowland cities (Geneva, Zurich, Basel): beautifully comfortable, hovering between 75°F and 85°F during the day is warm and sunny.

• In the mountain valleys (Verbier, Villars): daytime highs sit at 65°F–75°F, and dropping into the 50s on high trails or cable cars is regular. Pack real layers for the kids, not just a hoodie thrown in as an afterthought.

• The evening vibe: Refreshing and crisp. The moment the sun dips behind the peaks or over the lakes around 7:30 p.m., a cool breeze rolls in. It’s the kind of evening that makes you close your laptop and go outside.

The Swiss Food Scene & Typical Schedule

What to Eat:

• Rösti: A comforting, classic Swiss dish of crispy, pan-fried shredded potatoes topped with melted cheese, fried eggs, or bacon. It is the ultimate kid-approved post-camp refuel.

• Swiss Chocolate & Birchermüesli: Sourced fresh daily. True Swiss oats soaked with milk, yogurt, grated apples, and nuts is the breakfast standard, paired with high-end regional chocolate for treats.

• Raclette / Fondue: Melted cheese scraped over boiled potatoes, gherkins, and pickled onions. Even in July, hitting a mountain lodge for a fondue ritual is a non-negotiable alpine experience.

• Fresh Lake Perch (Filets de Perche): Lightly battered, delicate local fish served alongside fries by the lakeside terraces in Geneva or Zurich.

Typical Eating Schedule:

• Lunch (12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.): Standard and prompt. Most Swiss camps include a hot, premium communal meal or highly structured packed lunch window.

• Zvieri (4:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.): The mandatory Swiss afternoon snack. Fruit, local cheese, or bread with a piece of chocolate to power the kids right at camp pick-up.

• Dinner (7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.): Earlier and more family-aligned than Southern Europe, meaning you can easily maintain your kids’ bedtime routines.

Things to Do With Kids

• Lindt Home of Chocolate (Zurich): Take the kids to see the world’s largest chocolate fountain, complete with immersive historical exhibits and unlimited chocolate tasting rooms.

• The Olympic Museum (Lausanne/Geneva Area): A high-tech, interactive sports paradise on the lake where kids can test their running speed, agility, and balance against Olympic records.

• Aquatis Aquarium-Vivarium (Lausanne): Europe’s largest freshwater aquarium, featuring massive indoor biomes, crocodiles, and komodo dragons that kids can view up close.

• Zoo Basel (Basel): Known locally as the “Zolli,” this is an exceptional, centrally located urban zoo with beautiful walking paths and a massive world-class aquarium.

• Mount Pilatus Golden Round Trip (Zurich Area): A bucket-list day trip involving a lake boat, the world’s steepest cogwheel railway, an aerial cableway, and high-altitude mountain playgrounds.

• Verbier Bike Park & Alpine Luge (Mountain Valleys): Ride approachably designed family downhill mountain biking tracks or twist down ski slopes on high-speed mountain carts on rails.

Things to Do Without Kids

• QC Terme Chamonix Day Trip (Geneva Area): Cross the French border for a quiet afternoon soaking in heated outdoor infinity pools directly facing the Mont Blanc massif.

• Lavaux Vineyard Terraces Wine Tasting: Walk through the UNESCO-listed terraced vineyards overlooking Lake Geneva, tasting crisp, exclusive local Chasselas white wines.

• Thermalbad & Spa Zurich: Soak in ancient stone vaults inside a converted historic brewery, finishing with a rooftop thermal pool featuring panoramic city skyline views.

• Fondue at Les Armures (Geneva): Snag a table at Geneva’s most historic old-town institution for an unhurried, authentic cheese fondue paired with local white wine.

• Kunstmuseum Basel Gallery Walk: Explore one of the oldest and most important public art collections in the world, specialized in Holbein masterpieces and modern art.

• Sunset Paddle and Lakeside Lounge (Zurich): Rent a stand-up paddleboard on Lake Zurich at sunset, ending with cocktails at an upscale, historic Badi water lounge.

Local Support

• Sitly: The most active, popular app in Switzerland for sourcing local university students and bilingual sitters.

• Babysitting24 / Rockmybaby: Premier, highly reliable Swiss agencies providing vetted, English-speaking childcare and temporary nannies across Geneva, Zurich, and the alpine resorts.

• Average Rates: Expect to pay $25–$35 CHF/hour ($28-$40). Childcare is exceptionally expensive here, reflecting the nation’s high minimum wage standards.

