Car or Train for 2 weeks in Europe?
Dec 19th, 2018, 11:13 AM
#21
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Eurailpass Sweet Sale -Up to 45% Off...
If thinking of a railpass (and not recommending it or not) there is a nice sale if buying any railpass by end of year - see link above.
If thinking of a railpass (and not recommending it or not) there is a nice sale if buying any railpass by end of year - see link above.
Dec 19th, 2018, 12:47 PM
#22
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Thank you for all the valuable insight! The picture is beginning to becoming so much clearer.
As I contemplate all of the advice and suggestions a few things come to mind:
1) Can you purchase a train ticket from say Venice to Amsterdam with multiple stops along the way? For instance, can I purchase a ticket from Venice to Amsterdam for say $120 pp and get off the train in Zurich or some other stop along the way for several days where I can then hire a car?
2) My wife and I really are not interested in big cities as much as we are smaller towns/villages beautiful countryside. With that being said, there are two places that we would really love to get our 5 year old to on this trip but both are out of the way; Paris and/or Venice. With Paris, our 5 year old ( who was just recently adopted ) was given a necklace with an Eiffel Tower charm. She noticed that it is the same monument she has seen in our pictures. As a result, we would really love to take her there in person although we ourselves feel no need to go back to Paris for the fourth time. Venice, on the other hand, is a place that I feel is somewhat surreal. I just think a city with canals is a great experience for a child.
The question I have is if you all feel I should work to add one or the other into this trip or save it for later?
Thanks again!
As I contemplate all of the advice and suggestions a few things come to mind:
1) Can you purchase a train ticket from say Venice to Amsterdam with multiple stops along the way? For instance, can I purchase a ticket from Venice to Amsterdam for say $120 pp and get off the train in Zurich or some other stop along the way for several days where I can then hire a car?
2) My wife and I really are not interested in big cities as much as we are smaller towns/villages beautiful countryside. With that being said, there are two places that we would really love to get our 5 year old to on this trip but both are out of the way; Paris and/or Venice. With Paris, our 5 year old ( who was just recently adopted ) was given a necklace with an Eiffel Tower charm. She noticed that it is the same monument she has seen in our pictures. As a result, we would really love to take her there in person although we ourselves feel no need to go back to Paris for the fourth time. Venice, on the other hand, is a place that I feel is somewhat surreal. I just think a city with canals is a great experience for a child.
The question I have is if you all feel I should work to add one or the other into this trip or save it for later?
Thanks again!
Dec 19th, 2018, 01:04 PM
#23
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No, you cannot buy a train ticket from A to B and just hop off and on at will. You have to plan for and abide by every segment of the route.
There are countless cities in Europe besides Venice that have canals.
There are countless cities in Europe besides Venice that have canals.
Dec 19th, 2018, 01:13 PM
#24
With all respect, I think a 5 y.o.'s trip to Paris and/or Venice can be put off until she's old enough to remember the experiences. My sister's first European trip was at age 6, and she only remembers random events like meeting our friends' dog, eating a parfait at Fortnum & Masons and not wanting to get on a gondola (and she didn't).
But this is your trip, and if those destinations are your first priorities, then you have to rethink how important the other places on your list are. IMO, in that scenario, 5 days in Paris, 5 days in Venice with a day trip from each and then a couple of days in Amsterdam sounds good to me. You may find flying between some points makes better use of your time than sitting for hours and hours on trains. Munich to Venice by train takes 7. 5 hours while flying takes an hour plus pre-flight and getting from the airport to Venice. For Venice to Paris, there is an overnight train if that appeals to you; otherwise, the daytime train takes 11+ hours with multiple connections.
But this is your trip, and if those destinations are your first priorities, then you have to rethink how important the other places on your list are. IMO, in that scenario, 5 days in Paris, 5 days in Venice with a day trip from each and then a couple of days in Amsterdam sounds good to me. You may find flying between some points makes better use of your time than sitting for hours and hours on trains. Munich to Venice by train takes 7. 5 hours while flying takes an hour plus pre-flight and getting from the airport to Venice. For Venice to Paris, there is an overnight train if that appeals to you; otherwise, the daytime train takes 11+ hours with multiple connections.
