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I'm so excited to be travelling to Europe this summer with my family! All five of us will tour Paris, Munich, Venice, Florence, and Rome on a very strict itenerary over the course of two weeks.
-- I'm looking for hotelsright now, and with the dollar as weak as it is, things are so expensive. I want to be sure to get maximum bang for my (nearly worthless) buck! Anybody out there in TT land have hotel recommendations for any of the cities I mention?
-- We also plan day trips to Dachau and castle Neuschwanstein (near Munich), and Siena (near Florence) so anyone with hints or tips about those side trips, please add your comments.
-- We somehow end up being in Paris on Bastille Day. I know there's a parade, but that's all I know. Anybody know what's worth seeing, and what I might expect? Other than having an impossible time finding a hotel room, I mean. It's like going to Washington, DC on the 4th of July.
-- Last, I'd like to see the Paris catacombs this time around and think our three boys would find them a gruesome highlight of our trip. Anybody been??
Thanks for any hints and tips you can offer!
PS I'm not a total Europe newbie; I used to live in Zurich, Switzerland and I've actually been to all these cities before, and more than once. The only new parts of my trip are Dachau and Neuschwanstein. I've already bought our Eurailpass. Good to go!
Newcastle, OntarioShelli,
I know my niece and her family visited Castle Neuschwanstein, when they went to Europe two years ago. She is a TT member Ciderantiques. She was asking about the Etsy rules on vintage things last week and you responded to her question. I'm sure she would be happy to give you any tips, if there is anything special about it. You can email her or I will point her to your post.
hugs,
Brenda
Oh, cool; I didn't realize she was related to you, Brenda! Hopefully she'll stumble across this post. Or yes, I'll take you up on your offer to point her here. I have directions on paper on how to get from Munich to the town at the base of the hill where the castle sits. I'm just wondering what the books DON'T tell you, that might be helpful. Like, do you really need to reserve a tour in advance?? Or can you show up the-day-of and get one then?
Thanks, Brenda!
Funny that you brought this up - We are planning a Europe trip next year, Hoping to do Paris take the train over to Italy and explore Venice Florence and Rome. I also am begging friends for tips. Rail pass seems like a no brainer. I found one tour company that can take you to the Sistine Chapel after hours for a private tour and then take you underground as well.
Be very interested in your itinerary and "tips" We'll have a 3 1/2 yr old with us - hoping it goes well with the kid!
puca bearsOh Shelli...........can you feel the waves of ENVY?????????????
You'll be visiting some of my favourite places...........especially Rome, Florence and Paris (in that order!)
I'd recommend getting hold of the relevant Baedeker guides and reading up on the cities - they really are informative. And googling for hotels - I know that here in Germany every town has it's own tourist website, and I'm sure it's the same everywhere these days.
While you're in Florence, I'd recommend a bus trip away from the crowds, up to the little town of Fiesole - an oasis of calm. It started out as an Etruscan town way back in the 7th century BC, and has an extensive archaeological site of a Roman town.
Everything in Rome is wonderful - you just don't know where to look first! Same goes for Paris - where to start??? you are going to have the time of your life, you lucky lady!
big huggies
Maria
How exciting for you and your family Shelli!
When we stayed in Paris we rented an apartment over the Internet which worked out well and was quite reasonable.
Google apartments and you can have a tour and check them out. May not be what you are after.
We found the apartment very clean and comfortable and they have a washing machine should you want to use it and you can take food
home and eat it there.
Best of luck with your travel arrangements.
Hugs
Carolyn
I'd second the suggestion to get your hands on some guides. The Lonely Planet series is really good - tells you things straight and gives suggestions for off the beaten track kind of stuff (for instance, we found a medical specimin museum on the outskirts of Amsterdam, courtesy of L P - your kids would have loved it!!). You can pick them up second hand or maybe even your local library.
Have a fantastic trip - and bring back lots of pictures!!!
Chrisx
-- We somehow end up being in Paris on Bastille Day. I know there's a parade, but that's all I know. Anybody know what's worth seeing, and what I might expect? Other than having an impossible time finding a hotel room, I mean. It's like going to Washington, DC on the 4th of July.
