Getting a Family of 6 in and Around Europe

What are your family's ages?

As a family group of 6, two grandparents, two parents, two children. We have done England and Ireland, using a car and Switzerland using the train system. Major takeaways for our group include: we used google flights to keep track for potential flight deals, do not try and book all 6 tickets together, the cost was outrageous, we did two and four; train system was far better than using a car; kids need down time or they get cranky; the apartment we got in Murren was more comfortable than the hotels.

Edit…I might add that in both England and Ireland we rented SUV’s. It was a bit tight because the 6 year old required a booster seat but doable.

I am going to be repetitive of the post I just answered. But it works. London and Paris and Rome in at least 3 weeks. Base in each city and do some day trips ... even overnight trips. But keep the AirBnb the whole time so the family has a home to return to. you are only making 2 long haul trips this way. One by train (London to Paris) and one by plane (Paris to Rome ..... or you could train that too, but a pretty long trip). You will se three great cities, three great cultures. Three different ways of life. Ancient to modern.

You might have trouble getting a vehicle large enough to accommodate 6 passengers especially if any of the children need booster seats (which I understand may be at an older age over there).
One option you might want to consider is camping (either in a rented RV or in a tent or a combo). My son and I camped just outside Salzburg, Innsbruck and Lucerne, in well appointed campgrounds (one had a pool, all had some type of food service) with transit connections to the city center and sights. It made it more affordable to stay in these areas. We are avid campers, so we enjoyed it. We rented a camper van out of Munich.

August is the worst time, everyone in Europe is on holiday and the weather can get hot (which can be an issue when AC is not as prevalent as in the USA).

Still, I suggest you look at the area around Lake Constance (Bodensee). If you stay on the south end of the lake you will be at the base of the Alps. The scenery is there, and there are multiple hiking areas in the foothills and mountains, as well as cable lifts that will take you up into the mountains. Then there's Konstanz, Mainau, Lindau, Castle Meersburg, Lichtenstein, Switzerland, Austria, and Germany all meeting there. You have city's like Basel, Bern, Zurich, and even Munich and Stuttgart fairly close and easy to reach by train. There kids will like the Rhine Falls, and there are dinosaurs in Bodman. There are always flea markets and antique shops around the lake. You can go boating. You can easily spend a couple weeks based out of Dornbirn, for example.

1. Use Kayak.com to check for flights.
2. You will probably need a van or minibus for six persons plus luggage. Compare that cost with rail travel. You can purchase a Bayern Pass (Bavaria - SE Germany) for the entire group. You would have to take slower regional trains, but save lots of money.
3. Of the Alpine countries of Switzerland, Austria and Germany, Switzerland is by far the most expensive. Compare lodging costs before making a decision.
4. For Switzerland, I suggest Interlakken. For Austria, consider the Salzburg area. For Germany consider Garmisch. Garmish is SW of Munich, so you could take in Munich as well. Near Garmish is the Zugspitze, the highest mountain in Germany, be sure to take the cable car or cog train up to the top. Also, visit the castles in the area of Garmish and Fussen.

The Dolomites in Italy are another possibility; you'd want to stay at altitude, because the valley cities like Bolzano and Bressanone are likely to be oppressively hot. Unfortunately, although Italy is a lot less expensive than Switzerland in general, hotels in the Dolomites are Not Cheap. There might be other lodging options that are more affordable.

Thanks to all for this advice!

Jonathan,
As G3rryCee says, you will probably need a van. Six people with their luggage, with or without car seats, will take up a lot of room. On one trip in 2002 our car rental agency at Marseille airport gave us the equivalent of a minivan since they didn't have what we asked for. As it turned out, it was much better, as we had an elderly, mobility impaired relative as a frequent passenger on that trip. Yes, parking spots and narrow streets, both in Marseille and other towns, provided some difficulties, but we were happy to have the bigger car at that time. No regular car, or even what is called a large car in Europe, will comfortably fit six people and their luggage. We have done it with five people and got tired of being squished, each holding our small backpacks on our laps with our carry-on suitcases in the rear. A one hour drive seemed waaay longer than it was.
And it will be lots cheaper to have a car than to buy six train tickets, even accounting for gas, tolls, and parking (in most towns). We almost always drive when in Europe. Check Auto Europe to compare different rental companies.
Have a fun trip!

Jonathan,
Just reread your query. If you plan on visiting different countries, do not pick up your car in one country and drop off in another. It will cost you about $1000.00 extra. Also, some countries have restrictive rules about where you can drive. Do some research on this. And some locations you might visit may be best seen by local public transportation anyway. Knowing your overall route(s) will affect suggestions here on the forum.

We did a road trip with 6 adults for 3 weeks in June/July 2023. We reserved a minivan, but upon arrival at the airport, the agent looked at our group and luggage, and said “You’ll never fit.” We were “upgraded” to a full size 8 seater van. It was a beast. Thankfully my brother drives that size of van for work and was very comfortable with it. But we still got some scrapes (we got the zero deductible insurance).

Cargo space in European cars is smaller than American cars. We drive a minivan and could easily have fit 6 plus luggage in ours. In Europe, the last row is meant for small children.

Based on your interests, I would suggest Salzburg and the surrounding area. Check out Berchtesgaden, Lake Konigsee, Hallstatt, the fortress and ice cave near Werfen, Sommerrodelbahn, water parks, salt mines, the Red Bull Hangar. There’s soooo much to see in the area. It is stunningly beautiful. Salzburg is so charming, and there’s so much history. We spent 5 nights there with our teens and loved it. We rented an apartment in Hallein, just south of Salzburg. You could easily go to Munich or Slovenia within a couple hours.

This is great information. Thanks so much!

Get the kids involved in the planning as to what to see and do that appeals to them. Not saying the inmates should run the asylum, but the more they are invested the better the trip will be for all; especially if some of them are teenagers.

We could help you better if you share the kids’ ages.