In 1995, when we travelled with our teens (13 and 17) in France, Italy, Switzerland and Germany, we used the trains. Even Rothenburg is accessible by train although you can also take a bus. And included in your train pass is a Rhine river cruise.

We found train travel for four is not as cheap as by car and it seems that this is even more so today. However it puts you in contact with real people. In Switzerland we decided on our destination based on a conversation with a old WWII veteran who was having treatments in Davos (the same one featured in Mann's The Magic Mountain).

See the previous thread about train travel for more examples from other Ziners.

Frances Toronto, Canada