Cape Cod is a gorgeous family destination. With tons of activities that appeal to every age, rustic beauty, and an easy-to-get-to location, the Cape is perfect for summer getaways.

Finding ideal accommodations can be tricky. “The Cape” actually refers to a very large and diverse area.  Understanding the layout and caveats is essential to finding a place that suits your needs.  The Cape offers something for every budget, from very modest cottages and motels, to privately owned islands.

There are many moderately priced properties that are very family-oriented—the only downside is that quite a few of these options are dated. Interestingly, there are only a handful of upscale, oceanfront resorts on The Cape and as a consequence, these properties are very expensive.

Moreover, many beaches on The Cape are private which means that beach visits require packing up the kids, loading, and unpacking.  Given this set-up, understanding what you are booking is key and will help ensure that you don’t end up disappointed and exhausted at the end of what is supposed to be a vacation.

Lay of the Land

The Cape is divided into three sections: Upper Cape (closest to Boston), Mid Cape, and Outer Cape (furthest towards the tip).

Things to Consider

Water. Do you prefer the calmer, warmer waters of the bays (Cape Cod Bay & Buzzards Bay), which can be great for younger children, or more active waters with waves found at the ocean beaches?

Drive time. Is anyone going to be commuting?  From Boston to the Bridges (Sagamore and Bourne), the drive is 1 hour without traffic. The drive from Bridge to Provincetown also takes just over 1 hour without traffic.

Sunsets. Maybe it’s the Californian in me, but something about watching the sunset over the ocean equates to vacation in my mind.  Remember that you have to be facing the west to get those sunsets!

Ambiance. The most common Cape accommodations are motels, B&B’s and private home rentals.  Many of these sit right on a main road and are centered around a parking lot pool—something I don’t find appealing.

Each area has different pros and cons—some are more commercial, some have nice town centers, while others are more remote and secluded.  Private home rentals are abundant on the cape.  Sites like VRBO offer many choices (see our recent VRBO post).

Favorite Cape Cod Towns

Here’s a list of my favorite towns for families:

Falmouth. Close for commuting from Boston and a cute town to walk around. Mild waters and sunsets on the West side.  There is a terrific bike trail here that links to Woods Hole.  There are ferries to Martha’s Vineyard & Nantucket from here.  I just investigated the Beach Breeze Inn for our portfolio, it’s a great, moderately priced option.

Mashpee/New Seabury. An all-villa beachside community that offers tons of activities.  Not as quaint as some areas, but what you give up in charm, you gain in convenience.  It’s packed with activities like, tennis, biking, beach, golf, tennis, and has a cute market area with live music on the weekends.  This is a family favorite!

Dennis. I love this area for it’s gorgeous beaches, calm waters, laidback attitude, and sunsets!  When the tide goes out, there are miles of tide pools that keep the kids delighted for hours.  Great public beaches, but beware of the long weekend lines to the parking lots.  Rt. 6A is loaded with antique and art shops. The Lighthouse Inn in our portfolio is in Dennis.

Chatham. Quintessential Cape!  Sand dunes that stretch for miles, loads of boats, very preppy.  Great town to walk around.  Fantastic beaches, restaurants and the only real luxury resorts on The Cape -  Wequassett Resort and Golf Club and Chatham Bars Inn.

Truro. More secluded and less developed, Truro offers calm waters, sunsets and a very quiet beach area.

Cape Cod Travel Tips

Avoiding traffic is KEY!  A 2 hour drive can become a 6 hour drive if you go at the wrong time.  Avoid heading South from Boston between than 4:30-7:00 pm on weekdays and north to Boston between 7:00-9:00 am weekdays.  Also, Saturday’s traffic between 9:00-1:00 pm is tough because it’s “switch over” day where the rentals change hands.  Sunday’s from 3:00-7:00 pm—try to avoid all the people going home.

Cape Cod Beach Guides

Top Cape Activities. Far and away, the best list of activities is found on both Kids on the Cape, Cape Cod Kidz, and Cape Cod Kids Guide.

Relevant Links:

Ciao Bambino recommended Cape Cod family resorts

Ciao Bambino recommended Boston family hotels

Cape Cod things to do with kids

Cape Cod photos

Boston with kids – Spring activities

Boston with kids – Summer activities

Boston with kids – top attractions

Cape Cod Insider Guide from WeJustGotBack.com – an extensive article packed with great information.

