Teens in Europe

One could visit for example Rome, Paris, and Munich and be able to get a good feel for of those cities, but not three countries in three weeks and do what you want to do. Assuming you’re flying between countries, you’ll lose one day each time you travel to a different culture, depending on what that means to you. I do like that you’re willing to rent a car and visit smaller towns fewer tourists visit. Just remember there is a large drop off fee associated with dropping off a vehicle in a different country from where it was rented. If driving you could land in Munich for example and driving, make a loop down to northern Italy, over to France, and back into Germany. That’s a much smaller area than you may be thinking of visiting and there’s no real beach area. I guess my point is that you don’t want to spend more time getting to places than you’ll have to see them.

I often suggest that first-time visitors to Europe start in the British Isles, which can offer plenty of cultural differences without the language barrier. The EuroStar from London to Paris could then be an easy transition to another country.

As far as countries go, you have a good selection. I’d go with something Mediterranean (Italy would be a good option) and something in the Alps (can do this in either Germany or France). If you want other choices, consider Greece because of the combination of nature, beach, and amazing history. My personal favorite country is Spain. Southern Spain feels like a whole other world due to the moorish history and general culture but it’s very hot in summer.

Driving to see off the beaten path places is great. Driving long distances between countries is problematic. It takes longer than you think, and returning the car in a different country is expensive and can be limiting (you need the same agency in both places which is easy in big cities but tougher if going from small town to small town). Also if you spend time in big cities you don’t want the car. It’s easy enough to park it in a garage and not touch it during your visit to that city, but if you are there several days it could be a waste of money. I’d suggest flying or train between countries. An example might be fly from Paris to Rome, spend a few days in Rome, get a car and spend a week driving around Tuscany, drop off the car in Venice, visit Venice, take the fast train to Munich. Or something like that, depending on where you want to go.

Scudder's suggestion is a good one. First -- potentially beach, sun and surfing is not as wide spread as the US. Sometimes a break in the middle is more important than at the beginning. I would consider something like into London and home from Rome with stops in Paris, Nice/Villefranche (beaches are topless), Florence, Rome and home. Save Germany for the next trip. That should provide a decent intro taste to Europe and various cultures.

You could do 3 cities in 3 weeks but not 3 countries. Your first travel day is a write off and the next couple of days are going to be hampered by jetlag. Every journey to another country (flying is the typically the fastest option) will consume a day so realistically you only have just over two weeks. Two weeks to explore 3 countries is not realistic, you could spend two weeks to explore London alone. I'm afraid I couldn't even begin to advise on any potential itinerary unless the ambition is toned down.

I’ve been thinking of some possibilities for you too but could you clarify if sun and surf just means some time to lie on a beach or are your teenagers looking for surf(ing) spots?

I traveled for years to Europe and later lived in Germany and traveled with teens. Generally, we treated them like adults and visited places loaded with history, art and scenic places. It seriously enhanced all of their understand of other countries and cultures. They all like to travel new.

I never believed in spending a lot of time relaxing at a beach, when we could do that back in the States at generally better beaches.

Renting a car is still a great option in some countries like Germany and the UK, perhaps France and Spain, but forget doing that in Italy, unless you want to receive a demand for an outrageous fine for a petty violation that you didn't even know you did while driving.

If your family heritage traces to somewhere in Europe another possiblility, depending upon the ages and interests of your children, would be to trace your family history on one of the ancestry websites and make part of the trip a "roots quest" to see where some of your ancestors may have emigrated from. With a year to plan the trip there's plenty of time to get the the kids involved in researching the family origin story and perhaps build at least part of your itinerary around that.
Renting a car for 5 people and their luggage will be problematic unless you restrict yourselves to carry-on sized bags, else you'll be looking at a full-size vehicle at a minimum in order to accommodate everyone - not a particularly fun way to try to negotiate some of the narrow two-lane roads if you do elect to go off the beaten path on your explorations. Maybe better to concentrate on cities (London, Paris, Rome perhaps) and do day trips into the countryside from there. There are walking tours in each city mentioned above that are both informative and a relatively cheap way to delve into the innards of a particular city from the perspective of a local guide. Most of them, in our experience, are very well done.