The Switzerland Summer Camp List

A quick note on how to read what’s below: Your base determines your camp options, not the other way around. Pick the region that fits your family’s summer first. Then pick the camp.

The full list of 14 camps with ages, dates, and pricing, is below for paid subscribers.

Subscribe now

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Rebecca Michael is one of only 300 people who hold a VP title at Google. She leads marketing for two of the most used products on the planet, Search and Maps. She is also one of my closest friends, and our kids have been best friends since before Rebecca and I even knew each other existed.

Which means I got something in this conversation that most interviewers don’t get. The real version.

We talked about a philosophy she lives by: the Good Enough Mother, a concept rooted in decades of psychology research that essentially gives you permission to stop chasing perfection in your parenting. Not because your kids don’t deserve your best, but because your best is not the same as perfect. And the research is clear: kids who are raised by good enough mothers are actually more resilient, more emotionally secure, and better equipped for the real world than kids raised by mothers running on fumes trying to get everything right.

I think about this concept constantly. On the days I’m distracted during homework. On the nights dinner is chicken nuggets and french fries. On the *quite often* mornings I’m short on patience before I’ve had coffee.

Good enough isn’t giving up. It’s giving yourself room to be human, and it turns out, that’s exactly what your kids need most.

This episode will make you feel less alone in your fight to always be the perfect mom.

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If you missed this one the first time around, add it to your queue this week. And if you've already listened, I think you'll hear something new the second time around.

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💬 Drop a comment: What’s one area of motherhood where you’re trying to embrace “good enough” instead of perfect?

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• 📤 Hit ‘Share’ to send this to your group chat

Thanks for listening,

Barbara

The French Alps are like a fairytale. The scale of the landscape slows your nervous system down whether you want it to or not. The mornings feel longer. The food tastes better. And you stop trying to optimize the day and just live inside it.

For families who love nature, movement, and a quiet that actually restores you, this is the setting you’ve been looking for.

The logistics take a little planning (mountain roads mean a car is non-negotiable) but the tradeoff is a summer that feels nothing like ordinary life.

Logistics: Getting There & Staying There

Ease of Getting There:

• Flights: Fly into Geneva Airport (GVA). Direct flights from the US East Coast are common and highly efficient. From the West Coast expect 1 stop in major hubs like London, Paris, or Frankfurt.

• The Commute: Most camps are about a 1-hour drive from GVA.

Getting Around: Stroller vs. Scooter Realism

• The Stroller: Leave the heavy luxury stroller at home. You need a durable, compact travel model with all-terrain wheels to handle steep inclines, cobblestones, and gravel paths. For actual trail hikes or navigating resort stairs, a premium hiking baby carrier is completely non-negotiable.

• Kid Scooters: Pack them conditionally. Paved, pedestrianized resort loops in towns like Morzine, Avoriaz, and central Chamonix are a major win for quick scooter navigation. Skip them entirely if your home base is a rustic chalet on unpaved roads.

Is a Car Necessary?

• The Reality: Yes, absolutely. While Chamonix offers a free valley train, commuting is impossible without your own car.

• Rent Early: Sourcing an automatic rental requires booking months in advance out of the French side of Geneva Airport.

• ZTL and Parking Passes: Many historic or pedestrianized alpine villages tightly restrict vehicle access via camera-enforced Zones à Trafico Limitato or automated bollards.

Housing:

• Chamonix & Megève Rent: A central 2-bedroom chalet or modern apartment ranges from $5,500–$12,00/month in July.

• Morzine Rent: Alpine chalets in Morzine average $3,500–$9,000/month for July.

The “American Reality” Check:

• Air Conditioning: Stand-alone A/C is incredibly rare in the French Alps.

• Laundry: Standalone clothes dryers are virtually non-existent in French rentals.

The Weather: What to Expect in July

• The Temperature: Intensely variable. Valley floors like the center of Chamonix can hover between 78°F and 88°F during the day, feeling hot under the direct alpine sun. However, the moment you ascend a cable car or hit a high trail, temperatures can instantly drop into the 50s or 60s.

• The Evening Vibe: The alpine air crisp-ups the moment the sun dips behind the peaks around 7:30 p.m. You will definitely need a light jacket or a sweater after 8:00 p.m.

