Hotels for families of 4

Did I read it correctly that you're planning to stay in 6 cities over 10 days??? That is quite a busy itinerary, too busy for sure for our kids of similar age. We realized quickly that a family vacation works much much better when you stay longer in one place and reduce the time required to move hotels every night. I'd also suggest to look into renting appartments instead of hotel rooms. They would give you more room and would usually be cheaper than two hotel rooms. Family rooms for 4 can be found in hotels but are not as common as in the US and require a bit more digging. You

Look in Rick's guidebooks for quad rooms next to the prices in the hotel description. I've found that family rooms are the first to go during the summer. Sometimes we take 2 doubles just so we don't have to wait for 4 showers in the mornings. Also is nice to have some quiet conversations one on one between parent and child. Especially nice to chill some in the evening if you are moving around so much. Edit: Rereading your post, wondering if you're thinking of American chain type hotels ( Hiltons or Holiday Inns) where kids stay free in existing bedding ( 2 double beds per room), or where you're seeking 4 beds in a "quad" room ... ? Some smaller hotels may charge, others won't charge, for children your age- will vary by owner.

Shantelle, If possible, try to get the twins their own room next to your room. Been there, done that...........thank me later. Have a great trip!

Actually - just to post further to what Bob above says - in the smaller towns (like maybe Freiburg) if you stay at a B&B the cost of 2 rooms is not that bad and I agree that you will be happy that SOME nights you are not all in the same place. We would break up so that the more expensive cities (like Rome, Copenhagen) we would get the family room and then we'd put the kids (went the first time when they were 9 & 11) in a separate room when possible. We also did one overnight train our first trip and put my daughter & I in one room, husband & son in another. Maybe you are already considering that since you are trying to visit so many places, and all by train?

I'm with Beatrix. That's a lot of towns, even without the kids along. If you've already bought train tickets, then you've got to go ahead with your plan. Otherwise, reconsider getting a place in each of those towns and either a) cut down on the number of towns you're visiting, or b) do some as a day trip, like Fussen from Munich. Apartments are SO much nicer than hotels when traveling with kids. Even though you won't spend a lot of time there, it does give you a chance to spread out a bit and have a little privacy. And they'll probably cost around half of what a quad would cost.

Thx all for the help! I really wanted to avoid booking 2 double rooms in each city we overnite...we will see...I have read thru many guidebooks (Rick's & others) and never see too many notations for quad accom....we have chked many hotel sites as well....not looking for Amer chains...we want an authentic Euro experience w/our kids. We are all beyond excited for this chance....and hoping that leaving on the last day of school will mean less crowds! :)

Shantelle - if you are doing research and finding small European hotels/B&B's, try emailing them directly and asking something along the lines of: We are a family of 4, traveling..., do you have accomodations to suit us? I have often done this and gotten a reply back that included a "family room" or offer of extra beds, etc. that was not on the official website. The only personal rec I can offer is not in Fussen, but I assume you are there to see Neuschwanstein? We stayed at the Hotel Mueller in Hohenschwangau in a 2 room "apartment" that actually had a view of the castle and was great for sleeping the 4 of us. And almost forgot - when we were in Strasbourg we stayed at the Hotel Regent Contades - a short walk from the central area. We had just one room for my husband and I, but when my daughter wanted to stay with us they found another room for us that had a fold out couch - can't remember if it was a double or not. But again, I'd suggest emailing them directly and see what they suggest.

Karen's advice is spot on...use your guidebooks or other resources to find lodgings you're interested in contacting, but then send an e-mail inquiry directly to the lodging noting your dates and number of guests. Indicate your preference for one room that will accommodate a family of 4. I've observed that many of the websites for places I've stayed list rates just for singles and doubles when I know for sure they have some triples, quads, and/or family rooms available. I've even had a B&B owner offer an air mattress for a third guest at no extra charge when a double was the most allowed for a room. Point is there are often options available that might help you avoid the full cost of two completely separate rooms if you ask. Good luck!