"Another possible consideration, depending upon the ages and interests of your children, would be to trace your family history on one of the ancestry websites and make part of the trip a "roots quest" to see where some of your ancestors may have emigrated from."

Hmm, interesting idea but what if the original poster is not of European heritage?

Robert- It's rather bold to assume that the OP is descended from European heritage. Most (but not all!) North Americans are decedents of immigrants, but our ancestors came from all over the world.

First, CONGRATS! for this is a wonderful opportunity to create a terrific family experience.

Visiting three distinct cultures is a great idea and achievable. The first "other suggestions" you should solicit are from your teenagers. We dragged our daughters on their first trip to Europe without soliciting any input and later realized the "miss" by using our knowledge in lieu of giving them a voice. The trip went really well, but we made some mid trip adjustments to account for items important to the girls. If we had asked pre-trip we could have done better for them. Their voice may be more about experiences they desire to achieve versus locations they desire to visit. "Curious, adventurous and academic" kids should be able to help with discovering experiences and locales of interest for the family.

I would avoid driving in order to reduce travel stress. Without further definition I shall simply say, "Been there, won't do that again."

However, take a deep dive into exploring the plethora of budget airlines operating within Europe. Getting from point A to B is more affordable than ever, but................ be sure to not be luggage hogs! Go minimum on clothes and count on making some purchases while on your journey. Our daughters favorite souvenir shopping is for clothes purchased in Europe to make them feel less like tourist and also to wear back in the USA. Everything you need to make the journey can be purchased in Europe. In fact we have deliberately traveled with one mostly empty carry on case each and then purchased what we needed while on a three week trip between Rome to Munich. Worked wonderfully!

So destination recommendations................. I will provide our favorite........

Barcelona A huge menu of diverse opportunities including the sought after beach experience. Public transport is fantastic and well connected between subway and train stations to allow taking day trips to a variety of places. Take a dive into this wonderful destination.

Keep in mind to reduce travel stress by minimizing travel connections. Spending a week in three different locations, which we have done, is a magical elixir enabling experiencing cultures. Rent apartments in local neighborhoods and increase the opportunity to experience non-tourist encounters. Eating locally typically finds non-tourist priced (cheaper) menus and having an apartment creates some much needed space for the family. Three weeks on the road is a long time............be sure and discuss how to be "okay" with taking personal space breaks.

Only because you said different cultures I would suggest getting out of Western Europe. The most marked cultural differences will be found in the East. Places like Bosnia & Herzegovina and Montenegro where they can see where Western Christian, Orthodox Christian and Muslim cultures all exist side by side. Its an excellent education.

And you get some of the best beaches in the world and some very enjoyable mountains and rivers and canyons. Then there is the history. Where WWI started, where WWII was fought. Recent Cold War History and more recent Balkan War History.

Including travel time

Home to Istanbul on Turkish Air
Istanbul 4 days to Paris on Turkish Air (no better cultural experience)
Paris 4 days to Rome with a discount airline (everyone should see Paris and Rome)
Rome 4 days to Budapest on a discount airline
Budapest 4 days to Podgorica on a discount airline (Cap of Montenegro)
Montenegro 5 days (see Kotor, Budva and Ulcinj)
(or instead of Montenegro do Sarajevo and Bosnia and Herzegovina. I picked Montenegro for the beaches.)
Home on Turkish Air