The Eastern French Food Scene & Typical Schedule

What to Eat:

• La Tartiflette / Fondue: A comforting alpine staple of sliced potatoes, lardons, and melted Reblochon cheese. It is heavy, rich, and the ultimate kid-approved reward after a day of climbing mountains.

• Fresh Baguettes & Local Comté: Sourced daily from the village boulangerie and fromagerie. Pairing a raw-milk cheese with a warm crusty loaf is the simplest, cheapest, and most authentic way to handle family picnic lunches.

• Tarte aux Myrtilles: Traditional wild mountain blueberry tart found in every bakery across the Haute-Savoie. It’s sweet, slightly tart, and non-negotiable after a long hike.

• Savoie Charcuterie: Cured mountain hams and dry sausages (saucisson sec) seasoned with local herbs, perfect for packing into camp backpacks.

Typical Eating Schedule:

• Lunch: 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.

• Le Goûter: 4:30 p.m. The essential French afternoon snack. Crepes, fresh fruit, or a pastry to fuel the kids before a later dinner.

• Dinner: 7:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.

Things to Do With Kids

• Step Into the Void / Aiguille du Midi (Chamonix): Take Europe’s highest vertical ascent cable car up to 12,605 feet. Kids will be completely awestruck stepping into a five-sided glass cage suspended over a 1,000-meter drop.

• Mer de Glace & The Red Train (Chamonix): Ride the vintage red cogwheel train up to France’s largest glacier, then descend into a massive, hand-carved ice cave complete with glowing ice sculptures.

• Lake Annecy Beach Day (Annecy): Spend a sunny afternoon renting paddleboards or electric boats on Europe’s cleanest lake. Head to Plage d’Angon for shaded grassy lawns and safe, shallow lake swimming for young kids.

• Les Gets Splash & Adventure Park (Morzine Valley): Take the kids to a massive, floating inflatable obstacle course right on the lake, surrounded by alpine forest.

• The Alpine Coaster / Luge (Chamonix/La Clusaz): Ride a thrilling, kid-controlled mountain toboggan on rails that twists down the ski slopes through sharp turns and drops.

• Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc Tramway: Board the highest rack railway train in France to climb past waterfalls and dense alpine woods to the glacier fields.

Things to Do Without Kids

• Wine Tasting in the Savoie Valley: Take a morning drive down the mountain passes into the vineyards of Chambéry or Cruet to taste crisp, high-altitude white wines like Jacquère and Altesse directly from local producers.

• Thermal Spa Day at QC Terme (Chamonix): Spend a quiet afternoon soaking in heated outdoor infinity pools facing the snow-capped massif of Mont Blanc, complete with therapeutic steam rooms and zero noise.

• Dinner at a Michelin-Starred Alpine Lodge: Book a milestone, adults-only table at an estate for a unique and once in a lifetime type of meal.

• Twilight Canyoning: Suit up for a guided evening descent down local mountain waterfalls and narrow stone gorges, ending with an unhurried bistro dinner in the village.

Local Support

• Sitly: Available in Eastern France for sourcing local, bilingual student sitters.

• Baby-Sitting Chamonix / Alpine Childcare: Regional agencies providing vetted, English-speaking childcare options across the Chamonix and Morzine valleys.

• Average Rates: Expect to pay ~€25/hour. Childcare is more expensive here, reflecting high local seasonal wages.

The Eastern France Summer Camp List

7 fun French summer camps for kids 3-17!

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After months of meticulous planning and running 1000 miles per hour, I am so ready for this European summer. When it comes to packing for a long trip, my philosophy is simple: pick a clear color scheme to maxi…

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How many different versions of yourself do you show up as before 10am?

You’re a mom getting kids out the door. A professional with a full inbox waiting. Maybe a partner trying to actually connect with the person sleeping next to you. A person with creative ideas you haven’t had time to pursue. A human being who’d really like a hot cup of coffee for once.

That’s not chaos. That’s a multi-hyphenate life.

And this week’s podcast episode is for every woman who’s been living that life but hasn’t yet given herself permission to own it.

ICYMI I’m re-releasing some of the episodes that resonated most in the history of The New Modern Mom Podcast as I gear up for our relaunch this summer.

Up now: Hitha Palapu. CEO of Roshan Pharmaceuticals, author of two books, speaker, and mom of two boys. She’s one of the most honest, clear-eyed people I’ve talked to about what it actually takes to hold multiple identities without losing yourself.

