Help with itinerary

Consider renting an apartment in Paris for a week or more. You can easily spend 4-5 days in Paris alone - there's more than enough to see! Daytrips by train are easily done as well, like to Versailles, Chartres, Fontainebleau, Reims, Rouen or Giverny. You will not need a car, just the Paris Visite card for Paris itself. The kids, even the teenagers, will not need to pay entrance fees to most public museums. Something like this apt might work well for you: http://www.jeudeclefs.com/index.php?th=138&date=20110722
The owner, Isabelle Feron, is a pleasure to deal with. She has a couple of other apts as well. I hope this helps!

You're asking for the impossible without a few more clues. Cumulatively I've spend a couple or three weeks in Belgium, a couple or three months in the Netherlands, and a couple or three years in France. I don't feel like I've done more than scratch the surface anywhere.

Hi Rita. What are your interests in each country? How many cities do you want to visit in each country? Since you plan on 8 nights in the Netherlands, I'm assuming you'll spend at least half that time in Amsterdam and then the rest in one or two towns. Three days in Belgium is really only enough time to visit one city, when you factor in travel time from the Netherlands and then to France.

Given the number of days you have in total, what are you planning on seeing in Netherlands that needs 8 days. If you stay in Amsterdam for 4 days that will be enough time to see Amsterdam and also day visits to a few nearby attractions. 3 days in Belgium looks good. The rest in France. (consider Loire, Chartres, Normandy and Brittany and then Paris)

If you have 9 nights in France, you could spend it all in Paris with some hefty day trips, or split it between Paris and one other region (perhaps a 5/4 split). Normandy and Burgundy are two obvious candidates, though by no means the only ones. If you wanted to visit Normandy, for instance, you could take a train from Belgium to Lille and rent a car; drive to Bayeux or other base, and sightsee. That puts you in Paris at the end of your trip. If you wanted to visit Burgundy, you could do so after Paris and plan to take a train to the airport from Lyon or Dijon the morning of your flight. There are several trains from both locations that go directly to the airport, bypassing Paris. Beaune makes a good base for such a trip, and again a car is helpful. What kind of old castle do you want to stay in? I know of a chateau hotel in Burgundy that is like a mansion, another hotel that is partly 12th century tower, not a castle but every bit as drafty as one.

Thank you for all your helpful responses. I like the idea of taking the train from Belgium to Lille and then to Normandy and finally ending up in Paris at the end, like Adam suggested. Do you think we could do this w/out renting a car and do you think it's necessary to have a car in that region? Also can you tell me the highlights of that area? I would like to see Liore, chartres, and or brittany also. But i don't know if I am cramming too many places in one trip. I definitely want to spend a good 5 days in Paris though. Do you think I could see Brussels, Bruges and Antwerp in 3 nights? Of course not in depth. But do you think it's doable at all?

Brussels, bruges and Antwerp in three nights is very doable. You can se all the highlights and get a feel for each. Loire , Normandy to do them right /efficiently you need a car. Chartres can be a by car at the end of Loire (How I have done it); or I understand by train.

Rita, I think you will find that most, if not all, of the trains from Lille to Bayeux lead through Paris; if you don't want a car, you'd be better off going directly via Paris from Belgium. My thinking in suggesting Lille was as follows. To get the most out of 3 or 4 days in Normandy, you'd need a car. And, having a car lets you bypass Paris, saving it for last and saving you some time. So by going to Lille, you get your car and a head start on Normandy at the same time. In other words, although you don't absolutely have to drive (though I recommend it), Lille does not make sense unless you do. If you do drive, and can shift another day or two to France, then I think you might be able to visit the Loire after Normandy, perhaps 3/2 nights respectively. That is a fairly brisk pace for a family of 5, maybe, so I wouldn't try it with less time. You can pick up in Lille, in that case, and return in Amboise or Chartres and take the train to Paris, or return in Paris.

Rita
I arranged for clients to stay at the very reasonably priced Château de Sassetot in Normandie but about 105 miles east of Bayeux the center of the WWII sites. They loved it. Lots of room for everyone to run around and the Chateau's walls are against the small town. Note that the Classic Rooms are small and spartan. Mom and Dad get the nicer one and kids in the Classic? My only other suggestion is to make your hotel reservations as soon as possible as you have a family of 5 and it is high season. You and your kids will have a great time!