Three weeks is wonderful, but you will have to plan carefully to get what you want out of it. One issue is that cities and cars are not a good combo. Dropping off a car in a different country from pickup location can incur a hefty charge, but you can plan around that--just something to be aware of. That's one reason I would pick two neighboring countries for logistics and convenience.
Issue two is that the more you move, the more time you spend moving. Again, I'd strongly consider just two neighboring countries. The main problem is that there are just too many choices!
I think a Spain-France combo would work well. Pop over to an island in between, or get your seaside fix along the coast. Barcelona plus a trip to the mountains and ending on the riviera is a trip I have planned in my head a few times. Basque country straddles France and Spain, so you could get three cultures that way. Don't discount the variety within just one country!
If you had your heart set on Italy, then maybe France and Italy would pair well. Lyon in France for a mid-sized city, then head to Aosta and Turin in northern italy, and end on the coast.

The OP said “see multiple cultures other than our own.” England/the UK is very similar to our culture. I think France, Italy and Germany is a good plan. I would do Paris and Normandy (staying in Bayeux, beaches close by but the weather may not be warm) or Paris and the South of France (starting in SoF for warm beach time), then Rome and either Tuscany or the Amalfi Coast (staying in Sorrento), Munich or Berlin and a smaller town near either city.

I grew up in France and we travelled extensively, then I raised my son going to Europe most summers. My siblings and I, and my son, loved absolutely everything... history, geography, cultures, food, architecture, trains, castles, beaches, the Alps, different languages... just everything. You all will have so much fun together, enjoy!

Hi Dan and Kasha, I don’t know of any place that you can fly non-stop from the US to a beach location within Europe. To do so requires a connection that could easily take up most of your arrival day.
I also recommend visiting two countries not three, so you can visit each country’s main attractions so you don’t have to make a repeat trip to finish seeing it. If you still want to spend time on a beach, I recommend the Cinque Terre in IT and / or the French Riviera.
In IT consider visiting Venice, the Cinque Terre, Florence, Siena (day trip from Florence) and Rome. In DE focus on Berlin, Munich that includes a day trip to Dachau and the Bavarian Alps. In FR, I would go to Paris, Provence and the French Riviera. I would also rent a car within these locations if needed and rely on plane or train to get there.
You can begin shopping for airfare eleven months out but does not mean it’ll be a good bargain. Sometimes the best deals are posted two months to three weeks out. I also suggest reserving your hotel, etc. once you have your airline tickets. If you plan to go to the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, make sure you reserve your tickets at that time too.

I agree with the others, Spain + France makes a lot of sense both culturally and logistically, I would hesitate to add a third country. Valencia in Spain would make a good starting point if you are looking for "some downtime in the sun and surf to relax and unwind". For the smaller towns and rural area that you are looking for, I would recommend the Loire Valley in France and the Costa del Azahar (orange blossom coast) between Valencia and Barcelona in Spain.

The Costa del Azahar is certainly more off the beaten path with sandy beaches, Roman ruins, citrus groves, and Crusader castles, I think your teens would find it exciting! I would do something along these lines:

Fly in to
Valencia (3 nights) - relax and unwind, then rent car
|
Peñíscola (2 nights) - visit Knights Templar Castle + explore orange blossom coast
|
Barcelona (4 nights) - drop off car, day trip to medieval villages in the Pyrenees
|
Lyon (2 nights)
|
Chamonix (3 nights) - explore French Alps
|
Paris (4 nights)
|
Loire Valley (2 nights)
|
Paris (1 night)
Fly home

More on the Costa del Azahar - https://www.roughguides.com/article/costa-del-azahar/

I’d like to suggest a different approach, spend the three weeks traveling in Switzerland. The train/lift system is excellent. The country is very diverse and offers a glimpse of Swiss, German, Italian, and French culture. The scenery is beautiful and I think the teens would love the chance to hike and enjoy all the outdoor activities. Just my two cents.

"but forget doing that in Italy, unless you want to receive a demand for an outrageous fine for a petty violation that you didn't even know you did while driving."

