I'm just starting to plan a family trip to Western Europe for next summer. The locations aren't finalized yet, but it will be a fairly typical list for taking kids on their first trip over. Current thinking is: London, Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, Munich, Salzburg & Lucern. I would love to stay in charming old world locations but there are 6 of us, including two 10 year olds, so we have to consider practicality as well as charm. I would love recommendations either for great places to stay or for resources for finding hotels with larger accommodations for groups like ours. Ideally, we're looking for 3BR units, but we can put the teens in a separate room down the hall if need be. Connecting rooms to the younger kids is likely a must. We aren't looking for Robb Report level of expense, but are willing to pay several hundred dollars a night for great places. Any recommendations are greatly appreciated. Thanks!

How much time are you allocating for this? It's just a lot of cities for your first trip, and for a first trip and that many people, I probably wouldn't plan for 6 weeks, anyway, even if that was your idea. the first four cities would be plenty, but the problem is most of those cities are pretty expensive, at least by your terms. None of them are cheap, Munich may be most reasonable, not sure as I haven't been there but I've been to the others and I would say your idea of what you plan to spend is very unrealistic.

Do you realize several hundred dollars a night is right now about 166 euro, and you want three bedrooms in a hotel, or a double room for a little over 50 euro? That is barely above the price of a hostel (at least Paris hostels are expensive) and would not be do-able in the US, either, in most places. I'm not sure I've ever seen a hotel with 3 BR units, but one separate room and two connecting rooms is possible . I know of no hotels that cheap in Paris where that would be possible, though.

so that leaves some kind of vacation rentals, there are folks on here who know about that for London, so perhaps they'll chime in. Not sure if that is possible in London for that price, but they'll know. Vacation rentals are often illegal in Paris, most of the listings on VRBO and Airbnb are, at least in terms of they do not even show the official city registration number, which they are required to do. I thought the city was going to crck down on that, and Airbnb claimed they would work with them, but obviuosly not.

HEre is one example that could work for you in Paris, and it DOES show a registration number, so that's what you should see (this is not the listing number for the website, it's a city reg. no.). See, this modest place is $236 but it a good location.
https://www.vrbo.com/885459

And you will not have AC, I'd be willing to bet on that if you find a place that cheap on those websites.

This is not a trivial task that you have outlined, moving around 10 people all over europe from city to city, wanting dirt cheap accommodations, etc. Because renting private apts on those websites involves a lot of work, and there are drawbacks (ie, no AC, payment in advance, often no cancellations or changes within a month or two, PLUS often late admission to the place versus a hotel).

as for hotels, I have no ideas other than use a booking tool and put in your criteria and see what happens (like booking.com)

I hope you have at least a couple of months for this expedition, preferably more. That's a heckuva task - visiting 7 major European venues with a troupe of 6.

3-bedroom units in hotels is a non-starter. You'll need to find hotels with chambres communicantes plus another room to get what it seems you're looking for. That's going to cost well into "a few hundred euros" per night.

Apartments will be cheaper, of course, but at least in Paris and Amsterdam, you're going to hit the wall because short-term apartments there are almost all illegal now, so there are fewer of them and unless they are officially registered, you could find yourselves on the streets.

Booking.com is always where I start when researching accommodations, but I imagine that in your case, the options will be limited.

Maybe if, instead of a grand march through big cities you chose to stay in villas in the countryside, this whole trip could be a lot easier.

Booking.com is a great start-especially because you will find that by playing around with it, you can find some interesting alternative housing (guesthouses, vacation rentals, apartments) that I suspect will give you options that will work better for a family. My husband and I use booking almost exclusively and have found that it is almost always cheaper for us to stay in an apartment versus a hotel, even as just a couple travelling. I always use their free cancellation choices and we drive, so I also look for parking and even AC it it is summer. So even with those restrictions we have found good choices. I much prefer them to VRBO and Airbnb because we always seem to need some flex and the ability to change if we need to.

jcinatlanta, will you be driving or using rails passes, etc.? That will definitely change your approach. If you won't have a car in Paris, there is a very reasonable hotel near Montparnasse train station (which is also a very handy nice area of Paris-great for tween and teen shopping) called Hotel Odessa. I have stayed there a fair amount. They at least have family rooms that will sleep 4, if you decide you want to go the hotel route. Hotel Odessa Paris | Hotel deux étoiles à Paris Montparnasse If you will be driving your might want to consider staying in a different neighborhood, although we do many times just pay parking in big cities and consider the parking cost just part of the trip expense.

