Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Family Travel...we did it, and it was GREAT!!!

We're recently back from a two week trip with our four kids (ages 13.5, 12, 4.5yr old twins). (We also had both sets of grandparents with us!) We used this board to help us with so many details, and also read several travel books that guided us in independent travel. Anyway, everything went off without a single hitch, and we had a GREAT trip! Here are a few details, if anyone else out there is interested in independent travel with kids... We reserved (two) mini-vans ahead of time thru AutoEurope. I also made all lodging reservations ahead of time (via internet and e-mail), and we specifically wanted to stay in non-hotel lodging wherever possible. We had an apartment in Riquewihr, France, also an apartment in Assmannshausen, Germany. Then we spent a few days on a farm outside of Salzburg. We had one night in a hotel near Innsbruck, and our last several days in a chalet in the Berner Oberland of Switzerland. For us, it was a great way to travel with kids!!! We made a point to stay in small villages, and just day-trip to the more well known cities/towns. Our kids really got a taste of the local culture. We traveled off-season (mid-April) to save money, and didn't have perfect weather. But, we'd do it again in a heartbeat! We saw flowers and trees in full bloom, as well as the Alps covered in snow. Spectacular! Our trip was much more of an adventure than a vacation, and that's exactly how we wanted it. With the off-season dollars that we saved, we're hoping to get to take another trip with our kids in a couple of years. So, if you're wondering, like I did, if this kind of travel can really be pulled off with kids (especially more than 1 or 2), go for it! Have a blast!