Advice on 10-14 days family trip Paris-Amsterdam-Italy
 

Hi,

i am currently in job assignment at Oslo. Me and my family, (wife + 2 kids 7year and 4 year) are planning to take vacation probably 10 days. We plan to visit Paris, Amsterdam and of of Italy city (not sure yet). I need advice on what will be the good itinerary ? I am open using air plane or train. Budget is either low or high (medium).

Thanks,
CT

Fly to Amsterdam for a few days

Take the Thalys train to Paris (3.5 hours) www.thalys.com

say 3 days

And book a 4-person private compartment on the overnight Thello train Paris to Venice (or fly) - spend a few days in Venice

Take train to Rome for 3 days and fly back to Oslo.

Trains are best for going between Amsterdam and Paris IME and in Italy - for lots of great info on European trains and overnight trains that could be a great memorable adventure for your kids (my son at that age loved the them) check out these IMO fantastic sites - www.seat61.com; www.ricksteves.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com. For schedules I always use www.bahn.de/en - the German Railways train schedule site for all European trains as I find it the easiest to use.

Well that is how you could possible fit in those desired cities in the time frame you mention - as you requested a possible scenario.

Thalys tickets are sold in tiers of price increases with deep discounts as low as 39 euros - Amsterdam to Paris which I booked a few months ago during the busy summer season but they are sold in limited numbers - full fare is something like $200 so book as early as possible on www.thalys.com and keep in mind those tickets are non-changeable train -specific and non-refundable (I believe).

<i> Advice on 10-14 days family trip Paris-Amsterdam-Italy
Posted by: Centum on Dec 12, 13 at 3:22pm</i>

Looks like too much. When are you going?

Yes, tell us when you're going - makes a huge difference.

Also - do you like to stay in hotels, or do you prefer an apartment where you have your own kitchen and fridge and "normal" family life with the kids? Short-term apartments can be had at www.housetrips.com

When you travel, what kinds of things do you like to do in big cities? Are your kids interested in the kinds of museums that the grown-ups go to? Or??

Tell us more so we can tell you more.

I'm not sure I'd want to take the Thello overnight train with small children. Even in the best of circumstances, the shared bathrooms are tiny and rather unpleasant by morning. In the worst of circumstances, well, you can imagine.

Hi C,

>Advice on 10-14 days family trip Paris-Amsterdam-Italy <

A week in Paris and a week in Venice/Florence.

You want this to be a vacation, not an expedition.

Better yet, A week in Paris now, later a week in Rome, then a week in Barcelona, etc, etc

((I))

PS

Have you been to Copenhagen yet?

Overnight train with small kids = bad idea.

Trying to cram in a bunch of destinations with small kids = worse idea.

With kids, you need a hub-and-spoke approach. Go to [city]. Stay in said location for close to a week. Take day trips as desired, but return to that location because it's now "home." Repeat in second city. Don't pile on destinations with hobbits.

If I were you, I'd do only two major cities in 10 days, Paris and Amsterdam. That would be pretty easy, take the train between the two. Start in whichever is most covenient/cheap for airfare from Oslo.

I agree with Christina - and if you want you could say add a day or two in Belgium - like in fabulous Bruges - Amsterdam to Bruges = about 3.5 hours of train - Bruges to Paris via Lille or Brussels = about 2.5 hours of trains.