Family trip to Europe
Apr 7th, 2013, 10:57 PM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Family trip to Europe
We are an australian family embarking on a 16 week trip to Europe - 3 kids (6.7.2)
I have most of our itinerary sorted, and some bookings made, however have a couple of areas that I am unsure about, esp travelling with little kids, and we havent been for 20 years.
Sorted so far...
We fly in to London 17 May for one week
stay apartment Notting Hill, visit friends etc
25 May - Eurostar to Paris
stay apartment with friends, visit galleries, museums, parks, river cruise, Versailles etc
4 April - 7 April - Eurodisney
7 April - pick up car - to Oudon, stay with friends for weekend
Unsure...need some help with suggesting great little towns to explore and stay, happy to stay in self-catering accom, gites etc. We will be driving the whole trip, returning the car at the end of August in Milan.
9 April - 1 August (arrive Italy)
areas we thought we'd like to visit
-Amboise / chateau area (although maybe we could skip this, as one chateau prob enough then the kids would be bored)
- Perigord area/ Dordogne
- Le Pays Basque France and northern spain (san seb etc) so my husband can do some surfing, explore foods of the areas, kids play on beach etc. Bilbao
- maybe Toledo on way down south (prob skip Madrid)
- Andalucia - we are interested in the architecture and history of this area, plus intersperse with visiting lovely beaches etc with kids where we can. Thinking of Seville a couple of days, then a friends place in Frigiliana for one week, day trips to Grenada.
(around 8 July, friends in southern Spain)
- Barcelona - a few days, kids want to see Gaudi buildings etc
- Provence (considering staying 10 days, a farmhouse/pool near a village? family may visit and stay with us there)
- coast on way to Italy
Then Italy (4 weeks)
- Cinque Terre (3 days?)
- Tuscany - farmhouse or like (some friends may visit also) a village near Florence somewhere and explore Florence on day trips by train or car
- Lake Como
2 September - Milan - drop off car, fly out of Milan to Paros, Greece
We were initially thinking we could book accoms on our way where and when we found little places we'd like to stay, beginning to think that everything is booking up quick and we would be stuck places !?? We have travelled alot prior to kids (backpacking etc) and travelled alot with the kids, but shorter trips in Aus and Asia/Americas.
I guess recommedations for certain areas, and suggestions for recommended accoms - I have begun to be a little overwhelmed with choices, and want to narrow down.
Many thanks
I have most of our itinerary sorted, and some bookings made, however have a couple of areas that I am unsure about, esp travelling with little kids, and we havent been for 20 years.
Sorted so far...
We fly in to London 17 May for one week
stay apartment Notting Hill, visit friends etc
25 May - Eurostar to Paris
stay apartment with friends, visit galleries, museums, parks, river cruise, Versailles etc
4 April - 7 April - Eurodisney
7 April - pick up car - to Oudon, stay with friends for weekend
Unsure...need some help with suggesting great little towns to explore and stay, happy to stay in self-catering accom, gites etc. We will be driving the whole trip, returning the car at the end of August in Milan.
9 April - 1 August (arrive Italy)
areas we thought we'd like to visit
-Amboise / chateau area (although maybe we could skip this, as one chateau prob enough then the kids would be bored)
- Perigord area/ Dordogne
- Le Pays Basque France and northern spain (san seb etc) so my husband can do some surfing, explore foods of the areas, kids play on beach etc. Bilbao
- maybe Toledo on way down south (prob skip Madrid)
- Andalucia - we are interested in the architecture and history of this area, plus intersperse with visiting lovely beaches etc with kids where we can. Thinking of Seville a couple of days, then a friends place in Frigiliana for one week, day trips to Grenada.
(around 8 July, friends in southern Spain)
- Barcelona - a few days, kids want to see Gaudi buildings etc
- Provence (considering staying 10 days, a farmhouse/pool near a village? family may visit and stay with us there)
- coast on way to Italy
Then Italy (4 weeks)
- Cinque Terre (3 days?)