I disagree completely. My wife and I rented a car in Italy for 12 days and had no problems. If you want to see the Tuscan countryside and some of the smaller towns a car is the only way.

I’d fly into Istanbul and spend at least 4or 5 days there. Check for European low fare airlines and fly to Budapest or Vienna or Prague or Rome ( beaches not far away), or... whatever route and cities you find intriguing and go from there. A Muslim country in the mix would be very educational. I loved my time in Turkey and the above cities.
I’d avoid driving and use public transportation.

Pre-pandemic there were non-stop flights between Washington DC and Barcelona; I'm sure the same was true of at least a few other US airports. I don't know where you're starting from, so I don't know that BCN would be a non-stop option for you.

It's not too early to poke around on Google Flights to see what airports in each potential destination country are most affordable. With five tickets to purchase, I suspect it may matter to you if one city is $500 less expensive than another. Just choose your preferred US airport as the origin and the name of one of the countries of interest as the destination. Ultimately you'll want to buy multi-city tickets (into one city, out of another), but the fare-exploration option on Google Flights only works with round-trip tickets, so you need to start there. At this point probably the best you can do, timewise, is select summer 2021 dates that approximate the time you hope to travel next year. One hint: June is usually less crowded and less hot than July and August; I'd travel as early in the summer as possible.

Google Flights will display a map showing round-trip fares to a bunch of cities. Repeat the process with other potential destination countries till you have an idea of what airports are likely to be most affordable. They can be your starting points for checking out multi-city tickets later.

I agree with the others who've gently suggested that three countries in three weeks is pushing it. It would be different if two of those countries were quite small (say, Netherlands and Belgium), but by the time you subtract your jetlagged arrival day and the days you shift to your second and third country, you'll have only about 17 days left. That's less than six days for each country. I'd attempt that with Italy, Germany and France only if I was prepared to skip the time-consuming cities of Rome, Berlin and Paris, because if you include them there would be precious little time left for the smaller towns.

The Alto Adige (Sud Tirol) area of northern Italy has a strong Austrian influence in architecture and food, and German is widely spoken. Especially if you end up needing to travel during the hottest part of the summer, there's a further advantage that the villages up in the Dolomites don't usually suffer from heatwaves. There's great hiking (from easy/casual to more challenging), which might really appeal to active teenagers. Including this area along with Venice (very touristy, yes) and the historic university town of Padua would give you three different Italian experiences without needing to cover a lot of ground. However, even this would be too much for six days. How about just Italy and France?

My suggestion would be Portugal, Czech Republic, and the Netherlands.

Nazare for the sand & surf, Prague for a vibrant look at what bringing down the wall did to those countries, and Amsterdam because it's quite different and yet a good crossroads for such a trip. It's just a short flight between them, and public transportation at the stop. Very easy, and three very different cultures, languages, and menus.

Travel by short plane trips within Europe is also possible, sometimes surprisingly cheap, but that can involve getting to the airport, checking in, going thru Security, etc. and can take time. Trains (especially super-fast bullet trains) can cover lots of ground, and might themselves offer a bit of a cultural difference compared to what you experience at home. Driving does let you set your own pace, and get to smaller towns/villages, but as stated, navigating big cities and dealing with expensive and/or restrictive parking could be a pain. European driving could give you some cultural experiences, too - speeding tailgaters, creative interpretations of staying in lanes and painted lines, and dealing with roundabouts, different traffic signal positioning, metric speeds, narrow roads, tolled European highways.

France is another country that, on its own, offers cultural variety. The northern coast of Normandy has sandy beaches, but it’s not a tropical setting. It’s got D-Day sights, towns, and museums, and Bayeux, with its historic Tapestry depicting the Norman Invasion of England in 1066. The food includes galettes (big, filled buckwheat crepes), and lots of butter and cream. They grow apples, not grapes, and their cider isn’t just another name for apple juice, so that’s probably not something your teens will be drinking.

