Ideas for cheap 3 month family stay **UPDATE**

Hi Lynn,
What a great experience for your family, especially one so deserving! Travel is an education incomparable to any classroom setting. Please check out the Schengzen Zone rules, which stipulate a 90 day stay within a 180 period of some European countries. Although, it sounds like you'll just make the mark. Having said that, maybe choose 3 weeks in an area, to get a broader perspective. Maybe choose France (easy to get to Spain), Austria (easy to get to Italy and Eastern Europe), and Greece (which kid doesn't love the beach). If you are set on staying in one place, Austria might be a good choice, since it's more central.
Enjoy the moments with your family!

What about the Netherlands? Amsterdam has many museums which are child friendly such as the Dutch resistance, has a zoo, a castle, a replica of an East India ship the kids can play on, and a wonderful science center. You can hop a bus or train and be in the country side in no time and rent bikes. Many smaller cities to visit. Maduradam (spelling) is fun, it is Amsterdam in miniature, the entire city. It could be one of your stops. The airport has great connections to other countries. Also, Portugal has a great coastline and is less expensive then some other countries, as is Poland. Gdynia is near Gdańsk and has great beaches. So many possibilities.....

Your budget works out to be 150 euro per day to feed and lodge seven people, plus pay for transport to to do some sort of day trips.

With your budget I suspect 4-6 weeks is a more realistic time frame.

For budgetary aspects Eastern Europe is probably a better choice than Western Europe. I cannot make any specific suggestion, but hopefully others here will be able to help.

Wishing you and your family well.

What a great experience for all of you!

What time of year will you go? Do you speak any European languages? In smaller (cheaper) towns that can be helpful.

medical insurance?

Ireland is the place that came to mind when I read your notice. It possible to rent a 3 bedroom 2 bath home for about 120 Euros a week over a 3 month period. (I just did a quick google search of the Galway area). It has the advantage of being different, yet having an English speaking population.

Look at longtermlettings.com

Eastern Europe is cheaper than Western Europe. Southern Europe is cheaper than northern Europe. (In general.). Immigration rules are important to follow. Spain comes to mind.

Parts of southeast Asia are very cheap to live in.

Perhaps look into the Czech Republic. It is quite inexpensive and your money will go quite far, even in places around Prague. There is so much to see, it's a beautiful, child-friendly place, and there is a lot to do. Castles, waterparks, zoos...it might be a nice place to settle in for a while.

Lynn,

I'm sorry to hear of the difficulties that your husband and children are dealing with and I sincerely hope they will be resolved soon.

Where to stay in Europe for a long term holiday...... that's a difficult question to answer as there are so many possibilities. I agree with you that Europe would be a better choice than the other locations you mentioned, for several reasons (I won't elaborate here).

It would help to have a bit more information. What are your interests and what type of sights do you enjoy visiting? Is there one country that "calls out to you" more than others? Do your husband and children have any preferences?

One location that came to mind immediately is Switzerland, although it will be harder on your budget. It's one of the most beautiful and peaceful countries and I could easily imagine staying there for 90 days. My other favourite is Italy and there's a lot of diversity there so you could enjoy a different experience by basing in a few different regions for the duration of your stay.

I'm sure the group here will be able to help you find a great place to visit.

This sounds like a great adventure, but the budget is going to be a challenge. In many places in Europe, there won't be anything left after you arrange lodgings and buy food. That could leave you pinned down at your base camp. The places I'd be willing to spend 90 days (Paris, London, Barcelona, etc.) without side-trips are precisely the type of places you cannot afford (nor could I, a solo traveler, for more than about 2 weeks per trip). Keep in mind that really inexpensive lodgings will not generally be located in places convenient for side-trips by public transportation. You may have to spend money just getting your family from your rented abode to the nearest train station or bus station. And it would be a shame to have no money left over for entry fees anywhere. (It will be important, I think, to pay attention to which countries tend to have deep discounts on tickets for children and/or large families.)

Although monthly rental rates usually work out to be less expensive than weekly rates on a per-day basis, you will be severely limited in the area you can cover from any single 90-day rental. If you start taking overnight trips away from your temporary home, you'll lose a lot of the financial advantage of the long-term rental. And those side-trips will require round-trip transportation rather than the one-way trips you'd be able to use if you had a series of shorter rentals. So think this through very carefully and look at all the costs. Perhaps a slightly shorter trip, staying in a few different places, would give you broader experience and be no more expensive.

What time of year is the trip? Inexpensive rental properties are very unlikely to be air-conditioned.

