14 days in western europe

"I have had so many different suggestions , I am a little frustrated." You will get many suggestions because if you asked people "I have to start in London and end in Munich and have 14 days. What should I do?", no two people would have the same answer. So, you will have to figure out what your priorities are, and then examine transit between them, and then reconfigure. For instance, although Caen is not too far from London as the crow flies, you're not a crow, so you will have to go to Paris first. Similarly, which "little bit of Switzerland" is of interest? Some are much easier to splice into your itinerary than others. Do you have 12 days on the ground, or 12 days including flights from Pittsburgh? Not only do the days of flying themselves not count, but the first day in Europe is often a jet-lagged haze. For train schedules, use http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en. This will only have prices for trains within Germany. Using this, you can see how long trips will take, and get a sense of what is reasonable. Don't forget that even a short train trip between cities means you lose a half day (checking out, getting to the station, taking the train, getting to your new hotel...) And remember that 2 nights in a city equals one full day-not more. Once you know your itinerary, you will want to book your train tickets ahead. These will be non-exchangeable and non-refundable, but will save you a fortune over tickets bought at the last minute (particularly for 4 people, since some trains have group or family discounts). Let us know your chosen routes, and people here will be able to give details.

Make the plan as simple as possible with focus on flexibility and economy. Maybe something like: 3 nights in London, 4 nights in Paris (that includes a day trip to Caen) and the remaining time in S. Germany. Transportation: Trains to Paris, Caen and your starting point in Germany, plus Car Rental in Germany to return at Munich airport. Reservations needed: hotels in London & Paris / trains / car rental. Once you have worked out a rough draft of an itinerary, get back to the folks here to help you with the details.

Jeff, A bit of further information would be helpful..... > What is the specific interest in Caen and southern Germany? > Are there are any sights that are important for the other members of the group? > Have you booked flights yet? > As someone else mentioned, does the 14 days include your two flight days? That's a very short time frame to cover from London to Munich, so you'll have to choose destinations carefully and be sure to allow for adequate travel times. Good luck with your planning!

Ok, maybe a little vague let me clarify somewhat 13 days on the ground starting in London, wamt to do D-Day beaches , (via ferry from Portsmouth), maybe eliminate Paris, Train to Germany from Paris to either Stuttgart or Cologne. 2 nights Lucerne, 1 nite Fussen , then on to Munich for remainder of trip (Picking up car in Germany) Looking for some assistance tweeking this to try to make
it enjoyable for all

If in Munich,see Dachau, not too far from Munich. Not too sure of age of teenagers but they should be fine, certainly worth at least half day. When you combine that with Normandy, wow what an experience.

Jeff, Thanks for the additional information. How are you planning to get from the Ferry terminal in France to the D-Day beaches? You stated that you weren't picking up a car until you arrive in Germany. The easiest method would be to travel to Bayeux via Paris. I'm not sure that a Ferry from Portsmouth is the best option. From Bayeux you can take one of the excellent local tours that are offered there. They provide the transportation so you wouldn't need to rent a car. The Guides are outstanding, and you'll have a far more rewarding experience and learn far more about the D-Day events than if you go on your own (they can be a bit "pricey" though). If you need suggestions for tour companies, post another note. For this method, you'd need to stay two nights in Bayeux. There's also an excellent WW-II Museum in Bayeux and of course the famous Tapestry which describes a much earlier battle. The Gun Batteries at Longues sur Mer are only a short distance outside of town (they were partially used in the filming of The Longest Day). Are you planning to stay in Stuttgart or Cologne? Rather than staying one night in Füssen, you could easily use Munich as a "base" and take a day trip to the Castles, either on your own or with Radius Tours. If you go on your own, you'll have to make the time-specific Castle tour reservations. You can also visit Dachau with a day tour or on your own (a car may not be necessary?). Cheers!

Jeff: Our vacations used to be spent driving as far as possible and seeing as many sights as possible. $9 gasoline made me realize I was just hitting the high points and missing many sights. From Paris to Munich is over 500 miles by car, train or airplane. Europe is best when taken just a little slower. I now prefer to pick 2 to 3 cities that are in close proximity for a 2 week trip. I'll rent a car for day trips into the countryside outside of big cities. Sample trips: London and Paris (taking the Eurostar between cities) Munich, Salzburg, Vienna Munich, Salzburg/Innsbruck, Venice Amsterdam, Rhine River Valley (including Cologne), Munich Munich, Vienna, Prague Venice, Florence, Rome (Our last trip.) For mountain scenery: Austria offers the same mountains as Switzerland, is easier to get to from Munich and is a more lively place.
After all, after you go once, you'll go back. If you miss a city, it gives you somewhere to go next time. If you take in so much scenery, it'll all be a big blur.