Thanks Lexma. I have read that Gimmelwald still has just two hostels, the Mountain Hostel and a smaller place. I've also read that there are still no stores.

I'm looking for a charming Swiss town, with breathtaking views, while also providing things to do, such as pubs, maybe a museum or two, and cafes.

Zermatt certainly seems ideal. I read about it at virtualtourist.com and in my brochures.

I think I will take an overnight train to Zermatt, stay there for a full day and night, then head to Bern, stay there a couple of nights, and then take an overnight train to Amsterdam. Two overnight trains in a five-week visit is tolerable, right? I've heard both good and bad views on the night trains. I'm a heavy sleeper, and I'll be so tired, I'm thinking the overnight train won't be that big of a deal.

Hey Robespierre, I was wrote my reply before I could see your post. You make a good point. Do you suggest to zig-zag from France to Switzerland, then down to Italy? The flights tend to be cheaper when flying to and from London, so I'll have to see how that balances out.

It's funny you mention that rail site. While I was researching a few minutes ago, I came across that site, www.eurorailways.com, and was so happy to find it. I used it a few weeks ago, but had forgotten the site's name. The timetables are so convenient for searching internationally. I think raileurope.com sucks. I'm not sure why so many use that site instead.

Have you priced an "open jaw" ticket? Say into London out of Rome (or something). Sometimes you can find them at a comparable price, and then you can plan your travel in one direction. This might work out better than making a big loop to return to the same city/airport you arrived.

If the open jaw works out (although with a train pass you might not care), this routing will avoid the most backtracking:

UK
Low Countries
Northern Germany
France
Southern Germany*
Switzerland*
Italy

* Either order

If you <i>must</i> fly in and out of London, then this would work:

UK
France
(Spain?)
Italy
Switzerland
Germany
Low Countries
UK

(Obviously, both the circular and linear routes will work in either direction.)

However: if you're <i>really</i> intrepid and willing, you can use the trains as hostels. There are several through trains (no changes) that go up and down the continent overnight where you can sleep &quot;free.&quot; They're not <u>extremely</u> comfortable, but if you're young and resilient, you may find they're at least as tolerable as many hostels.

Here's an on-line rail map if you need one:

<b>http://www.railpass.com/maps/whole.htm</b>

Have fun with your planning, and come back here with questions about youth/student deals. There are many very knowledgeable people here who will be glad to help.

Gimmelwald is neither isolated nor desolate. Going one direction a 2-minute cable car ride puts you in Murren. Going the other direction, a 2-minute ride plus a 5-minute bus puts you in Lauterbrunnen.

Gimmelwald itself has a hotel, 2 B&amp;B's and a great hostel with lots of 20-somethings.

But if you are interested in clubbing, then it's definitely not the place to be.

Pictures:

http://www.photoworks.com/share/shar...BC6E&amp;cb=PW

Thanks, Robespierre ... I'm going to have to think about which route to take.

Edward, thanks for sharing your slideshow. Those were some of the best photos I have seen taken of Switzerland (and I have seen lots at virtualtourist.com). Breathtaking views :-) On that note, I'm not interested in clubbing while I'm in Switzerland. I'm just looking for a place that has all the factors, like cafes and places in which I can have some wine, in addition to the views and the charm. I will certainly research Murren and Lauterbrunnen - thanks so much.

&lt;I'm not interested in clubbing while I'm in Switzerland.&gt;

I guess I can understand that but one of the best gay bars I've visited anywhere was in Montreux Switzerland!

OMG, Suze, thanks for the advice ... I just looked it up online, and Montreux is beautiful. I'm so overwhelmed by ideas! :-)

Rocklit, I can't comment on your itinerary because I have only visited 2 of your cities, but if you want a day with a great tour guide in Paris, we used Michael Osman and he was so fabulous. He spent the entire day with us and he is so knowledgable of art and history. Our day with Michael was one of my favorites. His email is [email protected]. He charges 75 euros and this my friend is steal!

That sounds great, but that's beyond my daily budget. I'm living on student loans, so my daily cap is $50, including the hostels. I'm allowing room for splurges on drinking at clubs and the stay at Cinque Terre :-(

Well maybe next time! There are so many places to see in Paris that don't cost anything. Some of my favorites were St. Sulpice and Luxembourg Gardens. If you don't mind me asking, how much are the hostels? 50 US dollars will be more like 35-40 euros, that doesn't seem like that would go very far.

Hi Rocklit,

I would agree with the others regarding adding days to Paris and at least 1 to Venice. Yes, cut one from Cinque Terre.

My personal opinion on Nice - I would stay in one of the other towns, maybe St. Tropez or Cap d'Antibes (I know there is a hostel there). We were there in October and the weather was very nice and it was uncrowded.

Buon viaggio!

rocklit- just in case... there is a great hostel on the town square right on the lake in Vevey (next door to Montreux) called Riviera Lodge. Starting from 26 CHF. You can get between Vevey and Montreux by bus or train.

And the bar I mentioned is Il Baretto, which is part of/next door to Hotel-Restaurant de la Rouvenaz. This is in Montreux at the beginning of the cobblestone street that winds up hill into the Old Town. It is not a dance club but an intimate neighborhood bar with gay ownership &amp; gay or gay-friendly patrons. The atmosphere can go from quiet to extremely lively depending on who's there and the time of evening. They serve delicious food from the restaurant next door.

This forum rocks! I've done so much research on my own, but it's still not enough. You all have helped so much.

*ilovetulips*, you're right. I somehow forgot about converting as it applies to my budget. It aggravates me that the value of the dollar is where it's at. This is why I was active during the last presidential election :-), and that is all I'm saying! I guess I'm going to buget around $70/day, since the hostels may average from 25 - 35 euros.

Suze, I'll check that out. I'm considering going to Luzern and the Lauterbrunnen Valley in Switzerland, although Montreux is still my third. I'm changing my mind every day, so I just don't know :-)

Dayle, it's ironic that you mention to eliminate Nice. I have been pondering doing that lately. I've read about it, and the beach doesn't interest me, nor does the palm tree atmosphere. I live in Florida, and I've never been fond of it.

You mentioned Antibes. I looked it up, but it appears to be a beach city. How would you best describe it?

Excluding Paris, what city or town exemplifies the heart of France?

When you are in the UK, you are gonna want to stay overnight in Brighton, its known as the Gay capital of Europe for its large gay population and great nightlife. don't worry abuot days of the week too much. Also lots of great food and shops.
for other information on gay nights out, just buy timeout as soon as you get off the plane.
Personally I would skip york, theres not much there except the yorvik viking museum, the railway museum and a load of tea shops. Ditto windsor, big castle and a load of posh people, not much else. If you like mountains, get up to scotland for a few days instead, go to glasgow for the nightlife and music scene then head for the hills

Hi again Rocklit,

Re: Antibes, I didn't make it there myself, but was going on recommendations from one of my travel buddies who did.

I did make it to St. Tropez as a day trip and I quite liked it - in mid Oct. I would like to stay there in the future although I could see where it would be a bit crazy in the summer.

Can't comment on the club scene as I'm a high energy, daytime sightseer myself.

You're going to have a great trip!