Latif

Dear travelers,

We are from asia and planning for family trip to europe in aug, 10pax and 12/13days in Europe.
target around western europe (France, Switzerland, Netherlands, austria) but not sure if be able to cover it to the most recommended spot. our gateway via paris, but return gateway still unknown if not going back the same place, any idea please? i have seen some good reply of not getting return trip from/to same place, to save time and cost.
is it convenient to do free and easy? how about transportation, accommodation etc. any good website for reference? we still have plenty of time to plan for our memorable trip,

Thanks in advance for your good idea!

Michael

If you want to do it on your own, read some guidebooks to get an idea of what there is to see in the various countries you mention. An overall book on Europe might do the trick.

Given the amount of territory you seem to want to cover, a tour might be a better idea, as the tour personnel will take care of most of the details and will move you in the most efficient way possible.

You can't cover 4 countries in 13 days on your own.

ParisAmsterdam

You CAN cover 4 countries in 14 days but your trip will be rushed, hurried and probably not very satisfactory when you think about it later. You'll look at your photos and wonder where the heck you were. You'll spend too much time checking in and checking out, hurrying to train stations or airports and waiting in security lines. ;^(

Pick the 2 places YOU are most interested in.. Paris and Amsterdam? Zurich and Vienna? Or ??? Then plan accordingly. You have the right idea re flights... what you want is called 'open jaw'... in one city and out another.

By all means ask for more advice once you have an itinerary... but only you can decide what's important to you.

Pegontheroad

I too would suggest that you get a good guidebook to help you. A "best of Europe" guide would have much of the information you need. One of the first books I read which helped me when I was an inexperienced traveler was Rick Steves "Europe Through the Back Door." It has general information about traveling on your own and also information about various European cities.

PalenQ

how about transportation, accommodation etc. any good website for reference?>

Well for transportation if going to big cities as most tourists on first trips are want to do take the train IMO - cars are more and more a liability in cities like Paris, Rome, etc - parking can be expensive and many hotels may not offer it, etc. Italian towns have banned private vehicles from many city centers.

So for train info I always spotlight these IMO fantastic sites - www.seat61.com (great info on online discounted tickets that can save you a ton of money if you wish to book weeks early and then not change nor refund the ticket - lock yourself in, which is fine with many; www.ricksteves.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com - download the latter's free and excellent online European Planning & Rail Guide for lots of suggested rail itineraries in various places (http://www.budgeteuropetravel.com/id2.html). If you have ten passengers you can get a group discount perhaps if you book thru say RailEurope in your own country and have a block of ten seats booked together if that is important - may be hard to do on your own online - that is so many seats together.

nytraveler

Frankly 10 people is a very large group to cope with. I have been to europe over 100 times - all but 2 of them independent travel - and there is no way I would consider trying to organize this myself.

It is simply too complex to herd all these people around - especially at such a very rushed pace.

I would find a local travel agent and have them make flight, hotel and train arrangements for you. The group can then divide into smaller groups as they prefer to do what each one wants.

In the limited time you have I would do 2 - or at most - 3 CITIES not countries. Or your trip would just be a tour of the train stations of europe.

Suggest you poll the group to decide on 2 or 3 places and fly into the first and out of the last.

Also you will need to search carefully for hotels - assuming you need 3 or 4 rooms - since many of the modest/moderate ones are quite small.

hetismij2

For ten of you I would seriously look at a tour. It will almost certainly work out cheaper than buying train tickets and booking hotels yourself, especially to cover the amount you want to do. If you are happy settling on just two, or at most three destinations then it may pay to book it your self.

Don't forget you will also all need visas if you are all citizens of an Asian country.

Latif

@Michael/parisAmsterdam/Pegontheroad
hi, Thanks for your reply.. sure will get the guidebook of the best europe, understand have to do few times trip to cover
our ticket to paris and return from Amsterdam.
might consider local tour, if any good suggestion for english or chinese speaker please!

@PalenQ,
thanks for the reference, should be very useful..

@nytraveler
yeah, looks very complicated. would squeeze it out and back with the itenerary later.. thanks

@hetismij2,
Hi, thanks for the suggestion,searching for the local tour for the arrangement would do well.. if you have any reference please! we could get one vlisingen visa easily to access all European country. Thanks..

PalenQ

that's a Schengen visa good for all Schengen countries - most of them except for insular Britain - need a separate Visa for that but otherewise land in one Schengen country and your set for all the others just like any European or American traveler.

Latif

@PalenQ
thanks. Had visited UK last year for a week trip and so excited for coming european trip

StCirq

Your UK visa won't help you in the Schengen countries.