We are planning a 3 week trip with our 4 boys (13, 11, and 6 y.o. twins) in early july. They are very well travelled and are really eager to go on a BIG trip...

We will be flying in and out of Paris (cheaper for us) and taking the train from there. But I'm having a hard time deciding what we should see...

We have a lot of ideas : the rhine, Rothenburg, Munich, Dresden (car factory), Neuschwanstein, Legoland (big Lego fans) and maybe Playmobil park.

I read somewhere that kids travel free in Switzerland so I might want to add it to our trip to take the kids to Jungfrau and Interlaken.

We might stay 1-2 days before our return flight in Paris to show them the usual (Eiffel Tower,etc). My eldest were 3 and 1 last time they saw it

Do you have any suggestions for me? Any advice? I don't know where to begin...

I didn't want to have to book an appartment for a week but if I have to.... I know that finding lodging for 6 will be a challenge.

Thank you in advance,

Martineg

check out www.bensbauernhof.com for ideas on apartments. In Germany, you don't need to book for a week.

Hi mloyer,
What a great time your kids will have.

Regarding Switzerland, if you want to rent an apt in the Lauterbrunnen area I can highly recommend http://www.holiday-rentals.co.uk/Swi...-Lauterbrunnen . You do not have to stay for a week. There are several separate apts in one large chalet.

The same is true for many apts in Paris. A week is not mandatory. Apts are very convenient for down time and food prep. Will save a lot of money in the long run.

There are a lot of very easy hikes in the BO area. Mannlichen to Kleine Scheidegg is a great one for kids. Take a picnic along in your daypacks and start walking. The kids will get a kick out of all the cows and cowbells.

The train to the Jungfrau is private so I don't think it is free. But if it is it would be a terrific bargain. The ticket is 100 euros pp otherwise. Maybe others on this site know.

Have fun,
Michele

Txs guys,

Can someone help suggest a realistic itinerary?... Because I have a tendancy to want to see everything....

Martine

You don't say how long you have to do this. You might want to pare it down to Germany and France. Why would you not spend some time in Paris!
Isn't the BMW plant in Munich?
Switzerland is a wonderful place--I love it--but it is a LOT of scenery. Kids may get "caught up" on scenic beauty faster than we would. We took our kids to Zermatt on a European trip and they skied for a day (they were teens).
Heidelberg is a charming German town.
Don't forget the great cathedrals and museums along the way.
Again, how long do you have?

"Isn't the BMW plant in Munich?"

I think the OP means the BMW plant in Leipzig (somewhat near Dresden).

Info on plant tours in English:
http://www.bmw-werk-leipzig.de/leipz.../en/index.html

And I guess the OP meant the Volkswagen plant in Dresden.

LOL

LOL, Ingo! Didn´t think of that!

Seems their slogan "VW. Das Auto." didn´t get through to me...

I actually mean the Phaeton factory in Dresden... ;D

We have 22-23 days for this trip.

mloyer, since you wrote about Switzerland and free travel for children: I think it's also free with the German railway for children below 15 in company of their parents or grand-parents.

But you need to mention them on the ticket of the parents.

For kids try to include Mad Ludwig's fanciful Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria in your trip plans - and for the adults too! One of the most famous castles in the world and lovingly set at the foot of the bucolic Bavarian Alps - just outside the town of Fuessen - which you can easily reach by train.
Trains are fantastic in these three countries - just so superb. For lots about rail travel in these countries for folks who are rather novice rail travelers I always spotlight these info-packed sites - www.ricksteves.com; www.seat61.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com - check out the latter's European Planning & Rail Guide's chaters on each country for itinerary suggestions, rail maps, etc. And for Switzerland check out www.swisstravelsystem.com for a wealth of great info on Swiss trains.

You seem to be traveling enough to merit looking at a railpass of some type - first look at the France-Germany Railpass and Swiss Pass (your kids all get a free Family Pass if adults buy this pass and they always travel free - even on the very pricey Jungfraujoch train. And also strongly look at the Eurail Select Saverpass for 3 countries - kids under 12 pay 50% of what the adults pay - and this is a first-class pass and if you have a party of 6 traveling together first class is THE way to go as you will in Germany and Switzerland always find lots of empty seats (IME of four decades of riding trains in those countries) but in 2nd class that is not often the case IME.

The Phaeton factory *is* the Volkswagen factory in Dresden.

From a Rhine base or when going between it and Munich it is easy to visit the Mercedes-Benz factory/tour in suburban Stuttgart, right on an S-Bahn line - the visitors museum area is brand new - a family attraction.