Is the OZ Switzerland like the real Switzerland - with flower-bedecked wooden chalets and bell-toting plump cows dotting the bucolic verdant lush hills and valleys that backdrop sheer glacier-girdled mountain peaks - does the OZ Switzerland have a panoply of thrilling mountain railways, aerial gondolas and footpaths for all degrees of hiking - No I think only the real Switzerland has this - much more than a geological thing - Switzerland is a great conduit when going between Paris and France and Italy and the fantastic Jungfrau Region is just off main rail and road routes between France and Italy.

and I think that three teen age or nearly all teen age boys will find taking mountain gondolas up to a sea of ice like at the Jungfrau or Gornergrat in Zermatt would be a fabulous experience - amongst the very most exciting things anyone can do it Europe - much more exciting for the average Tween or teen than any museum, etc.

And to do some of these very easy hikes in those areas - like the famous Mannlichen to Kleine Schiedegg ridge walk which even baby prams can do - one of the most famous hikes in Switzerland - get the lads outdoors and into the most beautiful part of Europe IMO - Again do not know much about OZ Switzerland but never heard it was like this!

I'll repeat what I said about switzerland--you have it down under, and you will have spent that time in Iceland also>

Having been to Iceland twice there is no parallel for a place there as awesome as say Zermatt, Engelberg or the Jungfrau region in Switzerland.

And after checking out the Australian Alps there is also no comparison to the Swiss Alps - top elevation in OZ Alps is about 7,000 feet - 11,000 in Switzerland - I see no ice nor snow in Australian Alps - at least not glaciers or perpetual snow even in summer (winter down under) - and pix on Wikipedia show a nice bucolic region but absolutely nothing so stunning as the Swiss (and French and Italian) Alps.

PQ: >><i>And after checking out the Australian Alp there is also no comparison to the Swiss Alps - </i><<

I'm pretty sure Gretchen was talking about New Zealand. . .

Wow!!! I never expected to get this much input, thank you ALL so very much! So glad I joined this site.

Okay, so based on your great advice I'll up the amount of days in London (and visit Stonehenge - great suggestion thanks) then fly to Iceland and rent a car (I have a 4wd so won't be an issue). From there I'll head to Paris for around 4 days, then Switzerland (giving the car a miss). I've decided to omit Venice/Pisa and go to Cinque Terra instead before heading to Rome. Hopefully I'll be able to extend our travel time to 5 - 6 weeks as well. Thanks again, have a wonderful Christmas! Kim :)

Wow!!! I never expected to get this much input, thank you ALL so very much! So glad I joined this site.

Okay, so based on your great advice I'll up the amount of days in London (and visit Stonehenge - great suggestion thanks) then fly to Iceland and rent a car (I own a 4wd so won't be an issue). From there I'll head to Paris for at least 4 days, then Switzerland (giving the car a miss). I've decided to omit Venice/Pisa and go to Cinque Terra instead before heading to Rome. Hopefully I'll be able to extend our travel time to 5 - 6 weeks as well. Thanks again, have a wonderful Christmas! Kim :)

Opps, posted twice! All I did was change 1 word - sorry!

Fellow Victorian here though been to Italy extensively :-)

Good idea to omit Venice/Pisa and substitute with Cinque Terre. I stayed in Monterosso so i could walk the entire 5 towns, but next time I will stay in RioMaggiore (can walk 5 towns the other way) or in Vernazza which was the favourite of my 5 towns.

Rome is a must! 4 days as per your initial itinerary is pretty much the minimum you should spend there. Try to walk everywhere if possible rather than taking the metro or whatever to each popular sightseeing spot. You will find many more things not in many guidebooks that way...such as the Pincian overlook (behind Piazza del Popolo) which you should go to on a clear sunset evening for great views of Rome. I stumbled upon it by accident on my last day of my two month trip and took some amazing photos.

Good idea to add a day to Paris...first time I stayed in Paris it was for 3 nights (2 full days) and I hated it...too rushed...I gave it another chance and stayed a lot longer and it was fantastic. 4 days should be just enough. Like Rome, a great place to walk and soak it all up rather than relying on metro where possible.

Your revised trip sounds great, Strauberry, and your boys should love it!

PQ: >>And after checking out the Australian Alp there is also no comparison to the Swiss Alps - <<

I'm pretty sure Gretchen was talking about New Zealand. . .>

so not being familiar with Kiwi Alps are you saying they are as spectacular as the Swiss alps - glaciers and all and mountain-climbing trains, flower-bedecked wooden chalets, thrilling aerial gondolas, place like the Jungfrau with its ice caves and glac ier to walk to - may be I'll check it out to see.

Thanks for the correcto.