Fodor's Travel Talk Forums

Fodor's Travel Talk Forums (https://www.fodors.com/community/)
-   Europe (https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/)
-   -   Final Itinerary- where should I add one more day? (https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/final-itinerary-where-should-i-add-one-more-day-1712230/)

karleehumphrey8506 Jan 11th, 2023 06:58 PM

Final Itinerary- where should I add one more day?
 
we already have flights booked but we have one extra day to add to one of our destinations. I am torn between Paris or Wengen. This is our first time in both places.

Arrive in Brussels
-4 nights Bruges

-6 nights Paris
-4 nights Colmar
-5 nights Wengen
fly out Zurich late


Would you suggest we add another night to Paris or to Wengen? We will not be interested in visiting museums in Paris. If that helps. We love hiking and trail running in the alps.

janisj Jan 11th, 2023 07:53 PM

-5 nights Wengen
fly out Zurich late


If that is what you actually mean and you are traveling from Wengen to ZRH on the day you fly home . . . then that 'extra' night should be spent in Zurich. One should almost always be in their departure city the night before flying out.

Heimdall Jan 12th, 2023 02:30 AM

I agree with janisj. If it helps anyone else, the OP stated on another thread they will be travelling in late June.

bilboburgler Jan 12th, 2023 03:21 AM

don't stay in Colmar stay in one of the wine villages, running up the Vosges is pretty good fun

karleehumphrey8506 Jan 12th, 2023 07:40 AM

[QUOTE=janisj;17428498]-5 nights Wengen
fly out Zurich late


If that is what you actually mean and you are traveling from Wengen to ZRH on the day you fly home . . . then that 'extra' night should be spent in Zurich. One should almost always be in their departure city the night before flying out.[/QUOTE

even if our flight does not leave until 2 PM, it’s a three hour train ride from wengen, do you believe this still is not advised? Could we stay a night in Lucerne instead of Zürich on that last night and be safe with getting to the airport?]

Travel_Nerd Jan 12th, 2023 08:05 AM

Three hour train ride to your departure airport is three hours of things that could go wrong to where you might miss your flight, especially if there are any airport issues like what was occurring last summer. Zurich was among them, not to the same degree as Heathrow or Schiphol. Granted, things ​​​​might not be like 2022, it could be better, or it could be worse.

If you insist on this, have contingency plans in place. Bus? Car rental? Personally, I agree with others, spend your last night in Zurich.

janisj Jan 12th, 2023 08:08 AM

[QUOTE=karleehumphrey8506;17428588]

Originally Posted by janisj (Post 17428498)
-5 nights Wengen
fly out Zurich late


If that is what you actually mean and you are traveling from Wengen to ZRH on the day you fly home . . . then that 'extra' night should be spent in Zurich. One should almost always be in their departure city the night before flying out.[/QUOTE

even if our flight does not leave until 2 PM, it’s a three hour train ride from wengen, do you believe this still is not advised? Could we stay a night in Lucerne instead of Zürich on that last night and be safe with getting to the airport?]


Yes -- especially IF your flight is at 2PM. When you first posted re flying out of ZRH 'late' I assumed you meant something like 6 or 8 PM. Even then I'd recommend being in Zurich the night before. But with a 2PM departure, you DEFINITELY will want to be in the city the night before. With a 2 PM flight you need to be at ZRH by 11AM. With getting up at 5 or 6 AM, packing, breakfast, checking out of the hotel, getting to the station you'd have a really long day and IF there is some snafu you could mis the flight entirely.

Lucerne would be a bit better of course. But really -- it is a good rule of thumb to be in the departure city within a reasonable taxi/bus/subway distance of the airport.

janisj Jan 12th, 2023 08:10 AM

Was posting the same time as Travel_Nerd . . . .

Travel_Nerd Jan 12th, 2023 08:15 AM


Originally Posted by janisj (Post 17428599)
Was posting the same time as Travel_Nerd . . . .

You and I do that on occasion! Your post added more helpful context that i meant to...but not enough coffee to express at this moment.

MichGuy Jan 12th, 2023 01:28 PM

I agree with spending the night in Zurich and I even like it there. It's about a 30 minute ride from the Zurich train station to the airport by tram. Very convenient. There are a lot of hotels near the train station and the old town with restaurants starts a quarter mile away. Our last time there we stayed at the Sorell Hotel Rutli ($250 per night including breakfast), which was very convenient.


All times are GMT -8. The time now is 05:03 AM.