So - assuming $1000 per person for air, you will have about $1700 each for hotels, transit between cites and transit in cities. How long do you want this trip to be?

Where have you been - and liked or disliked? What are your interests?

Your money will go farther if you head to central europe - or perhaps portugal (not my favorite). London - while fantastic is on the expensive end. (And forget Swtiz or Scandinavia based on costs.)

More info will help people give you better advice.

We need to know how much time you are planning to spend in Europe; without that, no one can work with your stated budget.

And do you have a budget for accommodations? That's a big item, apart from travel and food and sightseeing.

Ok, so I'm looking at 7 nights on the ground. We're flying in from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and usually it's an overnight flight arriving next day into Europe.

I've been to Paris and Venice but no one else has been to Europe. I loved both Paris and Venice.

We do not have accommodations. That has to be part of the $2700 dollars. So we would like to keep budget for 7 people flight and hotel to ~2700 per person.

Basically we have 20,000 dollars to do this, that works out to be around 2,700-2,800 per person.

The money was willed to us by a grandfather for a family reunion. spending money (food and sightseeing will be a different budget)

This is your money to be spent on your holiday, right?

You're asking the wrong people - start with asking your family and yourself where YOU want to go - not some strangers on the internet. Others can give you advice on specific things, but only you can decide what you and your family want to see.

Surely you must have some ideas? But don't listen to us, listen to your family.

sure we have ideas, but it's nice to get suggestions. We've gone from every thing from Grand Canyon to disneyworld, from a cruise in the Caribbean to a mediterranian cruise to Greece.
Truthfully, all of them have said that they really don't care as this was a surprise and any they would be happy any where we went.

LOL. that's not very helpful. I'm trying to narrow it down to perhaps two strong possibilties.


The only thing we've ruled out is Australia, New Zealand and Hawaii due to the travel time.

It's no different than if you were going to Paris and asking folks what area of the city they would stay in.

I'm just gathering ideas from folks that like to travel. Which pretty much is what a forum is for. Besides some one may have experience that I simply would not have.

For example maybe there is some one here who has done Europe with teenagers and can give me suggestions.

How wonderful of the grandfather. I agree w/ sofarsogood. Your options are absolutely limitless. Every one of you is old enough to have some ideas/a wish list. Do any of you have a 'dream' destination?

You could fit any city into your budget. There is an economy of scale and a large apartment/house will cost less per person than multiple hotel rooms.

I have traveled with large family groups ....I would considef renting a vila in Tuscany or France , or the British Isles if you don't enjoy warm weather as much.

I also enjoy doing multi generational cruise , which lessen the transport / luggage hassle and can be fun for the all ages. The Baltics in July is very nice. my kids loved it. We also did a cruise to the Galapagos which was truly amazing.

With seven nights on the ground, I would look at staying in one location - two at the most. I agree with janisj, you're money will go a lot further if you rent an apartment, and you can often get a slight (10%) discount if you stay for a full week. At that time of year you will need air conditioning in any of those cities, so don't skimp on that.

We have traveled quite a bit in Europe and the world with our teenagers. In Europe, if I was staying for a week, I would pick Rome, Barcelona, Paris or London (but as someone else said London more expensive). But I think they all afford plenty to do and see with one or two easy access daytrips. Ask the fam what their requests are, any family ancestry in any of those countries? Once you've picked your place I suggest reading books, and watching movies that take place in those locations to get everyone even more excited!!

I have a blog where I have put all of my trip reports and pictures from all of our trips. We have also traveled a few times with my parents (late 60's/early 70's and in great health). You may find reading these reports helpful.
Here is the link:
www.FromHomeToRome.com

Sounds like a wonderful trip and an amazing gift!

Are you an outdoorsy crew, or city lovers? Are you willing to rent a car/cars, or do you want to travel completely on public transit?

If outdoorsy, maybe rent a house someplace good for walking, possibly in a pretty village, where groups can walk into town for a beer or coffee as they want. (With a big group, I think it's important to give opportunities for people to break off for some separate adventures.) If city lovers, then a flat in one of the cities listed above, or anyplace else that grabs peoples' imaginations. (Stockholm, maybe?)

Since this is just about everyone's first trip to Europe, I still think it is a good idea to get their input. And to stay, if possible in the same place for a week, taking day trips. From Philadelphia, Paris is about the quickest and cheapest (flight) destination but if everyone is dreaming of Rome or Barcelona, that's another story.

Talk it over. Come up with your ideas and let us help with details.

Oh - I didn't see your second post (we were posting at the same time)

OK -- suggestions you want . . . I'd pick one of the following:

• London. And no, it doesn't have to be more expensive. Most of the museums/galleries are free and w/ the 2for1 discounts for most 'for pay' sites it works out about the same as 'cheaper' cities where they charge for every site/attraction. Plus airfares in to London are often cheaper. TONS for anyone at any age.

• Paris. Well, Paris is Paris -enough said

• A rental house in the countryside. In England, Scotland, Italy or France. Just as an example - this large gorgeous house is w/i easy drives Oxford, Stratford upon Avon, Warwick, the Cotswolds, etc. Just to give you one example: http://www.cottageinthecountry.co.uk/properties/C484B About $225 per person for a week.

