2 weeks in Europe Mother and Teenage Son trip

"...would like to go to Italy and see as many other countries...". With only two weeks, I would strongly suggest you confine the trip to only two locations or three at the very most. The reason is very simply. A lot of time is lost going from one place to another. Much more than one anticipates due to checking out of the hotel, getting to the train station or airport, locating the new hotel, checking in, and so forth. And that is time that can't be recovered. Better to have good memories of two or three locations than just a blur of train stations and airports. Your son's input about where to go is very important. Where does he really want to go? With your concern about the air fares, perhaps fly into Paris, then to Amsterdam, and return home from there. Just a though.

"We would like to go to Italy and see as many other countries as we are able to."

The last part of that sentence causes me considerable concern. In my view, the path to the best vacation doesn't wind through "as many other countries as possible" when said vacation is just two weeks long. All the more since it appears you may be flying into and out of Country X when you really want to go to Italy, in which case you now have an 11- or 12-day vacation. If Italy is your primary interest, I urge you to spend all the time in Italy, except for whatever you want to do in your arrival city.

Do check on fares to Milan and Rome. If you're lucky, they may not be all that much more costly than flying into Amsterdam or Paris. If you have to take two extra flights (or long train trips) from Amsterdam or Paris to Italy, and return, that will not come cheap. It's difficult to take advantage of the great advance-purchase/non-changeable plane and train tickets to move on to your desired destination on the day you arrive in Europe, because you cannot be sure what time you'll actually clear the airport.

If Italy is not a must, you could put together a very nice trip from either Amsterdam or Paris that would include a few days in the Netherlands, Paris or some other area of northern France, and some lovely scenic areas in western Germany. Or you could do Paris/London or Amsterdam/London.

Definitely consider a multi-city flight that has you flying into Paris and out of Amsterdam, or vice versa, so there's no need to return to your arrival city at the end of your trip.

Why not start by asking your son where he'd like to go and work from there? For advice from the forum members on where you should go or how you should travel, you'll need to give more information - such as what types of things do you and your son like to do? What do you consider 'inexpensive' - what's your budget? If the 2 weeks includes flight days, then how many days do you actually have on the ground in Europe? If France or northern Europe (Netherlands, Belgium, Germany) are not your desired destinations then consider spending a bit more for flights to wherever it is you want to concentrate your time - flying into/out of a city that's not your ultimate destination just adds time and cost of returning to that city for your flight home, which may be just as much as the more expensive flights. If you want to move around to different countries or areas of a country, definitely consider open-jaw flights (into one city, back from another), they may cost more initially but are worth the extra cost in time and travel savings in the long run.

I know you mentioned Italy but if you truly want to use flights to either Amsterdam or Paris and your son expresses an interest, then maybe consider Amsterdam, London, Paris as a 3-city, 2-week, trip. For 2 weeks in Italy, it would be much better to fly to somewhere in Italy and base in 3 locations, doing day trips to nearby places.

Thanks so much for the quick response. So my son's only request is that we see Rome at some point in our trip, he really doesn't care which part of Europe that we see, he wants to "experience" a different country and see as much culture in Europe that we can in 2 weeks. Yes those 2 weeks will include travel days. I know this is vague, I'm looking for a few suggestions and then I'll start planning from there. As far as expenses,I just want the most for my money, so if staying in town costs more but allows us to do more with our time then that's worth the money.

If Rome is a definite, I'd stick to Italy. Rome is quite different from Florence and even more different from Venice, just to name the three cities most often visited. There's huge variety in that country. Include at least a side trip of two to a smaller city or town.

Some of Europe's favourite cities to visit ...
Paris / Rome / Florence / Venice / Budapest / Prague / Berlin / Barcelona / Madrid / Sevilla / Amsterdam

It sounds like you are leaning towards a diversity of choices, which means a couple of intra European flights once there. Paris and Amsterdam would be good as you say for gateway points.

If Italy is your preference ...
Arrive Amsterdam (3)
Fly to Venice (2)
Train to Florence (2)
Train to Rome (3)
Fly to Paris (4)
Depart Paris

Another idea ,,,
Arrive Amsterdam (3)
Train to Berlin (3/4)
Fly to Barcelona (3/4)
Train to Paris (4)
Depart Paris

Not sure why Paris and Amsterdam are cheaper as a result of your airfare search. Check with Kayak or Matrix to see if you can do better.
Since you have been to Paris, if you don't find good fares to a place like Rome, then you could easily do two weeks visiting Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and perhaps a bit of nearby Germany. Amsterdam is worth a couple of days and you can take a day tour to the Dutch countryside. Brugges and Ghent are good in Belgium and a day in Brussels. Luxembourg (Lux City and Viaden are nice as well as nearby Trier, Germany).

On the other hand, those places are great, but the history in Italy is fantastic. Two weeks would be great for Rome, Florence and Venice.

We did a 3 week trip a few summers ago, and one week was Italy. 3 nights in Rome, 2 in Lucca (day trip Pisa) and then 3 in Venice. I would lengthen Rome if he has a special interest... but I think you could do ok with a bit over a week in Italy, then a little less than a week somewhere else, probably flying in between - so you can experience 2 things.

Wherever you decide to fly in, I would base in that area 4-5 nights, then fly to Italy and home from there. Spain is fun! Or Germany! You could take a train from Munich to Verona, but it's a little long, then you have to still get to wherever you are going. If you want cheaper, I thought Spain was on the cheaper end. Or we just came back from Prague, that was awesome and cheap!

Don't book round trip to Paris or Amsterdam and then go to Italy - you will surely spend more getting to Italy then just buying the correct ticket in the first place. Has he been to Europe?

Or how about fly to Amsterdam, 3 nights (2 days)
train to Paris, 3 nights (2 1/2 days) - I know, so short, but we were only in Paris 2 nights because that's all we could fit and it was still amazing! Going back some day!
Fly to Venice or Rome, then spend 8-10 nights in Italy, working up or down (depending on whether you fly out of Rome or Venice)...3 stops max.

Quick on the front end, but I think it's doable. More time is always better, but I think you can get a good sense of a place in 3 nights for sure. Even 2 in some cases, but I try to minimize 2 night stops... I would never do 2 night stop after 2 night stop... but you can squeeze one in between longer stops.

Have fun! Amazing! I guess just really decide where you want to go... I would keep it to one extra flight within Europe and then trains around 3 hours...

Kim

Based on your responses, you definitely need to fly open-jaw. Try to get a flight into Amsterdam and home from Rome. Will probably cost a bit more but worth it in the end. Since your 2 weeks includes flight days, I will assume you have 12 nights total (possibly 13). Fly into Amsterdam - 3 nights (possible day trip to another nearby town); train to Paris - 3-4 nights; fly to either Florence or Venice - 2 nights; train to Rome - 4 nights; fly home from Rome. That gives you 3 countries and a taste of 4 major cities and is easily doable. Trains and flights purchased ahead of time (specific dates/times and non-refundable) are cheap. After you decide, you can ask on here about hotel/b&b recommendations for each city.

I agree with Amsterdam train to Paris, fly to Venice, it is an amazing car free city that is a change of pace from the other cities, then Rome for the flight home.

It is 3 and a half hours from Amsterdam to Paris, and about 4 hours between Venice and Rome.

It is recommenced to fly home from Rome because Venice generally has very early morning flights and is difficult to get to. It is easier to get to the Airport in Rome.

From my experience, flights in May and early June are cheaper than late June or July. With your tight schedule, it would be wise to stay closer to the city center or at least a metro stop in the larger cities. In Venice, make sure you stay on the islands and get a good map.