Extended travel through Europe with young kids - what do I need to know?

[meow]

How exciting!!

[LuluHB]

The plan as its evolving is that we will spend a couple of weeks around central London and "do" there, and then drive around the UK. Then we'll base ourselves we're thinking around Lyon for a month - easy gateway via train to pretty much everywhere. DD2 is a seriously dreadful flyer (who knows what DD3 will be like) and so for that reason we will predominantly stick with either driving or train travel. Then thinking either around Florence (I've always wanted to spend extended time in Italy) or somewhere else - just not sure of the somewhere yet ! Seems that its also morphing into a month or two in the US on the way home too - combined work visit to "the office" for my DH and holiday. I'm insisting on at least a week somewhere like Hawaii on the way home with a whole lot of childcare options ;-)

[LuluHB]

Sorry - should have asked before . . .

Ang and Zazou - with the car lease thingy did you arrange that from home before you arrived, or did you just walk into a dealership and say hey I want a short term car lease?

[Phteven]

You have to book it about a month in advance.

If you're planning on lots of rail travel maybe look at the Eurail pass.

[chody47]

Sounds so exciting!

[*Ang*]

Organise it before you leave online. You get to pick your car etc and they are brand new - it's quite fun actually.

[LuluHB]

oh my goodness. I've just done a bit of researching and done a price comparison of hiring a car as opposed to the lease option on a brand new one. Almost double!!!! Thank you so much Ang and Zazou for this info - I'd say its invaluable but I can actually assign about $4,000 worth of value