We got into her Gentle Wednesdays practice, the weekly marriage meeting she swears has made their date nights genuinely fun again, and the Magic 20 List, which is now the first thing I’m trying when I get overwhelmed by a new idea.

But the part that stayed with me most? She talked about knowing when to close a chapter. How the decision that looks like quitting from the outside is actually one of the most powerful multi-hyphenate moves you can make.

This one is worth the listen (or re-listen).

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And if this one resonates, a quick review takes 30 seconds and genuinely helps more moms find the show. ⭐

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💬 Drop a comment sharing which of your hyphens feels most unclaimed right now?

• ❤️ And PLEASE give this post a little love below

• 📤 Hit ‘Share’ to send this to your group chat

Thanks for listening,

Barbara

There is only one reason I personally haven’t seriously considered this region: Southern Italy in July is hot. Relentlessly hot. You have to go into this experience knowing and expecting Mediterranean sun that slows everyone down. I’m originally from Dallas and recall every single summer growing up being miserably hot… hopping from pool to A/C to lake on rotation. That’s not me. But if you love a good toasty day, keep reading…

The positive tradeoff is that the heat is exactly what forces the region into its slow-paced lifestyle. Because it’s too hot to rush, you’re practically required to trade the frantic pace of American life for a late-afternoon riposo (siesta), long sea days, and a lifestyle centered around the evening hours. Moving here means stepping away from highly curated tourist spaces and sliding into the authentic, slow, and sun-drenched ways of the Southern Italians.

Logistics: Getting There & Staying There

Ease of Getting There:

• Campania: Fly into Naples International Airport (NAP), which is highly central and just a 15-minute taxi ride from the historic center.

• Puglia: Use Bari Karol Wojtyła Airport (BRI) or Brindisi Airport (BDS) depending on which side of the coast you base yourself.

• Sicily: Fly into Palermo Falcone-Borsellino (PMO) for the western side of the island or Catania-Fontanarossa (CTA) for the east.

• Sardinia: Fly into Olbia Costa Smeralda (OLB) or Alghero Fertilia (AHO) if staying on the northern side of the island or Cagliari Elmas (CAG) for the far south.

• Flights: Seasonal direct flights from the East Coast straight into Naples and Palermo are common. If you are flying from the West Coast, it’s going to be a long travel day(s). And expect big delays if flying an Italian airline.

Getting Around: Stroller vs. Scooter Realism

• The Stroller: You need a highly compact, lightweight travel model with durable wheels. A baby or toddler carrier is way easier.

• Kid Scooters: Leave them at home.

• Is a Car Necessary?

  • Naples: No. Use the Metro and regional trains (like the Circumvesuviana) for day trips.

  • Puglia & Sicily: Yes, absolutely. If your camp is in Siracusa, Trapani, or the Puglian countryside, you cannot survive without a rental car.

  • Sardinia? Yes, absolutely. While you can manage without one in main city hubs like Cagliari, you cannot manage a summer camp routine or explore the island without a car.

Housing:

• Naples: A 2-bedroom in a family-safe, upscale neighborhood like Vomero or Posillipo ranges from $2,700–$5,000/month.

• Sicily: High-end coastal apartments in Palermo (Mondello area), Trapani, or Siracusa (Ortigia) have a large range from $2,400–$4,000/month in July.

• Puglia: A central apartment in Bari or a traditional country house (masseria) further south in Brindisi ranges from $3,000-$7,000/month.

• Sardinia: In the ultra-exclusive Costa Smeralda (Porto Cervo/Porto Rotondo), expect high-season July rates of $4,500–$8,500/month. If you look slightly further south to San Teodoro, or west to Alghero, apartments range from $2,500–$4,500/month.

The “American Reality” Check:

• Air Conditioning: This is an absolute dealbreaker. Do not trust descriptions that say “naturally cool stone walls.” You must explicitly verify that your rental has high-functioning A/C in every bedroom.

• Laundry: Washers are standard, but you will be hanging your laundry on a drying rack on the balcony.

• The “Riposo” (Siesta): The region shuts down completely between 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. Grocers, shops, and restaurants close so everyone can escape the heat.

• Trash Management: Southern Italian cities, particularly parts of Naples and Palermo, struggle with public waste management. It can be jarring for American families. Focus your housing searches on residential, upscale neighborhoods to minimize this.

The Weather: What to Expect in July

• The Temperature: Expect daily highs ranging from 85°F to 93°F in Naples, while Puglia and inland Sicily can easily climb to 95°F–100°F during a heatwave.

