Need help with my itinerary

Old Feb 16th, 2017, 11:22 PM
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Need help with my itinerary

Hi...me and my husband are travelling to europe from 8th April to 23rd April 2017. We will be on our honeymoon. We have finalized the below plan:
1) Fly from New Delhi to Amsterdam - 8th April
2) Stay in Amsterdam for 3 days
3) Travel from Amsterdam to Paris -11 April
4) Stay in paris for 7 days (we plan to visit brussels during 1 of these days)
5) Travel from Paris to Zurich/ anyother place in Switzerland - 19 April
6) Stay in Switzerland (places not decided yet) for 4 days
7) Travel back to India - 23rd April

I know what places I want to see in Amsterdam and Paris. I am however confused about my switzerland trip. Please help me with the following:

1) What is the best way to travel from Amsterdam-Paris, Paris-Brussels, Paris to Swittzerland (please suggest which place is best to stay in switzerland).
2) help me plan my Switzerland itinerary, I definitely want to visit Jungfrau region and Interlaken. Where should I staty? How do I travel from place to place?

Thanks for all the help in advance

Vaishali
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Old Feb 17th, 2017, 01:09 AM
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Only two full days for Amsterdam is a little bit short. The city has a lot to offer and there are many nice day trips to be made.
There is only one real way to get from Amsterdam to Paris: the high-speed Thalys service. http://www.seat61.com/international-...from-Paris.htm gives the necessary practical information.
The same is true for you intended day-trip to Brussels. You do realise that you'll go through Brussels on the way from Amsterdam to Paris? It would be much better to have a night here, and possibly two for a day-trip to Brugge which you'll undoubtedly will enjoy.
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Old Feb 17th, 2017, 04:05 AM
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If you don't want to spend a night in Brussels, you could stop over there on your way to Paris, leaving your luggage at the station left luggage office. It would save you a lot of time and money, and you could add another night to Amsterdam, because you'd need one less night in Paris.
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Old Feb 17th, 2017, 06:12 AM
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»... you could stop over there on your way to Paris«
In which case you need two separate tickets: Amsterdam to Brussel, Brussel to Paris. The tickets for the Thalys come with a seat reservation.
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Old Feb 17th, 2017, 07:39 AM
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Yes, break the journey in Brussels. It has three stations - Noord (north) where trains from Amsterdam first stop, Centraal, and Midi/Zuid (= South).

You want Centraal because it is a short walk from the historic center of town.

Some trains from Amsterdam stop at Noord and go on to Centraal, others don't - then you simply switch trains in Noord and hop on a train that gets to Centraal a few minutes later.

Trains for Paris will leave from Midi/Zuid.
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Old Feb 20th, 2017, 06:53 PM
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Thanks for the above details. i will plan to stop in brussels on my way to Paris.

Could you guys help me plan my trip from Paris to Switzerland? In switzerland I definitely want to see:
1) interlaken
2) Lauterbrunnen
3) day visit to Jungfrau region
4) my flight back to india if from Zurich

What would be a good way to travel from paris to switzerland and cover all of the above places economically

Thanks for all your help!
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Old Feb 20th, 2017, 08:45 PM
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Interlaken, Lauterbrunnen and Jungfrau region are just one region, you can do it at the same time. You can take train from Paris to Interlaken, then local tram from Interlaken to one of Jungfrau mountain towns: Lauterbrunnen, or Grindelwald, or Murren, or Wengen (look for all trains on http://www.sbb.ch/en/home.html). Any of those mountain towns will give you access to gorgeous mountain paths. Rent a hotel/chalet room there for your Switzerland stay. Don't stay in Interlaken, it's just a transport hub, nothing special there. When you have to go back to India, you can take a train from the town to Zurich, then flight home.
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Old Feb 28th, 2017, 10:26 PM
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Hi everyone - thanks for your reply. So her is my finalized iterinary:

8th april - fly from india to amsterdam
9th, 10th - stay in amsterdam
11th - travel from amsterdam to paris via the Thalys train (reach paris by 1 PM)
12,13,14,15,16,17 - stay at Paris
18th - travel from paris to Interlaken via TGV Lyria train (reach interlaken late night aroun 12:18 AM)
19 - stay at interlaken, want to visit jungfrau for sure
20 - travel to lucerne later during the day (have bought a 4 day consecutive swiss pass)
21st, 22nd - stay in Lucerne (want to visit titlis, pilatus, lake lucerne etc)
23 - travel to zurich via local train (tickets booked), reach zurich by 8:15 AM, take flight from zutrich to india at 12:44 PM

Need all of your help to now identify:

1) what are must see places/ things/ markets in amsterdam? must do's for me - canal ride, van goh's, anee franks house.
2) What are must see/ and do's in Paris - I want to take a 2 day trip to disneyland, must see for me - notre dam, effiel (dinner/ lunch at the effiel - is it worth it?), arch de, montmarte, moulin rouge, 1 day trip to palace of versailles etc.
3) I will travel from interlaken to jungfrau, I have a 4 day consecutive swiss pass. what would be the best way to travel and how much would it cost with the swiss pass. what else should i do in interlaken apart from jungfrau?
4) What all to do in Lucerne? I want to visit Titlis and Pilatus, what would be the best way of travelling and how much would it cost with the swiss travel pass? What else to do in Lucerne apart from these?