Oh Shelli, you lucky girl! I was in the South of France many years ago on Bastille night, what a party - it lasted all night!!!!! I can only imagine Paris will be amazing ... this is a massive celebration in France! Just a suggestion, but if you are having a problem securing a hotel room, have you considered the caravan parks? I'm not sure what's available in and around Paris, but I'm sure there must be something. I've stayed in caravans on holiday many a time and they are very smart these days!
OMG I was in Paris for Bastille Day last year! It's really good, we could see the parade with all the horses from our hotel room. Even better though was the vehicles following the parade to clean up the horses 'leavings'- so funny watching it all being blasted away! In England it'd still be there, weeks later...
I'd say to do the boat tour up and down the river... the Bateau Rouge I think it's called? Also the Sacre Coeur and Notre Dame, and the Louvre if you have time :)
Make sure you eat the food and attempt to speak the language in Paris, it makes the trip so much more fun- I can't speak French to save my life but my mum and I had a great time speaking Fren-glish: "Du billet please" being our best I think XD
Ciderantiques and Old Soul BearsHi Shelli! You will have a great time! Long post ahead . . . 
:dance:
Our family of four travelled to Germany and Austria and Paris in June 2005 for 2 weeks. It was wonderful!!! My husband and I turned 40 that year and we decided to make a trip to Europe our celebration. After we got home, my husband was actually going to start a website "Travelling with Kids" or something like that, but it never left the idea phase.
My advice, especially since you are travelling with 3 kids (how small are they?), is to work on reserving the hotel accommodation right away. You get a discount by booking online and . . . more importantly . . . you will have to work quite hard to find accommodation that has two double beds in one room (that is something we take for granted in North America). Most hotels in Europe just have one bed (and no sofa). We didn't want to book two rooms at every stop . . . so my husband spent a great deal of time online finding places that would sleep us all together. Some places will bring in a twin size cot, others will not. A hotel chain by the name of Novotel was great! We tried to book our nights there, as often as possible. Some even have a pool which keeps the kids happy. Most are simple and clean, nothing too fancy, but always had a room with multiple beds available and included breakfast the next day. You will likely have to arrange for the extra cot (confirm it with the online booking service) since you have 3 children.
We also stayed at a Ski Resort in S. Germany with a kitchen and loft in the unit and a wondeful spa with a huge pool that was empty every night. Seemed like it was just for us This place was gorgeous and affordable because there is no skiing in June. It is called the Renaissance Hotel in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, in S. Germany. It is stunning! Restaurant with Mountain views, spa and great accommodation. You have to book at least one nice place while you are away ~ right? We had a rental car though, so I am not sure about how it would work with just the train passes. This particular spot was not near the train station . .. so you will have to take that into account when you book places.
I know with the trains you have to know when your next stop is (there is no dilly-dally at the stops!) so be ready to get off. If you miss your stop it is a hassle getting back. Everyone should be up and ready to get off.
We decided that our site seeing plans would rotate. This worked out really well !!!! Specifically, Mommy day, Daddy day and Kid day (they didn't notice there was only one kid day for every two adult days 
). We all agreed that we had to be good company when it wasn't "your day". Travelling can be hard, our kids were rather young and I didn't want to listen to complaining for two weeks. No one wants bad company on their special day (was the speech they received, before we even got on the plane). It worked well. My mommy day highlights were:
Neuschwanstein Castle, The Steiff Teddy Bear Museum, a doll museum in the town of Rothenburg, and a day at the largest antique Market in Berlin ~ Tier Garden. I think they all skipped the doll museum and went to a fancy bakery with dad instead. It worked for me . . . I got to browse quietly.
Yes, absolutely book your tickets in advance for the Neu. Castle. It is one of the top tourist attractions in Europe. It does sell out months in advance. You do not want to be disappointed. I waited 15 years to see that castle LOL (so I wasn't going to take a chance of being turned away). Wear good shoes that day and take some water (you have to walk up hill 20 to 30 minutes to reach it). There are waiting stations all the way up (for when it is crowded). It was not busy when we got there, but I hear the waiting can be like Disney line-ups in peak summer. Check into a bus (from the train to the castle) and see if that can be reserved too. The parking lot was full of buses!
Steve's highlights were visiting the top of Mount Zugspitze (highest mountain in Germany) by gondola , visiting various historical sites in Berlin, including the US Checkpoint Charlie museum. Driving through the mountains and driving on the autobahn highways was lots of fun too!
