Where to vacation in Europe?

[missmoe]

If you were to take a family of seven (with children ranging in age 11-16) to Europe in October, where exactly would you take them?

 

My dh has traveled to Asia, Australia, and South America. The kids and I have covered North America. We'd love to go to Europe. We're not quite sure where to go. There is so much there--it is hard to narrow it down. My dh has mentioned France. Spain, Italy, Great Britian have also been mentioned by various family members. This most likely will be the last big vacation before my oldest leaves home. We haven't been on a vacation as a family for quite a few years. We need to make sure we get all the bang out of it we can. That being said, we're the type of family that would rather dive deep into one really great place than cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time.

 

If you've been, please share. Where you went. What you did. Must see places. Good food. We must have good food! Anything else we should be thinking about.

Edited May 5, 2010 by missmoe

[Greeny]

I am someone whom is super arts and theatre minded, but we love LOVED London. Paris was nice, but a little disappointing to be honest. It was very dirty and french men really objectify foreign women on a grand scale, specifically blonds and redheads.

 

I think when we go back our goals are to spend more time outside of the big cities and experiencing what it is like to live in the country really immersing our selves in the local culture. I have heard of wonderful village based program in Italy in which you pay x amount of dollars to spend a few hours with different families and share a meal. This is something we definitely want to do the next time we cross the Atlantic.

 

Good luck with your travels.

[nd293]

I'd try to figure out what you really want from the trip. Relaxation? Culture and history? If you're looking for a relaxing holiday, I'd go for somewhere with beaches, good weather and a family-friendly culture - Spain, Portugal and Greece would be on my list. Maybe Italy. If I was after culture and history, I'd probably look at the UK, Greece or Italy. CNN used to show amazing adverts that made me want to visit Croatia...

 

When we went to Greece, we travelled around the Peloponnese (Delphi, Corinth, Olympia) and Athens, which is manageable. Adding an island is fun too - we did that on a previous, pre-kids trip. There's great food, history, culture, coffee, olives and some interesting natural sights (we took a boat ride through a cave system, and a really spectacular train ride up into some mountains). I wonder what the financial crisis in Greece is doing to travel costs? All you ever wanted to know about travelling in Greece can be found at Matt Barrrett's site.

 

Nikki

[Ester Maria]

My recommendations are Greek islands, Croatian islands, all of Italy :) and Provence (France).

[Ali in OR]

I vote for Italy.

 

My mom and sister and I went to Europe when I was 11. We did many countries and enjoyed most everything, so I don't think you can go wrong. But I remember Italy the most and that is where I would most like to take my girls. Can't beat the food--Italian ices, pizza, pasta, even the bread served in the morning tasted wonderful. We were mostly in Rome--lots to do just in that one city.

[radiobrain]

Italy is great in October. Not crazy hot, sometimes it will rain, but the crowds are lighter.

 

My kids were able to swim in the mediterannean in the middle of October. Who knows this year though, as I hear that the volcano will make all of Europe cooler this summer. Don't know if this is true.

 

there is so much awesome stuff to see there, that you could pick pretty much anywhere. I have my favorite spots, but I know there are a gazillion others where we haven't been.

Edited May 5, 2010 by radiobrain

[Chris in VA]

I love England, and there's certainly lots to do there--so it would be a fantastic choice.

 

But I'd say go to Rome. There's just so much there, it's incredible, and you can do a lot in a small amt of time because things are pretty close.

There's the Coliseum, The Forum, The Pantheon, The Spanish Steps (we skipped this, but it is fun), and The Vatican, all pretty close and easy to find. You can see an actual Roman road, the aquaducts, etc. The Vatican itself is spectacular--don't miss the Sistine Chapel, of course, but also get a guide to tell you about the inside of St Peter's--it's amazing.

Take a bus to the Catacombs, too--the children's tombs were affecting and the little chapels were quite interesting and profound to me.

 

Then take a one day tour to Pompeii--fascinating, and really nicely done. There's just nothing like it!

 

We ate cheaply, with two really nice dinners, that we took a bus to. We also sat on the piazzas and had gelato at night (and tiramisu--mmmmm). The one by the Pantheon is nice, with lots of folks and some street performers.

