Varghese

I am planning for a week long tour during Christmas 2014, covering Swiss, Paris and Rome. I need your help in scheduling the trip, accommodation and travel options. Would like to see in Swiss are Zurich, Geneva, Interlaken. Travel to Paris and then to Rome.

Varghese

We are a family of two adults and 3 kids, coming from Kerala, India

swandav2000

Hi Varghese,

I seriously suggest that you slow down. It will be very difficult to see five different cities in only 7 days. One week isn't really enough time to see Switzerland, much less the other two major cities you want to include.

Remember that every time you switch base, it will cost you about half a day of "outside" time due to the chores of packing up and checking out, then checking in and unpacking again. And since your chosen destinations are about 5 to 6 hours apart, that means those moves will cost you most of a full day. In addition, unless your three children are very independent and very responsive, each move will cost you even more time.

In one week, you can see maybe two places. I would pick two places from your list.

Have fun as you plan!

s

janisj

Traveling all the way from India and with only one week over christmas you should do ONE of the following: a couple of places in Switzerland OR all in Paris OR all in Rome. No more.

Seven nights (assuming that is what you have) will only net about 5.5 free days after the travel, formalities, and jet lag. Plus it is winter with cold/short days and you are a group of 5 - everything will take longer than you might expect.

neckervd

You need AT LEAST 4 days for a somewhat decent visit of Paris and another 4 days for Rome. Forget Switzerland, usually rainy, foggy and windy in December.

nytraveler

First of all you need to understand that most everything will be closed on Dec 25 and a lot of places at midday on Dec 24.

Second - trying to see 5 places in 7 days will not only be a waste of much of your time (spent on long trainrides) versus actually doing or seeing things. Also all of that travel will drive up internal travel (train) costs.

If you lay this trip out on paper and check bahn.de to see how long the various train rides will take - plus getting to and fro stations, packing and unpacking an checking in and out of hotels you will have practically no time to actually see anything. You may have 1 full day in Paris and 1 full day in Rome and stop for a couple of hours or a brief overnight sleep in the other places.

And trying to do this with 3 kids - and finding the rare family rooms that will allow 5 people in one room - will give you some very cranky kids and also send your budget skyrocketing.

I suggest you pick ONE (1) place - to give you a chance to actually see and do things around the holiday closures - and save a lot on accommodation by getting an apartment.

And don't underestimate the effect of short days (light only form 8/9 am to 4 pm) and the cold weather with snow, sleet, ice of chilly rain. This is NOT the time for Swtiz unless you are going for winter sports (in a very expensive resort).

PalenQ

OR all in Paris OR all in Rome. No more.>

No you do not have to spend the full week in Paris to have enough of it - day 3 days in Paris and take an overnight train to Italy and Rome - spend your final 3 days in Rome.

Kids will love the night train experience - book at www.thello.com - you will have to change in the morning to an Italian train to Rome from Milan - a high-speed train going up to nearly 190 mph - another thrill.

Try to add one day each to Paris and Rome - especially if the 7 days includes your arrival day from India.

But no you do not need to spend the whole week in Paris IMO - do both Paris and Switzerland or Paris and Rome - easily done though the Fodorgarch mantra is you should spend a week in each place to really appreciate it - to me that is not so.

janisj

PQ - they have a week (and it sounds like it may be a week TOTAL) and there are FIVE of them. You honestly think that 2 adults and 3 children can manage the various states of jet lag, long transport, flights from/to India (meaning less than five days 'on the ground'?

We are trying to help,this family - despite what you think. And - we ain't 'fodorgarchs'. (You vowed to quit using that silly word - but your memory may be slipping). You think a family of five can take an overnight train and all manage sleeping???

If on the other hand they actually have 10 days . . . That would give them 7-ish days free . . . And then they <i>could </i> manage two cities.

PalenQ

They say to 'see different cities in 7 days - thus I assume they have 7 days on the ground to split amongst those places and it is possible to split between Paris and Rome if that is the case and if they fly or take an overnight train.

But you read five days on the ground so that is a big difference.

Varghese - how many actual days will you have in Europe, not including your departure or landing days. And why can't you add a few more for such a long trip from India?

kalnalcl

Of course, all kids are different, but my kid did not love the night train experience. I'm not sure how old your kids are, but my kid (age 7 at the time) did not sleep well at all, which made for a cranky, difficult next day.

PalenQ

My son when he was 8 took several night trains with me and always loved them and never had problems sleeping - they were an adventure to him - but not all kids are alike so know you kids if they are sound sleepers as there is inevitably some noise on train nights that you cannot control.