• The Evening Vibe: The entire community revives after 7:30 p.m. when the sun goes down and a cooler sea breeze rolls in.

The Southern Italy Food Scene & Typical Schedule

What to Eat:

• Pizza Napoletana (Campania): Wood-fired, soft, and simplistic.

• Panzerotti & Taralli (Puglia): Fried dough pockets filled with tomato and mozzarella, and crunchy savory seed rings.

• Granita con Brioche (Sicily): Semi-frozen fresh fruit or ice served with a warm, fluffy sweet bun.

• Pane Carasau (Sardinia): A paper-thin, incredibly crispy flatbread. Drizzled with local olive oil and sea salt (called Pane Guttiau).

• Street Seafood: Paper cones packed with fried calamari and small local fish bought fresh by the harbor.

Typical Eating Schedule:

• Lunch: 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. The main meal of the day before the afternoon shutdown.

• The “Merenda”: 5:00 p.m. The late afternoon snack, usually gelato or fruit, to hold everyone over until a late dinner.

• Dinner: 8:30 p.m. – 10:30 p.m. Restaurants rarely even open their doors before 8:00 p.m.

Things to Do With Kids

• The Ruins of Pompeii & Herculaneum (Campania): Walk through real ancient Roman cities frozen in time. Opt for Herculaneum with younger kids. It’s smaller, better preserved, and offers more shade.

• Family Pizza Making Class (Campania): Book a workshop in Naples where master pizzaioli teach kids how to stretch the dough, throw on fresh toppings, and watch it rise in a wood-fired oven.

• Città della Scienza (Campania): This is a massive, hands-on science museum featuring a great interactive planetarium and a museum dedicated entirely to the human body.

• Puppet Theatre / Opera dei Pupi (Sicily): Take the kids to a traditional Sicilian marionette show.

• Mondello Beach Day (Sicily): Spend a classic day renting umbrellas and chairs on the white sands of Mondello.

• Bioparco di Sicilia (Sicily): A zoo and botanical garden that features life-sized dinosaur models hidden along the garden paths.

• Syracuse Boat Tour (Sicily): Rent a small boat from Ortigia island to explore sea caves and swim in crystalline water.

• Zoosafari Fasanolandia (Puglia): One of the largest drive-through safari parks in Europe.

• Grotte di Castellana (Puglia): Escape the sweltering July heat by exploring this massive, spectacular underground cave system that stays a cool 65°F year-round.

• Sardegna in Miniatura (Sardinia): This interactive park features 1:25 scale models of the island’s landmarks, a planetarium, and an outdoor dinosaur park with life-sized, moving prehistoric creatures.

• La Maddalena Archipelago Boat Tour (Sardinia): Charter a boat or hop on a catamaran from Palau to cruise the protected islands. The waters are shallow, completely translucent, and calm. It’s perfect for kids to safely snorkel or jump off the boat into the natural swimming pools.

Things to Do Without Kids

• Sunset Cocktails in Positano (Campania): Take a high-speed ferry from Naples to the Amalfi Coast for an evening of coastal views and upscale dining away from the city.

• Wine Tasting on Mount Etna (Sicily): Take a day trip to taste high-altitude, volcanic Nerello Mascalese wines.

• Explore Lecce’s Baroque Architecture (Puglia): Known as the “Florence of the South,” spend a late night wandering through illuminated limestone cathedrals and boutiques.

• Dinner in a Puglian Grotta (Puglia): Book a romantic dinner overlooking the Adriatic Sea inside a naturally carved limestone sea cave at Polignano a Mare.

• Sunset Sea Serenade in Cagliari (Sardinia): Rent a private sailboat to cruise around the cliffs of the Sella del Diavolo (Devil’s Saddle) at sundown, pairing a local Vermentino wine tasting with traditional Sardinian charcuterie.

• Agriturismo Dining in the Barbagia Interior (Sardinia): Book a dinner at a traditional agriturismo (working farm restaurant) where island dishes are cooked slowly over open fires.

Local Support

• Sitly.it: The primary, highly active platform in Italy for finding local university students and babysitters.

• Babysits.it: Excellent for sourcing English-speaking or international caregivers, particularly in hubs with international schools like Naples, Bari, and Palermo.

• Average Rates: Incredibly budget-friendly compared to northern Europe. Expect to pay €8–€15/hour, with the higher end reserved for native English speakers or specialized baby care.

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