 

We thoroughly enjoyed our time there. Don't do too much--if you asked for highlights, I'd say

 

Forum--part of a day

Coliseum--part of a day

Vatican--whole day, or even two days

Catacombs--whole day (go to two or three of them)

Pantheon/piazza w/gelato!--part of a day/evening

Pompeii--long day

[missmoe]

Thanks for the suggestions. I haven't thought about Rome which is odd because we are studying ancient history right now. :001_smile:

 

Beach/Resort is not our thing. We live near the beach now, so that doesn't need to be on the agenda.

 

Culture and art sound really good. But we don't want to cram so much in that we have to recover from the vacation. :tongue_smilie:

 

Greeny--could you head me in the right direction to find the tour thing in Italy. That sounds excellent.

 

Any other good food ideas? Specifics?

[asta]

Greece is completely out of the picture for any time in the near future. Just read the news and multiply it out by a factor of 5-10. The islands are always beautiful, but you get there via the mainland, so...

 

Forget Paris. It is a completely non-family friendly place.

 

England, Scotland, Italy are your best bets. Germany is really neat, but finding lodging for a large family is almost impossible w/o breaking the bank. Although, in the south, along the German/Austrian border (in Bavaria), you may be able to get a reasonable gasthaus.

 

But before you plan *anything* -- you need to sit down with a really good travel agent. Hotels in Europe usually only allow for 2 people per room, with 3 people if you are lucky. There are some rare B&Bs that have rooms for 4, but beyond that, you are looking at renting an entire villa, and they have minimum stay requirements (they usually can't be night by night). There are also *reputable* villa rental agencies and really bad ones. The bad ones will hit you with all sorts of fees when you show up and have no where else to go.

 

Florence is lovely, as is Rome. Venice is stinky. Italians are just nice in general. Scots are really nice. I've never heard anything bad about Madrid or Spain. Czech is a great example of "old Europe" though it has become more commercialized in the past 5-10 years. The Kosovars by and large adore Americans.

 

That's all I can think of off the top of my head.

 

 

a

[JFSinIL]

Italy. You can spend a week alone in Rome (with day trips to Pompei, Hadrian's villa and the place with the water fountains) and not do it all. I'd hit Rome, Florence, and a couple days in Milan (the cathedral and Last Supper!).

 

Which is what hubby and I did on our one trip to Europe ;)

[MaMa2005]

I would check into a Mediterranean cruise! You get to travel to so many different countries and don't have to worry about renting a car, food, guides, etc.

 

There are also cruises for the British Isles.

 

Last time DH looked, he said the cruises had really come down in price. And with all things considered, you could actually save money when you break out the cost of lodging, food, car, guides, etc.

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

Where NOT to go is more the question. I don't know how you can decide. There are too many good choices!

 

 

I love France- Normandy, Brittany, Mont St. Michel is a good area to tour. There is always Provence, too, but I think I'd make that a romantic trip with dh, and not all the kiddos! ;)

 

I also adore Ireland. The people are lovely, the island is magical and beautiful, and there is plenty to keep everyone occupied.

 

I had a great time in Belgium, both times I went. Bruges is especially cool if you're into charming medieval towns! Don't get me started on the chocolate . . . :drool5:

 

Switzerland is unreally gorgeous. You can't believe that anyplace can be that beautiful.

 

Italy is fun. I've been to Venice and Florence, and had an interesting time in both places. Lots to see and do.

 

Oh, I loved Barcelona, too, and have always wanted to explore more of Spain like Grenada, Valencia, Madrid, etc.

 

Have fun picking a place!

[Brigitte]

If you were to take a family of seven (with children ranging in age 11-16) to Europe in October, where exactly would you take them?

 

My dh has traveled to Asia, Australia, and South America. The kids and I have covered North America. We'd love to go to Europe. We're not quite sure where to go. There is so much there--it is hard to narrow it down. My dh has mentioned France. Spain, Italy, Great Britian have also been mentioned by various family members. This most likely will be the last big vacation before my oldest leaves home. We haven't been on a vacation as a family for quite a few years. We need to make sure we get all the bang out of it we can. That being said, we're the type of family that would rather dive deep into one really great place than cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time.

