First Time Family Trip to Europe
 

Looking for any and all advice. We are taking our two kids (10 and 12) to Europe this summer for 4 weeks. I will be alone with the kids for the first two weeks and my husband will join us for the last two. This is the first trip outside of the country for both kids.. We're thinking of making an itinerary that hits two or three major cities as home base (Maybe London and Paris?) and do day or overnight trips kind of hub and spoke. For first timers, do you have any recommendations on best cities and best accomodations (assuming we'd stay in each for over a week)? We're super excited about this, but also a little intimidated trying to figure out an itinerary with so many options out there. Also, we had one friend absolutely swear by using an apartment-by-owner rental type of deal. But we had another who was equally adamant that it's not a good idea in Europe. Any thoughts there?

Staying a week in each city makes sense. An apartment might be the way to go in terms of lodging.

There are lots of things that are within a day's trip from Paris: Chartres, Versailles, Giverny (Monet's garden), Fontainebleau--the list is almost endless. Count on at lest 4 days within the city with three outings to provide a change.

Get the Michelin Green Guide for Paris.

For children: they might like a boat ride on the Canal St. Martin, and if you can do it one way to La Villette, add the hands-on Science Museum. If they are interested in music, the Cité de la Musique in the same area offers exhibits to which the music of the period is attached; e.g. in front of the exhibit of Baroque instruments one can hear over the headphones samples of Baroque music.

To whet your appetite:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca/...7624827228334/

oh yes - someone who isn't trying to see the whole of europe in a week - what a great trip for your kids.

I'd suggest that you think of three different and differing places, [or at least go to somewhere different in between 2 cities] and definitely consider apartments/villas. They give you much more space and freedom than hotels AND are normally cheaper.

London would be a good place for your first stop - fewer language problems for the kids - and loads for you to do, as well as being a safe place if you are there by yourself with them for the first part of the trip. Paris or Rome would be great places to finish in. in between - the south of france, an italian lake, or even walking in the Bernese Oberland would be good options, depending on what you all like to do.

One option w/ 4 weeks is to have 4 base cities and rent apartments in each one.

Could be London, Paris, plus one other city in the UK (like maybe Edinburgh) and one additional place you've always wanted to visit (Rome or Barcelona or Munich or Amsterdam or anywhere)

Or London, a week in a rental/rural cottage in SW England or Yorkshire, or maybe Scotland, Paris, and one other place. Or it could be London, Paris and two weeks touring around 'baseless' - like one week in rural England and one week in southern France.

You have TONS of options.

Renting an apartment is an excellent idea, imo.

Did your friend have a bad experience? What were their objections?

What are your interests? Are you an active outdoors family?
Do you take your children to museums?

Is there a city to where your husband has been and not really interested in returning?

Oh I forgot to ask, are you planning to learn langauges with the children prior to the trip?

"<i>But we had another who was equally adamant that it's not a good idea in Europe.</i>"

Didn't see that bit. My <i>guess</i> us that friend either hasn't rented flats in Europe - or - didn't do adequate research first.

There are (quite literally) thousands of threads on here about apartments in Europe and the VAST majority (like almost all) are positive.

London is catnip for the hobbits. If you're planning to learn languages, you should consider teaching them English. ;-) If you have boy(s), they'll go nuts over the various transport, castle, military and science museums and activities. Any kid will go whacko over the food options (go to Fortnum and Mason and see how long it takes to extract them).

Edinburgh is worth a few nights, but if "this summer" is August, you need to make your plans NOW: Edinburgh triples in size in August due to the numerous festivals it hosts.

And how you arrange this will depend on what you want to concentrate on when you're with the lesser half v. when he's not around.

I am in the middle of a 10 week trip with my children (8 and 10) through Europe at the moment. I got all of our rentals through homeaway.com and they have all worked out great. I made sure to rent places that had good reviews and then communicated with the owners by email to get a feel. I think its a great idea to stay in each place for at least a week. We had a few parts of our itinerary that were only 2 - 4 nights and the transitions were exhausting! Plus the kids like to get settled in to a place that feels like home (another reason for apts or cottages instead of hotels). They loved London and Paris so I would definitely suggest those. Their favorite place so far has been Belgium - this came as a bit of a surprise to me but we had a great rental experience so that had a lot to do with it. Also the people are super friendly and everyone will happily speak English. Currently we are in the Dordogne region of France and it is wonderful - so many caves and castles to see here. It would be worth considering. I can't comment on Italy yet because we are headed there next for three weeks (covering Venice, Florence, the Abruzzo region, and Rome). We relied on public transportation in London and Paris and then rented a car for Belgium, Normandy, and the Dordogne. If you decide to check out this area, I found that a car rental was more economical for a family than train tickets. It also gives you the freedom of flexibility. Another option is ryanair as they have dirt cheap plane fares throughout Europe. For us, with kids this age, it has worked well to alternate time in a big city with time in more remote locations. Hope this helps. I know it is overwhelming! We planned for 10 months and I'm still doing research along the way. Good luck and have fun!

Try not to miss the Ceremony of the Keys in the Tower. It was just wonderful. You MUST get tickets beforehand. Google it and you'll get lots of info.