Dec 19th, 2018, 01:14 PM
#25
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You can't do it all in two weeks, by car or by train. Not if you want to actually see something other than the countryside rushing by utside your window.
Concentrate on what you really want to see, then remove at least one of those places. You are travelling with a 5 year old, she will want time to play and be a five year oled, not be constantly on the move or visitng cities, and dealing with crowds. And there will be crowds in Venice, and Amserdam and Brugge and Paris.
A campervan/motorhome is not an option for your trip.
Maybe fly into Amsterdam and spend a couple of days there. Take the train to Cologne and spend a night there, rent a car and potter down through Germany to Munich. Give the rest a miss until your daughter is older. There is so much to enjoy in Germany, if you do a little reseach. Places like the felsenmeer in Lauertal for instance.
Concentrate on what you really want to see, then remove at least one of those places. You are travelling with a 5 year old, she will want time to play and be a five year oled, not be constantly on the move or visitng cities, and dealing with crowds. And there will be crowds in Venice, and Amserdam and Brugge and Paris.
A campervan/motorhome is not an option for your trip.
Maybe fly into Amsterdam and spend a couple of days there. Take the train to Cologne and spend a night there, rent a car and potter down through Germany to Munich. Give the rest a miss until your daughter is older. There is so much to enjoy in Germany, if you do a little reseach. Places like the felsenmeer in Lauertal for instance.
Dec 19th, 2018, 01:42 PM
#26
Everyone's different... I remember plenty from when I was 5 years old! For 2 weeks I think 3 cities would be perfect. Agreeing with the majority here you simply still have too many places on your wish list and far too much moving around for the amount of time you have.
Dec 19th, 2018, 02:14 PM
#28
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There are countless cities in Europe besides Venice that have canals.>
Very true but there is only one Venice - to me perhaps the most beautiful city to me in the world. Canals are only a part of the charm. Even one day there would be great just to see this visual feast.
Very true but there is only one Venice - to me perhaps the most beautiful city to me in the world. Canals are only a part of the charm. Even one day there would be great just to see this visual feast.
Dec 19th, 2018, 02:40 PM
#29
Plus I think Venice would be more appealing to a 5 year old than a city like London or Paris. All the foot bridges, canals, squares with kids playing, gondolas going by, vaporetti to ride on, fun finger food to eat from stands along the sidewalks, etc.
Dec 19th, 2018, 04:41 PM
#30
I agree that Venice is likely to be more appealing to a five year old than Paris. As she is so young, I don't think it would matter to her, she won't remember very much. I'd be inclined to plan the trip according to what the adults want. Your five year old might enjoy going to Paris for the first time as a young adult, still wearing her necklace/charm.
Regarding using trains, if each of you have a smallish bags with wheels, you just get off the train and walk or bus/taxi/tram to a hotel. I've seen kids younger than five pulling a tiny wheelie, obviously nothing heavy. I try to book a hotel within walking distance of the train station but not in the immediate area which is often not that nice. This website helped us a bit on our last European trip but I would definitely say to check on one of the official train websites (like the German one mentioned above which is very good) for full details before locking anything in.
https://www.rome2rio.com/
As far as a rail pass goes, we've looked into them a few times and always ended up buying point to point tickets which worked out cheaper. I still think you need to include fewer countries with only two weeks including flying time and jetlag.
Kay
Regarding using trains, if each of you have a smallish bags with wheels, you just get off the train and walk or bus/taxi/tram to a hotel. I've seen kids younger than five pulling a tiny wheelie, obviously nothing heavy. I try to book a hotel within walking distance of the train station but not in the immediate area which is often not that nice. This website helped us a bit on our last European trip but I would definitely say to check on one of the official train websites (like the German one mentioned above which is very good) for full details before locking anything in.
https://www.rome2rio.com/
As far as a rail pass goes, we've looked into them a few times and always ended up buying point to point tickets which worked out cheaper. I still think you need to include fewer countries with only two weeks including flying time and jetlag.
Kay
Dec 19th, 2018, 04:55 PM
#31
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Amsterdam and many smaller towns and cities in the Netherlands are gorgeous towns with beautiful canals, as is Bruges. Just look at images of Giethoorn. Most kids love boating. Your family could rent a boat and experience some of those canals close up.
