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Itinerary with kids

Posted by (ohio) on

Hi all- my friend and I are planning a trip to Europe next spring to take advantage of being able to travel in the off season as this will be our last year all our kids are homeschooled. I have two boys (will be 11 & 14), and she has one boy (8) and two girls (11 & 14). Our husbands/grandparents will join for different parts of the trip. I would love to get feedback on: our itinerary, suggested activities, and whether we should move the trip later to improve the weather or keep it as is to avoid crowds. We are wanting a mix of history/art/outdoorsy activities, plus any teen friendly local places. I've read the guides and am aware of all the major places. As it stands:
March 27: arrive in Paris (staying in Versailles)
March 28-30: 3 full days in Paris
March 31: travel to Colmar by train
April 1-3: 3 full days in Colmar
April 4: travel to Reichenbach im Kandertal (near Interlaken)
April 5-10: 6 full days in Interlaken
April 11: travel to Rothenburg via train- Zurich to Munich, rent car in Munich and drive to Rothenburg
April 12: 1 full day in Rothenburg
April 13: travel to Fussen by car
April 14-15: 2 full days in Fussen
April 16: travel by train to Salzburg
April 17-20: 4 full days in Salzburg
April 21: train to Florence (stay in countryside near Lucca with a car rental)
April 22-26: 5 full days in Tuscany
April 27: train to Rome
April 28-29: 2 full days in Rome
April 30: fly home
This is 5 weeks altogether, which is pushing it. We planned this before we knew that next year is the Jubilee in Rome. I am considering just cutting Italy and adding a couple days to Germany. I was there this June and it was a zoo. We would be there earlier than I was, but still. It's also quite a journey from Salzburg. But some of the kids really want to do Italy so debating.

I'm also concerned about enjoying Switzerland that early in the spring. I'm guessing nothing will be green and I know it will be on the colder side. My boys really want to rock climb/paraglide/ice climb, etc. It looks like a lot should be available by then but maybe not everything-no alpine playgrounds. Like I said, trying to find the weather/crowds balance. We will be in Switzerland for a long stretch- any suggestions on a day trip from that area? Thank you for advice!

Posted by
276 posts

That's a long time to spend in Colmar. I was there for the Xmas market and still took an overnight trip to Freiburg. Maybe Strasbourg?
My son was 12 when we visited Paris. I took him to Giverny in September to see Monet's garden and workshop. We went back in December, and I took him to the Orangerie, where we sat and looked back at our photos from Giverny while viewing the Water Lilies. You can buy a ticket that admits you to both. Highly recommended for this age range.
Re: Italy, we really enjoyed Turin. Great cinema museum and car museum, the original Eataly, not a lot of tourists. Very easy to get around.

Posted by
78 posts

We loved Salzburg, but 4 full days there feels like a lot. I’d consider taking one or two of those and adding them to the Rome instead. 2 days is definitely not enough to see all that you’ll want to there, in my opinion! We were just there with our similar-aged boys and jam-packed 3 full days.

Posted by
48 posts

Hi booksandtrees!

First question- are you going to stay in Versailles the whole time you're in Paris? It's a 45 minute train ride each way, on a commuter train. The Palace of Versailles is stunning, of course, as are its gardens, but that's just one day of your travels.

If all you are doing in Munich is renting a car, then perhaps you could train to Fussen, rent a car there, and continue onto Rothenburg? The drive is nice and Rothenburg was a favorite of my family's on our recent trip. We stayed right in town at Hotel BurgGartenpalais and they took wonderful care of us. They have a small parking lot and are walking distance to everything. Don't miss the playgrounds right outside the town walls!

I think in the Swiss mountains, in April, it will still be pretty snowy. Some popular trails near Lauterbrunnen were closed in June this year! A better spot for setting up shop might be Lucerne, or some days in Montreux/Lausanne. There are many recommendations in the Switzerland forum for where to stay there.

I took high school students to Italy & Greece in March of 2024, and Rome was my least favorite with the kids. It was SO busy at the popular sites. The kids really enjoyed exploring the hill town of Orvieto and a little free time in Florence's city center. Florence was also quite busy but less manic than Rome.

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