Paris & Switzerland Trip

Old May 5th, 2013, 02:17 AM
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Paris & Switzerland Trip

Hi Guys,

Me , my husband with our 5 year old daugher are planning for a trip to Paris & switzerland.

This is our first trip in europe, so we dont really know if the planning & number of days we have decided is good or not.I am here giving the entire trip plan.Please give suggestions if we need to cover any other place in switzerland.We dont know much about Paris also, so please suggest should we extend out stay in paris ? We are not sure if we need to stay at Zurich or its not required.For disneyland also We have kept 2 days, so its required or we should make it to 1 day.

We are staying in Dubai.We are taking flight to Zurich then from there another flight to paris.


1st day Paris (we will reach at 9 am)
2nd day Paris (we will check out paris hotel this late evening & will go to disneyland)
3rd day Disney Land
4th day Disney Land
5th Day Interlaken (Train to Basel/Swiss Pass)
6th Day Interlaken
7th Day Zermatt
8th Day Zermatt
9th day Lucerne
10th day Lucerne
11th day Zurich (1 night stay & return flight to dubai)

Also it will be good if you guys can suggest , the places to visit during our stay at these cities.


Thanks in Advance,
Smita
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Old May 5th, 2013, 02:29 AM
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All depends on the season. November util March is rather cold and unfriendly.

Some Ideas:
SWiTZERLAND WITH CHILDREN

As public transport is rather expensive in Switzerland, study carefully the sites about Swiss Pass, Swiss Flexipass and Swiss half fare card: http://www.swisstravelsystem.ch/Tick...l?&L=2#s_h_f_c

Check the Swiss Travel System Family Card
The Swiss Travel System Family Card is issued at no cost to parents who wish to take along their children under the age of 16 at no cost. Please note that at least one parent has to travel with the child/ren.

Some ideas:

historic steamboats on Lake Geneva:
http://www.cgn.ch/horaires/pdf/AffA2-ete-10.pdf
http://www.cgn.ch/eng/flotte

Swiss Vapeur Park Le Bouveret:
http://www.swissvapeur.ch/en/index.php

Signal de Bougy:
http://www.parc-aventure.ch/Signal-de-Bougy/
http://www.signaldebougy.ch/

Menhirs at Yverdon
http://www.yverdonlesbainsregion.ch/...menhirs_clendy

Blonay-Chamby historic railway:
http://www.blonay-chamby.ch/index-en.php

Chillon castle:
http://www.chillon.ch/en/

Gruyeres castle, cheese diary and chocolate factory:
http://www.chateau-gruyeres.ch/e/mul...spectacle.html
http://www.la-gruyere.ch/en/navpage-...FR-120085.html
http://www.lamaisondugruyere.ch/inde...=142&Itemid=56
http://www.lamaisondugruyere.ch/inde...=142&Itemid=56

Chatelard-Emosson (Mont Blanc area):
http://www.chatelard.net/english/pages/descr_e.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emosson
http://www.emosson.ch/PublicEN/default-en.htm

Zermatt-Gornergrat:
http://www.gornergrat.ch/home/index.php
http://www.klein-matterhorn.ch/photos/
http://www.zermatt.ch/en/index.cfm

Entirely walled city of Murten:
http://www.murtentourismus.ch/en/nav...nFR-99305.html
http://www.murtentourismus.ch/en/nav...-MurtenFR.html
Medieval city of Bern:
http://www.berninfo.com/en/page.cfm/Information
http://www.kleinbahn-gurten.ch/

Swiss Village Park Ballenberg:
http://ballenberg.ch/en/Welcome

Lugano and Swissminiatur:
http://www.lugano-tourism.ch/en/291/default.aspx
http://www.swissminiatur.ch/

Seewen in the Jura close to Basel:
http://www.bundesmuseen.ch/musikauto...x.html?lang=en

Rapperswil:
http://www.zuerichsee.ch/en/page.cfm...FamilyDRZ/1230
http://www.knieskinderzoo.ch/
http://www.zuerichsee.ch/en/page.cfm/SightsRZ
http://www.zuerich.com/en/page.cfm/r...gion_zuerich_x

