Family of with kids from 15-20 years old trip recommendations

How many people are in your party? You might think about a Recreational Van or at least a station wagon. There are many Campgrounds that are full service with cafes, shops and laundry facilities throughout Europe. You can stay in a cabin or a caravan. They are often by the Seaside or National Parks. We did our laundry in one near Loch Awe in Scotland. Some have boat rentals. Some in England are in Castle Grounds. Germany has horse camps. Justing thinking out of the box. We did mostly stay in B&Bs ourselves, but also in small hotels and Pubs with rooms. Farms were our favorites. If you want to go to Tuscany in Italy, it is easier to have a car. Especially if you want to stay in Agri Turismo. Bon Voyage!

Thanks for the suggestions Kathleen. The kids are 15, 19 and 20 (adults really!) so a family of 5.

If your boys don't have experience driving in excess of 120 mph I wouldn't put them on the Nurburgring. No joke. If they have not driven on a race track this is not where to learn. Take them to a track day with BMW or Porsche before even thinking about it.

I would seriously consider a day or two in Stuttgart at the MBZ or Porsche museum. And they have cars you can rent at the Porsche one, so they could get some time on the Autobahn, but again, they need to know how to drive before getting behind the wheel. The Department of Defense calculates the first 30 days in Germany are the most dangerous for Americans driving. And wrecks are rare in Germany, but they are always bad.

For some really good other car collections the Technical Museums in Speyer and Sinsheim have fantastic collections.

If you're going to LeMans you should already have hotel reservations. Expect to pay $500-$1000/night per room.

If you can convince everyone to have only one small carry on you can get away with renting a station wagon. They are much more common here than in the States. Gas is @ $6/gal. Almost all of northern Italy and France will require tolls which are not cheap. Parking is expensive. Things to consider. Also, every driver will require an international drivers license, and really needs to understand driving here is very different than the USA.

Melissa, It is not an International driving license, it is an International Driving Permit, which does not substitute for your home state license. The Permit is required as it makes a translation of your license available in the country you are visiting. They cost about $20.00 at AAA, polus a photo (not a passport size one; AAA can take one for about $8.00).And yes, driving in Germany, especially, and on the Autobahn, in particular, speeds are high. The left lane is only for passing. It is quite a wake-up call for American drivers.
Take KGC's advice VERY seriously! It is not like the movies.

A station wagon is a good suggestion. Cars in Europe are more compact than here. Five adult sized people will be scrunched even in a "family" sized sedan when you factor in luggage for five people. On a short jaunt, fine, but for longer trips.....
Descriptions on rental sites may say 5 people plus 3-4 suitcases, but take that with a grain of salt.

For driving the Nurburgring, I think rental cars have draconian rules about not taking the car on a racetrack. So unless you buy a car and take delivery in Europe you’d need to find a company that rents cars specifically for that purpose or enroll them in a driving class that uses the track. And I agree, they should have some training and track experience beforehand. Good luck!

do you have tickets and reservations for the Le Mans? That's getting pretty close for late notice.

Are your boys (adults to you and the ticket taker, but really boys) wanting to self drive the Nurburgring or are looking at the ride with a pro option?

Any must see areas in these countries.

Coming from Australia, as you do, you seem like good candidates for time in the ALPS and/or some time in Germany's CASTLE mecca, the Upper Middle Rhine Valley (which is quite close to the Nürburgring) and on the way to Amsterdam as well, should you be going there.

Alps: Head north by train from Venice > Verona > Bolzano > Innsbruck (Austria) > Mittenwald (Germany)

Rhine Castles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XElvTqJVWA

I took a 19 year old for a day of driving on the Nurburgring. There are no “requirements” (other than holding a license valid in Germany) and literally anybody could be seen driving that day. There are a number of rental outlets at the property and in our case the 19 year old rented an M3 for a couple hours. Liability insurance is a must and the driver is liable for car damage and track damage. You pay by the lap.

I took pictures at a couple of sharp curves and straight-aways. He came off the track grinning from ear to ear. Fast forward to the present and he’s flying transport aircraft in the USAF. He had never been in a high performance car before race day and knew his own limits.

If the OP’s parents trust their sons and realize they will make a pretty good outlay of cash…..it’s a great way to have a day at the races! The OP’s sons are old enough to do the research and planning for a grand adventure in this case.

Wonderful story Vet Traveler. I've been to the Ducati factory in Bolonga, very interesting to see how the world produces. Italians have a full-blown bar in the lunch room, so civilized. For a young man it would not be like driving a Ducati, but the boys may enjoy it just the same. Other than things with engines what do your boys like to do? Whatever they like at home they will like overseas. The amount of time you have is not very long for the distance you plan to cover. No less than 3 night stays and preferably 5 nights stays or you will have a bunch of cranky men on your hands. J

I suggest Turin, not Milan. Turin has a car museum and old FIAT factory with the test track on the roof. Also original Eataly. Great cinema museum. Really easy to get around. Sadly, the apartment we rented has a 4-person limit. If you do go to Milan, don't miss the DaVinci science museum. I don't like museums, and I had great time there.
I went to a lot of car museums with my son in 2018, and the best is Mercedes-Benz in Stuttgart. Hands-down. Beautiful building with a great collection, cleverly organized. Across town is Porsche (meh).

Been looking at prices and train is expensive when you have 5 adult tickets.

Let the boys behind on departure to study in Germany or the Nordics (nearly for free) and you will save enormous amounts of money.

If the boys are fans visit the Marvel exhibition in Cologne (until June 22).

We lived overseas for several years and have traveled with kids a lot. Regarding teens, I treated them like adults. We focused on visiting historical places, art and some scenic places.

17 days may seem like a lot, but you could spend all those days in Italy and not see everything.

Suggest doing Rome, Florence and Venice as well as Cinque Terre, and nearby Lucca.

In Italy, take the train, especially if in larger cities, cars are a liability in Rome, Florence and Venice.

You can't see the key sites in Northern Italy by staying in one place as a base, but you could stay in Lucca and use it as a base to see CT.

Probably best to save $$$ visiting Le Mans during the event.

Amsterdam is nice, but deserves at least 4-5 days, don't miss the Anne Frank House if you go.

Thank you for all the suggestions, so many things to think about. My husband and son race cars in Australia so we are confident they will be comfortable driving.

Ok, after looking at the map and taking into account all your advice, unfortunately, I think we might have to miss Italy this time.

Looking at flying from London to Stuttgart and spending 5-6 days there and then going to France. What are the driving conditions driving from Stuttgart into France to would you recommend the train to Paris and can I please have suggestions on areas to base in France for our first trip to France.

driving from Stuttgart into France

Do you have unique collection Schlumpf (National Automobile Museum in Mulhouse) on your list?

unless German police are checking cars at the border (they do from time to time), you slow down a bit and just drive into France. You will be crossing the Rhine at that point. Don't drive into Strasbourg with a German rental - it won't have a Crit 'Aire sticker on the windscreen required for driving in environmentally sensitive parts of France including Strasbourg in the Grand Est. Same idea as the Umweltplakette that the German car will have for similar issues in Germany, including Stuttgart. You can park and ride in the right areas or take trains.

You need an IDP in France, and may in Germany determined by certain consents, or properly translated versions. I don't know the German take on Aussie licences and if it is on a state by state basis as it is in the u.s.