massimop

My one visit to Munich was 7 days in early March & it was generally. We even ate lunch outdoors one day, in the market. We did get one day of wet snow that turned to rain.

However, we spent 91% of our time inside museums & churches.

It really depnds on how many of these destinations have indoor activities that attract you. While I don't think it matters so much for Rome (although you could get buckets of rain), places like London & Paris can be too cold to spend hours and hours outdoors.

If your idea of travel fun is doing mostly outdoor sightseeing, then go to the warmer spots of southern Europe & hope it doesn't rain. But if you are happy -- as I am -- to go to someplace like London or Paris and only take the occasional stroll through a garden, but otherwise enjoy indoor sights, then winter weather is only an issue to the extent it paralyzes transportation.

i'd probably cut Switzerland, just because it is an expensive mistake to go there without optimal chances for clear weather. 9When I saw your screen name "SnowMonkey" I though you might be Japanese or a big fan of the country, but if you love winter sports, then maybe you should keep Switzerland), risks and all).

massimop

ooops -- word that dropped out was "fine"

weather in early March in Munich was generally fine when I was there -- but that's not a prediction

PalenQ

Some journeys from Rome to Pompeii could be as short as 2 hours. The fast train Rome-Naples is 1:10 hours, and the commuter train to Pompeii is 35 minutes plus 15-30 minutes between trains.>

Yes faster than I thought and more doable - book discounted Rome-Naples tickets at www.trenitalia.com or www.italotreno.com and just buy CircumVesuviana tickets at that station, connected to Naples Centrale/Garibaldi kind of unified station.

Maybe if start early even do Vesuvius - can go right from Pompeii Scavi station (Scavi means archeaological site I believe) - you do not want to go Naples to Pompeii, the modern town a long walk from ancient Pompeii.

PalenQ

If going to Interlaken then try to stay at Grindelwald or some other hill town - just a short train ride from Interlaken but eyeball to eyeball with soaring Alps which are a distant glimpse at best from Interlaken.

Grindelwald's all-ages Nature Friends' House is a great place to meet others and save on cost of hotel - cook your own meals in communal kitchen:

https://translate.google.com/transla...d/&prev=search

Closed for renovations however and due to re-open in 2018 but not sure when.

Fodorite018

FWIW, we spent a week in Edinburgh and the Grampians in mid February one year and absolutely loved it. Yes, it was cold, but that didn't stop us. We had a rental car and drove around and had a great time.

marvelousmouse

I think the point of the original set up was to do it entirely by rail, which I think wastes a lot of time. But I don't sleep on night trains, either.

Snowmonkey, where else have you been? Do you know how jet lag affects you?

PalenQ

The younger the person IME the better they sleep on night trains - I rarely had any troubles during the literally dozens and dozens of night trains I once took but would never do one now as I just don't think I'd for sure sleep well. I like the old-school idea of a rail-only trip - travel across Europe on the ground and see the Europe in between mega tourist cities but with really cheap flights yes a ranging far-reaching trip is less and less common.

And Europe's withering away overnight trains make overnight trains less and less possible for long distances done overnight.

fuzzbucket

I would not take a night train anywhere - especially to Italy.

massimop

The Op plans to fly to Italy and take the night train to Munich. I don't know how much longer it will exist, and I've never taken it, but it is an extremely popular train and thossands of travelers take it every year. I would guess there are many reviews of the experience on the Lonely Planet travel forum.

I have more trouble staying awake on trains than I do sleeping on them. Tose who have trub;e sleeping on overnight trains are not the baseline for train travel. Their problem, not everybody's.