JeanineMR

My husband and I are taking our two children, ages 11 and 12, on a trip to Europe for their first time. We wanted to include them in the decisions as much as possible - my daughter wants to visit Pompeii and my son, London and Berlin. We only have 2 weeks - Aug 15-Aug 31.

I decided to make our flight reservations, as the longer we waited, the more the cost was going up. We are flying into London and out of Naples, Italy. Now that I am plotting our course, I am getting concerned that we are trying to squeeze too much in.

Our original ideas were: London, overnight ferry to Copenhagen, train to Berlin, train thru Switzerland to northern Italy, visit Cinque Terre , Rome, Pompeii, Herculaneum.

I am now trying to narrow it down: London (3 days), overnight ferry to Amsterdam (2 days), overnight train to Switzerland (2 days), Cinque Terre, Rome, Pompeii (one week for all).

I am looking for suggestions on our route - where we should go in Switzerland, where to go/stay in Cinque Terre . . . Also, we are hoping to stay in family hostels, monasteries, or other interesting places - we would love any suggestions.

I am also nervous that we have planned too much. I am wondering if paying the Itinerary Penalty for changing our flight plan might be something to consider . . .
Maybe skipping London all together, and flying into Berlin instead? Making our trip: Germany (Berlin,Munich), Switzerland, Italy? My son is very interested in Berlin because he has become interested in the Berlin Wall - but I am wondering if the city is a good destination and interesting beyond that ... what do you think?

Thank you in advance for any suggestions/advice you can pass along.

PalenQ

Well for Switzerland you kids will love the Jungfrau Region around Interlaken - the highlight both literally and figuratively IMO of Switzerland - toylike trains, thrilling aerial gondolas, glaciers, ice caves, ice-bound soaring peaks, etc. Settle in there for a few days - then go onto Italy.

If going by train here are some superb sights to help plan a European rail trip - www.seat61.com; www.ricksteves.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com - download the latter's free and superb IMO European Planning & Rail Guide for lots of suggested railitineraries, maps, etc. (http://www.budgeteuropetravel.com/id2.html).

<I am now trying to narrow it down: London (3 days), overnight ferry to Amsterdam (2 days), overnight train to Switzerland (2 days), Cinque Terre, Rome, Pompeii (one week for all).>

Kind of rushed - maybe cut Cinque Terre - and put another day in Switzerland or Amsterdam.

jamikins

With 2 weeks I would pick 4 locations at the most (I would prefer 3).

London is a great introduction and has fabulous sites for kids that age (Tower of London for example).

Assuming you have 15 nights

I would fly into London spend 5 nights (lots to do and also recovering from jetlag), then fly to Berlin and spend 3 nights, then fly to Rome and spend 5 nights and then head to Sorrento for your final 2 nights to see Pompeii and the beautiful Amalfi Coast. Then you can fly home from Naples as you have planned.

Hope this helps!

bigtyke

Italy and Switzerland. Save the rest for another trip.

BigRuss

This itinerary is a disaster. You lose at least 1/2 day of touring when traveling so with 7 stops, that's 3.5 days of the two week trip. Your first day will be shot with jetlag and gaining access to accommodations. The train connections from Copenhagen all the way to Italy will be long and nothing is more boring for kids than sitting for day-long train rides. Overnight trains are expensive - compare the costs to hotels and it's not that favorable - and you won't sleep like a baby unless the baby you're thinking about is a bit colicky.

London is catnip for kids and 3 days is not even the tip of the iceberg's tip. Rome is one of the world's great cities. Herculaneum and Pompeii on your schedule is overkill - pick one and if Vesuvius is open for hiking or climbing, have the kids clamber around it.

Not sure there's a whole lot of Berlin Wall landmarks left. Google this - there are some museum displays but it's not like junior is going to walk around its remains like visiting the Colosseum.

Have you considered costs? Point to point travel adds up. Denmark and Switzerland are riotously expensive.

bilboburgler

Yes you have too much, you could do
1) London, Amsterdam, Rome, Naples (but then you use Switzerland as a loo stop and much as I do not like switzerland it deserves more than that)
2) London, Switzerland, Rome and Naples makes more sense. For the drivers it makes for long days so maybe
3) London, Fly to Rome and then Naples or
4) London, ferry (on foot) to Amsterdam, fly to Rome and Naples

I think I'd do (4) if it were me, it lets you take a ferry and use public transport, you get to see Pompeii.

