Irishwhistler90

Hi all Fodorites!

Just wondering if you know any hidden gems of things to do in the places marked on the itinerary that my grandma and I will be following starting Monday 2nd of May.

Itinarary is as follows:

Fly to London
Travel to Oxford from Heathrow (probably by bus)
Spend two days in Oxford
Return to London
Spend the next 5 days in London flying to Rome on the 10th of May
Join with Globus "Best of Italy" tour in Rome for the next 11 days
Arrive back in Rome and spend one extra day there
Travel by train to Switzerland on May 21st
Spend 3 days in Grindelwald
Spend 2 days in Lucerne
Train from Lausanne to Paris on May 26
Spend 4 days in Paris
Travel home from Paris

All of this is fixed, but what I was wondering is does anyone have any interesting suggestions for things to to in Oxford (apart from the obvious literary and college things which we will be doing)? Also, any good suggestions for things to do/see in Switzerland in the regions that are in our itinerary? We are hoping to go up the Jungfrau if we get a fine day, and perhaps to do a cruise on Lake Thun, but apart from that it would be great to hear any suggestions! My grandmother is not up to huge amounts of walking, so please take that into consideration. We would love to explore via rail in Switzerland as we have Swiss Passes (2nd class), so I would love to hear of any beautiful or historic places that can be easily reached from either Interlaken or Lucerne. We are both history/scenery people rather than shopping/foodies.

Help would be appreciated

mokka4

A short train trip from Interlaken is the wood-carving village of Brienz, with wooden chalets climbing steeply up the hillside from Lake Brienz. A nice daytrip would be to take the boat from Interlaken Ost to Brienz.
There is an "outdoor museum" Freilichtmuseum Ballenberg, where historic houses representative of all the different Swiss canton can be viewed in a forest setting. However, this DOES involve a fair bit of walking to see the various exhibits.
Alternatively, alight in Brienz from the ship and take the steep cogwheel rail up to Rothorn mointain for a lunch with fantastic views!
Even in Interlaken, you can "get up above' on the Harder Kulm for no so steep prices!

Irishwhistler90

Thanks, I will have to look into Brienz. This is my first trip to Europe and my grandma's first time in Italy and Switzerland so we are very grateful for any ideas! Also wondering, is it worth taking a half day in Paris to see Monet's Gardens and Giverny? We are already going to be doing a full day out in Versailles, but my grandma is quite keen on gardens, and I do think that some of the old water mills in the area look very beautiful and scenic. But on the flip side, there is so much to see in Paris itself!

Mimar

Did you mean Train from Lucerne to Paris on the 26th? Otherwise how are you getting to Lausanne?

Personally I'd consider replacing Versailles with Giverny and Monet's house. Nice small house and not too big garden with lots of flowers. As opposed to the huge area of the Versailles palace and gardens as well as the greater formality of those gardens.

The boats in Switzerland are great. You get beautiful views with no walking. I'd probably prefer Murren or Wengen to Grindelwald, but you must be a disciple of Rick Steves.

A possible day trip in the Bernese Oberland is to the alpine garden at Schynige Platte. You take a cute little cogwheel train from Wilderswil; the views along the way and at the top are wonderful. And the garden isn't too big.

Irishwhistler90

Well, we train from Lucerne to Lausanne, because we wanted to exit Switzerland from there. The alpine garden sounds lovely, I will definitely research that! Thanks for the tip

bilboburgler

Oxford, well after the colleges you can visit the Ashmolean which has just be revamped is a gem of a museum. North of Oxford is the Duke of Marlborough's little house.

In terms of the colleges I suggest try to get to central church ceremonies and any music in such churches (secular) can be very pleasant.

I'd also walk around the Oxford Market as a nice little shopping area and take a coffee and bun there.

Punting may have started in May.

lincasanova

definitely take a punt boat tour around the canal.. just lovely if weather accompanies you. How I envy you. What wonderful memories for both of you.

Irishwhistler90

Can you pick up the boat in Oxford city center, or do you have to go by taxi to a jetty or something?

nytraveler

If your grandmother has health problems ascending the Jungfrau may not be the best idea - unless she is used to living at a high altitude. There is way less oxygen in the air - and even people who are young and healthy can be lightheaded and have trouble breathing - never mind moving around much.

When we went up several people that arrived in our train opted to go right back down again. We (early 40s and fit nonsmokers) noticed the difference and slowed down our pace - but felt better once we had something to eat and drink.