The kids tops picks were LegoLand, the Berlin Zoo (one of the oldest zoos in Europe), and the AlpenZoo in Innsbruck Austria. We also tried to book hotels with pools where possible. Legoland was a big hit and different enough to keep mom and dad happy. They also enjoyed the boat tours. We went on the Sein in Paris and the Rhine River Cruise in S. Germany.
Take a jar of peanut butter!!! for fussy N.American kids (mine anyways). Peanut butter is a rarity over there and comes in so handy. I think I also stuffed some Cheerios in my suit case, some granola bars and crackers. I figured the space would be filled up with purchases on the way back, anyways (and the food would be gone). We also took 4 water bottles and labelled our names on them. You have to buy water everywhere you go. We just filled up our bottles.
I got lots of Euros up front and US dollars. Not every place you want cash has an instant teller (banking machine) when you need it. Check which of your US banks have service privileges over there . . . not all do !!!! We relied on cash and credit card. We each had a money belt (even the kids). Make it difficult for those pick-pockets that pray on tourists. Wear a Canadian T-shirt (seriously) or baseball cap. We saw a lot of Americans doing that in 2005. They said it helped.
Take multiple cameras. :photo: The batteries always seem to die out, right when you want that perfect shot. My husband and I just end up "fighting" over one camera, so we each like to have our own anyways. Keeps us all happy. :photo: Get an adaptor so you can recharge your camera batteries (plugs are different over there).
I am sure I could babble all day. I can chat more later . . . must get some work done. Bye for now! Karen
Creative Design Studio (RKR4CDS)Karen, I couldn't agree more with your info. For 6 years '98 - 04 we attended Teddybär Total in Neysa's Artists for Artists Tour and then toured in a different part of Europe for 2 more weeks. We were usually first based in Kortrijk, Belgium before the trip into Germany for the show, because that's where the coach company was based.
We used Novatel hotels a LOT. There's another chain, Ibis, that's also good: clean and simple but beds need advance arrangements. Singles were found as often as 1 double bed.
Be prepared for very small elevators, if they even have them - some don't. 2 ppl & their luggage at a time may be tops in each run. Americans carry way much more 'stuff' and much larger luggage pieces than Asians and Europeans.
Order your Euros now from your bank as you'll need it immediately at the airport or upon using a train or cab. The exchange rate there is horrendous for both buying & selling currencies there. We always brought our extras back and resold it back to our bank after returning. It also kept surprising us the number of places that did not accept credit cards. If they did, Visa was the most accepted. I think Amer Exp & MC were the least. But our rationale was that at least we wouldn't have a huge Visa bill after returning if we paid cash on the spot.
Every one of you should have a hidden compartment or 'wallet', worn UNDER your clothes: we have a few favorites. The Container Store is a good source, where we got all of ours. Here're our favorites:
My MOST favorite item, even airport shops have them, (tho it's a bit harder to be assured of true north there than it is before leaving home)- a Compass! Mine is the style that slides onto a watch band. It will appear that I'm checking the time instead of our direction, as almost nothing is laid out in the square/straight-lined grid system of our USA streets.
SOOO EZ to get turned around and lost there! Don't pull out a map and a compass in public! Step into a shop or sit down at an outdoor cafe table for a drink while checking your route.
Elastic Ankle/leg straps around calf for adults
MY favorite. Zips on both sides and had a grosgrain-like tab that could come out to the front for lacing through either a light or dark belt
Same idea but with a belt loop on one end and a strong leather-covered metal belt clip on other end
A Lady's secure pocket- clips around your bra straps and fits into cleavage. You can see why these aren't accessed in public!
I cannot find Don's but his is the standard strap-around-the-waist one. The only problem with that is that he wore it next to his skin: tucking his shirt into his pants meant a major undressing of belt & zipper opening, pulling out his shirt, etc..
We made sure that our main hidden 'pockets' also were large enough to hold our plane tickets, along with the main supply of money that we split between us and our passports.
Sometimes we found a hotel room with a safe, and there's always the hotel safe, but we never felt confident with those arrangements and kept our important stuff on us at all times. Neysa and a few others would use the hotel's main safe sometimes & had no problems.