Christina-the OP said they are 6 people, not 10 people, and that they are willing to pay several hundred dollars per night-so not dirt cheap accommodations....

Thanks for the great response Christina!

I was thinking of 3-4 weeks for the length of the trip. And I know we are hitting a lot of cities. That is actually a good topic to explore. My thinking was that we would just do a quick intro to several cities just to give the kids a "flavor". My concept wasn't to go deep anywhere, but rather leave that for a later trip when they are a bit older. This is the trip just to see enough to get an impression of where they've love to go back for more. There obviously isn't a right or wrong answer here, but if you (or anyone else) would suggest doing far fewer locations and staying to get to know them well as a first trip for the kids, I'd love to hear a little more on why that might be more effective.

On budget, I might have been overly vague. When I said several hundred, I was thinking anywhere from $400 - $700 per night. Even that isn't set in stone though. If an amazing place were $1000, then we could swing that. I'm just not looking for $5,000 per night luxury suite experience.

And you are right that 3BR units are rare. That is my dilemma. I love the quaint historical hotel in the middle of town experience, but traveling with a family is a lot different than when I was young and doing it on my own. I'm really just starting to wrap my head around what the trip might look like. And that is precisely why I am here for advice from others who are way ahead of me in terms of what would make a great experience and even what is possible.

Thanks again for taking the time to respond and for your thoughtful response. Looks like I chose a great place to start this conversation.

Several hundred a night - you're thinking, it seems then, in the $200-$300 per night per room, so $600-$900 per night for three rooms? That seems doable to me, but best to pin down the itinerary and dates before looking for lodging, IMHO.

Could all four kids share a room some of the time? That option is more likely in a more modern hotel, but is possible.

I use Airbnb, booking.com and even trip advisor and cottages 4 you for finding places. In some places, I look for stays in private homes. I also google things like "Charming Inns in (name of town or area)" to find places that may not use booking sites. In Summer, you might want places with a pool, at least some of the time. You might get a place in a small town or country area part of the time, so want a car some of the time. It depends so much on how much time you have and what you want to be doing. With kids, in Germany, it is nice to stay with a family or on a lake for swimming. Small towns or areas where kids and teens can roam on their own a bit is nice. You might want to stay in a smaller city and day trip into Amsterdam, etc. Once your itinerary is set, I feel sure people can make very specific recomendations for you.

>>I was thinking of 3-4 weeks for the length of the trip. And I know we are hitting a lot of cities. That is actually a good topic to explore. My thinking was that we would just do a quick intro to several cities just to give the kids a "flavor". My concept wasn't to go deep anywhere, but rather leave that for a later trip when they are a bit older. This is the trip just to see enough to get an impression of where they've love to go back for more.<<

OK -- you are traveling with a group of six so this would be a huge undertaking. Let's use 3 week/21 days just for discussion. That would net you 18.5 days on the ground. So you'd be down to 2.5 days per city. BUT every time you move from one city to the next with that many people it will eat up most of a day. so now you are down to about maybe 12 days free to actually see and do things . . . less than 2 days per city. Then there is jetlag to deal with and in a group of 6 at least some of you will be hit pretty hard, so the first few days will be difficult. With 4 weeks/28 days it would be slightly better but you'd still only have about 2.5 days per city.

If you are talking about 3 to 4 weeks -- then pick 3 to 4 cities. And not all cities are created equal -- London is the largest city in Western Europe by far with a TON of things for a family to see/do. So longer there would make sense. Brussels on the other hand is would a couple of days tops.

Even with 3 or 4 cities, not to worry -- you certainly wouldn't be 'going deep' in any of them.