So with only 7 days as far as I am concerned its a one stop holiday,( if you could push it to 10 days then you could make it a two stopper), and London and Paris would be a great introduction.
You can rent an apartment in Paris , thats usually cheaper then hotel rooms, since with your crew you would need a minimum of 2 rooms( a quad and a triple) , realistically it would be three rooms though, two doubles ( one for two moms, one for two grandmas, and a triple room for 3 younger folks). With an apartment you can do breakfasts in the room cheaply..saving that extra money ( breakfast out in Paris averages 5-8 euros per person for a simple coffee/bread continental in a cafe, to 7-15 euros per person if taken at a hotel which I do not recommend)

In either Paris or London there is tons to see, and both places offer alot of choices of daytrips.. in London many museums are free, so thats a budget saver there too.

I think there are a ton of places you could go, but as noted, places like Scandanavia and Switzerland are your more expensive choices.

I also agree with others that polling family is first stop on this journey, but its easier if you first select 2-3 choices then offer everyone a vote.

Since you ask, I would go to Paris or London because there are a lot of things to do in either city for people of all ages. Rent an apartment and enjoy.

The main thing is to be together, at least for part of the time.

What time of year are you going?

Sorry, summertime. You said that, I just didn't remember it as I read through everyone's responses.

With such large a group, I would rule out a villa in the country due travel time and the hassles of arranging transportation to and from your primary sites. I would stick to one location and for me, it would be Rome, where those who want can go on their own seperate 1/2 or full day tours either in Rome, or on tours outside Rome. An apartment(s) close to the center of Rome would be ideal, and I agree, air conditioning during this time period is at least highly recommended. Rome is somewhere you can see a whole bunch in a short amount of time with the least effort for such a large and diverse group.
You may have loved Paris (I've) never been. It may be a great 2nd choice, but, since it seems you will be doing the vast majority of the work planning, scheduling and conducting this great family adventure, you just might be justified in placing your choice near or at the top of the destinations.
I have often found planning for and anticipating a vacation is an accomplishment and a joy in itself. So have fun and joy in what you are planning, It will make your vacation so much more fulfilling.

With that size of group and variety of ages, I would also suggest staying in one city for the whole time, either London, Paris or Rome. Which city will depend on your group. If you can get everyone together, have a evening of videos (netflix or your local library) showing the options, and have everyone chime in on what they like about each location.

I would recommend a centrally located city. Personally I like Italian cities but I would avoid Italy in August. Florence is a possibility (and a favorite of mine). You could take day trips to many nearby towns, and we have even gone to Rome for the day from Florence several times. For day trips, there are drivers with vehicles that would accommodate your group. For a trip to Rome, the train is the best choice.

Also, considering the size of your group, I think you should consider a flat; look at VRBO or Trip Advisor when you decide on a city.

Again, you will get many recommendations and suggestions from this site, and most of those who post have traveled to Europe many times.

>>>eliza61 on Nov 11, 12 at 1:22pm
Ok, so I'm looking at 7 nights on the ground. We're flying in from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and usually it's an overnight flight arriving next day into Europe<<<

I would try to squeeze out a few more days. Since one of the biggest expenses are the flights, I like to stay as long as possible. Leaving on a Friday and coming back the next Sunday is more than 7 days.

I think Italy is a good choice. Non-stops flights from the US go to Rome, Milan and seasonally to Pisa (perhaps even a few to Venice), but don't rule out looking at other airports such as Florence or Bologna. I often find flights to be as cheap as saves some on the ground travel expense depending on where you are staying.

If you can make the trip 10 days, you could split it into two places.

What a great gift from grandpa! I think that planning the trip is half the fun. We're leaving for Rome, in a couple of days, with a family group of six (2 grandparents, 3 30-somethings, and a toddler), leaving from CA. Staying in Rome for a few days, then heading to Florence. I rented an apartment in both cities, in central locations. We all have very different agendas, and these two cities offer something for everyone. Might work well for your group, too. Paris and London would be my other suggestion.

Rent an Irish Castle for a week?

I would check airfares first. Since you're budgeting $2700/person and flying from Philly in the summer, the airfare is going to take a fairly large amount of that budget. For example, the least expensive flight I could find from PHL to Rome for our dates in June was $1669/person. That won't leave you as much as you might have expected for lodging. So, you may want to look at alternative airports or other cities. We could have flown out of JFK for a few hundred less, but the savings didn't outweigh travel time both ways. Not to mention parking and tolls.

It sounds like a fantastic family trip! No matter where you choose to go, you'll have a wonderful time!

Sorry to plu Ireland again but US airways are flying Philly to Shannon again next summer http://www.traveldailynews.com/news/article/51919/us-airways-returns-seasonal-service

Just one place. And make it a city. I'd make it Paris, and even if you have been there, you'll see more.
If you do decide on Paris I would suggest you hire Michael Osman for at least one day to really show your group an overview of the city. And maybe another day to take you to the museums. He is SO good, very personable, a great "teacher", an artist in his own right. We did it for our family trip and it was excellent.
IF airfares turn out to be as expensive as others have suggested you might look at "packages" on the airline sites. Sometimes that turns out to be economical even though you seem to be paying double for the hotel room (since it is per person, but double occupancy).

I would also do Paris. In June. We did a family trip there a few years ago with 9 of us, including my parents in their 70's at the time and my children, early 20's.

We rented two apartments in the same building in the 3rd for 10 days, and it was fantastic. So, so much to satisfy everyone's wish list.

I like that Paris has a real city centre feel to it, and you can walk pretty well everywhere. London is too spread out, which necessitates the underground.

Rome would also be a great choice - lots to see and do, and tons of apartments to choose from.

But Paris would be my first choice, if you're asking for opinions, and it would also be my second and third!

How lucky you are to be able to make such wonderful memories!