You know need to think about August in 2013 (I'm assuming you are going this year) Italians tend to stop their holidays by about 18th/ 20th August so you are getting there as they go back to work (good) even so it will be hot and sticky (so stay by the coast, try and get a pool.

JeanineMR

I am wishing I didn't book the flights already. I am now thinking that with the penalty cost of $600 total for the flights to be changed, it makes more sense to fly from London to Italy and skip the itinerary in the middle. Maybe fly into northern Italy and work our way down to Naples?

My husband and I spent 2 weeks cycling from Rome to Florence 15 years ago on our honeymoon. With our kids on this trip, we'd like to visit several of the places we enjoyed - but also see new places ourselves. Definite places we will visit: Rome, Pompeii (places we have been) - and new places for us that we are possibilities are: Cinque Terre, Herculaneum, Venice, Capri.

A few questions:
- Is it true that Venice is not a good choice in August?
- Does it make sense to rent a car and drive through Italy - or take trains?
- Any suggestions/advice for this itinerary??

Thank you in advance

JeanineMR

JeanineMR here again -

OR: another idea is to fly into a city in Switzerland and move south from there (either by train or car). I have never been to Switzerland and have always wanted to -

Any thoughts??

oedipamaas

- Is it true that Venice is not a good choice in August?

It may be hot and crowded, but Venice is crowded much of the year. If it's where you really want to go, I wouldn't be put off.

- Does it make sense to rent a car and drive through Italy - or take trains?

Going city to city, trains are preferable. And it doesn't sound like you'll have much time for leisurely drives in the countryside.

- Any suggestions/advice for this itinerary?? another idea is to fly into a city in Switzerland and move south from there

At some point, something's got to give. You can see Switzerland if but not if you have a 2 weeks of things to see in Italy. London really deserves an extra night, especially with the jetlag. I'd cut out Amsterdam and fly directly London to Switzerland or (better yet) Italy.

BigRuss

Going from one country to your last country of the trip by car means dropping the car off outside its country of registration. Those $600 you save by not messing with the flights will then go to the rental agency as a "drop charge" to offset the cost to the rental agency for having to transport the car back to its home base.

Go by train from country b to country c.

<<London really deserves an extra night, especially with the jetlag.>>

London deserves three extra nights just to start.

janisj

In August italy would not be my first (or 8th) choice. It can be REALLY hot. And not that many places are air conditioned. If it is a must, go ahead. But I'd honestly save Italy for a time you can travel in the spring or fall.

Ozarksbill

Wonderful that you are planning a family trip and also that the two children are helping with their ideas. Certainly many places to visit in Europe. As some have ventured you may want to consider how much territory you can cover. The danger is getting worn out (and maybe cranky) with so much sightseeing and constant moving.

We saw the Berlin wall last year, actually now just a remnant exists. So I would wonder about this being worthwhile simply because Italy is so far away. Also maybe skipping Copenhagen interesting as it is.

So you have I think reconsidered best having a few days in London and perhaps Amsterdam and then on to Italy. That is workable. Roman ruins indeed, and Pompeii, maybe Florence or other towns and Venice if time permits. Most of us treasure special sights. Travel by train rather than auto I would think.

Good luck...Bill in Boston

nytraveler

You have WAY too many places - esp for 4 people with 2 kids.

You can realistically do 4 hotels - and that is skimming the surface only.

If you have tickets into London and out of Naples I would do London, fly to Rome to see that and then spend some days on the Amalfi coast. That is PLENTY to do in 2 weeks.

Bringing in Amsterdam or Berlin or a lot of other places in italy or Swtiz just means you will spend a large part of your vacation in transit - rather than seeing or doing something.

Christina

London and Italy would actually be a good trip, I think, given how much you want to do. If it is disappointing after all the planning to do so much more, you could add a couple days in either Amsterdam or Switzerland, in between. I think you should spend at least 5 days in London. Kids love London and it was one of your sons wish lists, you can do Berlin some other time or way (for example, the Newsmuseum in Wash DC actually has part of the Berlin Wall and a good exhibit on that whole thing, you could do some shorter trip to DC sometime with the kids for history stuff, throw in the HOlocaust Museum).

I don't know the best way from Switzerland to Italy, I presume there is a train, but it may be a convoluted train trip as I don't think there is a good direct rail line. But it would give you a taste of a train ride, anyway. I don't think you have time to be renting cars and touring around the country, either.