 

If you've been, please share. Where you went. What you did. Must see places. Good food. We must have good food! Anything else we should be thinking about.

 

I would probably go to Rome and do day trips from there. But, I really do prefer France (all of it) and northern Europe (my family is in Belgium).

 

If I were you right now, I would see if I could get my hands on all the Rick Steves' travel videos on Europe, as well as his travel guides. Watch the videos, read the books and see what appeals to you. He is very good at bringing out the hidden "treasures" of various cities, areas, etc.

[Cammie]

We did London, Paris and a trip around Italy last year with two kids. We LOVED London and could certainly spend more than the week we spent. There is something for EVERYONE in London - and I think in a lifetime you have to go once. I have no interest in going back to Paris. Italy was awesome. We rented a van and drove from Rome to Florence, Vinci, Pisa, Sorrento, Pompeii. It was a FANTASTIC vacation - and GREAT food!

[Sebastian (a lady)]

If you were to take a family of seven (with children ranging in age 11-16) to Europe in October, where exactly would you take them?

 

My dh has traveled to Asia, Australia, and South America. The kids and I have covered North America. We'd love to go to Europe. We're not quite sure where to go. There is so much there--it is hard to narrow it down. My dh has mentioned France. Spain, Italy, Great Britian have also been mentioned by various family members. This most likely will be the last big vacation before my oldest leaves home. We haven't been on a vacation as a family for quite a few years. We need to make sure we get all the bang out of it we can. That being said, we're the type of family that would rather dive deep into one really great place than cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time.

 

If you've been, please share. Where you went. What you did. Must see places. Good food. We must have good food! Anything else we should be thinking about.

 

We lived in Germany for three years and traveled all over. Some of the trips that we loved:

London

Paris (lots of history from middle ages through modern. I would skip Versailles, but try to get to Chartes or Normandy).

Athens (This was a great trip. Our hotel was near to the Agora and the Parthenon. However, I would take a look at the demonstrations. That could be a deal breaker.)

Italy (We did Naples and then Rome over about two weeks. That was glorious. I was surprised how much Rome had that wasn't ancient. Lots of renaissance but also middle ages. The Vatican museum was incredible.)

Germany was also lovely. But it is a little harder for me to suggest an area that doesn't necessitate renting a car. The Day Trips guides below would give good ideas for Germany. There are some lovely, under-rated castles and churches, especially in the former East. We spent a lot of time in Thuringen, which is north of Bavaria and is more economical than the more touristed areas like Munich.

 

We tended to rent apartments in big cities. We used Old City Apartments in several cities. The apartments were nice because we could easily sleep five (larger are available), plus they would have a kitchen. We would have breakfast in the room or hit up a bakery, have snacks for lunch, then grab a dinner after museums closed. Sometimes we'd take the dinner back to the apartment the kids were tired. That way, we could linger over a glass of wine while the kids crashed on the floor or in bed.

 

In Germany, we had good luck with vacation rentals. We even spent one weekend in an old East German workers vacation resort. The rooms were tiny, but it was like stepping back into the DDR.

 

I would suggest that you check out Rick Steves' books and travel videos and see what resonates. The other set of books that we used a lot was the Day Trips series by Steinbicker

[Teachin'Mine]

Medjugorje, Croatia, Italy.

[Pixie]

Since you want to go in October, I'd focus on Spain, Italy or the South of France. You will have a much better chance of having nice weather in the South rather than in the North at that time of the year.

I don't know what type of accomodations you like but last time we went to Europe (my entire family lives there and we like to travel a little when we go visit) we stayed at some youth hostels, both in Iceland and in France. There are some pretty much everywhere in Europe and we found that a lot of them have family rooms.

[Gratia271]

Italy.

[J-rap]

***

 

Edited February 18, 2023 by J-rap

[Melinda in VT]

We just returned from our second family trip to France. The first time we went to Provence and Languedoc. The second time we went to the Ile-de-France and Burgundy.