Places I'd consider would be southern Italy or Sicily (but not in the summer), Montenegro (ditto) or Poland (not in the winter). I haven't been to Greece recently and don't have a good sense of costs there. It's also a place where a long stay without a car might be really challenging. Away from Athens and the most popular islands, Greece used to be cheap.

With your husband's PTSD in mind I would consider carefully places that are going to be very busy, Prague particularly comes to mind. PTSD sufferers find places with lots of people considerably anxiety inducing so whilst the concept of visiting major sites and cities in Europe is an attractive proposition it can be extremely overwhelming for a PTSD sufferer (even those who have undergone treatment it's my opinion and that of many others, that one can never fully recover). Likewise major airports, train stations, metro systems can all be hellish places for a PTSD sufferer.

I would consider somewhere more peaceful, quieter and relaxing. Think countryside, seaside, small towns and villages. You don't need to go to Paris to experience France, in fact my preference would be Brittany or somewhere similar. Travelling around the coastline by car, stopping off for lunch at various local restaurants, taking in the scenery and peacefulness would be far more suitable for someone suffering from PTSD or depression than the brashness of Paris.

What time of year?

First, thank your husband for his service. We wish him well in dealing with PTSD.

For less expensive locations in Europe, southern Europe would be my recommendation. Also, a warm place would be nice.

Places like Switzerland, Norway, Denmark and Sweden would be too much for your budget. I remember our visit to Bergen, Norway where for lunch, I paid 9 Euro for a beer, while in Portugal a few months later, paid 4 Euros for a very substantial lunch that included a beer.

Portugal, Spain, Italy or Greece would be a start. Airfare to Greece would probably be higher, also if you are on an island, that could make exploring other places more expensive.

You don't need to be in a large city, but may wish to be close enough to a large city that you can visit.

I love Italy and all the history there as well as the food. You might consider a city in Umbria, which is not as overrun by tourists, but filed with wonderful small cities and towns. A place like Spoleto, Perugia or Assisi. Orvieto is between Florence and Rome as well as close to the other cities in Umbria.

Spain has many choices and consider the areas around Madrid or Barcelona or Seville.

Portugal is special, love the people and Porto is wonderful, but you could check out towns in the Lisbon area.

You mentioned Guatemala, which is a terrible choice, since that part of Central America has a very high crime rate. For Central America, Costa Rica would be my choice.

Eastern Europe is cheaper than Western and someone mentioned Prague, but I don't know how expensive that city would be. For Eastern Europe, Croatia and Slovenia are beautiful and should be considered.

Lynn, with school age children (5 between 8 and 18 for anybody skimming) is it reasonable to say you are considering summer school break? Are you thinking this summer (like now) or next summer?

More time to plan can save money - less time to plan will cost more most likely.

Small towns are likely the way to go, much less stress for depression prone kids and PTSD hubby, in my opinion.

Do the kids tend to the lower ages or the upper ages - or are they pretty spread out?

Germany is littered with baths towns - not all posh like Baden-Baden but smaller, many with municipal pools which can be exceedingly relaxing, or with water slides and all sorts for getting the adrenaline flowing. Do the kids like swimming and water parks?

What part of California are you in, Lynn? There are well established travel groups which meet monthly - and are full of lovely people and great ideas - in Sacramento and San Francisco.

I bet we can help you with this challenge.

Hi Lynn,

First, a big Thank You to your husband for his service! Best Wishes to him (and your children) for good health.

With seven people, your budget may be a bit tight. It definitely depends on the time of year you are planning to visit a place. Careful planning and a daily accounting budget could make it work - depending on the country you visit, of course.

Keep in mind the "amount of time travel to your destination." You know you'll be in a plane for many hours. Perhaps a flight with a "longer layover" may help break up any anxiety or restlessness that may occur.

Naturally, "high season" would be the most expensive in terms of lodging. Also, take into great consideration - the crowds.

I vote for Italy. It is very family-oriented.

While Rome is a terrific city in all its majestic beauty, deep-rooted history, ornate sculptures, and "outside walking museum," it may not be a good idea for a person with a condition such as your husband's. A city is a city.

Using Rome as an example, there is a heavy police and military presence in and around the city. Also, there are many sirens to be heard - ambulances as well as police vehicles. And many crowds - very heavy in high season and "comfortable" crowding in lower season.

While Rome is relatively safe to walk around with no violence, those other sites and sounds may be huge trigger points for your husband (and kids.) But you know your husband best. Of course, a discussion with his health care provider can influence your decision. (Here, people can "only suggest.")