If it's 2019 and you still contemplate going to Amsterdam, consider booking two family rooms in a stayokay hostel. Very, very, very children friendly, their breakfast is legendary, and with the family rooms you'll have an ensuite bathroom. If you plan on booking one in Amsterdam, book very early, because the family rooms are popular, but Haarlem has a great stayokay and that one is less busy.

https://www.stayokay.com/nl

If you play it well, you can stay right in the centre of Amsterdam in a very historic building.

We traveled as six for 15 years. It isn't hard. We used hostels (which kids love but your's might be a bit young), two hotel rooms or rented apartments.

I always react to this type of statement:

"My concept wasn't to go deep anywhere, but rather leave that for a later trip when they are a bit older. This is the trip just to see enough to get an impression of where they've love to go back for more."

They will change. You will change. It's a big world with a lot of places to see. If you are going somewhere don't do it as a scouting mission. And don't forget about mountains and lakes and seacoasts.

Well I firmly vote 4 weeks and max five stops.. moving can be stressful.. checking in and out.. wastes a half day minimally..

How old are teens.. I think getting them their own room is a good idea..

When I took my kids to Europe I always built in a few "down" days.. beach or mountains.. they can only take so many museums and churches.. even castles can wear thin if its the 4th one youve seen .. the best times my kids have had were doing random stuff.. getting an icecream.. finding a corner park in a big city.. etc.

It is VERY hard to find places for 6 people.. if you stay in hotels you'll find many do not have quad rooms ( which is odd to most of us north americans )... there are some.. but often a hotel may have only one or two such rooms.. so looking now is a good idea.. Note if you try and book anything now most will say they are not available to book.. its not that they are full.. its too early.. I would start booking by december or january though..

xcountry nailed it. Don't spend you precious time and money on a scouting expedition. Use it to actually see and do things.

And a few days in the country will be a welcome respite.

I agree that is an awful lot of territory you are trying to cover. It really can add to the expense and fatigue to move frequently from place to place. Which places are your top priorities? I would focus on those and save the other locations for another time. You might check Citadines apartments. I haven't stayed in them but have seem them recommended on this site for families. An apartment can be very helpful for easy access to laundry facilities and a place to prepare quick meals so you don't have to eat out all the time. You might consider cutting back to few locations and planning some day trips. For example, you could do day trips to Stonehenge or Bath from London and to Chartres from Paris.

CITIES ARE NOT EQUAL.

And seven in three weeks or so is excessive.

Look: London is catnip for the kids. You cannot do anything useful in terms of showing someone London in a couple of days. There's entirely too much to see and do.

Paris is another of the great cities of the world (like London).

Brussels is where Belgians (a made-up nationality created primarily by crushing Walloons and Flemish together in a tiny country that's neither Netherlands or France - the population is more than 90% urban) have paid tribute to King Leopold II (whose policies raped the Congo) and house the EU grandees while they pontificate on matters about which they deem themselves expert. It's most famous landmark is a little feller urinating. At least Copenhagen has a statue of a beautiful woman in a fish dress.

Amsterdam is a fine place that is about three orders of magnitude smaller than Paris, and 4-5 orders smaller than London. It's also below sea level so it rains a lot. In spring, that means ridiculous amounts of floral blooming.

The others are a good hike from Amsterdam or Brussels.

You seem to feel that each city is somehow representative of its nation, which would be a stretch. Or are you trying to just hit a long list of countries? Either way, LESS IS MORE - fewer stops, do more there. Don't think you're giving the kids a taste to whet their respective whistles - the teens may be buried in their iPads the whole time and the 10-year olds will only have vague memories later on of what they did so you might as well pile on more quality memories in each place than more places for which you hope a quality memory will take hold.

Sorry for the double post.

I agree you need to trim down the number of places to visit. Traveling from city to city is expensive and exhausting. In any event, lodging will help determine where you go.

In London, use LondonTown. London Hotels - Special London hotel deals LondonTown.com. You can search by type of housing, location and budget.

In Paris, we stayed at the Hotel St Jacque, in a triple room, but I think they also have a family room. It’s a good location in the Latin Corner.