 

We rent houses for a week at a time. (We are a family of 6 and that was the maximum capacity for the houses we rented. I don't know how hard it would be or how much more expensive for a family of 7.)

 

We generally cook breakfast and dinner at the house and eat a picnic lunch. (We grab quiches or pizza or ham sandwiches from a boulangerie and supplement with produce from the market.) A baguette costs about 1 Euro right now. And the tarts are to die for.

 

As for sites? Provence has some huge Roman sites and cute hill-top towns. Languedoc has Carcassonne and the Cathar castles. Burgundy has ruined abbeys, chateaus everywhere you turn, and beautiful medieval cities. Ile-de-France has Paris, Chartres, Versailles, Fontainebleau, and Disneyland Paris.

[missmoe]

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! I've much to think about. I guess I need to start with a place to stay. I didn't think how hard it would be to house 7 people.

 

Now I feel like I have a place to start my research.

[Momto5]

I highly recommend Spain.

 

I agree with the poster that said being in a more southern local during October might be a good idea. Southern Spain, particularly Granada, is unbelievable. You can go to the Alhambra (a castle that belonged to the Moors before the area was conquered by Ferdinand and Isabella) and stand in the room where Ferdinand and Isabella finally agreed to finance Christopher Columbus's voyage to the new world. The city of Granada still has a very Moorish feel with the beautiful tiles, mosaics, food, music and people. It is also a wonderful place to learn about the Jewish diaspora.

 

Madrid is also a beautiful, clean city. The Prada is one of the premiere art museums in the world. We also went to several Flamenco shows and they were amazing. There are also lots of playgrounds scattered throughout the city (much like the playgrounds you find all over NYC).

 

We found the Spanish people very friendly and the food fantastic. It is easy to feed children in Spain because of their custom of eating tapas around 5 -7. Usually, an order of several tapas served as dinner while allowing us to try several things.

 

I second the Rick Steves suggestions. Don't forget his free podcasts. We have done several of them and loved them. His guided tour of the Uffizi in 2 hours was fantastic. We downloaded it onto our ipods and then listened to it as we strolled through the museum.

 

Good luck to you and let us know what you decide. We can all live vicariously through you.:)

[Mrs Mungo]

We lived in Germany for 5 years and traveled quite a lot around Europe. I LOVE to travel. However, if I had to pick just *one* place to visit in Europe, it would be Italy. It's easy to take the train, there is great food *everywhere*, it's amazing from a history perspective. If I were planning a trip I would do: 2 days in Venice, 3-4 days in Florence (with a short side trip to Pisa), 3-5 days in Rome, 2-3 days in Naples (you can go to Pompeii from there).

[onlyme]

We lived in Germany for 5 years and traveled quite a lot around Europe. I LOVE to travel. However, if I had to pick just *one* place to visit in Europe, it would be Italy. It's easy to take the train, there is great food *everywhere*, it's amazing from a history perspective. If I were planning a trip I would do: 2 days in Venice, 3-4 days in Florence (with a short side trip to Pisa), 3-5 days in Rome, 2-3 days in Naples (you can go to Pompeii from there).

 

Warmer in Italy, too.....

[Legomom]

We are going to Europe in October as well, and I was curious to know if you have finalized your itinerary. We are actually flying into Amsterdam because it used less frequent flyer miles. We are going to London to see family and then Paris. My husband wants to go to Spain but I am not sure how fun that would be even though the kids have been learning Spanish. Anyway, just curious to see what you have come up with!

[gingersmom]

I love love love Italy.

 

My daughter when she was 11 did England and France with my mother. She loved both countries but England is her hands down favorite. I think it was the ease of getting around/language that appealed to her.

 

Have you thought about Asia? My kids were in Hong Kong and Thailand and December and it is definitely a trip they will talk about forever.

[tadah]

I got some good ideas from this book:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Take-Your-Kids-Europe-8th/dp/0762745630/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1280804410&sr=8-1

 

It's pretty general, but worth a look, especially if you can get it from your library. I love the Salzkammergut area in Austria. Lots of scenic and fun stuff there -- ice caves, a salt mine you can go down into, Hallstadt, learning to windsurf on the Mondsee...

