A trip to Europe - Visited 14 cities in 15 days
Apr 12th, 2014, 07:26 AM
#21
kovsie, not sure why the "Bilbo", but hi Kovsie.
My thoughts are:
Sometimes we do a trip like this on bicycles, after a bit you realise you are racing, or in our case plodding, across a plain for a whole day and stay in yet another small town without visiting it. In our case it can be the journey that is the holiday not the arriving (best saved for sleep and refueling). So interesting seeing someone else do the same but over longer distances. The high points for us might be seeing a hawk, chatting to a bee keeper or coming across a hidden valley. For the OP it is moments of light in an old garden and Leonardo's canal (which I also liked).
So, makes you think.
My thoughts are:
Sometimes we do a trip like this on bicycles, after a bit you realise you are racing, or in our case plodding, across a plain for a whole day and stay in yet another small town without visiting it. In our case it can be the journey that is the holiday not the arriving (best saved for sleep and refueling). So interesting seeing someone else do the same but over longer distances. The high points for us might be seeing a hawk, chatting to a bee keeper or coming across a hidden valley. For the OP it is moments of light in an old garden and Leonardo's canal (which I also liked).
So, makes you think.
Apr 12th, 2014, 07:48 AM
#22
As I read this report I thought to myself that immediately after the report would be comments suggesting that the OP didn't actually enjoy him or herself, even though there is enthusiasm popping out of every line.
I can feel the OP's excitement. I hope that when people ask whether they can take a whirlwind trip and enjoy it, this report will act as an inspiration to those who would thrive on such a journey as well as a caution to those who might not be up to such a pace.
I can feel the OP's excitement. I hope that when people ask whether they can take a whirlwind trip and enjoy it, this report will act as an inspiration to those who would thrive on such a journey as well as a caution to those who might not be up to such a pace.
Apr 12th, 2014, 07:59 AM
#23
Love this trip report! Clearly, not everyone's taste or style for traveling, but well-organized and well-executed for their particular trip. Did they miss stuff? Sure, but they enjoyed their trip a lot and the enthusiasm comes through.
Different strokes for different folks and all that...
Thanks for posting. I look forward to more
Different strokes for different folks and all that...
Thanks for posting. I look forward to more
Apr 12th, 2014, 08:56 AM
#24
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Chertor, I do hope you return to tell us about your time on Lake Lucerne and the trip to Mt. Pilatus. When I was in Lucerne, which was also a very brief visit, it was very cloudy and we decided not to go to Mt. Pilatus.
The way you travel is the way my father liked to travel, and my sister also tends to travel this way, stopping just for a night or two in each place. The only thing that matters is that you enjoy the trip. Nobody's going to give you a quiz on geography when you get home.
I take things a little slower, but I do sometimes breeze into a city and out again. If I really like it, I'm pretty sure I'll be back. About ten years ago, we had a quick walk around Salisbury on our way to Stonehenge and Avebury. I knew I had to see more of Salisbury, so we went there again and stayed several nights. However, on that trip, we made lightning visits to Bath and Wells.
There are many different styles of travel. A friend of mine likes to get a manicure whenever she's in a new city. When we were in Rome together, she got her nails done. To me that's a dreadful waste of vacation time. Other people end up doing almost nothing except sleeping late and wandering around. There are other people who want to visit well-known restaurants wherever they go, and plan their whole trip around restaurants.
The way you travel is the way my father liked to travel, and my sister also tends to travel this way, stopping just for a night or two in each place. The only thing that matters is that you enjoy the trip. Nobody's going to give you a quiz on geography when you get home.
I take things a little slower, but I do sometimes breeze into a city and out again. If I really like it, I'm pretty sure I'll be back. About ten years ago, we had a quick walk around Salisbury on our way to Stonehenge and Avebury. I knew I had to see more of Salisbury, so we went there again and stayed several nights. However, on that trip, we made lightning visits to Bath and Wells.
There are many different styles of travel. A friend of mine likes to get a manicure whenever she's in a new city. When we were in Rome together, she got her nails done. To me that's a dreadful waste of vacation time. Other people end up doing almost nothing except sleeping late and wandering around. There are other people who want to visit well-known restaurants wherever they go, and plan their whole trip around restaurants.
Apr 12th, 2014, 09:51 AM
#25
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I'm glad you enjoyed your trip - but I would have hated it since you missed almost everything I would have wanted to see. I want to see major museums, tour cathedrals and castles, visit the "typical whatever" houses that are usually open for tours and see all the historic sights. Without that I don;t think you really get a feeling for the country (as well as typical meals, exploring various neighborhoods and spending an hour or two on many days just sitting in a cafe or pub or whatever.)
But - to each his own.