In Amsterdam, we had two huge connecting rooms at the Hotel Residence Le Coin. Each room has a small kitchenette, which is handy. Each room could easily handle three people.

In Munich, we liked the Hotel Uhland, which is a lovely little boutique hotel in a pretty neighborhood. Free parking, and free bikes to borrow. Breakfast included. Their quad room was quite large.

We are a family of 5 taking our first trip to France and Spain this summer. Our budget is smaller then yours so we are only staying in Paris 1 night because it's so expensive. After hours of looking at hotels, I booked 2 rooms at Hotel Paris France on Rue Turbigo. 1 double room and 1 triple room for 262 euros. It has airconditioning, wifi and is close to the metro. The kids are 15, 14 &14 so we will decide when we get there if we will put them in a room together or if we have 1 parent in each room. The only other hotel we booked is in Barcelona for 1 night. The rest of our accommodations are apartments booked through airbnb in smaller towns. We find big cities are nice for a couple nights, but the kids even at 15, 14 & 14 still need some down time. We chose places we think we will be comfortable letting them wander on their own withing walking distance to shops, restaurants and a soccer field (the boys play). Since we will not have a car, all apartments are close to train stations so we can take day trips if we feel like it.

Pam.
ONE night in Paris.. honestly what a waste of time.. by the time you get to hotel.. check in.. then set off for day of touring about.. you have likely only got ONE after noon and one evening in Paris..
I think I would just eliminate any place I could only afford one night in.. because you really will see almost nothing and you are spending money and time to get to that city right?

I think if you had asked around you might have found a cheaper hotel too.. did you look at the Hotel Marignan , it has a room for five , in high season , with private shower and toilet and ac.. for total of 165 euros a night.. and its in a GREAT location, and it has a shared use kitchnette so you could have made your kids breakfast and packed snacks to keep prices down.

Its probably booked up now as its a well know budget-moderate choice on the forums.

>>only staying in Paris 1 night because it's so expensive. . . . The only other hotel we booked is in Barcelona for 1 night.<<

Totally wasted two nights/expense really. One night in a city nets you about half a day -- or even less depending on how long it took to travel to that city. If Paris is your arrival city after an overnight flight - you simply aren't visiting Paris at all. So why bother? You will arrive at CDG sometime in the morning, and hour or two with arrival formalities, hour or so transfer to your hotel then likely can't get into the hotel until mid to late afternoon, then you will check out the next morning to move on. IMO that €262 will be a total loss.

You have tough decisions but you're getting lots of good advice. I found, traveling with my son, that a lot depended on preparation. What books will the youngsters have read? What movies will they have seen? What will they actually know about each country/city visited? How are the youngsters involved in the planning?

I wish you much good luck with this whatever you decide.

We need to get from our apartment in Bayeux to Hendaye by train so we are passing through Paris anyway. We don't want to rent a car. On the train, we can both have some wine, read, look at maps, discuss plans. We drive a lot at home and we just don't want to on this trip. 1 afternoon, 1 evening and 1 morning of Paris is more then we've ever seen. Honestly, the rest of my family is not interested in Paris at all. My husband wants to tour WWII sites, the kids want to swim, ride bikes, play soccer, wander around and buy candy and snacks that are new to them. I just felt like since we were going to be there, we should at least stay 1 night because we don't know if we'll ever be back. We've been to NYC, Philadelphia and Washington DC many times for day or overnight trips, but our longer vacations are normally camping in a pop up. None of us are interested in standing in long lines in July and taking a trip like this at another time of year isn't possible for us right now. Anything we see will be new to us. I may have been able to do better with the hotel. My main concern was ac, wifi and enough beds. I've read a lot and tried to sort out all the info and in doing so have gotten behind with my regular chores and responsibilities here at home. I have note cards on how to get from place to place with exactly what the signs will say, what color they are, how many flights of stairs, prices to expect I joke with the family that by the time we get there, I will be able to read French and Spanish (half the trip will be in Spain), Basque and Catalan, even if I can't speak it. I'm sure during and after the trip, I will discover there were things I could have done better, but that's to be expected.