Mike

I have a wife and 2 kids (3 &5 next year). We would prefer to either go to a large city for a week and just see the sights of that city, or pick a central base where we can take daytrips (less than 1.5 hours drive). I like architecture and just seeing interesting sights. I would also like to experience new things and new foods. What would you recommend for my 4 weeks?

Robin

Sorry to be dense, Mike, but are you asking where to go for vacation next year after you are already in Switzerland, or are you wondering about a vacation in anticipation of your move?

Mike

Where should I go since I will already be in Europe and won't have to buy airline tickets, I can drive instead.

PB

From Geneva (since I don't know where you'll be living, I'll just take this as a starting point), it's about a 3.5 hour drive to Avignon - a jumping off point for Provence.

Good weather, lots of Roman ruins and interesting architecture... beaches about an hour from there on the Med for the kids. Good food, plenty of day trips - the Pont du Gard, the town of Rousillon - built on red ochre cliffs, etc.

Perhaps take the family on a barge trip through Burgundy - you can find information on self-drive barges at www.locaboat.com. Fun, interesting and will give you a different view of France. Not to mention the wine tasting you can go.


PB

ingrid

I'm impressed that you can go to a large city with two little kids and see the sights. Certainly couldn't have done that with my kids when they were that age (nor now that they are older).
Well, Paris comes to mind (Disney), the Loire chateaux with wine tasting, then maybe a beach near Bordeaux (if it's not August). You may also consider Munich, the Bavarian Alps, maybe stay on a farm, then the beach between Trieste and Venice, back to Switzerland via Italian lakes.

Don

If you only have the one year I would try to visit London for one week, Paris for one week, Rome for one week, and then Prague for 3-4 days and Vienna for 3-4 days.