Epic Trip planned for a family of 7, suggestions before we plan on seeing it all!

davidskeith,
Congratulations on being able to have all seven of you spend a whole month exploring parts of Europe! I won't comment on your general itinerary, but will offer a couple of suggestions that may aid you in your planning.

First, flying into one city and out of another is very wise and practical (no backtracking).

Second, it is helpful to count nights in a place, not days, as two nights somewhere means one full day there. It seems odd, but, believe me, it helps in organizing a realistic itinerary.

Third, I would research and get real-time info on the time it will take to change locations (checking out of lodgings, getting to train station or airport-getting there 2 hours ahead if flying-actual travel time, getting from airport or station to lodgings in new location, checking in,etc). This will give you how much time you really have in a place. You may need to tweak your itinerary for this, depending on travel options available to you. Based on most of your travel plans, and the fact that you are wrangling 7 people, I would allocate a whole day for each move. (I have done a vacation in Europe with seven people, so I understand.) Just be aware that those days likely won't involve any sightseeing.

Fourth, with seven people you will need two cars, or a real van. Vans are available in Euroipe...we have rented one in the past. Know that cars in Europe trend smaller than in the US. A mid-size car will hold four people and luggage if each has a smallish bag. When there were seven of us staying for ten days in the Dordogne we just rented two cars. A van, however, may be hard to drive through some of the narrow streets in many villages. Two cars also gave us time to do separate things (Of course, we were five adults and thus five drivers with only two kids.)

Fifth, scheduling down times or down days is very wise. Laundry will need to be done and not everyone will be in the same mood for sightseeing at the same time. Built-in flexibility is good for everyone.

Sixth, ask everyone to make a list of about 5 things they would like to see or do on this trip, in the locations you have mentioned. (Not 5 each in each place.) Make sure each person has at least one thing on their list that is done or seen. (Disneyland may be it, who knows?) Some may overlap...all the better. Involve everyone in the planning, but remember, Mom and Dad do have the final say (e.g., no hang gliding off an Alp!). You are, after all, footing the bill and should have final say on expenses and practicality.

We took our kids to France when they were 10 and 8, 20 and 18, and 46 and 44, plus grandkids at 9 and 12. Each trip went well, whether short or long, travel-heavy or single location. Both kids have travelled to Europe on their own more than once. I like to think our introduction to Europe triggered a love of travel in them. Maybe that will happen with your five!

Best of luck and have a wonderful adventure!

We may not have an opportunity to show my children the world like this for years to come.

I think it's a great opportunity and that you might be right that it's your only shot. But this will be a huge undertaking.

When is this trip happening?

Unless you've driven on the wrong side of the road with success in past visits, I would not choose to drive my family around in Scotland. And how big a car do you think you'll find that will accommodate all of you AND all your baggage?

Right now the pacing and some of the specific activities you have penciled in sound pretty "Griswoldy" - "showing the kids Europe" is perhaps too much to expect. I like the idea of visiting the UK... a nice warm-up place. After that, try not to turn your time into the equivalent of a European bus tour... I'd suggest hitting just TWO additional countries. 8-9 days per country will actually give everyone a better "feel" for what each country is like. For variety, I'd probably go with the UK, Switzerland or Austria, and Italy- and I'd fly from London to Italy. Do a good job with those 3, and your kids will want to get back to Europe to see France, Germany and the other countries you are skipping.

Okay, I said I wouldn't comment on your itinerary, but Russ has made some good points. IMO your plans are doable, but in covering so much ground in a month you would likely be missing a lot and suffer some burnout after a couple of weeks. Perhaps when you have refined your plans you may decide to eliminate something. Just a thought.......

David, great plan and doable. Go for it. 'we'r all pretty fit' indicates you are a young family, and so the grandfathers and grandmothers on the forum might have reservations.
There are no issues for renting a van as I assume you will be using these (twice) for trips without moving your luggage. No need for two cars. Even with luggage, a 9-seater will do the job.
Splendid idea to use the Eurostar between London and Paris. TGV Lyria will let you move to Switzerland.
I'm a bit confused about mentioning Neuenschwander castle. You probably are pointing to Neuschwanstein Castle, which is actually located in Germany, not Austria. Can't help you visiting it from Switzerland (I just know the public transport route starting from München - train to Füssen, bus Höhenschwangau and bus Mariënbrucke).
I think you will be doing a fantastic trip. Enjoy planning and execution!

Excellent advice so far. On Skye you're going to run into narrow, single track roads and the size of vehicle you'll need may make the drive hair-raising at times. I'd prepare in advance for driving on the opposite side than your used to.

How experienced are you with getting on and off of trains? At some stations you may not have much time and since you likely won't have a border collie to help herd the kids it's something you'll need to be aware of. Large luggage may be a challenge. I'd keep packing to a minimum for the same of the size of car you'll need to getting on and off of trains efficiently. I had friends last year in Italy that missed their flight home because they missed a train due to struggling with oversized luggage up steps onto a train.