Hello! I've been traveling with my family this year for a grant my husband is on. We have a 5 yr old and 3 yr old.
We have six weeks to travel around Europe between the end of the grant and the date when we can move back into our home in the U.S. There are a million places we want to see, and we need to narrow it down so we can start to make plans. Our interests include: playing in parks/playgrounds, kid-friendly museums, food (food tours, restaurants, trying local delicacies), scootering in plazas, history (landmarks, ancient sites), and art (specifically ceramics).
The current idea is:
leaving from Crete --> Spain (friends in Granada ~1 week) --> Portugal (ceramics, food, nature, and we hear it's kid-friendly. Currently have a yurt rented south of Lisbon ~4 nights, but would stay in Portugal longer) --> France (Paris to see friends ~1 week, French Alps ~1 week...possibly a stop through Biarritz to see family en route from Portugal to France) --> Denmark (want to see an art exhibit in Arhus, and visit Copenhagen).
ADVICE I'M LOOKING FOR...
1) Transportation methods: I'd like to take as many trains as possible, maybe fly for longer distances e.g. Lisbon to Paris. My husband wants to rent an RV from Malaga to Lisbon. Thoughts on RV travel in this part of the world, especially with two little ones? Has anyone traveled with young kids on the train in this part of Europe - good experience? advice?
2) Lodging: wow, lodging is expensive. We want to YOLO as much as possible but...also be reasonable and not pay $2,000 on an airbnb for a weeklong stay if possible. We're open to family hostels, but the ones I've found are still pricey ($250+/night). Anyone know of any simple but comfortable lodging options in this part of Europe? What is a reasonable budget we should expect for lodging? We're open to city stays, or nature-oriented stays would be great too.
3) Thoughts on itinerary in geenral? If YOU had 6 weeks to travel in Europe with two young kids, where would you go?! We'll need to start in Greece, and ultimately end in the northeast United States.
Thanks in advance.