Cities to visit with a family of 7

Early June you may be okay without a/c, but not late June.
Are you renting a van or two cars? Is this a lease situation? It would otherwise make sense to not use a car for cities and only for rural stays, or change the itinerary to avoid cities.

We were in Tuscany the first two weeks of June last year when it was 95 deg. - wouldn't have survived without A/C.

You can take a look at actual, day-by-day, historical weather data for your destinations on timeanddate.com. They go back at least ten years. I'd check the last 3 years at least; 5 would be better. Doing that will give you a decent idea of the range of conditions you may encounter.

Are you planning a regular car rental? You'll likely encounter a huge fee (hundreds of euros) if you pick up a car in Italy and drop it off in France.

You'll need to be careful about the size of your vehicle. You need space for seven people plus luggage for seven people. The luggage needs to be out of sight when you park the car to have lunch or do some sightseeing on the way to a new base. Yet a larger vehicle can be hard to maneuver and park in European towns and cities.

A vehicle of any size will be totally useless in Venice (no streets) and virtually so in Rome. You'll just be paying to park it.

Brian,
Have you been to Europe before? What part of the country are you from?

You really need to rethink your car plans. Of course, Venice and cars are a no go and having a car in Rome would be a PITA. I've driven extensively in Europe (UK, France, Italy) and Rome is one place I wouldn't drive.

There's a nice place just outside Radda that has a pool. Also check out this agriturismo site.

We're from central Georgia (US) and our house didn't have air conditioning until I was 18. AC is optional for me. However, I was in Rome one August when temps were over 100. Our non air conditioned hotel was pretty brutal.

Be aware that beaches in Italy aren't like Florida beaches. Even in June, the water temps can be chilly. CT wouldn't be a good place if you are looking for a nice place for the kids to swim.

Personally, I cut back at least one destination. That's a lot of moving around, especially with kids. Cut CT, find a nice agriturismo with a pool in Tuscany and spend your time there exploring. You could get back early evening, throw the kids in the pool and enjoy a nice glass of Chianti Classico and munchies poolside.

Doug

We have traveled with a group of 7 and are doing so this May/June. It is much cheaper to rent two cars than one van.
I would look at using the train when it makes sense and then only rent when it doesn't. We are renting for 4 nights in Umbria but then taking a train to Venice.

I would never rent in June in Italy without air conditioning. We didn't have it for a few days in York in the north of England last year (just isn't common) and it was 85 degrees. We managed to sleep in our third floor room but avoided going back to our bed and breakfast until after 11 pm because we knew it would be hot. With kids, I would insist on air conditioning.

Agree with the above. For most of the places you are going, a car would only be a very expensive headache. About the only place on your list where a car makes any sense would be Tuscany, and there you still need to be careful to avoid some places (any old city, any big city). You would be so much better off if you skipped the care (maybe entirely) and just took trains. If you really want a car for Tuscany, then take trains everywhere else, just rent a car for the few days you wil be in Tuscany.

I would never dream of going to Italy in the summer and stay at anyplace without good aircon.

Do not expect "beaches" in Italy to be like your picture of a beautiful beach. If all the kids want is to jump in some water, maybe, but expect pebbles not fine white sand, expect crowds, and expect a very different vibe. It's not bad, but it's not the "nice beach experience" most Americans hope for.

Hello again, and thanks for the replies.

I didn't flesh out the whole trip in my email... but we are actually arriving in Paris (from Denver), going east through southern Germany, down through Innsbruck to northern Italy, and then after Italy we are circling to the French Riviera, Sarlat, Normandy and then back to Paris. 6 weeks total. We are also visiting 3 au pairs that lived with us in the US and they live in small places along our route, which is partially why we are renting a car rather than piecing together trains and rental cars.

Good to know about your opinions on AC - sounds like we will have to get that whereever we stay.

Anyone with thoughts on Cinque Terre or Portofino or other places along the coast north of Rome? Nothing jumped out at us as an obvious place to go but hoping some of you have some favorite spots along that drive!

Brian

Brian, regarding the Cinque Terre, it's late in the game for summer reservations, and especially so for accommodations that can handle 7. The van is a complicating factor as you won't be using it to get around the region. You could park it in La Spezia and take trains in, or Monterosso has some public parking ($$); you might look at staying there someplace.

If the Cinque Terre is what you want (what are you wanting to do/see there?) and you can't find anything suitable in the 5 villages, I'd look at Levanto; just 4 minutes north of Monterosso by train. It has a sand beach, and parking would probably be easier there as well. It will be very, very busy in the CT in June, though, and trying to herd all of you on and off the regional trains during peak hours could be a challenge. And again, what are you wanting to do/see there?

Rethink your car rental plans.
1) At a minimum, if you rent a car at all, don't rent until you depart Venice. Also, as others noted, you will need a van of some size for five persons and luggage.
2) Florence is not very car friendly, so having a car would limit you choices for lodging. We love the Hotel Balesteri on the Arno, but parking is very, very limited. If you did keep the car in Florence, then once you arrive Rome, give it up, parking there is probably worse than in Florence and driving in Rome would be a pain. Even with a GPS or Nav system, no fun at all.
3) Taking the train is nice, we have used the very nice train that runs from Venice to Rome and it is rather fast and new. Also, driving in Italy, is expensive considering the cost of fuel and the huge tolls on the Autostradas. Further, it is so easy to get a ticket in Italy that will cost you a pretty penny.
4) As others pointed out, renting a car in Italy and dropping it in France will incur huge charges. Don't do it.
5) Your itinerary includes Cinque Terre, which is nice, but in June will be overrun with tourists. If you still wish to go there, you could take the train again, or rent another car in Rome. Going on to France, from CT, consider the train. If ending in Paris, you could pickup the high speed train at Arles or Marseille. There are many great places to see in SE France. Consider Avignon, Arles, Aix en Provence, Cannes, Monte Carlo and St. Paul de Vence.