There are other mountains that are only about 7000 feet (instead of 12,000) that might be easier for her to adapt to. But definitely consider any breathing problems she may have - and if she ever smoked - as well as her energy level before committing to high altitudes.

As a rule of thumb, people who are healthy usually don;t notice a difference up to about 5,000 feet - after that more and more people notice breathlessness - or difficulty with physical activities the higher you go. And even if you are healthy it generally takes several days to get used to the altitude.

Jean

nytraveler makes good points about the altitude at the top of the Jungfrau. If your grandmother is not taking blood thinners (like Coumadin), she might benefit from taking aspirin (not Tylenol or the like, but real aspirin) for a day or two before you go to the Jungfrau. She should ask her doctor about this. If you do go to the Jungfrau, make sure you are both well hydrated.

stokebailey

Fortunate Grandchild! sounds great.

I'd skip Versailles, too, really, in favor of more time in Paris. There's a lot of walking involved, for one thing, through the immense musty place.

Irishwhistler90

Thanks for the advice everyone! She is not unhealthy, just has arthritis, so I don't think the altitude should be a problem. She is also fine walking, but at a much slower pace, so I thought that there would probably be a better chance of seeing things if they don't involve huge or strenuous amounts of walking. We are both really keen on going up the Jungfrau, and have both been at high altitudes before, and are non smokers. I'm more concerned about the temperatures up there than anything else! What is there to do in the Lucerne area? I'd love to visit a medieval village if there are any nearby!

lincasanova

The punt boats are right downtown along the canal. Can't miss them. Hope the weather accompanies you two on this lovely journey.

bilboburgler

1) I'd check with Oxford Tourist Info (google it) to find out about when punting opens.
2) You can punt on the Cherwell by Magdalen bridge which is a walk down the High and as far as anyone needs to walk to see the old buildings but she may want a taxi
3) You can also punt on the Isis (the Thames) which is a bigger river and I'd avoid it if a first timer
4) Punting is a skill, if you are used to "messing about in boats" it will take 15 minutes to get the hang of it and a very wet shirt sleeve. If less experienced expect a soaking and scratching from overhanging bushes.
5) You could punt from the Parks in the North but getting to the waters edge is not a taxi ride
6) Some of the punters offer taxi punts with punter. Depending on time and the fun of getting wet in Cherwell water either go with it or do it yourself.

Irishwhistler90

Thanks, it definitely sounds interesting, though we may get to do something similar in Venice

lincasanova

The tours with the punters are great. I had no desire to do it myself!

carolyn

If you Google Lucerne, you will get lots of ideas. We went up Mt. Pilatus on the cog railroad and came down part way on ski-lift-type cars. You could look down and feel as if you were in Heidi and had found Grandfather's hut.

carolyn

I forgot to say that there was a man blowing an Alpine horn at the top of Mt. P. It was wonderful.

pks2000

I just came back from London & Paris with my 81 year-old Dad and four other family members. We took the train to Versailles and would agree with other members to skip it. It is HUGE and a tourist trap. There is a lot of walking involved...just getting from the train stop to the gate is a couple long blocks. The Hall of Mirrors was beautiful but there were hoards of people there...my sister-in-law was pickpocketed of her wallet in the crowd. Once in the palace you just walk through in one direction with the masses. The gardens are so huge that you must get on a shuttle to get around to see the grounds, but there are some nice views from the palace. The train to Versailles is very confusing as well. If we had not talked to a local lady, we would not have realized that the train (RER) left from a different track than what was posted....switched at the last second! Instead, I would recommend spending time at Luxembourg Gardens. Get a sandwich at a nearby boulangerie and find a shady bench to enjoy it on. There are many little areas with statues and lovely flowers all around so that you can relax and watch the world go by. They were tilling the center area of the gardens for annuals to be planted. There is free admission to the park, although I don't know if you can go inside the palace or not...by that time you will probably have had your fill of that sort of thing! Don't forget to enjoy it all build in time for your grandmother to relax. We went there on our last day and I wish we had gone sooner so we could go back. Have a great trip!

K2DangerGirl

"I'd probably prefer Murren or Wengen to Grindelwald, but you must be a disciple of Rick Steves."

Gimmelwald, not Grindelwald, is the tiny town Rick Steves waxes rhapsodic about. One might still prefer Murren or Wengen to Grindelwald as they are car-free and perched on either side of the Lauterbrunnen Valley. Grindelwald is a little larger, facing the Eiger, and some don't like it because it can be crowded with tour buses as that's as high as road vehicles can go.