[ma23peas]

Well, we went to England 4 years ago and just returned in May from Spain/France/Italy...although the kids loved Italy (especially Sorrento and Positano) they all agreed they preferred England...

 

I don't think you can go wrong with either...but we really got a taste of life in England (by car)..taking the trains everywhere in Italy can be disenchanting...some of them just give you scenery of lots of grafitti (really we were shocked by how much)...to really immerse yourself it's best to have a driver take you around certain areas but that gets expensive....I would NEVER drive in ITaly!!!! I have no problem driving a stick shift on the wrong side of the car and on the opposite side of the road...but Italy is NUTS!! Their motorcycles (loads of them) whip in and out between cars, if you have 2 feet b/w you and a car, likely you'll have a motorcycle whip in! We went to Rome/Pisa/Naples/Pompeii/Sorrento/Positano and it was the same everywhere! EEK!

 

England, we stayed city center for 5 days (Pricelined a 4star for just $67 a night..ran $300 a night online!!) and then rented a country cottage in the Cotswolds, from there we ventured out to Bath/Warwick Castle/Falconry Centres/Hadrian's Wall/more castles and Blenheim Palace..oh the list is long...the great thing about London is it's clean/museums are free for the most part and we LOVEd the gardens/Buckingham palace..we had several picnics in Kensington and ST. James park..lovely!!!

 

HTH!

Tara

[abcinnc]

Our family of five just spent almost two weeks in Italy in May 2010. We flew overnight into Rome where we spent four nights. We took a day trip to Pompeii. We rented a car in Rome when we left there and drove into the countryside where we spent two nights and toured Civita, San Gimignano, Volterra, and Pisa. We then drove to Florence, parked the car and spent two nights in the center of the city and saw all of the major sites. We then drove to Venice, turned the car in and spent 3 nights there. Venice was very unique and relaxing and I did not find it stinky at all. We used three different private tour guides - one for 2 days in Rome, 1 in Pompeii and 1 in Florence which allowed us to focus on our interests and to maximize the time we had - no standing in lines to buy tickets and access sites. We were on our own everywhere else. The driving was good, but the signage is confusing. Next time we would use a GPS, but overall, we did good with driving. We stayed near the center of the cities we stayed in to make touring very easy - no commuting in on subways or buses, just step out the door. We stayed in three apartments and 1 hotel family suite during our time in Italy. I will try to follow this post to answer any questions you may have.

Alice

[MagnaSky]

How do you find apartments in Europe?

[MIch elle]

that could easily fit 7 people and it's MUCH cheaper too. BUT you have to be an adventurous traveler! There is no one to help you and there are no phones in most apts so you need to have a cell phone of your own.

 

Portugal is cheap and NICE!

[BikeBookBread]

We love Prague! Check out Rick Steves' books and TV shows on PBS for tips on affordable, efficient and very pleasant traveling.

[Mom in High Heels]

I can't believe how many people don't like Paris! I adore Paris and go at least twice a year. We find it to be very family friendly and the people are, well, people. We never had any problems with rudeness. I HIGHLY recommend it. I think everyone should visit Paris at least once in their lifetime.

London is another of my favorite cities. You just can't go wrong in London. Rome too. I loved Rome and can't wait to go back.

Also, if you want to travel to other countries, you can fly Ryanair for very little. I bought tickets for Indy and I to fly in Oct to London for 6 Euro each way per person. That's about $40 round trip ($20 each). They don't fly into major cities, but to smaller airports near big cities. There are always trains or buses to get you to the city though.

For 7 people you absolutely need to look into vacation apartment rentals. Plus, you'll have a kitchen and can cut down on the cost of food.

If you're going to be in big cities, check for their city pass or city card, which will get you into many major attractions (and you can usually add on public transportation) for much less than if you purchase individual tickets. When my dad came over in Dec, we went to Paris and got the Paris Visite card for 3 days. For 3 adults and 1 child (age 7), the passes, plus transport passes were less than $150 and that got us into everything we wanted to see (it's actually good for 40 museums and attractions) except the Eiffel Tower and their metro is amazing. London offers one too. In fact, I think all major European cities do, so check that out to save money.

