hetismij2

Nowhere OP is planning to visit involves tolls.
Funnily enough entire European families fit themselves and their luggage, and often a tent or two, plus other camping gear, maybe some baby gear and/or toys, food, and the family dog into their cars every year for their holiday. I can't see why Americans can't fit luggage into a European car.

Do some sums on rail vs car hire plus expensive fuel, parking etc. If you are only visiting cities trains make the most sense on many many levels, though perhaps not financially. It takes a lot of bad weather to stop the trains running, whereas it doesn't take much to cause problems with cars.

J62

American families do the same - A VW Passat wagon in the US is the same size as a VW Passat wagon in Europe. We stuff cars to the gills for trips. The difference here is that we have the benefit of doing that in our driveway (just as European families do) before we set out, so we know what fits and what doesn't, and what tent/sleeping bag/etc can go in what nook or cranny.

For a family going on vacation to Europe, no one person who travels with their suitcases/bags/whatever can have the whole picture of how the combined luggage fits (or doesn't) into a finite amount of space.

Traveler_Nick

I remember one family with a full size fridge strapped to the top of the car. Doesn't mean I'd want to do it.

Different cars with the same trunk/boot volume can have very different shapes. That means you can easily run out of space for a suitcase before you fill up the trunk. Maybe you can squish a duffle bag but is everybody going to pack that way?

laurie_ann

I think you could do a very nice trip Amsterdam, Antwerp, Bonn (4 nights each) with a day trip or two from each, or a similar triangle with different intermediate city, or just Amsterdam and Bonn, all by train or bus, and have full and rewarding holiday. One tip for winter travel where the weather might be questionable stay in fewer different places and be flexible with your plans so that you adjust activities based on the weather forecast. Check out rome2rio.com for various ways to get from one city to the next and the cost. For bus as alternative to train we had very good experience on our last trip to Europe with Flixbus. New buses, timely service, inexpensive.

hetismij2

If they have so much luggage that it won't fit in a car they will struggle with it on trains as well.
I can pack 12 days worth of winter clothes into three small packing cubes, plus one for a spare pair of shoes. No washing needed in between times. They are not visiting the Arctic.

Tulips

I can understand the reasoning behind this, but 5 adult-sized humans in a regular car is tight, if it's for longer journeys.
Don't count on travel times you get from google maps etc; traffic in some of these places can be terrible, particularly Antwerp. Parking is not free in cities, unless you park on the outskirts and take the tram/bus/train in.
Drop Luxembourg; it's a long drive, you can use your time better if you stick to Amsterdam, Cologne/Bonn and maybe Antwerp.

Check the InterCity rates for travel to Antwerp, bought 2 weeks or so in advance it's 21 euro one-way. And you can take any train that day.

Tulips

Yes and Flixbus, as Laurie-Ann says. Good low-cost option.

KTtravel

Ah, your trip makes more sense now. How many nights do you actually have for your trip? Are you counting your arrival and departure days as part of your time there?

If you have 11 nights, you might consider staying three or four nights or so in Amsterdam at the beginning, then renting a car and driving to Bonn where I am assuming you would want to stay to visit with your son. You can add a day trip to Cologne from Bonn. You could then drive to Bruges for 3 nights and do day trips from there, (Ghent or Brussels) if you wish. Spend the night before your flight close to Amsterdam.

Amsterdam 4 nights
Bonn 3 nights
Bruges 3 nights
Amsterdam vicinity 1 night

KTtravel

In Amsterdam, I can recommend the Hotel Fita. I suggest emailing them directly to ask if they have a family room as sometimes larger rooms that can work for families don't appear on websites. Even if they don't have one, they might offer a bit of a deal for two rooms. We stayed there a few years ago and the staff were very friendly and helpful. It is not fancy, but comfortable and well located. The included breakfast was really good.

I haven't been to Bonn or Bruges in years but suggest looking at booking.com or TripAdvisor for central hotels that are well rated and within your budget and then emailing the hotels directly to see if there are any family rooms or discounts for multiple rooms.

lavandula

In many European cities there are the Adagio hotels which are a chain of aparthotels owned by Accor, who also owns Novotel and Mercure. They are usually well-located hotels which are clean and have a kitchenette and access to washing facilities, but are not particularly luxurious. The rates are usually very good considering the locations. I have stayed in them before and would do so again. Before the pandemic Accor had a loyalty scheme that if you joined you got a 10% discount in rates, and the last time I stayed in a Mercure (last Easter), I got a room upgrade. I haven't stayed in an Accor hotel since then but I would certainly check that out. We and our in-laws have stayed in the Adagio Grand' Place in Brussels and also one in Rennes. The Brussels one (there are actually two in Brussels, but the GP one) is right on top of a metro station (no noise but easy access), and close to all the tourist sites and restaurant districts, as well as near supermarkets, so you can self-cater and save money. (And let's face it, foreign supermarkets are a lot of fun!) Even if your destinations don't have an Adagio, they will probably have another Accor hotel so you can shave off a bit of money that way.

Lavandula

SneakedInn

Thanks again for all the good information. Based on the responses and I did a little more homework on the prices of car/petrol and train tickets/passes and the cost is more comparable than I initially thought.