Rhine Falls Adventure Park
http://www.rheinfall.ch/Attraktionen...ark?lang=en-US

Furka steam train
http://www.furka-bergstrecke.ch/eng/train/timetable.php

You may have a look at
http://www.myswitzerland.com/en/interests/family.html
http://www.takethefamily.com/where/s...ays-and-breaks
http://www.eparenting.co.uk/family_h...tzerland.shtml
http://www.reka.ch/en/rekaferien/Pages/default.aspx
http://littletravellers.com/destinat...y-switzerland/

You may have a look at
http://www.swisstravelsystem.com/en/home.html
http://www.myswitzerland.com/en/home.html
http://www.swisstravelsystem.ch/en/
http://fahrplan.sbb.ch/bin/query.exe/en
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Old May 5th, 2013, 02:45 AM
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Hi Thanks for all the sites you have provided.

For everybody's information we are planning the trip on July,2013.
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Old May 5th, 2013, 04:14 AM
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5 yr old will love a boat trip on Lake Lucerne or the two lakes bookending Interlaken - 100% covered by Swiss Pass and kids and adults will love the Ballenberg Open-air Museum near Interlaken - take a boat to Brienz then a postal bus to the very popular open-air museum of traditional Swiss ways (http://ballenberg.ch/en/Welcome)

You get a free family pass with your Swiss Pass so kids never pay a dime even when adults only get a discount - and free entry to the museum - $20 valude for adults.

For lots of great info on Swiss trains, boats, etc check out these IMO fantastic sources: www.swisstravelsystem.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

an 8-consecutive-day Swiss Pass seems to be a great deal for you - covering all travel from Basel to Zurich airport.
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Old May 5th, 2013, 04:15 AM
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Hi SmitaSurya,

I would caution you against having so many stops in too few days. Remember that every time you move, you lose about half a day of "outside" time because of the chores of packing up and checking out, then checking in and unpacking again. That will be even longer with a 5-year-old -- unless she can pack up her stuff and keep up with you!

With 6 nights, I would have only two destinations, one of them your last stop before flying out. So I would choose either the Jungfrau area or Zermatt to see the mountains. You can get to the Zürich airport in about 1 hour from Luzern, so you can stay in Luzern to see Luzern and Zürich and to depart from.

I'll also add that I would not stay in Interlaken in July. It is filled with lines and lines of tour busses and the off-loaded passengers; in addition, Interlaken is about 2h from the mountain peaks. You spend your entire trip looking UP to see the mountains. If you decide to stay in the Jungfrau region, I would suggest Wengen, a car-free village perched in the mountains, as your base.

Have fun as you plan!

s
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Old May 5th, 2013, 06:52 AM
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I love Interlaken and feel swandav has seriously misrepresented it - Interlaken actually has things a five-yr-old may like. Interlaken to me is a vastly underrated town - to say it is 2 hours from the mountains is just not right - it is 20 minutes to Grindelwald which is face to face with the sheer peaks - yeh to go to the Jungfraujoch it is two hours but places like Wengen and Grindelwald are 1.5 hours - no matter where you base you are 1.5 hours from the mountains in that sense.

Well that's my take - I seriously think swandav has not spent much time in wonderful lovely Interlaken, which also has great transportation links. - in the afternoon just hop on a lake boat and do a float kids would love.
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Old May 5th, 2013, 07:44 AM
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That's pretty funny, PalQ!

I've told you at least 10 times how much time I've spent wandering the backstreets of Interlaken. Either you need to write it down so you don't forget, or you are calling me a liar. If the latter, let me assure you that I am committed to the truth, even if it hurts (me or others).

Even you can't deny that in July Interlaken will be filled with tour busses. And that the small town cannot absorb so many of the off-loaded day-trippers. And the off-loaded hordes congregate at the entrances of stores and crowd the sidewalks. Truly truly not pleasant.

In contrast, car-free Wengen is peaceful and serene and quiet.

s
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Old May 5th, 2013, 09:57 AM
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Even you can't deny that in July Interlaken will be filled with tour busses.>

so you would not go to any place in Europe that has a lot of tour buses? Paris, London, any Italian town, etc all out.