I can’t believe that our first camping trip of the summer was not until August—time is in overdrive right now.  Fortunately, our overnight was phenomenal given that this may be our only trip this entire season.  We lucked out and got the best of the riverside campsites at Wa Ka Yu Hep Loo (Wild River) Campground off Highway 4 in the Sierras.

As much as I’m a luxury hotel fanatic, I also love camping with kids.  I know, my friends tell me it’s one of life’s great mysteries. The countless hours spent outdoors in beautiful scenery makes me giddy, plus living simply without endless urban distractions for a few days is rejuvenating.

We’ve taken Devon camping since he was 3 and now it is one of his favorite activities.  The s’mores are the highlight for him at this stage, but he also enjoys the ultimate boy experience: dirt, rocks and trees to climb, more dirt, bugs, and more dirt.

One of the things I realized this past weekend is that the most important tip I have to share for camping with kids enjoyment is to let go of the usual day-to-day rules and expectations.  Devon showed up for dinner with so much dirt caked to his face that all we could do was laugh hysterically.

Camping with Kids Tips:

1.  Everyone in the family is going to get very, very dirty.  Know and expect that this will happen and enjoy the freedom of not worrying about it.

2.  Camping is work.  Make a list and check it twice, but just take the essentials. There is a fine line between what you need to be comfortable and so much stuff that the set-up/clean-up is a huge hassle.

3. Plan meals carefully. It’s amazing what people can bring when they car camp.  Elaborate meals are possible, but not necessary.   That said, in many places getting groceries is not easy, so bring more than you think you’ll need just in case.  Camping seems to be a hunger producing activity.

4. Make reservations for weekend camping. Many of the best campgrounds are first-come-first-serve.  This is a huge challenge for those of us that can’t get out of town on a Thursday.  Some campgrounds allow you to reserve specific campsites up to 6 months ahead of time.  Reserve America is a comprehensive reservation resource.

5.  Understand what there is do with kids in the area.  By nature, camping is very kid-friendly, but it helps to have kid-friendly excursions  within easy reach too—short hikes, fishing, shallow lakes, and safe bike riding to name a few.

Relevant Links:

Yellowstone Park with kids

toddler road trip tips

Hong Kong has long been as a favourite stop-over for fashionistas on a shopping binge, but great airport infrastructure and location have also made it a popular stop-off point for travel from Europe or America to Asia, and a great place to bring families on business trips.

With several years of road-tested experience of my own toddlers and hordes of visitors with kids of all ages, here are a few of the highlights, assuming a fairly short stay of a few days to a week.

1. Dim Sum
Hong Kong’s most globally recognized cuisine.  At City Hall kids can also try lots of new items which they can pick out from the passing carts plus old stand-bys like fried rice for fussy palates. My kids love steamed meatballs and hargow (shrimp dumplings).  Rainbow jelly squares and mini egg tarts for dessert.  Big kids in need of a culinary adventure can order jellyfish and chicken feet. Hong Kong is also a great place for seafood and a trip out to Lamma Island for a wonderful seafood lunch and short hike across the island if you feel energetic.

2. Transportation
Hong Kong is Transportation Mecca. Young tots will be mesmerized by the various options and both of my children think a day spent on boat, train or double-decker bus is an exciting adventure.

The Star Ferry has been an institution since 1880 and brings you to the Kowloon side where you can view the light show at 8pm every night or walk along the waterfront and the Walk of Stars (movie actors and canto pop singers). They also do harbour tours for tourists with information available on the website.

The double-decker electric tram runs from one end of Hong Kong Island’s waterfront to another at the speed of a snail so you can see most of Hong Kong as you go.

Victoria’s Peak has lovely views and restaurants (plus Madame Tussards and an Electronic Arts game zone for bigger kids) and a fabulous old rickety tram to take you up from Central.  There are wonderful historical stories and pictures on their website.

3. Theme Parks
Few of us consider going to Paris solely to see Euro Disney until we have children.  The nice thing about Hong Kong Disney is that there is a bit of Asian magic to the place to make it unique – a Chinese restaurant near Mickey Mouse House that serves steamed custard buns with Mickey silhouettes, a large Asia section on the It’s a Small World Ride and a nod to the Great Wall and Mulan during the fireworks.  The park is smaller than its international counterparts, so good for younger kids but a potential disappointment for older kids who have seen the other parks. They are scheduled to expand the park in 2010/11.