- Tuscany - farmhouse or like (some friends may visit also) a village near Florence somewhere and explore Florence on day trips by train or car
- Lake Como
2 September - Milan - drop off car, fly out of Milan to Paros, Greece
We were initially thinking we could book accoms on our way where and when we found little places we'd like to stay, beginning to think that everything is booking up quick and we would be stuck places !?? We have travelled alot prior to kids (backpacking etc) and travelled alot with the kids, but shorter trips in Aus and Asia/Americas.
I guess recommedations for certain areas, and suggestions for recommended accoms - I have begun to be a little overwhelmed with choices, and want to narrow down.
Many thanks
Apr 7th, 2013, 11:05 PM
#2
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 13,393
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
It sounds like a great trip. We stayed in a villa in castellina in chianti and it was a great location. Castellina is a pretty town and we were within striking distance of Florence, Siena, San Gimignano and I'm sure lots of other small towns.
Apr 7th, 2013, 11:26 PM
#4
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 660
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
HI fellow australian....
get in touch with
French cottages - www.frenchcottages.com.au
Australian own so you pay in aus dollars
they have properties all over the area and have been wonderful with helping me out
Looks like our paths may cross over june/july
I say try and sort some bookings . .you would be amazed with how little there is available!
Good Luck! Oh and less to this crew! They have been amazing for me!
get in touch with
French cottages - www.frenchcottages.com.au
Australian own so you pay in aus dollars
they have properties all over the area and have been wonderful with helping me out
Looks like our paths may cross over june/july
I say try and sort some bookings . .you would be amazed with how little there is available!
Good Luck! Oh and less to this crew! They have been amazing for me!
Apr 8th, 2013, 04:22 AM
#8
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,321
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Here is a snippet from a website:
Note: Travelers for business or tourism are permitted to stay in the Schengen area for 90 days within a six month period. Once the 90 day maximum is reached, leaving for a brief period and re-entering the area does not entitle a traveler to 90 more days within the Schengen states. The traveler would have to remain outside of the Schengen zone for 90 days before reentering without a visa. Immigration officers at the port of entry have the right to determine whether your planned activities are consistent with business or tourism. You should check with the Embassy or Consulate of the country to which you are traveling if you have questions about whether your proposed trip qualifies for visa-free travel.
Basically you can travel for 90 days out of a rolling 180 in the Schengen zone without a visa.
Note: Travelers for business or tourism are permitted to stay in the Schengen area for 90 days within a six month period. Once the 90 day maximum is reached, leaving for a brief period and re-entering the area does not entitle a traveler to 90 more days within the Schengen states. The traveler would have to remain outside of the Schengen zone for 90 days before reentering without a visa. Immigration officers at the port of entry have the right to determine whether your planned activities are consistent with business or tourism. You should check with the Embassy or Consulate of the country to which you are traveling if you have questions about whether your proposed trip qualifies for visa-free travel.
Basically you can travel for 90 days out of a rolling 180 in the Schengen zone without a visa.
Apr 8th, 2013, 04:22 AM
#9
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,321
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The list of Schengen countries:
Austria
Belgium
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Iceland
Italy
Latvia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Slovak Republic
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Austria
Belgium
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Iceland
Italy
Latvia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Slovak Republic
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Apr 9th, 2013, 05:22 AM
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Have found a great house in Provence, however still need suggestions for south west France / Atlantic coast and north spain for beaches and surfing for hubby mid June for two weeks - best to pick one area? and is san sebastian good for this/families? open to smaller towns that we can visit san seb etc from. any suggestions? probably anything not yet booked out at this stage! but if anyone has visited this area and recommends somewhere that would be great.
Apr 9th, 2013, 11:05 PM
#13
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Jimikins - have had a good search and spoken with agents, and looks like there is no way around the 90 days within 180 rule (aside from risking it - which I wont do with 3 little kids).
Might be back to the drawing board for some of our plans! And Croatia joins Schengen on 1 July - aaah!
Might be back to the drawing board for some of our plans! And Croatia joins Schengen on 1 July - aaah!
Apr 10th, 2013, 03:46 AM
#15
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Never heard of the Schengen thing, prob because we are EU but presumably you could just apply for Visas? If you have most of your travel booked wouldn't that prove you were travelling for tourism? I see Ireland is not in that zone, I'm probably biased but it might be a good alternative - very easy to get to from most UK airports.