What my kids remember from being in Europe when they were young are the things they did more than the things they saw. They remember staying on a farm in Germany, helping with the animals and meeting other farm families. They remember concerts in castles more than the castles. They remember the burning of Heidelberg, not the tour.
What my kids remember from being in Europe when they were young are the things they did more than the things they saw. They remember staying on a farm in Germany, helping with the animals and meeting other farm families. They remember concerts in castles more than the castles. They remember the burning of Heidelberg, not the tour.
Dec 20th, 2018, 02:13 AM
#33
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It depends on when the trip is whether Giethoorn is feasible or not. It is very popular with coach loads of Chinese and other tourists nowadays, and can be an absolute nightmare. However there are plenty of other appealing places in the Netherlands which aren't packed to the gunnels.
If the five year old cant swim extremely well she would need to wear a life jacket constantly on a boat, which may not be so appealing, same for the 12 year old for that matter.
It doesn't matter if she remembers it or not, but you do have to allow for her being 5 years old, not expect her to able to keep up with what an adult could do in two weeks, and give her time to play. Ditto the 12 year old.
If the five year old cant swim extremely well she would need to wear a life jacket constantly on a boat, which may not be so appealing, same for the 12 year old for that matter.
It doesn't matter if she remembers it or not, but you do have to allow for her being 5 years old, not expect her to able to keep up with what an adult could do in two weeks, and give her time to play. Ditto the 12 year old.
Dec 20th, 2018, 11:16 AM
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*Another thought is to take the car from Munich and drop it off in Stuttgart, taking a train to Paris, train to Brugge, train to Amsterdam?>
Book first tickets at www.oui.sncf - to Bruges from Paris www.thalys.com - get the ABS fare with it for about 5 euros and allows you to hop any train within 24 or maybe 48 hours to Brugges - can stop in Brussels for a few hours or a day - Bruges to Amsterdam same www.thalys.com with ABS fare tht allows you to take any train to Antwerp to catch Thalys to Amsterdam. Don't even think of a railpass with just three train trips. Again, www.seat61.com helps on booking tips - general trains BETS-European Rail Experts and www.ricksteves.com. You may want to look around Atwerp also for a few hours - even the train station is a work of art.
Book first tickets at www.oui.sncf - to Bruges from Paris www.thalys.com - get the ABS fare with it for about 5 euros and allows you to hop any train within 24 or maybe 48 hours to Brugges - can stop in Brussels for a few hours or a day - Bruges to Amsterdam same www.thalys.com with ABS fare tht allows you to take any train to Antwerp to catch Thalys to Amsterdam. Don't even think of a railpass with just three train trips. Again, www.seat61.com helps on booking tips - general trains BETS-European Rail Experts and www.ricksteves.com. You may want to look around Atwerp also for a few hours - even the train station is a work of art.
Dec 20th, 2018, 01:05 PM
#37
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Thanx - and the ABS Fare you book when you book a Thalys ticket is the All (or Any?) Belgian Station fare - in conjunction with your Thalys train arrival in Brussels you can take a train to any station in Belgium at just several euros add-on fare to the Thalys fare. There are no seat reservations on domestic Belgian trains so don't worry about that - just hop on any of the many many trains to Bruges. For train schedules that are easy to reference try the www.bahn.de/en - German Railways site that has schedules for all European trains but really with probably one an hour or more going everywhere on Belgian rails don't worry. No need to do anything but hop on the train - no going to ticket windows, etc.
Dec 20th, 2018, 11:15 PM
#38
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Thanx - and the ABS Fare you book when you book a Thalys ticket is the All (or Any?) Belgian Station fare - in conjunction with your Thalys train arrival in Brussels you can take a train to any station in Belgium at just several euros add-on fare to the Thalys fare. There are no seat reservations on domestic Belgian trains so don't worry about that - just hop on any of the many many trains to Bruges. For train schedules that are easy to reference try the www.bahn.de/en - German Railways site that has schedules for all European trains but really with probably one an hour or more going everywhere on Belgian rails don't worry. No need to do anything but hop on the train - no going to ticket windows, etc.
All this presupposes that you have your reservation for Thalys booked already. It's not as if you can take any Belgian train and then hop on any Thalys train. Your stuck to a reservation for that.