But - to each his own.
Apr 12th, 2014, 10:14 AM
#26
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Cherthor, where are you from and, if you don't mind me asking, how old are you?
I couldn't do that trip now, as I could never to organized enough to make those connections! I could definitely see myself doing a trip like this when I was in my 20's or even early 30's.
I am sill a bit of an ADD traveller and when doing my trip planning, usually end up with wanting to do twice what I could reasonably do, particularly if its the first time I have been to a region. I have had some insane drives. However, I don't think I could cover that amount of mileage in this time.
Thanks for posting Cherthor, please continue.
I couldn't do that trip now, as I could never to organized enough to make those connections! I could definitely see myself doing a trip like this when I was in my 20's or even early 30's.
I am sill a bit of an ADD traveller and when doing my trip planning, usually end up with wanting to do twice what I could reasonably do, particularly if its the first time I have been to a region. I have had some insane drives. However, I don't think I could cover that amount of mileage in this time.
Thanks for posting Cherthor, please continue.
Apr 14th, 2014, 09:15 AM
#27
Oops! Made a mistake in writing the report. Innsbruck is in Austria.
Just want to finish what I have left hanging.
Day 14
Early next morning, we took a regional train to Lake Lucerne. We had a smooth journey, and arriving too early for the opening hour of the visitor center. There were a lot of things we wanted to cover for this visit, a cruise ride, the cogwheel (48% grade inclination) ride to the top of Mt. Pilatus, some hikes on top of the mountain, then came down the mountain by two changes of cable cars, and finally a short bus ride back to the city. It was a perfect day for the trip, the 97CHF we paid for each person was definitely a good deal. The Alps is so beautiful! We would want to hike up the mountain if we had more time.
The cruise lasted about 40-45 minutes. It was so beautiful on the lake, the mountains around the lake are so pretty, with all these farm houses along the banks of the river, some cows glazing on the slope of the hill, just a perfect picture that I had in my mind for Switzerland. When the cloud came and covered half the mountains right in the middle, it just made as if the peaks of the mountains were floating in the air.
We arrived the Pilatus-Bahn around 11am, waited in line to get on the cogwheel-red! That made everything so lively and cheerful against the slope of the mountain. I was so excited about the whole journey. We just went up, up into the cloud. The inclination was getting steeper and steeper until we reached 48% grade, oh……..just have to marvel the engineering of these cogwheel rail up the mountain. It was so pretty on top of Mt. Pilatus. We did some short hikes to have good panoramic view of the area. The Alps is very beautiful!
We took the two changes of the cable cars down the mountain. The scenery was just spectacular. The city of Lucerne is very pretty. We had some time walking around the city before leaving in the evening. I have too many pictures to sort, so I will just choose some to share.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/119161...7643668948475/
Day 15
We had half a day to explore Zurich before the evening flight home. We even took the public boat cruise on the lake. This was our whirlwind trip of Europe that we did it on our own when we decided joining the tour package is not our choice.
Bye, and happy traveling.
Just want to finish what I have left hanging.
Day 14
Early next morning, we took a regional train to Lake Lucerne. We had a smooth journey, and arriving too early for the opening hour of the visitor center. There were a lot of things we wanted to cover for this visit, a cruise ride, the cogwheel (48% grade inclination) ride to the top of Mt. Pilatus, some hikes on top of the mountain, then came down the mountain by two changes of cable cars, and finally a short bus ride back to the city. It was a perfect day for the trip, the 97CHF we paid for each person was definitely a good deal. The Alps is so beautiful! We would want to hike up the mountain if we had more time.
The cruise lasted about 40-45 minutes. It was so beautiful on the lake, the mountains around the lake are so pretty, with all these farm houses along the banks of the river, some cows glazing on the slope of the hill, just a perfect picture that I had in my mind for Switzerland. When the cloud came and covered half the mountains right in the middle, it just made as if the peaks of the mountains were floating in the air.
We arrived the Pilatus-Bahn around 11am, waited in line to get on the cogwheel-red! That made everything so lively and cheerful against the slope of the mountain. I was so excited about the whole journey. We just went up, up into the cloud. The inclination was getting steeper and steeper until we reached 48% grade, oh……..just have to marvel the engineering of these cogwheel rail up the mountain. It was so pretty on top of Mt. Pilatus. We did some short hikes to have good panoramic view of the area. The Alps is very beautiful!
We took the two changes of the cable cars down the mountain. The scenery was just spectacular. The city of Lucerne is very pretty. We had some time walking around the city before leaving in the evening. I have too many pictures to sort, so I will just choose some to share.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/119161...7643668948475/
Day 15
We had half a day to explore Zurich before the evening flight home. We even took the public boat cruise on the lake. This was our whirlwind trip of Europe that we did it on our own when we decided joining the tour package is not our choice.
