17 days on a budget w/ 4 Adults and 3 Teens.

Here's some great info to help with your planning:

Itinerary Planning Info

Also, if you don't already have a copy, the Best of Europe 2009 would be a good resource.

Barbara, I just want to make sure you are aware that the global pass doesn't work in Great Britain or Ireland. It seems to me if you want to get a pass you could get a 3 country pass covering Germany, Switzerland and France, but I think most people on this forum would advise you that for your trip point to point tickets make the most sense.

If you think you can handle driving at all, you might want to price a van/mini-van. We found driving more cost-effective for six (2 adults, 4 kids.) Point to point is generally cheaper than passes for the train, though.

Planning is so imp. espec with your numbers, budget and many destinations. Look into camping for France Swtzerland Germany portion. Car and hostels for Ireland, hostels for London and Stratford w/ public transit.

Eurail is expensive. Global is even more expensive. You can save money by limiting the countries.

In the British Isles, I prefer buses because the trains are too expensive.

For a group your size, you should at least price a rental van. It's likely to save you thousands over the Eurail passes. Leasing won't work because you're crossing oceans and ferrying the vehicle will be expensive and time consuming (though possible).

Use cheap flights for the longer legs to save time and money (assuming you are all packing light).

Barbara - I concur with the others - no need for a Eurail pass since half your trip will not be covered. Point to point will work out best for you. I disagree about the driving because for me taking trains allowed me to sit back and let someone else do the driving. Being a parent and traveling with so many folks - the trains could provide a good break for you to sit in the dining car and have some wine:) Zurich is very expensive - is that one of your must visits? Check out the major hostel organizations for ones that allow families (most do). You can also save a fortune by eating on a budget - we ate one really good restaruant meal every day in some places and every other day in other places. We went to local markets and grocery stores which provided good food as well as a glimpse into everyday life. We ate lots of fruit, bread, granola, cheese, and a little meat. We drank mostly water, tea, and wine. In Paris you can eat crepes on the street pretty cheap. Food will cost more in GB. I don't really have hostel experience as we stayed in small family run pensiones and found that to be just as inexpensive when putting several people in a room. If you choose one with a bath down the hall and that serves breakfast it usually works out to be a good deal. Grab an RS book or two if you haven't already and pack light. Have fun it sounds like a great trip!

That's a huge chunk of geography to be biting off in just 2.5 weeks. You need to prioritize and minimize the expensive and time-consuming ground travel.

If you have flights into Paris and out of Shannon already, then consider lopping off Zurich (dull, too far) and Munich (too far) and seeing Germany in and around Cologne (Rhineland castles to the south?)

You'd have trouble seeing all those UK and Ireland destinations in your remaining time; something needs to go.

Try this site for getting cheap flights to the British Isles from the continent:

www.whichbudget.com

You have targeted some of the most expensive destinations on the continent. Don't expect a budget trip in these major cities. Hostel prices there will surprise you. In Germany there are tons of hostels in the smaller towns of the Rhineland, and they're a bit cheaper; the St. Goar hostel (south of Cologne) sits just below Rheinfels Castle in the middle of the scenic Rhine Gorge and runs about 15 euros per night:

www.jugendherberge.de/de/jugendherbergen/visitenkarte/jh.jsp?IDJH=424

You could daytrip from there to Cologne by car or train (daypasses for families on Sat or Sun cost 37 Euros) and there are cheap weekend options too.