hawkstetter

This will be my first time in Europe. I am going there to study abroad in a small town in Italy called Paderno Del Grappa which is about and hour and a half north of Venice. The program ends June 12th and I fly home June 24th from London. When the program ends I most likely will have seen Rome, Florence, and Venice. Those being the big cities. I am going to make my way from Venice to London after the program ends and was wondering if people could give me suggestions on where i should go during this time. I leaning towards seeing Munich, Paris, and of course London. I would also like to stop somewhere in Switzerland. If you guys could give me suggestions on where I should go, how long I should stay in each place and how I should get there that would be great!! Thanks!!

swandav2000

Hi hawskstetter,

Most first timers to Switzerland really enjoy seeing the Berner Oberland. I recommend you go to one of the car-free towns up in the heights, either Mürren or Wengen, to get that entire "Heidi" experience and feeling.

It will take about eight hours to get there from München with about three changes. You can get all the details for the train trip at

www.rail.ch

You can get more information about the area at

www.myjungfrau.ch

Good luck -- I would want to spend two weeks in *each* of your spots!

s

kleeblatt

Bring a book about your Europe with you and then make definite plans while you are attending your course in Italy. It is highly possible that you'll meet up with someone and travel together. Be flexible.

Enjoy Italy!

stdyabrdinswitz

hey! i am currently studying abroad in switzerland. i would highly recommend seeing the matterhorn and zermatt. make sure you have a fondue dinner, and sample local wines from the valais (fantastic!). Interlaken is a great town for extreme sports, so if you are interested in canyon diving, paragliding, anything along those lines- stop in there.

I am planning on doing the venice/florence/rome thing in april- any suggestions?

blueshrimp

Hmm...one of my favorite European cities is Vienna. Might be a bit of a train ride away and it is in the opposite direction from where you're headed...but still, something to think about...

hawkstetter

I was thinking of heading to Vienna as one of my travel weekends during the program. I've kept one open to stay flexible and see where people in my program may be heading. So I'll def keep that in mind. Thanks

hawkstetter

I definitely in Switzerland want to go somewhere in the Alps, and the traditional Swiss town. I love mountains and would find no better place to see them than in Switzerland. So Berner Oberland would be the place to go?

swandav2000

Yes, I think so. Though there are tons of mountain villages in Switzerland, lots of first-timers really enjoy the villages of the Berner Oberland. You can start your research here:

www.myjungfrau.ch

s

ira

Hi Ha,

>I leaning towards seeing Munich, Paris, and of course London.<

With only 12 days, you have 6 nights in London and 5 nights in Paris.

At most, you have 3 nights in Munich, 4 nights in Paris and 4 nights in London.

As Swan points out, it will take you an entire day to get from Munich to the BO.

You can't see it all in one visit.

You have your whole life to keep returning.

Enjoy your stay.

Mimar

If Switzerland is a priority in your short time, you could take the train to Lucerne, stay there a couple days, then train to the Zurich airport and fly to London. Or take the train to Paris and then the Eurostar to London.

Lucerne is Switzerland in a capsule. Save the Bernese Oberland for when you have more time.

hawkstetter

How does this sound for an itinerary?

June 12th -- leave Venice, head to Munich
June 13th -- Day in Munich
June 14th -- Day in Munich
June 15th -- Day in Munich, leave in evening for Paris
June 16th -- Arrive in Paris, Day in Paris
June 17th -- Day in Paris
June 18th -- Day in Paris
June 19th -- Day in Paris, Leave in evening for London
June 20th -- Arrive in London, Day in London
June 21st -- Day in London
June 22nd -- Day in London
June 23rd -- Day in London
June 24th -- Morning in London, Leave for Chicago at 12:45

What do you guys think? What would be the best way from Munich to Paris?

artsnletters

Not a bad itinerary. I think it's best you skip Switzerland - as you can see, you'll be plenty busy as it is.

You could take a night train, if you think you will be able to sleep on the train. Many people don't - there's the motion, the sound, the occasional stops through the night, and the sounds of your compartment-mates. You might just doze and feel pretty wrung out by the time you reach Paris. But others manage fine. There's a train that leaves at 10:45 pm and gets in at 9:30 am (no train changes). Looks to be around 119 euros.

Alternatively, you could fly. Air Berlin flies that route. Their last flight appears to leave around 4:15 pm, and you'd have to be at the airport an hours before that. So a train will give you a significant amount more time in Munich. But the flight will cost more like 49 euros.

Unless the time in Munich is precious to you, flying is probably a better deal.

mjknycmjk

I just want to give a plug for Switzerland. I've been twice and it is breathtaking. I stayed in Wengen two years ago, and it was one of the highlights of all my travels in my lifetime. To wake up every morning with that view out your window is awe inspiring. I know Paris and London are great stops, but they are also the simplest and most likely ones to return to. Just my two cents.

hawkstetter

yea if i had one to two more days of travel i would def try to get all four in. I still have one of my extended weekends of travel open which I could use for Switzerland. I've also considered Vienna, and Dublin and also just some other town in Italy after Rome, Venice, & Florance.

swandav2000

Hi again,

Yes, I was going to warn you about your plan to study in Italy: it will change your life, lol! Even now you can see how -- there is so much wonderful Europe to see, and so little time. For the rest of your life, you'll be moving heaven and earth to get back regularly. Ahhhh well, join the club!

s

ira

Hi haw,

>How does this sound for an itinerary? <

It's good.

I would take one day from Munich and add it to Paris.

If you haven't taken an overnight train before, and you are young and fit, that will be a worthwhile experience.

You will learn why most people fly.

Enjoy your visit.

baladeuse

I agree with Ira - less time in Munich, more time in paris!

Many, many years ago, when I was a student travelling around on a Eurail pass, i always tried to take overnight trains - save on hotel cost, more time to tour the city. I had no trouble sleeping. But that was long before the advent of cheap airlines like ryanair and easyjet.

smalltowntraveler

When in Paris you might skip some of the more touristy places and stay a night in Montmartre - most of the guidebooks have some great walking tours of that area and it is not crowded with the usual students and bus loads of tourists.

I stayed there in a lovely little hotel - Ermitage.

suriclada

While in Italy you have to go to San Giammignano near Florence. It is a perfectly preserved very old walled town and so completely different from the big cities that you'll see. You'd have to go by car though, but driving through Tuscany is just beautiful. Have fun!

vikingprincess

We did a similar trip last year. Instead of Paris, we worked our way up through Germany, starting in Freiburg and heading up to Berlin after traveling east across Baviaria with a stop at the castles in Schwangau. I had planned for 2 days in Munich, but when we got there, we stumbled upon the city's 850th anniversary celebration. What a party! So we stayed an extra day. It was a highlight of the trip. Really a lot of fun, yet family-friendly, too...we had our 2 teen daughters with us and at no time were we concerned for their safety or what they might see or hear. You wil be there the same weekend if you follow the itinerary above, so there may be a party waiting for you, too. We took a bike tour to get an overview of the city, then went back to the sites we wanted to see in more detail. My kids have been begging for an "automatic do-over" all year...you'll have a teriffic time!