[abcinnc]

How do you find apartments in Europe?

 

Check out trip advisor.

 

Alice

[Margaret in GA]

Greece is completely out of the picture for any time in the near future. Just read the news and multiply it out by a factor of 5-10. The islands are always beautiful, but you get there via the mainland, so...

 

Forget Paris. It is a completely non-family friendly place.

 

England, Scotland, Italy are your best bets. Germany is really neat, but finding lodging for a large family is almost impossible w/o breaking the bank. Although, in the south, along the German/Austrian border (in Bavaria), you may be able to get a reasonable gasthaus.

 

But before you plan *anything* -- you need to sit down with a really good travel agent. Hotels in Europe usually only allow for 2 people per room, with 3 people if you are lucky. There are some rare B&Bs that have rooms for 4, but beyond that, you are looking at renting an entire villa, and they have minimum stay requirements (they usually can't be night by night). There are also *reputable* villa rental agencies and really bad ones. The bad ones will hit you with all sorts of fees when you show up and have no where else to go.

 

Florence is lovely, as is Rome. Venice is stinky. Italians are just nice in general. Scots are really nice. I've never heard anything bad about Madrid or Spain. Czech is a great example of "old Europe" though it has become more commercialized in the past 5-10 years. The Kosovars by and large adore Americans.

 

That's all I can think of off the top of my head.

 

 

a

I agree with a lot of what is said here. Hotels with large families are very, very pricey in Europe. I will disagree with Italians being friendly. They really aren't. I've met a few nice ones but on the whole, especially in Rome, they are kind of rude. Just lower your expectations. ;)

 

Best thing about Italy, though, is agritourismo. Check out their website and stay a few days in Rome, then get out into Tuscany or into Northern Italy and stay at a villa in the countryside. I believe October is prime wine season. You should be able to see some authentic local festivals. What fun! On our last trip we had the very best experiences out away from Rome in the countryside with rude, yet very entertaining Italians. One old lady even shook her cane at us. Agritoursimo is very reasonably priced for large families. We stayed in a villa with a kitchen, den, and 3 large bedrooms for half the price per night than our cramped hotel in Rome.

 

Germany/Austria is awesome, too and like Italy you would be in wine season. It can be chilly (one October we were in Austria and it was raining every day and the highs were in the low 50's-- Not fun). My kids really liked Germany/Austria because of all the castles. I haven't taken our kids to England or France, though I have been myself. Wonderful places, though. Go buy Rick Steves' Europe Through the Back Door and get planning!!

[Margaret in GA]

How do you find apartments in Europe?

 

http://www.vrbo.com

[mom31257]

I have never been to Europe, but I wanted to know if you have an aversion to visiting us in the deep South. I saw the map on your blog.

 

I guess I'm just a Georgia girl feeling neglected! :lol:

 

We really do have a lot of great things to offer down here.

[Mrs Mungo]

I don't think people in Paris, Rome, etc are any more rude than people in any other large, tourist city. You just have to realize that not everyone is a tourist and some people actually have places to be. I've never encountered rudeness for the sake of rudeness. I've only encountered rudeness when we were particularly unknowledgeable about something we were trying to do and that (to me) isn't so much rudeness as understandable impatience.

[Margaret in GA]

I don't think people in Paris, Rome, etc are any more rude than people in any other large, tourist city. You just have to realize that not everyone is a tourist and some people actually have places to be. I've never encountered rudeness for the sake of rudeness. I've only encountered rudeness when we were particularly unknowledgeable about something we were trying to do and that (to me) isn't so much rudeness as understandable impatience.

 

I agree to a certain extent but there is a certain attitude that is prevelant in European cities that I haven't found in Atlanta or New York or Boston or San Diego or Toronto or Vancouver. I'm not saying everyone is short, but you really can't describe 'Italians' as friendly in my opinion-- which one poster did. And yes, I have definitely had people be rude for the sake of being rude. And I'm no ugly American-- I speak German and get by in everything else. I do try, it's just that sometimes some people just like beng rude. It's part of their persona there. That's cool. I'm not asking for southern hospitality, but friendliness? Hard to come by.