Bye, and happy traveling.
Apr 14th, 2014, 09:46 AM
#30
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I was going to comment on how crazy a trip like that could be until I recalled a fondly remembered trip my wife and I took in the 1980's. We spent 3 weeks in France, driving a rental car from place to place, spending a night and moving on. We saw great scenery, visited museums, tasted wine, and collected 27 Michelin stars in 20 days. Of course, just to make it interesting, we had no hotel reservations, but we did have restaurant reservations and carefully mapped out all the restaurants. We would never try that again, but it was a heck of a lot of fun.
Apr 14th, 2014, 02:29 PM
#33
Hi Cherthor,
Thanks for sharing your trip & some great photos with us. I admire your energy, enthusiasm & planning that allowed you to squeeze as much into & out of your available time.
Your trip reminds me a little of many young first timers' Contiki trips, a glimpse of as many places as possible.
You did your own planning & ran to your own schedule, but both give a glimpse of Europe to cash & time strapped youngsters - and piqué interest in places they'll return to explore in more depth another time.
Americans & Europeans have the luxury of cheap airfares & short flight times to Europe. I don't know where the OP is from, but if they'd come from my part of the world, they'd have flown 24 hours + each way & probably about $2500 return airfare. That tends to encourage people, particularly first time travellers, to pack as much as they can into their available time.
We see similarly packed schedules with people proposing to come to Australia & wanting to "see it all" in 7 -10 days. Some want to "do" New Zealand by adding a couple of days. They can no more "see it all" than the OP and we generally do suggest they trim their itineraries.
Some do, but others do a whirlwind trip & that works for them
In the end though, it's their trip & what's important to a first time visitor with limited time & $ will often be quite different from what an experienced visitor or local would choose.
Thanks for sharing your trip & some great photos with us. I admire your energy, enthusiasm & planning that allowed you to squeeze as much into & out of your available time.
Your trip reminds me a little of many young first timers' Contiki trips, a glimpse of as many places as possible.
You did your own planning & ran to your own schedule, but both give a glimpse of Europe to cash & time strapped youngsters - and piqué interest in places they'll return to explore in more depth another time.
Americans & Europeans have the luxury of cheap airfares & short flight times to Europe. I don't know where the OP is from, but if they'd come from my part of the world, they'd have flown 24 hours + each way & probably about $2500 return airfare. That tends to encourage people, particularly first time travellers, to pack as much as they can into their available time.
We see similarly packed schedules with people proposing to come to Australia & wanting to "see it all" in 7 -10 days. Some want to "do" New Zealand by adding a couple of days. They can no more "see it all" than the OP and we generally do suggest they trim their itineraries.
Some do, but others do a whirlwind trip & that works for them
In the end though, it's their trip & what's important to a first time visitor with limited time & $ will often be quite different from what an experienced visitor or local would choose.
Apr 14th, 2014, 04:26 PM
#34
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I think it's perfectly doable to visit Mainz, Wiesbaden and Frankfurt in 1 -2 days. They are all part of the same conurbation, not odd at all.
Good on you Cherthor for sharing. Everyone has their own travel style.
Lavandula
Good on you Cherthor for sharing. Everyone has their own travel style.
Lavandula
Apr 14th, 2014, 04:46 PM
#35
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Glad you enjoyed your very quick trip to Europe, you photos are great, thanks for posting.
You have given us lots of ideas for out next years trip to Italy, we will be taking 5 weeks and travelling a lot slower.
You have given us lots of ideas for out next years trip to Italy, we will be taking 5 weeks and travelling a lot slower.
Apr 15th, 2014, 06:53 AM
#37
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I loved reading your report. I am sure it took a lot of preplanning to get all the train connections and times right.
I have been to all the cities you have mentioned and agree that not all take an overnight or even a whole day but I like to travel fairly quickly.
Everyone travels differently so there is no wrong way to do it IMHO.
Glad you had a good time.
I have been to all the cities you have mentioned and agree that not all take an overnight or even a whole day but I like to travel fairly quickly.
Everyone travels differently so there is no wrong way to do it IMHO.
Glad you had a good time.
May 19th, 2014, 05:20 PM
#40
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Sounds like a fantastic trip! I'm planning a 15 day trip which will include some of the same cities. I'm spending 1-3 nights per city, but I really appreciate this trip report - especially since it highlights some great sights. I'd be interested in hearing more about the trains you took and figuring those out ahead of time - I'm in the process of that now!
I'm glad you enjoyed your vacation and got to see so much! Happy travels!
I'm glad you enjoyed your vacation and got to see so much! Happy travels!