The hotel breakfasts are unbelievable - and included in the housing price; all types of meat & cheeses and breads for sandwich makings, cereals, freshly cooked hard-boiled eggs (they have these nifty timing machines), yogurts, fresh fruit, all beverages... It's good to start the day with a good breakfast! Many US motels are now putting out a 'breakfast', but the cereals, pastries and waffle-makers are an embarrassingly poor substitute for what is normal in Europe!
Peanut butter! We also travel with a jar as it needs no refrigeration and is a great filler when meals are delayed. Loads of open-fronted patisseries everywhere to buy bread and pastries in every town and city.
And lunches are just as easy as you'll find many so open-fronted shops in town/city centres that sell sandwiches & drinks so it's a quick stop to get lunch and keep walking along.
Speaking of food (I don't know how experimental your family is) but the plain Marguerite pizza (cheese & sauce) is pretty reliable choice everywhere tho sizes do vary; even spaghetti can vary from a good sauce to watered down tomato soup.
DO take a good basic first aid kit; the 'Pharmacies' there tend to be filled with grooming & make-up products and everything else needs to be asked for from the pharmacist at the back counter. Try asking for Epsom Salts for soaking blistered feet in German or (Sorry guys!) the few days internal treatment needed for a yeast infection in French! Taking some Epsom Salts in double bagged ziplock, along with the name cut from the box saved me every trip after the first. (In the pharmacies I was offered everything from Gourmet cooking salts to Sea Salt for bathing) If you know the pharmaceutical name of things that really helps (Magnesium Sulfate).
Only one 'drugstore' opposite the Paris train station, from Lille to Paris (via the Bullet Train!!), actually felt like a Walgreens or CVS. I found the most amazing 'bandaids' there (Johnson & Johnson has finally developed a few of the European shapes/sizes): they're a gel-like substance that stays in place for 3 or 4 days. Compeed is the brand name and they're in about a dozen different sizes & shapes. They are amazing and really work!) 
Also in this shot, a flat night-light (used in the converter) and the box front from the meds I just mentioned. Our electrical system is different: even used in the converters, our blow dryers & curling irons can still burn out. They get much hotter there so be prepared to use your cooler settings. And figure out how you'll be wearing your hair if/when they burn out.
Walgreens has (or can get) a pkg of their own house-brand of bandages shaped like a 4" x 7" 'matchbook' that has about 4 doz different sized bandages stacked by size inside. Very flat and convenient to cover most needs. 
There are travel sized bottles you can get here, or fill your own with peroxide and a triple antibiotic cream, along with the usual tablets of aspirin, anti-diarrhea, and a double supply of all prescriptions, one set in your locked luggage left in your rooms (ALWAYS lock them up whenever you're not in the room) and the other set in the bag you'll sling over your shoulder during the day. You won't want to lose important prescriptions and not have back-ups..
Speaking of trains & luggage, it's exactly as Karen says. You have a very short timing to get you & your luggage off very quickly as the stops are timed precisely, so get up and move to the door before your stop arrives. As we traveled with our show bear stock and table decor as well as our personal luggage, we formed a chain gang to 'throw' them into & out of the trains. Europeans seemed to frown upon or take umbrage with us needing to take seats & the floor space to hold our luggage, but it's nothing we could change.
Most railway stations use a system of underground passageways to bring you up to the correct track. Be sure to note the track you want on the main board in the station as only the track numbers will be shown below at the entrance to the stairs to take you up to the track you need. I think I remember that your boys are old enough to each handle their own bag as there'll be times of much walking and handling their own luggage; you & Tim have only 2 hands each!
Your attention is already taken with looking around - usually upwards! - and you don't want to lose your stuff. Make 2 color copies now of everyone's passport ID page and EVERYONE carry the copy of their own passport in their hidden wallet as well as you or Tim having a copy of each and the real passports.
Each should also carry the name & address of the hotel you're at each night, just in case you'll need to get back to your hotel with a non-English speaking driver.... There are business cards and/or matchbooks at every lobby desk (tear off just the addy half!). Take one for everyone and be sure they're in their hidden 'wallets'. You can each wear a SMALL, Flat fanny pack on the outside with a only small amount of change in Euros there for daily purchases of drinks or food along the way but keep all of the important documents and the main supply of money inside/under your clothes and never access that in public.
