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1st family trip to Europe -Italy, Switzerland and France in July & Aug

I need some help and suggestions for travel throughout and inexpensive places to stay in Italy, Switzerland and France. Specifically Rome, Venice, Milan, Lucern, Bern and Paris. Are we best to purchase a euro rail pass in Canada or there or by as we go? Also, hostels for family of four - two are teenagers. Can we leave luggage there locked up for the day? Can we find inexpensive accomodation other than hostels in the above locations? These are just my beginning travel questions, there will be many more. Oh, and thoughts on prices for airline tickets from Toronto to Rome and Paris back to Toronto - what is a good price for that?
Thanks for the help for this family that are novice travellers!

Posted by
3057 posts

That is a very logical path and it can easily all be done by train, in travel times too short to justify flying. Rome to Venice is 3:40; Venice to Milan is 2:35. buy those tickets in advance on Trenitalia to get Super Economy fares as low as 9 euros-lower than the reservation fee for ride those trains with a Eurail pass. Then Milan to Lucerne, 3:30 to 4 hours. but in advance on Trenitalia to get a Smart Fare. I didn't check but it could be around 19 to 22 eurs. Lucerne to Bern is only an hour. Bern to Paris, 4:03 with a single change in Basel. Buy this one on the Swiss rail site, rail.ch, to get a very good "Special Offer" price. If either teen is under 16 he or she can travel for free in Switzerland if one parent gets a Half Fare card or other type of pass. So do not buy a train pass and do not "buy as we go." figure out your itnierary in advance (you will have to book lodging anyway to get the good deals for families) and book your train tickets 90 days or so in advance to get the best prices. (Actually start a new thread to get specific advice as it differers from country to country. I think the Super Econ tickets on Trenitalia may be released 120 days ahead but I'm not sure. They are limited and they do sell out, so you want to jump when they become available.) In Paris I highly recommend apartments from VacationsInParis.com. You will be much happier in a budget apartment than in a hostel. Save on meals by buying gorcieries (and roasted chicken) at the local stores.

Posted by
331 posts

We toured Holland, France and Italy for 5 weeks with a family of 4 (2 adults and 2 "tweens") and loved it. The only complaint (if you want to call it that) my girls said they would have preferred to stay put for more than a just a few days at a time. All the time spent in bus stations and train stations got to be a bit much for all of us. We stayed in Hostels in Holland and France and had no problem getting a "family room" which had 4 beds (2 bunks). We had very Positive experiences at the hostels. At one point in our trip we took an overnight train from Paris to the south. The kids loved the experience and the overnight part saved us one nights accommodation. Some hostels will let you leave your bags in their locker room (sometimes there is a small fee) and some train stations have locker facilities you can rent. Plane ticket prices are all over the map. For my upcoming trip, one airline wanted $1350 (Toronto to Amsterdam, direct) another $735 (Toronto to Amsterdam, non-direct). I checked on line every few hours (drove myself nuts) and finally bit the bullet, bought the cheaper flight that had been steadily going up. Paid $895.

Posted by
3057 posts

Kayak has open-jaw tickets from Tononto into Rome and back from Paris for mid-July into august at $1079 USD on KLM and Air France, one stop in each direction. Not bad for high season travel on good routes.

Posted by
3696 posts

Tanja...you have lots of questions, but in order to help a bit more information would help. How long is your trip going to be, for starters? Also, just a sidenote, if your concern is budget, you have listed some of the most expensive places to travel to and during peak time. Are you talking about this summer? I usually travel by car, but I have seen enough posts here to know that a eurail pass is seldom the cheapest way. As far as airline, summer is expensive and so is air travel. Most flights are about $1500 from US to Europe, and all you can do is check prices a few times and then buy when you feel comfortable. I would think apartments in a few of your locations would be the best as you can do some cooking and have more space for the kids.

Posted by
16 posts

Yes lots of questions! We are going this summer for three weeks. Summer is our only option as that is when the kids are out of school and not working! Italy and France are to visit war memorials and grave sites as well as some of the other great things in those countries. Switzerland because we wanted to visit another country and it seemed a logical one!

Posted by
8293 posts

Tanja, I can't help with hostels but for your air tickets, check out AirTransat. I think they still fly to Rome in the summertime and they definitely fly Paris/Toronto. They are usually less expensive than Air Canada & the other big names & may offer seat sales for your time frame.

Posted by
3696 posts

Which cities are the ones that you definitely want to visit for gravesites? My only comment at this point is although I understand wanting another country there are so many incredible things in Italy and France and if you bypass those just to add Switzerland it might not be the best use of you time. If you do only cities you will miss a lot of what France has to offer (Provence, etc) as well as Italy (Tuscany). However, if you already have a train route figured out that includes Switzerland, just be aware it is quite expensive. If a third country is in the cards, maybe you can figure a route that will include Germany instead. Every bit as beautiful and definitely a bit more reasonable. Edit: I think some of your travel might include some flights as train rides can be long.

Posted by
1994 posts

Tanja, that seems to me to be a lot of territory to cover, particularly during very hot weather when you might want some down time midday in some of the cities. I'd suggest dropping one of the countries, or preplanning your days to ensure you have enough time. Figure you'll lose at least a half day for short train trips, all day for longer trips; and then make sure you'll have enough time with so many stops. Do check the lost cost European airlines; they probably won't save you much time (given transit times to airport, longer checkin times than trains, etc), but they are likely to be cheaper than the train. Suggest you search SkyScanner website for prices for those airlines (eg, EasyJet, Ryan Air, etc). I stay in convents for low cost housing in both Italy and France, but I don't know if they would be practical (or even possible) with teenagers (although I've seen infants there). No TV or radio in rooms; usually no phone; typically very quiet; there's a curfew; mostly single rooms, occassional doubles; generally little or no English spoken. There's a website MonasteryStays.com that books convents and monasteries (with fee included in price). You could contact them to see if it would be practical for a family with teens.