So now I know I can concentrate on lodging in cities as opposed to the outskirts. I think we will do some combination of Brussels/Bruges, Cologne/Bonn and Amsterdam.

I am sure I will have more questions as I plan this trip, I am glad I found this forum.

PS - For those who asked about packing light and getting everything in the car - I told the family: Dress in layers, everyone gets one backpack and we will have two medium sized suitcases for everything else.

lavandula

Sounds like you are on top of it!

Lavandula

menachem

For Amsterdam can I suggest: https://livezoku.com/amsterdam/

Especially because you're a family: Zoku caters nicely to that, it's central, just on the edge of the canal ring and you'll be able to warm things and make your own coffee and such. A loft could be an excellent HQ for meals and you can rent a second room with bunkbeds for the sleepers. (Zoku Bootstrap)

mjs

I’m with everyone else in regards to trains over driving. I do think you need to stay flexible as cases of COVID are increasing in Europe and the numbers in your destinations are not looking good. I would get good trip insurance to cover the costs you cannot recover if you have to cancel. Restrictions due to Covid can happen at anytime as cases are increasing. You should also look to cover your costs if one of you tests positive before flying home and you have to quarantine. It’s winter and transmission risks are much higher indoors which is mostly where you will be
We are a family of four and we often stay at apart hotels like Citadines, Adina etc. it’s nice not to have to eat all your meals in a restaurant and you can realize a lot of savings this way

gudava

Just returned from Europe last month. We had an unfortunate situation with Sixt in France with a car with worn tires which resulted in leakage in the run flat tire. Long story short, we were unable to find a replacement tire or a SIxt location in Briancon so we had to drive three hours each way to Grenoble to switch cars. When we arrived in Grenoble, the kid at the desk took a look at the car's tires, said they looked OK but would switch cars if we insisted. The tires were quite worn(didn't think to check them before taking the car in Lyon. We trusted the company. Wrong..) Anyway, I wouldn't trust that SIxt really cares whether their cars are road-ready or not. Wouldn't trust them especially in the winter time. I have pictures of the tires in case you are curious.
BB

NeoPatrick

"need to check on my coverage to see if I will need that"

I assume you know to check your credit card coverage rather than your own car insurance.

hetismij2

As of today Belgium and the Netherlands are high risk areas as far as Germany is concerned, which means quarantine for 10 days on arrival in Germany, plus registration.
You really need to keep a close eye on how things are developing, Covid-wise.

Sassafrass

Comments and advice about luggage and packing. I can’t begin to count trips (with toddlers, kids, teens, elderly parents, multiple family members and friends), so this is from a ton of experience.

Twice we decided to pack things together. Huge mistake. Yes, fewer pieces, but heavier to carry, lift onto racks on trains and get up steps everywhere. It left the heavy work to mostly one person. Combining belongings does not make it less, just more awkward to handle. It was not so terrible when we went to only one place, checked in, unpacked and stayed there. It was really wretched when we were moving from place to place, hotel to hotel. Everything is harder to access.

The worst issue is having to go through a suitcase with things belonging to more than one person. Sure, when you pack it at home, it is nice, neat, organized. By the second hotel stop, that kind of packing takes time and becomes aggravating. It was miserable! Sharing a suitcase is the pits! I will never do it again!!!
People organize their things differently. DH layers and folds, shirts inside each other, etc. in a traditional style suitcase. I am addicted to feather weight packing cubes in a soft zipper top trunk style. DD likes the two sided middle zipper, hard sided.

People think of backpacks as easy and freedom. Well, that was mostly before light weight luggage with wheels, when there were a lot of night trains and people tripped around Europe, using their backpacks as pillows. There is rarely a need for that now and some people just can’t maneuver a backpack. Hands free, but back laden. Why should they be pack animals when they can use wheels?
If you are concerned that hard sided luggage won’t fit well, there are great soft sides with wheels.

Our Granddaughter has been traveling since she was a baby. She did use a little backpack and her stuff was with her Mom. By age four, she had a tiny wheeled carryon, her own small suitcase and she packed and pulled her own things. By ten, she became totally responsible for her own things. We pack early, about a month before a trip, so she has time to reconsider her choices.

Two of your sons are adults and the other nearly is. Sure, some parameters might be helpful, but dictating may not be good or necessary. If they have ever gone to a camp or even a weekend trip, they likely can do this on their own. They should make a packing list, but if they do not, well, it is on them. Your trip is so soon. Perhaps set aside a fun afternoon or evening for everyone to pack. That way they won’t forget things or be overpacking at the last minute.

If we are flying and checking bags, we do each set aside one outfit in a plastic bag or packing cube and give it to another family member to pack. In case our bag goes missing, we still have an extra outfit. Of course, all medicines, etc. go in our small carryon. BTW, there are some perfect small wheeled carryons that are pretty cheap, fit under the seat and can sit on top of a suitcase, in case someone does not want to deal with a backpack. I like those because on the plane, if I want something like a book, tissues, cough drops, etc. it is a lot easier to get to that than to pull something down from the overhead bins.

Sassafrass

https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/en/coronavirus/2317268