If you'll remember, most bathrooms are quite small. More had bathtubs than showers but not as adequate for keeping the water inside the tub or shower; the tub doors or shower curtains were either not there or weren't a large as ours. We were in a motel in Frankfurt before departing and my hair needed a cut so badly: raising my arms to cut it had me half in & half out of the bathroom!
One thing that you might notice is that USAers don't push in their chairs after eating, We very conscientiously made sure that our chairs were pushed in before we left the table.
For girls, scarfs are worn by almost everyone there - it really helps you to blend in and look more native - from little chiffon looking squares to longer drapey ones. They also dress up a simple Tshirt or a plain dress.
We had had some Canadians with us that were very loud and rude at times, very embarrassing to us from the States, as they said: "We don't care because they'll think that we're from the States."
And have at least one Chocolat Croissant for me!!
You guys are so awesome; thanks so much for all your hints and tips. They're so appreciated!
I updated the first post to say that I've actually been to all these gorgeous cities before and that this trip is a repeat of ones I've taken previously, with the exception of Dachau Memorial and Neuschwanstein, which are new to me. I don't think I was clear about that. Also, I lived in Switzerland for almost two years in the early 90's, in Zurich. So I'm familiar -- if fuzzy -- on a lot of how stuff "works" in Europe; have travelled extensively on trains of all kinds (1st class, 2nd class, sleeper/hotel train, couchette, high speed, regional); know how to use a Tube, Metro, or as we like to call it in San Francisco, BART, subway system; will be using a backpacker-style luggage piece and will be packing light; have stayed in rooms of all kinds (apartment, hotel, hostel, pension, spare room); and am well versed in how to keep my valuables safe. N'est pas ouvrir la porte davant d'arret du train. Or something like that. Right??? And I don't even speak French; I just read that so many times I memorized it! Probably with misspellings, however. lol...
I don't need generic (if useful) travel tips as much as specific recommendations for hotel accommodations and tips specific to the places I'm visiting. Like, "Don't miss seeing the XYZ building!" or "Must eat at ABC restaurant!" or "GHI hotel was the best value I've ever had for my dollar!" Or "For sure, reserve for Neuschwanstein in advance!"
Thanks for mentioning the more unusual option of apartment rental (I'll look into it) and Fiesole as a side trip from Florence; I haven't been there. I think we're planning Siena as our side trip -- I have been to Siena before -- but that part of our trip is flexible so I'll look into Fiesole as an option. I'll also get right on that Neuschwanstein reservation.
I feel really lucky to be able to take my sons on this trip but I admit, it will positively bankrupt me. I'm stressed already and we haven't even left yet. I made roughly this same trip in 2003 on my honeymoon, and it's easily costing me DOUBLE what it cost then. The dollar is so weak, and fuel costs (jets) are so high. It's just one ouch moment after another. So I'm trying to be smart about hotels, take night trains where I can, and so on. We're covering a lot of territory in a short time and I don't need luxury; just reliability, cleanliness, and a location that won't put my family in harm's way. There's so much to read and sift thru in those tour guides -- we have about three already for 2008 plus our old ones from 2003 -- that I'd rather just take a friend's word for it if someone has a specific hotel to recommend. We like to be in the center of the action so that makes economy difficult.
Anyway... Keep it all coming! Everything I've read so far has either given me a new idea to work with, or reinforced that I'm on the right track. So it's all good!!!
:)
The
Ciderantiques and Old Soul BearsHi Shelli, I found a great link for the Novotel chain. This link http://www.all-hotels.com/novotel/europe/home.htm . They often are city-central so you may very well find one where you need/want to be. You just type in the city name and dates and it will tell you what is near by. I think we got at least 15% off the rate by booking online, sometimes a lot more.
You get reduced rates for most attractions too, by booking online. We booked as much as possible that way. I think the bill for our trip arrived before we had even left the country !!!
I don't know if apt. rentals are available for short term use. I think they are usually one week bookings, or perhaps a full weekend. We wanted to do that, but could not find them for short term use. If you are on the move (sounds like you are), a B&B may be better. There are still B&Bs in the city. If you are into the back packing adventure you could try Youth Hostels (not just for the young). My mom and I have done that before and it was fine.
Yes, Bobbie is right. Order your Euro's early. I forgot that part. Even when you have been before you do forget some of the details. I went to my bank 4 weeks before our trip and they said that was a good thing. Sometimes the Euro's are depleted if many potential vacationers have requested them and beat you to it ! (which was the case for me). There was lots of time to order more (good thing !).
