jsmaddry

My 2 boys (ages 11 & 13) and I will be going to Kenya at the end of May for 12 days. We were able to arrange for a longish layover in Zurich from June 10-16. I would LOVE to see as much as possible and have no idea where to even start. I was thinking when we connect on our way to Kenya we could leave a bag at the Baggage Service in Zurich airport. Maybe? If you only had 5 days, and have never been to Europe before, what would you do? Where would you go?

Any help is SO greatly appreciated!!
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Edward2005

3 nights in Lauterbrunnen to inhale the Alps, and 2 nights in Luzern.

Kathie

With 5 days, you won't see Europe, but you could see part of Switzerland. I'd stay in Switzerland and not even think of going elsewhere this time.

zorrosf

If you want to stay in Switzerland, the Bernese Oberland (Wengen as a base, or Lauterbrunnen)would be great, especially if hiking is your forte. Check "skyscanner.net" for cheap flights to Paris (or elsewhere) and "man in seat 61" for rapid speed trains from Zurich to Paris, Amsterdam or Venice. With 6 days, you could get a very good taste of one of Europe's landmark destinations rather than spend all 6 days in Switzerland.

Please consider going to only one place and staying there the entire 6 days. "Seeing as much as possible" usually means hours and hours in a train or car, not really seeing anything but stations, terminals or expressways.

pthomas156

If you can afford it, wallow in Switzerland. Is anything more iconically European than that? And surely a great contrast to awesome Kenya. Tho for boys 11 and 13 I'm not sure anything will ever be as wonderful as Africa. So, now that I say that, maybe you should do what YOU want to do. The boys will be happy if you're happy. Where have you always wanted to go?!

Whathello

Thomas
I'm really interested in this comment.
Why is CH iconically Europe ?

I'm european, I live in Belgium, work in France, travel everywhere in Europe - maybe except CH and for me Switzerland is a totally alien country, with people rejecting Europe, living among themselves in a country badly connected to Europe. With a totally different geography. Just the anti-thesis of my Europe.

So why is it Europe for you ?

traveller1959

>> Is anything more iconically European than that? <<

For many non-Europeans, their visual image of Europe is coined by Walt Disney's animated movies and Disneyland. There, many cartoons of medieval cities in Europe resemble Luzern indeed.

The advice of staying in Switzerland (3 nights in Lauterbrunnen to inhale the Alps, and 2 nights in Luzern) is not bad but heavy on the mountain side. And expensiv, since Switzerland is, due to currency exchange rates, the most expensive country in Europe.

Basically, you can choose between three styles of spending your 5 days:

1. Staying in Switzerland, enjoying the Alps and a few neat historic towns like Luzern and Bern.

2. Exploring a bit of Switzerland, Alsace and Southwest Germany, either by train or by rental car.

3. Flying to more European cities like Paris, Amsterdam, London, Rome or Berlin.

For option 1, a plan has been suggested (3 nights in Lauterbrunnen to inhale the Alps, and 2 nights in Luzern) which may be a bit refined.

For option 2, the basic decision is whether you rent a car or move by train. The train system is Europe is excellent, but with a car, you are more flexible, see more scenery and small villages.

If you opt for a car, you could do a loop drive like this (more details can be given later):

Day 1: Starting from Zürich Airport, driving scenic roads through the High Black Forest, seeing cozy villages, waterfalls and mountain meadows with wooden farmhouses which are at least as iconic for Europe as Switzerland. Overnight in the Black Forest.

Day 2: Driving down scenic roads and visiting the historic little town Staufen (where Dr. Faustus rode to Hell) and the historic city Freiburg. Overnight in a little wine village at the Kaiserstuhl volcano.

Day 3: Driving into Alsace, visiting the picturesque villages Riquewihr, Eguisheim and quaint Colmar. Overnight in Alsace (Eguisheim or Rouffach).

Day 4: Visiting the farmhouse open-air museum in southern Alsace near Mulhouse and driving to Luzern.

Day 5: Visiting Luzern with a cable car ride up the Pilatus Mountain for an Alpine experience and back zu Zürich. Overnight in Zürich.

For option 3, you can pick 2 cities in Europe just to get a quick impression of them and fly a triangle. E.g. fly from Zürich to Paris (alternatively train which takes 4 to 6 hours, depending on the connection). 2 days in Paris. Then train to Amsterdam with a 3-hour-stop in Brussels, 2 days in Amsterdam and flight back zu Zürich.

Or Zürich - Paris - Berlin - Zürich.

Or even Zürich - Rome - Paris - Zürich.

Or Zürich - Venice - Zürich and Luzern (by train).

So many options.

And enjoy Masai Mara - it is spectacular!

jsmaddry

Thank you everyone for the ideas!!

Traveller1959 - That was THE most amazing post ever! You have me soo excited. I love the idea of seeing Paris and Berlin. Even Rome and Paris. Do you recommend the train or flying?

traveller1959

To/from Berlin, Rome flying.

To/from Paris, train OR flight, depending on the exact times.

There are many flights from Zürich to Paris, in the morning, in the afternoon and in the evening with Swiss and Air France.

There are every two hours direct train connections between Zürich and Paris which take 4:04, arriving at Gare de Lyon. So, I would rather recommend the train, but only if you take a direct train. E.g. 9:34-13:38 or 15:34-19:37.

suze

<I love the idea of seeing Paris and Berlin. Even Rome and Paris.>

I'm pretty sure the suggestion didn't mean to try to go to all 4 cities in the 5 days?!?

Kathie

Even just choosing two cities will mean you'll spend a lot of time in transit rather than seeing/doing/experiencing what you came for.

janisj

Two cities will be <i>barely</i> doable. You'll use up more than half a day getting from Switzerland to city X then another half a day (at least) getting to city Y, and yet another half a day or more getting back to Zurich. You will have lost about a 1/3 of your available time.

Pick which ever <u>one</u> place you want to see most and go there and leave it at that.

Edward2005

To Janisj you listen. By trying to see everything you see nothing. Except airports and train stations.