Florence and Venice will be very crowded too.

There are a lot of smaller hill towns (Umbria and Tuscany) that offer family fun, activities and relaxation. You can rent a B&B to perhaps cook a few meals or rest, hangout and enjoy the rolling hills, beautiful sunrises and sunsets.

Check out videos from Orvieto
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_-YAqx90Pc (A traveler's peek into Orvieto)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LntYoDVji3k (Rick Steves narrated - Orvieto)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptNCxqk4h5M (Rick Steves narrated - Italy's "Hill Towns")
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AekC_l7KZe8 (Rick Steves narrated - Lucca) "Old World Elegance," Bike rides as a family
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKrZ8vkfOs0 (Rick Steves narrated - Assisi)

If you and your family are "coastal" peeps, perhaps a visit to the Amalfi Coast would be nice, rejuvenating, relaxing and fun. The sea has a lot of 'calming' senses. Check out the below link to peek inside the videos. ***

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=The+Amalfi++coast

Happy travels!

*** Added

I had dinner last night with neighbors whose father is living near Malaga, Spain very inexpensively. Ryan Air flies out of there and my daughter when studying in Granada flew out of Malaga several times. He is Spanish and apparently lived in US but had very little money once he retired and moved back to Spain to reduce his living costs.

My son is currently in Portugal and says it is very inexpensive and lovely. Interesting places to see and the landscape is just beautiful.

Adding to my above post Lynn,

I always like to suggest checking out the https://www.skylinewebcams.com/en/webcam/italia.html

I usually link the "Lazio" (Roma) region since many are interested in Rome. Again, I use Rome as an example - Even if you clicked on each cam for each main area or attraction, you'll see the variances of Rome at different times.

The Italy webcams have different regions to click on - Umbria and Tuscany are two of them. They may not show as much as the Roman ones, but you can get an idea.

Other "live cam" countries probably have similar.

Lynn, thank you for trusting us w your family's story.
You've gotten a lot of good advice regarding maximizing what you can find for your money, how about 30 days in Ireland, 30 days in Slovenia, and 30 in some middle location ?? (For example)
Might let you find some cheaper locations, let you stick yr toe in the city life in transition, but let you all have a more diverse experience than 90 days in Ireland.

Well done to your husband and the family for all of your contributions to the country.

I completely understand the enthusiasm of the posters for Spain (budget), but it is a long way from most of Europe which makes trips out time-consuming and more costly for 7 travelers. Again Central-Southern Italy is great but has the same limitation.

I will also disagree with some who imply that small cities may not be travel friendly.... Most of the main train lines pass through small towns, although you may have to take a regional train to get to them from the hub train stations where the fast trains stop. For three months with five kids I expect that you will have a European version of a "minivan" to control travel costs, so being on/near a main highway will also be a consideration.

I particularly like the Veneto region of northeast Italy, think Verona, Padua (great University town), even Bolzano up towards the Alps. But, there are lots of smaller cities around there. Verona to Rome is 4 hours on a train. 4 hours to Innsbruck Austria, and several hours farther to Munich, Salzburg, etc. About 4 hours into Slovenia. The Brenner Pass Autobahn into Austria and places north goes right through the Veneto.

My second choice suggestion, which is not quite so budget friendly, is central Germany, where within 4 hours on the train or by car you can be on the Rhine, In the Czech Republic, in the Alps, and in easternmost France. Nuremberg, Furth, Ingolstadt, Regensburg, Wurzburg.

With an 18 year old as part of the mix you also have the option of leaving them in charge and going off as a couple when needed, or send them off with a sibling in tow for more individual adventures.

I hope it works out well for you all.

Nigel mentions 2 California travel groups but there are actually three, the newest one being in the LA region so drop in to any of them if you can.

I’d also look at location and time of year so when are you planning this 2-3 month stay?

Oh yay - southern too, eh? I missed that one. Which Panera does it use? Orange County? LA? San Diego? I hope they pay royalties to Denver.... (LOL)

to other readers - note that Lynn has put an update up in the original post, not in line down here. For the update, look up....

The 3rd RS California travel group is organized by Claudette and is a bit roving in the LA/OC area meeting at various ethnic restaurants rather than a single (Panera) location. I can understand the logistical problems of getting to a meeting in such a long state let alone for a person with 5 kids!

