When my husband and I planned our trip, we were so excited to go. We both needed a vacation and had been pushing hard for more than a year without a break. But, when we told anybody we were planning to hop around Europe with a one year old, we got some worried looks and fearful warnings. As it turns out, travelling with a one year old can indeed be difficult, but certainly not impossible. In retrospect I don't think our tour of the mediterranean could be considered a vacation exactly, but it certainly was a trip! Overall I am so happy we went for it. I am glad my little family got to explore new places together and have such an amazing experience. Today, I’m sharing some of the places we went, a few of our highlights, and some tips for traveling with a toddler.

Our first stop was Venice. I don’t think I need to convince anyone to go to Venice, but just in case, it was amazing and totally worth it. Because of the jet lag we were all wide awake at midnight local time and wandered up and down the canals under the starlight - Romantic even with a toddler in tow.

Tips

• A red-eye flight was not the best choice; none of us ended up sleeping.

• Umbrella strollers are terrible on cobblestone.

• A good hiking backpack/baby carrier is a solid investment.

• Airbnbs are great with toddlers.

Rome was busy and exciting. Our Airbnb was in a great location and the hosts were so warm and helpful. We really packed a lot of sightseeing into just a few days. Along with all of the usual tourist spots, I would highly recommend the Orto Botanico (botanical gardens) at the University of Rome. Pepper also found very friendly cats to play with around every corner.

Tips

• Gelato is life. (We maybe had it everyday.)

• Don’t be afraid of public transit.

• Buy your tickets for the museums ahead of time. (Long lines with or without a toddler are no fun!)

• Order wine by the bottle.

Next we flew into Santorini, a small Greek Island. We stayed in an incredible hotel called Athermi Suites perched on a shear volcanic cliff in the village of Megalochori. The village was nice and quiet and a short ride from Fira, the main village. Our favorite activity was hiking up the volcano (Thira) and swimming in the hot springs after!  We hiked up a part of the volcano with huge plumes of sulfur gasses coming up from dark cracked basalt rocks. Next we stopped at a hot spring. The look on the captain's face was priceless when I put Pepper on my back and swam the couple hundred meters to the hot springs. Pepper was so excited she couldn't stop giggling. Next we rode donkey’s up 600 stairs from the dock to the town center and enjoyed mojitos and fresh veggies.

Tips

• Google maps doesn’t work in Greece.

• Salt water heals all.

• Take your time!

• Make sure you have more diapers than you think you will ever need for the plane ride.

To read more about our trip, and follow our next adventure (Scotland in September), visit us at pepperscloset.com.

Add A Dash Of 'Pepper' To Your Life:

• Instagram: @peppers_closet

• Facebook: Pepper's Closet