A bit farther east, the Alsace region has a Germanic influence, as you’ll find in the foods and architecture. Strasbourg’s a big city, but there are many towns to see (or stay in).

On the northwest side of France is Brittany, with Celtic roots and a different culture than French Paris. The Granit Rose coast has fantastic red rock formations along the shoreline, and Kouign-amann (pronounced “queen amahn”) is an amazing dessert, 10 times any caramel or cinnamon roll you’ll find at home.

Nice is France with an Italian twist, and ancient Roman sights, plus a pebbly beach on the Mediterranean. Just west is Provence, with a sunny (even hot in summer) climate, charming hilltop villages, markets with fresh vegetables, olives, cheese, and more ancient Roman sights.

There’s Lyon, France’s second-biggest city, and the gastronomic capital, with its splendid lower town and the Croix-Rousse upper town. Then there’s Paris, where you could stay busy for 3 weeks there alone.

If you’re going in July 2022, you could even see part of the Tour de France. The route changes every year, but find out where they’re racing and position yourselves along the road for free, waiting for the riders to come by the cheering spectators. A caravan of vehicles precedes the race, and they toss out freebie goodies, hats, magnets, etc. to the crowds.

OK, Spain is large and varied, too. Madrid/Toledo/Segovia in the center, The Basque region along the coast and running to France in the northeast, Andalusia in the south, with Moorish Muslim influences.

Madrid has the stunning Prado, Thiessen-Bornemisza, and Reina Sofia art museums. Toledo was Spain’s capital long ago, and was El Greco’s stomping ground. Segovia is home to roast suckling pig, an awesome Roman viaduct, and the castle where Queen Isabella lived when she was a princess. Nice side-trip from Madrid, or worth staying a night or two on its own.

Basque culture has its own ancient language, and food. San Sebastián (known in Basque as Donostia) has a sandy beach and a wonderful old town. A nice aquarium, too. Parking for the town is an expensive underground garage, or lots on the outskirts of town that are a long walk, or taxi ride to the center. Continue east to Barcelona, site of the Olympics years ago, with its own architecture and food scene.

Granada in Andalucía has the Alhambra, a truly magnificent palace. You can get a soak and even a massage at the Hammam Al Andalus Arab Baths. Southern Spain has lots of beaches, and tourists from far and wide, enjoying the climate and seafood.

I agree w Bob, we’ve driven all over Tuscany and Umbria many times and never got one ticket.

Switzerland is nice enough but expensive.

I’ve read on this forum many times there are direct flights from the US to Marseilles, in the south of France.

tdw’s suggestion to train between cities is what I would do.

Another possible suggestion in what’s become quite a varied list of responses:

Right between France and Germany, Belgium has beaches, and while I’ve not been there in summer, it appears to get plenty of sunbathers. Chocolate is huge, varied, and wonderful (so’s their beer). And “french” fries are literally served with every meal ... even with pizza! The predominant language in western Belgium is Dutch (Flemish), but you’ll find just about everyone speaks English fluently. French is spoken in eastern Belgium. Towns like Bruges and Ypres have history and sights and museums. Rent bikes and go for wonderful rides - it’s extremely bike friendly.

Much of coastal Europe is the Med, where there’s no surf. For surf, Portugal is your best option - the very western end of the Algarve or Peniche or Nazare on the west coast. Fly into Lisbon, a fantastic city to spend a few days then head to the coast. Great food and wine plus pretty towns such as Tomar, Batalha and Alcobaca would satisfy your traditional smaller town criteria.

From Lisbon, fly to Paris and environs as your second base. Possibly include Normandy? For the third week, take the train to London or fly to Edinburgh and tour the Scottish Highlands.

You will only really experience a different culture if you head to Turkey, Morocco, Northern Africa or Eastern Europe. There’s not much difference culturally between say Spain, France or Italy IMO.