My first thought was Italy. We did a month there with 3 children similar ages and it is an easy country to travel around with public transport. If you do rent a vehicle try to get comfortable with driving a manual transmission as this will save considerably on cost..

in regards to accommodations , you might get more bang for your buck looking at areas that rent out fully in summer, but not in spring. We had luck in Tuscany with this, and I also think the Dordogne in France might work.
I personally really like Portugal, and it is more reasonable than France for costs I think.

I would also suggest picking a couple of countries and posting on the individual sites for more detailed help.
One last idea. Have you heard of home exchanges. We have 2 friends that have good experiences with this. I don’t know if that is an option for you.

After your update, and taking into account that you speak some Spanish, Valencia, Spain comes to mind. It is affordable (by Western Europe standards), has a pleasant climate in Spring, a wealth of things to do in town, a beach, and is well connected to other places if need be.

Hi Lynn, what a wonderful opportunity, and I hear you on the self-consciousness about the privilege, but you know, we all make sacrifices and suffer somewhere, so I hope you can embrace this wonderful experience and celebrate it without embarrassment

We are a family of 5 and try to travel for 4+ weeks at a time, so I understand the budget. First, I would only look at long-term rentals, which I imagine you already are. And you may be looking out of central areas, but remember, public transportation is so easy and so available, that you can get anywhere from anywhere fairly easily. Alternately, you could look into the price of leasing a van for that time, and use that for the bigger trips, but keep it parked and use public transport for getting in and out of cities. The benefit you have of time means that there is less urgency to stay in the middle of things and hit the ground literally running. You can stay 15-20 minutes outside of a main area (or more) and find much cheaper lodging, and not worry about having to see everything in 3 days (so the "commute" won't really matter - also with the longer stays you can get local transportation passes that will make public transport cost less, and it will be free for the 8 yr old)

One of my favorite cities for livability when traveling is Amsterdam. Its relatively small, very easy to navigate/orient yourself, easy to get around on bikes, easy to get to other places, and fun to just be out and about people watching at Vondelpark or along the canals. Lodging is a killer in terms of price, but you could easily stay north of the city (or west or east) for much less and still have easy access. There are bike trails crisscrossing the entire country. You could actually ride from town to town on nice, paved paths. There's a lake about 30 minute bike ride east of the city along the Amstel river that I rode to with my kids. They swam, played, and then we rode back and went to NEMO science museum and hubby and I had a beer on the roof while the kids were in the museum on their own. That was a great day. We took the train Utrecht and spent a day there. etc etc. My family os from Holland, and when I was 13 and visiting, I decided to ride my bike from the town we were staying in to my Oma's house, without a map and without telling anyone (true, I have a good sense of direction usually and an intrepid spirit). Point is, I could follow paved paths and use signposts for the entire ride (of 3 hours). As an illustration of how easy it is to get around, even for kids

I would also consider Florence or surroundings. Its also a medium sized city but with easy access to other places. Pisa, Lucca, the beach, the Tuscany region, even Rome (for a long day, if you departed early) are right there. I had the same feeling there; easy to become familiar with the city quickly and to develop favorite places to eat and to be able to get around without studying a map.

Southern Spain, as someone mentioned would be good for Spring. You could base along the coast, and then take day trips (in the van ;) or by train) north, west, east.

We have been to Greece, but for us, the beach gets boring fast, so that wouldn't be a draw for us. If I were to go I might choose Crete. You could base in one place and still see the whole island in a month, and there are mountains that get snow in the winter, along with the coast, and villages, and interesting museums in Heraklion...

Of course I love France, but for a base, well, that would be hard. We have been considering basing in Annency or nearby for a longer stretch. Its on a lake, and near mountains, near Geneva (for a dose of city) and other locales in Switzerland, and Tufts has a campus on the lake in Talloires, which I would probably look into for a class for myself if our family did a longer stay there....

Thats all Ive got ;)

If you are thinking about spring of 2020 I’d start south in Spain, Portugal or Italy for 3-4 weeks then move north to the south/central area of France for a similar time then end up in Holland for some bike and tulip time or Austria for some mountain hiking time. In each case I’d look carefully at a map of train hubs and choose a scenic medium sized town.

Two years ago we discovered that in our untouristy town near Arezzo the cost of food in a restaurant increased by 50% -100% as we went to larger more touristy towns.

I’d also look at town websites and places like HomeAway to find apartments to rent. The suggestion to do a home exchange was a good one. We lived on the central coast of California for 34 years and did a month long exchange every year =0 cost for lodging for a month. Take a look at a home exchange site or two to see who around you is exchanging. Two agencies we use are homelink.org and homeforexchange.com. They have their strengths. The first group has been in existence for 60+ years with many veteran exchangers. The second group has the most listings in France. Neither group has many listings in Italy, it’s just the way it is in Italy.