This is from another's forum site:
Send a letter requesting tickets, include; names,address, quanity, dates (include alternate dates)to:
Resident Govenor and Keeper of the Jewel House
H.M. Tower of London
Ceremony of the Keys
London, England
EC3N 4AB

Also, you must include a self-addressed envelope with postage. The postage is called an international reply coupon and can be purchaed at your post office. I bought 2, just in case 1 was not enough. They are only $1.25 each. Include these with your letter. The response takes about 3 weeks to reply and the ceramony starts at 9:30 promptly.

Just be sure to check that the above is the most recent info. on it.

I suggest spending some of your time staying in the countryside with a pool and a car. It would be nice to experience a change of pace from the cities. Maybe somewhere in the south of France or the Dolomites in northern Italy.

As others have expressed- stay in apartments.

We are ex-pats in the UK with kids of a similar age. You can check out my blog to get some ideas. Here are some week long trips that we've been able to take.

London
http://ukfrey.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11...ndparents.html

Paris
http://ukfrey.blogspot.co.uk/2011/06/paris.html

Rome
http://ukfrey.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/rome.html

Scotland
http://ukfrey.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06...highlands.html

Normandy
http://ukfrey.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/normandy.html

Bruges/Amsterdam
http://ukfrey.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04...amsterdam.html

Ireland
http://ukfrey.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/ireland.html

And also shorter stays in North Wales and the Lake District
http://ukfrey.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05...t-weekend.html
http://ukfrey.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08...s-round-2.html
http://ukfrey.blogspot.co.uk/2011/05/north-wales.html

Good luck.

You absolutely can't go wrong renting a place in the Dordogne for a week with kids. SO much to do and see (though August is a madhouse).

Whoever was adamant about not renting an apartment (villa, cottage, house) in Europe must be mad. It's a HUGE and thriving industry and the VAST majority of people who've done it (including those who've rented my house) have had the time of their lives and saved a boatload of money. Especially with kids, it makes all the sense in the world.

I would personally do London, Paris, the Dordogne, and Tuscany or Umbria.

>>Oh I forgot to ask, are you planning to learn langauges with the children prior to the trip?<<

It could be fun for them to get them to explore:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/

as well as public transport options:
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/gettingaround/default.aspx
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/gettingaround/15101.aspx
http://www.ratp.fr/en/ratp/c_21879/tourists/
http://www.ratp.fr/plan-interactif/

I think brushing up on a local langauge adds to the excitement of the trip. Besides it's handier than looking up places to eat :)

I agree with those that suggest at least one week outside of a city. One year we rented a cottage in Scotland (with boys 9 and 11) and had a great time taking day trips. Last year we stayed in apartments (for less than a week) in Germany and Austria.

We rented directly with the owners via their websites. No problem at all.

For France, search 'gites' both on this forum and the web for great info.

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...



http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...ead.cfm



Jump to the bottom of the thread and then scroll up to Dec 31,2010. In that section, I have categorized the recommended hotels, by district, and have provided websites.



If you're looking for an apartment, you can try:



www.parisbestlodge.com



www.homeaway.com



www.vrbo.com


www.airbnb.com




Happy Travels!

indydad, I love reading all your blogs. As a parents of similar aged kids, I love to read about other families traveling to Europe. While we can't match your quantity, we've had some fun trips over the years.

KingFam, I'll try and come back and share thoughts... but we like the combination of city and country. If you have the time, you could visit some fun things outside the city centers.

Thanks, surfmom. We are very fortunate to be here in the UK and are trying to make the most of it.

FYI, Scotland has been our favorite holiday so working in some "country" time versus city time would be also be our recommendation. North Wales and the Lake District have also been really nice.

Thank you to everyone for your great advice. This is once in a lifetime and I don't want to mess this up! Based on your feedback and some additional research, we're thinking about either A) two weeks London, 1 week Paris, 1 week Rome or B) one week Edinburgh, 1 week London, 1 week Paris, 1 week Rome (obviously with day trips here and there). What do you think?

Also, jenninwv, would it possible to somehow get your lodging recommendations for those cities? I'd really appreciate it.

Either option would be wonderful and you really can't choose wrong.

two considerations -

• Edinburgh is a wonderful base for a week- as long as you don't mean August. The city literally doubles in size in August due to all the festivals and the Tattoo. (These events are terrific but they do make the city extremely crowded and expensive so it is probably better to avoid Edinburgh in August)

• Rome will likely be VERY hot/humid. Even if you find an air conditioned apartment, many of the places you'll be visiting will be broiling.

I don't think you mentioned when in the summer. Exact timing can make a difference. Something like early or mid June is generally better for Rome than is later in the summer.

Meant to add - many off us can give you suggestions for accommodations in all those places and there are many threads already on here w/ TONS of recommendations. (I myself have rented in Edinburgh a few times, in London probably 20 times, in Paris 5or 6 times . . . And I'm a lightweight compared to some Fodorites.)