Margaret

[PinkInTheBlue]

LOVED Rome. Couldn't possibly recommend it enough. All of Italy that I saw was incredible but I have a passionate love for Rome. We were there for a week and still didn't see nearly everything I wanted to see. We ate some of the most incredible food at the most incredible little restaurants.

 

GO TO ROME!! :D

 

P.S. Just reading more of the posts and wanted to throw my experience in there. The people in Rome were fantastic. Cab drivers were the only problems we had and that wasn't personality but fare variations.

[JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst]

For the more conventional trip I'd have to say London, then Rome or Florence (Pisa is near by).

 

For an unconventional trip I'd suggest Poland (Krakow area) or Romania-although to truly enjoy Romania you would need to rent a car or take a tour because all the great sites are spread over a large area and you wouldn't want to rely on public transportation.

[Giraffe]

I haven't read all the replies (I simply don't have time) but look at Turkey, especially Istanbul and the western/southern coasts. It's wonderful!! And there's so much history there!!

[*Jessica*]

We just returned from our second family trip to France. The first time we went to Provence and Languedoc. The second time we went to the Ile-de-France and Burgundy.

 

We rent houses for a week at a time. (We are a family of 6 and that was the maximum capacity for the houses we rented. I don't know how hard it would be or how much more expensive for a family of 7.)

 

We generally cook breakfast and dinner at the house and eat a picnic lunch. (We grab quiches or pizza or ham sandwiches from a boulangerie and supplement with produce from the market.) A baguette costs about 1 Euro right now. And the tarts are to die for.

 

As for sites? Provence has some huge Roman sites and cute hill-top towns. Languedoc has Carcassonne and the Cathar castles. Burgundy has ruined abbeys, chateaus everywhere you turn, and beautiful medieval cities. Ile-de-France has Paris, Chartres, Versailles, Fontainebleau, and Disneyland Paris.

Carcassonne is amazing! I would love to live there.

 

I highly recommend Spain.

 

I agree with the poster that said being in a more southern local during October might be a good idea. Southern Spain, particularly Granada, is unbelievable. You can go to the Alhambra (a castle that belonged to the Moors before the area was conquered by Ferdinand and Isabella) and stand in the room where Ferdinand and Isabella finally agreed to finance Christopher Columbus's voyage to the new world. The city of Granada still has a very Moorish feel with the beautiful tiles, mosaics, food, music and people. It is also a wonderful place to learn about the Jewish diaspora.

 

Madrid is also a beautiful, clean city. The Prada is one of the premiere art museums in the world. We also went to several Flamenco shows and they were amazing. There are also lots of playgrounds scattered throughout the city (much like the playgrounds you find all over NYC).

 

We found the Spanish people very friendly and the food fantastic. It is easy to feed children in Spain because of their custom of eating tapas around 5 -7. Usually, an order of several tapas served as dinner while allowing us to try several things.

 

I second the Rick Steves suggestions. Don't forget his free podcasts. We have done several of them and loved them. His guided tour of the Uffizi in 2 hours was fantastic. We downloaded it onto our ipods and then listened to it as we strolled through the museum.

 

Good luck to you and let us know what you decide. We can all live vicariously through you.:)

I would also choose Spain. I went as a teenager and it was such a wonderful experience! I loved France, too, but the Spanish parts of our trip stand out in my memories.

 

Madrid, and surrounding areas, offer so much. El Escorial, Valle de los Caidos, Palacio Real, Museo del Prado, Plaza de Espana are all things I enjoyed. Hearing the monks chanting in El Escorial was one of the most amazing experiences of my life....and I'm not even remotely religious.

[JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst]

I haven't read all the replies (I simply don't have time) but look at Turkey, especially Istanbul and the western/southern coasts. It's wonderful!! And there's so much history there!!

 

 

True--with Turkey you get a bit of everything.