These are really amazing and well thought out suggestions! Thanks to everyone so far. We are in fact of European heritage, no offense taken there. It was a good suggestion just in case we were. We (my husband and I) are not new to travel including European travel. We've been to Germany, Austria, and Italy (in addition to traveling in other countries and continents). We rented and drove a car from Frankfurt to Rome over a 2 week period. That time we didn't even make reservations for accommodations. We were younger and willing to sleep in the car if needed :). We have definitely asked and received input from our children on their wants and desires so we are taking those into account as well (also a great suggestion because it makes them so invested in the experience!!). I was originally thinking Greece (both for the beach and the history), but the transition from Greece to other European countries on our potential list seemed like it would either eat up too much time or be too expensive. We also contemplated Croatia, Spain, and Morocco. We are okay with quite a bit of transitioning during our stay. I'm okay with seeing the highlights of a big city over 2 days then moving on. For beaches, we are not into surfing (mid-west natives), I just meant starting in a place that has the relaxing vibe of being a coastal town. Some place like Cinque Terra or the Amalfi coast would be sufficient for a beach location while still offering some great cultural (and culinary) experiences. We are fine with bringing very limited clothing options and washing or rewearing it (or buying a piece or two if necessary). I'm more of a "backpack with the essentials", than a "Louis Vuitton luggage set" kind of traveler (no judgement, just not my style). I should also clarify I am not trying to make it to every corner of every country. Getting a glimpse of each is enough. We are in NE Ohio so we can easily access airports from Cleveland, Columbus, Pittsburgh, or Detroit making it easier to find a flight. I hadn't really considered Eastern Europe or other locations. We are hoping for flights no longer than 8ish hours which puts us right around Germany/Italy, but I'll do some digging on heading a bit more East. Not sure why, but I have little to no interest in the British Isles (ducking and covering, I know people love it there).

I actually don't think Greece would be that much of an outlier since you are considering potentially traveling fairly far between countries, but again I'd stick to two countries and use the first (or last) stop to break up the trip.
Italy + Croatia is another good combo.
It sounds like you are well versed in traveling, so now you just need to work out some potential itineraries and let us tear them up (lol).

We've been to Germany, Austria, and Italy (in addition to traveling in
other countries and continents). We rented and drove a car from
Frankfurt to Rome over a 2 week period. That time we didn't even make
reservations for accommodations. We were younger and willing to sleep
in the car if needed :).

Hi Dan and Kasha; welcome to the forums!
I don't know how many years ago that last experience was but as you're looking at doing this trip in the next year or so - when Europe hopefully opens up again to international tourists - I'll wager you'll find things much changed. It's a guess, for sure, but with so many chomping the bit to get out of dodge, I would recommend reservations during summer high season as I expect much of Western Europe to be very, very busy. It will also take some research/pre-planning to accommodate beds for 5 people. Depending on your teens's ages, some of them could count as adults, and you might need more than one hotel room to sleep you all. "Family rooms" are out there but not all of them will accommodate that many. Apartments are not necessarily a good deal unless you can stay more than just a few nights: cleaning fees can add up unless averaged over X number of nights. They're also not as flexible as far as checking into as you might have to meet the owner for keys at a specified time that's not convenient for you. Hotels can be nice as they'll often keep your bags until check-in time, and again after check-out time if you're doing some sightseeing before leaving town.

I will vote with the others that 3 countries in 3 weeks is too much. What with changing locations constantly between small towns and cities, I wouldn't expect your young folks to have time to absorb very much for local culture. Moving 5 people around will likely consume much more time and effort than it took for just the two of you. And I'm not even sure what you'd consider "true culture"? A "glimpse" is definitely not going to fill the bill there. There can also be a reason so many tourists flock to the cities: those often provide the most to see and do. Also, genuine citizens of all 3 countries live in both cities and small towns!

