Researching Your Family Tree Over the Pond
Who hasn’t dreamed of visiting an ancestral village in Europe or Asia? I know I have. Wouldn’t it be fun to walk the streets your ancestor walked, or actually stand in a house they built? Thanks to a book I found on my Shore family line, I know the location of an ancestral home in Switzerland–and by poking around the Internet, I know the house still stands. It’s really hard not to go!
I attribute my European travel bug to my good friend Phyllis Quarg, past-president of the San Diego Genealogical Society. Phyllis took a fabulous genealogy trip to Denmark–and had more fun than any one person is allowed! She saw where her Danish grandparents lived, and even went to the beach where her shipwrecked grandfather came ashore. Now, that’s some trip!
If you’ve traced your family over the pond, I’ve found some websites that might help in your travel plans:
- Roots and Culture for African American Travelers
- Jewish Heritage Tours to Central Europe
- Planning Your Genealogy Trip to Ireland
- Discover Your Swedish Heritage
- Customized Genealogy Tours (they will also take photos if you can’t go)
Also of interest:
Check out my courses at Family Tree University. I'm currently teaching Digital Photography for Genealogy and How to Write a Family History Book. 