And yes I should have said that you have claimed to explored Interlaken many times and I believe you but I still can't understand then why you dis it so so much - ignore the tour buses located in just one part of town - the main drag and you have one of Europe's most pleasant towns IME of decades of incessant European travel/.

Let me apologize for not characterizing your views correctly - except for giving to me at least a very unfair look at Interlaken overall (throwing the baby out with the bath water OIMO) you give so so much great info on Swiytzerland. So I ask you to go back to Interlaken and give it another try - yes I know you have explored in a lot - but I still think you are missing something to dis it so.

But I do believe you have looked around Interlaken, just not good enough to say that. Have you taken the path on the north side of the river between Interlaken-Ost station and the town center - seen the centuries-old wooden covered bridges - lovely Matten with such romantic views of the Jungfrau Massif - Unterseen, nestled on Lake Brienz? These are not dreamy things? The old town square just north of the main drag - as nice as any old town square I've seen in a Swiss town.
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Old May 5th, 2013, 08:15 PM
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Thanks everybody for the suggestion...Somehow we are also feeling that we are taking lots of stops in between. Can i make any one from Lucerne,Zermaat & interlaken our base and cover some decent and worth watching places from there ? Or should we increase no. of days at Lucernce ?

Do you guys think we should also cover Mourtex ?

I was just wondering if all these places are same and very simillar to each other, then can we avoid one or two of them ?

Any suggestion for Paris Trip ? 1 & 1/2 day stay is OK with Paris ?

Any travel tip for disneyland ?
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Old May 5th, 2013, 09:15 PM
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Hi again Smita Surya,

I don't think it's a good idea to see the Jungfrau area as a day-trip from Luzern -- the travel time is just too great. As I posted above, I think it would be a good idea to choose one mountain area, either Zermatt or the Jungfrau area.

I don't think you have the time to also see Montreux (if that's the town you mean). I hope you'll take the view that you'll be back to see more of Switzerland rather than trying to see all of it in one grand swipe.

For PalQ -- you simply need to recognize that other people can see exactly what you see and do exactly what you do and then have a completely different reaction to it. Not everyone will like and adore the same thing.

The problem with so many tour busses in Interlaken is that the town is too small to absorb all that crowding, so they stand out like a huge, ugly, moving mass. But, yes, as a rule, I am lucky enough to be able to travel when I want, and I avoid Paris in August, etc. I've stopped travelling to Italy because I don't find it charming any more (however, I don't argue with those that do . . . )

s
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Old May 5th, 2013, 09:18 PM
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Oh! Forgot to say, Smita Surya, that I think 1 1/2 days in Paris is far too short. That will hardly give you enough time to see the major sights. One of the best things about Paris is just wandering its streets and spending a few hours in a café watching all the folks walk by, and you won't have time to do that.

s
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Old May 5th, 2013, 11:00 PM
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Hey Thanks a lot swandav...
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Old May 6th, 2013, 10:58 AM
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For PalQ -- you simply need to recognize that other people can see exactly what you see and do exactly what you do and then have a completely different reaction to it. Not everyone will like and adore the same thing.>

On this we agree and I will be careful saying that you have not looked around Interlaken but I will say that most folks who dis Interlaken simply never get off the schlocky main tourist drag of one long street - yes with a Hooters and all.

You have looked around and still call it a tacky city - well like beauty tackiness is in the eye of the beholder. Off the main drag I do not find anything tacky at all about Interlaken - it is a nicer than usual Swiss city - with areas like Matten and Unterseen that are really nice. I guess when I hear someone say Interlaken is tacky it does bristle me because IMO it is a very wrong portrayal all in all.

So when I say in the future that most folks who dis Interlaken simply never get off the yes tacky main drag should I expressly say except Swandav? No because I mean most but not all - so I will be careful when responding to your constant lambasting of Interlaken to to say except Swandav when I say that many folks just get a quick look at Interlaken whilst transiting and call it tacky but if you make that statement I ewill duly say that Swandav has seen it all and still calls it tacky - which yes is in the eye of the beholder.
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Old May 6th, 2013, 11:59 AM
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I don't think there is anything WRONG with Interlaken. But, IME, there are other places I would rather stay. Especially if I had only a few days.