A base on a transit hub can save a lot of time: day-trip by train, bus or ferry without having to pack up, check out, locate the new accommodation and unpack. Trains will also often move you between points A and B faster than 4 wheels, and drop you right in the middle of the action without parking limitations, no-drive zones, etc. worry about. Saves precious sightseeing time, and using public transit can be considered part of the culture. A caution? There have been a number of folks who've warned against leaving much of anything in an unattended car. Just sayin'.

Anyway, we've done consecutive 3 weeks JUST in Italy - not even our first rodeo - and didn't begin to scratch the surface so we're planning a 6 week-er as soon as we can do it. Culture, architecture and history? Rome isn't Naples, isn't Florence, isn't Venice, isn't Milan, etc. There's benefit to exploring just one country beyond the little glimpses, if culture and history are important. Day trips from the cities to smaller locations are also plentiful. And sure, you could rent a car for a few days in Tuscany or Umbria.

I'm sure there are the same opportunities for 3 culture-rich weeks just in Germany, just in France, or any number of other countries. Shoot, we could easily spend 3 weeks just in Belgium, which we loved! But the choice is up to you. Just keep in mind that very full itineraries - which is what you'll have if moving every day or every other - are most at risk for things to go wobbly if something doesn't work according to plan. :O)

I like Rick's first-time Europe priorities: England (London), France (Paris), Switzerland (Lauterbrunnen Valley).

London provides the more familiar English-language setting, but with plenty of experiences available with British culture...and cultures from all over the world. Paris is an easy, proximate second stop, with a different perspective on life and a new language. The Alps are gorgeous and the trip to Switzerland is a good change of pace and scenery and the natural flow of the trip from Paris into Switzerland transitions you from French to German culture.

But, what languages are your teens studying in school? I would definitely incorporate that into my planning, if relevant.

Some place like Cinque Terra or the Amalfi coast would be sufficient for a beach location while still offering some great cultural (and culinary) experiences

OK, so here’s another 2 cents worth:

Italy - Start in Sorrento, and get in some coastal time. While there, the island of Capri is reachable by ferry, but that might be in the “gimmicky” realm you’re avoiding, or maybe worth a visit. Or possibly visit the Amalfi region down the coast, unless you just stick to Sorrento. Then, either by train or by rental car, head north, towards Naples, the birthplace of pizza. See the Archaeological Museum, Pompeii, and/or Herculaneum. Visit up Mt. Vesuvius is optional. Next, Rome, where you parents have been, but the teens might enjoy a visit. At the Colosseum, be sure to take the Underground tour, so you all can see the sight from below, ground level, and above. If your car rental allows returning it to another country without an excessive foreign drop off fee, drive up towards France. Otherwise, take train or fly.

France - Swing thru Antibes, with the Picasso Museum, then on to Nice. Then, stay south for some Provence time, or north to Lyon, Paris, and/or Normandy. Then, on to

Germany - Where you parents can either show the kids places you experienced on your prior trip, or see all-new destinations for the whole family.

Another family of five with three teens here, who have been taking multi-week trips to Europe for several summer now (not last year obv). We aim for the longest duration trip we can and travel cheaply to make it happen.

My planning usually goes city-rural-city-rural (or vice versa), as the crush of city site seeing can be a lot, and then you spend a few days in a less dense area and catch your breath, and so on. I look for water in the "rural" areas, because we always travel in summer and its hot and a ½ day at the beach or cliff jumping into a river goes a long way to giving the teens more stamina for museums and culture in between. We always rent a car as a big part of our transportation because it is SO much cheaper than 5 train tickets. We rent compact cars and fit 5 ppl and luggage, so I dont know about that, but again, we are long-time backpackers, so my kids are thrilled to sleep on a bed, and dont really care how compact things are (or dont know the difference because they've never had a more luxurious experience ;), so take what I say with that grain of salt.