I know you will have an amazing trip and the memories do last a life time. My children still talk about the trip. I wish we could go more often :-). Karen
hey Shel, in Florence, you don't want to miss:
Twilight on the Arno, from the Ponte Vecchio:
The Ponte Vecchio at sunset, from the Ponte S. Trinita:
and there is a incredible old cemetery alongside the Church of s. Miniato al Monte, up behind the Piazzale Michelangelo. acres of wonderful statuary and huge old private mausoleums with the best view of Florence & the Duomo you can imagine. Walk your kids up there and they'll be to tired to misbehave ;-)
oh, and don't miss the leather market in the loggia del Mercato Nouvo. yum
and you'd better figure at least a week for Florence/Tuscany. it was the most beautiful place I've ever been,
Patsy Lake BearsShelli my stepson hitchhiked England and Europe a few years ago and he stayed in hostels and find that the majority of them were excellent value and clean. Could be another option
(sigh) Yes, Kelly... so beautiful. I've seen those sights myself, but my sons have NOT, so I am absolutely tickled to be able to show them such beauty! I can't wait. My youngest is 12 which is a little bit shy of "Mom, that's beautiful scenery!" stage... but he does have a wonderful capacity for empathy and a sweet humanity so I think he'll "get' it. My older one is a very cerebral and observant 14 and my stepson will have just turned 18 by the time we hit Florence, so I think they'll both really appreciate sights like this.
I wish we had a full week in the Florence/Tuscany area and wanted to hit Cinque Terra on this trip, but we just can't do it all and something had to give.
My sons will be in France for almost four weeks with their dad (my ex husband) before I meet up with them in Paris -- how weird is that?? Meeting your own kids in another country?? -- so they'll be all France-d out by then. Before they join us, Tim, Zack and I will have a few days without them to see Paris and for the first time I'll see Versailles (whee!) on the front end of the trip. We need to circle down thru Rome and back north to Paris for our return flight so we'll have a few days on the back end of our trip in Paris, too. We'll check out the Bastille Day festivities and hopefully I'll finally be able to see a few more museums; I've never visited Musee d'Orsay or the Pompidou, both of which have strong appeal. I'd also very much like to see the Catacombs on that portion of our trip, before we return.
My husband and Zack are, incidentally, not flying home with us. Tim's been doing a lot of genealogy research -- hmmm, Quinn... where might he be from? -- and so he and Zack will spend an additional week in Ireland. I'm jealous as I've never been there, but my sons needed to get back to the states for their annual trip to this awesome survival/sports/adventure camp they attend. It's totally hard core; my son Toby, who hates getting dirty, told me that last year he literally licked a drop of food off a rock, because they are told to leave NO TRACES in the wilderness when they're backpacking. A good life lesson! Clean up after yourself! Too bad he doesn't apply it as rigorously here at home. lol...
Anyway, back on topic... We were going to just see Italy on our trip, but my stepson Zack expressed a strong wish to see at least a little of Germany, hence the stop in Munich, which is admittedly lovely. I'm really thrilled to be able to get to Dachau and to see a REAL castle/castle.
For all of these cities, 2-3 days is just long enough to make a huge impression and give a distinct taste, but not nearly long enough for an intense look at the smaller outlying areas and hidden 'secrets' of the area.
Karen... Thanks for the Novitel link. I'll for sure check into it! Also, to you and Bobbie, thanks for the Euro tips. In the past I've always just withdrawn from my ATM while in Europe or used credit, but I've forgotten what's "best" and "smartest" so a refresher is in order and thanks for the noodge.
Patsy... The hostel idea is an EXCELLENT one and we continue to consider it. Thanks for the reminder! We're not too proud to stay in a hostel and actually Tim and I stayed in one on our honeymoon. The problem we're having is that hostels won't likely have a five-person room which is the size of our family. That appears to leave the options of single rooms, double rooms, or huge multi-bunk rooms. But the further problem is that those are often separated by gender. I really don't want to vacation AWAY FROM my family or my sons just because I'm a girl. But the price is certainly right! We've found some hostels for as low as 25 Euros and that absolutely can't be beat. If it were just me, or me and Tim, I might feel differently like I did on our honeymoon; we were able to book a double room and have it just to ourselves. It's just heartbreaking to imagine spending nights alone with a bunch of strange women when my family is two doors down. And maybe I'm overprotective, but I'm not ready to let my 12 year old out of my sight in an unknown foreign land.