Regarding a pool for your kids and being on the beach, that will narrow your choices quite a bit and drive up your cost of lodging and you might have to stay away from the city centers, causing you more frustrating choices for using public transport or having to drive into the cities and find expensive or non-existent parking. Further, having visited a few beaches in northern Italy and southern France, I was not terribly impressed with them.

As for a nice town outside of Florence, Sienna would be a consideration.

It's hard to say for sure because the itinerary information you've provided is sketchy (we don't know which places you actually plan to spend the night), but I get a sense that you're trying to cover an awful lot of territory in 6 weeks. I know part of the reason is the stops to visit the former au pairs, and those are essential. But I'm afraid this is going to be a hectic and tiring trip. That's going to be especially difficult in your case because: 1) It's a long trip; what's OK for 2 weeks can be exhausting for 6 weeks. 2) Five children to corral. 3) The heat--likely in southern France as well as in Italy--will make it hard to move fast and accomplish much on any given day.

If you'd care to lay out the itinerary in a bit more detail, we might have some suggestions.

If you'd care to lay out the itinerary in a bit more detail, we might have some suggestions.

Agree strongly with this. It's difficult to say without knowing more, but what you have posted so far hints at some fundamental and potentially problematic issues.

Have you been to Europe before, or is this your first time? A six week summer trip across Europe with your family is going to be very, very different from a trip of the same length in the USA (and requires making some different choices). If you're in the habit of loading up the mini van and charging out onto the Interstate, you will want to adjust many of your choices for a trip around Europe, because so many of the familiar and logical-seeming choices that many of us are used to in the US will result in a trip around Europe that could be the basis for a bad movie (or just would not be possible). If you have little previous experience traveling in Europe, you are not going to see these differences coming, until you find yourself in a situation that makes everyone unhappy and causes the trip plan to fall apart.

acraven is right in the post above: if you post more details on your plans (including the "big picture" overview), with travel dates (so we can see how much time you really have to cover all that ground), you will get much better advice.

I appreciate all your thoughtful comments. Thank you.

As per the last note about understanding the itinerary better and experience in Europe, etc. I have personally spent about 8 months travelling in Europe, mostly backpacking by myself, on about 6 trips or so.... Have been there with my wife as well and also the kids to Ireland a few years ago. The kids are used to long car rides (9-11 hours) in USA, but havent driven in Europe.

We are planning on average 3 days in each site, and planning on picking out just one thing to do each day. The goal is to mainly let the kids "take it in", experience the area and people, with a lot of water time (coastal spots, pools) but not much around museums etc which they wouldn't tolerate for long...

From Paris, we are going to Bacharach in Germany for 3 nights, then Saarland to visit an au pair for 2 nights, another visit to a family 2 hours west of Munich, 3 nights in Salzberg area, 3 nights in Garmisch, then down through Innsbruck to Asiago Italy for 3 nights with another au pair. Then from there 3 nights Venice, 4 nights Tuscany, 4 nights Rome, 3 nights CT area (we picked Lorento and booked a place on the beach there on

sorry - accidentally hit 'send'!

So staying in Levanto in CT for 3 nights, then to an area near Cassis for 3 nights, 3 nights in Sarlat, 3 nights in Normandy, and 3 in Paris.

It seems like the longest drives between most of these areas are 7-8 hours, which is long, but do-able I think. Most of the drives between locations are 2-4 hours.

Regarding car vs train, we know the inconvenience part of parking, navigation etc but on balance, it seems like the benefits outweigh the downsides as far as flexibility, not worrying about train schedules, not having pressure to schlepp the kids on and off the train,etc.

Thanks again for all your help.

Brian

Now that we know the entire trip, it makes sense to drive. I do worry about the pace though--lots of two and three night stops would be tiring to me--you need time for laundry to dry at some point. And I'd find driving a van somewhat stressful--be sure you have investigated parking thoroughly.

I don't have kids--though I remember how much I enjoyed beaches as a child, so I'm not going to insist I'm right about this. However, I feel strongly that you need more time in Sarlat. It's a long drive from Cassis, so you'll really have only about 2 days in the Dordogne. I'd want double that. I would cut Cassis to one night to make it happen, even though there would be back-to-back long drives and the kids might mutiny. I just don't think you need 6 nights in a row at coastal locations, and the Dordogne has caves, canoes, castles. It's simply not a two-day destination.

I could also go for flying from Italy to Bordeaux or Toulouse and skipping Cassis altogether, to avoid much of the driving. However, I imagine you wouldn't find a non-stop flight.

Have you investigated car-rental rates? The drop fee on this trip could be astronomical.

Are you planning on a rental or lease option for your vehicle? The lease could save you some $$.

Comparison here.
https://www.autoeurope.com/long-term-car-rental/

I know you are very attached to your car, but did you know:

1) Italian Trains offer a Bimbi Gratis fare where up to 4 kids travel free with 1 paying adult?

2) Free Swiss Family Card allows kids<16 to travel all over Switzerland absolutely free with their paying parent?

I am a converted rental car user who only uses trains now...yes, I had kids too.