Need Feedback on Lux-Amsterdam-London-Paris-Lux Itinerary in car with Family of 4

hey hey dilee1000
WOW that's a lot of travel with only 12 days. when is this trip, and more expensive during high high summer season. like everyone traveling nowdays, they all are "budget conscious", what is your budget? you have 4 people to consider, expensive cities you're planning to see, airbnb's may have minimum stays, many are no no's with so much controversy with locals having hard time finding rentals for themselves, staying outside of big cities for parking which may cost you, then the cost of transportatiom getting to city center & back for 4 people
check-in times 3-4pm check-out 10-11am, assuming you are flying from USA and i would not be driving after long red-eye flight to accomodations. do more research about driving rules, laws, pedestrian only streets, getting an IDP (aaa.com) that may be mandatory, crossing each border and what's needed, voucher/sticker/vignette to drive car in that country. get an IDP for peace of mind ($25/2 photos, same day received at aaa.com for each driver. some rental companies may ask some may not (safe side with), if stopped by cops for any reason they ask and if none a big fine. how big a car for 4 of you & place for luggage, pack light.
too bad you could not do multi-city airfare (not 2 one ways) into one city out from another without backtracking with all those miles, toll cost, fuel which adds up lots of $$ from cheap airfare tickets for your budget reasons. do some research about the costs you'll save. lots for you to think about when planning. good luck. GO NINERS
aloha

Dilee,
Very ambitious. Just a few thoughts regarding the car:
1. I STRONGLY urge you to not rent a car and drive in a foreign country after a red-eye flight. I speak as half of a couple who almost always have driven through our Europe. It is not safe or wise. Rent your car on day 2.
2. Suggested drive times between locations mentioned by Google or viamichelin, etc. always underestimate the time needed for the drive. They do not factor in time for gas/food/comfort (bathroom) stops, not even time for any slow-ups at tollbooths. In my experience, what they list as a four hour drive is usually five, for example. In your travel calculations, please also factor in time for packing up and checking out of lodgings, getting out of the town/city (sometimes slow), and finding your new lodgings in the new location (not always straightforward), plus finding parking and checking in. These things do add to the time needed to change locations.
3. Parking at lodgings is many times non-existent. Remember, in these older cities the streets are often narrow, and the older buildings were erected long before automobiles. Lodgings with parking on the premises would likely be on the more modern outskirts of town, or you may need to park in a (hopefully) nearby public lot. It can be difficult, but we have lucked out sometimes.
Free parking isn't a given. Be prepared to find that parking is extra even when on the property. We have had both good and bad luck with this.
4. Car size needs to be considered. We have traveled with our kids when they were 8 and 10, 18 and 20, and in their 40's, along with 9 and 12 year-old grandkids. European cars are smaller than what we are used to in the US. I remember reading many years ago about a 4 passenger convertible to rent. It was a Deux Chevaux! Teeny-tiny and no room for baggage. Take a look at AutoEurope for a good comparison of what the different rental companies offer. They are a reputable company with good customer service and backup, who show several rental companies' offerings. Be sure to pay attention to size. And make sure all your luggage fits in the back. No one wants to share their seat with a suitcase on long drives.
5. Be sure the rental company knows what countries you will take the car to. Many don't allow driving in certain countries. Also, some cities require certain stickers to drive within them. Make sure if any are needed you have them (ideally, from the rental company).

6. Get an International Driver's Permit (not a license!) from AAA as many countries require them, just in case you are stopped. They only cost about $20.00 at AAA, plus a photo (also available at AAA). Each driver needs one of their own, plus a valid US state driver's license.
7. Insurance is something we now routinely opt for with our rentals. It is well worth thew piece of mind.

Check at Booking.com for lodgings and input in their filters for parking. You can select your options for type of lodgings as well. As far as AirBandB goes, I have no info. I am not a fan, but other forum members may have some advice.

Good luck! Sounds like an ambitious holiday. Amusez-vous bien!

