I'll echo the castle exploration. To me that's as cool as it gets in terms of visiting something we don't have here, and a great education/historical experience. Germany and Poland are especially good for that. Especially places with audio guides.
My recommendations/suggestions:
- Big cities are fun, but tourist traps are abundant and I get waaaaaay more out of visiting smaller, lesser known sites. For example, Germany has it's big cities like Frankfurt and Berlin which are cool, but I've gotten more out of visiting smaller towns like Kassel and towns along the Rhine river. I'm sure you'll end up in bigger tourist cities in France and such, but don't be wary of going off the beaten path and finding a hidden gem somewhere.
- Trains are the way to go. But always reserve your seat. Some train bookings give you the option to not reserve a seat for a slightly cheaper price. Don't be fooled. Nothing worse then the stress of having to play musical chairs every stop and end up in another compartment away from your baggage. Reserving seats = peace of mind.
- Don't be afraid to venture further east towards more central Europe. Places like Poland, Croatia, Czechia etc have so much history (not all of it pleasant unfortunately) and so much to see/do. Obviously not Ukraine these days, the war is contained in Ukraine and there is no worry of it spilling out.
- Speaking of Poland, amazing place. Significantly cheaper than western Europe, friendly, safe, and welcoming in their own special way. I always recommend people to visit there and even my parents came to visit me when I lived there and loved it. Truly a hidden gem no one thinks to visit unless they have family there. Cities like Gdansk, Krakow and Wroclaw can stand up to any European city in terms of vibe and cool things to see.
- Since you are living there more so then visiting, try not to get into the mentality of complaining about things that differ from being home in Canada or you "wish they had these things like they do back home". That's the perfect way to get homesick. I found the best way is to simply try to dive into the local culture, eateries and do what the locals do. Go with the flow. Complain about the things locals complain about. Even grocery stores are different, but I always get a kick out of wandering into one and seeing what they sell.
- The TV shows will mostly be in the country's language, but don't be frustrated you don't find any English channels. There's something cool about watching a TV program in another language, in that place, and trying to piece together the words with actions. I dunno, maybe it's just me but I always found it interesting to put on a local news channel and while not understanding what they are saying, recognizing each place has their own happenings and events.
- I'm sure you will capture many moments with your kids while they are young and travelling. They will appreciate it when they get older having photos or videos to refer to.
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