Europe Trip in November
 

Europe Trip in November
Hi all;
I have plans to visit Europe next November (from 15 to 25) with my friends. Our plan is to land in Paris and spend 2 days there then rent a car and drive to Geneva. In Geneva we will spend 2 days then drive to Munich via alps and spend 2 days. Finally we will end our trip in Vienna.
Please advise me whether it is possible or not especially the weather I guess will be terrible, and what is the possibility of rain, fog or snow in this time of year? Is it safe to drive?
What are the alternative destinations in Europe except Italy and Spain? because I have already visited them.

Waiting your value opinions...

Hi Khal,

Whew, that's a lot of driving in a rental car! You're quite right about the weather most likely being rainy with fog and snow in the alps. However, it's probably working out cheaper for you all to rent the car and split the cost even with the tolls for the French autobahns. You could do some train checking though because if you purchase the tickets in advance you can often get them cheaper. Avoid the raileurope website, they jack up their prices.

For weather, I recommend checking www.wunderground.com Type in the place name and then click on seasonal averages which is on the left hand side of the page, a small link under where you can select a specific day's history.

I think it it was myself, I would either spend the whole time in France or the whole time in Southern Germany, Switzerland and Austria. It would really cut back on delays due to the weather and will be a much more pleasant experience. Really, the rain or snow isn't bad to deal with unless you're driving 4-8 hours in it. Short couple hour trips aren't bad. YOu could also change your month to October. It's still the off season but tends to be cold but a bit more plesant.

However, alternative destinations could include Greece, Turkey, Egypt and Croatia. Of course those are popular that time of year and will most likely cost more.

Boy, all that driving doesn't sound fun to me at all...and we usually drive.

I would look into getting Prem train fares Paris to Geneva (if you do it soon you can get tickets for 20 euros/pp), and then continue training again Geneva to Munich.

If it had been October I think the drive from Geneva to Munich would be stunning with the change of colors, but in November...I just don't like driving in foggy, rainy and/or snowy weather.

I also agree with Rei the driving wouldn't be bad it 2-3 hour stretches but not for 7 hours or more at a time.

Thank you guys for those value information. I have tried trains before, they are comfortable and definitely cheaper than car, but by car I can freely stop and drive where ever I want, take photos … etc. I think the best way to avoid French Road tolls which are the most expensive “I guess” is to use train, and then I will rent a car in Geneva. From Geneva to Munich we will split the trip in to 3 days thus we will not drive more than 4 hours a day. Then we will drive to Vienna contentiously.
What do you think guys? Is this program possible?
Regarding the fog is it all the time or in the early morning hours?
I wish I could go on October or even September it would be much better than November, but this is the only time we can be free from our jobs.

Hi khal,

I also think you should re-think driving. Remember that parking is difficult to find in cites, and it's expensive; and driving in any city can be a real pain. If you want to get out into the countryside, it's pretty easy -- take a bus, train, or bike!

s

Hi khal,

With only 10 days, the Paris to Geneva leg might best be done by train. If you drive it is either expensive (French tolls ~60 euros) or slow (traffic on A5 in Germany) or really slow (secondary roads).

Once in Geneva, renting a car on the French side is usually cheaper, but drop off charges in Vienna might be ridiculous.

The weather will be the weather and Europeans are excellent drivers so unless there's a blizzard or pea soup fog, you should be fine.

Parking: yes it can be a pain but - after 20+ years of trips to Europe and renting cars - I have yet to spend more than ~15 minutes max looking for parking in cities (exception is Paris where only crazy people park). And now, with GPS, just ask it where the nearest car park is and voila.

Enjoy your trip