First Trip to Europe
 

Our family would like to travel to Europe for the first time this summer-late June. Can anyone recommend a tour company? We are considering Brendan Tours, Trafalgar, Cosmos or Globus??? Also, are we better off going to one country (we're leaning toward Germany) or touring a wider area? We only have about 10 days. Our daughters are 14 & 16 and really want to go. Will they be bored on the trip? Any other recommendations would be greatly appreciated!

If you are only going for ten days I would recommend staying in one country. I would pick a couple of places you would really like to see and then do a few day trips from there. Germany is a great country. There are lots of great places to see and has lots of places to relax too. I recommend the cruise up the Rhine river from Mainz (just north of Frankfurt) to Cologne. It is relaxing and there are lots of neat places to stay and visit along the way. There is a really neat hostel (yes, it would be fine for a family) in Koblenz that has family rooms and it is housed in an old fortress overlooking the Rhine valley. Berlin is fascinating and even though your kids are young and won't remember the Cold War, they may appreciate its historical background. It is a seven hour train ride from Cologne I think. I also recommend Munich and the Black Forest. From Munich you can see Dachau, a concentration camp from World War II which is a terrible place, but a necessary educational trip if you are in Germany. You can also take a day trip to Fussen, the home of Neuschwanstein the inspiration for the Disney Castle. There are also great trails to hike and picnic on at the castle. Fussen is the base (then going north) of the Romantic Road. This is a trail of quaint little towns. It is really neat. Just about anywhere in Germany you will enjoy yourself. English is spoken everywhere except the smaller towns, and a little effort to learn key words and phrases will go a long way. I loved Germany, and I have been everywhere in Europe. It is really expensive though. Actually, after Switzerland, it is probably the most expensive country in Europe, but it is worth a visit in my opinion. I would also check out the possibility of family rail passes. It will probably be cheaper and less stressful than renting a car. It also adds to the European experience. If you have any more questions please feel free to e-mail me.

Hi,
I agree with almost everything that Carolyn said except for the cost. We found Germany to be moderate in price. Certainly cheaper than Switzerland and even Italy. It is comparable to France, England, Holland, Belgium, and other modern Western European countries. Gasthauses are very reasonable and very plentiful. Germany is an easy country to travel by car as most people speak English in the more traveled areas, and the roads are well marked. It is a great choice for a first visit to Europe.
I do not know of any other specific travel companies, but beware of those that cater to people who want the "American version of Europe". That is the emphasis is on large hotels high on comfort but low on cultural experiences. The more layers a hotel has the less you learn about the people and their customs. Also be aware of the "shopping tours" that are sparse on learning time and high on buying time. Your children may get bored with this type of tour because the emphasis is on the "American Adult". Also, there is a lot of waiting for people to get back on the bus! Your children will not be bored in Germany but may get bored with the inflexibilty of a touring company.
If you do go make sure you visit Rothenburg on the Romantic Road. There is a store named Kathe Wohlfahrt's that has thousand of Christmas decorations in it. It might be the prettiest store in the whole world!!
Rick Steves is a traveler and author who writes travel books. He has writen a travel book called "Rick Steves'Germany, Austria, and Switzerland 1998." It is a great book and very useful. You can access him on the web at www.ricksteves.com Good Luck!

For first-timers to Europe..no problem. I'd
surely recommend a Rick Steves trip. Even
though I have not been that route personally, I
have talked to others who have done so. It's
on the internet. No one knows how to travel
in Europe more than Rick, I'm sure of it.
One problem, however, is that his weekly
departures are often booked early.

For first-timers to Europe..no problem. I'd
surely recommend a Rick Steves trip. Even
though I have not been that route personally, I
have talked to others who have done so. It's
on the internet. No one knows how to travel
in Europe more than Rick, I'm sure of it.
One problem, however, is that his weekly
departures are often booked early.

