First time travelling to Europe
 

Hi !
Can some one guide me how can I plan best to see Europe.
Actually I am travelling on business a trip to Germany Berlin for a Week. After week I am planning to stay for one more week ( so overall two weeks).
My family will be joining . I have a week long training in Berlin.
I want to know if I can plan for them to see any places i.e Paris ,Brussels and Prague and return by weekend.
Or is there any Euro rail that they can go to London spend a day or two in London, Paris, Brussels and then reaching to Berlin?

Appreciate any suggestions how can I paln their trip so they can be comfortable and back by Friday.

After their return then I am planning to take a week trip to see Swiss and Italy to gether.

Can any one give me suggestions what is the best way to see Swiss and Italy ( Venice and Rome, Florence). is the Eruo rail is good or should we take some buses?
This is our first time to Europe.

I have seen Euro rail pass for 3 or 4 countries combination is this good and also what are the best places to see?

Or is there any Euro rail that they can go to London spend a day or two in London, Paris, Brussels and then reaching to Berlin?>

Yes trains go everywhere - check these sources for lots on European trains - forget about any eurailpass as you or they are not nearly traveling enough. Check www.seat61.com; www.ricksteves.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com.

Berlin to Switzerland or Italy is a long way by train - check cheap flights.

Can your family fly into another city first, then come to Berlin? If will save them a day of travel.

How old and how many in your family? Young children, older kids, etc?

It would also be useful to know exactly how much time they will have. When will you land in Germany? You want them to be back in Berlin by Friday. If they must return to Berlin, then they have time only for Paris.
If they could fly into Paris, then meet you in Rome or Switzerland, they could see a lot more without traveling so much.
Are they going to spend any time in Berlin? Do you have to fly out of Berlin for your return home? Exact date and time will be important in planning the rest of the trip.

It would be better to fly out of Rome rather than back to Berlin if you can. If you all have to land in Berlin, travel to another city like Paris, return to Berlin by Friday, then return again to Berlin for the flight home, your family will be spending most of their time traveling.
If you are stuck with departing from Berlin, then as soon as your training is done in Berlin, hop on a plane (or train, depending on destination) and meet up with your family. Go back to Berlin a day or so before departure.

You can't plan transportation until your itinerary is set, but you will probably want to fly rather than bus or train, except within Italy. Europe is huge. Your time is short.
You can not see Rome, Florence and Venice in a week, much less part of Switzerland, so you will have to choose only two places.

Your problem is your very limited time. You will have a week to travel - no way can you see that many countries in a week - or two weeks or even a month.

Your family could stay with you in Berlin for the week of your training, taking day trips as they wish. Then all of you can go to another country together either by train or flying. I'd suggest you choose one country. If Italy is your choice, you can fly from Berlin to your first city, and hopefully, you can fly home to India from your second city in Italy, Three cities in a week is not a good plan. Exactly how many nights on the ground in Europe will you have after your training?

I seriously doubt that any rail pass will make sense for you. Plan to buy individual tickets.

My Kids are 7 and 12 and. Yes they can fly and come back to Berlin that is what I was thinking. They have a week. I am planning to fly out from Rome back to US. I don't need to fly back from Germany.

Tentatively landing on 27th in Berlin and planning to fly back from Rome on Sept 10th.

I need to be in training from August 29th to Sept 2nd.and I am extending till Sept 10th.

What will be the suggestion for my Family and after my training from Sept 2nd to Sept 10th what can we cover as together?

and from August 28th to Sept 2nd my wife and kids are willing to explore one is 7 years, 12 years.

Appreciate al your response and guidance.

Regards

Since you are flying out from Rome, plan the time the family has together in Italy. You will have a week, and you could fly into Venice and meet them there, where you could spend a few days together exploring Venice, then fly to Rome and spend the rest of your time there. Or you could fly into Florence, then take a train to Rome after exploring Florence.

If your family would like to explore somewhere other than Berlin and the surrounding area while you are in training, they could choose any European city - for instance, Paris, London, Amsterdam. I advise against them trying to visit many cities (as you listed in your original post). Choosing one city and doing day trips make the most sense, especially with children - the packing up and moving to another place as well as transport will take up too much of one of the scarce days the have to see/do things in Europe.

What time of the year is this trip?

Ideas
Sat, Aug 27, arrive Berlin, relax
Sun, Aug 28, tour a bit of Berlin
Mon, Aug 29, family flies to Paris
Tue, Paris for family
Wed, Paris for family
Thur, Paris for family
Fri, Sept 2, Family flies to Venice. At end of your day of training, you fly to Venice and meet them there.
Sat, Sept 3, Venice
Sun, Sept 4, travel to Florence
Mon, Sept 5, Florence
Tues, Sept 6, travel to Rome
Wed, Rome
Thur, Rome
Fri, Rome
Sat, depart for home.

Another idea
Sat, arrive Berlin
Sun, Berlin
Mon, Family travels to Prague
Tue, Prague
Wed, Prague
Thur, day trip from Prague to ?
Fri, family returns to Berlin
Sat, all go together Venice
Or, family flies to Venice from Prague and you meet them and continue.

You can substitute other places.
Two days in Switzerland instead of Venice and Florence.
London rather than Paris.
Salzburg and the Romantic Road or Vienna.
They could also go to Venice and Florence and meet you in Rome. As a family, go to the Amalfi Coast for three days and see Pompeii, then back to Rome for three days before departure.
You have many options possible, but you must choose only a couple because of time. What you choose depends on your interests.

HI, I suggest that you not overdue it with too many places esp big cities. Pick two or three areas/countries/that you would like to see. Bavaria or the southern part of Germany is lovely. I find it much nicer in some of the smaller villages, cities than in the big cities. Switzerland is lovely, train travel is excellent. Sue

If you try to do too much you will be miserable. Travel is very tiring esp with different languages and esp with children. Go down to Wurtzburg and over to Rothenburg the children will love it, see Katie Wolfharts Xmas store there, easy by bus from Wurtzburg. Maybe train down to Innsbruck and up to Igls (eagle) right outside of Innsbruck, Austria. Igls is a bit up a mountain in a lovely small village, again your children would like it. Avoid the big cities or you will all be too tired to enjoy anything. Sue

Sassafrass' suggested itinerary would be both practical and interesting for your family. It allows for reasonable travel times and maximum sights in the short time that you all will be in Europe, except for Florence, which may be rushed.

I agree that the proposals made by Sassafrass are very good. Don't try to cram in too much. For example, trying to see Switzerland as well as Venice, Florence, and Rome in the short time you have after your training would make the trip very rushed.

I like Sassafras's Italy plan a lot, though with kids I might spend an extra night in Venice (they'll love it) and arrive in Florence the next day and leave for Rome later in the day, still giving you two half-days in Florence -- unless renaissance art is your big thing.

This spring we flew from Venice to Paris (CDG) on Air France for $43 (yes...dollars), so I'd look for similar good fares from Paris to Venice...and it was not on a bargain airline.

ssander

Yikes...my memory is failing me.

Sorry, but the fare I quoted in my previous post was from <strong>Bologna</strong> to Paris...so disregard that part of the post.

ssander

I just looked at Kayak...

On Sept 2 there are several budget flights from Venice for as low as $46 depending on the time of day and whether you go from ORY or CDG...which I might choose based on where I'm staying in Paris.

ssander

Orly would be I think better for most destinations in Paris - much closer to Paris than CDG and the OrlyVal to RER B at Antony takes you to several popular hotel areas.