Calling All Teachers (and Parents too!)

[englanddg]

That gives you 3500 for the stay in Europe. Considering that the cruise is only 15 nights, that would give you a budget for Europe of $ 233 for transport, hotel and food per day. Yes, I would say that it can be done. Might be less pampering than the cruise, but I could certainly put a trip together through Germany for one adult and one child for that price.

I was looking (and still am) at UK / France (though...I would rather go to Germany, because I spent a lot of my childhood there)...

Flights aside, UK was pretty affordable. I found a few smaller hotels a bit out of London that do Bed and Breakfasts and offer car / tour services to various destinations that had reasonable prices.

France I had a bunch of trouble finding things around Paris. A friend of mine told me it's better to stay well outside the city and take the train (or rent a car). That echos what you say too.

I've also considered doing a bus tour. I look at Adventures by Disney every now and then, but for the prices, I'll just steal their itineraries and plan it myself.

 

[Bolna]

Well, London and Paris are probably the most expensive places in Europe (even though Scandinavia comes close as food is so pricey there). A place that I have stayed at in London for a few times and which is clean and affordable and in a nice area (Bloomsbury, not a lot of hotels, but lots of universities, amongst them the one I got a Masters degree from) is this hotel. If you want to stay outside of Paris and commute into the city (which comes at a cost as well), you might as well stay at Val d'Europe, the development that is part of the larger Euro Disney development. There are a number of hotels in that area, also budget ones. No need to stay at the overpriced Disney ones. It is one train stop from DLP and about a 45 minute train ride into the city.

But if you would rather go to German yourself - as I said, that's a trip that can be done for less money than Paris and London (even though I love both cities myself and can understand people wanting to go there very well!). My suggestion would be to fly into Berlin, spend a few days there. Obviously lots of history to see, but also lots of fun, modern and hip stuff. Then take the train from there to Nuremberg - see medieval castle, go on a day trip to Rothenburg, there is also a toy museum and the German railway museum and maybe even spend a day at Playmobil Funpark - not really a theme park, more a large adventure playground. The take the train further south to the Alps, stay either in Füssen or Garmisch-Partenkirchen. See Neuschwanstein and maybe do a hike (for example combined with a cable car trip) in the mountains, then go back a little north from there to Munich and end your trip there. Munich has a fantastic museum of technology, the two real castles of the King of Bavaria, BMW Museum, the Olympiapark with a television tower that has a fantastic viewing platform (Berlin has one, too).

The train rides would be between 4.5 and 2 hours, so none of them too long. It can all be done on public transport. I helped friends organise a similar trip some time ago and they seemed to really enjoy it. They used Priceline for Berlin and had a four star hotel right in the city center for 62 $ per night. Last summer I pricelined a hotel in Munich (not directly in the center, but in a residential neighbourhood which I knew well) for 52 $ per night.

But I guess, if you go back to Germany, you would want to visit where you used to live? I remember you told me once where it was, but I forgot, sorry!

 

[Nubs70]

Well, London and Paris are probably the most expensive places in Europe (even though Scandinavia comes close as food is so pricey there). A place that I have stayed at in London for a few times and which is clean and affordable and in a nice area (Bloomsbury, not a lot of hotels, but lots of universities, amongst them the one I got a Masters degree from) is this hotel. If you want to stay outside of Paris and commute into the city (which comes at a cost as well), you might as well stay at Val d'Europe, the development that is part of the larger Euro Disney development. There are a number of hotels in that area, also budget ones. No need to stay at the overpriced Disney ones. It is one train stop from DLP and about a 45 minute train ride into the city.

But if you would rather go to German yourself - as I said, that's a trip that can be done for less money than Paris and London (even though I love both cities myself and can understand people wanting to go there very well!). My suggestion would be to fly into Berlin, spend a few days there. Obviously lots of history to see, but also lots of fun, modern and hip stuff. Then take the train from there to Nuremberg - see medieval castle, go on a day trip to Rothenburg, there is also a toy museum and the German railway museum and maybe even spend a day at Playmobil Funpark - not really a theme park, more a large adventure playground. The take the train further south to the Alps, stay either in Füssen or Garmisch-Partenkirchen. See Neuschwanstein and maybe do a hike (for example combined with a cable car trip) in the mountains, then go back a little north from there to Munich and end your trip there. Munich has a fantastic museum of technology, the two real castles of the King of Bavaria, BMW Museum, the Olympiapark with a television tower that has a fantastic viewing platform (Berlin has one, too).

