Real Family Adventures in Switzerland & Beyond
Do you want to explore more with your children, but sometimes wonder what an adventure will actually look like once you get there?
Will the pushchair manage the trail? Where do you park? Is that “easy family hike” actually easy with little legs? Are there toilets, somewhere to eat, or enough to keep three very different little explorers interested?
Those are exactly the questions we ask too.
Expat Mom Journal is where I share our real family adventures in Switzerland and across the Alpine region — combining the story of what actually happened with the practical details I wish I had known before we went.
Because family adventures don’t have to be perfect, carefully staged or particularly far away. Sometimes they involve spectacular mountain views. Sometimes they involve changing plans halfway through, carrying a tired child, pushing a buggy somewhere questionable, or discovering that what fascinated the kids wasn’t remotely what we came to see.
And that’s part of the adventure.
Meet Our Adventure Crew
MEET OUR ADVENTURE CREW
Hi, I’m Erika, the mum behind Expat Mom Journal — usually the one researching where we’re going, checking whether we can take the buggy, packing far too many “just in case” items and trying to capture the adventure somewhere in between.
I’m joined by my husband and our three young explorers, who have a remarkable ability to experience exactly the same place in three completely different ways.
One might be interested in the trail or where we’re going next, another can spend an extraordinary amount of time collecting stones and sticks from the edge of a lake, while the youngest reminds us that distance, difficulty and carefully planned itineraries mean very little when you’re two.
And quite often, Grandma and Grandpa come too.
With three children and only two parents, we’re technically outnumbered, so their extra hands are certainly welcome. But our three-generation adventures have become about much more than having help with the kids.
We believe adventures are worth sharing across generations.
Young children rarely care about reaching somewhere quickly. They stop for stones, bugs, puddles and snacks. Older generations may prefer a gentler pace too. Put everyone together and suddenly slowing down isn’t necessarily a problem — it can become part of how you experience a place.
And it doesn’t have to be grandparents. An aunt, uncle, neighbour or family friend can become part of the adventure crew. Exploring together gives children more people to share their discoveries with, gives adults time together outside everyday routines, and can turn an ordinary family day out into a memory shared across generations.
So when we can, we bring Grandma and Grandpa along. Sometimes they help us keep three children moving in roughly the same direction. Sometimes the children convince them to go somewhere they might never have visited otherwise.
We’re based in Ticino, Switzerland, with mountains, lakes and borders practically inviting us to explore. Most of our adventures currently take us around Switzerland, Northern Italy and Austria — but we certainly don’t intend to stop there.
What You’ll Find Here
Beautiful places are easy to find online. What I usually want to know before taking our three children somewhere is everything that comes next.
Where do we park? Can we take the buggy? How difficult is the trail really? Are there toilets? Somewhere to eat? Will there be something for each of the kids — and is the journey itself manageable?
That’s why our adventure stories combine the places we discover with the practical details we learn along the way.
REAL FAMILY ADVENTURES
Mountains, lakes, cable cars, easy hikes, scenic journeys, playgrounds and family attractions — experienced together as a family rather than simply described for families.
We share what happened, what surprised us, what the kids actually cared about and, occasionally, what didn’t quite go according to plan.
PRACTICAL DETAILS FOR PARENTS
Parking, getting there, pushchair access, facilities, difficulty, food, weather, what to pack and the little things we wish we’d known beforehand.
What works for our family won’t necessarily work for every family, but sharing our experience can help you decide whether an adventure might work for yours.
ADVENTURES AT OUR OWN PACE
We don’t measure a successful day by kilometres walked or how many attractions we manage to tick off.
Sometimes we reach the summit. Sometimes we spend far longer than expected beside a stream because someone discovered the world’s most fascinating collection of stones.
We follow the pace of the people who came along — little legs, older legs and everyone in between — and see where the day takes us.
Most of our adventures currently take us through Switzerland and the Alpine region — particularly Northern Italy and Austria — with more of Europe still to explore.
Why Expat Mom Journal Exists
I grew up in cities. Spending our days hiking mountains, exploring lakes and looking for outdoor adventures wasn’t something that came naturally to me.
When our family was young, I came across the idea behind the 1000 Hours Outside Challenge. The simple encouragement to spend more time outdoors made me think differently about how we used our time together.
It didn’t suddenly turn us into an adventurous family.
We started small.
A walk. A playground. A day beside a lake. Somewhere new that looked manageable with little legs and all the things that seem to travel with young children.
Over time, those little outings became something more. We became braver about where we went, learned what worked for our family and discovered that an adventure doesn’t have to be difficult, far away or perfectly executed to be worthwhile.
And somewhere along the way, I started documenting it.
Expat Mom Journal grew from that journey.
Today, I share our experiences because I know there are other parents who look at beautiful mountain destinations, hiking trails or family adventures and wonder:
Could we actually do that with our kids?
I hope our stories help make the answer feel a little more like yes.
And now, increasingly, our adventures aren’t only about getting the children outside. They’re about getting generations outside together — children, parents, grandparents, and anyone else who wants to come along.
Because perhaps slowing down for little legs — or older legs — isn’t something that gets in the way of an adventure.
Perhaps that’s what allows us to experience it properly.
Come Explore With Us
If you’ve ever looked at a mountain, a hiking trail or a family day out and wondered whether it would really work with children, I hope you’ll find something here that encourages you to give it a try.
Start small. Bring the buggy. Pack too many snacks. Invite Grandma and Grandpa, an aunt, an uncle, a neighbour or a friend — and let the day unfold at your own pace.
You don’t need to be an experienced hiker or an adventurous family to begin.
Sometimes the adventure is simply going somewhere you haven’t been before.
We’ll keep exploring, learning and sharing what we discover along the way.
Maybe we’ll inspire your next adventure too.