P.S. Be sure and prebook your tickets to the Anne Frank house as early as possible. They sell out very rapidly. Also, a visit/tour of a working windmill is something we all enjoyed. The residence part within it was eye-opening. Maybe a boat ride on the canals? And yes to the Reiksmuseum and the Van Gogh museums. Many years ago (pore-kids) hubby and I stayed in Volendam at a bed and breakfast because it had parking. I don't recall if we drove in to the city or took a bus to it (1974!). Bruges and Ghent seem shortchanged. See my note above about time it takes to go from place to place. And how long is the ferry trip?

Having a car in Paris inevitably means pricy parking costs for a car you won't be justing (driving in Paris is horrible).
However, the cost to return a car ina different country from where you rented it could range from %00 to 1,000 euros, so if you rent in Luyxembourg, return in Luxembourg. Aside from the car considerations, have you looked at Open Jaw (not two one ways, but into one city and out of another on a "round" trip). Maybe you could work out your car rental differently. Your $600 price sounds good, but do check out the size of the car in this deal.
Also, when is this trip?

Oops! typos...Return cost should read 500 to 1,000 extra euros if left in a different country. Also "justing" should be "using".
Want to add...get a paper map of the parts of Europe you will be visiting to see the big picture of distances you will be covering. It may change your perspective somewhat as to how much time you will spend in the car versus feet on the ground. And driving in a foreign country after dark on unfamiliar roads (and on the opposite side, as in England) you will need to be on your toes (specifically on the drive to Vianden...red-eye flight, time change, unfamiliar road, unfamiliar car).

I sound like a Debbie Downer, but the more preparation you make, the fewer problems you will encounter and the more fun you will have. I speak from experience and have made lots of mistakes from which I have learned some things.

hey hey dilee100
@ judy
totally agree with you, i always have a few giggles with your posts.
so many new comers don't really understand that it takes time to see, do, drive, how crowded and busy places are. especially they all want to see the same places everyone else wants to. i call her "deloris downer"
a car can really be a deteriment that they don't understand and parking is a BIG issue just like everywhere even in the USA and the high costs.
we stayed in an apartment one in amsterdam on a canal, site no longer in business, next time we stay in a houseboat down near jordaan. many don't think about the 1,000,003 bikes all over and they rule the streets. i was shocked, plus how many boats are cruising down all the canals. we used the tram and taxis plus a private taxi tour out to the windmills.
we just learned to open out wallets more for what things cost, got back home to eat rice/beans to pay for our great times in traveling. life goes on.
hope dilee decides what's important, decides what's a must to see or not see in the big cities she's hoping to see
good luck & aloha

As others have said, that is an awful lot of driving, almost more time in the car than seeing places.
Parking is likely to be an expensive nightmare in cities.
I would recommend investigating moving around by train.
Check that the car rental company will allow you to take the car out of Schengen into the UK.
As far as a West End show (not Broadway) in London is concerned, I highly recommend Paddington the Musical.

Hi Diane, welcome to the Forums!

I regularly take my own car to and from France and the rest of western Europe (from England)

A couple of things you'll need to consider for this road trip.

Some rental companies don't allow their cars on ferries or the Channel Tunnel. Check before hiring.

If you are not used to driving on the "wrong" side of the road with your driving position on the "wrong" side of the car, you will need to get used to the new blind spots, and thinking in reverse. It is worth investing on extra mirrors which stay on by straps or suction cups. DON'T scratch the paint!

Le Shuttle charges by the size and shape so you need to provide the license plate number (only matches cars with UK or French number plates) and brand and model when you make the booking. You need to provide paperwork from the rental company if using a rental car. See their webpage https://www.leshuttle.com/uk-en/support/articles/travelling-with-a-hire-car-on-leshuttle-what-you-need-to-know-32421626951185

If you want to see the White Cliffs of Dover that is best done from the deck of a ferry.

Where in London will you be based?

all public transport - buses, trams, intercity buses, electric buses, trains - are free within the country of Luxembourg for all passengers

speed limits on most Dutch motorways are 130kph at night BUT ONLY 100 kph during the day. Be prepared for poor, very poor, lane control on those roads.