Hooray for you! By all means, take the kids. They will have a great time. We took our two daughters (then ages 14 and 12) to England in 1969, then to France and Switzerland in 1970. Wonderful memories.
Yes, Germany can be costly, but the U.S. dollar is about twenty per-cent stronger today than a year ago. Breakfast is included, picnic at lunch, and so you only buy one meal a day. The preceding writer has described a superb itinerary. E-mail me if I can help. Stay outside big cities and save. I can give you many ideas because we have been throughout Germany more than once.

Any of Europe, I think, is wonderful. I'm not sure what it is, but I just love it all. Italy is my favorite. Love the people and the food. German food is good too, if you are not a vegetarian. If you go to Germany go south from Frankfurt, go to Wolfach in the Black Forest. Quaint and lovely! Look at Karen Brown's Intenirary for that area. Great scenic drive. Also, Stein-am-Rhine a fine, old-world, town, on the Switz. border is nice. Go down to Lake Luzern if you have time...beautiful! Also, for kids, consider Berner-Oberland in Switzerland.
About kids, we took our daughter, 15, at the time. She was a pill! Next time we left her and enjoyed the romance of being alone and doing what we wanted.
We've did not regret it and next time will do it the same way. They don't like museums or shopping. She just wanted to go home to her friends! Well, the next time, she got to stay.

I have travelled with Trafalgar many times and I have been very well satisfied. Their hotels are nice, safe and well located. The included meals are good and many are in interesting places. The included entertainment is good and varied. Their tour guides are amazing with their command of languages, history, culture, and in many cases,comedy. I have also taken my daughter at ages 12 and 14 and found Trafalgar to be very child friendly. Many of my friends have travelled with Globus and have been quite happy. However, my travel agent said that the trip she took to London with Cosmos was a disaster. I have only travelled with one tour company other than Trafalgar ( it is one that you did not mention and I think it only operates in Greece), and I found Trafalgar to be far superior. Good luck!,

To answer you other question about whether to visit one country or several, I would certainly recommend one country for the time that you have available. Trafalgar has a great tour to Spain in that time range, also the Chateau country in France or one of the Itallian tours. I don't know about Germany. They have one listed in their brochure that seems very nice. I have only travelled to Germany on my own. It is a lovely country.

I have been to Europe four times and two of those times were for entire summers. The first time I went I was 13 and I went for the summer with my mother. Here are my suggestions:
1) Buy Rick Steves books for the areas you are thinking of visiting. He has been traveling with kids for years and always has great suggestions - like luge rides in Bavaria/Tyrol (southern Germany/Austria).
2) Do not, under any circumstance, take a tour with your kids! They will be BORED! You can easily travel by car or train with your kids - plus you can do what you and your kids WANT to do instead of a lot of adult-centered activities.
3)If I were taking this trip with teenagers, I would a)RENT A CAR - look at the fabulous book on driving in Europe at http://www.ideamerge.com/motoeuropa/english/
Best rates I've found anywhere: Auto Europe 1-800-223-5555, no cancellation/change fee-nice huh? b)PACK LIGHT !!!
c)If you go to Germany, souther Germany is really cute and fun, especially for kids. The castle that the Disney castle is modeled from is there - it's called Neuschawnstein (might be misspelled), there are cute Bavarian towns, people in suspenders and Leiderhosen, lots of flowers and beautiful mountains for hiking. Don't forget the luge rides!
d)Also, from southern Germany, you could zip into Switzerland, Austria or even Italy for a day or overnight trip. I prefer to travel like this, using geographic regions rather than political regions (boundary lines drawn by nature rather than people). It's fun to realize that the Germans, Austrians, Italians and Swiss living in this region are very similar despite living in different countries!
e) Get some maps NOW to plan your trip. Free at AAA with plus membership, or cheap with regular membership. Maps are also available at large bookstores - and worth every penny you spend on them!
f)Check out www.ricksteves.com. Links are under Travel News button.
g) Feel free to e-mail me if you have any questions.
I think it's really great that you are taking your kids. I treasure the memories I have of my first trip to Europe with my mother. Have fun!