LindaG2

Hi,
We have 2 weeks (June 3-18) and will be arriving in Frankfurt for business (need 4 days)then free for balance of time.

Would like to travel to Switzerland, Italy, France and possibly 2 days in London. Is this possible or am I trying to cram too much into two weeks? Traveling will be done by plane, some rail and driving around cities and countryside.

Any suggestions?

Thanks

Michael

It does look like a little much. But I suggest one general rule: don't plan to drive around cities; on the contrary, once you reach a city or town, park the car and walk or use public transportation.

CafeBatavia

Yes, it is too much unless you want to have it all be a blur and spend most of the time in transit. Ditch the "see everything" concept even if you posted it in jest.

One option: Rhine River and then Paris.


I'm assuming you are arriving and departing from Frankfurt. An open jaw would allow you many more options.

jenifer

Let's start with some simple math:

If you arrive June 3 and need 4 days in Frankfurt for business, that means your vacation can't start before June 7. You need to be back in Frankfurt on June 18 to fly home. That means you have 11 days of time between that is "free".

You'll need parts of at least 5 days for travel between countries - one day each for London, France, Switzerland, Italy, plus one day to get back to Frankfurt.

That leaves 6 full days of sightseeing plus 5 partial days. With two days in London, that leaves 4 full days and 5 partial days to see France, Switzerland and Italy.

Is that enough for you? If so, then it's possible. It will be whirlwind, you'll be tired, and you definitely won't see much in any one location. I would not choose to do a trip that way, but I certainly don't expect everyone to travel like me.

So, decide if that limited amount of time in each place is OK, and if it is start working on an itinerary.

AAFrequentFlyer

Asuming that you are flying in and out of Franhfurt, I will have to agree with <b>jenifer</b>. Skip Italy and London this time. See southern Germany, visit Switzerland and France. You will have much better time and nicer memories of the trip. It shouldn't be about quantity, but about quality.

rex

How would you respond, Linda, to a German who posed the question this way:

Will be arriving in Nashville, for four days of business. Would like to travel to North Carolina, Florida and New Orleans with two days in Chicago.

Formulate me an answer to that, and we will know how best to answer your question.

Best wishes,

Rex

LindaG2

Thanks for all your input. I realize now I was trying to see and do everything in too short a time to really enjoy the trip.

We do have an open end flight so we don't have to return to Frankfurt before returning to the states.

The Romantic Road sounds really nice and I also read about the Glacier Express and the Rhine Gorge. The Glacier Express is a 7 1/2 hr ride and it's recommended a night stay in Chur if not mistaken. Would 3 or 4 days be enought time for Romantic Road?

Slowly coming back to my senses (not sure I'm there yet.

Thanks again for your help.

RufusTFirefly

Yes, 3 or 4 days would be fine for the Romantic Road. There are dozens of ways you could go. Here's one for example:

Assuming you would have the evening of June 7 as your first free time.

Drive to the Mosel River valley. Stay the 8th and 9th touring along the river. On the 10th, drive to back towards Frankfurt, see the famous sights on the Rhein as you drive to Rothenburg. Overnight in Rothenburg. Next afternoon (11th) drive south to another town or city on the RR--Dinkelsbuhl, Nordlingen, Augsburg, etc. or Munich. Check out Munich on the 12th and 13th. 14th drive to Hohenschwangau via Linderhof and the Plansee (in Austria) with stops at any towns that may interest you (Garmisch, Oberammergau, etc.). Overnight in Hohenschwangau (or Schwangau or Fuessen). 15th see the castles, maybe the Wieskirche. Then 3 days to stay in that area or explore Austria or other towns on Bavaria, and get to your airport.

Another--train from Frankfurt on the 7th to Bamberg. Spend 8th and 9th in Bamberg, then train to Nuernberg or Munich. A couple of days in Nuernberg or Munich (10th 11th), then rent a car and explore parts of the RR and Bavaria that interest you--either the same ones in the prior example, or places like Regensburg, Herrenchiemsee, Berchtesgaten, etc.

We spent 14 days in just Bavaria and on the Mosel and there was so much we didn't have time to see.

hopscotch

It seems that this is your first trip to Europe. I suggest that you go over to Paris for 5 days, then Belgium (Antwerp, Brugge, Brussels) for 4 days, and finish off with Amsterdam and Holland for 5 days. Take an extra week or two of unpaid leave to see the rest of your itinerary. Take the trains between major cities and use local public transport.

nytraveler

My first trip to europe we landed and departed from frankfurt. In between we saw Bavaria, Black Forest, Paris/ Versailles, Loire for 2 days, San Sebastien, Barcelona/coast, Riviera, Milan, Innsbruck and back to Frankfurt. But no London. We had a fantastic time and I remember many details of the trip even though it was 25 years ago. We also had 5 1/2 weeks. I wouldn;t recomend you do a trip like this in any less.

Hibo

Hello,

I just booked a ticket on ryanair from Frankfurt to Pisa (saw great rates from london to other european cities but I don't know for the time you are travelling or if availability is there). May be worth checking out. Sounds like a lot to do, but don't miss Florence, it's to die for I think. i am planning a trip to the italian riviera (I would highly recommend this or the French riviera (more relaxed then big cities and you can see many beautiful places that are close together - and of course you can cross the border there and see San Remo, Portofino, Eze, Monacco, Nice, Cannes etc).

Have fun.

Singletail

The Glacier Express is a 7 1/2 hour ride IF you do the entire route, i.e., from Zermatt all the way to St. Moritz. You can do the majority of it, say Brig to Chur in about five hours.
If you are so inclined you can get from Munich to Chur in about four hours, take the route to Brig and then transfer for a trip back to Germany.
However, I suggest you concentrate, for this trip, on the Romantic Road, Munich, and Bavaria. An alternative would be to concentrate on the Rhine, the so-called Rhineland area around Cologne and even a couple of Days in Berlin.
I've been to all the places you've mentioned and I think you'll come away more satisfied if you decide to concentrate on one country this time.
Oh, and forget about the posting from Rex..he's trying to be helpful I am sure but isn't very forebearing with people who haven't traveled across the keyboard and the web as much as he has.
Have a great trip.

rex

&lt;&lt;However, I suggest you concentrate, for this trip, on the Romantic Road, Munich, and Bavaria. An alternative would be to concentrate on the Rhine, the so-called Rhineland area around Cologne and even a couple of Days in Berlin. I've been to all the places you've mentioned and I think you'll come away more satisfied if you decide to concentrate on one country this time.&gt;&gt;

&lt;&lt;Oh, and forget about the posting from Rex.&gt;&gt;

Odd. We have essentially given LindaG2 the exact same opinion. Except that I gave it in a timely manner, and you come along two weeks after the initial posting, when she says she has abandoned the five country approach.

What bug is it, exactly, singletail that you have up your ass? And what ancient grudge is it that you are harboring?

LindaG2 has also posted, a week later, a question that builds on information in this thread, about the Glacier Express - - you even replied to that question - - but drag the question, out of context here. Germany and Switzerland make for a perfectly complementary pair of destinations in a two week trip.

Is your point simply to spew malcontent here and there in random spurts?