Parking in the Netherlands is very rarely free, and like hens teeth in Amsterdam. Do NOT try to park next to Amsterdam's canals.

London's Congestion Charge is now up to £18 per day 364 days a year.

You need a permit in Antwerp, Ghent and Bruges.

Thanks everyone, and keep it coming! @Nigel it's great to know you've done similar car travel.

I should have initially said:
- WE WILL NOT BE DRIVING MUCH AT ALL IN ANY MAJOR CITY. We plan to park the car at the Airbnb on the outskirts of each city where we stay, and use the metro/train to get in and out. We will verify any place we stay has free parking for our 2-3 night stay, and is close to the metro. Those quick train rides usually are very inexpensive and quick.

• WE WERE INTERESTED IN THE CAR so we can: 1. Have the ability to easily visit off the beaten path stops to see more of the countryside 2. Not be stressed out about getting to timed train rides (except Le Shuttle). 3. We are packing light to accommodate a small vehicle, but it's still nice to keep small bags in the car when we see countryside stops.

TRUE, it is a lot of time in the car and many trains directly from one large city to another are faster than driving, but we have also heard that for many trains you have to be at the train station an hour or two ahead of departure. IS THAT TRUE? If so, it drastically increases the overall travel time. THOUGHTS?

COST: - The rental car/fuel may equate to all the train tickets for 4 people, but I was surprised to learn whereas the Chunnel would cost us about 480 round trip for 4, Le Shuttle transports the car and all passengers for $250 round trip. With that, plus free parking, it at least wouldn't be costing us more and could cost us less. We may or may not even plan to avoid tolls if it doesn't add too much driving.

I'm very open to any other thoughts on the rental car situation, and I very much welcome suggestions of must-see stops to see in-between Luxembourg and Amsterdam, Amsterdam and Calais, Calais and Paris and Paris and Luxembourg.

Many Thanks!!!

We have also heard that for many trains you have to be at the train station an hour or two ahead of departure. IS THAT TRUE?

No. For Eurostar you have to arrive early, but with other trains just sufficient time to get your bearings.

Taking a car for a holiday like this is an added level of stress.

for many trains you have to be at the train station an hour or two ahead of departure. IS THAT TRUE

No.

Also, I find it extremely hard to believe that a Luxembourg car rental agency will allow you to take their rental car to the U.K., where you will be driving on the left with a car that is unequipped for that. They don't want to lose their investment with your crash because you can't see what you are supposed to see, being all the way over on the wrong side of the car when driving.

OVERNIGHT AT PARIS Airbnb FOR 3 NIGHTS (still looking for a good one that includes parking)

This is going to be a difficult search.

The car does seem like it will be a significant disadvantage, especially given the hassle of taking it to the UK (while it's not that hard to adjust to left side driving, it is a LOT more difficult driving a car with the wheel on the left for right side Continental driving), the amount of time you're planning to spend in cities where it's worse than useless (especially Amsterdam, London, and Paris) and the extremely limited time you will have for any serendipitous off the beaten path discoveries, in some of the world's most densely populated and crowded road areas, such as the southern UK and the Low Countries. To be honest about it (since you are asking for advice), I can't possibly imagine a worse nightmare day than waking up in the Netherlands, driving across Belgium trying to see Ghent or Bruges on the way, then into northern France, go through all the steps of taking a car ferry to the UK, then a late evening drive through southern England (it may still be light, or it may not, depending on time of year) into London's congestion, to find parking somewhere near your relatives' flat wherever that is for three days, all in a small car packed with four people and their luggage. Not even Chevy Chase tried to do that in his "European Vacation" movies. It is virtually never the case that you need to arrive an hour or two in advance of taking a train; the only exception to that I know of are the Eurostar trains between the UK and the continent, and I would take that delay anytime compared to how long it will take to ferry your car across the Channel. Given the size of most London flats, kudos to your relatives for hosting four guests for three nights! I'm a bit surprised that Luxembourg was the cheapest entry point to Europe; that was often true 50 or 60 years ago when Luxembourg Airlines was an outlier compared to the other more regulated airlines, but that is ancient history now.