Hi Shantelle I agree with the first couple of posting, you are going to too many places in to few day's. Are you taking into consideration the day's you loose traveling to and from Europe? I have learned it's best to stay a min of two nights in one place. It gives you time to enjoy the town your in and see most everything. Also your not seeing Europe out the window of a train. Try cutting down your trip to two or three places. And keep your train ride to 3 hours or less. Each time you move cities you are taking up half the day. One suggestion is cut out Zurich stay in Lucern. It is a good 2 day stay there. You can take the train from there to the Airport it's an 1 1/2 train ride. Or cut Switzerland out all together and just to Germany. Good Luck Wendy

With 4 people, you might also want to consider hostels. We took our 2 sons, then aged 15 and 19 to Germany in fall of 2008. Many of the hostels have rooms for 4. Reasonable prices, usually squeaky clean in Germany, and you meet people from all over the world. Rick's guide books mention the best ones.

I like hostels for a family if you do it with one of their family programs. Then it can be a really good deal. We've done that with a week long castle stay: accommodation in 2 private rooms, all meals, morning childcare (incl. activities like target shooting with bow and arrow), boat trip on the Rhine, another daytrip to a castle on the Mosel with bus ride and guide = all for 1000 Euro for the week for the 4 of us. But if you're looking for accommodation only it usually turns out more expensive than a nice appartment with separate bedrooms for parents and kids because you have to pay per person.

These I know from experience: Munich - Hotel Viktualienmarkt Fussen - Hotel Helmerhof (Horn Schwangau 5 min away)
Zurich - Hotel Pension St Josef I never stay directly in Füssen - rather 5 min away in little Horn Schwangau with the pastures and cowbells and bike/pedestrian paths

Thx all for the info! I have booked all hotels except for Freiburg im Breisgau. I have checked around 20 hotels in this area, including the ones in Rick's guidebooks and online searches....all are either sold out, pricey, or no quad/family rooms. May have to check into hostels...thought they were only for single backpackers, not families. Just getting sooo excited for this memorable vacation!!!

Hi Shantelle, Greetings from a fellow Georgia peach, now living in France, not too far from Freiburg. Also have twin 10 year-olds, so totally understand your position. Hostels often have family rooms, so you might luck out. Also, have you checked www.booking.com? I can sometimes find rooms there. Also, be sure to check out the city of Freiburg website. I'm sure they have listings for accomodations. You could also Google "B&B Freiburg" to see what you get, if you haven't checked out that possibility already. As far as Freiburg goes, we always enjoy the daily outdoor market at the cathedral, a great place to outfit yourself with a nice picnic lunch. Try the currywurst. Like a bratwurst, with BBQ sauce and curry powder. Mmm, my mouth is watering. Also, your kids will enjoy the various German gummy candies you find everywhere. If you have time, the transportation museum in Lucerne is just wonderful. But, be prepared, Switzerland is EXPENSIVE, especially the restaurants and especially in comparison to relatively inexpensive restaurants in Germany. Have a great trip!

For Freiburg, try the nearby village Kirchzarten. I spent a little time looking around Kirchzarten last month - a very quiet, clean little village in an attractive setting. There are apartments there, it's a 14-min. train ride into Freiburg, and the train ride is free - all accommodations providers in K'zarten offer a Konus guest card w/train privileges. This place is close to the station and would cost 52 Euros per night for 4 (possibly with an additional charge for a short stay): http://www.dreisamtal.de/en/unterkunft/show.php?id=210 3 pages of apartments in or near Kirchzarten:
http://www.dreisamtal.de/en/unterkunft/ferienwohnungen.php?ort=kirchzarten I would contact the TI office and tell them your needs - see contact info at bottom of the above page.

Shantelle, We are a family of five and were able to find family rooms to accomodate us in Paris, Rome, Cinque Terra, and other towns in Italy and Germany. I had to spen time searching online, and some we found when we got there. The rooms are out there, you just need to do your searching. Happy Travels!,
Beth