We'll have a 3 1/2 yr old with us - hoping it goes well with the kid!
Hey Kirsten! I'll have to let you know what my ex reports about his upcoming time in France. He'll be about four weeks all over from Paris to Nice, on trains, on planes, apartment stays, hotel stays, touring, and so on. He has two daughters with his wife Jen; they're 4 and 2. So if he has any good pointers to ease travelling woes with young girls, I'll let you know what they are!
Creative Design Studio (RKR4CDS)Kelly I couldn't agree more n Florence/Firenze...
Italy was the one year in-between that we could not do the A-4-A Tour. One of the best recorded books I've ever listened to is "Brunelleschis Dome"
He fought ferociously to become the designer of this dome with an unproven and scandalous new technique.
From Wickipedia:
Santa Maria del Fiore, known as The Duomo. The magnificent dome was built by Filippo Brunelleschi. Both the dome itself and the nearby Campanile Tower are open to tourists and offer excellent views; The dome, 600 years after its completion, is still the largest dome built in brick and mortar in the world."
Around Notre Dame were merchants and kiosks selling every type of merchandise with ND's image. I counted on that and begged Virginia & Fred Jasmer to puuuulllease buy an umbrella for me, patterned as if you are inside the dome (I have an umbrella collection).
It's one of the few things that I most missed about our not being on the Italy Tour Year...
Matilda Huggington-beareOh WOW how marvelous Shelli, I am planning an around the world trip for 2010. Now that I am debt free I am able to save for my trip of a life time. 
Thankyou everyone for your marvelous info. I'm gobbling it all up
When you return Shelli, don't forget to tell us of any tips you may have picked up?
Wendy 
Newelley.BearsHey Shel,
I went to Europe in the winter of 2000 and we had a blast! I'm sure your kids will LOVE it. In Munich, make sure you visit Frauenkirche or Church of Our Lady. As legend has it, there is a footprint at the front of the church that was pound into the floor by the devil himself. You can also walk to the top of the church tower and get amazing views of the city. For great food, beer and entertainment as well as a taste of local culture, make sure to visit Hofbrauhaus Munchen. Also, make sure to check out the New Town Hall in the Marienplatz at 11 am, 12 pm or 5 pm as when the clock hits those certain hours, life size figures dance about to music. Just outside of Munich we stayed in Sachsenkam at Gasthof Altwirt, a quaint traditional bavarian style inn surrounded by beautiful scenery. Another nice attraction and relatively close is the Kisslinger Kristall-Glas factory and showroom that is located in Austria near the German/Austrian border. They take you through the whole process of how they make their crystal products from start to finish and in the showroom you can purchase an item and they will engrave it for you while you watch. We also spent a day at Dachau and I will warn you in advance to bring along a box of tissues. It was a very somber, emotionally filled day. Walking through the museum/administration building, the images and artifacts are very moving. Touring the grounds and seeing the framework for the buildings and knowing the atrocities that had taken place REALLY stuck with me and I think it is that day I remember the most out of the whole time spent in Europe. I don't know if you are planning on travelling across Italy or if you are staying only in Florence, but we stayed in Stresa, located on Lago Maggiore at the Hotel La Palma and the scenery, buildings and day trips by boat to an island in the middle of the lake where there are various shops and handmade goods/markets was one of the highlights of the trip. The view from the hotel is AMAZING and each room is gorgeous. Hope I could help and hope you have tons of fun!
Jeremy
http://www.hofbraeuhaus.de/en/index_en.html
www.kisslinger-kristall.com
http://www.hlapalma.it/en/index2.html
I've stayed in various 'Ibis' hotels in Europe and they were very clean and neat in an 'ikea' sort of way. another nice chain of that type in Switzerland, Germany and the NL is the Movenpick, and both are reasonably priced, very family oriented and have great eats (movenpicks mondo ice cream sundaes!)( our room at the Movenpick in Bern was huge, with 2 beds) we stayed in clean-if-plain hotel called 'the Hotel Balcony' in Florence. it was maybe 90E a night. we didn't find it, it found us, by way of a shill at the train station. it wasn't fancy, but our room really did open out on a balcony, and this was the view:
I've also done quite a bit of room-booking on the web, and can tell you from firsthand experience that pictures can lie and you can't always believe what you read. be sure and check references & guest comments. never pay cash in advance. if you don't believe me, ask Di Bester about the 'Windsor Arms' in Earl's Court in London (((shudder)))
on the other hand, last year I rented a very nice floor-through apt in Fulham (London) for a week for $60 USD a night, a freakin good deal for London.