Lots of time to plan, go for it!

Anywhere you saw that you thought, yea, I could live here for a month? No work, no appointments, no school issues? Somewhere to relax and be together, with places to go if you wanted to

Yes, Budapest. I only spent 6 nights there but I'm hoping to go back again and stay a month. Apartments are cheaper than other big cities in western Europe and there is so much to see and do. Good options for day trips or overnight trips to enchanting places. Plenty to keep the kids amused. Late spring would be better than early - say late-April or May rather than March.

Another place I can say I would go back and spend a month or two would be Berlin Germany, or a smaller town within easy reach of Berlin. Again lots to see and do and plenty of wonderful places to see on day trips. Again later in the spring would bring warmer weather.

@Mona @Nigel @Lynn I'm part of the LA travel group - Lynn...you are welcome any time! We don't really stick to one kind of restaurant and like to mix it up all over LA County...this coming Sunday (6/9) it's Polish food in Eagle Rock near Pasadena if you're interested! There are about 8-10 regulars and others that float in and out of the group. Whoever is interested PM me and I'll give you details!

Sicily! Inexpensive, quiet, beaches for the kids...

I'm a bit puzzled by the references to renting a large vehicle. Is that really affordable for a large family on a budget? This is a subject about which I know nothing, but it is often stated on this forum that rental of a vehicle to accommodate 6 or 7 people (not to mention their luggage) is so expensive that renting two or even three regular cars is a less expensive option.

Ages ago I met someone who had made a lengthy trip through central Australia. He purchased a used vehicle he could sleep in and sold it at the end of the trip, recovering nearly all of his cost. That struck me as gutsy, because a mechanical failure in an obscure part of the Outback in the summer could be fatal. There would be no such safety issues in Europe, but the financial risk of unknowingly buying a lemon is not quantifiable.

I'm a bit puzzled by the references to renting a large vehicle. Is that really affordable for a large family on a budget? This is a subject about which I know nothing, but it is often stated on this forum that rental of a vehicle to accommodate 6 or 7 people (not to mention their luggage) is so expensive that renting two or even three regular cars is a less expensive option.

Yes they are significantly more expensive. My assumption is that rental companies believe that such vehicles are mainly occupied by adults willing to share the cost rather than a large family where the children make no contribution. This was certainly true with a trip to Munich with several friends where we rented a Mercedes 7 seater, whilst it was expensive it was considered a fair price split between six adults and the convenience factor was a big contribution. We happened to have the same vehicle during our stay in Mallorca last week as a family of four (we were holidaying with friends so thought it would provide options for various outings) but it was booked as part of a flight and car package with British Airways and the vehicle cost £100 rather than the £900+ it would cost booking direct with Aivs.

Renting two or three smaller cars can almost always be cheaper depending on the type of car however convenience and logistics need to be considered but also bear in mind that the large people carriers have surprisingly limited luggage capacity. We managed to stack one large suitcase, two medium cases and a carry-on in the back of the Mercedes and there was limited capacity for much more. If all passengers are of the carry-on only type then this shouldn't present a problem but if not.......

If you are not afraid to speak another language,
You have very nice villages in Charente where you could find cheap housing.
Things that could be nice there for you:
Rather cheap housing
Sea within reach
Countryside
Many British expats in the area
Mild climate

The things you might find difficult:
Hospitals may sometimes be far
Except Bordeaux there are not big cities around.

Italy
Food is not expensive and of good quality if you buy things at the market
Housing in countryside can be cheap.
Nice climate
Cities are more expensive especially, Milan, Rome and Venice. Florence is cheaper but it might be difficult to find an apartment big enough for 7 people.
People are friendly and talkative and for me it was a country where I made friends easily.
Try to take a place in the very centre of a
village, not far from the few shops, cafés or trattoria. In Cortona, Toscana, it shouldn’t be too expensive. You should find peuple speaking some English there.
In the abruzze ( it might be cold in the winter), you will find great scenery, sea and mountain.
Sicily is also very cheap except touristy places

We did not go in the spring but I hear Portugal is rather lovely then. Less expensive than other destinations in Europe (you may have a better idea of the expense here), and lots of memorable sights to see. Porto is especially beautiful with its churches and museums, plenty of nice restaurants and cafes around. Has a romantic vibe for me, but I don't think going there with children would affect that. A visit to the wine cellars is also a to-do, and the children can come along (sans the alcohol for them, of course!)