The train rides would be between 4.5 and 2 hours, so none of them too long. It can all be done on public transport. I helped friends organise a similar trip some time ago and they seemed to really enjoy it. They used Priceline for Berlin and had a four star hotel right in the city center for 62 $ per night. Last summer I pricelined a hotel in Munich (not directly in the center, but in a residential neighbourhood which I knew well) for 52 $ per night.

But I guess, if you go back to Germany, you would want to visit where you used to live? I remember you told me once where it was, but I forgot, sorry!

Add a few days on the Rheine, take the KD Line to Rudescheim/Assmanhausen, stay at the youth hostel in Sankt Goar and walk through Reinfeld Ruins.

 

[englanddg]

Well, London and Paris are probably the most expensive places in Europe (even though Scandinavia comes close as food is so pricey there). A place that I have stayed at in London for a few times and which is clean and affordable and in a nice area (Bloomsbury, not a lot of hotels, but lots of universities, amongst them the one I got a Masters degree from) is this hotel. If you want to stay outside of Paris and commute into the city (which comes at a cost as well), you might as well stay at Val d'Europe, the development that is part of the larger Euro Disney development. There are a number of hotels in that area, also budget ones. No need to stay at the overpriced Disney ones. It is one train stop from DLP and about a 45 minute train ride into the city.

But if you would rather go to German yourself - as I said, that's a trip that can be done for less money than Paris and London (even though I love both cities myself and can understand people wanting to go there very well!). My suggestion would be to fly into Berlin, spend a few days there. Obviously lots of history to see, but also lots of fun, modern and hip stuff. Then take the train from there to Nuremberg - see medieval castle, go on a day trip to Rothenburg, there is also a toy museum and the German railway museum and maybe even spend a day at Playmobil Funpark - not really a theme park, more a large adventure playground. The take the train further south to the Alps, stay either in Füssen or Garmisch-Partenkirchen. See Neuschwanstein and maybe do a hike (for example combined with a cable car trip) in the mountains, then go back a little north from there to Munich and end your trip there. Munich has a fantastic museum of technology, the two real castles of the King of Bavaria, BMW Museum, the Olympiapark with a television tower that has a fantastic viewing platform (Berlin has one, too).

The train rides would be between 4.5 and 2 hours, so none of them too long. It can all be done on public transport. I helped friends organise a similar trip some time ago and they seemed to really enjoy it. They used Priceline for Berlin and had a four star hotel right in the city center for 62 $ per night. Last summer I pricelined a hotel in Munich (not directly in the center, but in a residential neighbourhood which I knew well) for 52 $ per night.

But I guess, if you go back to Germany, you would want to visit where you used to live? I remember you told me once where it was, but I forgot, sorry!

It was Heilbronn. South of Stuttgart. And yes, I'd want to go there. I'd love to go during Vinefest season...I'd also want to visit Rothenburg (though, that's really best during the Christmas season...best place in the country to see it I think).

Berlin would be interesting because the last time I was there...it was still split. I toured Eastern Berlin and went through Checkpoint Charlie, and all that...back when it was still walled off.

Potsdamer Platz is completely different now, from pictures / video I've seen.

I'd want to go see Miniature Wunderland in Hamburg if we could.

Of course castle tours like Neuschwanstein would be on the list, though honestly having been there around the same age my kid is now, I remember very little of Neuschwanstein... I do remember going, and getting a pressed penny, as well as some of the approach walks. The walled cities interested me far more.

A visit to the Zugspitze would be interesting as well, depending on season. I'd love to go there during ski season (due to travel dates, I doubt that would happen).

I'd also love to help the kiddo make her first walking stick and get shields from all of these places.

 

[GenerationX]

If your life was a sitcom, you'd simply hire a doppelganger to go to school in your daughter's place. It's just crazy enough to work!