help with cities to visit
 

hello,<BR><BR>my husband and i would like to visit europe for 12 days...as i will be 6 months pregnant then i would like a not-so-hectic schedule but yet would like to see london and paris...can u suggest other places that we can do...i guess it will be just 1 or 2 more cities that we can do apart from london/paris...we love scenic/countryside kind of places...can u please suggest places...we will be travelling 1st and 2nd week of sept...and will be travelling preferrably by train within europe.<BR><BR>Thanks in advance.

Hi, first of all I hope everything goes ok with you and with your baby. <BR>Me and my wife went to Rome when she was 4 months preagnant, and it was ok, but last year, we went to Florence, and I think it's even better than Rome, because there are no major hills, and you can walk easily.<BR>All the best for you, and for your baby.

Hi. Lucerne, Switzerland. Absolutely beautiful with opportunities for lovely boatrides on that magnificent green lake. J.

I wouldn't have been comfortable on a train ride of more than 4-5 hours when 6mo. pregnant; Paris-Rome would have been too long for me. The French Alps are a lot closer & so is Switzerland (find that Grindelwald thread!). Or how about the Scottish highlands? Or Normandy/Brittany, starting from Mont St. Michel? The Belgian Ardennes (only 3 hours by train from Paris)? Or Beaune (bring your wine home with you and toast the baby!), charming!

How about 6 days in each, with daytrips? Or add in Amsterdam.

You will likely tire more easily than normal. 12 days is not very long since the first day is VERY tiring even when you are not pregnant. It ends up being about 36 hours without sleep except for the little you might get on the flight. And the last day is mainly packing and traveling home.<BR><BR>So I would divide the time between London and Paris and take it easy. No car rentals and only the 3+ hour Eurostar train between the two cities. Try to fly open jaw - in to London and out of Paris would be best.<BR><BR>If your entire trip is 12 days I would stay 6 nights in London and 5 in Paris (the 12th is spent in the plane over the Atlantic).<BR><BR>If your trip is 12 days "on the ground" plus travel days then I would stay 5 days in London, 2 days in the Kent countryside visiting gardens and castles. Then catch the Eurostar at Ashford and spend 5 days in Paris.

Hi!<BR><BR>To save time and maybe energy, fly between the two with Buzz. They fly from Stansted and Charles De Gaulle about 4 times a day. I got two return tickets in January for &pound;38! Very good value and convenient if you're short of time. Go to www.buzzaway.com

Hi!<BR><BR>To save time and maybe energy, fly between the two with Buzz. They fly from Stansted and Charles De Gaulle about 4 times a day. I got two return tickets in January for &pound;38! Very good value and convenient if you're short of time. Go to www.buzzaway.com

I'm sorry to question Sonia's logic, but....flying from Stansted to CDG would take longer than the Eurostar when you add transport to and from the airports, checking in 1 - 2 hours before departure, security checks, etc.

You probably have already checked with the airlines on their policy re your due date. It used to be that the third trimester was iffy whether they'd let you fly.<BR><BR>Plan 6 days in London, 6 days in Paris. Take the Eurostar - 3 1/2 hours downtown to downtown, bigger seats, and you can walk up and down the train to stretch your legs and get the blood flowing.<BR><BR>From London, you can take a train to Bath or Oxford or to Stonehenge (pick up a bus tour at the station) for a change of scenery. In Paris, you can take a train ride to Versailles or Fontainebleau or Chartres. If you really want to see another big city, you can take a high-speed train to Brussels for the day. The Eurostar also goes to Brussels, so you could do London&gt;Brussels&gt;Paris for 3 cities.<BR><BR>I had another thought - you could also fly or take a train from London to Edinburgh for a couple of days; check for cheap flights from Edinburgh to Paris.

Also, not wanting to be alarmist, but pregnancy is now seen as a risk factor for DVD (deep vein thrombosis). Check with your OB what is now advised re long flights.

Your OB has probably already told you this, but it is important for pregnant women to avoid unpasteurized cheese,and most cheese in France is unpasteurized. There was a long thread on this a couple of months ago. Otherwise, have fun!

Thank u all for your good suggestions...i think i will take your advice and stick to 2 cities - london and paris...thanks again

6 months pregnant? Let's see, after Paris and London, you'll want some down-time and PAMPERING. So, go to the Swiss Alps, to either Zermatt, Wengen or Davos. Why these places? Both Zermatt and Wengen are car-free, and if you want to get around without walking, there are electric taxis that scoot through the town (hotels will often have their own). Zermatt and Davos have great infrastructure - you've got the most scenic countryside and the most high-tech organization and breadth of services all at your fingertips. Wengen is the quaintest of the 3, if that's critical (Klosters is a quainter alternative to Davos...). Assume 3 hrs. TGV-train from Paris to Geneva, then about 5 hrs. to Zermatt, about 4hrs. to Wengen. Davos and Klosters are better reached if you go via Zurich - probably about 3-4 hrs. from Zurich. If you prefer to stay closer to either Zurich or Geneva, then go to Villars-sur-Ollon from Geneva (2hrs by train) and Flims from Zurich (2-3 hrs. by train).