We never drive over borders, but instead drop the car at a train station and take the train. So for example, we took one trip of 35 days starting in Paris, picking up a car in the outskirts (took metro to the car rental), drove to Loire, Dordogne, Carcassonne, Provence, Riviera, then dropped the car in Nice and took the train to the Cinque Terra (from there trained to Florence and then Rome), then flew for $50/ticket OW to Amsterdam. So in 35 days we did visit three countries and spent a lot of time.

But as you have three weeks, I agree that two countries would be better.

Out last trip (2019) was 26 days and we spent it all in Spain and drove most of it. Flew in to BCN, and headed straight to Girona, where we picked up a car at the train station upon departure, and then spent a lot of time in Northern Spain which we LOVED (this was July-August so we chose it to avoid the heat but also because we live in Southwestern US and southern Spain has a similar climate). Northern Spain had beach (San Sebastian - the kids tried surfing there which was fun), culture obviously (Gehry museum in Bilbao ... oh, and the Oma Forest hike was surprisingly awesome - its on the peninsula between San Seb and Bilbao), and mountains - the second Alps of Europe are the Pico de Europa. The Cathedral in Leon was an all time best. Etc. Dropped the car in BCN and stayed there for several days before departure

Another trip was 28 days in Greece: 8 in the Peloponnese with backpacking, beach day, and ruins, then to Crete for 10, then islands for 8, then Athens for ? The funny thing about that trip - well, I'll quote my then 13yo son: "even for a 13yo boy, this is a lot of beach time". We are not peachy people, so yes, it was a lot of beach and a lot of ruins, but the funny part is that we look back on that trip so fondly (we call it type 2 fun). I'd say the France and Spain trips had the most awe and Type 1 fun (fun in the moment and fun in hindsight). Those two would make a great combo. Just leave the car at the border.

As for lodging, I look for either b&b's or Airbnb's. We travel thriftily, as I say, and Ive never had trouble finding lodging for 5 of us. The hardest time was in Greece because rooms are so tiny that we did have to rent two in many places, but then, combined, they cost what one does usually.

Airports - you could also look at Toronto, Yes it could be a drive, but for us, we drive hours to an airport somewhere else and it cuts the cost of tickets by ⅔. Thats the way we afford this ;)

I was reading this and thinking that if you're willing to dial it back to two places, I think Spain and Morocco would be a great fit, and then I saw you yourself mention them later in the thread! You've got great options for basically everything you are mentioning. It could be very cool to start in Marrakech and work your way up to Tangier to take the ferry to Spain, then see a bit of Andalusia and return from perhaps Málaga (or go in the opposite direction).

We did a 3 week road trip with our teens that might suit you. Three countries in three weeks is definitely doable. We did 4 countries in 20 nights and weren’t rushed at all.

Landed in Frankfurt, drove to Boppard for 3 nights. Rhine river cruise, Burg Eltz, St.Goar castle ruins.

Drove to Rothenburg for 2 nights.

Drove to Salzburg for 5 nights. Hallstatt, Berchtesgaden, paragliding over Salzburg, Red Bull museum, toured the old town, Mozart’s house.

Drove to Ljubljana, Slovenia for 4 nights. Castle, toured town, Lake Bled, Vintgar Gorge, Postojna cave & Predjama castle.

Drove to Venice for 3 nights. Toured the city, gondola ride, Murano, St. Marks, lots of shopping.

Drove to Munich for 3 nights. Dachau, beer hall, air museum, toured the city.

The only long drive was Venice to Munich, but we took a side trip and stopped in Mittenwald on the way. Most drives were 4 hrs or less.

The advantage of this route is picking up and dropping off the rental car in the same country.

Slovenia is a hidden gem. Ljubljana felt like a quiet, clean Paris. The people are super friendly and English is widely spoken. The food is definitely different from Germany and Italy. And it is a natural wonderland. Spectacularly gorgeous! Check out the beaches. You wouldn’t hit the beaches right at the beginning, but it might be a nice break toward the end of the trip when it’s getting hotter.