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Accomodations:
I have done Priceline in Europe and if you are comfortable using that site you can get some decent deals.
We too used Priceline in several European cities and got some awesome deals. The hotels were great, except that one we got in Paris where their intentions weren't good (still nice hotel though), but that's not Priceline's fault.
OP do you at least have any particular cities in mind?
My suggested itinerary for 2 weeks would be to fly into Frankfurt, take the local train to Berlin then the ICE train to Amsterdam, the local train to Brussels, the Eurostar to London then on to Paris, then the train to Barcelona and fly back to Frankfurt. You could get a Eurail pass that would probably cover the majority of this (possible surcharge for ICE and Eurostar).
Everyone was so helpful, but I am more confused than ever.
One trip I have thought about would be Ireland, England and Scotland - could we spend a day in Paris to satisfy my daughter? My kids know some people in the UK
The other trip would be East Central Europe - Poland, Germany.Prague and perhaps Kiev where we have friends we could stay with. Do you think that either of these are too ambitious ?
I know that my local travel agent is not going to have the skinny on these guest houses.
Are hostels just for college students? We do not want to stay at a Luxury or a chain hotel -
we would rather rough it and stay longer enjoying a more authentic experience.
could we spend a day in Paris to satisfy my daughter?
Obviously, one day in Paris is barely any time at all, but if you do that, I recommend skipping the museums (yes, the art is famous, but you can barely see the Mona Lisa when it is crowded).
I do recommend taking a boat ride down the Seine; you get a good overview of the city that way and it is lovely. The Eiffel Tower you would think might be a tourist trap, but it is amazing, much larger in real life. Choose one church, Notre Dame being the most famous but for good reason. That also puts you on the Ilse de Paris, or whatever it is called, which exudes charm. Good shopping walks are either the 6th A. or the VERY upscale boulevard with all the design houses on it (someone please refresh my memory).
Sit at a cafe, get some fruit tarts and chocolates, people watch.
IMO, one day in Paris is not anywhere near enough and most likely wouldn't come close to satisfying your daughter's interest. It would be like promising the kids a McDonalds dinner, then only letting them have four fries each. You'd need at least three days minimum.
Getting to Paris from the UK is easiest (and most likely quickest - about 2.5 hrs) via Eurostar out of St. Pancras Station in London... but it is usually very expensive. Flying may be cheaper, but needs time to get to the airport, go through all the rigmarole, then get into Paris from the airport... effectively you'd use the best part of a day.
There are plenty of cheap hotels in Paris, especially clustered around Gare du Nord (which is where Eurostar arrives into Paris). My daughter and I stayed in our favourite cheapie (with private bathroom) just this last July for 58 Euro, which is about US$75. You'd probably need to pay a bit more for a 3-person room.
Getting across to Ireland from the UK will also eat into your time. Since you have such a short vacation, it would make sense not to spend too much time getting from one place to the other.
Two weeks in Scotland and England including a 3-day side trip to Paris would be doable if you plan it well.
Your East Central Europe itinerary sounds a bit ambitious too, but I can't comment specifically on that one.
I'd go for the Eastern Europe thing. You commented on my post that your son wants to see Ausschwitz and you ask whether its near or not.
Yes, from Krakow centre there are busses but arrange them in advance. There are also busses/tours which pick you up from the hostel you are staying and drive there directly and youll be there in like an hour.
Make sure you reservate in advance.
Ausschwitz is one of the most interesting, horrible, best things I ever visited.
Caligirl and Kobber give good advice.
You could do a UK/Paris trip, I did one with my son years ago and everything worked out fine.
I've heard good things about Krakow, too.
It's not as easy traveling with 3 people but we have done it a number of times (we sometimes had our kids take turns going on trips with us.)
Hostels are not just for college students, as an oldster I have stayed at Le Village in Montmarte (terrible breakfast, but very clean + good location) and other hostels in other countries. But don't rule out 2-star hotels, sometimes you can get a deal that is just as good if not better.
Other sources to consider (short-stay rooms and apartments): Crashpadder and AirBnB.
And CouchSurfing. The three of us did this (me, husband and son). Everything worked out great, and the price (a bottle of wine, and a 15 minutes washing dishes) was right.
But Paris is only a few minutes and euros more.
If they had 9 days, they could pull together a decent trip, especially if they fly open jaw.
But seeing Ireland, England and Scotland in one week (and sticking in a day in Paris) is a daunting task.
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