I personally much prefer to spend the time in either Wengen or Mürren. I actually love Mürren best. I can't imagine heaven actually being better. I have Swiss friends, however, that tell me it is not the "real" Switzerland. They much prefer the Engadin! Someone on these boards tells people not to stay in Mürren or Wengen because it is "easier" to stay in Lauterbrünnen. That always makes me roll my eyes. Sure, it is easier, but it is not heaven. Life is short. I'm heading for "heaven" if I have a couple of days.

To each his own.

But I do think you boys should stop fighting about this
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Old May 6th, 2013, 01:36 PM
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gruezi - I agree with you and for the first-time visitor to this wonderful area I say stay up in the mountains - like I did on my first visits - in Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen in my case and it was wonderful - the intoxicating panoramas from your hotel balcony are fantastic and the atmosphere of hikers (in winter skiers) coming thru and the majestic Jungfrau Massif - all glacier and ice-girdled.

Now I prefer yes to stay in a more real Swiss town - Interlaken and at first always had the same impression swandav has - a bit tacky but once I discovered its many neat districts I changed my mind (she has explored a swell and has not - fine!) and I like to day trip out of the area so Interlaken is great transport wise too.

So yes if it's your first visit BAM stay up in the mountains for that special effect - but do look around lovely Interlaken - the Interlaken off the main beaten tourist path is as nice as any city in Switzerland, to me at least.
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Old May 7th, 2013, 08:35 AM
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Oh! Forgot to say, Smita Surya, that I think 1 1/2 days in Paris is far too short. That will hardly give you enough time to see the major sights.>

Have you been to Paris before? If not I agree with swandav - needs at least another full day if not more - 2 days at Disneyland - are you staying in Paris and taking the RER out there - I would stay in Paris and at night roam around - not sure why two days at Disneyland? One for each park? Curious.
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Old May 7th, 2013, 09:05 AM
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I fully agree with Swandav and Grüezi concerning Interlaken.
I live less than 30 miles from Interlaken and pass there several times every year (it's a transport hub!). I know Interlaken during high season, when it's difficult to pass in time through the subway of the railway stations, I know it in the November fog, when almost everything is closed, I've been at seminaries in otherwise closed Interlaken hotels during super low season, I enjoyed the rail-in railway models at Westbahnhof and the representation of Schiller's Wilhelm Tell at Matten .....
And I have many friends from Interlaken who all work at Berne, as there don't exist any interesting full year jobs at Interlaken.

Interlaken is a transport hub (like Spiez) and therefore a good base for day trips all over the Bernese Oberland. It has furthermore cheap hostels since decades and the local people is used to tourists from overseas.

It's not an ugly place, but it has no character, no historical center (not much more than 100 years old) and the ambiance there is far from being typically Swiss (although some people from abroad seem to have another opinion).

But once again: people who are looking neither for a "beautiful" nor for a "typical Swiss" town can spend fine holidays there. There is nothing wrong to book a hotel at Interlaken.
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Old May 7th, 2013, 10:32 PM
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Hi PalenQ,

This is our first trip to Paris. Do you think 2 days on Disneyland are more than enough. Please suggest me on this, so We can change our plan..We are planning to stay at Disneyland , so that we can reach the park early to start our day.

As of Now , we have decided, 2 nights & 3 days at Paris (Earlier it was 1 & 1/2 day only)& 2 days at Disneyland.

We are really confused about the hotels in Disneyland. Where to stay ? Inside Disneyland or somewhere near by ? People have suggested to stay onsite as we can have more fun..I am searching for some options which should be included the hotel stay as well as Park Tickets...

I need Help on this Guys....Please suggest...
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Old May 8th, 2013, 04:04 AM
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Hi again,

I think you should stay in Paris for your full 5 nights -- see Disneyland as a day-trip. Is there some reason you intend to stay two nights there? There are plenty of fun things your 5-year-old can do in Paris at all of the gardens -- lots of playgrounds and even French kids to play with!

s
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Old May 8th, 2013, 06:32 AM
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Disneyland Paris is just a 45-minute or less metro/RER ride from any place in Paris - you can spend the nights in Paris I think with much more excitement than at a plastic city of Disneyland hotels - I love Disneyland Paris but would commute from Paris.
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