To make really useful suggestions, we need to know your budget

I want to reiterate what a couple of others have said - I'd try to include one of your weeks, preferably in the middle, in a more rural location. London, Paris and Rome are all fantastic but I think they could start to blur for kids as they're all big cities. There are plenty of smaller towns which still have good transport options. How about London, Paris, Switzerland, Rome, with train between each location? A million options open to you - lucky things! You don't have to even cover that much ground - four stays in two neighbouring countries would work just as well without the longer journeys.

Here's a factor you really need to consider: mode of travel both between base locations and for day trips should there be any.

Rail?

Cheap budget flights?

You really do need to think about that aspect of things IMO since it will impact the overall costs.

Also rental car? public transport?

Great point. Thinking rail to Paris and then flight to rome?

<< What do you think?>>

I think 4 weeks in big European cities in the summer is too much, maybe not for you, but for the kids. My kids, who are grown now, spent about a month in Europe every summer of their lives, and they would have mutinied if I'd limited it to cities (and they love cities). That's not to say your kids aren't entirely different, but you've got 4 whole weeks - mix it up a bit. Rural life in Europe is entirely different from the hustle and bustle of cities (full of tourists in summer), and there's still so much to see and do.

Another suggestion of getting outside of cities! I would suggest a week outside of Edinburgh rather than in Edinburgh. We've spent three weeks in different areas of Scotland, each time in a cottage (twice through an agency or property manager, once directly from the owner) and the kids always had a great time. Once we made a day trip to Edinburgh, another time we spent two nights there in between other stops. It is a great little city but IMO the countryside in Scotland is so very lovely that it makes more sense to spend time outside the town itself, when time is limited.

I have only been to Rome once, many years ago, at the end of July. I won't say "never again," because if someone offered me a trip I would take it, but I would not choose to go there in July. Depending on the timing of your trip you might start there, if your heart is set on it, and then move further north.

My family has just had a great time doing a similar trip with kids aged 8 and 10. We LOVED London and enjoyed Paris but by the end of that 2 weeks (which followed a full on week with relatives in Lithuania) my kids needed a break in the country. We rented a house in the Dordogne and had a fantastic time visitng caves and castles, going canoeing, and just poking around a bit at a slower pace. (we hired a car)
We also had a great time in Barcelona as our last stop - the kids were completely reenergised by it after a couple of weeks in the French country.
We went in September and October so we didn't have to deal with the heat, which may make Barcelona and Paris less appealing.
I would recommend a maximum of two weeks straight in cities then have a break for a week at the beach or in the country somewhere interesting. Then finish off with another great city.
We rented apartments in each place and would have found the trip much more difficult otherwise. It was great to be able to make our own breakfast or dinner if we felt like it, and also fun to be part of a neighbourhood in each city.
I am envious - the planning was so much fun. Enjoy yourself!

Hi Kingfam. I'd be happy to give any apt recommendations that would suit you but some of the ones we used will not as it was just me and two kids so we've "roughed it" in studios that would not accommodate four. Also, with the length of our trip I tried to go as low budget as possible and still feel clean and safe. I'm not sure if budget is an issue for you so you may have more choices than I did. (I just re-read your post and see that it will be just you and the kids for some of the trip so depending when/where, our smaller rentals might work).

Of the possibilities you mentioned, I would personally not spend two weeks in London. My kids were thrilled to see it and are glad we went but in retrospect, its one of their least favorites. After a week, we'd seen everything we wanted - all the stuff you can just walk by (Big Ben, Trafalgar, Buckingham Palace, Picadilly, etc.) plus the British Museum, Science Museum, Tower of London (def fit that in and do the Yeomen's tour), nearly a whole day in Hamley's toy store, a musical, etc. Basically I guess I'm saying a week should be enough. We also had plenty of time to check out markets and for the kids to stop and play in some of the great parks.

We all loved Paris and spent 10 days there. It was nice to have the extra time but we spent a few days just lounging around as we'd already been traveling for 4 weeks and needed to veg a little. The apt we used was low budget but worked well as it had a washer, wifi, and balcony, and was away from the tourist areas but close to the bus and metro.

http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p645479a

As I mentioned, we were so pleasantly surprised by Belgium even at this rainy cold time of the year. I think there would be even more to do in the summer so its worth considering. This is one rental I would highly recommend. If you do consider it, it is more rural and could easily fit between London and Paris giving you that city/country break.

http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p716682

I'm super excited about one of our rentals in Italy (in the Abruzzo region) and though we haven't stayed yet I'll mention it because it could allow you to spend time in the 'country' and still experience Rome with a day trip or two. Its also positioned to go to the beach on the Adriatic.

http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p804840

Based on what we've done so far if I had to choose 4 weeks I'd go London, Belgium, Paris, and Abruzzo. I haven't been to Edinburgh but it seems to have a lot of fans and as others have agreed, the Dordogne is worth considering though I've heard it can be a mad house in the summer.

http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p626883a

Your itinerary and transportation might also depend on where you fly in/out of. We flew into London and are flying out of Rome so we've worked our way gradually south. However, from our part of the US, RT to Paris is usually a pretty good deal and I think its easy to use Paris as a hub since its so well connected.

Sorry to ramble - this has been a great experience for us and I'm thrilled to pass on any information that could help someone else.

Good luck!

I'm grateful for your suggestions!