Ocean Park is the preferred theme park of choice for Hong Kong cognoscenti, either out of national pride or a general relief that the rides there won’t incur three years of investment in related merchandise.  They have dolphin shows, a great Panda, a gondola over the mountain and plenty of rides from the baby choo-choo train to train ride of death roller coasters. .

4. Outdoors
Hong Kong Park is where most of us locals take their children when the weather is nice and we have to get out of our tiny apartments. They have walks along and under waterfalls with turtles basking on the rocks, an aviary and children’s playground.  Just up the road is the Zoological and Botanical Gardens, a small gem with exotic birds and monkeys.  In the early morning there are free classes in tai chi offered through the

Farther afield, in the New Territories, are the Hong Kong Wetland Park with its visitor center and boardwalks through wetland habitats and the Kadoorie Farm, where children can see what kind of plants (bok choy, anyone?) are grown in the local environment.

Another fun outdoor day trip is the Ngong Ping cable car to the Big Buddha on Lantau Island (see also Crash Course! below).

5. Museums
I often think the museums for kids in Hong Kong pale in comparison to those I’ve visited in New York or London, but on a hot or rainy day, they are a godsend and some are great teachers of Hong Kong history for older kids.

On the Kowloon side, the Space Museum is always fun for kids, with buttons to push, telescopes to look through, and computer quizzes to test what they’ve learned, not to mention the films featured in the Stanley Ho Space Theatre. In the Science Museum, more than half of its displays are hands-on, and there’s also a special play area for children between the ages of 3 and 7. Across the Plaza is the Hong Kong Museum of History, with life-size replicas and models that bring the history of Hong Kong to life.  A bit of a trek but a huge local favourite is the Hong Kong Heritage Museum with its cultural displays, including a hands-on children’s discovery gallery.

Crash Course!

After several requests from families on 6-12 hour layovers in Hong Kong, we’ve developed a few short Hong Kong visits you can do in a half day.

1.    Dim Sum/Harbour Ferry Ride
Take the airport express train (20 minutes to Central, hk$100/person) for some dim sum at City Hall followed by a round trip ride on the Star Ferry.

2.    Victoria Peak
Take the airport express to Central, then a taxi the Peak Tram station at the St. John’s Building. Up you go to the Peak for a meal, an amazing view and either a lovely walk around the Peak Loop (~2hrs) or a visit to several of the museums there (see Peak above)

3.   Gong Ping/Big Buddha
Just a stone’s throw from the airport, you can take the airport express train one stop to Tung Chung and ride the cable car up 25 minutes to Gong Ping village and the Big Buddha where you can also have lunch at either the temple or several alternate options. For the very adventurous, Ngong Ping just introduced the Crystal Cabin with a glass bottom.

Relevant Links:

Tips for traveling to China with children

Things to do in Shanghai with kids

Exploring Singapore with kids

Favorite activities in Kyoto with kids

Links to things to do with Kids in HK:
http://www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/things-to-do/family-vacation.html

Ciao Bambino will have Asia hotels online soon with complete family-friendly reviews. In the meantime, here are my suggestions:

Grand Hyatt: Centrally located, good pool for kids and great service.

Bishop Lei: Good, inexpensive service apartments in Mid-Levels with simple cafe on premises.

Boston Pedicab

I just got back from a lovely overnight in Boston with my 9-year-old son Max. It was the first time I’ve chosen to travel with just one child. Wow, what a nice experience to have the ease and connection created by taking just one of my four children. The quick getaway, dare I say “staycation,” was a great way to get quality time without spending a lot of money. Since we frequently visit Boston, we skipped the normal tourist stuff and discovered some new activities. You’ll notice that most of these activities are free!

1. Rose Kennedy Greenway: A beautiful by-product of the Big Dig is this walkway right in the heart of downtown Boston. Only it’s second summer since completion, the plants have matured and people have started to gather to enjoy this urban park. With sculptures, water fountains, gardens and a summer time carousel, this provides family entertainment and a safe walkway connecting the harbor with the Financial District, the North End and Fanueil Hall.