AS for flights rather than trains, Easyjet is British and my favorite budget airline in Europe. They fly from London Gatwick to Zurich direct. I'm sure there are various possibilities for flights from London to some place in Italy (Rome or Venice), if you want. I don't think there are great budget flights from Amsterdam to Italy.

tailsock

i would do London Amsterdam Rome...save Switzerland for another time. might not be enough there to keep a kid's interests anyway

mocha_dolce

I would do the England (London base plus side trips) and Italy (Rome/Naples) this time, but only because you booked the flights already. You can rent a flat in London (7 nights) and the kids will enjoy a little home away from home. Then fly to Rome for 5 nights, spend the remainder in the Pompeii/Naples area. That way you have a little buffer if anyone arrives a little tired, cranky or sick, and some room for spontaneity/relaxation. And your children still get to see one of the places each chose. Next time, I would give them some geographic parameters, so you don't end up with a Dublin/Lucerne/Athens combo. I used to have member of our family rank their preferences, given a list of places and the one with the best average rank won! Usually that meant someplace at least interesting or acceptable to all of us.

Mimar

With only 2 weeks, I concur with limiting your trip to London and Italy only.

Skip the Cinque Terre and go to the Amalfi Coast. You're already practically there with Pompeii, Herculaneum and Capri. And you don't need more than one destination consisting of cute towns on the coast.

Save Berlin and Switzerland for your next trip. I disagree with tailsock, lots for kids in Switzerland, and even more for teenagers.

PalenQ

Switzerland is Nirvana for kids that age - at least the Alpine regions like the Jungfrau Region, my favorite Alpine resort and probably the most popular one with foreign tourists - a child's delight - toy-like trains climbing improbably steep ascents - thrilling aerial cable ways going to remote mountain tops - ice caves - huge waterfalls, glaciers you can walk to, etc.

PalenQ

I disagree with tailsock, lots for kids in Switzerland, and even more for teenagers.>

and for active adventure thrills they could - the kids - do some white water rafting in the Jungfrau Region on organized excursions or do a summer luge course in Interlaken, etc.

JeanineMR

Thank you all for your responses. I have been doing a lot of research and mapping and have a few options to present. Could you help me with a few questions?
Thank you in advance!

OPTION 1
Aug. 15 (am)
- Fly into LONDON
- Spend 3 nights in the city exploring
* any suggestions for things to do that an 11 + 12 year old would love
Aug. 18
- Fly to Milan
- Take bus to Cinque Terre
- Spend 3 nights
Aug. 21
- Train to Rome
* or drive? I love Tuscany and would love to give the kids at least a glance
- if we drive: we'd spend a night or two along the way in small towns (Assisi, Pisa, Cortona?)
Aug. 22 or 23
- Rome
- Spend 3 nights
Aug. 25 or 26
- Train to Naples
- Spend 4-5 nights nearby
- Visit Pompeii/Herculaneum
* Would anyone recommend Ischia instead of Capri/would love to take a sailboat ride
Aug. 31
- Fly home to Boston

OPTION 2
Aug. 15 (am)
- Fly into LONDON
- Spend 3 nights in the city exploring
Aug. 18 (p.m)
- Overnight ferry from Harwich to Amsterdam
Aug. 19
- Spend 2 nights
Aug. 21
- Fly to Rome
- Spend 4 nights
Aug. 25
- Train to Naples
- Either stay in Sorrento for whole time with day trips or split up between Sorrento, Capri and Amalfi coast (what is better?)
- Visit Pompeii/Herculaneum
- Visit Amalfi Coast, Ischia and/or Capri
Aug. 31
- Fly home to Boston

OPTION 3
Aug. 15 (am)
- Fly into LONDON
- Spend 3 nights in the city exploring
Aug. 18
- ferry or train to Calais (any preference?)
- rent a car and drive thru France and Alpes into northern Italy
Aug. 18-20
- driving/exploring
Aug. 21
- Return car in Milan or Pisa?
- spend night nearby
Aug. 22
- Train to Rome
- Spend 3-4 nights
Aug. 25 or 26
- Train to Naples
- Spend 4-5 nights in either Sorrento or another town - suggestions?
- Visit Pompeii/Herculaneum
- Explore Amalfi coast, islands etc.
* Would anyone recommend Ischia instead of Capri/would love to take a sailboat ride
Aug. 31
- Fly home to Boston