Thanks all for your help and suggestion!
vaishali
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Old Mar 1st, 2017, 01:49 AM
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Congratulations on your wedding!

With only two full days in Amsterdam you recommend you pre-book timed entries to AFH and the Van Gogh museum. The canal tour you can do any evening, just before dusk, so that you get to see the lights come up.

April will be prime tulip season, maybe you want to make a trip to Keukenhof, though this will eat into your time in the city.

Suggest you also take the free walking tour offered by Sandemans, this gives you an overview of the city, with a historical perspective.
http://www.neweuropetours.eu/amsterd...ate=01/03/2017

The Thalys train is probably the best way to get from Amsterdam to Paris. Suggest you book your tickets asap if you haven't already done so, advance tickets cost a fraction of the full price. (It's four months out if I remember right).

IMO the Eiffel tower restaurant is over-rated, book your tickets to go up in advance. Sit on the terrace of a cafe on the Champs Elysees or the Latin Quarter with a glass of wine and watch the world go by. The small neighbourhood restaurants are exceedingly good, their prix fixe lunch menus are great value, check them out. The menu and prices are always displayed outside, so you can take a look as you walk along.

Monmartre is an interesting place to wander around, but watch out for pickpockets. Everywhere, actually, don't carry any original documents on you, only copies, and keep your money and CC in an inner pocket.

You can take in a show at the Moulin Rouge, ask for the cheaper seats at the bar, which comes with a complimentary glass of champagne.
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Old Mar 1st, 2017, 02:55 AM
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Thanks geetika. can someone help me with the Swiss part of the journey?

i everyone - thanks for your reply. So her is my finalized iterinary:

8th april - fly from india to amsterdam
9th, 10th - stay in amsterdam
11th - travel from amsterdam to paris via the Thalys train (reach paris by 1 PM)
12,13,14,15,16,17 - stay at Paris
18th - travel from paris to Interlaken via TGV Lyria train (reach interlaken late night aroun 12:18 AM)
19 - stay at interlaken, want to visit jungfrau for sure
20 - travel to lucerne later during the day (have bought a 4 day consecutive swiss pass)
21st, 22nd - stay in Lucerne (want to visit titlis, pilatus, lake lucerne etc)
23 - travel to zurich via local train (tickets booked), reach zurich by 8:15 AM, take flight from zutrich to india at 12:44 PM

Need all of your help to now identify:

1) what are must see places/ things/ markets in amsterdam? must do's for me - canal ride, van goh's, anee franks house.
2) What are must see/ and do's in Paris - I want to take a 2 day trip to disneyland, must see for me - notre dam, effiel (dinner/ lunch at the effiel - is it worth it?), arch de, montmarte, moulin rouge, 1 day trip to palace of versailles etc.
3) I will travel from interlaken to jungfrau, I have a 4 day consecutive swiss pass. what would be the best way to travel and how much would it cost with the swiss pass. what else should i do in interlaken apart from jungfrau?
4) What all to do in Lucerne? I want to visit Titlis and Pilatus, what would be the best way of travelling and how much would it cost with the swiss travel pass? What else to do in Lucerne apart from these?

Thanks all for your help and suggestion!
vaishali
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Old Mar 1st, 2017, 05:35 AM
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Luzern has plenty to see and do apart from the nearby peaks. The old town is a delight to explore on foot. The Rosengart museum has a neat collection of Picassos and other modern art. The Swiss Transport museum is fun for train buffs. Fortress Furigen is open on the weekend. It's a WWII/Cold War era hidden bunker and fortress which has been converted into a museum. You can also take lake cruises to the other towns around Lake Luzern. All the museums, lake cruises, and the city buses to reach them are covered by the Swiss Pass.
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Old Mar 1st, 2017, 07:30 AM
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There is a lovely walk around Lucerne on its north side - old fortifications.
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Old Mar 1st, 2017, 08:49 AM
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Vaishali - I think you are short changing the Bernese Oberland area by simply focusing on the train up to Jungfrau. The real beauty of the area are the little alpine villages with spectacular views and hikes particularly Grindelwald, Wengen, or Murren. I think the area deserves a min of 3 days. Not sure if you can scramble together the days but trust me you will look at all the views around you and regret not having the time to enjoy the many cable car rides to various points.
I also agree with FuryFluffy that Interlaken is a poor choice to overnight. Compared to Wengen/Grindenwald in my view it is ugly - simply a travel hub. You can take a simple connection (that runs very frequently) up to one of the mountain villages mentioned above for a better experience/views.
Also make sure the Jungfrau peak looks clear from the lower elevation before buying an expensive ticket (not covered by the regular pass) to travel to the peak. Otherwise all you will see are clouds.
Enjoy your honeymoon!!!
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Old Mar 1st, 2017, 11:53 AM
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Yes the Jungfrau Region is much more than the Jungfraujoch train and the mobbed Jungfraujoch station area.
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