2. Boston Harbor Walk: Another benefit of the Big Dig is the money that poured into developing the area around Boston Harbor. The Harbor Walk is now just coming to fruition, allowing the waterfront to be more accessible and certainly more appealing.  This walkway connects the Aquarium area to the Institute of Contemporary Art. During the summer there is live music and movies that play in front of the Boston Harbor Hotel.

3. Pedicab: My son and I were a little sick and didn’t have our usually amount of energy. Instead of giving up on touring we took a Pedicab—Boston’s version of a rickshaw. A nice college student, who was able to talk hockey with my son, while pedaling us through the North End. We even got to hop out at a fabulous market, Salumeria while he waited. In addition to the general rides they offer, Pedicabs also offer city tours.

Mrs. Mallard and her ducklings

4. Boston Commons (an animal adventure!): We had our own experience with Mrs. Mallard and her ducklings. Growing up in Boston, my kids have always heard the story  Make Way for the Ducklings. This visit, my son walked down towards the water and out pops mother duck and her ducklings. It was so cute and the highlight of his trip. Next we found a little squirrel enjoying a Boston favorite- Ice Cream (Cold Stones, no less). Hay, even squirrels need a treat!

The Boston Common squirrel needed a treat too

5. Charles Street: This charming street is chalked full of great shops and old Boston charm. We always love Pixie Stix, a “tween” boutique, The Red Wagon for kids clothes, Black Ink for fun games and knic knacs, Beacon Hill Chocolates for gourmet chocolates and beautiful gift boxes, De’Luca’s Market for cheese and picnic supplies.

Given that it’s summer and my kids need to keep up their writing, I thought I would ask my son to write about our trip.  I’ll save you from the details, but the concluding sentence read, “Although all those things were fun, my most favorite thing was just being able to hang out with my mom.”  Awwww.

Check out more Photo Friday posts on Delicious Baby.

Relevant Links:

Boston with kids – Spring activities

Boston with kids – Summer activities

Boston with kids – top attractions

Ciao Bambino recommended Boston family hotels

Boston family activities on UpTake.com

Ciao Bambino’s roots are in family-focused trip planning to Italy and it is still our most requested destination by a long shot.  Incredible food, a rich culture that loves children, amazing sights—there’s a good reason why Italy is an all-time favorite destination for many travelers.

Ciao Bambino readers write us all the time asking for help constructing the best itinerary with kids in Italy.  This post is long overdue!

Family Tours of Italy

Travel Days

Given the time and culture change, families need a minimum of 10 days on the ground to travel successfully to Italy, particularly when coming from the United States.  To be honest, we break this rule every year given our schedule constraints; it’s not impossible to travel in less time, it simply makes the trip much tougher on everyone.

Trip Structure

Variety is important to maximize interest and engagement—I like to mix up city time with countryside and/or seaside time. The main Italian tourist cities can be brutally hot and crowded over the summer months when most families are vacationing.  That said, cities are an essential part of experiencing Italian culture; rather then skipping them all together, my recommendation is to experience them in small doses.

A week-long stay in the countryside is absolutely ideal with kids.  Tuscany is the first rural region I recommend to families (Umbria is the second).  Yes Tuscany is touristy, but it is touristy for a reason—there is a long list of incredible things to see and do.  The consequence of Tuscany’s popularity is that there is a wide array accommodation options and services. This infrastructure is what makes travel with kids here work so well.

14-Day Itinerary Italy with Kids Travel Tips

Italy is a big place—make sure you look at a map and understand where you will start and finish the trip. When possible, I encourage people to go in one direction and structure flights accordingly, i.e. start in Rome and end in Venice, flying in and out of each city, respectively.

The most popular 14-day itinerary for Ciao Bambino clients is:

4 nights    Rome
7 nights    Countryside (Tuscany or Umbria)
3 nights    Venice

Rome with Kids

The rumors are true, Rome is big, crowded, and hectic.  There are also an insane number of awe-inspiring, historic sights to visit. Despite all the times I’ve been to Rome, I still haven’t seen many of the tourist attractions.  Parents continually give me feedback that they are surprised at how much they enjoy Rome with their kids. See our guest post on How to Visit Rome with Kids on Italylogue.com.

The bottom line is that is that Rome is a fantastic place to start an Italy adventure. Inbound flights are plentiful and it’s relatively easy to enjoy the city without an intense schedule—part of the fun is simply walking around and exploring the neighborhoods.  Meals and services are easy to find and you don’t need to worry about driving.   Note that 4 nights is just enough time to recover from jet lag and see the main sights, nothing more.

