Need some advice. Crazy as it seems, we are taking three teenage boys (ages 18-19) to Europe beginning right after Christmas for about 2 weeks. We're trying to do it somewhat economically and not go travel crazy by trying to see too much, so we've decided on the above itinerary, flying into Amsterdam and out of Rome. I'm looking for the best transportation options, and between flying, trains and driving between cities, driving seems to provide the most flexibility and the best price, when you factor in 5 adult tickets each time we want to go someplace. I've been to Europe before and I hate driving and finding places to park in the big cities but the tradeoff is how convenient it is.
So I guess my questions are:
1 - Does the itinerary seem feasible for 2 weeks?
2 - Is driving the best option?
3 - If so, from whom should I rent and do they allow me to drop off in a different city than pickup? (I couldn't find a way to do this with Sixt, who I rented from last time)
4 - Anything special we'd need to think about because it is over the Christmas/New Years holiday? Will things be more crowded, or closed?
5 - We'd like to rent an apt. in Paris and Rome if possible.
Don't think we're crazy. The boys are actually looking forward to traveling with us, though we want to give them as much freedom to do their own thing as possible. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance