Travel -1st time as backpacking group of 2 adults-4 teen
Jun 10, 2016, 2:40 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: BWI,SFO,SJC,IAD,LAX,DCA
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Posts: 310
Travel -1st time as backpacking group of 2 adults-4 teen
Hello,
We are plan for a trip 7/10 to 8/10 : First leg will be France-Switzerland-Autria-Italy-for 15 days , then we will station at Poland for 5 days then spend the rest at Germany, with possible push to Amsterdam,London and Belgium.
Transportation wise, we are looking for 15days continue global pass, then may be another 5 days Germany pass for the second leg.
The first leg will involve some night train from Paris-Venice as well as Paris-Rome and back.
Please help to explore and potential issue ?
TIA,
Dong
We are plan for a trip 7/10 to 8/10 : First leg will be France-Switzerland-Autria-Italy-for 15 days , then we will station at Poland for 5 days then spend the rest at Germany, with possible push to Amsterdam,London and Belgium.
Transportation wise, we are looking for 15days continue global pass, then may be another 5 days Germany pass for the second leg.
The first leg will involve some night train from Paris-Venice as well as Paris-Rome and back.
Please help to explore and potential issue ?
TIA,
Dong
Jun 10, 2016, 7:06 pm
#2
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: ORD
Programs: AA PLT
Posts: 2,781
Can you detail your plans for the first 15 days a bit more? If you know where and when you're going, rail passes are usually not worth the money. In Germany, they're almost certainly not, as you can buy group tickets that cover up to 5 adults (defined as 15 years and older) for most regional travel, or long-distance travel on weekends.
Jun 11, 2016, 7:39 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: BWI,SFO,SJC,IAD,LAX,DCA
Programs: mvp75k, DL-0body
Posts: 310
Hi Linglingfool,
Here is my initial plan:
please see pdf... I can not properly format this online (!).
Here is my initial plan:
please see pdf... I can not properly format this online (!).
Last edited by ccna101; Jun 12, 2016 at 10:16 am Reason: add more details
Jun 13, 2016, 8:45 pm
#4
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: ORD
Programs: AA PLT
Posts: 2,781
First of all -- that schedule is way too packed! You'll spend more time traveling than you will seeing the cities. Even with the overnight trains, you can't see Rome in a day. If you must do it, I would probably go to Rome right from Nice, and avoid packing everything up in Venice just to come right back.
That said, the rail pass is probably a good deal. Even at saver prices, your journeys will total at least as much as the $565/person it will cost for the two adults to book together, and certainly more than the $434 it will cost for the teens.
That said, the rail pass is probably a good deal. Even at saver prices, your journeys will total at least as much as the $565/person it will cost for the two adults to book together, and certainly more than the $434 it will cost for the teens.
Jun 13, 2016, 9:11 pm
#5
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: YUL
Posts: 1,001
I have done Europe with teens twice. Honestly you just have way too much stuff crammed in to the trip to be fun, or to see anything besides the inside of trains and hotel rooms. Look at the travel time and the time allocated to each city and what you want to see in each city.
Rome needs so much more than a day.
Also remember that with backpacking comes a problem of backpacks. Many places will not allow you in with a backpack, they also often have no bag check rooms either. With day trips and wandering all over the place have you factored in how you will manage your luggage when you visit places?
We solved this by staying at least 3 nights in each location and having a hotel to drop bags at on arrival.
Instead of writing a tentative itinerary of cities, maybe make a list of everything you want to see in each city, then map it and work out how much actual time you need in each city to see all that you want. Building in food and bathroom stops and transit time. I find doing that gives me a much more realistic view of what we can achieve as a group.
I did Italy with a group of 6, 3 teens and 3 adults, all very used to travel. It gets tiring, and wearing and some days you just have to stop and chill out.
Hope you are not offended by this advice. I loved travelling with my kids, I have some of my best memories from those times.
Rome needs so much more than a day.
Also remember that with backpacking comes a problem of backpacks. Many places will not allow you in with a backpack, they also often have no bag check rooms either. With day trips and wandering all over the place have you factored in how you will manage your luggage when you visit places?
We solved this by staying at least 3 nights in each location and having a hotel to drop bags at on arrival.
Instead of writing a tentative itinerary of cities, maybe make a list of everything you want to see in each city, then map it and work out how much actual time you need in each city to see all that you want. Building in food and bathroom stops and transit time. I find doing that gives me a much more realistic view of what we can achieve as a group.
I did Italy with a group of 6, 3 teens and 3 adults, all very used to travel. It gets tiring, and wearing and some days you just have to stop and chill out.
Hope you are not offended by this advice. I loved travelling with my kids, I have some of my best memories from those times.
Jun 15, 2016, 11:15 pm
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: BWI,SFO,SJC,IAD,LAX,DCA
Programs: mvp75k, DL-0body
Posts: 310
Hi, Thank you and hope I do not mis-led other new travellers ...
No, we stay @ Rome for 16 days before so the trip back to Rome is just visit a priest there and Venice is just beautiful to pass up since we also there before for couple days and we do need over night stay ...
Thank you for confirming the 15 days train is good ... at least it make sense ...
Dong
No, we stay @ Rome for 16 days before so the trip back to Rome is just visit a priest there and Venice is just beautiful to pass up since we also there before for couple days and we do need over night stay ...
Thank you for confirming the 15 days train is good ... at least it make sense ...
Dong
First of all -- that schedule is ay too packed! You'll spend more time traveling than you will seeing the cities. Even with the overnight trains, you can't see Rome in a day. If you must do it, I would probably go to Rome right from Nice, and avoid packing everything up in Venice just to come right back.
That said, the rail pass is probably a good deal. Even at saver prices, your journeys will total at least as much as the $565/person it will cost for the two adults to book together, and certainly more than the $434 it will cost for the teens.
That said, the rail pass is probably a good deal. Even at saver prices, your journeys will total at least as much as the $565/person it will cost for the two adults to book together, and certainly more than the $434 it will cost for the teens.
Jun 15, 2016, 11:22 pm
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: BWI,SFO,SJC,IAD,LAX,DCA
Programs: mvp75k, DL-0body
Posts: 310
Hi,
I understood the dilemma of backpacking and was hope to get an experience with the kids before they turn into adults...
After careful consideration and talking to the family, we will not backpacking again (!)
and will copy our 1st trip ... van rental all the way .
No doubt it will put a lot of driving on me but I guess we can do so much without making the vacation - not a good vacation
Thanks again for a very good thought ...
Dong
I understood the dilemma of backpacking and was hope to get an experience with the kids before they turn into adults...
After careful consideration and talking to the family, we will not backpacking again (!)
and will copy our 1st trip ... van rental all the way .No doubt it will put a lot of driving on me but I guess we can do so much without making the vacation - not a good vacation
Thanks again for a very good thought ...
Dong
I have done Europe with teens twice. Honestly you just have way too much stuff crammed in to the trip to be fun, or to see anything besides the inside of trains and hotel rooms. Look at the travel time and the time allocated to each city and what you want to see in each city.
Rome needs so much more than a day.
Also remember that with backpacking comes a problem of backpacks. Many places will not allow you in with a backpack, they also often have no bag check rooms either. With day trips and wandering all over the place have you factored in how you will manage your luggage when you visit places?
We solved this by staying at least 3 nights in each location and having a hotel to drop bags at on arrival.
Instead of writing a tentative itinerary of cities, maybe make a list of everything you want to see in each city, then map it and work out how much actual time you need in each city to see all that you want. Building in food and bathroom stops and transit time. I find doing that gives me a much more realistic view of what we can achieve as a group.
I did Italy with a group of 6, 3 teens and 3 adults, all very used to travel. It gets tiring, and wearing and some days you just have to stop and chill out.
Hope you are not offended by this advice. I loved travelling with my kids, I have some of my best memories from those times.
Rome needs so much more than a day.
Also remember that with backpacking comes a problem of backpacks. Many places will not allow you in with a backpack, they also often have no bag check rooms either. With day trips and wandering all over the place have you factored in how you will manage your luggage when you visit places?
We solved this by staying at least 3 nights in each location and having a hotel to drop bags at on arrival.
Instead of writing a tentative itinerary of cities, maybe make a list of everything you want to see in each city, then map it and work out how much actual time you need in each city to see all that you want. Building in food and bathroom stops and transit time. I find doing that gives me a much more realistic view of what we can achieve as a group.
I did Italy with a group of 6, 3 teens and 3 adults, all very used to travel. It gets tiring, and wearing and some days you just have to stop and chill out.
Hope you are not offended by this advice. I loved travelling with my kids, I have some of my best memories from those times.