Countryside

Most of the truly family-friendly accommodation options—those with a kitchen and private living space—have week-long minimum stay requirements from Saturday-to-Saturday in peak travel periods. It is best to book this part of your trip first and then work around it.

The set up of many of theses properties in the countryside (see our article Family Travel in Tuscany – Agriturismo Living) make it easy to settle in and live like a local (they are under the ‘resorts’ category on Ciao Bambino).  Ideal options have open spaces for kids to run around and a swimming pool. This means you can easily pair sightseeing with time hanging out and relaxing.

What to see is the subject of another blog post, but suffice to say that there are an endless number of interesting options for kids of all ages.

Burano by Eustaquio Santimano on Flickr

Venice with Kids

People have a love/hate relationship with Venice. Either they come back raving or they are miserable every minute they are there.  In my book, it is a must-see city, particularly with school age kids and older (it is a bit of a challenge with babies and toddlers given all the steps and open water, but not impossible).   If you have young children and want to opt out of Venice, there are many other options for an additional few days on the ground—Cinque Terre, Lucca, and Florence, to name a few.

In a 10-day itinerary, visit a city for 2-3 days and spend the bulk of the time in the countryside per my outline above.  The only exception is winter months when rural activities are more limited—in those cases (skiing is the exception), the itinerary can be reversed with more city time.

Yes, I know I’m not addressing the Lakes, Dolomites, Italian Riviera, and Amalfi Coast.  If this is Italy Travel 101, that is Italy Travel 102. Stay tuned!

Relevant Links:

Ciao Bambino recommended Florence family hotels

Ciao Bambino recommended Rome family hotels

Ciao Bambino recommended Venice family hotels

Ciao Bambino recommended Italy family hotels, resorts, and villas

Florence with children, things to do

Rome travel tips and guides

Top things to do Rome

Unique Rome sights with kids

Rome iPhone Apps

Family-friendly dining in Rome

Introduction to Rome with kids (book by the Tourist Office)

Tips for visiting Rome sights with kids

Customizable favorite kid-friendly activities in Rome (written for NileGuide)

Our guide to kid-friendly walking tours of Rome

Veneto with children, family-friendly activities

Lucca attractions

Amalfi Coast sightseeing

Italy Art Camp

As much as we love family travel at Ciao Bambino, we know that parents-only getaways are essential for sanity.  After an action-packed summer with kids, it’s particularly nice to have an adult weekend away once everyone is back in school. This will be the first of a few posts with ideas for easy parents-only getaways. Laura lives in New York City—here is her post on one of her favorite weekend escapes from the city.

Because we live in New York City, a quiet weekend in the country makes a great retreat.  Located in Connecticut just 2.5 hours outside of the city, The Spa at Norwich Inn in Southeastern Connecticut is the perfect place to escape it all.  The property has everything tired parents need to feel energized again including yoga, tennis lessons, and a wonderful 25 meter pool.  Golf is available at the nearby Lake of Isles Golf Course, where their academy is widely known for great instructors.  The spa has dozens of treatments with phenomenal therapists on hand throughout the day and evening.

Guest rooms are spacious and have a country feel.  The other thing I like about the Norwich is that it has a gourmet restaurant rather than bland spa food.  We love relaxing on the outdoor deck for dinners. We just had our second trip to Norwich—irrespective of whether we choose to be active or relax at the spa, we always return home refreshed and rejuvenated.

Rates start at $US 175 and up.

Suzanne Battat Dowling lives in San Francisco with her two boys (4 and 6).  She is an expert on exploring San Francisco and the perfect resource for our list of top favorite things to do with kids in this fantastic city.

There are so many things to do with your kids in San Francisco, it could take a month to see and do them all.  However, here are some of my favorites.

1.  Golden Gate Park

Few urban areas offer as large a green oasis as Golden Gate Park, which exceeds New York’s Central Park in size.  There is so much to see and do here, that it may take you several days to visit all of the key attractions.  Luckily, the ones below are within walking distance of each other.

California Academy of Sciences. After an extensive renovation, the newly re-opened California Academy of Sciences is considered a world-class science and nature museum.  Besides the wonderful aquarium, you and your children can walk into a live rainforest, visit the stars in the Morrison Planetarium, experience a “living roof” and much, much, more.