Posted by
3057 posts

I don't think 6 places in 3 weeks is too much. No train ride is over 4 hours. They can have 3-5 days in each place in France and italy, maybe 2 in Bern and Lucerne. We actually count train time as "downtime" when the kids (teens) can chill or nap. It is nice to ride in an air-conditioned train in the middle of a hot day. Getting to the airport for a short hop is, on the other hand, a hassle, and not worth it. By the time you add transfer and wait time, it will be more than 4 hours anyway.

Posted by
32171 posts

Tanja, A few brief comments.... With a few exceptions, Railpasses are usually not available in Europe, so must be bought here. They're often not the most cost effective option. For one thing, they don't include the reservation fees that are compulsory with the "premium" trains. You'd have to pay separately for those. Click the "Railpasses" tab at the top of this page for more information. Regarding air fares, Air Transat would be a good one to consider. They seem to have "reinvented" themselves lately, with all new interiors and other features. However, they offer fewer airport options than Air Canada or others and in some cases only offer flights to some destinations once a week. If your travel schedule is flexible, that may work? If you want to try Hostels in a couple of locations, you might have a look at the HI Hostels website. They're typically popular with families and school groups. There are a couple of good Hostels in Rome that aren't affiliated with HI. If you need information, post another note. You could also check the Guidebooks for budget Hotel listings. For travel in the summer, I would HIGHLY recommend pre-booking accommodations. Are the cities you listed in the same order as you plan on visiting? I'll try to provide a few more comments later (have to get some shopping done this afternoon). Is this your FIRST trip to Europe, or only the first trip as a family? Cheers!

Posted by
16 posts

Thanks for your responses everyone. I will take the suggestion of starting a new thread about accommodations in each country. Good idea!
I have been to Germany, Switzerland amd Austria before but that was right out of school. This is the first time for the rest of my family and we really just want to give our kids a taste of Europe as we know they will go back and see more on their own. My husband has not travelled much. It will definitely be an adventure and one that we are all looking forward to. I really appreciate all of the input as it will help in planning so very much. I have found good prices on Air Transat $4200 for all of us and Air Canada $4800 for all of us. Will likely book that soon. Good point about trains being a good down time opportunity and in air conditioning. But also good to remember that we don't want to be always on the move. We will have to take that into consideration. Getting excited!!

Posted by
11507 posts

Tanja, we did 7 moves in 26 days and found it a bit rushy this past summer, and I have done a fair amount of travel so didn't feel uncomfortable doing all the rail and flights ( we did a mix).. I would consider 5 places more then enough for 21 days myself.. but I do understand other people enjoy different paces, this is just my tastes. Secondly, having taken two of my kids to Europe ( two seperate trips) I found they don't really like too much moving around, and I find I have to mix in some down time ( just a day at the beach can help). It will be HOT in most places, Italy especially ,and heat can be tiring, especially since many indoor sites will be crowded and do not have a/c or have poor a/c , so at least in Italy get accomadation with a/c, it really helps after spending 10-12 hours walking around sightseeing to have a cool retreat to retire to. Good advice given re planning your route and buying point to point rail tickets well in advance, thats what I do and I find some really good prices that way. I tend to fly if train trip is more then 6 hours, but thats just me. Years of rving with my family have disabused me of any romance notions re overnight train travel, lol ( try sleeping with your family one night in your walk in closet, its about the same, but with noises and a shared bathroom down the hall) .

Posted by
11507 posts

Ps have used both Air Canada and Airtransat, both are fine and I always just pick the cheapest at the time( which usually is Airtransat) , its a plane trip, frankly they are never that pleasant unless you can afford first class as far as I am concerned.

Posted by
8293 posts

And the good thing about your AirTransat flights is that they are non-stop. Can you tell us what your budget would be for accommodation per night? The Beehive in Rome is where my step-daughter stayed last year. Check it out. How much can you afford in Paris?

Posted by
9110 posts

'Much safer . . . . than a hostel.' Personal experience or just an idea?

Posted by
11507 posts

HA,, you don't need our help with a budget like that, but I need yours,, please send me money( just kidding). Your budget is more then enough to get you decent ( nice even ) places to stay.. pick an area in each place and start looking for ideas. I wouldn't consider anyplace that cost 400 dollars a night "inexpensive accomadation".

Posted by
3057 posts

Ed, I meant safety for their belongings. Elsewhere she expressed concern about leaving their luggage at a hostel during the day. That's all. My only personal experience was at a hostel in Canada, where a friend and I shared a 4-bed all-female room with two strangers. Our room had no lockers, just drawers under the beds. My friend and I left in the morning to go hiking, and one of our roommates checked out and left while we were away. I didn't have anything of value like a computer, camera, etc., but some of my clothes were missing when we returned. I reported it but they were never recovered, of course. No big deal, but it could have been if I left big ticket stuff.

Posted by
3057 posts

Pat, a total budget of $400 CDn a day does not meant they have that much to spend on lodging. They stil have treat, pay entry fees, transportation, etc.

Posted by
11507 posts

Sasha I thought 400 per day was hotel budget since it appears she was answering Normas question . Norma suggested a place to stay and asked her what her budget was for Paris, so I think my assumption was fair.

Posted by
208 posts

Hi, we just booked a similar trip, different locations, but 4 people. 4 people, you might want an apartment, when you start doing the math for a hostel, it starts to add up for the longer stay locations. The cheapest flights you are going to find out of Toronto are through AirTransat. They fly direct. Go directly to their site, choose Multi-destination and plug in your info. I have been checking flights for the last 4 month through different sites, and that was the best pricing. Good Luck.