Alok_Mohata

Our family consisting of my mother, wife, two kids (aged 10 and 7) and myself (aged 37)would like to visit Europe for the first time in October, 2011 for 13/14 days. We would not like to go with a tour company organising group tours and we would like to stick to few places rather then squeeze too many countries and cities. Please give us ideas regarding the countries/places for our visit considering tthe period of the year and a moderate budget.

nytraveler

I really think you need to give us a little more help.

What are your interests? Why are you going to europe? Just basic sightseeing - nothing specific?

With two kids that age I would pick 2 cities and rent an apartment in each. Easier to be able to do bkfsts and snacks that way, usually less enspensive - and a place for one adult to watch the kids at night while others can take turns going out to a show or whatever.

For where to go - I would get some tour brochures and study them to figure out which places are the top of YOUR must see list.

Prices are impossible to guess because 1)air fare is a signficant part of the cost and we don;t know where you're coming from and 2) some places (London, Switzerland) tend to be more expensive than others.

ellenem

Welcome to Fodor's.

Your question is a bit too broad for us to answer. Europe is a big place. S

ince you are interested in visiting Europe, you must have an idea of some places you might like to visit and the type of things you like to do and see. We can make blind suggestions, only to have you say, "But we really wanted to see London! (or Rome, or Croatia)" or "We love hiking (or fine dining, or shopping)" or "We hate cities (or art museums, or shopping)."

Can you provide a little guidance on what you were hoping to include in your trip? We want to make suggestions that would appeal to YOUR family.

Alok_Mohata

Sorry, i understand the difficulty in answering my question since it is quite broad based.. We are coming from India. We are interested in scenic beauty, architectures, history.. City life, shopping and fine dining are at the bottom of our interest list..We would love to spend time in serenity and travelling more through the country side..

adrienne

This is a bit difficult as most of the great architecture and history is centered around cities. The countryside offers natural beauty.

If you don't mind cold, damp weather you could go to Scotland. Lots of natural beauty and serenity and history and some architecture in the castles and lovely small towns/villages. Lots of sheep along the roadside. Good hiking places. You would need to rent a car to go from place to place and see the beauty of Scotland. Scotland is definitely serene.

uhoh_busted

I would suggest you choose one country, probably either France or Spain, as both maintain a moderate climate in October (and we've travelled in both during that month).

Consider several regions before you decide where you want to base yourself. Outside of Paris, we particularly enjoy the Dordogne & Lot region (lots of castles and beautiful villages) and the Languedoc-Roussillon (the SW of France, with Cathar ruins, the Pyrenees, and soft sandy beaches along the Med.) But you might also want to investigate Provence and head toward the beautiful Alps. But do not try to see it all in two weeks - pick one region (or two that are close enough to each other) and consider leaving the last 3 days to see the sights in Paris.

In Spain, you will want to focus on either Northern Spain (Barcelona and Basque Country would be a potential selection), or Southern Spain (Seville, Granada).

You are really going to have to do a bit more research to decide what to focus on -- and then come back for some "specifics" -- which is what the forum is best in giving advice about.

uhoh_busted

I should have said "you MAY want to focus on..." I'm really not that pushy!

lindy27

With a moderate budget I would go for Germany. With 13/14 days, really try to stick to only 2 countries. You could easily do just Germany or combine it with Austria or another close country.

If you have more to budget France/Spain/Italy are great choices but generally more expensive.

Alok_Mohata

Dear lindy27,
Thanks to you and the earlier contributors.. Is UK (Wales, Scotland, Ireland and Britain) be a costly proposition then Germany/ Austria.. Any ideas regarding how much would we be spending. Our budget including r/t from India would be 7500 Euros for 13/14 days fao a group of 3 adults & 2 kids. And how should we move around in these countries -- by train or car..

jamikins

How you move depends on where you go. I would pin down your locations first and then worry about transport.

I cant compare the UK to Germany/Austria as I have never been to Germany/Austria, but with a bit of planning you can find budget places in most countries.

Note - UK is GBP, not Euro. Do you mean your budget is €7500 including 5 return flights from India? I have no idea how much flights cost from India but I think that budget will not cover flights for 5 AND 2 weeks of travel.

uhoh_busted

We have found that travel in France and Spain can be done reasonably. I suspect it would be more cost-efficient to rent a car, but you'd need to check to see if there are rail deals you can find.

I'd cross Italy off your potential list -- we're planning nearly a month in Italy this fall, and are finding it more expensive than the month we spent last fall in SW France. I've not travelled in Germany, so I can't compare that -- you would need to put together a simple itinerary and check out lodging and transportation costs in each, but perhaps the first step is looking for rt airfares from India, so you know what your budget on the ground is going to be.

mamcalice

If this is your first trip to Europe, I suggest picking two of the great cities of Europe (London, Paris, Rome, etc.) and flying into one and out of the other. Rent apartments and see each of the cities in depth. London is wonderful for children, Paris is amazing for everyone and Rome should be nice in October. With a week each you can become familiar with the cities you choose and have time for a day trip or two to the countryside. Let your kids help you choose.