The De Young Museum. This fine arts museum offers a variety of rotating and permanent exhibitions.  However, the big attractions for your kids will be the free sculpture garden and the fantastic tower which offers a 360 degree view of the city.  To reach the tower, adults must pay admission, but children 12 and under are free.  Please note that many Friday’s throughout the year, the museum offers a special themed evening program which includes family friendly musical performances and art activities for all.  Galleries are open until 8:45pm, as is the restaurant and a no-host bar.

Photo of Conservatory of Flowers by David Ohmer on Flickr

The Conservatory of Flowers. This beautiful Victorian greenhouse is the oldest public conservatory in the United States.  Your children will love the tropical rooms which transport them to a far away jungle.  You will love the huge variety of beautiful and fragrant foliage.  In addition to the permanent collection, there is also a special exhibit.  Past themes have included meat eating plants, living butterflies and “Edible Exhibitions” .

Japanese Tea Garden. Travel to Japan without ever leaving San Francisco.  The garden includes an almost vertical bridge, many koi ponds, stepping stones and various other delights.  No visit is complete without a cup of tea or cocoa and a plate of delicious cookies.

The Children’s Playground and Carousel. Thought to be the country’s first public playground, Children’s Playground offers hours of fun for your little ones.  Beyond the enormous play structures, there’s a two story cement slide and a 1914 renovated carousel.  If you have young children, please know that this is quite a large playground and it is not enclosed.

2.  The Exploratorium and Crissy Field

The Exploratorium is a hands-on science museum with exhibits that will interest both your children and yourself.  If your kids are at least 7 years of age, reserve tickets for the museum’s Tactile Dome, an enclosed maze-like space that is completely dark, making your sense of touch your only guide.

Once your family is ready for some fresh air, head across the street to Crissy Field, part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.  The area boasts a beautiful walking path terminating at Ft. Point under the Golden Gate Bridge.  Along the way you’ll pass a beach where the children can play.  There’s a Warming Hut where you can stop for refreshments.

3.  The San Francisco Zoo

This zoo has a fantastic African Savanna exhibit, an array of primates and large cats, and a wonderful children’s zoo among its many attractions.  If the animals don’t provide enough stimulation for your little ones, there’s also a carrousel and the Little Puffer, a century-old, miniature steam train.

4. The Discovery Museum

Considered one of the best children’s museum in the country, the Bay Area Discovery Museum offers a variety of activities for children, from crawling babies up to kids age eight.  The indoor exhibits include a train area, a room that explores the sea, a “Tot Spot”, an art building and rotating special exhibits.  The outdoor play area offers plenty of opportunity for children to climb, dig, build and explore.  There is a café on site that serves organic fare, both hot and cold.

5.  Take a Ferry Ride.

It would be a shame to come to San Francisco and miss out on seeing this beautiful city from the water.  There are many tourist boats that operate from Fisherman’s Warf, including the worthwhile trip to Alcatraz.  However, if you’re kids are too young to appreciate the famous island jail, consider taking the Golden Gate Ferry round trip from San Francisco’s Ferry Building to Sausalito.

The Ferry Building is a large gourmet marketplace, which hosts a hopping Farmers Market on Saturday mornings.  Sausalito is a charming nearby village with a European flair and lots of shops and restaurants.  Obviously the best part for the kids is the boat ride, which is doubly enjoyed if you pick up some pastries at the marketplace before departing.

Relevant Links:

Ciao Bambino recommended San Francisco family hotels

Favorite San Francisco attractions with kids

Favorite San Francisco Spring activities with kids

San Francisco Bay Area summer camps

Visiting Mount Diablo with kids

San Francisco with kids – Ciao Bambino guest post on Two Kids and a Map

San Francisco family activities on Uptake.com

One of the “must have” pieces of information when you are traveling abroad is a list of local emergency numbers.  GSM cell phones may have pre-programmed numbers available, but given that half the time it seems that my mobile is out of batteries and/or coverage is spotty, I like to have other options readily available.  This is particularly useful for independent apartments and villas where you are isolated without easy access to 24-hour front desk staff.

I found an Emergency Telephone Number list on Wikipedia that seems very comprehensive and includes numbers for countries around the world.