Mom traveling with 10 and 15 year old daughters in western Europe

Hi Bobbi Jane,

To get the best advice you'll need to be more specific about where you and your daughters would like to go and when you'll be traveling. I'd get your daughters involved in the planning! Rick Steves' book, Europe Through the Back Door would be a great place to start!

Sharon

To get started on your research as a group, have the kids go on the internet and look up whatever destination you intend on visiting to see what might peak their interest.

Check your local library and rent DVDs on countries or cities you will visit and watch them with your daughters. Rick Steves PBS shows are all on DVD, and Globe Trekker has a nice collection of shows on DVD - if the library can't get a copy, rent them via Blockbuster by Mail or Netflix. In addition to borrowing a copy of Europe Through The Backdoor, borrow guidebooks to do the initial research and decide which ones you may want to buy later. MTV has a series of guides geared towards teen and young adult travelers but you may prefer reading the ones by Rick Steves, Frommer's, etc.

If your girls have an iPod, they can download free podcasts from iTunes to learn about what there is to see or do.

If you are basing yourself out of 1 or 2 cities while you travel, consider renting an apartment. If you are moving around every few nights, a hotel, guesthouse, B&B or a family room in a hostel might be a better option.

for the most part we know where we are going--One daughter wanted Paris, the other Germany and Switzerland, both the beach and me Belgium and the Netherlands. Hence I have it down pretty much what areas except for the best route from Frankford to Munich---Do Baden-Baden or the romantic road? Again my biggest ? is how to find and book accomadations for an all female + kid group. I know I'm crazy but I'm looking at Nice (and surrounding area) in August. Both girls are fine with the crowd thing because it is so different from where we live. Any specifics would be appreciated. thanks again.

Bobbi,

are you intersted in staying in hotels or B&B or appartment? The beaches along the Northsea in the Netherlands and GErmany are very popular tourist destinations for the locals with lots of choices for accommodation. But often booked long in advance. Just check for what you like and see if they have triple bedrooms available.

No sure why "all female" or "with kids" would be any different from any other group of 3 looking for accommodation. Your kids are too big already to sleep in a crib and need adult-size beds. Some places my not advertise that they'd have triples but if you find a place you really like just contact them and ask if they do have a room that sleeps 3.

In which places do you still need accommodations? You could check out Rick Steves' recommendations or look at the reviews at tripadvisor. These two usually work great for hotels and B&B.

Bobbi Jane, are you driving or going by train? How many days do you have between Frankfurt & Munich? Do you then fly out of Munich?

Most of the time we travel by train but sometimes by bus. Travel from Frankfurt to munich is only for 1-2 days. A few days in Munich and then on to Switzerland (3 days) and then France etc. We are making a big loop, coming back into Frankfurt. I want it as inexpensive but comfortable as possible. We are campers here in the states so know how to get along with less -- hostels, hotels and B&B's are all OK. Again Any specific recommendations would be great.

Rothenburg-Munich: With your limited time, take the train, which does not follow the Romantic Road exactly but won't strand you on the bus all day, like the Deutsche Touring RR bus does. It's best to just pick one or two towns and visit them. I'd spend two nights in one town - maybe Rothenburg - and daytrip to another that interests you. Noerdlingen or Nurmemberg (a larger city) would be worth considering as daytrips.

With 3, an apartment is most comfortable, but not usually bookable for just one or two nights. Try B&B's - you'll probbly need a single and a double, but cost will be about the same as it would for the rare triple room.

Here's a list of accommodations in Bavaria with reviews:

http://www.bensbauernhof.com/accommodationsbavaria.html

Here's the Rothenburg tourism page in English to hunt down accommodations:

http://www.rothenburg.de/index.php?get=121

Here's the private B&B list; doubles (DZ) with bath run 30-50 Euros, and a few of the listings have webpages:

http://www.rothenburg.de/index.php?get=147

Hi Bobbie Jane, I have taken my 12 yr old DD to Europe, and my 14 yr old son,, but on seperate trips.

Depending on when you are planning this trip,, one tip for booking a hotel in Paris for a triple( which is what you must book, you are not able to book a double or twin with a cot like you could here) ,, is book early... Many small hotels only have a few triple rooms. They will not squeeze a bed into another room. Rooms are so small in many cases it would be impossible anyways.

Here are a few cheap but decent places in Paris. I have stayed at all of them but two,, I am staying at HOtel Diana in July,, so I will post back on that one,, and Hotel Eugenie,, while I did not stay there, I visited it, and was shown three rooms, one of which was a triple. Clean and excellant location.

Hotel Eugenie( as above)

Hotel Des Mines

Hotel Diana

Hotel Claude Bernard

Hotel Des Grand Hommes( most expensive, but very pretty, booked far enough ahead you can get reasonable rates.

Hotel Le Regent ( as above)

Sounds like you're flying into Frankfurt going south to Munich and then into Switzerland then coming back up to Paris continuing north into Belgium, the Netherlands and then back to Frankfurt to fly home. Is this right? How many days is your trip including travel days? DO you know where you are going in Switzerland & Belgium? Do you need lodging info for all of your stops?

Bobbi Jane;

When making room inquiries, most certainly explain your circumstances, including the ages of your daughters. While a true Triple for three adults may be less common, it is surprising how accomodating owners of small hotels can be. If you are flexible, they may be able to make things work.

Thanks everyone. Our whole trip is from July 28 to Aug 26. Our craziest, and longest, connection seems to be from Bern to Nice. I'm Trying to do bases and day trips alough this means alot more train time--example from Munich doing one day in Fussen and another in Salzburg. If I could get from Fussen to Bern easily I'd probably change to that. Any one know about that connection?

Bobbi,
If I may offer experience, start with the Rick Steves hotel and itinerary suggestions in each book. Get the books from the library and then decide which ones you need to buy. There are so many choices in hotels - save yourself a headache and use the suggestions that Rick and this forum offer.
Many of the hotels have good sites on the web and you can see them on google earth as well, to learn if they are on a busy street or near a train station, park, etc.

We've taken trains but like the freedom of a car, once out of the big cities, which lets us have our own schedule rather than the trains; means we can linger when something is especially interesting or sleep in when tired.
My kids loved the luge, for example, and we had a happy time looking for them all over Germany a few years ago.
Rick has travel cost comparisons in his books for trains and cars. Sometimes three or four people find the car about the same as several trains. I'd say take it easy, don't try to move around too much, ( "take a vacation from your vacation") and don't expect all Euro beaches to be sandy!

Bobbi Jane--Since you want inexpensive but comfortable lodging, one website to check would be Eurocheapo. Identify a city where you want to stay and dates. It will direct you to a number of options in that city, give you prices and reviews. Repeat this process for each city where you want to investigate lodging. You may not select any of its offerings, but the site does give you a look at what is available. I use this on many of my Eruopean bookings. It will information on how to contact a lodging and/or will direct you elsewhere for booking a lodging.

I definitely agree with the reply that said to involve your daughters in the planning. Planning is half the fun of a trip, so they may as well get in on it.

Bobbi- last year had a triple at Hotel Minerve in Paris- and I know they had at more triples available. We also just got back from switz. and Germany- no problem getting triples anywhere. joanne