oh, a few last tips. . .
never plan a trip using the proceeds of a show that hasn't happened yet. :redface: I did a 3-week trip through Europe after Teddy-Total a few year ago that was an adventure in itself. Franfurt, by rail to Munster, then to Stuttgart, Munich, Salzburg (gorgeous) Florence and flew home from Rome. you might just find yourself with low sales, no cash and [img]very[/img]heavy suitcases. I finally ended up shipping some things home from Stuttgart (oh, how I envy the miniaturists. wouldn't it be loverly to walk into a show with a shoebox full of bears)
oh. . . . :redface: :redface: :redface: and never plan a 3-week trip with an internet date that you haven't actually met in person first :redface:
although it will give you some interesting stories.
puca bearsHi Shelli
a couple more things...... YES - do visit the musee D'Orsay, and the Picasso, if you can fir them in - both fabulous!
Orsay is in a glorious light and airy building, which used to be a train station! In both,with all the wonderful works of art on display, it's a bit like meeting old friends - finally coming face to face with paintings you know so well is a remarkable experience!
And something which could be important - TELL your bank that you are travelling overseas. I know there were posts on this topic recently, and there was a recent progamme on the BBC about it - people going on trips of a life time, honeymoons, etc - after using their credit cards a few times, found they had been frozen. Stupid computers had flagged up "suspicious transactions", and these poor victims were left stranded - innumerable phone calls to try and sort out the mess, and the usual being passed from pillar to post because there weren't actually any humans involved - just b...........computers! It's a situation no-one wants/needs to be in!
Oh - and you could also check out the Campanile hotel chain - cheap and cheerful
my jealousy mounts - Kelly's photos of Florence bring back lovely memories!
huggies
Maria
Here is a english link to hotels in Munic, I have live for 1 jear in Munic and it is very, very expensive there.
http://www.booking.com/city/de/munich.e … 2112ca017c
hope this will help a little bit.
hugs
Manuela
Busser BearsWow, Europe! Been there twice when Neysa Phillippi used to do the tours.
One thing I don't think anyone mentioned in their posts-sorry if I missed it...but VERY IMPORTANT!!!
TOILETS ARE NOT FREE TO USE!!! You must have coinage to enter and use...if you find one that is free, you DON'T want to use it! It is well worth the small change for a clean toilet & bathroom!! But for free clean toilets, McDonalds is the place! And it was good to have a big mac after we eating all that German sausage and kraut!
Getting a snack around 2 or 3 in Germany was such fun! We needed a break, a wee snack and tea...my aunt Maxine, Lynn and Phil Gatto and I stopped at a really neat restaurant. We got a fabulous desserts, tea and it was in lovely small china teacup and saucer, a small napkin and a small plate of cookies too! Way too much fun!!
And enjoy, enjoy enjoy....pictures are important, but if you take too many photos, you loose the "moment" of really being there and the experience. I took so many the first time and realized that when I came home. I took less the 2nd time, but was more particular in what I did shoot and really enjoyed being there more.
hugs,
Leeann Krikau
Busser Bears
Creative Design Studio (RKR4CDS)Thank you SOOO much for the B's Dome pic! What I wouldn't have given to've seen that in person.
(oh, how I envy the miniaturists. wouldn't it be loverly to walk into a show with a shoebox full of bears)
Sure, we all thought that too. But a miniaturist has to have table covers too, and things boxes for the tabletop to act as elevations for the minis and things to raise your table and props to fill in the spaces...
And many also have a kit line and materials & accessories...
We have as many boxes as the rest and about the same weight.
It would be the ideal to have a 'shoebox'. Though there is (was?) a miniaturist from Michigan who fit everything into a cello or small base case. It looked inconspicuous and classy, rather than schlepping multi-taped over cardboard boxes!
Sorry to go OT, Shelli
